Hinge cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap that, by only lifting a knob part at the time of opening, can separate a stopper piece from the knob part, and can open a cover in the state where the same has transited to a sealing engagement part of a cap body.SOLUTION: A hinge cap A comprises a cap body B attached to a container body E, and a top cover C connected to the cap body B via a hinge D. The cap body B comprises: an installation part 5 installed to a mouth 1 of the container body E; and a sealing engagement part F which is formed on a side of the installation part 5 opposite to the hinge D. The top cover C comprises: a top wall 40; a side peripheral wall 41 which is suspended from a peripheral edge of the top wall 40; a knob part 44 which projected from a side of the side peripheral wall 41 opposite to the hinge D; and a stopper piece 45 which is suspended from the knob part 44. The stopper piece 45 engages with the sealing engagement part F at the time of setting, and is separated from the knob part 44 to transit to the sealing engagement part F at the time of opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge cap in which an upper lid is connected to a cap body via a hinge, and particularly to a hinge cap provided with a mechanism that can easily visually recognize that it has been opened.

Background Art

[0002] In various containers in which a hinge cap in which an upper lid is connected to a cap body via a hinge is attached to the mouth of a container body containing a content liquid, a sealing member is connected to the cap body so that the content liquid cannot be illegally extracted or refilled. A hinge cap that maintains a closed state by engaging the sealing member with the upper lid and can visually confirm the opened state based on the presence or absence of the sealing member has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [[ID=2​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a hinged cap that can be opened simply by lifting the tab when opening, which detaches the locking piece from the tab and moves it to the sealing engagement portion of the cap body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hinged cap comprising a cap body attached to a container body and an upper lid connected to the cap body via a hinge, wherein the cap body includes a mounting portion attached to the mouth of the container body and a sealing engagement portion formed on the opposite side of the mounting portion from the hinge, The mounting portion comprises an annular lid engaging portion that engages with the upper lid, an inner cylinder suspended from the inner peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion, and an outer peripheral wall portion suspended from the outer peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion, with a hinge connected to the upper end on the hinge side. The sealing engaging portion is formed to extend downward from a position a predetermined distance lower than the upper end of the outer peripheral wall portion, and comprises an engaging wall provided in the circumferential direction to form an insertion space between it and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion, and an engaging projection formed on the inside of the engaging wall. The top cover consists of a top wall and side walls that are suspended from the periphery of the top wall, The inner lower end of the side circumferential wall is widened and has an engagement recess that engages with the lid engagement portion of the cap body, The side circumferential wall comprises a knob protruding from the opposite side of the hinge, and a locking piece hanging down from the knob. The knob comprises a flange extending from the side circumferential wall within a predetermined angular range, and an opening passing through the flange. The locking piece comprises a retaining portion connected to the inside of the opening via a breakable connecting piece, a foot hanging down from the retaining portion, and a sealing engagement portion formed at the lower part of the foot when set. Engaging projection It comprises a locking projection that engages with the locking piece, When opening, lifting the tab breaks the connecting piece, detaching the retaining piece from the opening. The detached locking piece then falls within the sealing engagement section, guided by gravity as its foot is placed in an insertion space formed within the sealing engagement section. The lower surface of the retaining piece then contacts the upper surface of the engagement wall, preventing it from falling any further. The locking piece then detaches from the tab. The design features a transition to a sealing engagement section, and after opening the lid, the opening of the knob section opens. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The hinge cap of the present invention, by adopting the above configuration, When opening the container, lift the tab on the top lid to begin with, From the opening of the knob Locking piece Detach And, after dropping it, the top lid is opened. After opening the lid, the opening of the knob is always open, and even if the lid is closed again, it can be determined whether it has been opened by looking at the opening of the knob from above, and when viewed from the front, the locking piece is visible. Because it falls off and the retaining part moves to the sealing engagement part, This design allows for easy visual confirmation of whether the package has been opened, preventing unauthorized opening, and also eliminates the risk of the locking piece detaching from the tab during opening scattering and getting into food being prepared. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a container fitted with a hinge cap, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, before opening, where (a) is a side cross-sectional view and (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a). [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the hinge cap in the open position, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a container with a hinge cap, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, after it has been opened. (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a). [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a container fitted with a hinge cap, which is a second embodiment of the present invention, before opening, where (a) is a side cross-sectional view and (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a). [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the hinge cap in the open position, which is a second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a container after opening, which is fitted with a hinge cap, a second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a side cross-sectional view and (b) is an enlarged view of the main part of (a). [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] Next, the hinge cap of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using an example. In the following explanation, as seen in Figure 1(a), the upward direction will be referred to as "up," the downward direction as "down," the right direction as the "back side" (hinge side), and the left direction as the "front side" (opposite side of the hinge). [Example 1]

