JP7511531B2 - Pour cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dispensing cap.

Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, for example, there has been known a pouring cap which comprises a cap body having a covering wall which covers the upper opening of the mouth of the container body and in which a communication hole which communicates with the inside of the container body is formed in the covering wall, and a pouring member which is removably attached to the cap body and has a plurality of pouring holes for the contents which are formed at different positions around the cap axis and have different flow path cross-sectional areas, the plurality of pouring holes communicating with the inside of the container body through the communication holes, the cap body being connected to the cap body via a breakable weakened portion, and which is provided with a stopper which blocks the communication holes.
With this dispensing cap, the flow rate of the contents to be dispensed can be selected by selecting one of the multiple dispensing holes and tilting the container body so that the selected hole faces downward.

JP 2012-136267 A

However, with the conventional dispensing cap, when opening it, the dispensing member must be removed from the cap body to open the covering wall, the stopper body with the ring must be pulled up, the weakened portion must be broken to open the communication hole, and then the dispensing member must be reattached to the cap body, leaving room for improvement in operability when opening.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a dispensing cap that can improve operability when opening.

A dispensing cap according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cap body having a covering wall covering the upper end opening of the mouth of a container body, the covering wall being formed with a communication hole communicating with the inside of the container body, and a dispensing member provided on the cap body or the mouth so as to be movable up and down as the cap rotates about the cap axis, and having a plurality of dispensing holes for the contents formed with different positions around the cap axis and different flow path cross-sectional areas, the plurality of dispensing holes communicating with the inside of the container body through the communication holes, the cap body being provided with a communication tube extending upward from the opening periphery of the communication hole in the covering wall, and a frangible weak member provided on the cap body. The dispensing member is connected to the connecting tube via a sealing portion and has a plug body that closes the communication hole. The dispensing member has a sealing portion that can be separated from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube and blocks communication between the communicating hole and the dispensing hole, an outer seal tube that is fitted to the communicating tube so as to be vertically slidable, a first locking portion that engages with the plug body and restricts the relative rotation of the dispensing member and the plug body around the cap axis, and a second locking portion that engages with the plug body and restricts the downward movement of the plug body relative to the dispensing member. When the outer seal tube is fitted to the communicating tube, the sealing portion moves away from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube, and the communicating hole and the dispensing hole communicate with each other.

Since the spouting member has a first locking portion and a second locking portion that engage with the plug, when the spouting member is raised while rotating around the cap axis relative to the cap body, a rotational force around the cap axis and a lifting force are applied from the spouting member to the plug, breaking the weakened portion and opening the communication hole. At this time, the second locking portion engages with the plug, restricting the downward movement of the plug relative to the spouting member, so that it is possible to prevent the plug from falling due to the breaking of the weakened portion.
As a result, the ease of opening the package can be improved.
The flow rate of the contents to be poured can be selected by raising the pouring member relative to the cap body, and connecting the inside of the container body to the pouring hole through the communication hole, and then selecting one of the multiple pouring holes and tilting the container body so that the selected pouring hole faces downward.
The pouring member comprises a sealing portion which is releasably abutted against the inner surface of the communicating tube, and an outer sealing tube fitted onto the communicating tube, and since the sealing portion and the outer sealing tube abut against the same communicating tube, the contents of the container body can be reliably sealed during standby before the pouring member is raised relative to the cap body, and the portion of the flow path from the communicating hole to the pouring hole which is connected to the pouring hole and can be connected to the outside through the pouring hole during the standby period can be kept narrow.

The dispensing member may be removably attached to the cap body or the mouth portion.

The pouring member is removably attached to the cap body or the mouth, so when the pouring member is removed from the cap body or the mouth and the container body is tilted with the communication hole open, a large amount of contents can be poured out through the communication hole.

The upper end of the communication tube may be formed with a lip portion that is curved radially outward.

The upper end of the communicating tube is formed with a lip that curves radially outward, so the contents can be easily poured out through the communicating hole by tilting the container body, and when the container body is returned to an upright position after pouring, the contents are less likely to drip down the outer surface of the communicating tube, providing excellent liquid drainage.

The cap body and the dispensing member may each be formed with a contact portion that contacts the cap axis when the dispensing member rises while rotating around the cap axis relative to the cap body.

The cap body and the dispensing member are each formed with abutment parts that come into contact with each other around the cap axis when the dispensing member rises while rotating around the cap axis relative to the cap body, so that the user can recognize that the dispensing member has risen relative to the cap body and that the inside of the container body and the dispensing hole are connected to each other through the communication hole.

