JP2008285208A - Cap with tamperproof function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cap designed so that the cap is detached while a tamperproof ring is kept connected with a cap body suitably when the cap is rotated in the direction of detachment. <P>SOLUTION: The tamperproof ring 4 of the cap 1 with the tamperproof function is divided. Connecting parts 8 are disposed between the division ends 12 and parts opposite the ring upper edges 14. Only the ring upper edges 14 opposite to each other are connected by the connecting parts 8. This facilitates the adjustment of the thickness of the ring 4 in the radial direction of the ring 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a synthetic resin-made cap with an unauthorized opening prevention function that is attached to a spout of a beverage container.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a synthetic resin cap having a function of preventing unauthorized opening has been proposed for a spout of a container that contains a beverage such as a plastic bottle. The cap with an unauthorized opening prevention function is located over the outer peripheral surface of the cap body having an inner screw portion corresponding to the outer screw portion on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion of the spout and the lower portion of the outer screw portion. The tamper-evident ring that can be engaged with the rib is connected by a plurality of severable connecting portions, and when the cap body is rotated in the cap removal direction when attached to the spout, A plurality of connecting portions between the unsealing prevention ring are cut off.

In the above cap, the tamper-evident ring remains on the spout side after opening, but the material that molded the container body and spout differs from the material that formed the cap, and this is the time until the container is discarded. It is desired from the viewpoint of recycling that the tamper-evident ring is removed from the spout.
From this point, as shown in Patent Document 1, a vertical slit is put in a part of the tamper-evident prevention ring, a cuttable bridge is arranged in the slit part, and a toe or the like is placed in the slit part. A structure has been proposed in which the tamper-resistant ring remaining on the spout side can be easily removed when necessary by cutting the bridge, for example, by inserting.
In addition, the cap body and the tamper-evident ring are connected in part, and the tamper-evident ring itself is provided with a weakened part in the vicinity of the part connected to the cap body side. There has been proposed a device that, when rotated, the tamper-evident ring is cut at the weakened portion, and the tamper-evident ring is continuously pulled up and removed from the cap body (for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3). 4).
JP 2003-054597 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 04-040267 Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-088602 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 03-075150

  As described above, a tamper-evident ring is provided at the bottom of the cap body via a plurality of connecting portions, and the tamper-evident function is provided so that the tamper-evident ring is connected to the cap body and can be removed when opening. The present applicant has also proposed a cap, which will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a cap 1 with an unauthorized opening prevention function. The cap 1 with an unauthorized opening prevention function includes a cap body 2 and a plurality of connecting portions 3 that can be cut at the lower portion of the cap body 2 as described above. It consists of a tamper-evident ring 4 connected.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tamper-evident preventing ring 4 has a plurality of locking flaps 5 as locking means on the inner peripheral side of the ring, and each of the locking flaps 5 starts from the ring lower edge portion 6. It protrudes toward the center and is provided so as to be able to turn in the ring height direction with the ring lower edge 6 side as a fold.
Since the cap 1 with the tamper-evident prevention function is screwed, when the cap 1 is attached to the spout a, it moves downward in the mouth height direction as the cap body rotates around the mouth in the cap attachment direction. The tamper-evident ring 4 also moves downward in the mouth height direction with rotational movement around the mouth. Then, each of the locking flaps 5 rotates upward so as to be pushed up by the rib b if it comes into contact with the rib b of the spout a when moving downward in the mouth height direction. It retreats to the peripheral side, turns over so as to return to the original state after getting over the rib b, and is positioned below the rib b. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the locking flaps 5 is provided so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mouth base end c below the rib b and inclined obliquely upward. When the opening prevention ring 4 moves upward in the mouth height direction, each of the locking flaps 5 engages with the rib b, and this locking restricts the movement of the unauthorized opening prevention ring 4 in the mouth height direction upward. I am doing so.

When removing the cap, if the cap body rotates around the mouth in the cap removal direction, the cap body moves upward in the mouth height direction, and the tamper-evident ring 4 also rotates around the mouth and the mouth height. Move upward in the direction. As described above, when the cap is removed, each of the locking flaps 5 is locked to the rib b by the upward movement in the mouth height direction accompanied by the movement of the unauthorized opening prevention ring 4 around the mouth.
At this time, the amount of rotational movement around the mouth of the tamper-evident ring 4 is not large, and the locking flap 5 is immediately locked to the rib b.

