cap

Abstract

A boss (51) on which a valve seat (72) for a check valve (71) is formed and a nozzle (61) are arranged by being offset in the radial direction of the boss (51). The boss (51) is provided on a lower surface (32) of a ceiling part (31) of a cap body (21), and the nozzle (61) is provided on an upper surface (33) of the ceiling part (31). Therefore, the elements excluding the check valve (71) can be integrally molded, and a cap (1) can be configured by the two components of the cap body (21) and a valve body (81) of the check valve (71). In this way, the manufacturing cost of the cap (1) can be reduced.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap attached to the mouth of a container containing contents. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a container configured such that an appropriate amount of contents is discharged from a nozzle of a cap by pressurizing and deforming the container body. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-200077 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In the cap 11 described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as "conventional cap"), the check valve 53 is fixed in the valve chamber 54 with a base 81 held between the bottom wall 64 of the base 51 of the cap body 41 and the cylindrical portion 73 of the discharge nozzle 52. That is, in the cap 11, the cap body 41, the discharge nozzle 52, and the check valve 53 are configured as separate components. As described above, the conventional cap is composed of at least three components, which results in a large number of parts and becomes a factor that increases manufacturing costs. In addition, productivity decreases due to the increase in the number of assembly steps.

[0005] Furthermore, in the conventional cap, the valve chamber 54 is divided by the check valve 53 into a bottom wall 64 side (upstream chamber) and a nozzle 72 side (downstream chamber). Therefore, when the contents are caused to flow out from the nozzle 72, if air remaining in the nozzle 72 side (downstream chamber) of the valve chamber 54 is entrained in the contents, air bubbles are generated in the contents flowing out from the nozzle 72. Such generation of air bubbles hinders smooth outflow of a small amount of contents (liquid), and there is a concern that air bubbles may sometimes burst and stain the surrounding area.

