Bottle caps and bottles for storing liquids

Abstract

To provide a bottle cap and a storage liquid storage bottle capable of easily breaking a sealing sheet regardless of a storage amount of input powder in a sealed space and easily inputting the input powder into a bottle body as much as possible.SOLUTION: The bottle cap includes a cylindrical cap body 8 in which a bottle mouth part 4 can enter the inside from openings 10,11 on one side and the other side, and a partition wall part 13 is provided on the inner side to form one side space 14 and the other side space 15. A breakable sealing sheet 22 is provided in the other side space 15 to form a sealed space 23, and the charged powder 5 is stored in the sealed space 23. The cap body 8 is composed of a cap main body part 16 for holding the peripheral edge part of the sealing sheet 22 and a cap end part 17, and the inside diameter Di2 of the cap main body part 16 is made larger than the inside diameter Di1 of the cap end part 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap for bottles and a bottle containing a contained liquid. [Background Art]

[0002] When a bottle containing a contained liquid is sold as a product, generally, the contained liquid is accommodated in a bottle body, and an opening of a bottle mouth portion protruding from the bottle body is closed by a bottle cap. Recently, as such a bottle cap used for a bottle mouth portion, there has been proposed a bottle cap which houses therein powder to be charged into the bottle body, and when a user uses the charged powder, the charged powder inside the bottle cap is charged into the contained liquid in the bottle body.

[0003] For such a bottle cap, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a cap body is prepared which has an internal space for allowing a bottle mouth portion protruding from a bottle body to enter through an opening facing the outside, and the internal space is closed by a partition wall at a position spaced apart from the opening in the entry direction of the bottle mouth portion. A breakable sealing sheet is provided on the cap body in a range between the opening and the partition wall where the bottle mouth portion can enter the internal space from the opening, so that a sealed space is formed between the sealing sheet and the partition wall, and the charged powder is stored in the sealed space. According to this configuration, when the bottle mouth portion is caused to enter the internal space of the bottle cap through the opening, the sealing sheet is broken by the (tip end of the) bottle mouth portion just by this operation, and the charged powder stored in the sealed space can be charged into the bottle body.

[0004] Incidentally, the present inventors have considered, in order to accurately and easily position the sealing sheet at a predetermined location within the internal space of the cap body in the bottle cap described above, to configure the cap body as shown in Patent Document 2, comprising a cap main body that is located on the partition wall side of the opening end of the cap body, and a cap end that is detachably connected to the cap main body and is located on the opening end of the cap body, with the sealing sheet being sandwiched between the cap main body and the cap end. According to this, by utilizing the detachable connection between the cap main body and the cap end, the sealing sheet can be sandwiched between them, and the sealing sheet can be accurately and easily positioned at a predetermined location within the internal space of the cap body. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2008-513312 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7426182 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, when a large amount of powder is stored inside the bottle cap (sealed space), if the user attempts to break the sealing sheet by relatively inserting the bottle opening into the internal space of the bottle cap, the large amount of powder will accumulate on the sealing sheet in the form of a relatively deep (height) layer of powder. This layer of powder must be lifted together with the sealing sheet until the sheet breaks. For this reason, when pushing the bottle cap into the bottle body to dispense the powder (or screwing the bottle cap in if the bottle cap and bottle opening are threaded together), the more powder stored inside the sealed space, the greater the force required to push the bottle cap into the bottle opening (or screwing the bottle cap in if the bottle cap and bottle opening are threaded together), inevitably increasing the user's operational burden.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its first objective is to provide a bottle cap that allows the sealing sheet to be easily broken regardless of the amount of powder stored in the sealed space, thereby making it as easy as possible to put the powder into the bottle body. The second objective is to provide a liquid storage bottle using the above bottle cap.

[0008] To achieve the first objective described above, the present invention has the following configurations (1) to (5).

[0009] (1) A cap body is provided which has an internal space into which a bottle mouth protruding from the bottle body enters from an opening facing the outside, and which closes the internal space with a partition wall at a position away from the opening in the direction in which the bottle mouth enters, and the cap body is provided with a breakable sealing sheet in the area between the opening and the partition wall, in which the bottle mouth can enter the internal space from the opening as film A is provided, filmA sealed space is formed between the partition wall and the cap body, the powder to be put in is stored in the sealed space, the cap body comprises a cap main body which is located on the partition wall side of the open end of the cap body, and a cap end which is detachably connected to the cap main body and is located on the open end of the cap body, film The peripheral edge is held between the main body of the cap and the end of the cap, film However, in a bottle cap where the cap body and the cap end are clamped together, the inner end surface of the cap end is covered, The inner diameter of the main body of the cap is film When it breaks, the area between the opening of the cap body adjacent to the cap end and the partition wall is expanded in diameter beyond the inner diameter of the cap end. Based on the enlarged inner diameter of the main body of the cap, the inner end surface of the cap end forms a stepped surface that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the main body of the cap.