Further, the tamper-evident prevention ring 4 is divided in part, and a portion where the divided ends 7 are opposed is formed as a vertical thin slit. In addition, a severable connecting portion 8 that connects the divided ends 7 (ring lower edge portions) to each other is provided at a lowermost portion between the divided ends 7, that is, a portion where the ring lower edge portions 6 face each other. For ease of explanation, the space between the opposed divided ends in FIG. 1 is shown wide.
Further, in order to remove the tamper-evident prevention ring 4 from the mouth of the spout a by removing the cap body 2, the one split end 7 and the other split end 7 facing each other with the connection portion 8 in between Among them, a reinforcing connecting portion 9 is provided at the one split end 7 (see FIG. 1), and the one split end 7 and the cap body 2 are connected via the reinforcing connecting portion 9, and this one split end is connected. The end 7 was provided to accompany the movement of the cap body 2.

(Strength of connecting part)
In this unauthorized opening prevention cap 1, when the cap main body 2 is rotated in the cap removal direction, a plurality of connecting portions are cut. The strength of this connecting part is that the cap body rotates around the mouth part against the tamper-evident ring where the ribs are locked by the ribs and the upward movement of the mouth part is restricted. It is set as the intensity | strength cut | disconnected when it leaves | separates by the movement to the upper direction of a mouth part accompanied by.
(Strength of reinforced joints)
Further, when the cap body is rotated in the cap removal direction, one of the divided ends is reliably lifted upward in the mouth height direction via the reinforcing connecting portion. Therefore, the strength of the reinforced connecting part is not cut against the tensile force applied to the reinforced connecting part when removing the cap, and is sufficient to accompany the cap body moving upward in the mouth height direction. It is said to be strong.

(Connection strength)
Further, when the cap body is rotated in the cap removal direction, the connection portion is cut off after the plurality of connecting portions are cut. This is intended to maintain the state in which the locking flaps of the tamper-evident ring are locked to the ribs until the connecting portion has been cut. In other words, if the connecting portion is cut without the connecting portion being cut, the force from the locking flap that is in contact with the rib works to open the tamper-evident ring itself, and the locking flap is removed from the rib. This is because the tamper-evident prevention ring comes off and rises upward in the mouth height direction.
It is not inconvenient for the tamper-evident ring to be removed from the spout, but if the cap body and the tamper-evident ring are connected via many connecting parts and removed from the spout, the tamper-evident ring is opened after the tamper is opened. The manual operation of separating the prevention ring from the cap body becomes troublesome, and the possibility of closing the spout with the cap body with the tamper-evident prevention ring is increased.
In addition, the cap removed from the spout with the tamper-evident ring positioned along the lower end of the cap body is intentionally put back on the spout with the tamper-proof ring attached, as if unopened. There is a possibility that mischief to be shown in. In that case, it cannot be easily determined from the appearance that the plug has been opened once, and the function of preventing unauthorized opening cannot be exhibited.

Therefore, when the cap body is removed, when the unauthorized opening prevention ring is restricted from moving upward in the mouth height direction due to the engagement of the engagement flap to the rib, the strength of the unauthorized opening prevention ring The strength is such that it is not cut against the tensile force generated in the circumferential direction. Then, after the connecting portion is cut by the upward movement in the mouth height direction accompanying the rotational movement around the mouth portion of the cap body, the drawing is performed so as to cut by the tensile force transmitted from the reinforced connecting portion to one of the divided ends. It has been.
In this way, when removing the cap, by rotating the cap body in the direction of removing the cap, the connecting portion is cut and the tamper-evident ring is moved under the rib as the cap body moves upward in the mouth height direction. It is designed to deviate from.
The reinforced connecting portion can be cut by manually pulling the cap body and the tamper-evident ring off after removing the cap.

Further, the connecting portion needs to have a strength so as not to be cut when the cap is attached as described below.
That is, when the cap is first attached to the spout, the tamper-evident ring is moved downward in the mouth height direction, and each of the locking flaps is bent so as to bend upward when getting over the rib as described above. Move and evacuate to the inner ring side. At this time, a pulling force is generated in the ring circumferential direction at the ring lower edge of the tamper-evident ring. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the connecting portion from being cut even by this pulling force.