[0006] The present invention aims to reduce manufacturing costs and suppress the generation of air bubbles in the contents flowing out of the nozzle in a cap equipped with a check valve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 comprises a cap body fitted to the mouth of a container and an annular valve body of a check valve that allows the contents to flow from the inside to the outside of the container, wherein the cap body comprises a ceiling portion that closes the opening of the mouth of the container, a boss protruding from the center of the lower surface of the ceiling portion, a seal retaining portion provided on the outer circumference of the lower surface of the ceiling portion, and a nozzle protruding upward from the ceiling portion, having a discharge passage that opens between the boss and the seal retaining portion on the lower surface of the ceiling portion, and the annular valve seat of the check valve is provided on the outer edge of the tip of the boss The valve body comprises an outer edge portion that is held liquid-tight by the seal holding portion provided outside the lower end opening of the nozzle, an annular valve portion into which the boss is slidably inserted and which is seated on the valve seat so as to be seatable on the valve seat, and a partition wall formed integrally with the valve portion and the outer edge portion, which divides the inside of the container opening into an upstream chamber on the container body side and a downstream chamber on the nozzle side, and biases the valve portion in the closing direction, wherein when the check valve is opened, the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber are connected by a flow path provided between the boss and the valve body. The cap according to claim 1 consists of two parts: the cap body and the valve body of the check valve. Therefore, the number of components is reduced, and manufacturing costs can be lowered. In addition, the number of assembly steps is reduced, which can improve productivity.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the flow path extends from a certain height from the valve seat to the base end of the boss. In the cap according to claim 2, the contents corresponding to the increase in volume of the downstream chamber from the moment the communication between the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber is blocked until the valve portion of the valve body is seated on the valve seat are sucked from inside the nozzle into the downstream chamber. Therefore, no contents remain inside the nozzle after use, preventing dripping and contents from adhering to the area around the nozzle.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that an annular groove extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer circumference of the base end of the boss via an annular step, and one end of the nozzle opens at the bottom of the annular groove. In the cap according to claim 3, the contents injected from the upstream chamber through the flow path to the downstream chamber collide with the annular step and are not directly introduced into the nozzle, thus preventing the contents from being forcefully discharged from the nozzle.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the outlet passage for the nozzle is opened on the lower surface of the ceiling portion at a position offset from the center of the cap body, and a recess for air storage is provided on the side opposite to the opening of the outlet passage relative to the center of the cap body. In the cap according to claim 4, when the container is tilted with the nozzle facing downwards, the air remaining in the downstream chamber accumulates in the recess at the top of the downstream chamber, thereby preventing the air remaining in the downstream chamber from being drawn into the contents flowing out from the nozzle. This prevents the generation of air bubbles in the contents flowing out from the nozzle.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is a cap as described in claim 4, characterized in that a first connecting passage is provided in the center of the lower side of the ceiling portion, connecting the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber, and a second connecting passage is provided on the lower surface of the ceiling portion, connecting the first connecting passage and the outflow passage. In the cap according to claim 5, when the container is tilted, the contents flowing through the first connecting passage in the center of the lower side of the ceiling are preferentially guided to the outflow passage via the second connecting passage, thereby further suppressing the entrainment of air remaining in the downstream chamber into the contents. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the generation of air bubbles in the contents discharged from the nozzle outlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a cap equipped with a check valve, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and the generation of air bubbles in the contents flowing out from the nozzle can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram of the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of the cap attached to the mouth of the container along its axial plane. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram of the first embodiment, and is a plan view of the valve body. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of BB. [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of the main part shown in Figure 1, illustrating the operation of the check valve. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view AA of Figure 1. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the operation of the first embodiment and shows the container in a tilted position. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the operation of the first embodiment, showing the state when the valve portion of the check valve body is at top dead center H2 and the check valve is open. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the operation of the first embodiment, showing the state in which the valve portion of the check valve body has been returned to the open position H1 from the state shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the operation of the first embodiment, showing the state in which the valve portion of the valve body of the check valve is seated on the valve seat, and the contents inside the nozzle are sucked towards the downstream chamber, compared to the state shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10]It is an explanatory diagram of the second embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along an axial plane of a cap attached to a mouth portion of a container. [Figure 11] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing another embodiment of an air reservoir corresponding to FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second embodiment, and shows a state where the container is tilted. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a state where the valve portion of the valve body of the check valve is located at top dead center H2 and the check valve is opened. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing a state where the valve portion of the valve body of the check valve is returned to the valve opening position H1 from the state shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing a state where the valve portion of the valve body of the check valve is seated on the valve seat from the state shown in FIG. 15, and the content in the nozzle is sucked to the downstream chamber side. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a cap 1 is attached to a mouth portion 11 of a squeeze container 10 (hereinafter referred to as "container 10") made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like. The cap 1 is composed of a cap body 21 and a valve body 81 of a check valve 71 which will be described later. For the cap 1, a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP) is used, for example.

[0015] The cap body 21 has a disc-shaped top portion 31 that closes the upper end opening of the mouth portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as "mouth portion 11") of the container 10, an outer cylinder portion 41 provided on the outer peripheral edge of the top portion 31 and fitted to the outside of the mouth portion 11, and an inner cylinder portion 45 provided on the lower surface 32 of the top portion 31 and fitted to the inside of the mouth portion 11. When the cap body 21 is fitted to the mouth portion 11 of the container 10, the annular projection 12 that protrudes radially outward from the mouth portion 11 abuts against the inner circumferential surface 42 of the outer cylinder portion 41. On the other hand, the annular recess 13 that is recessed radially inward from the mouth portion 11 abuts against the outer circumferential surface 47 of the inner cylinder portion 45.

[0016] The annular projection 13 is provided near the opening of the mouth portion 11, and the annular projection 12 is provided at an intermediate position in the axial direction ("up and down direction" in Figure 1) of the mouth portion 11. In addition, an annular projection 43 is provided on the inner circumferential surface 42 of the outer cylinder portion 41, which engages with the annular projection 12 of the mouth portion 11 and prevents the cap body 21 from moving in the direction of removing it from the mouth portion 11.

