Beverage container lid

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a beverage container lid that when fitted to a beverage container can transmit a snap-fitting sensation to a person, can prevent blocking when strongly pressed in an overlapped state, and suppresses reduction in removal strength. [Solution] The beverage container lid comprises: a top plate portion 11; an inner fitting portion 14 that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the top plate portion 11 and extends upward; a peak portion 15 that is provided along the outer periphery of the inner fitting portion 14, extends outward, and is continuous with the inner fitting portion 14; and an outer fitting portion 16 that is provided along the outer periphery of the peak portion 15, extends downward, and is continuous with the peak portion 15. The outer fitting portion 16 includes: an under rib 31 that is bent inward of an outermost end 15a of the peak portion 15; a narrow portion 32 that extends to the lower side of the under rib 31 bent back outward, and that is inward of the outermost end 15a of the peak portion 15; and a stack rib 33 that extends downward from the lower side of the narrow portion 32 while expanding in diameter outward from the peak portion 15.

Description

Lid for beverage containers

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid for a beverage container that is fitted onto a beverage container.

[0002] Traditionally, many beverage retailers, such as fast food restaurants and convenience stores, have covered the openings of beverage containers, such as plastic (synthetic resin) or paper cups, with beverage container lids to prevent the juice, coffee, or other beverages contained inside from spilling out of the openings when the containers are carried.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a flat-shaped paper lid. According to the paper lid disclosed in Patent Document 1, a container can be freely fitted to the lid by an annular recess formed by an inner fitting portion provided on the outer periphery of the top plate, a top portion, and an outer fitting portion.

[0004] However, the paper lid disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a straight shape with no bends at the outer fitting portion, and when fitting the annular recess of the paper lid having such a shape to the opening of the beverage container, there is no sense of clicking, which causes a problem in that it is difficult to tell whether the paper lid is properly fitted to the beverage container.

[0005] Furthermore, paper lids are often stacked on top of each other before transporting and storing them. If these paper lids are pushed together strongly while they are stacked on top of each other, they will fit together and become blocked, which creates the problem of requiring effort to separate the fitted paper lids.

[0006] Furthermore, when the paper lid shown in Patent Document 1 is fitted onto a beverage container containing a hot beverage, the rigidity of the paper lid decreases due to steam from the hot beverage, and the paper lid also expands in diameter outward. As a result, the strength to remove the paper lid from the opening of the beverage container decreases, and the paper lid can easily come off for some reason, causing the hot beverage to spill from the opening.

[0007] Patent No. 6978606

[0008] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a lid for a beverage container that can convey a clicking sensation when fitted to the opening of a beverage container, can prevent blocking when the lids are pressed firmly together while stacked on top of each other, and can prevent the lid from coming off easily by suppressing a decrease in removal strength when fitted to a beverage container containing a hot beverage.

[0009] The first invention is a lid for a beverage container that fits onto a beverage container, comprising a top plate portion, an inner fitting portion that is located outer periphery of the top plate portion and extends upward, a peak that is located along the outer periphery of the inner fitting portion and extends outward, and is continuous with the inner fitting portion, and an outer fitting portion that is located along the outer periphery of the peak and extends downward, and is continuous with the peak, and is characterized in that the outer fitting portion has an under rib that bends inward beyond the outermost end of the peak, a narrow portion that extends below the under rib that bends back outward and is further inside than the outermost end of the peak, and a stack rib that extends downward from below the narrow portion while expanding in diameter outward beyond the peak.

[0010] The second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the stack rib has an expanded diameter portion that expands outward and an extended portion that extends downward while expanding in diameter at a more gradual angle than the expanded diameter angle of the expanded diameter portion.

[0011] The third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the container is made of paper.

[0012] According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, when fitting the device to a beverage container, a person can feel the click of the device fitting, and blocking can be prevented when the device is pressed firmly against the other device while stacked on top of each other.Furthermore, by suppressing a decrease in removal strength when fitting the device to a beverage container containing a hot beverage, easy removal can be prevented.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a beverage container lid and a beverage container to which the lid is fitted according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2(a) is a schematic plan view showing an example of a paper lid according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IB-IB in FIG. 2(a). FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the area within the dashed frame II in FIG. 2(a). FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the first stage of fitting a beverage container lid to a beverage container. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the second stage of fitting a beverage container lid to a beverage container. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a hot beverage is poured into a beverage container and the beverage container lid is closed. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which beverage container lids are stacked for transport or storage before actual use. FIG. 8 shows the results of evaluation of three items, namely, removal strength, click-fitting sensation, and anti-blocking properties, for beverage container lids to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the results of measuring the change in load (N) and displacement (mm) in evaluating the click-fit feeling in FIG.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a lid for a beverage container to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a beverage container lid 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a beverage container 2 to which the lid is fitted. The beverage container 2 is, for example, made of paper, and is a cylindrical paper cup with a bottom that has an opening 3 with a rim 3a at its upper portion and is often used to store and sell a beverage 6 such as juice or coffee.