[0010] In this configuration, the inner diameter of the main body of the cap is larger than the inner diameter of the cap end, so the inner end surface of the cap end forms a stepped surface relative to the inner circumferential surface of the main body of the cap, and the sealing sheet covers this stepped surface as well, thus sealing the inside of the cap end from the inside of the main body of the cap. For this reason, when the bottle opening is relatively inserted into the cap body from the opening and the sealing sheet is broken, the sealing sheet is located below the sealed space and supports the input powder as an input powder layer with its upper surface that extends beyond the upper area of ​​the tip surface of the bottle opening and onto the stepped surface. Compared to the case where the inner diameter of the main body of the cap and the inner diameter of the cap end are the same, the depth (height) of the input powder layer on the sealing sheet lifted by the tip surface of the bottle opening can be reduced by the amount corresponding to the input powder layer supported by the stepped surface via the sealing sheet. As a result, when the sealing sheet is broken by the bottle opening, the load on the input powder layer lifted by the bottle opening can be reduced, and the force required to push the bottle cap onto the bottle opening can be reduced. As a result, even if a large amount of powder is stored in the sealed space, the sealing sheet can be easily broken, making it as easy as possible to put the powder into the bottle.

[0011] On the other hand, when the bottle opening breaks through the sealing sheet and enters the cap body, an annular gap is formed between the outer surface of the bottle opening and the inner surface of the cap body, and the added powder (added powder layer) remains in this gap. However, if the bottle with the cap attached is immediately shaken up and down in this state (with the bottle opening closed by the bottle cap), the added powder in the liquid contained in the bottle body can be vigorously stirred and mixed in the liquid, and the liquid contained in the bottle body can be sent into the gap in the cap body, washing out the added powder remaining in the gap and stirring and mixing the added powder with the liquid, so that almost all of the added powder that was stored in the sealed space can be dissolved in the liquid. After this, as the bottle cap is removed from the bottle opening, if the tip surface of the bottle opening is moved relative to the cap end from the cap body, the liquid contained in the gap (liquid with dissolved added powder) flows down into the bottle body through the bottle opening. Therefore, users can effectively utilize most of the input powder contained within the sealed space, and prevent any liquid from remaining in the main body of the cap.

[0012] (2) Under the configuration of (1) above, The aforementioned step surface However, the cap is configured to be inclined so that it moves radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the main cap portion toward the tip of the cap end.

[0013] With this configuration, even if the liquid contained in the bottle body must be sent into the cap body (cap body) in order to dissolve the powder that was present in the cap body, when removing the bottle cap from the bottle opening, if the tip opening of the bottle opening is moved relative to the cap end from the cap body, the liquid contained in the cap body, even if it is somewhat viscous, will be actively guided by the inclined inner end surface of the cap end and will flow down into the bottle body through the bottle opening. For this reason, even if the inner diameter of the cap body is larger than the inner diameter of the cap end, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid contained that has been sent into the cap body (cap body) from remaining in the cap body.

[0014] (3) Under the configuration of (1) above, The inner circumferential surface of the cap end is formed with a female thread for the outer circumferential surface of the bottle opening to be screwed into. The outer diameter of the main body of the cap is configured to be larger than the standard outer diameter required for the end of the cap.

[0015] With this configuration, the outer diameter of the main cap portion is enlarged compared to the outer diameter of the standard cap end that the bottle mouth screws into. Therefore, when screwing the cap body onto the bottle mouth to allow the bottle mouth to break the sealing sheet and enter the cap body, if the user grips and rotates the main cap portion, the contribution of the rotational radius to the required rotational torque can be increased (larged), thereby reducing the rotational force. As a result, by gripping and screwing the main cap portion, the user's screwing force can be reduced, making it easier to break the sealing sheet (making it easier to put the powder into the bottle body).

[0016] (4) Under the configuration of (1) above, The outer diameter of the cap end is constant along its entire axial length. The inner diameter of the main body of the cap is constant along its entire axial length. An outer peripheral surface of the cap end portion is configured to be fitted and held on an inner peripheral surface of the cap main body portion.

[0017] According to this configuration, only by fitting and holding the outer peripheral surface of the cap end portion to the inner peripheral surface of the cap main body portion, a configuration in which an inner diameter of the cap main body portion is expanded larger than an inner diameter of the cap end portion can be obtained by using an inner end surface (thick wall surface) of the cap end portion.

[0018] (5) Under the configuration of (1) above, The cap main body is formed in a cylindrical shape, the bottle mouth portion is allowed to enter the inside from openings on one side and the other side in an axial direction of the cap main body, further, the partition wall portion is provided on an inner side in the axial direction, and with the partition wall portion as a reference, one side space communicating with the one side opening and the other side space communicating with the other side opening are formed,[The cap is cylindrical in shape, allowing the mouth of the bottle to enter the interior through openings on one side and the other side in the axial direction. Furthermore, the partition wall is provided on the axially inner side, and with the partition wall as a reference, a first space communicating with the first opening and a second space communicating with the second opening are formed. The length of the one side space from the one side opening to the partition wall portion is set to such a length that when the bottle mouth portion enters the one side space by a predetermined distance or more, the partition wall portion closes the opening of the bottle mouth portion,[The length of the first space from the first opening to the partition wall is set such that when the mouth of the bottle enters the first space beyond a predetermined depth, the partition wall is in a state of closing the opening of the bottle mouth. The other side opening serves as the opening, and the other side space serves as the internal space.[The second opening is configured as said opening, and the second space is configured as said internal space.

