JP7266951B2 - hinge cap - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hinge cap comprising a cap body attached to the mouth of a container and an upper lid connected to the cap body via a hinge.

BACKGROUND ART Hinge caps are known that have a cap body that is attached to the mouth of a container and that has a pouring tube for pouring out contents, and a top lid that is integrally connected to the cap body via a hinge. Such a hinge cap constitutes a pouring container by being attached to the mouth after the container is filled with contents. In addition, the hinge cap has a sealing structure that seals the inside of the dispensing container during the distribution process of the dispensing container.

In the manufacturing process of a pouring container, when hot filling is performed in which the contents are filled into the container at a high temperature, the annular thin portion (part to be broken) is broken as described in Patent Document 1. A hinge cap having a plug-type sealing structure that forms an outlet for the content is used. Patent Literature 1 describes a plug removing structure with a pull ring.

According to such a hinge cap, the container can be sealed before opening, and the container can be opened (unsealed) by pulling up the pull ring to break and remove a part of the partition wall. The content liquid can be poured out from the outflow port.

Japanese Patent No. 5669597

When hot filling is performed, the air inside the container is warmed by the hot contents after the hinge cap is installed, increasing the air pressure inside the container. According to the above-described capping structure, it is possible to maintain good sealing performance of the inside of the container even against this increase in air pressure. However, in the above hinge cap, when opening an unopened container, there are two stages of an opening operation of opening the upper lid from the cap body and an uncorking operation of pulling up the pull ring and tearing off a part of the partition wall. operation was required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hinge cap that maintains a suitable sealing property before opening and is easy to operate when opening.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the hinge cap of the present invention comprises a cap body attached to the mouth of a container, and swingably connected to the cap body via a hinge, A hinge cap comprising an upper lid for opening and closing an outflow port of the cap body,
The cap body has a top wall arranged to cover the mouth, a pouring tube standing from the top wall, and a partition wall covering the inside of the pouring tube,
The partition is provided with an annular portion to be broken and a movable portion positioned inside the portion to be broken and capable of vertical movement,
The upper lid has a top wall arranged above the pouring tube in a closed state, and a holding tube portion hanging down from the top wall,
A first engagement portion and a second engagement portion located below the first engagement portion are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the holding cylinder portion,
From a first state in which the upper cover is closed and the movable part is engaged with the first engaging part, the upper cover is opened using the hinge as a fulcrum, thereby disengaging the movable part from the first engaging part. and engages with the second engaging portion, and the portion to be broken is broken to form the outflow port in the partition wall, and the movable portion is held by the upper lid. It is characterized by the following.

In addition, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the top wall of the upper lid is provided with an opening through which the movable portion can be visually recognized from the outside when the lid is closed.

Further, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that an annular elastically deformable portion is provided at the proximal end portion of the movable portion to enable vertical movement of the movable portion with respect to the partition wall.

Further, in the hinge cap of the present invention, the partition is provided with a restricting portion that restrains upward deformation of the partition by coming into contact with the upper lid on the outer peripheral side of the movable portion. preferable.

Moreover, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the partition wall is provided with a reinforcing rib connecting the restricting portion and the upper surface of the partition wall.