[0012] In Figure 1, A is a hinged cap consisting of a cap body B that is pressed into the container body E, and an upper lid C that is connected to the cap body B via a hinge D.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the container body E has a mouth portion 1, and on the outer periphery of the mouth portion 1, an upper fitting projection 2 and a neck ring 3 are formed below the fitting projection 2.

[0014] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cap body B has a mounting portion 5 to be mounted on the mouth portion 1 of the container body E, an upper wall 6 extending inward from the upper end of the inner edge of the mounting portion 5 to seal the opening of the mouth portion 1, a pouring outlet 7 penetrating the upper wall 6, a pouring cylinder 8 erected around the pouring outlet 7 of the upper wall 6, a sealing engagement portion F continuously provided on the front side (opposite side to the hinge D) of the mounting portion 5, and a bottomed rectifying cylinder body G provided downward from around the pouring outlet 7.E In this embodiment, the pouring outlet 7 and the pouring cylinder 8 are provided at a position offset from the central portion of the cap body B toward the front side, but the pouring outlet 7 and the pouring cylinder 8 may be located at the central portion.

[0015] The mounting portion 5 is continuously provided on the outer edge of the upper wall 6, and includes an annular lid engagement portion 9 that engages with the upper lid C, an inner cylinder 10 vertically provided from the inner peripheral edge of the lid engagement portion 9, and an outer peripheral wall portion 11 vertically provided from the outer peripheral edge of the lid engagement portion 9, with the hinge D continuously provided at the upper end portion on the back side (hinge D side) and the sealing engagement portion F continuously provided on the front side.

[0016] The outer peripheral wall portion 11 is continuously provided with a sealing engagement portion F in a predetermined range on the outer periphery of the front side, and an engagement portion 12 that engages with the fitting projection 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container body E is provided at the lower inner periphery. The lower end portion is formed as a lower wall portion 13 that abuts or is close to the upper surface of the neck ring 3 of the container body E so that no gap is formed when the cap body B is mounted on the container body E.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, in the outer peripheral wall portion 11, in the vicinity of either the left or right side of the hinge D, an outer peripheral cut portion 14 that is substantially V-shaped in plan view is cut from above on the outer peripheral surface, and a slit groove 15 is recessed from above so as to extend in a predetermined range in the circumferential direction on the back side starting from a position separating the thin-walled portion at the upper part on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral cut portion 14.

[0018] Therefore, when the hinge cap A pulls down the upper lid C via the hinge D at the time of discarding the container, the outer peripheral cut portion 14 becomes the vertical tearing line and the slit groove 15 becomes the circumferential tearing line. The outer peripheral wall portion 11 is broken in the circumferential direction starting from the outer peripheral cut portion 14, and the engagement between the engagement portion 12 of the broken portion and the mouth portion 1 of the container body E is disengaged. Thus, the hinge cap A can be easily separated from the container body E and discarded separately.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sealing engagement portion F is formed to extend downward from a position that is lower than the upper end of the outer peripheral wall portion 11 by a vertical dimension α, and includes an engagement wall 20 provided circumferentially to form an insertion space β between the engagement wall 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 11, and side walls 21 that serve as connecting portions from both ends of the engagement wall 20 toward the outer peripheral wall portion 11. An engagement protrusion 22 is provided on the upper inner periphery of the engagement wall 20, and the engagement protrusion 22 is provided with an inclined upper surface 22a that inclines downward from the upper end toward the inner peripheral side and a stepped lower surface 22b at the lower end.

[0020] The rectifying cylinder G includes a cylindrical upper side wall 25 vertically provided downward from around the pouring outlet 7 of the upper wall 6, a ring-shaped stepped wall portion 26 connected to the lower inner periphery of the upper side wall 25, a cylindrical lower side wall 27 vertically provided on the lower inner edge surface of the stepped wall portion 26, a ring-shaped bottom portion 28 extending inward to close the lower end portion of the lower side wall 27, and a hollow protruding portion 29 erected from the center of the bottom portion 28 to the height of the pouring outlet 7.