[0017] A cylindrical boss 51 with an open tip is provided protruding from the center of the lower surface 32 of the ceiling portion 31. The lower end of the discharge passage 62 formed inside the nozzle 61 also opens to the lower surface 32 of the ceiling portion 31. The nozzle 61 has a cylindrical portion 63 that protrudes axially upward from the upper surface of the ceiling portion 31, and a discharge port 64 that is widened axially upward from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 63. The opening 65 of the nozzle 61 is drilled on the outside of the boss 51 in the ceiling portion 31. The boss 51 is arranged coaxially with respect to the outer cylindrical portion 41 and the inner cylindrical portion 45. Furthermore, an annular stepped portion 35 is provided on the outer edge of the base end of the boss 51, which is stepped relative to the lower surface 32 of the ceiling portion 31.

[0018] The cap body 21 has a lid 22 that covers the upper surface 33 of the ceiling portion 31. The lid 22 is connected to the outer cylinder portion 41 via a hinge 23. The hinge 23 is located on the opposite side of the nozzle 61 with respect to the boss 51 (the position furthest from the nozzle 61). The inner edge of the opening of the lid 22 is provided with an annular projection 24 that engages with an annular claw portion 34 provided on the upper outer edge of the ceiling portion 31. The lid 22 has an inner cylinder portion 25 that is coaxial with the cap body 21 when closed. The lower end of the inner cylinder portion 25 abuts against the upper surface 33 of the ceiling portion 31 near the inside of the claw portion 34. The lid 22 has a plug 26 provided inside the inner cylinder portion 25. The plug 26 closes the discharge port 64 of the nozzle 61 when the lid 22 is closed.

[0019] The cap 1 is equipped with a check valve 71 that allows the contents 2 (see Figure 6) to flow from inside the container 10 to the nozzle 61 (outside the container 10). The check valve 71 consists of an annular valve body 81 and an annular valve seat 72 on which the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 is seated so as to be able to seat and detach. As shown in Figure 4, the valve seat 72 is formed on the upper side (the surface on the ceiling portion 31 side) of the annular lip portion 52 provided on the outer edge of the opening of the boss 51. The valve seat 72 is formed on a concave curved surface. The upper end of the valve seat 72 is smoothly continuous with the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51.

[0020] Multiple grooves 54 (eight in the first embodiment, see Figure 5) are provided on the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51, which will be described later. The multiple grooves 54 extend axially (up and down in Figure 4) at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the boss 51 and to a constant depth. Each groove 54 extends from the annular surface 36 of the annular step portion 35 to a position at a certain height H1 (hereinafter referred to as "valve opening point H1," see Figure 4) from the valve seat 72. The lower end of each groove 54 is formed as a gently curved surface 55 and gradually reaches the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51.

[0021] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the valve body 81 is formed in a generally disc shape with a through hole 95 into which a boss 51 is inserted at the center. It consists of an annular valve portion 91 with a through hole 95 formed at the inner circumferential edge, an annular seal portion 82 with a substantially rectangular longitudinal cross-section, and an annular partition wall portion 85 formed between the valve portion 91 and the seal portion 82. The seal portion 82 is held liquid-tight by an annular seal retaining groove 83 formed between the inner cylinder portion 45 and an annular rib 37 provided inside the inner cylinder portion 45. The valve portion 91 has a substantially trapezoidal longitudinal cross-section, and an inner circumferential surface 94 is formed between the inner edge of the upper surface 92 and the inner edge of the lower surface 93. The inner circumferential surface 94 of the valve portion 91 is formed as an inclined surface that narrows in diameter from the upper surface 92 to the lower surface 93.

