Dispensing cap

Abstract

To easily open a spout without relying upon a tab protuberance.SOLUTION: A spout cap comprises a cap body 11 having a spout 14 and a lid 12 coupled to the cap body through a hinge part 18. The cap body comprises an inner cylinder 13 attached on a mouth W1 so that the lid is removably fitted therewith, an exterior wall 28 provided radially outer of the inner cylinder, and a cover plate 25 closing an inside of the mouth and having the spout formed therein. In the exterior wall, a radially-penetrating passage hole 28a is formed and a push button 15 is provided to radially displace inside the passage hole. A push button is coupled through an elastically deformable resilient piece to circumferential both ends of an opening peripheral edge of the passage hole in the exterior wall. In the lid, a slide surface 12b is formed for an upper end face 15a of the push button to slide with a radial elastic displacement of the push button. The upper end face of the push button and the slide surface respectively extend downward as going from radially outer to inner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pouring cap.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a pouring cap is known that includes a cap body attached to the mouth of a container body for containing contents and having a pouring hole formed therein, and a lid body connected to the cap body via a hinge portion and opening and closing the pouring hole. In this pouring cap, a grip projection projecting outward in the radial direction is formed on the lid body, and when pouring the contents, the grip projection is pulled up to rotate the lid body upward around the hinge portion to open the pouring hole.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When opening the pouring hole, in order to easily rotate the lid body upward, it may be considered to increase the amount of protrusion of the grip projection outward in the radial direction. However, in such a pouring cap, there is a risk of not conforming to the production line.

[0005] The present invention provides a pouring cap that can easily open the pouring hole without depending on the grip projection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A dispensing cap according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cap body attached to the mouth of a container body containing contents, having a dispensing hole for the contents formed therein, and a lid connected to the cap body via a hinge portion for opening and closing the dispensing hole, wherein the cap body comprises an inner cylinder attached to the mouth and with the lid detachably fitted to it, an outer wall provided on the radially outer side of the inner cylinder, and a covering plate that closes the inside of the mouth and has the dispensing hole formed therein, The outer wall has a through hole formed therethrough in the radial direction, and a push button that is radially displaceable is provided inside the through hole, and the push button is connected to both ends in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the through hole in the outer wall via elastically deformable elastic pieces, and the lid has a sliding surface on which the upper end surface of the push button slides in accordance with the radial elastic displacement of the push button, and the upper end surface of the push button and the sliding surface each extend downward from the radial outside to the inside. The elastic piece extends radially outward as it moves inward along the circumferential direction toward the inside of the through hole, and its front and back surfaces are formed as plates that are respectively connected to the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the outer wall. .

[0007] According to the above embodiment, since the push button is connected to the outer wall via an elastically deformable elastic piece, when the push button is pushed radially inward, the elastic piece deforms elastically, and the push button is elastically displaced radially inward. In this case, the upper end surface and sliding surface of the push buttons, which are in sliding contact with each other, extend downward from the radially outer to the radially inward direction. As the push button is displaced radially inward, the upper end surface of the push button pushes up the lid via the sliding surface. This loosens the fit between the lid and the inner cylinder, allowing the dispensing hole to be easily opened even by pulling the lid up with a small force around the hinge. Therefore, the dispensing hole can be easily opened without, for example, providing the lid with a large tab protruding radially outward.

[0009] Since the elastic piece extends radially outward as it moves inward along the circumferential direction towards the through hole, it is possible to secure the radial stroke amount of the push button, and the amount of upward movement of the lid due to the radial inward displacement of the push button can be easily secured. Since the elastic piece is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces respectively connected to the outer and inner surfaces of the outer wall, it is possible to easily deform the elastic piece elastically when the push button is pressed radially inward.

[0010] The push button may be connected to the lower edge of the through hole via a breakable weakened portion.

[0011] Since the push button is connected to the lower edge of the through-hole via a breakable weakened section, the buyer can easily tell whether or not the lid has been opened before. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, the dispensing hole can be easily opened without relying on a tab. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dispensing cap shown as one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view of the dispensing cap as seen from the front. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a top view of the cap body. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] An embodiment of the dispensing cap will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the dispensing cap 1 according to this embodiment comprises a cap body 11 and a lid 12. The cap body 11 and the lid 12 are each formed in a top-cylindrical shape and are arranged coaxially with the common axis O.