As a method for avoiding unnecessary disconnection of the connecting portion, it is conceivable to increase the size of the connecting portion in the ring radial direction. Adjusting the dimensions of the connecting portion in the ring radial direction in this way is to enable cutting by the action of the tensile force applied when pulling up one split end while resisting the tensile force in the ring circumferential direction. It is advantageous.
However, the tamper-evident ring is overlapped when the locking flap is folded from the lower edge of the ring in order to secure a retracting portion when the locking flap on the inner circumferential side of the ring is turned and folded. The portion is thinly formed, and the ring radial dimension of the connecting portion located at the lowermost portion between the divided ends cannot be made larger than the thickness of the ring lower edge portion.
Therefore, the degree of freedom in adjusting the thickness of the connecting portion in the ring radial direction is extremely small, and it is very difficult to mold so that it can be cut when necessary (when one split end is pulled up) while avoiding unnecessary cutting. It will be a thing.

On the other hand, the dimension of the connecting portion in the ring height direction can be increased (the thickness can be increased in the ring height direction) at the lowest position between the split ends. By doing this, unnecessary cutting, especially when the locking flap when attaching the cap to the spout gets over the rib, without cutting against the tension applied in the circumferential direction to the lower edge of the ring, This is effective in reducing poor cap attachment due to disconnection of the connecting portion.
However, if the size of the connection portion in the ring height direction is increased, the force for cutting the connection portion is not concentrated when removing the cap, and it cannot be dispersed and cut. When removing the cap (when opening) In addition, the torque for rotating the cap body is increased, resulting in a problem that the opening operation on the general consumer side is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention has an object to make it easy to adjust the thickness in the ring radial direction with respect to the connection portion positioned between the split ends of the tamper-evident prevention ring. An object of the present invention is to ensure that the tamper-evident ring is properly removed when the cap is turned in the removal direction at the spout attached with the cap.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and is provided with a screw attached to a spout having an outer threaded portion on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and a rib provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth at the lower portion of the outer threaded portion. A synthetic resin cap comprising a cap body and an unauthorized opening prevention ring connected to the lower portion of the cap body by a plurality of severable connecting portions, the unauthorized opening prevention ring being in the ring There is a locking means on the peripheral side, and the locking means is when the cap body attached to the spout rotates in the cap removal direction and the unauthorized opening prevention ring moves upward in the mouth height direction. The tamper-evident ring is latched to the rib, and the tamper-evident prevention ring is divided, and the split end is located between the split ends via a severable connecting portion that is narrow in the ring height direction. Connected to each other, Among the one split end and the other split end facing each other, a reinforcing connecting portion is provided at one split end, and the one split end and the cap body are connected via the reinforcing connecting portion. In the cap with tamper-evident prevention function, the connection portion is disposed at a portion where the upper edge of the ring between the divided ends is opposed to each other. To do.

  And in the said invention, the said ring upper edge part is shape | molded by the thick wall which becomes convex toward the ring radial direction center side, and a connection part is located between thick ring upper end parts between division | segmentation ends. Is good.

  Further, in the above invention, the tamper-evident ring is divided at a plurality of locations, and the connection portion that connects the divided ends is arranged for each divided portion, and each divided end of the divided portion is connected to the reinforcing connection. It is possible to be connected to the cap body through the section.

