JP5714386B2 - Ratchet-type screw cap with opening history indication band - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ratchet-type screw cap provided with an opening history indicating band, and more specifically, a cap body fixed to a container mouth by screw engagement, and a lower end of a skirt portion of the cap body. And a screw cap provided with a ratchet that engages with a protrusion formed on the outer surface of the container mouth on the inner surface of the band.

  In order to guarantee the quality of the container contents and prevent mischief, a cap having an opening history indicating band (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a tamper evidence band or a TE band) that clearly indicates an opening history is widely used. That is, in this type of cap, when the cap is opened, the bridge connecting the cap body and the TE band is broken, thereby clearly indicating that the cap has been opened.

  As such a cap, a ratchet type screw cap employing a so-called ratchet method is known. In this type of screw cap, a TE band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion of the cap body fixed to the container mouth by screw engagement via a breakable bridge (weakening portion), and the inner surface of the TE band. Further, a ratchet is provided that engages with a protrusion formed on the outer surface of the container mouth to prevent rotation in the opening direction. That is, when the cap body is turned in the opening direction, the bridge connecting the TE band and the cap body is broken and the TE band is separated, and only the cap body is removed from the container mouth. Due to the fact that the band is cut off, the general consumer can recognize the fact that the cap has been opened.

  Such a ratchet screw cap has a problem that the TE band is completely separated from the cap body and remains on the container side. That is, if the TE band remains in the container mouth, the TE band falls at the same time as the liquid in the container is poured, and there is a risk of accidental ingestion when the liquid in the container is a beverage. If the main body is separated, there is also a problem that the number of garbage at the time of disposal increases. In order to avoid such a problem, various ratchet screw caps have been proposed in which the TE band does not separate from the cap body when opening the cap.

  For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a ratchet that allows rotation in the closing direction but allows rotation in the opening direction by contact with a protrusion formed on the outer surface of the container mouth is provided on the inner surface. The TE band is provided, and the TE band is divided into an opening turning part and an opening prevention part by a refracting slit (or breaking part), and the opening turning part and the opening prevention part are opened by the cap. A ratchet screw cap is connected by a bridge that is broken when plugged, and the upper surface of the TE band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion of the cap body by a wide bridge located in the vicinity of the opening turning part. Has been proposed.

  In the ratchet type screw cap having the above-described structure, the TE band is removed from the container mouth by connecting the cap body because the wide bridge is not broken by opening, but the TE band is refracted by opening. It is divided into the opening turning part and the opening prevention part by the slit (or breakage part), and the fact that the cap has been opened can be recognized.

JP2004-149156 JP 2006-282181 A

  However, in the screw cap proposed in the above prior art, when the cap removed from the container mouth portion is mounted on the container mouth portion again for each TE band connected thereto, the TE band is opened and swung by the opening swivel portion and the cap opening portion. There is a drawback that it is difficult to visually recognize that it is divided into a deterrent section. In particular, when the container mouth portion is a small-diameter cylindrical body such as a spout provided in the bag-like container, it is extremely difficult to visually recognize the division of the TE band. The opening history clarification function is not fully demonstrated, and the improvement is desired.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a TE band that is cut off at the same time that the TE band is removed from the container mouth portion in connection with the cap body and the TE band is reliably cut at the time of opening. The ratchet type screw cap which can easily and clearly see the fact that the TE band is divided when the cap is attached again to the container mouth, and the TE band opening history clearly functioning is fully demonstrated. It is to provide.