[0015] Hereinafter, the side of the lid 12 along the common axis O, specifically the top wall portion 12c, will be referred to as the upper side, and the open end side of the peripheral wall portion 21 of the cap body 11 along the common axis O will be referred to as the lower side. The direction along the common axis O will be referred to as the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the common axis O when viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction circumferential around the common axis O when viewed from the vertical direction will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0016] The cap body 11 is attached to the mouth W1 of the container body W in which the contents are stored. A pouring hole 14 for the contents is formed in the cap body 11. The lid 12 is connected to the cap body 11 via a hinge portion 18 and opens and closes the pouring hole 14. By rotating the lid 12 in the vertical direction around the hinge portion 18, the lid 12 opens and closes the pouring hole 14.

[0017] Hereinafter, in the radial direction, the side where the hinge portion 18 is located with respect to the common axis O is referred to as the rear, and the opposite side to the side where the hinge portion 18 is located with respect to the common axis O is referred to as the front.

[0018] The peripheral wall portion 21 of the cap body 11 includes an inner cylinder 13 and an outer wall 28.

[0019] The inner cylinder 13 is attached to the mouth W1. The inner cylinder 13 is externally fitted to the mouth W1. The lid 12 is detachably fitted to the inner cylinder 13. A first locking projection 13a protruding outward in the radial direction is formed at the upper end portion of the inner cylinder 13. The first locking projection 13a is provided over the entire circumferential length of the inner cylinder 13. A second locking projection 12a of the lid 12 described later is detachably undercut-fitted to the first locking projection 13a. The outer wall 28 is provided on the outer side in the radial direction of the inner cylinder 13. The outer wall 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the inner cylinder 13 from the outer side over the entire circumferential length. Note that the outer wall 28 may be formed in a plate shape whose front and back surfaces face the radial direction and surrounds a part of the inner cylinder 13 in the circumferential direction from the outer side in the radial direction.

[0020] The lower end portions of the inner cylinder 13 and the outer wall 28 are connected to each other. The inner cylinder 13 and the outer wall 28 are integrally formed. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end portions of the inner cylinder 13 and the outer wall 28 are connected by a breakable connecting piece 29a and a non-breakable connecting portion 29b. The connecting piece 29a and the connecting portion 29b are provided at different circumferential positions. The connecting portion 29b connects the front end portions of the lower end portions of the inner cylinder 13 and the outer wall 28. A plurality of connecting pieces 29a are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. When separating and discarding the pouring cap 1 and the container body W separately, with the lid body 12 open, the lid body 12 is pulled up together with the outer wall 28 through the hinge portion 18, and while breaking the plurality of connecting pieces 29a, the inner cylinder 13 is pulled up with respect to the mouth portion W1 through the connecting portion 29b, whereby the cap body 11 can be separated from the container body W.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 11 includes an annular plate portion 23, a seal cylinder portion 24, and a covering plate 25.

[0022] The annular plate portion 23 extends radially inward from the upper end portion of the inner cylinder 13. The annular plate portion 23 is disposed at the upper end opening edge of the mouth portion W1. The seal cylinder portion 24 extends downward from the inner peripheral edge portion of the annular plate portion 23. The seal cylinder portion 24 is tightly fitted into the mouth portion W1. The covering plate 25 is provided inside the lower end portion of the seal cylinder portion 24 and closes the inside of the mouth portion W1. A pouring hole 14 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the covering plate 25. On the upper surface of the covering plate 25, a pouring cylinder 25d is formed that surrounds the pouring hole 14 from the outside in the radial direction and extends upward. A closing plate 25b is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the pouring hole 14 through a breakable thin portion 25a. A pull ring 25c protruding upward is formed on the closing plate 25b.