[0022] A through hole 95 (sealing surface) is formed at the ridge between the lower surface 93 and the inner circumferential surface 94 of the valve portion 91. The through hole 95 (sealing surface) is movable axially relative to the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51 while maintaining liquid tightness between it and the outer circumferential surface 53. The partition wall portion 85 has a spring portion 86 that generates a pressing force that biases the valve portion 91 downward toward the valve seat 72. The partition wall portion 85 divides the inside of the inner cylinder portion 45 (inside the mouth portion 11 of the container 10) into an upstream chamber 3 on the container body 15 side (the "lower side" in Figure 1) and a downstream chamber 4 that communicates with the discharge passage 62 of the nozzle 61.

[0023] Referring to Figure 4, the check valve 71, which consists of a valve body 81 and a valve seat 72, blocks communication between the upstream chamber 3 on the container body 15 side and the downstream chamber 4 on the nozzle 61 side when the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 is at bottom dead center H0, that is, when the valve portion 91 is seated on the valve seat 72 (when the sealing surface is in close contact with the seating surface of the valve seat 72). While the valve portion 91 and the through hole 95 (sealing surface) move (slide) along the outer peripheral surface 53 of the boss 51 from bottom dead center H0 to the valve opening point H1 while maintaining liquid tightness, communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 remains blocked.

[0024] Then, from the time the valve portion 91 reaches the opening point H1 until it reaches the top dead center H2, in other words, while the through hole 95 (sealing surface) of the valve portion 91 is facing the groove 54 of the boss 51, multiple flow paths 73 (see Figure 5) are formed between the valve portion 91 and the boss 51, thereby connecting the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4. The amount of contents 2 discharged from the nozzle 61 can be adjusted by changing the flow path area of ​​the multiple flow paths 73. Furthermore, the position of the top dead center H2 of the valve portion 91 is determined by the upper surface 92 of the valve portion 91 contacting multiple protrusions 96 (only "2" are shown in Figure 1) provided on the annular surface 36 of the annular step portion 35. Moreover, the multiple protrusions 96 are arranged at equal intervals on a circle coaxial with the boss 51.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, an annular groove 5 coaxial with the boss 51 is provided on the lower surface 32 side of the ceiling portion 31. The annular groove 5 is formed between the annular step portion 35 and the rib 37. Multiple protrusions 7 (only "one" is shown in Figure 1) are provided on the bottom surface 6 of the annular groove 5 located on the lower surface 32 of the ceiling portion 31 to restrict the movement of the partition wall portion 85 of the valve body 81 toward the downstream chamber 4. The multiple protrusions 7 are arranged at equal intervals on a circle coaxial with the boss 51. The radius of the circle on which the protrusions 7 are arranged is larger than the radius of the concentric circle on which the protrusions 96 are arranged. The opening 65 of the nozzle 61 is provided on the bottom surface 6 of the annular groove 5 and is located near the outer edge of the bottom surface 6.

[0026] Next, we will explain how to assemble Cap 1 as described above. First, the seal portion 82 of the valve body 81 is inserted (press-fitted) into the seal retaining groove 83 formed in the cap body 21. An annular projection 84 is provided on the inner circumferential surface 46 of the inner cylinder portion 45 to prevent the seal portion 82 from coming out of the seal retaining groove 83. Next, the tip of the boss 51 is passed through the through hole 95 of the valve body 81 by expanding its diameter. At this time, since the tip of the boss 51 is formed as a curved surface with a semicircular cross-section, the tip of the boss 51 can be passed through the through hole 95 without damaging the sealing surface of the valve portion 91. This completes the attachment of the valve body 81 to the cap body 21. Note that the step of inserting the seal portion 82 into the seal retaining groove 83 and the step of passing the boss 51 through the through hole 95 can be performed in either order.

[0027] Next, the operation of the cap 1 according to the first embodiment will be explained. For convenience, the space from the bottom surface 6 of the annular groove 5 formed in the ceiling portion 31 of the cap body 21 to the valve body 81, in other words, the space through which the discharge passage 62 of the nozzle 61 opens, is defined as the downstream chamber 4. The container 10 contains liquid contents 2 such as liquid seasonings and lotions.