According to the present invention, the cap main body is fixed to the container mouth portion by screw engagement, and the opening history indicating band is provided at the lower end of the skirt portion of the cap main body and has a cylindrical shape. In the screw cap provided with a ratchet that allows rotation in the closing direction but restricts rotation in the opening direction by abutment with a protrusion formed on the outer surface of the container mouth,
The opening history indicating band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion by a wide bridge that does not break when the cap is opened,
The opening history indicating band has a dividing slit that refracts from the upper end on the closing direction side and continuously extends to the lower end with respect to the joint portion with the wide bridge, and is on the closing direction side with respect to the dividing slit. It is divided into a capping side part located on the capping side and a capping side part located on the capping direction side,
A band-shaped portion extending in the circumferential direction opening side in the plug-opening side portion is formed on the plug-closing side portion located on the plug-closing direction side with respect to the partition slit, and the band-shaped portion is formed with respect to the cap center O. Expressed by an angle θ, it has a circumferential length of 60 to 120 degrees and is held in the opening history indicating band by a breakable connecting portion that is formed so as to straddle the partition slit. A screw cap is provided.

In the present invention,
(1) The partition slit includes a first axial slit extending downward from the upper end of the opening explicit band, and a first circumferential slit extending from the lower end of the first axial slit in the opening direction. A second axial slit extending axially downward from the opening direction side end of the first circumferential slit, and a second circumference extending in the closing direction from the lower end of the second axial slit A direction slit and a third axial slit extending axially downward from the end of the second circumferential slit in the closing direction and reaching the lower end of the opening history manifesting band,
(2) The ratchet is formed in the vicinity of the cuffing direction side with respect to the base of the band-like part of the capping side formed by the partition slit,
(3) The opening history indicating band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion by a small bridge that is broken when the cap is opened;
Is preferred.

  The screw cap of the present invention has a ratchet type structure, but the opening history indicating band (TE band) provided on the cap is capped by a wide bridge that does not break when the cap body rotates in the opening direction. The TE band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion of the main body. Therefore, when opening the plug, the TE band is removed from the container mouth portion together with the cap main body without being separated from the cap main body. That is, when the cap main body is removed from the container mouth, the TE band does not remain in the container mouth, and therefore the TE band falls off at the same time as the liquid in the container is poured out. Absent.

In the screw cap of the present invention, the TE band is divided into a capping side portion located on the capping direction side and a capping side portion located on the capping direction side by a partition slit, and this capping side portion According to the shape of the partition slit, a band-like portion extending in the circumferential direction (opening side direction) in the opening side portion is formed. That is, when the cap is opened, the connecting part that holds the band-like part in the TE band breaks, so that the TE band hanging from the skirt part by the wide bridge splits into the hollow band-like part and other parts. And become disjointed. That is, in the cap body once opened from the container mouth, since the band-like part is further hung on the TE band hanging from this, even when this is attached to the container mouth again (ie, reseal), This form cannot be restored to the state before opening from the container mouth, and general consumers can easily recognize the opening fact visually, and exhibit an excellent opening history clarification function. To do.

The figure which shows the side surface of the screw cap of this invention with which the container opening part is mounted | worn with a container opening part. The figure which shows the half side cross section of the screw cap of FIG. 1 with a container mouth part. The figure which shows a part of FIG. 1 by a half side cross section. The bottom view of the screw cap of FIG. The figure which shows the AA cross section of the screw cap of FIG. 1 with the cross section of a container opening part. The figure which shows the state which mounted | wore with the container mouth part again after opening the screw cap of FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the screw cap of the present invention roughly comprises a cap body 1 and a cylindrical opening history clarification band (TE band) 2. The top plate portion 5 and the skirt portion 6 depending from the peripheral edge portion of the top plate portion 5 are formed.

  An inner ring 7 is formed on the inner surface of the top plate portion 5 so as to extend downward with a gap from the skirt portion 6, and small protrusions 9, 9 are formed between the inner ring 7 and the skirt portion 6. Is formed. A female thread 10 is formed on the inner surface of the skirt portion 6.

In the illustrated example, the container mouth portion to which the above-described screw cap is attached is indicated as 50 as a whole, and this container mouth portion 50 is a spout for pouring the container contents in the bag-like container. In other words, the container mouth portion 50 is an elongated hollow cylindrical body as a whole, and a male thread 51 is formed on the outer surface thereof. A projecting portion 53 for controlling the rotation of the TE band 2 is formed below the projecting portion 53, and a joint for bonding and fixing a bag-like container via the neck portion 55 is formed below the projecting portion 53. A portion 57 is formed.
The joint portion 57 includes a multi-stage horizontal projecting piece 58 projecting in the horizontal direction and a pair of vertical projecting pieces 59 projecting in the vertical direction, and the projecting pieces 58 and 59 have a bag-like plastic film. Are joined by heat sealing.