  Further, in the above invention, it is preferable that the other divided end among the opposed divided ends is provided with a stopper that is discontinuous with the cap body and protrudes toward the cap body. .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the connecting portion is disposed at the portion where the upper edge of the ring between the divided ends is opposed, the overlap of the cap body is taken into consideration without considering the overlap when the locking means is retracted. The dimension in the ring radial direction of the connecting portion can be adjusted with the thickness dimension of the lower portion being the maximum range, and the degree of freedom for forming the connecting portion is increased.
Therefore, strengthening while satisfying the conditions of non-cutting when attaching the cap to the spout and non-cutting until the connecting portion is cut when the cap body is rotated in the cap removal direction. It becomes easy to mold so that this connecting part is cut when a tensile force is applied to one split end via the connecting part, eliminating the defect that the connecting part is cut when attaching the cap, At the time of opening on the general consumer side, the torque when rotating in the cap removal direction can be reduced to facilitate the opening operation, and the disconnection failure of the connecting portion at the time of opening can be eliminated.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the connecting portion is located between the upper edge portions of the thick ring, the degree of freedom in setting the position of the connecting portion in the ring radial direction is increased.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the cap body is rotated in the cap removing direction, the tamper-evident ring is divided into a plurality of parts so that the locking relationship with the rib is immediately released, and the cap body is removed. Becomes easier.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when the cap body is attached to the spout along with the tamper-evident ring, the locking means is in contact with the rib and pushes the ring upward in the mouth height direction. Even if it acts on the split end and the other split end, the one split end is connected to the cap body via the reinforcing connecting portion, so that it does not move upward in the mouth height direction. The stopper also comes into contact with the cap body immediately at the split end of the part, and there is almost no upward movement in the mouth height direction, and there is no large step in the ring height direction between one split part and the other split part. Unnecessary disconnection of the connecting portion can be prevented.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 5 shows the cap 1 with an unauthorized opening prevention function of the present invention. In the cap 1 with an unauthorized opening preventing function of the present invention, the unauthorized opening preventing ring 4 is divided at two positions, and the distance between the two divided ends 12 is at a position opposite to the ring radial direction. The arrangement of the connecting portions 8 in each of the divided ends 12 is different from the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connecting portion 8 is located at the uppermost portion between the divided ends 12, and the divided ends 12 are opposed to each other. The ring upper edge portion 14 is connected by the connecting portion 8, and the state from the bottom of the ring upper edge portion 14 to the ring lower edge portion 6 is opened.

Thus, in the present invention, the connection portion 8 is arranged so as to connect only the ring upper edge portion 14, and the portion from the position below the ring upper edge portion 14 to the ring lower edge portion 6 is opened. Therefore, when the cap 1 with the unauthorized opening prevention function 1 is attached to the spout, the locking flap 5 of the unauthorized opening prevention shilling 4 comes into contact with the rib, and the lower edge of the ring when rotating to the flap folding corresponding portion 11 side. Tensile force generated along the circumferential direction of the ring on the side of the portion 6 is reduced by a slight opening on the lower side of the split end 12, and each of the locking flaps 5 gets over the ribs in a state where the tensile force does not increase. Move to the lower position.
And about the connection part 8 located in the uppermost part between the division | segmentation ends 12, the intensity | strength for resisting the said tensile force at the time of cap attachment (the tensile force of the ring circumferential direction by the side of the ring lower edge 6) is a high value. There is no need to set to. Thus, the lower limit of the strength for resisting the pulling force that the connecting portion 8 must secure is lowered, and the degree of freedom in setting the cross-sectional shape of the connecting portion 8 itself is increased.

The ring upper edge portion 14 of the tamper-evident ring 4 has a thickness dimension in the ring radial direction while aligning the outer peripheral surface of the ring upper edge portion 14 with the outer peripheral surface of the flap folding corresponding portion 11. It is formed to be thicker than the flap folding corresponding part 11 and has a convex shape toward the center in the ring radial direction, and is the same as the thickness dimension of the lower edge 15 of the cap body 2. And since the thin flap fold corresponding part 11 is located up to the position of the ring lower edge part 6 under the ring upper edge part 14 made thick, the ring inner peripheral surface side of the flap fold corresponding part 11 is It forms as the recessed part 16 for the retraction | saving of the latching flap 5 when getting over a rib.
And the thickness dimension in the ring radial direction of the said connection part 8 is set within the thickness dimension of the ring upper edge part 14, and the ring upper edge part 14 is formed thickly as mentioned above. For this reason, the degree of freedom for setting the thickness of the connecting portion 8 in the ring radial direction is much higher than that in the case of the lower edge portion of the ring. In the illustrated example, the thickness dimension of the connecting portion 8 in the ring radial direction is the same as the thickness dimension of the ring upper edge portion 14 in the ring radial direction, and the thickness dimension in the ring height direction is shown in FIGS. The strength of the connecting portion 8 is adjusted to be smaller than that of the above example.
Thus, since the range of adjustment of the thickness dimension of the connection portion 8 in the ring radial direction can be secured widely within the range of the thickness dimension of the ring upper edge portion 14 in the ring radial direction, for example, as shown in FIGS. As described above, the thickness of the connecting portion 8 in the ring height direction is made thin with an allowable molding limit, but the thickness of the connecting portion 8 in the ring radial direction is adjusted to make the strength of the connecting portion 8 fine. It can be adjusted, and the adjustment becomes easy.