[0021] On the upper surface of the stepped wall portion 26, a pressing convex portion 30 is provided around the circumference, and an inclined surface 30a with a downward slope is formed with the inner side end being higher. On the front side of the lower side wall 27, a discharge port 31 is opened that is cut out from a predetermined height to the lower end, and on the back side of the lower side wall 27, an air replacement hole 32 is opened at the upper part. The protruding portion 29 is composed of a thick cylindrical wall 33 erected upward from the central portion of the bottom portion 28 and a top wall 34 that closes the upper end of the cylindrical wall 33. A plurality of groove portions 35 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 33, recessed vertically from the upper end to the lower end. In this embodiment, a total of six grooves 35 are formed: one at positions facing the front side and the other facing the back side, and two at positions 60° apart from each of those positions.

[0022] The top lid C comprises a top wall 40, a side periphery wall 41 extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall 40 and having a hinge D attached to a predetermined position at the lower end of its outer circumference, a sealing cylinder 42 extending vertically from the lower surface of the top wall 40 and having its outer circumference inserted into the inner circumference of the dispensing cylinder 8 of the cap body B when the lid is closed, and a middle cylinder wall 43 extending vertically from the outside of the sealing cylinder 42 on the lower surface of the top wall 40, with its lower end surface approaching or in contact with the upper surface of the top wall 6. A knob 44 protrudes from the lower end of the front side of the side periphery wall 41, and a locking piece 45 is attached to the knob 44 so as to be detachable. It is preferable that the thickness (vertical dimension) of the knob portion 44 is formed to be smaller than the vertical dimension α set as the installation position of the sealing engagement portion F.

[0023] The inner lower end of the side circumferential wall 41 is provided with an enlarged engagement recess 46 that engages with the upper surface and outer circumference of the lid engagement portion 9 of the cap body B. An outer peripheral recess 47 is formed on the outer circumference of the front side of the side peripheral wall 41, extending circumferentially from the center to predetermined ranges on both sides, and the knob portion 44 protrudes from the lower end of the outer peripheral recess 47. In the portion of the side circumferential wall 41 where the outer peripheral recess 47 is formed, the wall thickness is thinner compared to the wall thickness of other portions. In particular, the portion of the side circumferential wall 41 where the engaging recess 46 is recessed from the inner circumferential side of the side circumferential wall 41 is the thinnest portion of the wall, which is the thinnest wall portion 41a.

[0024] The sealing cylinder 42 is formed such that, when the lid is closed, its tip 42c is close to or in contact with the inclined surface 30a of the pressing projection 30 of the rectifying cylinder G of the cap body B. The lower outer circumference is formed with a sealing portion 42a that presses against the inner surface of the dispensing cylinder 8 of the cap body B, and a lower sealing portion 42b that is close to or in contact with the inner surface of the spout 7.

[0025] The knob portion 44 includes a flange portion 50 that extends in an arc shape from the front side of the side peripheral wall 41 within a predetermined angular range so as to cover the upper part of the sealing engagement portion F when the lid is closed, and an opening 51 formed in the center of the flange portion 50 that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface. Inside the opening 51, there is a locking piece 45 that hangs down via a breakable connecting piece 52.

[0026] The locking piece 45 is connected to the inner circumference of the opening 51 via a breakable connecting piece 52 and includes a retaining portion 53 formed in a shape that closes the opening of the opening 51, a foot portion 54 that hangs down from the retaining portion 53 and is formed in an arc shape so that when set (when the lid is first closed), its inner surface covers the front side of the outer circumference of the outer wall portion 11 of the cap body B, and a locking projection 55 with a wedge-shaped cross-section formed at the lower part of the foot portion 54. The locking projection 55 is provided to protrude from the lower end, forming an inclined lower surface 55a that extends diagonally upward toward the front side, and a stepped upper surface 55b at the upper end, and engages with the engaging projection 22 of the sealing engagement part F when set.

[0027] Next, the usage and effects of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the hinge cap A of this embodiment is manufactured by integral molding in the open position.