[0019] According to this configuration, by utilizing the one-side opening and the one-side space, the cap body can be attached to the bottle mouth portion, and the bottle mouth portion can be capped by the cap body; at this time, the input powder can be stored and held in the sealed space inside the cap body. On the other hand, after removing the bottle cap attached to the bottle mouth portion, if the bottle cap is inverted and the bottle mouth portion is caused to enter the other-side space of the bottle cap, the sealing sheet can be broken just by that by the (tip end of the) bottle mouth portion, and the input powder stored in the sealed space can be fed into the bottle body. Of course, in this case as well, by shaking the bottle up and down, the contained liquid in the bottle body can be fed into the cap main body portion, the input powder remaining in the cap body can be dissolved in the contained liquid, and the contained liquid in which the input powder is dissolved can be returned into the bottle body. Therefore, this bottle cap can not only serve the role of feeding the input powder, but also serve as a cap when selling the contained liquid storage bottle as a product.

[0020] In order to achieve the second object, the present invention adopts the following configuration (6).

[0021] (6) A contained liquid storage bottle, wherein when sold as a product, a contained liquid is stored in a bottle body, and an opening of a bottle mouth portion protruding from the bottle body is capped with a bottle cap, As the bottle cap, the bottle cap according to claim 5 is used, The bottle cap according to claim 5 is configured such that when sold as the product, the bottle mouth portion is caused to enter the one-side space.

[0022] With this configuration, since the bottle cap according to claim 5 is used, when the liquid-containing bottle is in the form it is sold as a product, the powder can be stored inside the bottle cap without being altered or otherwise damaged by the vapor of the liquid inside the bottle body. When the user then puts the powder into the bottle for use, the bottle cap is reattached to the bottle opening in an inverted state, which breaks the sealing sheet and puts the powder into the bottle body. If the bottle body into which the powder has been put is immediately shaken to agitate and mix the powder with the liquid, the liquid can be made into a liquid in which the powder has dissolved, and the liquid can be removed by removing the bottle cap from the bottle opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bottle cap that allows the sealing sheet to be easily broken regardless of the amount of powder stored in the sealed space, thereby facilitating the loading of the powder into the bottle body. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a suitable liquid storage bottle using the above-mentioned bottle cap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing a liquid containment bolt according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a cap according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view along the line X3-X3. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the state in which the bottle opening lifts the powder being put into the sealed space via the sealing sheet when the cap is screwed on according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the state in which the bottle opening breaks the sealing sheet due to the screwing operation of the cap according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the load acting on the tip surface of the bottle opening during the screw-on operation, comparing the first embodiment (this embodiment) with a comparative example. [Figure 7]This diagram illustrates the process of breaking the sealing sheet at the bottle opening, pouring the liquid into the cap body through the bottle opening, washing out any remaining powder inside the cap body with the liquid, and simultaneously agitating and mixing the liquid with the remaining powder. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the state in which the liquid contained in the main body of the cap flows into the bottle opening when the cap according to the first embodiment is removed from the bottle opening. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram illustrating the second embodiment. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram illustrating the third embodiment. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram illustrating the fourth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 8 show the first embodiment. In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a liquid storage bottle according to the embodiment. This liquid storage bottle 1 is shown in a state in which it will be sold as a product. This liquid storage bottle 1 is equipped with a bottle body 3 for storing a liquid (for example, pure water, carbonated water, etc.) 2, a bottle mouth 4 that protrudes upward from the bottle body 3 at the top of the bottle body 3, and a bottle cap (hereinafter referred to as "cap") 6 that is attached to the bottle mouth 4 with an input powder 5 (not shown in Figure 1) for input into the bottle body 3 stored inside.

[0026] As is well known, the bottle body 3 and the bottle mouth 4 are integrally molded using resin, aluminum alloy, or the like. The capacity of the bottle body 3 is set considering the amount of liquid 2 needed to dissolve the powder 5, and that amount of liquid 2 is contained within the bottle body 3. The bottle mouth 4 has male threads 7 formed on its outer surface, and the cap 6 can be attached to the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4 by screwing it on.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cap 6 comprises a cylindrical cap body 8 and a protective sheet 9 that is circular in plan view. The cap body 8 is molded from resin or metal. The openings 10 and 11 on one side (lower side in Figure 2) and the other side (upper side in Figure 2) of the cap body 8 in the axial direction are of a diameter (size) that allows the bottle mouth 4 to enter, and female threads 12 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cap body 8, extending axially inward from each of the openings 10 and 11, into which the male threads 7 of the bottle mouth 4 can be screwed. Therefore, the bottle mouth 4 can be screwed into the inner circumferential surface of the cap body 8 from either the opening 10 on one side or the opening 11 on the other side in the axial direction, allowing the bottle mouth 4 to enter the cap body 8.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a partition wall 13 is provided inside the cap body 8 on the axially inward side of the cap body 8. As a result, the cap body 8 is divided into two spaces: one side space 14 connected to the one side opening 10 and the other side space 15 connected to the other side opening 11, with the partition wall 13 as the reference point. The one side space 14 and the other side space 15 are completely separated by the partition wall 13, and the movement of moisture and other vapors between the one side space 14 and the other side space 15 is restricted. This partition wall 13 is formed simultaneously when the cap body 8 is molded.