[0028] When discharging the contents 2 contained in container 10 from the nozzle 61 of cap 1, first the user opens the lid 22 of cap body 11 to expose the nozzle 61. Next, to discharge the contents 2, the container 10 is tilted as shown in Figure 6. In this state, the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 of check valve 71 is seated on the valve seat 72 by the biasing force of the partition portion 85, so communication between the upstream chamber 3 on the container body 15 side and the downstream chamber 4 on the nozzle 61 side is blocked.

[0029] Next, the user pressurizes the container body 15, causing it to dent. This increases the pressure in the upstream chamber 3, and the valve body 81 receives the pressure from the upstream chamber 3, causing the valve portion 91 to move away from the valve seat 72 against the biasing force of the partition portion 85. At this point, while the valve portion 91 and the through hole 95 (sealing surface) move along the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51 from the bottom dead center H0 (see Figure 4) to the opening point H1 (see Figure 4) while maintaining liquid tightness, communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 remains blocked.

[0030] When the container body 15 is further pressurized, the valve 91 passes the opening point H1 and then reaches the top dead center H2 (see Figure 4), causing the check valve 71 to open (see Figure 7). As a result, the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 are connected via multiple flow paths 73 (hereinafter referred to as "flow paths 73") formed between the valve body 81 (valve 91) and the boss 51, and the contents 2 inside the container 10 (upstream chamber 3) are discharged outside the container 10 from the discharge port 64 of the nozzle 61 via the flow paths 73, the downstream chamber 4, the opening 65, and the discharge passage 62.

[0031] Here, the contents 2 that have passed through the flow path 73 collide with the annular surface 36 of the annular step portion 35, changing direction radially outward (to the left in Figure 7), and are then discharged from the discharge port 64 of the nozzle 61 through the discharge path 62. In this way, in the first embodiment, the contents 2 injected from the flow path 73 are received by the annular surface 36 of the annular step portion 35, so that the contents 2 are not forcefully discharged from the discharge port 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0032] Next, when the user releases the pressure on the container body 15, the biasing force (returning force) of the partition wall 85 causes the valve portion 91 to move from top dead center H2 towards the valve seat 72, with the through hole 95 (sealing surface) moving along the outer peripheral surface 53 of the boss 51 while maintaining liquid tightness. Then, when the valve portion 91 passes the opening point H1 (the lower end of the groove 54 formed in the boss 51) (see Figure 8), communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 is blocked.

[0033] Then, from the moment the communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 shown in Figure 8 is cut off until the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 shown in Figure 9 is seated on the valve seat 72, the contents 2 corresponding to the increase in volume of the downstream chamber 4 flow (are sucked) from the discharge passage 62 into the downstream chamber 4.

[0034] The cap 1 according to the first embodiment provides the following effects. In conventional caps, the cap body, nozzle, and check valve were all separate components, resulting in a large number of parts and increased manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the increased assembly time led to decreased productivity.