Moreover, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the movable portion is arranged closer to the front than the center of the partition wall.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hinge cap which becomes easy to operate at the time of opening can be provided, maintaining the moderate sealing property before opening.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the hinge cap according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to the mouth of the container body and the lid is closed; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the unfolded state of the hinge cap shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hinge cap shown in FIG. 2 in an unfolded state; FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the upper lid of the hinge cap shown in FIG. 1 is opened. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the upper lid of the hinge cap shown in FIG. 2 is closed; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing how the movable part of the hinge cap shown in FIG. 5 is inserted into the holding tube part of the upper lid;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a sealing state in which a hinge cap 1 as one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a mouth portion 3 of a container body 2 (container). After the container main body 2 is filled with the content, the hinge cap 1 is attached to the mouth portion 3 by plugging or the like, thereby forming a pouring container. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the unfolded state of the hinge cap 1 formed by injection molding or the like, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hinge cap 1 in the unfolded state.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the hinge cap 1 according to this embodiment includes a cap body 10 attached to the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2, and a cap body 10 which is pivotally connected to the cap body 10 via a hinge 40. An upper lid 30 is provided. The hinge cap 1 of this example is made of synthetic resin and can be integrally formed as a single part by injection molding or the like. That is, the hinge cap 1 of this example is formed integrally and continuously as a whole including the cap main body 10, the upper lid 30, and the hinge 40, but is not limited to this, and a plurality of separate parts are assembled. It is good also as a structure formed with.

The container body 2 can be, for example, a bottle shape having a cylindrical mouth portion 3 and a bottomed cylindrical body portion 4 that continues below the mouth portion 3. The shape of the container body 2 is particularly Not limited. The inside of the container body 2 is a storage space S for storing various contents.

The cap body 10 has a top wall 11 arranged to cover the upper end opening of the mouth portion 3, a pouring tube 12 standing from the top wall 11, and a partition wall 13 covering the inside of the pouring tube 12.

The pouring tube 12 has a cylindrical base end portion connected to the top wall 11, and the upper end portion of the pouring tube 12 curves radially outward. In addition, the front side portion of the pouring tube 12, which serves as a spout for pouring out the contents, is higher than the rear side portion (hinge 40 side portion).

The partition wall 13 is provided with an annular breakable portion 14 and a vertically movable movable portion 15 located inside the breakable portion 14 . The portion to be broken 14 of the present example is formed in a flat shape whose length in the front-rear direction is greater than the width in the left-right direction in a plan view shown in FIG. 3 . In addition, when the cap is opened, the front end portion 14b, which is the starting point of the breakage of the portion to be broken 14, has a shape bent at an acute angle (more specifically, a curved shape with a smaller radius of curvature than other portions). there is With such a configuration, it becomes easier to break the portion to be broken 14 from the front end portion 14b.

Here, the inner region surrounded by the portion to be broken 14 in the partition wall 13 constitutes a sealing plug portion that moves from the cap main body 10 to the upper lid 30 when the cap is opened. As shown in FIG. 4 , the inner region surrounded by the portion to be broken 14 is separated from the cap main body 10 by breaking the portion to be broken 14 and is engaged and held by the upper lid 30 . Then, when the portion to be broken 14 is broken and the inner region (sealing plug portion) is removed, an outflow port 14a (see FIG. 4) of the content is formed, and the content can be poured out. The partition wall 13 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the extraction tube 12 at an intermediate portion in the height direction of the extraction tube 12, but the connection position of the partition wall 13 to the extraction tube 12 can be changed as appropriate. .

The movable portion 15 of this example has a topped cylindrical shape that protrudes upward (toward the upper lid 30 ) from the partition wall 13 . The movable portion 15 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 15a and an upper wall 15b that closes the upper end of the peripheral wall 15a. A thin annular elastically deformable portion 15c that integrally connects the movable portion 15 to the partition wall 13 is provided at the lower end portion (base end portion of the movable portion 15) of the peripheral wall 15a. The outer peripheral edge of the elastically deformable portion 15 c continues to the lower surface side of the partition wall 13 surrounding the outer periphery of the movable portion 15 . An annular engaging projection 15d extending in the circumferential direction of the movable portion 15 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 15a. 1 to 3, the movable portion 15 of the present example is arranged on the front side of the center (axis O) of the partition wall 13 in the front-rear direction and at the center in the left-right direction. The position of 15 can be changed as appropriate. Further, the shape of the movable portion 15 is not limited to a truncated cylindrical shape with a circular cross section as in this example, but may be, for example, a truncated cylindrical shape with an elliptical or polygonal cross section. Moreover, the peripheral wall 15a of the movable portion 15 is not limited to a hollow shape as in this example, and may be solid.