[0029] The aforementioned one-sided space 14 has a predetermined length from its one-sided opening 10 to the partition wall 13. Specifically, when the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4 is screwed into the inner surface of the cap body 8 and the bottle mouth 4 is inserted into the one-sided space 14 by a predetermined length or more, the tip of the bottle mouth 4 comes into contact with the partition wall 13, and the tip opening of the bottle mouth 4 is closed (see dashed line in Figure 2).

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the cap body 8 comprises a cap main body 16 that constitutes one axial portion of the cap body 8 from the other end of the cap body 8, and a cap end 17 that is detachably connected to the cap main body 16 and constitutes the other end of the cap body 8. In this embodiment, a screw connection is used for the detachable connection between the cap main body 16 and the cap end 17. The inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17 is sized so that the bottle mouth 4 can enter the inside by screwing it onto its inner circumferential surface, while the inner diameter Di2 of the cap main body 16 is larger than the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17.

[0031] Let me explain in detail. The connection portion (one connection portion) 16a of the cap body 16 to the cap end portion 17 has an inner circumferential surface 16ia that is larger in diameter than the inner circumferential surface 16ib of the cap body 16 that is connected to the inner circumferential surface 16ia. For this reason, the tip surface 16at of the connection portion 16a of the cap body 16 has an inner tip surface 16ati formed between the inner circumferential surface 16ia of the connection portion and the inner circumferential surface 16ib that is not connected to the connection portion 16a, and an outer tip surface 16ato that is located on the other axial side of the cap body 8 from the inner tip surface 16ati and is located radially outward of the cap body 8, forming a step with the inner tip surface 16ati. The connection portion (the other connection portion) 17a of the cap end portion 17 to the cap body 16 has an outer circumferential surface 17oa that is smaller in diameter than the outer circumferential surface 17ob of the cap end portion 17 that is connected to the outer circumferential surface 17oa. Therefore, the inner end surface 17at of the connecting portion 17a of the cap end 17 has an outer inner end surface 17ato formed between the outer peripheral surface 17oa of the connecting portion and the outer peripheral surface 17ob other than the connecting portion 17a, and an inner inner end surface 17ati located on one side in the axial direction of the cap body 8 from the outer inner end surface 17ato, and located radially inward of the cap body 8, forming a step with the outer inner end surface 17ato.

[0032] Furthermore, a female thread 19 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 16ia of the connecting portion 16a in the main cap portion 16, and a male thread 20 that can be screwed into the female thread 19 is formed on the outer circumferential surface 17oa of the connecting portion 17a in the end cap portion 17. Based on this, the outer circumferential surface 17oa of the connecting portion in the end cap portion 17 is screwed into the inner circumferential surface 16ia of the connecting portion in the main cap portion 16, the inner end surface 17ati of the end cap portion 17 abuts against the inner front end surface 16ati of the main cap portion 16, and the outer front end surface 16ato of the main cap portion 16 abuts against the outer inner end surface 17ato of the end cap portion 17. It is preferable to make the main cap portion 16 and the end cap portion 17 unable to rotate relative to each other by using welding, bonding, or the like, depending on the material.

[0033] In this case, as shown in Figure 2, the inner end surface 17ati of the cap end 17 extends radially inward of the cap body 8 beyond the contact area with the inner front surface 16ati of the cap main body 16. As a result, a stepped surface (hereinafter referred to as inner end surface 17ati) is formed between the inner circumferential surface 17i of the cap end 17 and the inner circumferential surface 16ib of the cap main body 16 by the inner end surface 17ati of the cap end 17, and the inner diameter Di2 of the cap main body 16 is larger than the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17. The stepped surface 17ati is intended to allow the input powder 5 to accumulate on the stepped surface 17ati when the cap 6 is used with the other side of the cap body 8 facing downwards in the axial direction. The overhang length of the stepped surface 17ati on which the input powder 5 accumulates is set considering, as will be described later, the density of the input powder 5, the amount that can be stored, the possibility of the contained liquid 2 actively flowing into the gap 32 formed between the outer circumferential surface of the bottle mouth 4 and the inner circumferential surface of the cap main body 16 when the sealing sheet 22 breaks, and the fluidity of the contained liquid 2 on the stepped surface 17ati at the cap end 17. The specific roles of this stepped surface 17ati and the fact that the inner diameter of the cap main body 16 is wider than the inner diameter of the cap end 17 based on this stepped surface 17ati will be described in detail later.