  That is, the female thread 10 formed on the inner surface of the skirt portion 6 engages with the male thread 51 formed on the outer surface of the container mouth portion 50, whereby the cap body 1 is connected to the container mouth. Mounted on the part 50. In this state, the upper end of the container mouth part 50 enters the space between the inner ring 7 and the skirt part 6, and the upper end face of the small protrusions 9, 9 formed on the inner surface of the top plate part 5. A good seal is secured by being pressed.

Further, vertical ribs 12 extending in the axial direction at appropriate intervals are provided on the upper portion of the inner surface of the skirt portion 6. The vertical ribs 12 serve as centering when the cap body 1 is attached to the container opening 50, and prevent the cap body 1 from being obliquely covered.
Further, a knurl 15 for preventing slipping is formed on the outer surface of the skirt portion 6 so that the cap body 1 can be smoothly turned in the closing direction and the opening direction.

  A plurality of ratchets 17 are formed on the inner surface of the TE band 2. As shown in FIG. 5, these ratchets 17 are allowed to rotate in the closing direction Y, but in the opening direction due to contact with the protrusions 53 formed on the outer surface of the container mouth 50. It has a shape that restricts the rotation of the. That is, the ratchet 17 is connected to a step portion formed on the upper inner surface of the TE band 2, extends downward from the lower surface of the step portion, and is further connected to the inner peripheral surface of the TE band 2. It extends radially inward from the surface and toward the opening direction. By such rotation control, the TE band 2 exhibits the opening history explicit function. This opening history clarification function will be described later.

  The upper end of the TE band 2 is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion 6 by a wide bridge 21. The wide bridge 21 is not broken when the cap is opened. When the cap body 1 is removed from the container mouth portion 50, the TE band 2 does not remain on the container mouth portion 50 side and the container mouth portion together with the cap body 1. It is a member for making it remove from 50. FIG. Preferably, the upper end of the TE band 2 and the lower end of the skirt portion 6 are connected by a narrow bridge 23. The narrow bridge 23 is broken when the cap is opened. When the cap is supplied or when the cap main body 1 is attached to the container mouth portion 50 (capping), the TE band 2 is not deformed and is stable. It is provided to be attached to the container mouth part 50 together with the cap body 1.

  Further, a rib 25 for adjusting a distance from the TE band 2 is formed on the lower end surface of the skirt portion 6. That is, by forming such ribs 25, the gap between the TE band 2 and the skirt portion 6 is narrowed to relieve stress when an axial load is applied to the cap. The deformation and breakage of the bridge 23 and the wide bridge 21 can be avoided.

Further, a guide piece 26 is provided on the upper surface of the TE band 2, and the openability is improved by such a guide piece 26.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the guide piece 26 has an inclined surface 26a whose side surface on the closing direction Y side is inclined downward from above toward the closing direction, and on the opening direction X side. The side surface is a substantially upright surface 26b.
Further, the gap adjusting rib 25 formed at the lower end of the skirt portion 6 is cut out corresponding to the guide piece 26, and the inclined surface 26a of the guide piece 26 has an inclined surface on the plugging direction side. An inclined surface 25a is formed along 26a. Furthermore, an upright surface 25 b is formed on the opening direction side of the upright surface 26 b of the guide piece 26.

  As understood from the above form, when the cap body 1 is turned in the opening direction X, the turning of the TE band 2 in the opening direction is restricted by the engagement of the ratchet 17 and the protrusion 53. At the same time, the end face 25a of the gap adjusting rib 25 comes into contact with the inclined face 26a of the guide piece 26, and as a result, the TE band 2 is pushed down. It becomes a state of hanging from the cap main body 1 (skirt portion 6) through the wide bridge 21, and the general consumer can recognize the fact of opening by seeing the state of the TE band 2 hanging down in this way.