The elastically deformable portion 15c is an annular thin portion that surrounds the periphery of the peripheral wall 15a and connects the lower end of the peripheral wall 15a and the lower surface of the partition wall 13 . The elastically deformable portion 15c is elastically deformable and supports the peripheral wall 15a and the upper wall 15b of the movable portion 15 so as to be vertically movable.

The movable portion 15 of this example is configured to be vertically movable from the lower position shown in FIG. 5 to the upper position shown in FIGS. 5, the lower end of the movable portion 15 (the lower end of the peripheral wall 15a) is positioned below the lower surface of the partition wall 13, and the upper end of the movable portion 15 (the upper end of the peripheral wall 15a) is exposed. It is positioned below the upper end of the cylinder 12 . 6, the lower end portion of the movable portion 15 (the lower end portion of the peripheral wall 15a) is positioned above the lower surface of the partition wall 13, and the upper end portion of the movable portion 15 (the upper end portion of the peripheral wall 15a) is located above the lower surface of the partition wall 13. It is located above the upper end of the dispensing tube 12 .

The partition wall 13 is provided with a tubular restricting portion 16 located radially outside (outer peripheral side) of the movable portion 15 . The restricting portion 16 protrudes from the upper surface of the partition wall 13 and linearly extends upward. A plate-shaped reinforcing rib 18 connected to the upper surface of the partition wall 13 and the restricting portion 16 is provided on the rear side of the restricting portion 16 . In addition, the restricting portion 16 of this example is cylindrical, and is formed so that the thickness of a part of the circumferential direction located on the front side and the rear side of the movable portion 15 is increased. An annular upper wall 19 standing up from the ceiling wall 11 is integrally provided on the outer peripheral side of the pouring tube 12 . The upper wall 19 is formed with an engagement protrusion 19a along the outer periphery of the upper end portion of the upper wall 19 .

Also, the cap body 10 has a locking portion 20 that locks onto the mouth portion 3 . The engaging portion 20 defines a fitting recess 21 that is annular with the axis O as its center and that opens downward. The locking portion 20 of this example has a cylindrical outer cylinder 22 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 3 and a cylindrical inner cylinder 23 in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion 3 . The outer peripheral edge portion of the ceiling wall 11 connects the upper end portion of the outer cylinder 22 and the upper end portion of the inner cylinder 23 together, and the lower surface of the ceiling wall 11 contacts the upper end surface 3 a of the mouth portion 3 . Thus, the fitting recess 21 is defined by the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 22 , the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 23 , and the ceiling wall 11 . The locking portion 20 is in close contact with the mouth portion 3 at the fitting recess 21 . A hinge 40 is integrally connected to the upper end of the outer cylinder 22 .

On the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 22, an annular convex portion 3b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 3 in the circumferential direction is provided to elastically deform the outer cylinder 22 radially outward and restore deformation from this elastic deformation. , a locking protrusion 22a is provided to climb over from above. The locking portion 20 is configured to be locked to the mouth portion 3 by the locking convex portion 22a getting over the annular convex portion 3b from above.

The locking portion 20 has an unlocking structure for unlocking the locking portion 20 from the mouth portion 3 for the purpose of separately discarding the hinge cap 1 from the container body 2 . The unlocking structure includes a vertical weakened portion 22b provided on the outer cylinder 22 so as to extend in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the hinge 40, and an outer portion extending in the circumferential direction while continuing to the vertical weakened portion 22b. and a circumferentially weakened portion 22 c provided on the cylinder 22 .