[0034] Furthermore, the cap body 8, consisting of the main cap portion 16 and the cap end portion 17, can be screwed onto the bottle mouth 4 from either the axial opening 10 or the other opening 11, while the outer diameter of the cap body 8 is kept constant (=Do) in accordance with the outer diameter Do of the main cap portion 16. For this reason, the wall thickness of the cap body 8, excluding the portion that partitions the sealed space 23 of the main cap portion 16, is thicker than the standard wall thickness (the wall thickness required to maintain the outer shape), and the outer diameter Do of the cap body 8 is larger over its entire length than the outer diameter of a standard (ordinary) bottle cap used to close the bottle mouth 4 (see Figure 2). As a result, the cap 6 can have a larger turning radius r and a smaller turning force W compared to a standard bottle cap, under the required rotational torque T (= turning radius r × rotational force W = constant) required to screw the cap 6 onto the bottle mouth 4.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, a breakable sealing sheet 22 is placed in the other side space 15 of the cap body 8. The sealing sheet 22 is formed as a thin, circular sheet in plan view, and its peripheral edge 22o is sandwiched between the inner front surface 16ati of the cap main body 16 and the inner end surface 17ati of the cap end 17, with the radially inward portion 22i of the sealing sheet 22 blocking communication between the inside of the cap main body 16 and the inside of the cap end 17. As a result, a sealed space 23 is formed between the sealing sheet 22 and the partition wall 13 in the other side space 15 of the cap body 8. This sealing sheet 22 is placed within a range that allows the bottle mouth 4 to enter the other side space 15 from the other side opening 11. The purpose is to allow the sealing sheet 22 to be broken by the entry of the bottle mouth 4 (tip), and to form an entry guide space 24 in the other side space 15 from the other side opening 11 to the sealing sheet 22 that guides the entry of the bottle mouth 4. For this reason, in this embodiment, the axial length of the cap end 17 is determined in relation to the position of the sealing sheet 22 and the entry guide space 24. In this embodiment, an edible film is used for the sealing sheet 22. As is well known, an edible film is a film made from food materials such as starch and gelatin, and its characteristics include edibility, rapid dissolution, and ease of breaking.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the input powder 5 is stored in the sealed space 23. The input powder 5 is one that, when dissolved in the liquid 2 in the bottle body 3, becomes a beverage, liquid cosmetic, health food, etc. In particular, it is preferable to use an input powder 5 whose quantity is required to be precisely related to the volume of the liquid 2 (solvent amount), which exhibits stability in powder form (solid form) and whose original function gradually deteriorates after dissolving in the liquid 2. Examples include hydrogen water generating powder and vitamin powder that oxidizes when dissolved in the liquid 2. The volume of the sealed space 23 is set in relation to the volume of the input powder 5 to be stored, and in this embodiment, in addition to the volume of the input powder 5 to be stored, it is also considered that a spare space 25 is secured above the input powder 5 when it is stored (see Figure 2). For this reason, in this embodiment, the axial length of the cap main body 16 (cap body 8) is set from this viewpoint.

[0037] To store the input powder 5 in this sealed space 23, the cap main body 16 is erected so that the other side space 15 is positioned above the one side space 14, and the input powder 5 is supplied into the other side space 15 from the upper end opening of the cap main body 16. Then, the sealing sheet 22 is placed on the inner tip surface 16ati of the cap main body 16, and the outer circumferential surface 17o of the connection portion 17a of the cap end 17 is screwed into the inner circumferential surface 16i of the connection portion 16a of the cap main body 16, so that the peripheral edge 22o of the sealing sheet 22 is sandwiched between the inner tip surface 16ati of the cap main body 16 and the inner end surface 17ati of the cap end 17.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the protective sheet 9 is detachably attached to the other end face in the axial direction of the cap body 8 (cap end 17). This protective sheet 9 is attached to the other end face of the cap body 8 after the powder 5 is stored in the sealed space 23, and the other side opening 11 of the cap body 8 is closed by the protective sheet 9. As a result, only the one side opening 10 of the cap body 8 is open, and when closing the bottle mouth 4, the bottle mouth 4 can be reliably inserted (screwed) from the one side opening 10 into the one side space 14. As the protective sheet 9, a protective seal such as a resin sheet or a metal sheet, or a plate-shaped seal such as a resin plate or a metal plate can be used.

[0039] When the liquid-containing bottle 1 is sold as a product, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottle mouth 4 enters the space 14 on one side through the opening 10 on one side of the cap 6, and the opening of the bottle mouth 4 is closed. From this point onward, the user can determine whether or not the cap 6 has been opened (whether or not it is the user's first use) by checking the presence or absence of the packaging film (not shown) that encloses the bolt opening 4 and the cap 6, and whether or not the locking ring (not shown) that is detachably provided on one axial end of the cap 6 has been separated. As these details are already known, we will omit further explanation.

[0040] Next, we will explain how to use the liquid storage bottle 1 and cap 6, and the function of cap 6.

[0041] When using an unused liquid storage bottle 1 for the first time, the cap 6 is removed from the bottle opening 4 by an opening operation, and the protective sheet 9 on the cap 6 is peeled off. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the cap 6 is inverted, and the bottle opening 4 is inserted into the other side space 15 through the other side opening 11 of the cap 6 by screwing it in based on the screw relationship between the inner circumferential surface of the other end of the cap 6 and the outer circumferential surface of the bottle opening 4. As this insertion occurs, the tip surface 4to of the bottle opening 4 reaches the sealing sheet 22. However, even when the cap 6 is inverted, a clearance space 25 is formed between the partition wall 13 and the upper surface 5a of the powder 5 to be put in within the sealing space 23, so the tip surface 4to of the bottle opening 4 extends beyond the position of the sealing sheet 22. As a result, the sealing sheet 22 is ruptured by being pushed up by the leading edge 4to of the bottle opening 4, as shown in Figure 5, and the powder 5 that was stored in the sealed space 23 falls into the bottle opening 4 and the bottle body 3 through the ruptured opening 31.