[0028] Next, from the open position, the top lid C is rotated in the closing direction relative to the cap body B via the hinge D, engaging the engagement recess 46 of the side peripheral wall 41 of the top lid C with the lid engagement portion 9 of the cap body B, and the hinge cap A is set (closed). During setup, the locking piece 45, which hangs down from the knob 44 of the top cover C, is inserted from above into the insertion space β of the sealing engagement portion F. The inclined lower surface 55a formed on the locking projection 55 of the locking piece 45 comes into contact with the inclined upper surface 22a of the engagement projection 22 of the engagement wall 20. The locking projection 55 pushes over the engagement projection 22 while slightly expanding the engagement wall 20, and the locking piece 45 is inserted into the insertion space β.

[0029] Finally, as shown in Figure 1, the foot portion 54 of the locking piece 45 is positioned so that its inner surface is close to the outer surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 11 of the cap body B, and the stepped upper surface 55b of the locking projection 55 engages with the stepped lower surface 22b of the engaging projection 22 of the engaging wall 20, thereby maintaining the closed state.

[0030] Furthermore, when assembled, the lower outer circumference of the sealing cylinder 42 of the top lid C is sealed by the outer circumference of the sealing portion 42a being in close contact with the lower inner circumference of the dispensing cylinder 8 of the cap body B, and the outer circumference of the lower sealing portion 42b of the sealing cylinder 42 is temporarily sealed by being close to or in contact with the inner surface of the spout 7.

[0031] The completed hinge cap A is then attached to the opening 1 of the container body E, which is filled with the liquid, by pressing it into place. When the hinge cap A is closed, if a pressing force is applied, particularly to the corner between the top wall 40 and the side periphery wall 41 of the top wall C, such as when the cap is pressed in or when the container with the top lid C facing downwards is dropped upside down, the tip 42c of the sealing cylinder 42 of the top lid C will come into contact with the inclined surface 30a of the pressing projection 30 of the flow straightening cylinder G, thereby preventing the top lid C from being crushed and deformed.

[0032] Furthermore, because the inclined surface 30a of the pressing projection 30 slopes downward toward the outside, the force pressing the tip 42c of the sealing cylinder 42 is divided into an outward force, causing the sealing cylinder 42 to expand outward from the tip 42c. The seal formed by the sealing portion 42a of the sealing cylinder 42 and the lower inner surface of the dispensing cylinder 8, and the temporary seal formed by the lower sealing portion 42b and the inner surface of the spout 7, ensure airtightness inside the container body E. Therefore, even if one seal comes off due to impact, the other seal will maintain the seal, and the contents will not leak.

[0033] Furthermore, the tip of the inner cylindrical wall 43 of the top lid C abuts against the upper surface of the top wall 6 of the cap body B, preventing the top lid C from being crushed and deformed. As described above, even if the top lid C is pressed against the cap body B when the cap is inserted or the container is dropped upside down, the contact between the inner cylindrical wall 43 of the top lid C and the upper wall 6 of the cap body B, and the receiving of the tip 42c of the sealing cylinder 42 by the protruding part 30 prevent the top lid C from being crushed and deformed against the cap body B.

[0034] In this embodiment, the hinge cap A is provided with a flow straightening cylinder G at the spout 7 of the cap body B. Therefore, even if the container is dropped when closing the hinge cap A and the contents inside the container body E are violently shaken, the contents will hit the bottom 28 and lower side wall 27 of the flow straightening cylinder G, suppressing their momentum. Similarly, any contents entering from the discharge port 31 will hit the outer circumference of the protruding part 29, suppressing their momentum. As a result, the contents will not forcefully push up the top wall 40 inside the sealing cylinder 42 of the top lid C inside the dispensing cylinder 8, preventing it from opening.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the hinge cap A is attached to the container, after it is sealed, the lower wall portion 13 provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral wall portion 11 of the cap body B prevents a gap from forming between it and the upper surface of the neck ring 3 of the container body E, thus preventing the hinge cap A from being removed from the container body E due to tampering or other reasons.