[0035] In contrast, in the cap 1 according to the first embodiment, the boss 51 on which the valve seat 72 of the check valve 71 is formed and the nozzle 61 are offset radially from the boss 51. In other words, the nozzle 61 is positioned outside the boss 51 located in the center of the ceiling portion 31. This makes it possible to integrally mold the elements excluding the check valve 71, and the cap 1 can be composed of only two parts: the cap body 21 and the valve body 81 of the check valve 71. As a result, the number of parts constituting the cap 1 is fewer than that of a conventional cap, and the manufacturing cost of the cap 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the number of assembly steps is reduced, which improves the productivity of the cap 1. Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to the first embodiment, when the pressure of the container body 15 is released, the contents 2 in the nozzle 61 (discharge passage 62) are sucked to the downstream chamber 4 side (container 10 side). As a result, no contents 2 remain in the nozzle 61 after use, preventing dripping and the contents 2 from adhering to the area around the nozzle 61. Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to the first embodiment, the discharge passage 62 (opening 65) is drilled at a position displaced from the center of the ceiling portion 31, making it possible to form an annular step portion 35 on the outer circumference of the boss 51. As a result, the contents 2 injected from the upstream chamber 3 through the flow path 73 to the downstream chamber 4 collide with the annular surface 36 of the annular step portion 35 formed on the base end side of the boss 51, changing the direction of flow, thus preventing the contents 2 from being discharged forcefully from the nozzle 61. This is a simpler structure compared to conventional caps that have a baffle plate installed at the nozzle opening (inlet), and is easy to implement. Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to the first embodiment, the amount of contents 2 discharged from the nozzle 61 can be easily adjusted by changing the flow area of ​​the multiple flow channels 73, in other words, by changing the number and shape of the grooves 54 formed in the boss 51.

[0036] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 16. Regarding parts common to the first embodiment, the same designations and symbols will be used, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0037] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a groove-shaped air reservoir 101 (recess) is formed on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, extending in an arc shape along the inner circumference of the rib 37 with a constant width and depth. The air reservoir 101 is located on the opposite side of the center of the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31 from the opening 65 of the outflow passage 62, and at a certain distance from the boss 51. In Figure 11, if the radius R0 is the radius extending in the opposite direction from the radius of the circular lower central surface 38 that passes through the center of the opening 65, then one end wall 105 of the air reservoir 101 forms a 90-degree angle from radius R0 in the clockwise direction in Figure 11, and the other end wall 106 of the air reservoir 101 forms a 90-degree angle from radius R0 in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 11. In other words, the central angle of the air reservoir 101 is 180 degrees.

[0038] However, the central angle of the air reservoir 101 is not limited to 180 degrees, but can be, for example, 120 degrees. In this case, one end wall 105 of the air reservoir 101 forms a 60-degree angle from the radius R0 in the clockwise direction in Figure 11, and the other end wall 106 of the air reservoir 101 forms a 60-degree angle from the radius R0 in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 11. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the air reservoir 101 (outer circumferential wall 102 and inner circumferential wall 103) is formed in an arc shape (see Figure 11), but as shown in Figure 12, the inner circumferential wall 102 and the end walls 105, 106 (see Figure 11) may be provided on the same plane to form the air reservoir 101.

[0039] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a groove-shaped connecting passage 39 (second connecting passage) is formed on the lower surface 38 of the central part of the ceiling portion 31, extending with a constant width and depth from the base end of the boss 51 to the opening 65 of the outflow passage 62. In the second embodiment, the depth of the connecting passage 39 is the same as the depth of the air reservoir portion 101. Of the multiple flow paths 73 (first connecting passages), if the flow path 73 formed between the boss 51 and the groove 54A is conveniently referred to as flow path 73A, the connecting passage 39 connects flow path 73A to the outflow passage 62. The groove shape (flow path shape) of the connecting passage 39 can be a semicircle, a rectangle, etc., as seen in the DD cross-sectional view in Figure 10.

[0040] Furthermore, the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31 is provided with a plurality of projections 7 (eight in the second embodiment) that restrict the movement of the partition wall portion 85 of the valve body 81 toward the downstream chamber 4. The plurality of projections 7 are arranged at equal intervals on a circle coaxial with the boss 51. Of the plurality of projections 7, the four projections 7 on the opposite side of the opening 65 of the nozzle 61 (the "right side" in Figure 11) protrude from the bottom 104 of the air reservoir portion 101. Also, the radius of the circle on which the projections 7 are arranged is larger than the radius of the concentric circle on which the projections 96 are arranged.