[0023] The peripheral wall portion 26 of the lid body 12 is detachably externally fitted to the inner cylinder 13 of the cap body 11. At the lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion 26 of the lid body 12, a second locking projection 12a that protrudes radially inward and is detachably undercut-fitted to the first locking projection 13a of the inner cylinder 13 is formed. The second locking projection 12a is provided over the entire circumferential length on the peripheral wall portion 26. A tab 27 is formed on the peripheral wall 26 of the lid 12, projecting radially outward. The tab 27 is located at the front end of the peripheral wall 26. As shown in Figure 2, the tab 27 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the circumferential direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, a through hole 28a is formed in the outer wall 28, extending radially. The through hole 28a is formed at the front end of the outer wall 28. Alternatively, the through hole 28a may be formed in a portion of the outer wall 28 located behind the front end. The through hole 28a opens at the upper end opening edge of the outer wall 28. When viewed from the front-rear direction, the through hole 28a has a rectangular shape that is elongated in the circumferential direction.

[0025] The outer wall 28 is provided with a push button 15 that is radially displaceable inside the through hole 28a. The push button 15 is radially separated from the outer surface of the inner cylinder 13. When viewed from the front-to-back direction, the push button 15 has a circumferentially elongated rectangular shape. The circumferential centers of the push button 15 and the knob projection 27 coincide. The circumferential lengths of the push button 15 and the knob projection 27 are the same. The lower end of the push button 15 is located between the lower edge of the through hole 28a and the upper opening of the through hole 28a. The lower edge of the through hole 28a is the portion of the inner surface of the through hole 28a that is located at the lower end and faces upward. The upper end of the push button 15 protrudes upward from the upper opening of the through hole 28a. The push button 15 is located in front of the through hole 28a.

[0026] The push button 15 is connected to the lower edge of the through hole 28a via a breakable weakened portion 17. The weakened portion 17 connects the circumferential centers of the lower end surface of the push button 15 and the lower edge of the through hole 28a. The weakened portion 17 extends upward from the rear to the front. The rear end of the weakened portion 17 is connected to the lower edge of the through hole 28a, and the front end of the weakened portion 17 is connected to the push button 15. The weakened portion 17 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces facing vertically. The circumferential size of the weakened portion 17 decreases from the rear to the front.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the push button 15 is connected to both circumferential ends of the opening edge of the through hole 28a in the outer wall 28 via elastically deformable elastic pieces 16. The elastic pieces 16 extend radially outward as they move inward along the circumferential direction toward the inside of the through hole 28a. The elastic pieces 16 are formed as plates, with their front and back surfaces respectively connected to the outer and inner surfaces of the outer wall 28. The front and back surfaces of the elastic pieces 16 are connected to the outer and inner surfaces of the outer wall 28 respectively without any steps. The elastic pieces 16 are formed to be thinner than the push button 15 and the outer wall 28. The elastic pieces 16 are connected along the entire vertical length of the portion of the push button 15 located inside the through hole 28a when viewed radially.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the lid 12 has a sliding surface 12b on which the upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 slides as the push button 15 undergoes radial elastic displacement. The upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 and the sliding surface 12b each extend downward from the radial outside to the radial inside. The upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 and the sliding surface 12b are in uniform contact with each other. In the illustrated example, the sliding surface 12b is the lower end surface of the pinch projection 27. The radial inner end of the sliding surface 12b is radially connected to the lower end opening edge of the peripheral wall portion 26 of the lid 12. In a vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical direction, the length of the upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 is shorter than the length of the sliding surface 12b. The upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 is in contact with the front part of the sliding surface 12b. The radial positions of the front surface of the push button 15 and the front end of the knob projection 27 are equivalent to each other.

[0029] The front end of the knob projection 27 may be positioned radially inward from the front surface of the push button 15. Furthermore, if the outer wall 28 is formed as a plate-like structure with its front and back surfaces facing radially, surrounding a portion of the inner cylinder 13 in the circumferential direction from the radially outside, the circumferential lengths of both ends of the outer wall 28 that are located circumferentially outside the elastic piece 16 may be equal to the circumferential length of the elastic piece 16. In this case, when the push button 15 is pushed backward, both ends of the outer wall 28 in the circumferential direction become more elastically deformable radially outward, allowing the push button 15 to move smoothly backward.

[0030] Next, we will explain the function of dispensing cap 1.