The dispenser may include a blocking member that blocks the plurality of dispensing holes, and the blocking member may be mounted on the dispenser member so as to be movable between a closed position in which the plurality of dispensing holes are blocked and an open position in which the plurality of dispensing holes are opened.

Since it is equipped with a blocking member that blocks multiple dispensing holes, it is possible to prevent the contents remaining in the dispensing holes from dripping while waiting before raising the dispensing member relative to the cap body.

This invention improves ease of opening.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pouring cap of the first embodiment. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pouring member is raised relative to the cap body in the pouring cap of FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spout cap of the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the dispensing cap of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a left side view of the dispensing cap of FIG. 3; 5 shows the dispensing cap of FIG. 4 with the closure member in an open position. FIG.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a dispensing cap will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dispensing cap 1 includes a cap body 11 and a dispensing member 12. The cap body 11 and the dispensing member 12 are each formed in a cylindrical shape with a top. The cap body 11 and the dispensing member 12 are arranged coaxially with a common axis.
Hereinafter, this common axis will be referred to as the cap axis O, and the direction along the cap axis O will be referred to as the up-down direction. When viewed from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the cap axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the cap axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

The cap body 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top having a covering wall 21 and a peripheral body wall 22. The cap body 11 may also be formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom having the covering wall 21 as the bottom wall.

The covering wall 21 is disposed on the edge of the upper opening of the mouth part W1 of the container body W, and covers the upper opening of the mouth part W1. A communication hole 23 that communicates with the inside of the container body W is formed in the covering wall 21. A sealing tube 24 that protrudes downward and is fitted into the mouth part W1 is formed in the covering wall 21. The communication hole 23 and the sealing tube 24 are disposed coaxially with the cap axis O.
The main body peripheral wall 22 extends downward from the outer periphery of the covering wall 21. The main body peripheral wall 22 is attached to the mouth portion W1 in a state in which movement in the up-down direction and the circumferential direction is restricted. A breakable weakened line extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the lower part of the main body peripheral wall 22. A knob portion (not shown) protruding radially outward is formed in a portion of the main body peripheral wall 22 located below the weakened line.

The cap body 11 includes a communication tube 25 that extends upward from the opening periphery of the communication hole 23 in the covering wall 21, and a plug 27 that is connected to the cap body 11 via a breakable weakened portion 26 and closes the communication hole 23.

A lip portion 25a curved so as to be pointed radially outward is formed at the upper end of the communication cylinder 25. The lip portion 25a extends continuously over the entire length in the circumferential direction.
The plug 27 is formed in a multi-stage, topped cylinder shape. The upper end of the plug 27 is located above the upper end of the communicating cylinder 25. The lower end of the plug 27 is connected to a vertical middle portion of the inner circumferential surface of the communicating cylinder 25 via a weakened portion 26. The weakened portion 26 extends continuously over the entire circumferential length.
An externally threaded cylinder 28 is formed on the covering wall 21, protruding upward and surrounding the communication cylinder 25 from the outside in the radial direction. The upper end of the externally threaded cylinder 28 is located lower than the upper end of the communication cylinder 25.
The male threaded cylinder 28, the communication cylinder 25 and the plug body 27 are arranged coaxially with the cap axis O.

The pouring member 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top having a top wall 31 and a female threaded cylinder 32 .
The female threaded tube 32 is screwed into the male threaded tube 28 of the cap body 11. This allows the spouting member 12 to be movable up and down in response to rotation about the cap axis O. In the illustrated example, the spouting member 12 is detachably provided on the cap body 11. The spouting member 12 is attached to the cap body 11 by, for example, plugging.
In addition, the female threaded tube 32 may be screwed into the mouth portion W1 of the container body W.

The dispensing member 12 has a sealing portion 33, an outer sealing tube 34, a first locking portion 35, and a second locking portion 36.

The seal portion 33 releasably contacts the inner peripheral surface of the communication tube 25, and blocks communication between the communication hole 23 and the pouring hole 13 described below. In the example shown, the seal portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending downward from the top wall 31, and is detachably fitted into the communication tube 25. The seal portion 33 is inserted between the inner peripheral surface of the communication tube 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the plug 27.
The outer seal tube 34 is fitted onto the communicating tube 25 so as to be vertically slidable. The outer seal tube 34 is in liquid-tight contact with the outer circumferential surface of the communicating tube 25. The outer seal tube 34 extends downward from the top wall 31. The lower end of the outer seal tube 34 is located below the lower end of the seal portion 33. The outer seal tube 34 is inserted between the outer circumferential surface of the communicating tube 25 and the inner circumferential surface of the male thread tube 28.