[0042] In this case, as the bottle opening 4 enters the other side space 15 of the cap 6 (entering until the sealing sheet 22 breaks), the tip surface 4to of the bottle opening 4 advances while pushing up the input powder 5 in the sealing space 23 via the sealing sheet 22. Consequently, as shown in Figure 6, the input powder 5 on the sealing sheet 22 acts on the bottle opening 4 as an input powder layer 5A of approximately constant depth (height), and the load of this input powder layer 5A on the bottle opening 4 is based on that present in the upper region of the bottle opening 4 (tip surface 4to). At this time, if the inner diameter Di2 of the cap main body 16 is the same diameter as the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17 (comparative example), the entire input powder layer 5A in the sealing space 23 (indicated by depth (height) hc) acts on the tip surface 4to of the bottle opening 4 (see the shaded area in the right-hand diagram in Figure 6). In contrast, when the inner diameter Di2 of the cap main body 16 is larger than the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17 (in this embodiment), the area of ​​the upper surface of the sealing sheet 22 on which the input powder layer 5A will be placed is increased by the amount of the stepped surface (inner end surface) 17ati of the cap end 17 compared to the above case. A portion of the input powder layer 5A will also rest on the enlarged sealing sheet 22, and that portion of the input powder layer 5A will be supported via the sealing sheet 22 on the stepped surface 17ati of the cap end 17, which is outside the tip surface 4 of the bottle mouth 4. Therefore, the depth (height) h of the input powder layer 5A (shown as the shaded area on the left side of Figure 6), which rests on the tip surface 4to of the bottle mouth 4 via the sealing sheet 22, is reduced by an amount equivalent to the input powder layer 5A resting on the stepped surface 17ati of the cap end 17 via the sealing sheet 22. When the sealing sheet 2 is broken by the bottle mouth 4 during the screwing operation of the cap 1, the load on the input powder layer 5A lifted by the tip surface 4to of the bottle mouth 4 can be reduced by an amount equivalent to the difference in depth (height) hc-h. As a result, the screwing force (pushing force) of the cap 6 against the bottle mouth 4 can be reduced. Therefore, in order to reduce the screwing force of the cap 6, the amount of protrusion of the stepped surface 17ati at the cap end 17 and the amount of input powder 5 accumulated on the stepped surface 17ati are set while considering the density of the input powder 5, the amount of storage, etc.

[0043] In this case, the outer diameter Do of the cap 6 is larger than that of a standard bottle cap used to close the bottle opening 4. As a result, the radius r of the rotation required to screw on the cap 6 (= radius of rotation r × rotational force W) is larger than that of a standard bottle cap, which allows the rotational force W to be reduced accordingly. Therefore, from this perspective as well, the screwing force (pushing force) can be reduced, thereby reducing the burden on the user during use.

[0044] On the other hand, when the bottle opening 4 breaks the sealing sheet 22 and the powder 5 in the sealed space 23 falls into the bottle body 3, as shown in Figure 5, a portion 5b of the powder 5 may remain deposited on the stepped surface 17ati. This is because, in terms of configuration, the inner diameter Di2 of the cap main body 16 is larger than the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17, a stepped surface 17ati is formed between the inner circumferential surface 16ib of the cap main body 16 and the inner circumferential surface 17i of the cap end 17, and moreover, when the bottle opening 4 enters the cap main body 16, a gap 32 is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the bottle opening 4 and the inner circumferential surface 16ib of the cap main body. However, if the bottle 1 with the cap 6 attached is immediately shaken up and down (shaked), the powder 5 added to the liquid 2 is not only vigorously agitated and mixed in the liquid 2, but as shown in Figure 7 (the flow of the liquid 2 is indicated by arrows), the liquid 2 inside the bottle body 3 is actively sent into the gap 32, washing out some of the powder 5b present in the gap 32 and agitating and mixing the powder 5b with the liquid. As a result, almost all of the powder 5 stored in the sealed space 23 can be dissolved in the liquid 2.

[0045] Furthermore, in this case, by removing the cap 6 from the bottle mouth 4, the tip of the bottle mouth 4 is moved relative to the cap end 17 from the cap body 16. As shown in Figure 8 (arrows indicate the flow of the contained liquid 2), the contained liquid (contained liquid in which the input powder is dissolved) 2 that was present in the gap 32 flows down into the bottle body 3 via the bottle mouth 4 due to gravity. As a result, almost none of the input powder 5 contained in the sealed space 23, nor the contained liquid 2 that was sent into the cap body 16, remains in the cap body 16, and the input powder 5 and contained liquid 2 can be effectively utilized. Therefore, when setting the amount of protrusion of the stepped surface 17ati of the cap end 17, the possibility of active inflow of the contained liquid 2 into the gap 32 formed between the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4 and the inner surface of the cap body 16 when the sealing sheet 22 is broken, and the fluidity of the contained liquid 2 on the stepped surface 17ati at the cap end 17 are also considered.