[0031] First, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, when the push button 15 is pushed in backward, the elastic piece 16 elastically deforms, and the upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 slides on the sliding surface 12b, applying an upward rotational force to the lid 12 around the hinge portion 18. At least the front end of the second locking projection 12a of the lid 12 is separated upward from the first locking projection 13a, and at least the front part of the sliding surface 12b separates from the upper end surface 15a of the push button 15. In this process, the weakened portion 17 is broken. Next, the sliding surface 12b of the pinch projection 27 is pulled up, and the lid 12 is rotated upward around the hinge portion 18, opening the top wall portion 22 of the cap body 11. Then, the pull ring 25c is pulled up to break the thin-walled portion 25a, the closing plate 25b is removed, and the dispensing hole 14 is opened. This allows the contents to be dispensed from the dispensing hole 14.

[0032] As described above, in the dispensing cap 1 according to this embodiment, the push button 15 is connected to the outer wall 28 via an elastically deformable elastic piece 16. Therefore, when the push button 15 is pushed inward in the radial direction, the elastic piece 16 deforms elastically, and the push button 15 is elastically displaced inward in the radial direction. In this case, the upper end surface 15a and sliding surface 12b of the push button 15, which are in sliding contact with each other, extend downward from the radially outer to the radially inner direction. As the push button 15 is displaced radially inward, the upper end surface 15a of the push button 15 pushes up the lid 12 via the sliding surface 12b. This loosens the fit between the lid 12 and the inner cylinder 13, allowing the dispensing hole 14 to be easily opened even if the lid 12 is pulled up with little force around the hinge portion 18. Therefore, the dispensing hole 14 can be easily opened without, for example, providing the lid 12 with a large protruding tab 27 in the radial direction.

[0033] Since the elastic piece 16 extends radially outward as it moves inward along the circumferential direction toward the inside of the through hole 28a, it becomes possible to secure the radial stroke amount of the push button 15, and the amount of upward movement of the cover 12 due to the radial inward displacement of the push button 15 can be easily secured. Since the elastic piece 16 is formed in a plate shape with its front and back surfaces respectively connected to the outer and inner surfaces of the outer wall 28, it is possible to easily elastically deform the elastic piece 16 when the push button 15 is pushed inward in the radial direction.

[0034] Since the push button 15 is connected to the lower edge of the through hole 28a via a breakable weakened portion 17, the purchaser can easily recognize whether or not the lid 12 has been opened before.

[0035] Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0036] The lid 12 does not necessarily need to have a tab 27 formed on it; the sliding surface 12b may be formed, for example, on the lower end opening edge of the peripheral wall portion 26 of the lid 12. The elastic piece 16 may be formed, for example, as a curved plate or bellows shape extending along the circumferential direction, and the front and back surfaces of the elastic piece 16 may be connected to the outer and inner surfaces of the outer wall 28 via stepped portions. The weakened portion 17 may be connected, for example, along the entire circumferential length of the lower end surface of the push button 15 and the lower end edge of the through hole 28a, or it may extend straight in the vertical direction. The weakening section 17, the pull ring 25c, and the closing plate 25b do not need to be provided.

[0037] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1. Dispensing cap 11 Cap body 12 Lid 12b Sliding surface 13 Inner cylinder 14 Pour hole 15 Push Buttons 15a Top surface 16 Elastic pieces 17 Weakened part 18. Hinge section 25 Covering plate 28 Exterior Wall 28a Passing hole W Container Body W1 Mouth

Claims

1. A cap body is attached to the mouth of the container body that holds the contents, and has a dispensing hole for the contents formed therein. The cap body is connected to the cap body via a hinge and comprises a lid that opens and closes the dispensing hole, The aforementioned cap body is An inner cylinder attached to the opening and with the lid detachably fitted to it, An outer wall provided on the radially outer side of the inner cylinder, The system comprises a covering plate that closes the inside of the opening and has the dispensing hole formed therein, The outer wall has a through hole that penetrates radially, and a push button that is radially displaceable is provided inside the through hole. The push buttons are connected to both ends in the circumferential direction of the opening edge of the through hole in the outer wall via elastically deformable elastic pieces. The cover has a sliding surface formed on which the upper end surface of the push button slides in accordance with the radial elastic displacement of the push button. The upper end surface and the sliding surface of the push button each extend downward from the radially outer side towards the inner side. The dispensing cap is characterized in that the elastic piece extends radially outward as it moves inward along the circumferential direction toward the inside of the through hole, and its front and back surfaces are formed as plates that are respectively connected to the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the outer wall.

2. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the push button is connected to the lower edge of the through hole via a breakable weakened portion.

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