[0036] To open a container fitted with the hinge cap A of this embodiment for the first time, it is necessary to place a finger or the like on the underside of the flange 50 of the knob 44 of the top lid C and lift the knob 44 upwards. When the knob 44 is lifted, the locking piece 45, which is connected to the opening 51 via the connecting piece 52, is also lifted. However, since the locking projection 55 of the locking piece 45 engages with the engaging projection 22 of the engaging wall 20 of the sealing engagement part F of the cap body B, the locking piece 45 is prevented from rising and acts as resistance. Furthermore, when the knob 44 is lifted, the connecting piece 52 is broken, the retaining portion 53 of the locking piece 45 is separated from the opening 51, and the locking piece 45 moves from the knob 44 of the top lid C to the sealing engagement portion F of the cap body B.

[0037] When the locking piece 45 is released and the opening 51 is opened, the knob 44 is lifted, causing the thin wall portion 41a of the side circumferential wall 41 to deform and be lifted using the thin wall portion 41a as a fulcrum. Initially, the engagement between the engagement recess 46 of the side circumferential wall 41 near the thin wall portion 41a and the lid engagement portion 9 of the cap body B is released. Gradually, the engagement between the engagement recess 46 of the other side circumferential walls 41 and the lid engagement portion 9 is released from the thin wall portion 41a side, causing the top lid C to lift and be fully opened. Furthermore, the thin wall portion 41a of the side periphery wall 41 of the top lid C also deforms when the lid is opened, so even if the engagement recess 46 of the top lid C and the lid engagement portion 9 of the cap body B are firmly fitted together, the lid can be opened easily and with little force.

[0038] The locking piece 45, detached from the knob 44 and the top cover C, falls within the sealing engagement part F, guided by gravity in the insertion space β formed within the sealing engagement part F. As shown in Figure 3, the lower surface of the retaining portion 53 of the locking piece 45 comes into contact with the upper surface of the engagement wall 20 of the sealing engagement part F, preventing the locking piece 45 from falling any further. Furthermore, even if the locking piece 45 rises, the stepped upper surface 55b of the locking projection 55 of the locking piece 45 engages with the stepped lower surface 22b of the engaging projection 22 of the sealing engagement part F, thus preventing the locking piece 45 from detaching from the sealing engagement part F and flying off.

[0039] As described above, in this embodiment, when opening the container, the hinge cap A first detaches the locking piece 45 from the opening 51 of the knob 44 by lifting the knob 44 of the top lid C, causing it to fall, and then the top lid C is opened. After opening, the opening 51 of the knob 44 is always open, and even if the lid is closed again, it can be determined from above by looking at the opening 51 of the knob 44 to see if it has been opened. Also, when viewed from the front, the locking piece 45 falls and the retaining part 53 moves to the sealing engagement part F, so the opened state can be visually confirmed and unauthorized opening can be prevented.

[0040] When using the liquid contents, since a protrusion 29 is erected from the bottom 28 of the rectifying cylinder G, even if the container is tilted sharply and the liquid contents flow in forcefully from the discharge port 31, the force is suppressed when it hits the groove 35 on the outer circumference of the cylinder wall 33 of the protrusion 29, and the rectified liquid contents can be dispensed from the dispensing cylinder 8.

[0041] Since an air exchange hole 32 is provided on the back side of the rectifying cylinder G, even if the container is tilted sharply and the discharge port 31 is blocked by the liquid contents, air flows into the container body E through the air exchange hole 32 and performs air exchange, so the liquid contents can be dispensed stably without pulsation. Next, when the contents have been used up, the container is turned upright, allowing any remaining contents in the dispensing cylinder 8 to flow into the rectifying cylinder G and be collected into the container body E through the discharge port 31, so that almost no contents remain in the dispensing cylinder 8 or the rectifying cylinder G. [Example 2]

[0042] Next, a second embodiment will be described in which the cap body A and top lid B of the first embodiment are modified. In the following description, components identical to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and only the different components will be denoted by different reference numerals, with the differences being the main focus of the explanation.

[0043] In Figures 4 and 5, Aa is a hinged cap consisting of a cap body Ba that is pressed into the container body E and an upper lid Ca connected to the cap body Ba via a hinge D, and H is an insert provided separately to the upper lid Ca.

[0044] The cap body Ba consists of a mounting portion 60 that is attached to the mouth portion 1 of the container body E, a dispensing tube 61 that is erected from the upper end of the inner edge of the mounting portion 60, a partition portion 62 that is connected to the lower inner circumference of the dispensing tube 61 and seals the mouth portion 1, and a sealing engagement portion F that is connected to the front side of the mounting portion 60.