The upper lid 30 includes a disk-shaped top wall 31 , an outer peripheral wall 32 hanging down from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall 31 , an opening 33 formed in the top wall 31 , and a holding cylinder 34 hanging down from the top wall 31 . and have

The top wall 31 is arranged above the dispensing tube 12 in the closed state in which the upper lid 30 is closed as shown in FIG. An engaging concave portion 32 a that engages with the engaging convex portion 19 a of the upper wall 19 of the cap body 10 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the outer peripheral wall 32 . Here, the engaging concave portion 32a and the engaging convex portion 19a are configured to be in close contact with each other.

A hinge 40 is integrally connected to the rear side of the lower end portion of the outer peripheral wall 32 . On the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 32 , a finger hooking portion 32 b for hooking a finger when opening the lid is provided on the opposite side (front side) of the hinge 40 . A sealing ring 35 is integrally suspended from the lower surface of the top wall 31 so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the pouring tube 12 of the cap body 10 in a liquid-tight manner. In addition, on the lower surface of the top wall 31 , a front downward protrusion 36 (downward protrusion) positioned on the front side of the holding cylinder part 34 and a rear downward protrusion 37 (downward protrusion) positioned on the rear side of the holding cylinder part 34 are formed. part) is provided.

The lower surface of the front downward projection 36 and the lower surface of the rear downward projection 37 are arranged to face each other at positions close to the upper surface of the restricting portion 16 when the lid is closed. In the process of setting the hinge cap 1 , when the movable portion 15 is pushed up by a jig or the like and inserted into the holding cylinder portion 34 and pushed in, the lower surface of the front downward convex portion 36 and the upper surface of the front portion of the restricting portion 16 are separated from each other. , and the lower surface of the rear downward projection 37 and the upper surface of the rear portion of the restricting portion 16 abut. As a result, when the movable part 15 is pushed up, it is possible to more reliably prevent stress from being concentrated on the breaking part 14 due to the upward deformation of the partition wall 13, resulting in unintended deformation or breakage. In addition, the movable portion 15 can be smoothly inserted into the holding cylinder portion 34 to be in the first state (the state in which the movable portion 15 is engaged with the first engaging portion 34a). Further, after opening, the sealing plug portion (the portion of the partition wall 13 inside the annular portion 14 to be broken) moved to the upper lid 30 side can be maintained in an appropriate posture with respect to the upper lid 30 . Note that the positions and shapes of the restricting portion 16 and the downward protrusions 36 and 37 can be changed as appropriate.

The holding tube portion 34 is provided so as to surround the opening portion 33 . Note that the opening 33 is not an essential component. Further, on the inner peripheral surface of the holding tube portion 34, a first engaging portion 34a positioned near the upper end portion of the holding tube portion 34 and a second engaging portion 34b positioned below the first engaging portion 34a. is provided. The amount of projection of the second engaging portion 34b (the radial length of the projection radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the holding tube portion 34) is larger than the amount of projection of the first engaging portion 34a. That is, the inner diameter of the top portion of the second engaging portion 34b is smaller than the inner diameter of the top portion of the first engaging portion 34a.

By opening the upper lid 30 with the hinge 40 as a fulcrum from the first state (see FIGS. 1 and 6) in which the upper lid 30 is closed and the engaging projection 15d of the movable portion 15 is engaged with the first engaging portion 34a, , the movable portion 15 disengages from the first engaging portion 34a and engages with the second engaging portion 34b, and the portion to be broken 14 is broken to form the outflow port 14a, and the movable portion 15 is separated from the upper lid 30. (see FIG. 4).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , in the hinge cap 1 after opening, the outer peripheral surface of the movable portion 15 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the holding cylinder portion 34 . That is, the movable portion 15 seals the inner side (opening portion 33 ) of the holding cylinder portion 34 .

The method for setting the hinge cap 1 of this embodiment is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper lid 30 of the hinge cap 1 in the unfolded state is closed and engaged with the cap main body 10 (see FIG. 5). Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the movable portion 15 in the lower position is pushed up from below by a jig or the like, and the movable portion 15 is inserted into the holding cylinder portion 34, so that the engaging convex portion 15d of the movable portion 15 is engaged. It is pushed in until it passes through the second engaging portion 34b and engages with the first engaging portion 34a in the first state (see FIG. 6). By attaching the hinge cap 1 in the first state to the mouth portion 3 of the container main body 2 filled with the content by plugging or the like, the set is completed.