When the dispensing member 12 rises while rotating around the cap axis O relative to the cap body 11, as shown in FIG. 2, with the outer seal tube 34 fitted onto the communicating tube 25, the seal portion 33 separates from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25, and the communicating hole 23 and the dispensing hole 13 communicate with each other. The seal portion 33 and the outer seal tube 34 are arranged coaxially with the cap axis O.

The first locking portion 35 engages with the plug body 27 and restricts the relative rotation of the dispensing member 12 and the plug body 27 around the cap axis O. The first locking portion 35 protrudes radially inward from the seal portion 33. The first locking portion 35 is inserted between a plurality of first protrusions 27a formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the plug body 27, and abuts against or is close to the first protrusions 27a in the circumferential direction.

The second locking portion 36 engages with the plug 27 and restricts downward movement of the plug 27 relative to the dispensing member 12. The second locking portion 36 protrudes radially inward from a portion of the seal portion 33 that is located below the first locking portion 35. The second locking portion 36 is formed in a circumferentially extending protrusion. The second locking portion 36 is fitted in an undercut with a circumferentially extending protrusion-shaped second projection 27b formed on the outer circumferential surface of the plug 27.

The dispensing member 12 has multiple dispensing holes 13 for the contents formed at different positions around the cap axis O and with different flow path cross-sectional areas. The multiple dispensing holes 13 communicate with the inside of the container body W through the communication holes 23.

In the illustrated example, the pouring holes 13 are provided on both sides of the cap axis O in the radial direction. The multiple pouring holes 13 open radially outward. It is also possible to provide three or more pouring holes 13, which may open, for example, upward. The pouring member 12 includes a pouring tube 38 that protrudes radially outward from the female thread tube 32 and has the pouring hole 13 on the inside. The pouring tube 38 is connected to the inside of the outer seal tube 34.

The cap body 11 and the dispensing member 12 are each formed with a first abutment portion 41 and a second abutment portion 42 that abut against each other around the cap axis O when the dispensing member 12 rotates around the cap axis O and rises relative to the cap body 11.
The first contact portion 41 protrudes upward from the upper end opening edge of the male threaded tube 28 and is formed in a plate shape with the front and back surfaces facing the circumferential direction. The second contact portion 42 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the female threaded tube 32 and is formed in a plate shape with the front and back surfaces facing the circumferential direction. The upper end of the second contact portion 42 is connected to the lower end of the pouring tube 38.

In the illustrated example, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are formed to be elastically deformable and can climb over each other in the circumferential direction. The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are formed to bounce off each other when they climb over each other in the circumferential direction, making a sound that can be heard by the user. This allows the user to be sure that the dispensing member 12 rises relative to the cap body 11 and that the inside of the container body W and the dispensing hole 13 are in communication with each other through the communication hole 23.

When the first abutment portion 41 and the second abutment portion 42 are in contact with each other around the cap axis O, as shown in FIG. 2, the weakened portion 26 is broken, and the outer seal tube 34 remains in liquid-tight contact with the outer peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25 while the seal portion 33 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25, and the inside of the container body W and the pouring hole 13 communicate with each other through the communicating hole 23. In the illustrated example, at this time, the outer seal tube 34 is inserted between the outer peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25 and the inner peripheral surface of the male threaded tube 28.

Next, we will explain the function of the dispensing cap 1.

When the dispensing member 12 is raised while rotating it around the cap axis O relative to the cap body 11, the dispensing member 12 has a first locking portion 35 and a second locking portion 36 that engage with the plug body 27, so that a rotational force around the cap axis O and a lifting force are applied from the dispensing member 12 to the plug body 27, breaking the weakened portion 26 and opening the communication hole 23. At this time, the second locking portion 36 engages with the second protrusion 27b of the plug body 27, restricting the downward movement of the plug body 27 relative to the dispensing member 12, so that the plug body 27 can be prevented from falling due to the breaking of the weakened portion 26.

Then, as described above, when the first abutment portion 41 and the second abutment portion 42 abut against each other around the cap axis O, as shown in Figure 2, the outer sealing tube 34 remains in liquid-tight contact with the outer peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25, while the sealing portion 33 moves away from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25, and the inside of the container body W and the pouring hole 13 are connected to each other through the communicating hole 23.
Thereafter, one of the plurality of outlet holes 13 is selected, and the container body W is tilted so that the outlet hole 13 faces downward, thereby allowing the flow rate of the content to be poured out to be selected.

As described above, according to the dispensing cap 1 of this embodiment, the dispensing member 12 has a first locking portion 35 and a second locking portion 36 that engage with the stopper body 27, improving operability when opening.