[0041] Next, the operation of the cap 1 according to the second embodiment will be explained. The container 10 contains liquid contents 2 such as liquid seasonings or lotions. When the contents 2 contained in the container 10 are to be dispensed from the nozzle 61 of the cap 1, the user first opens the lid 22 of the cap body 11 to expose the nozzle 61. Next, to dispense the contents 2, the container 10 is tilted as shown in Figure 13. In this state, the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 of the check valve 71 is seated on the valve seat 72 by the biasing force of the partition wall 85, so communication between the upstream chamber 3 on the container body 20 side and the downstream chamber 4 on the nozzle 61 side is blocked.

[0042] Next, the user pressurizes the container body 20, causing it to dent. This increases the pressure in the upstream chamber 3, and the valve body 81 receives the pressure from the upstream chamber 3, causing the valve portion 91 to move away from the valve seat 72 against the biasing force of the partition portion 85. At this point, while the valve portion 91 and the through hole 95 (sealing surface) move along the outer circumferential surface 53 of the boss 51 from the bottom dead center H0 (see Figure 4) to the opening point H1 (see Figure 4) while maintaining liquid tightness, communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 remains blocked.

[0043] When the container body 20 is further pressurized, the valve 91 passes the opening point H1 and then reaches the top dead center H2 (see Figure 4), causing the check valve 71 to open (see Figure 14). As a result, the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 are connected via multiple flow paths 73 (first communication passages) formed between the valve body 81 (valve 91) and the boss 51, and the contents 2 inside the container 10 (upstream chamber 3) are discharged out of the container 10 through the multiple flow paths 73, the downstream chamber 4, the opening 65, and the outflow passage 62, and then out of the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0044] Here, the contents 2 that have passed through the multiple flow channels 73 collide with the base end outer edge of the boss 51 on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, changing direction radially outward, and then flowing out through the outflow passage 62 and out of the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61. In this way, in the second embodiment, by receiving the contents 2 injected from the multiple flow channels 73 on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, the direction of the flow of the contents 2 is changed from axial to radial, thereby preventing the contents 2 from flowing out forcefully from the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0045] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, an air reservoir 101 (recess) is formed on the lower surface 38 of the central part of the ceiling 31, on the side opposite to the opening 65 of the outflow passage 62. As shown in Figure 14, when the container 10 is tilted, the air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 accumulates in the air reservoir 101, which is located at the top (high position) of the downstream chamber 4 when the container 10 is tilted. This makes it possible to suppress the air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 from being drawn into the contents 2 flowing through the outflow passage 62 after passing through multiple flow paths 73, and prevents the generation of bubbles in the contents 2 discharged from the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0046] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, a connecting passage 39 (second connecting passage) is provided on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, connecting the flow path 73A (see Figure 11) and the outflow passage 62. This allows the contents 2 ejected from the flow path 73A, located at the lower part (lower position) of the downstream chamber 4, to be preferentially guided to the outflow passage 62 when the container 10 is tilted. This makes it possible to further suppress the entrainment of air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 into the contents 2, and to more effectively prevent the generation of bubbles in the contents 2 discharged from the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0047] Next, when the user releases the pressure on the container body 20, the biasing force (returning force) of the partition wall 85 causes the valve portion 91 to move from top dead center H2 towards the valve seat 72, with the through hole 95 (sealing surface) moving along the outer peripheral surface 53 of the boss 51 while maintaining liquid tightness. Then, when the valve portion 91 passes the opening point H1 (the lower end of the groove 54 formed in the boss 51) (see Figure 15), communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 is blocked.

[0048] Then, from the moment the communication between the upstream chamber 3 and the downstream chamber 4 shown in Figure 15 is cut off until the valve portion 91 of the valve body 81 shown in Figure 16 is seated on the valve seat 72, contents 2 corresponding to the increase in volume of the downstream chamber 4 flow (are drawn) from the outflow passage 62 into the downstream chamber 4.

[0049] The cap 1 according to the second embodiment provides the following effects. With conventional caps, when the contents are released from the nozzle, air remaining in the downstream chamber inside the cap can be drawn into the contents, potentially causing bubbles to form in the contents released from the nozzle.