[0046] In contrast, if the inner diameter Di2 of the cap body 16 and the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end 17 are the same diameter, and the sealing sheet 22 is broken by the bottle mouth 4 (comparative example: the right-hand portion shown in Figure 6), since the aforementioned stepped surface 17ati and gap 32 of this embodiment do not exist, the powder 5 to be introduced will not remain and accumulate inside the cap body 16. However, as the bottle mouth 4 breaks the sealing sheet 22, there is a risk that the powder 5 to be introduced will be pressed into the space between the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4 and the inner surface of the cap body 16. In particular, if a male screw 7 is formed on the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4, the powder 5 to be introduced will get further into the screw threads, making it difficult for the powder 5 to come out. After this, even if the liquid 2 is sent into the cap body 17 and the bottle body 8 is shaken (shake operation is performed), the liquid 2 cannot easily enter the space between the outer surface of the bottle mouth 4 and the outer surface of the cap body 16, and the powder 5 to be washed out or dissolved cannot be performed. In particular, if a highly viscous liquid 2 is used as the containment liquid, it is even less likely that the added powder 5 will be washed out or dissolved. There isn't any.

[0047] Therefore, in the first embodiment, even if a large amount of input powder 5 is stored in the sealed space 23, the sealing sheet 22 can be easily broken, making it as easy as possible to put the input powder 5 into the bottle body 3. Moreover, almost all of the input powder can be recovered (put into) the bottle body.

[0048] Figure 9 shows the second embodiment, Figure 10 shows the third embodiment, and Figure 11 shows the fourth embodiment. In each embodiment, components identical to those described in the previously mentioned embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0049] The second embodiment shown in Figure 9 shows a modified version of the cap end 17 according to the first embodiment. In this second embodiment, the stepped surface 17ati, which serves as the inner end surface of the cap end 17, is inclined so that it moves radially inward from the inner circumferential surface 16ib of the cap body 16 toward the tip of the cap end 17. As a result, when the liquid 2 contained in the bottle body 3 is sent into the cap body 16 (inside the cap body 8), and the added powder 5 present in the cap body 16 is dissolved in the liquid 2, and the cap 6 is removed from the bottle mouth 4, the tip of the bottle mouth 4 is moved relatively from the cap body 16 to the cap end 17, the liquid 2 contained in the cap body 16 (indicated by the arrow in Figure 9), even if it has a relatively high viscosity, is actively guided to the bottle mouth 4 by the inclined stepped surface 17ati of the cap end 17 and flows into the bottle body 8. Therefore, even if the inner diameter Di2 of the main cap portion 16 is larger than the inner diameter Di1 of the cap end portion 17, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid 2 contained in the main cap portion 16 (inside the cap body 8) from remaining inside the main cap portion 16. Note that in Figure 9, the sealing sheet 22 that is broken by the bottle opening portion 4 is omitted in order to clearly show the inclined stepped surface 17ati of the cap end portion 17.

[0050] The third embodiment shown in Figure 10 is a modified example of the first embodiment. The cap 6 according to the third embodiment is assembled using a plurality of cylindrical bodies. The cap body 8 includes a basic cylinder 33, and a bottomed cylindrical body 34 having an opening into which the bottle mouth 4 can enter is fitted and held to the inner circumferential surface of the basic cylinder 33 on one axial side (downward side in Figure 10), and a cylindrical body 35 having an opening into which the bottle mouth 4 can enter is fitted and held to the inner circumferential surface of the basic cylinder 33 on the other axial side (upward side in Figure 10). Of course, female threads (not shown) are formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the bottomed cylindrical body 34 and the inner circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical body 35, into which the male threads on the outer circumferential surface of the bottle mouth 4 can be screwed.

[0051] The bottomed cylindrical body 34 is positioned so that its opening faces outward from one axial opening of the basic cylinder 33, and its bottom portion 34a is configured as a partition wall portion 13. The cylindrical body 35 is positioned so that one of its openings faces outward from the other axial opening of the basic cylinder 33, and both its opening and the axial opening of the basic cylinder 33 are closed by a protective sheet 9. Furthermore, the axial inward opening of the cylindrical body 35 is closed by a sealing sheet 22, and the peripheral edge of the sealing sheet 22 is sandwiched between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 35 and the inner circumferential surface of the basic cylinder 33. As a result, the bottom portion 34a of the bottomed cylindrical body 34 and the sealing sheet 22 divide a sealed space 23 between them, and the input powder 5 is stored in this sealed space 23.

[0052] Therefore, the other axial end of the basic cylinder 33 and the cylindrical body 35 constitute the cap end 17, and the axial side of the basic cylinder 33 beyond them constitutes the main cap portion 16. A stepped surface 17ati (17at) is formed based on the other open end surface (thick portion) of the cylindrical body 35, which is fitted and held on the other axial inner surface of the basic cylinder 33, and the inner diameter of the basic cylinder 33 that constitutes the main cap portion 16 is larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 35 that constitutes the inner element of the cap end 17. In this way, a cap 6 can be easily obtained by assembling multiple cylindrical bodies and other components.

[0053] The fourth embodiment shown in Figure 11 is a modification of the third embodiment. The cap 6 according to the fourth embodiment is intended to be sold separately and used after the original cap of the liquid storage bottle 1 has been removed (after opening), and is not intended to be used as a cap when the liquid storage bottle 1 is sold as a product.