[0045] The mounting portion 60 consists of an annular lid engaging portion 63 that engages with the upper lid Ca, an inner cylinder 64 that extends vertically from the inner peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion 63, and an outer peripheral wall portion 65 that extends vertically from the outer peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion 63, with a hinge D connected to its upper end on the rear side and a sealing engaging portion F connected to its front side. The outer peripheral wall portion 65 has sealing engagement portions F arranged in a predetermined range on the outer peripheral side on the front side, and an engagement portion 66 is provided on the lower inner peripheral side that engages with the fitting projection 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container body E.

[0046] The partition wall 62 is provided with a capping section 69 defined by a breakable, thin-walled weakened section 68 on the inner circumference side of the dispensing cylinder 61, in order to open the dispensing outlet 67 when in use. The plug removal section 69 is equipped with a bottom wall 70 connected to the partition wall section 62 via a thin-walled weakened section 68, and a cylindrical pull-up wall 71 with an open upper end that engages with the insert H when set is erected on the upper front surface of the bottom wall 70.

[0047] On the hinge D side of the outer circumference of the lifting wall 71, reinforcing ribs 72 are provided that extend from the upper surface of the bottom wall 70 and form an upper end surface 72a at a predetermined height. On the inner circumference, an inner partition wall 73 that closes the inside is provided in the center, and an inner circumference locking portion 74 is recessed above it, and a fitting support column 75 is erected in the center of the inner partition wall 73.

[0048] The sealing engagement portion F is formed to extend downward from a position lower by a vertical dimension α from the upper end of the outer peripheral wall portion 65, and consists of an engagement wall 20 provided in the circumferential direction to form an insertion space β between it and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 65, and side walls 21 that serve as connecting portions from both ends of the engagement wall 20 toward the outer peripheral wall portion 65, and a protruding engagement projection 22 is provided on the upper inner circumference of the engagement wall 20.

[0049] The top lid Ca comprises a top wall 80, a side periphery wall 81 extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall 80 and having a hinge D attached to a predetermined position at the lower end of the outer circumference, a sealing cylinder 82 extending vertically from the lower surface of the top wall 80 and having its outer circumference inserted into the upper inner circumference of the dispensing cylinder 61 of the cap body Ba when the lid is closed, and a knob 44 protruding from the lower end of the front side of the side periphery wall 81, with a locking piece 45 attached to the knob 44 so as to be detachable. The inner lower end of the side circumferential wall 81 is provided with an enlarged engagement recess 83 that engages with the upper surface and outer circumference of the lid engagement portion 63 of the cap body Ba.

[0050] The top wall 80 is provided with an insertion step 84 formed on the inner front side of the sealing cylinder 82, into which the insert H is mounted from the top surface, and an insertion opening 85 that opens downward from the inside of the insertion step 84, into which the upper outer circumference of the lifting wall 71 of the partition wall 62 is inserted when set. On the rear side of the insertion opening 85, a reinforcing cylinder wall 86 is vertically provided, whose inner circumference slides against the outer circumference of the lifting wall 71 when set, and whose lower end surface abuts against or is close to the upper end surface 72a of the reinforcing rib 72.

[0051] The knob portion 44 includes a flange portion 50 that extends in an arc shape from the front side of the side peripheral wall 81 within a predetermined angular range so as to cover the upper part of the sealing engagement portion F when set, and an opening 51 formed in the center of the flange portion 50 that penetrates from the top surface to the bottom surface. Inside the opening 51, there is a locking piece 45 that hangs down via a breakable connecting piece 52. The locking piece 45 is connected to the inner circumference of the opening 51 via a breakable connecting piece 52 and includes a retaining portion 53 formed in a shape that closes the opening of the opening 51, a foot portion 54 that extends downward from the retaining portion 53 and is formed in an arc shape such that when set, its inner surface covers the front side of the outer circumference of the outer peripheral wall portion 65 of the cap body Ba, and a locking projection 55 formed at the lower part of the foot portion 54, the locking projection 55 engaging with the engaging projection 22 of the sealing engagement portion F when set.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the insert H has a head portion 90 whose upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the top wall 80 of the top cover Ca when set, and whose side and lower peripheral edges fit with the insertion step portion 84, and a cylindrical shaft portion 91 that is vertically attached to the center of the lower surface of the head portion 90. The shaft cylinder portion 91 is provided with an outer peripheral locking portion 92 on its outer circumference that engages with the inner peripheral locking portion 74 of the lifting wall 71 when set, and the inner circumference has a fitting recess 93 that fits with the fitting support column 75 of the lifting wall 71. Furthermore, the fitting structure between the insert H and the lifting wall 71 is not limited to this embodiment; the insert H can take any form as long as it is fixed to the lifting wall 71 so as not to come loose. Furthermore, instead of providing an upward-lifting wall 71, the unplugging section 69 may have an opening in the bottom wall 70 into which the insert H is fitted, or a recess in the bottom wall 70 into which the insert H is fitted. Furthermore, instead of providing an insert H, the top wall 80 side of the top lid Ca and the plug opening 69 side may be directly joined by welding or ultrasonic bonding.