[0016] The beverage container 2 is not limited to being made of paper, but may be made of other materials such as plastic. When the beverage container 2 is made of plastic, an environmentally friendly biodegradable plastic may be used.

[0017] The beverage container 2 is used for selling the beverage 6 by closing the opening 3 with the beverage container lid 1 .

[0018] The beverage container lid 1 is made of paper, but is not limited to this and may be made of other materials such as plastic. Furthermore, when the beverage container lid 1 is made of plastic, an environmentally friendly biodegradable plastic may be used.

[0019] Fig. 2(a) is a schematic plan view showing an example of a paper lid according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IB-IB in Fig. 2(a), and Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the area within the dashed frame II in Fig. 2(b).

[0020] As shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 3, beverage container lid 1 is made of blank 10 primarily made of paper and includes top panel 11, inner fitting portion 14, top portion 15, and outer fitting portion 16. The shape of beverage container lid 1 in a plan view is, for example, circular. Hereinafter, in Figures 2 and 3, the outer side (direction X1) refers to the outward direction from the center of beverage container 2, such as a paper cup, to which it is to be fitted; the lower side (direction X2) refers to the downward direction when beverage container 2 is placed with its bottom surface facing up; and the upper side (direction X3) refers to the upward direction when beverage container 2 is placed with its bottom surface facing up. Furthermore, the inner side (direction X4) refers to the inward direction from the center of beverage container 2, such as a paper cup, to which it is to be fitted. However, these lower side (direction X2) and upper side (direction X3) are not limited to being completely vertically downward or vertically upward, but also include being diagonally downward and diagonally upward, which are deviated from the vertically downward and vertically upward, respectively.

[0021] Furthermore, as the original function of the lid 1 for a beverage container, it is the top plate portion 11 that functions to prevent the contents of the beverage container 2 from scattering or leaking, while the remaining peripheral portion OEP (internal fitting portion 14, top portion 15, external fitting portion 16) functions to fit with the beverage container 2.

[0022] The top plate portion 11 extends outward (in the direction X1) from the center of the beverage container lid 1. The top plate portion 11 has a top surface 11a and a container surface 11b. The container surface 11b is located on the reverse side of the top surface 11a. The container surface 11b faces the container portion of the beverage container 2 when the beverage container lid 1 is fitted to the beverage container 2.

[0023] The inner fitting portion 14 is provided on the peripheral edge portion OEP of the beverage container lid 1 along the outer periphery of the top plate portion 11 and extends upward (in the direction X3). This inner fitting portion 14 is configured to be continuous with the top plate portion 11. The inner fitting portion 14 may have approximately the same diameter, in other words, may be raised in a substantially vertical direction in a cross-sectional view up to the top portion 15, but is not limited to this and may have a diameter that gradually increases outward up to the top portion 15.

[0024] The top portion 15 is provided on the peripheral edge portion OEP of the beverage container lid 1 along the outer periphery of the inner fitting portion 14, extends outward (in the direction X1), and is folded back downward (in the direction X2). The end portion of the top portion 15 located most outward (in the direction X1) is referred to as the outermost end 15a. The top portion 15 is formed continuous with the inner fitting portion 14. The top portion 15 includes a curved surface that is convex upward (in the direction X3) in its cross section.

[0025] The outer fitting portion 16 is provided on the peripheral edge portion OEP of the beverage container lid 1 along the outer periphery of the top portion 15 and extends downward (in the direction X2). This outer fitting portion 16 is configured to be continuous with the top portion 15. The outer fitting portion 16 faces the inner fitting portion 14 at a distance. Below the top portion 15, between the inner fitting portion 14 and the outer fitting portion 16, an annular recess 20 is provided, with the inner fitting portion 14 and the outer fitting portion 16 as surrounding walls and the top portion 15 as a bottom. The annular recess 20 is fitted into the beverage container 2. At this time, the inner fitting portion 14 fits into the inner circumferential surface 21 of the container portion of the beverage container 2, and the outer fitting portion 16 fits into the outer circumferential surface of the curled portion 28 of the beverage container 2.