[0054] Therefore, a bottomed cylindrical shape is used as the basic cylinder 33, and its axial length is shorter than that of the basic cylinder 33 according to the third embodiment. The bottom 33a of the bottomed basic cylinder 33 serves as the partition wall 13, and the cylindrical body 35 or other components from the third embodiment (specified using the reference numerals from the third embodiment) are provided on the opening side of the basic cylinder 33.

[0055] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention encompasses the following embodiments. (1) The sealing sheet 22 also serves as the protective sheet 9. (2) A sealing sheet 22 is attached to the other end surface of the cap body 8, and a protective sheet 9 is further attached to the sealing sheet 22. (3) The sealing sheet 22 is to be made of which a weakened portion is formed in the region facing the cap end 17. It is preferable to use a pattern for the weakened portion that does not generate independent fragments that detach from the sealing sheet 22, for example, a pattern that extends radially from the center outwards, and the weakened portion can be configured such that, for example, the thickness of the weakened portion is thinner than that of other parts. (4) Use an edible film for the sealed sheet 22 in which the weakened area is formed. (5) One connection portion is the connection portion 17a of the cap end 17, and the other connection portion is the connection portion 16a of the cap main body 16. In this case, the sealing sheet 22 is fitted into the inner circumferential surface of the connection portion 17a of the cap end 17 while abutting against the stepped surface, and the outer circumferential surface of the connection portion 16a of the cap main body 16 is screwed into the inner circumferential surface of the connection portion 17a of the cap end 17, so that the peripheral edge 22o of the sealing sheet 22 is sandwiched between the connection portion 17a of the cap end 17 and the connection portion 16a of the cap main body 16. (6) The outer surface of the cap body 8 is made non-circular (for example, polygonal) when viewed from the axial direction, to facilitate screwing (rotating) the cap body 8. [Industrial applicability]

[0056] This invention can be used to easily break the sealing sheet regardless of the amount of powder stored in the sealed space, thereby making it as easy as possible to put the powder into the bottle body. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1. Bottle containing the liquid 2. Containing liquid 3. Bottle body 4. Bottle opening 4to Bottle opening tip 5 Input powder 6. Cap (bottle cap) 8 Cap body 10 One-sided opening 11 Other side opening (opening) 12 female threads 13 Partition wall section 14 One-sided space 15 Other side space (internal space) 16 Cap main body 17 Cap end 17at Inner end face of the cap end 17ati Inner end surface (stepped surface) of the cap end 22 Sealing Sheet 23 Closed space Di1 Inner diameter of cap end 17 Di2 Cap Main Body 16 Inner Diameter

Claims

1. A bottle cap having an internal space into which a bottle mouth protruding from the bottle body enters from an opening facing the outside, and a cap body that closes the internal space with a partition wall at a position away from the opening in the direction in which the bottle mouth enters, wherein a film is provided on the cap body as a breakable sealing sheet in the area from the opening to the partition wall, in which the bottle mouth can enter the internal space from the opening, a sealed space is formed between the film and the partition wall, and the powder to be put into is stored in the sealed space, wherein the cap body comprises a cap main body that is located on the side of the partition wall that is closer to the opening side end of the cap body, and a cap end that is detachably connected to the cap main body and is located on the opening side end of the cap body, the peripheral edge of the film is sandwiched between the cap main body and the cap end, and the film covers the inner end surface of the cap end as it is sandwiched between the cap main body and the cap end, The inner diameter of the main body of the cap expands beyond the inner diameter of the cap end when the film is broken, in the section from the opening of the main body of the cap adjacent to the cap end to the partition wall. Based on the enlarged inner diameter of the main body of the cap, the inner end surface of the cap end forms a stepped surface that protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the main body of the cap. A bottle cap characterized by the following features.

2. In claim 1, The stepped surface is inclined such that it moves radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the main body of the cap toward the tip of the cap end. A bottle cap characterized by the following features.

3. In claim 1, The inner circumferential surface of the cap end is formed with a female thread for the outer circumferential surface of the bottle opening to be screwed into. The outer diameter of the main body of the cap is larger than the standard outer diameter required for the end of the cap. A bottle cap characterized by the following features.

4. In claim 1, The outer diameter of the cap end is constant along its entire axial length. The inner diameter of the main body of the cap is constant along its entire axial length. The outer circumferential surface of the cap end is fitted and held in place by the inner circumferential surface of the main body of the cap. A bottle cap characterized by the following features.

5. In claim 1, The cap body is cylindrical in shape, and the bottle opening can enter the interior through openings on one and the other side in the axial direction. Furthermore, a partition wall is provided on the axially inward side, and with respect to the partition wall, a space on one side connected to the one side opening and a space on the other side connected to the other side opening are formed. The length of the one-side space from the one-side opening to the partition wall is set such that when the bottle opening is inserted into the one-side space beyond a predetermined distance, the partition wall closes the bottle opening. The other side opening is defined as the opening, and the other side space is defined as the internal space. A bottle cap characterized by the following features.

6. In a liquid-containing bottle that, when sold as a product, has a liquid contained within the bottle body and the opening of the bottle neck protruding from the bottle body is sealed with a bottle cap, As the bottle cap, the bottle cap according to claim 5 is used. The bottle cap according to claim 5 is in a state in which the bottle opening is inserted into the one-sided space when sold as the product. A liquid storage bottle characterized by the following features.

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