[0050] In contrast, the cap 1 according to the second embodiment is provided with an outflow passage 62 having an opening 65 at an offset position from the center on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, and an air reservoir 101 (recess) on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31 on the side opposite to the opening 65 of the outflow passage 62. As a result, when the container 10 is tilted, the air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 accumulates in the air reservoir 101 located at the upper part (high position) of the downstream chamber 4 when the container 10 is tilted, so it is possible to suppress the air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 from being drawn into the contents 2 flowing through the outflow passage 62 after passing through multiple flow paths 73 (first connecting passages), and it is possible to prevent the generation of air bubbles in the contents 2 discharged from the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0051] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, a connecting passage 39 (second connecting passage) is provided on the lower central surface 38 of the ceiling portion 31, connecting the flow path 73A and the outflow passage 62. As a result, when the container 10 is tilted, the contents 2 ejected from the flow path 73A located at the lower part (lower position) of the downstream chamber 4 are preferentially guided to the outflow passage 62. This makes it possible to further suppress the entrainment of air remaining in the downstream chamber 4 into the contents 2, and to more effectively prevent the generation of bubbles in the contents 2 discharged from the outlet 64 of the nozzle 61.

[0052] In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the cap 1 is applied to a tube container (container 10). However, the embodiments are not limited to this, and for example, the cap 1 can be applied to a so-called double container (see Patent Document 1) in which the container body 15 consists of a bottomed cylindrical outer container and a bag-shaped inner container integrally provided inside the outer container, the majority of which is detachable from the outer container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Cap, 2 Contents, 3 Upstream chamber, 4 Downstream chamber, 10 Container, 11 Mouth, 15 Container body, 21 Cap body, 31 Top, 51 Boss, 61 Nozzle, 65 Opening, 71 Check valve, 72 Valve seat, 73 Flow path, 81 Valve body, 82 Seal part (outer edge), 83 Seal retaining groove (retaining part), 85 Partition, 91 Valve part

Claims

1. It consists of a cap body that is attached to the opening of the container and an annular valve body of a check valve that allows the contents to flow from the inside to the outside of the container. The cap body comprises a ceiling portion that closes the opening of the container mouth, a boss protruding from the center of the lower surface of the ceiling portion, a seal retaining portion provided on the outer circumference of the lower surface of the ceiling portion, and a nozzle protruding upward from the ceiling portion, having a discharge passage that opens between the boss and the seal retaining portion on the lower surface of the ceiling portion. An annular valve seat of the check valve is provided at the outer edge of the tip of the boss. The valve body comprises an outer edge portion that is held liquid-tight by the seal holding portion provided outside the lower end opening of the nozzle, an annular valve portion into which the boss is slidably inserted and which is seated on the valve seat so as to be seatable on the valve seat, and a partition wall formed integrally with the valve portion and the outer edge portion, which divides the inside of the container opening into an upstream chamber on the container body side and a downstream chamber on the nozzle side, and biases the valve portion in the closing direction. A cap characterized in that, when the check valve is opened, the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber are connected by a flow path provided between the boss and the valve body.

2. The cap according to claim 1, The cap is characterized in that the flow path extends from a certain height above the valve seat to the base end of the boss.

3. A cap according to claim 1 or 2, An annular groove extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the outer circumference of the base end of the boss, via an annular step. A cap characterized in that one end of the nozzle opens at the bottom of the annular groove.

4. The cap according to claim 1, The cap is characterized in that the outlet passage for the nozzle opens on the lower surface of the ceiling portion at a position offset from the center of the cap body, and a recess for air retention is provided on the side opposite to the opening of the outlet passage relative to the center of the cap body.

5. The cap according to claim 4, A first connecting passage is provided in the center of the lower side of the ceiling portion, which connects the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber. A cap characterized in that a second connecting passage is provided on the lower surface of the ceiling portion, connecting the first connecting passage and the outflow passage.

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