[0026] The outer fitting portion 16 is made up of an under rib 31, a narrow width portion 32, and a stack rib 33, which are continuous from above.

[0027] The under-rib 31 is bent inward (in the direction X4) from the outermost end 15a of the apex 15. The bent shape of the under-rib 31 can be formed by bending the outer and inner surfaces of the apex 15 outward around point P1, then folding the folded outer and inner surfaces back around point P2, and then folding the folded outer and inner surfaces back at point P3. It is assumed that points P2 and P3 constituting the bent shape of the under-rib 31 are located inward (in the direction X4) from point P1 on the apex.

[0028] The narrow width portion 32 extends downward from point P3 of the under-rib 31 and is located more inward (in the direction X4) than the outermost end 15a of the apex 15. The narrow width portion 32 extends downward (in the direction X2) while maintaining a substantially constant diameter. Therefore, in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3, it is configured to have a shape that hangs down substantially vertically. However, the narrow width portion 32 is not limited to having a substantially constant diameter, and may extend downward (in the direction X2) while expanding or contracting in diameter. This narrow width portion 32 is assumed to be located more inward (in the direction X4) than the apex 15.

[0029] The stacking rib 33 extends downward from the lower side of the narrow width portion 32 while expanding outward in diameter. As the stacking rib 33 extends downward while expanding outward in diameter, the stacking rib 33 itself may expand in diameter outward beyond the apex 15. The stacking rib 33 may have an expanded diameter portion 33a that expands outward in diameter and an extended portion 33b that extends downward while expanding in diameter at a more gradual angle than the expanded diameter portion 33a. However, the configuration of the extended portion 33b is not essential and may be omitted. By forming such a stacking rib 33, when the annular recess 20 is fitted to the beverage container 2, the beverage container 2 can be guided into the annular recess 20 via the stacking rib 33.

[0030] That is, in a cross-sectional view, the beverage container lid 1 bends upward (in the direction X3) from the top plate portion 11 to the inner fitting portion 14, bends outward (in the direction X1) at the apex portion 15, and bends downward (in the direction X2) at the outer fitting portion 16. In other words, the top plate portion 11, the inner fitting portion 14, the apex portion 15, and the outer fitting portion 16 are each obtained from a single blank 10.

[0031] When fitting the beverage container lid 1 configured as described above onto the beverage container 2, first, as shown in Figure 4(a), the beverage container lid 1 is placed over the beverage container 2, causing the curled portion 28 to abut against the stacking rib 33. In this state, the beverage container lid 1 is pushed down from above, causing the curled portion 28 to guide the beverage container 2 into the annular recess 20 via the stacking rib 33.

[0032] Further, by pushing the beverage container lid 1 from above, the curled portion 28 slides from the stacking rib 33 upward along the inner surface of the narrow portion 32, approaching the under-rib 31, as shown in Figure 4(b). The narrow portion 32 has a smaller diameter than the stacking rib 33, and is configured to extend downward (in the direction X2) while maintaining substantially the same diameter as the stacking rib 33. Therefore, as the curled portion 28 slides along the inner surface of the narrow portion 32 while pressing outward, a force acts on the curled portion 28, causing the narrow portion 32 to return inward (in the direction X4). As a result, a certain amount of pushing force is required for the curled portion 28 to slide along the inner surface of the narrow portion 32.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figure 5(a), the curled portion 28 reaches the under-rib 31, which is bent inward (in the direction X4). In this state, by further pushing the beverage container lid 1 down from above, the curled portion 28 is pushed deeper into the annular recess 20, causing the outer fitting portion 16, including the under-rib 31, to elastically bend outward (in the direction X1). Then, as shown in Figure 5(b), after the curled portion 28 climbs over the under-rib 31, the outer fitting portion 16, including the under-rib 31, which had been elastically bent outward (in the direction X1), returns inward. As the under-rib 31 returns, vibrations are generated when the curled portion 28 hits the inner surface of the outer fitting portion 16, causing a clicking sensation to be felt by the user.

[0034] Since the under-rib 31 is bent further inward (in the direction X4) than the narrow portion 32, a greater pushing force must be applied when the curled portion 28 moves from the narrow portion 32 over the under-rib 31. However, this greater pushing force allows the outer fitting portion 16 to bend further outward (in the direction X1), which in turn increases the return force, making it possible to more accurately convey the feeling of a click-fitting fit.