  Further, when the cap body 1 is put on the container mouth portion 50 and swung in the closing direction to perform capping, when the ratchet 17 gets over the protrusion 53 formed on the outer surface of the container mouth portion 50, the wide bridge 21. Although a large load is applied to the bridge 23 having a small width, in the above-described aspect, the upright surface 25b formed in the notch portion of the interval adjusting rib 25 comes into contact with the upright surface 26b of the guide piece 26. Will rotate together with the cap body 1 in the closing direction. Therefore, the stress applied to the wide bridge 21 and the narrow bridge 23 is effectively reduced, and breakage and deformation of these members during capping can be effectively avoided.

In the ratchet type screw cap having the basic structure as described above, in the present invention, the TE band 2 is provided with a partition slit 30 that is refracted from the upper end of the band 2 and extends to the lower end. The TE band 2 is divided into a capping side portion and a capping side portion by the partition slit 30. As is apparent from FIG. 1 and the like, this capping side portion has a circumferential direction (opening) inside the capping side portion. A strip-shaped portion 33 (hereinafter referred to as a hollow strip-shaped portion 33) extending in the plug direction side is formed. The hollow band-shaped portion 33 reinforces the opening history manifesting function, and as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to exhibit an excellent opening history manifesting function even during resealing. That is, when the cap is opened and attached to the container mouth portion 50 again, the connecting portion 35 holding the hollow strip portion 33 to the TE band 2 is broken, so that the wide bridge 21 hangs down from the skirt portion 6. The TE band 6 is divided into the hollow strip portion 33 and other portions to be in a disjointed state, so that the consumer can clearly recognize that the plug has been opened once.

  That is, the refracted partition slit 30 extends from the side of the wide bridge 21 in the closing direction, and as shown in FIG. 1, the first slit extends downward from the upper end of the TE band 2. An axial slit 30a, a first circumferential slit 30b extending from the lower end of the first axial slit 30a in the opening direction, and an opening direction side end of the first circumferential slit downward in the axial direction A second axial slit 30c that extends, a second circumferential slit 30d that extends from the lower end of the second axial slit 30c in the closing direction, and a closing direction side end of the second circumferential slit 30d The third slit 30e extending downward in the axial direction and reaching the lower end of the opening history indicating band is continuously connected to form a partition slit 30. By the partition slit 30 having such a shape, a hollow strip 33 extending in the circumferential direction from the plugging direction side of the portion to which the wide bridge 21 is connected to the opening direction is formed inside the TE band 2. Has been. Further, the hollow strip portion 33 is held by the TE band 2 by a thin breakable connecting portion 35 extending so as to straddle the partition slit 30.

  In the cap provided with the TE band 2 having such a structure, when the cap body 1 is rotated in the opening direction with the cap main body 1 mounted on the container mouth portion 50, the TE band 2 is attached to the ratchet 17 and the outer surface of the container mouth portion. Although the rotation in the opening direction is restricted by the engagement with the projection 53 and is pushed down by the engagement between the guide piece 26 and the spacing adjusting rib 25, the upper portion 33 a of the hollow strip 33 is formed by the wide bridge 21. Pulled in the opening direction and lifted upward, and accordingly, the lower portion 33b of the hollow strip 33 is also pulled in the opening direction and lifted upward.

  As a result, when the plug is opened, the thin connecting portion 35 connecting the hollow strip portion 33 breaks, and the wide bridge 21 hangs down from the cap body 1 and further from the TE band 2, the hollow strip portion 33 is further removed. It will hang down. In the TE band 2 that has been broken in this way, since the portion of the hollow strip portion 33 has been hollowed out, it is impossible to hold it in a shape close to the original shape. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, even when such a cap body 1 is attached to the container mouth portion 50 again, the connecting portion 35 that holds the hollow strip portion 33 in the TE band 2. The TE band 6 hanging from the skirt portion 6 by the wide bridge 21 splits into a hollow strip portion 33 and other portions, and the consumer is clearly opened once. That is, the opening history of the cap body 1 can be known.