[0053] Next, the usage and effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the hinge cap Aa, manufactured by integral molding, is obtained in an open state as shown in Figure 5. Next, the top lid Ca is rotated in the closing direction relative to the cap body Ba via the hinge D, and the hinge cap Aa is set (closed). At that time, the upper outer circumference of the pull-up wall 71 erected from the opening 69 of the cap body Ba slides against the insertion opening 85 and the inner circumference of the reinforcing cylinder wall 86 of the top lid Ca. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the sealing cylinder 82 of the top lid Ca is in close contact with the inner circumference of the dispensing cylinder 61 of the cap body Ba to form a seal, and the lid engagement portion 63 of the cap body Ba and the engagement recess 83 of the side circumferential wall 81 of the top lid Ca engage to form a closed lid.

[0054] Next, when the insert H is pushed into the plugging portion 69 through the insertion opening 85 in the top wall 80 of the top lid Ca, the shaft portion 91 is sandwiched between the inner circumferential locking portion 74 of the pull-up wall 71 and the fitting support column 75, and as shown in Figure 4, the top wall 80 of the top lid Ca and the plugging portion 69 of the cap body Ba are attached together by the insert H. At this time, the head 90 of the insert H is fitted and fixed into the insertion step 84 of the upper cover Ca, the upper end surface of the pull-up wall 71 abuts against or is close to the lower surface of the head 90 of the insert H, and the inner circumference and inner circumference locking portion 74 and fitting support column 75 of the pull-up wall 71 are fitted and fixed into the outer circumference and outer circumference locking portion 92 and fitting recess 93 of the shaft cylinder portion 91 of the insert H, completing the installation.

[0055] The hinge cap Aa, to which the insert H is attached, is fitted onto the container body E by placing the attachment part 60 against the opening 1 of the container body E, which is filled with liquid, and pressing down from above to seal it.

[0056] Next, when using the hinge cap Aa of this embodiment for the first time, first lift the knob 44 of the top lid Ca, break the connecting piece 52, detach the retaining portion 53 of the locking piece 45 from the opening 51, and after detaching the locking piece 45 from the knob 44, proceed further to open the lid, releasing the tight contact between the outer circumference of the sealing cylinder 82 of the top lid Ca and the inner circumference of the dispensing cylinder 61 of the cap body Ba, and further opening the lid while disengaging the engagement recess 83 of the side circumferential wall 81 of the top lid Ca and the lid engagement portion 63 of the cap body Ba.

[0057] Simultaneously, the head 90 of the insert H, which is attached to the insertion step 84 of the top lid Ca, is pulled up, and the unplugging portion 69 of the cap body Ba, which is connected to the shaft cylinder portion 91 of the insert H, is pulled up, causing the bottom wall 70 on the front side to be pulled up, the thin-walled weakened portion 68 on the front side to begin to break, and as the knob portion 44 of the top lid Ca is further lifted, the breaking of the thin-walled weakened portion 68 progresses toward the rear side, and finally the thin-walled weakened portion 68 near the hinge D breaks, the unplugging portion 69 is removed from the partition portion 62 and then moves to the top lid Ca connected by the insert H, and the hinge cap Aa opens. The cap body Ba has a spout 67 that opens at the opening 69 removed from the partition 62, allowing the liquid contents inside the container body E to be dispensed via the dispensing cylinder 61.