When the upper lid 30 is opened from the first state, the holding tube portion 34 moves upward with respect to the movable portion 15, so that the engaging convex portion 15d of the movable portion 15 disengages from the first engaging portion 34a. and (over) it engages with the second engaging portion 34b. The engagement strength between the movable portion 15 and the second engagement portion 34b is greater than the engagement strength between the movable portion 15 and the first engagement portion 34a. Therefore, the movable portion 15 is strongly engaged and held by the second engaging portion 34b, and moves upward together with the upper lid 30 swinging around the hinge 40 as a fulcrum. As the movable portion 15 moves upward with respect to the pouring cylinder 12 and the partition wall 13, the portion to be broken 14 is gradually broken starting from the front end portion 14b, and finally the inner region of the portion to be broken 14 ( The sealing plug portion) is separated from the partition wall 13 and engaged and held by the upper lid 30 (see FIG. 4).

Here, after the upper lid 30 of the hinge cap 1 is opened and unplugged as described above, the movable portion 15 enters the second state in which it engages with the second engaging portion 34b. Therefore, when the upper lid 30 is closed after opening, the position of the movable part 15 in the second state is positioned lower than the position of the movable part 15 in the first state shown in FIG. In this example, whether the movable portion 15 is in the first state or the second state can be confirmed from the outside through the opening 33 provided in the upper lid 30 . In the second state, the movable portion 15 is positioned between the first engaging portion 34a and the second engaging portion 34b. Vertical movement is restricted. As a result, the position of the movable portion 15 relative to the holding tube portion 34 is stabilized. Also in the second state, the movable portion 15 seals the inner side (opening portion 33 ) of the holding cylinder portion 34 .

As described above, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, by opening the upper lid 30 from the first state in which the upper lid 30 is closed and the movable portion 15 is engaged with the first engaging portion 34a, the , the movable portion 15 is disengaged from the first engaging portion 34a and engaged with the second engaging portion 34b, and the portion to be broken 14 is broken to form the outflow port 14a in the partition wall 13, and the movable portion 15 is held by the upper lid 30 . With such a configuration, the opening operation of opening the upper lid 30 from the cap main body 10 and the opening operation of removing a part of the partition wall 13 to form the outflow port 14a can be performed at the same time. In addition, before the breakable portion 14 is broken (before the cap is opened), the inside of the pouring tube 12 is tightly sealed by the partition wall 13 integrally formed with the top wall 11 and the pouring tube 12. Therefore, it is possible to secure a high sealing performance like the conventional unplugging structure with a pull ring. Therefore, according to the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily open the cap while maintaining proper sealing performance before opening.

Further, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, the top wall 31 of the upper lid 30 is provided with an opening 33 through which the movable portion 15 can be visually recognized from the outside when the lid is closed. , before or after opening.

Further, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, since the annular elastically deforming portion 15c is provided at the proximal end portion of the movable portion 15, the movable portion 15 can be easily moved up and down. It becomes easy to insert the movable part 15 into the holding cylinder part 34 at the time of setting.

In addition, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, the upward deformation of the partition wall 13 is suppressed by contacting the partition wall 13 with the downward protrusions 36 and 37 of the upper lid 30 on the outer peripheral side of the movable portion 15 . A portion 16 is provided. Thereby, the partition wall 13 is always maintained at an appropriate distance from the top wall 31 of the upper lid 30 . As a result, for example, the partition wall 13 is deformed upward when the movable portion 15 is inserted into the holding cylinder portion 34 and set, or the partition wall 13 is pulled upward by the movable portion 15 after setting and is deformed. can be suppressed. Moreover, after opening, the partition wall 13 held by the upper lid 30 can be held at an appropriate position.