  In particular, when the container mouth portion 50 is like a spout of a bag-like container as shown in the figure, the diameter of the TE band 2 is considerably small, so that the division of the TE band 2 tends to be overlooked. Although extremely large, in the present invention, since the TE band 2 connected to the skirt portion 6 of the cap body 1 is hollowed out, even in such a small-diameter TE band, the breakage can be reliably visually confirmed. Excellent opening and clearing function is exhibited.

In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the partition slits 30 are formed at two symmetrical positions, and the hollow strip-shaped portion 33 is also formed at two positions by each slit 30. Yes. Furthermore, the fact that the ratchet 17 is formed in the vicinity of the cuffing direction side with respect to the base portion 33a of the hollow strip-shaped portion 33 formed by the partition slit 30 indicates that the bridge 23 that connects the TE band 2 and the skirt portion 6 is connected. It is preferable to quickly break the rupture of the connecting portion 35 holding the hollow strip-shaped portion 33.

Further, the circumferential length of the hollow strip portion 33 needs to be set to such a length that the hollow portion 33 can be easily visually recognized and hardly returned to its original shape, as shown in FIG. In this way, the circumferential length is set to 60 to 120 degrees as represented by an angle θ with respect to the cap center O.

Since the ratchet type screw cap of the present invention described above has improved visibility of the broken state due to the hollowing out of the TE band 2, the opening history clarification function is remarkably improved.
The screw cap of the present invention having such a structure is optimal when applied to a small-diameter container mouth portion such as a spout provided as a mouth portion in a bag-like container (pouch). The cap is not limited to such a spout cap, and can be suitably used as a cap used for the mouth of a container such as a bottle.

1: Cap body 2: TE band 17: Ratchet 21: Wide bridge 30: Partition slit 33: Strip-shaped hollow part 35: Thin-walled connecting part 50: Container mouth part 53: Projection part

Claims (4)

A cap main body fixed to the container mouth by screw engagement, and an opening history indicating band provided at the lower end of the skirt portion of the cap main body and having a cylindrical shape. In the screw cap provided with a ratchet that allows rotation, but restricts rotation in the opening direction by contact with the protrusion formed on the outer surface of the container mouth,
The opening history indicating band is connected to the lower end of the skirt portion by a wide bridge that does not break when the cap is opened,
The opening history indicating band has a dividing slit that refracts from the upper end on the closing direction side and continuously extends to the lower end with respect to the joint portion with the wide bridge, and is on the closing direction side with respect to the dividing slit. It is divided into a capping side part located on the capping side and a capping side part located on the capping direction side,
A band-shaped portion extending in the circumferential direction opening side in the plug-opening side portion is formed on the plug-closing side portion located on the plug-closing direction side with respect to the partition slit, and the band-shaped portion is formed with respect to the cap center O. Expressed by an angle θ, it has a circumferential length of 60 to 120 degrees and is held in the opening history indicating band by a breakable connecting portion that is formed so as to straddle the partition slit. A screw cap characterized by that.   The partition slit includes a first axial slit extending downward from an upper end of the unsealing explicit band, a first circumferential slit extending from the lower end of the first axial slit in the opening direction, A second axial slit extending downward in the axial direction from the opening direction side end of the one circumferential slit, and a second circumferential slit extending in the closing direction from the lower end of the second axial slit; The third circumferential slit extends from the end in the closing direction side of the second circumferential slit downward in the axial direction and reaches the lower end of the opening history manifesting band. Screw cap. 3. The screw cap according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet is formed in the vicinity of a capping direction side with respect to a base portion of a band- like portion of a capping side portion formed by the partition slit. The screw cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the opening history indicating band is connected to a lower end of the skirt portion by a small bridge that is broken when the cap is opened.

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