[0058] After opening, as shown in Figure 6, the locking piece 45 moves from the knob 44 to the sealing engagement part F of the cap body Ba, and the opening 51 of the knob 44 is always open. Even if the lid is closed again, it can be determined whether it has been opened by looking at the opening 51 of the knob 44 from above, and when viewed from the front, the locking piece 45 falls and moves to the sealing engagement part F, so the opened state can be visually confirmed and unauthorized opening can be prevented. [Industrial applicability]

[0059] The hinge cap of the present invention has a locking piece that hangs down from the knob of the top lid. When set, the locking piece engages with the sealing engagement part, and when opened, it detaches from the knob and moves to the sealing engagement part. This makes it easy to see that the cap has been opened, preventing unauthorized opening, and thus it can be widely used as a hinge cap for various food containers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] A, Aa Hinge Cap B, Ba cap body C, Ca upper lid D hinge E Container body F Sealing engagement part G Rectifier cylinder H Insertion α Vertical dimension β insertion space 1 Mouth 2. Fitting projection 3 Neck rings 5, 60 Mounting part 6 Upper wall 7, 67 spout 8, 61 Pour tube 9, 63 Lid engaging part 10, 64 inner cylinder 11, 65 Outer wall 12, 66 Engaging part 13 Lower wall section 14 Outer circumference cut section 15 Slit grooves 20 Engagement Wall 21 Side wall 22 Engagement protrusion 22a Slanted top surface 22b Bottom surface 25 Upper side wall 26 Step wall section 27 Lower side wall 28 Bottom 29 Protrusion 30 Pressing protrusion 30a Slope 31 Discharge port 32 Air exchange holes 33 Cylinder wall 34. Ceiling Wall 35 groove 40, 80 Top wall 41, 81 Side walls 41a Thin wall section 42, 82 Closed envelope 42a Seal section 42b Lower seal section 42c Tip 43. Central wall 44. Thumb part 45 Locking piece 46, 83 Engaging recess 47 Peripheral recess 50 Guard section 51 Opening 52 Connecting piece 53 Retaining part 54 Foot 55 Locking projection 55a Slanted bottom surface 55b Step top surface 62 Bulkhead 68 Thin weakened part 69. Opening section 70 Bottom wall 71 Lifting wall 72 Reinforcement Ribs 72a Top end surface 73 Internal septum 74 Inner circumference locking part 75 Interlocking support posts 84 Insertion step 85 Insertion opening 86 Reinforced cylindrical wall 90 head 91 Shaft cylinder part 92 Peripheral locking portion 93 Fitting recess

Claims

[Claim 1] A hinged cap consisting of a cap body that is attached to the container body and an upper lid connected to the cap body via a hinge, The cap body comprises a mounting portion that is attached to the mouth of the container body, and a sealing engagement portion formed on the opposite side of the hinge of the mounting portion. The mounting portion comprises an annular lid engaging portion that engages with the upper lid, an inner cylinder suspended from the inner peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion, and an outer peripheral wall portion suspended from the outer peripheral edge of the lid engaging portion, with a hinge connected to its upper end on the hinge side. The sealing engagement portion is formed to extend downward from a position a predetermined distance below the upper end of the outer peripheral wall, and comprises an engagement wall provided circumferentially to form an insertion space between it and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall, and an engagement projection formed on the inside of the engagement wall. The top lid comprises a top wall, a side wall extending downward from the periphery of the top wall, an engagement recess that widens at the lower inner end of the side wall and engages with the lid engagement portion of the cap body, a knob protruding from the side wall opposite the hinge, and a locking piece hanging down from the knob. The knob portion comprises a flange extending from the side circumferential wall within a predetermined angular range, and an opening that penetrates the flange. The locking piece comprises a retaining portion connected to the inside of the opening via a breakable connecting piece, a foot portion hanging down from the retaining portion, and a locking projection formed on the lower part of the foot portion that engages with the engaging projection of the sealing engagement portion when set. The hinge cap is characterized in that, when the knob is lifted during opening, the locking piece breaks the connecting piece, the retaining part is separated from the opening, the locking piece separated from the knob falls into the sealing engagement part while being guided by gravity in the insertion space formed within the sealing engagement part, the lower surface of the retaining part of the locking piece comes into contact with the upper surface of the engagement wall and is prevented from falling any further, the locking piece moves from the knob to the sealing engagement part, and after opening, the opening of the knob opens.

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