Further, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, the partition wall 13 is provided with reinforcing ribs 18 connecting the restricting portion 16 and the upper surface of the partition wall 13 . With such a configuration, when the upper lid 30 is pulled up to open the plug, deformation of the partition wall 13 around the movable portion 15 is suppressed, so that stress can be concentrated on the portion to be broken 14, and the plug can be opened more easily. Easier to operate.

In addition, in the hinge cap 1 of the present embodiment, the movable portion 15 is arranged closer to the front than the center of the partition wall 13 . With such a configuration, when unplugging, it is possible to smoothly open the plug from the front end portion side of the portion to be broken 14, so that the unplugging operation becomes easier.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the locking portion 20 is not limited to having the unlocking structure. Further, the locking portion 20 is not limited to the configuration in which it is locked to the mouth portion 3 by the locking convex portion 22a. . Further, the upper end portion of the restricting portion 16 may be brought into contact with the lower surface of the top wall 31 without providing the downward protrusions 36 and 37 on the upper lid 30 . Moreover, the restricting portion 16 is not limited to a cylindrical shape surrounding the movable portion 15 , and may be, for example, a protrusion provided only partially in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral side of the movable portion 15 .

1: Hinge cap 2: Container body 3: Mouth part 3a: Upper end surface 3b: Annular convex part 4: Body part 10: Cap body 11: Top wall 12: Pour-out cylinder 13: Partition wall 14: Breaking planned part 14a: Outlet 14b: Front end portion 15: Movable portion 15a: Peripheral wall 15b: Upper wall 15c: Deformable portion 15d: Engaging convex portion 16: Regulating portion 18: Reinforcement rib 19: Upper wall 19a: Engaging convex portion 20: Locking portion 21: Fitting concave portion 22: Outer cylinder 22a: Locking convex portion 22b: Vertical weakening portion 22c: Circumferential weakening portion 23: Inner cylinder 30: Upper lid 31: Top wall 32: Peripheral wall 32a: Engaging concave portion 32b: Finger hooking portion 33 : Opening portion 34: Holding tube portion 34a: First engaging portion 34b: Second engaging portion 35: Sealing ring 36: Front downward convex portion (downward convex portion)
37: Rear downward convex portion (downward convex portion)
40: hinge O: axis line S: accommodation space

Claims (6)

A hinge cap comprising: a cap body attached to the mouth of a container;
The cap body has a top wall arranged to cover the mouth, a pouring tube standing from the top wall, and a partition wall covering the inside of the pouring tube,
The partition is provided with an annular portion to be broken and a movable portion positioned inside the portion to be broken and capable of vertical movement,
The upper lid has a top wall arranged above the pouring tube in a closed state, and a holding tube portion hanging down from the top wall,
A first engagement portion and a second engagement portion located below the first engagement portion are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the holding cylinder portion,
From a first state in which the upper cover is closed and the movable part is engaged with the first engaging part, the upper cover is opened using the hinge as a fulcrum, thereby disengaging the movable part from the first engaging part. and engages with the second engaging portion, and the portion to be broken is broken to form the outflow port in the partition wall, and the movable portion is held by the upper lid. A hinge cap characterized by: 2. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the top wall of the upper lid is provided with an opening through which the movable portion can be visually recognized from the outside when the lid is closed. 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein an annular elastically deformable portion is provided at the proximal end of said movable portion to enable vertical movement of said movable portion with respect to said partition wall. 4. The partition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the partition is provided with a restricting portion that restrains upward deformation of the partition by coming into contact with the upper cover on the outer peripheral side of the movable portion. hinge cap. 5. The hinge cap according to claim 4, wherein the partition is provided with a reinforcing rib connecting the restricting portion and the upper surface of the partition. The hinge cap according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the movable portion is arranged closer to the opposite side of the hinge than the center of the partition wall.

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