As shown in the figure, in the above embodiment, the tamper-evident prevention ring 4 is divided at two locations facing each other in the ring radial direction, and only the upper edge portions 14 of the rings are connected to each other between the divided ends 12. And the upper surface of each of the divided ends 7 and the lower portion of the cap body 2 are connected via a reinforcing connecting portion 9.
In this way, the tamper-evident prevention ring 4 is divided at two and three or more positions, and the connection portion 8 is arranged between the respective divided ends, and one of the divided ends is reinforced and connected to the cap body 2. When the cap body is rotated in the direction of removing the cap after attaching the cap, the tamper-evident ring is divided into a plurality of pieces and the locking relationship with the rib is immediately lost. Therefore, the cap body can be removed and rotated more easily.
In addition, the division | segmentation part of the unauthorized opening prevention ring 4 does not necessarily need to be two places, and may be one place as shown in the example of FIGS. 1-4, and may be three or more places.

In the present invention, of the one split end 7 and the other split end 7 facing each other between the split ends 12, a top surface of the other split end 7 is provided with a convex stopper 17 facing upward in the ring height direction. It is discontinuous with respect to the cap body 2 and protrudes toward the lower part of the cap body 2.
Since the convex stopper 17 is positioned on the upper surface of the other split end 7 in this way, when the cap 1 with the unauthorized opening preventing function is attached to the spout, the locking flap 5 and the rib Even if the action of pushing up the other split end 7 upwards by the contact, the stopper 17 of the other split end 7 immediately comes into contact with the cap body 2, so that one split end 7 and the other split end A large step in the vertical direction does not occur at the end 7, and the problem that the connecting portion 8 is cut due to the vertical shift of the opposed divided ends 7, 7 is prevented. Of course, one split end 7 does not move upward because the reinforcing connecting portion is interposed.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the cap with an unauthorized opening prevention function examined previously, and a spout. It is explanatory drawing which shows the attachment state of the example shown in FIG. 1 in a cross section. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cap main body of the example shown in FIG. 1 in a cross section. It is explanatory drawing which shows the latching flap of the example shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cap with an unauthorized opening prevention function which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the attachment state to the spout in the Example of this invention in a cross section. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cap main body in the Example of this invention in a cross section.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cap with a tamper-evident prevention function 2 ... Cap body 3 ... Connection part 4 ... Tamper-proof ring 5 ... Locking flap 6 ... Ring lower edge part 7 ... Split end 8 ... Connection part 9 ... Strengthening connection part 11 ... Flap folding Overlapping part 12 ... Between split ends 14 ... Ring upper edge 17 ... Stopper a ... Outlet b ... Rib

Claims (4)

A cap made of synthetic resin, which is a screwing type attached to a spout having an external thread portion on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and a rib provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth at the lower portion of the external thread portion,
It consists of a cap body and a tamper-evident ring that is connected to the lower part of the cap body by a plurality of severable connecting portions,
The tamper-evident ring has a locking means on the inner circumference side of the ring, and the locking means rotates the cap body attached to the spout in the cap removal direction so that the tamper-evident ring is It is locked to the rib when moved upward in the vertical direction,
And the tamper-evident ring is divided, and the divided ends are connected to each other through a severable connecting portion that is positioned between the divided ends and narrowed in the ring height direction,
Among the one split end and the other split end facing each other with the connection portion in between, a reinforcing connection portion is provided at one split end, and the one split end and the cap body are provided via the strengthen connection portion. In cap with tamper-evident prevention function to which
The said connection part is arrange | positioned in the part which the ring upper edge part between division | segmentation ends opposes, The cap with an unauthorized opening prevention function characterized by the above-mentioned.   2. The fraud according to claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the ring is formed into a thick wall that protrudes toward the center in the radial direction of the ring, and a connecting portion is located between the upper ends of the thick ring between the divided ends. Cap with anti-opening function.   The tamper-evident ring is divided at a plurality of locations, and the connecting portion for connecting the divided ends to each divided portion is arranged, and each of the divided ends of the divided portions is connected to the cap body via the reinforcing connecting portion. The cap with an unauthorized opening preventing function according to claim 1 or 2, which is connected to the cap.   The fraud according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a stopper that is not continuous with the cap body and protrudes toward the cap body is provided at the other divided end among the opposed divided ends. Cap with anti-opening function.

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