[0035] 6 also shows the beverage container 2 with a hot beverage placed inside and closed with the beverage container lid 1. The high-temperature steam from the hot beverage can reduce the rigidity of the paper beverage container lid 1, causing it to expand outward (in the direction X1). However, the under-rib 31 acts as a force to suppress this outward expansion (in the direction X1). Furthermore, the narrow width portion 32 is provided below the under-rib 31 (in the direction X2). As shown by the arrow in the figure, the outer fitting portion 16, together with the under-rib 31, acts in a direction to hold the beverage container lid 1 in place without expanding outward. This prevents the beverage container lid 1 from easily coming off the beverage container 2 and prevents the hot beverage from spilling from the beverage container 2.

[0036] 7 shows the state in which beverage container lids 1 are stacked for transport or storage before actual use. When beverage container lids 1 are stacked in multiple layers, the tops 15 of the lower layers are guided into the annular recesses 20 via the stacking ribs 33 of the upper layers. The tops 15 of the lower layers are locked by the narrow portions 32 of the annular recesses 20 of the upper layers, preventing them from blocking with each other. As described above, the narrow portions 32, together with the under-ribs 31, act in a direction that holds the outer fitting portions 16 without expanding outward, thereby more firmly preventing the stacked beverage container lids 1 from blocking with each other.

[0037] Therefore, with the beverage container lid 1 having the above-described configuration, when it is fitted to the beverage container 2, a person can feel the click of the fit, preventing blocking when the lids are pressed firmly together while stacked on top of each other, and further preventing the lid from coming off easily by suppressing a decrease in removal strength when it is fitted to the beverage container 2 containing a hot beverage.

[0038] Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the effects of the lid 1 for a beverage container to which the present invention is applied were experimentally verified.

[0039] In the experimental verification, evaluation was performed on three items: the removal strength when fitting the lid to the beverage container 2 described above, the click-fit feeling, and anti-blocking properties. Figure 8 shows the evaluation results. In addition to the present invention example, which had the above-described shape of the beverage container lid 1, the experimental verification also included evaluations on Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 share the same feature as the present invention example in that they have an under-rib 31, but do not have a structure corresponding to the narrow width portion 32 and are configured with a shape that expands in diameter from the underside of the under-rib 31 toward the outside. Note that Present Invention Example 1 is made of paper, Comparative Example 1 is made of paper, and Comparative Example 2 is made of resin. The removal strength was measured using a push-pull gauge, and the click-fit feeling and anti-blocking properties were measured using a compression tester.

[0040] First, to measure the removal strength when fitting the lid to the beverage container 2, the beverage container 2 was filled with a room temperature beverage or a hot beverage and closed once with each of the lids of the invention example and comparative examples 1 and 2. Next, the strength was measured when each of the closed lids of the invention example and comparative examples 1 and 2 was removed from the beverage container 2 at a 45-degree angle.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the removal strength measurements for the example of the present invention were 9.5 N when filled with a room temperature beverage and 5.9 N when filled with a hot beverage, with the difference being a decrease of 3.6 N when filled with a hot beverage. Comparative Example 1 was 9.4 N when filled with a room temperature beverage and 4.1 N when filled with a hot beverage, with the difference being a decrease of 5.3 N when filled with a hot beverage. Comparative Example 2 was 9.8 N when filled with a room temperature beverage and 6.7 N when filled with a hot beverage, with the difference being a decrease of 3.1 N when filled with a hot beverage.

[0042] In Comparative Example 2, the amount of decrease was small due to the use of resin as the material, but when comparing the Example of the Invention with Comparative Example 1, which are both made of paper, the amount of decrease was smaller in the Example of the Invention, clearly indicating that the removal strength when filling a hot beverage is higher. It can be seen that the provision of the narrow width portion 32 together with the under rib 31 causes the outer fitting portion 16 to act in a holding direction without expanding outward, resulting in higher removal strength, which is supported by experimental verification results.

[0043] Furthermore, for the anti-blocking property, the lids of the present invention example and comparative example 1 were stacked on top of each other and pressed together, and the strength until they fitted together was measured. The higher this strength, the more difficult it was for the lids to fit together, and the better the anti-blocking property. Note that comparative example 2 was excluded from this verification because it was made of a different material.

[0044] As a result of the experiment, the Example of the present invention had a resistance of 28.5 N, while the Comparative Example 1 had a resistance of 17.7 N, which shows that the Example of the present invention also has a superior blocking prevention property to the Comparative Example 1. It was also confirmed that the above-mentioned effect of providing the narrow width portion 32 in addition to the under rib 31 was also realized in terms of blocking prevention property.

[0045] The click-fitting sensation was verified by measuring the change in load when fitting each of the lids of the invention example and comparative examples 1 and 2 onto the beverage container 2.

[0046] Figure 9 shows the results of measuring the changes in load (N) and displacement (mm) for each lid. The displacement when the lid is placed on the beverage container 2 and no load is applied is set to 0 mm. In this state, the load is gradually applied to the lid, and the changes in displacement and load are continuously measured. The load was measured with a load cell, and the displacement was measured with a displacement meter of the compression tester.

[0047] For reference, the measurement results for a conventional product in which no under-rib 31 is formed at all on the outer fitting portion 16 are also shown, but the product simply shows a behavior in which the load gradually increases in response to the displacement.

[0048] In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the load increased sharply as the displacement increased, and then decreased. This was the force required to elastically deflect the outer fitting portion 16 outward as the curled portion 28 of the beverage container 2 climbed over the under-rib 31. After the curled portion 28 climbed over the under-rib 31, the load was suddenly released, which is the stage at which the outer fitting portion 16, which had been deflected outward, returns to its inward position. It is assumed that the difference between the maximum and minimum loads during this load release corresponds to the aforementioned click-fit sensation. The difference was 32.6 N in Comparative Example 1, and 34.0 N in Comparative Example 2, both of which were good results.

[0049] In the present invention example, the first load peak appears at a displacement of approximately 2 mm because a force is applied to elastically deflect the outer fitting portion 16 outward when the curled portion 28 of the beverage container 2 first climbs over the narrow portion 32. As the displacement is further increased, a second load peak appears at a displacement of approximately 5 mm because a force is applied to elastically deflect the outer fitting portion 16 outward when the curled portion 28 of the beverage container 2 climbs over the under-rib 31. In the present invention example, after the second load peak appears at a displacement of 5 mm after climbing over the under-rib 31, the difference between the maximum load and the minimum load during the load release process is assumed to correspond to the aforementioned click-fit sensation. In the present invention example, the difference value was 30.5 N, which was a good result.

[0050] In particular, the Example of the present invention shows a steeper drop in load when the load is released from the maximum load compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and the slope of the load peak also drops more sharply. This shows that it is possible to convey a more accurate sense of a click-fitting fit. In addition, according to the Example of the present invention, after preliminary deflection by the narrow portion 32, the under-rib is overcome at a displacement of approximately 5 mm, so that compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, a greater force is required to provide the sensation of overriding the under-rib, and a similar click-fitting sensation can be provided.

[0051] 9, the behavior from large to small displacement indicates the change in load when removing the lid from the beverage container 2. The example of the present invention must first overcome the under-rib 31 at a displacement of 5 mm and then overcome the narrow portion 32 at a displacement of 2 mm, so two peaks must be overcome before the lid can be removed. Therefore, it can be seen that the example of the present invention can prevent the lid from easily coming off the beverage container 2.

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Lid for beverage container 2 Beverage container 3 Opening 3a Edge 10 Blank 11 Top plate 11a Top surface 11b Container surface 14 Internal fitting portion 15 Top 16 External fitting portion 20 Annular recess 21 Inner peripheral surface of container 28 Curl portion 31 Under rib 32 Narrow width portion 33 Stack rib 33a Enlarged diameter portion 33b Extension portion

Claims

1. A lid for a beverage container which is fitted to a beverage container comprising: a top plate portion; an inner fitting portion which is provided outer circumferentially beyond the top plate portion and extends upward; a top portion which is provided along the outer periphery of the inner fitting portion, extending outward and continuous with the inner fitting portion; and an outer fitting portion which is provided along the outer periphery of the top, extending downward and continuous with the top portion, wherein the outer fitting portion has an under-rib which bends inward beyond the outermost end of the top, a narrow portion which extends below the under-rib which bends back outward and is further inside than the outermost end of the top, and a stack rib which extends downward from below the narrow portion while expanding in diameter outward beyond the top.

2. A lid for beverage containers as described in claim 1, characterized in that the stack rib has an expanded diameter portion that expands outward and an extended portion that extends downward while expanding at an angle more gradually than the expanded diameter portion.

3. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of paper.

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