The pouring member 12 is provided with a seal portion 33 that is releasably in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube 25, and an outer seal tube 34 that is fitted onto the communicating tube 25. The seal portion 33 and the outer seal tube 34 are in contact with the same communicating tube 25, so that the contents of the container body W can be reliably sealed during standby before the pouring member 12 is raised relative to the cap body 11, and the portion of the flow path from the communicating hole 23 to the pouring hole 13 that is connected to the pouring hole 13 during standby and can be connected to the outside through the pouring hole 13 can be narrowed.

The pouring member 12 is removably attached to the cap body 11 or the mouth portion W1, so that when the pouring member 12 is removed from the cap body 11 or the mouth portion W1 and the container body W is tilted with the communication hole 23 open, a large amount of contents can be poured out through the communication hole 23.

The upper end of the communication tube 25 is formed with a lip portion 25a that curves radially outward, so that the contents can be easily poured out through the communication hole 23 by tilting the container body W. After pouring, when the container body W is returned to an upright position, the contents are less likely to drip down the outer surface of the communication tube 25, providing excellent liquid drainage.

The cap body 11 and the dispensing member 12 are each formed with a first abutment portion 41 and a second abutment portion 42 that abut against each other around the cap axis O when the dispensing member 12 rises while rotating around the cap axis O relative to the cap body 11. This allows the user to recognize that the dispensing member 12 has risen relative to the cap body 11 and that the inside of the container body W and the dispensing hole 13 are in communication with each other through the communication hole 23.

Next, a pouring cap 2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

In this embodiment, a blocking member 43 that blocks the multiple pouring holes 13 is provided. The blocking member 43 is mounted on the pouring member 12 so as to be movable between a closed position in which the multiple pouring holes 13 are blocked and an open position in which the multiple pouring holes 13 are opened. The blocking member 43 is formed in a topped cylindrical shape with a cover top wall 44 and a cover peripheral wall 45, and is mounted on the pouring member 12 so as to be rotatable around the cap axis O. The cover peripheral wall 45 is fitted on the female threaded tube 32 of the pouring member 12 so as to be rotatable around the cap axis O in a state in which upward movement is restricted.

The cover top wall 44 is formed with an eaves wall 44a that protrudes radially outward and covers the dispensing tube 38 from above. A plurality of eaves walls 44a are provided corresponding to the number of dispensing tubes 38, and cover each of the plurality of dispensing tubes 38 separately. A lid wall 46 that protrudes downward and abuts or is close to the edge of the tip opening of the dispensing tube 38 is formed at the radial outer end of the eaves wall 44a. A bulge 46a is formed on the lid wall 46 that protrudes radially inward and is releasably fitted into the tip opening of the dispensing tube 38, i.e., the dispensing hole 13. The bulge 46a is fitted into the dispensing hole 13 to determine the closed position of the blocking member 43 relative to the dispensing member 12.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cover peripheral wall 45 has a notch 45a formed in a predetermined region extending from a portion radially facing the lid wall 46 to a portion away from this portion on one side in the circumferential direction. Two notches 45a are provided in the cover peripheral wall 45 at a distance in the circumferential direction. The two notches 45a face each other radially over the entire circumferential length. The notch 45a extends from the lid wall 46 to the left when the lid wall 46 is viewed from the front. The spout tube 38 protrudes radially outward from the cover peripheral wall 45 through the notch 45a.

A stopper projection 32a that projects radially outward is formed at the upper end of the female threaded tube 32 of the dispensing member 12, at a portion located inside the notch 45a. The stopper projection 32a is adjacent to the upper end of the dispensing tube 38 from one circumferential side of the dispensing tube 38. The stopper projection 32a is covered by the lid wall 46 when the blocking member 43 is in the closed position relative to the dispensing member 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, the closing member 43 is rotated to the other circumferential side relative to the dispensing member 12, and the end of one circumferential side of the inner surface of the cutout portion 45a is brought into contact with the stopper projection 32a, thereby determining the open position of the closing member 43 relative to the dispensing member 12. At this time, the cover wall 46 moves away from the dispensing tube 38 to the other circumferential side, and the dispensing hole 13 is opened.

As described above, the dispensing cap 2 according to this embodiment is provided with a blocking member 43 that blocks the multiple dispensing holes 13, so that it is possible to prevent the contents remaining in the dispensing holes 13 from dripping down during standby before the dispensing member 12 is raised relative to the cap body 11.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 may be formed to have sufficient rigidity such that they cannot get over each other in the circumferential direction.
In this case, in the process of rotating and lifting the pouring member 12 about the cap axis O relative to the cap body 11 or the mouth part W1, the weakened part 26 is broken, and in a state in which the inside of the container body W and the pouring hole 13 are in communication with each other through the communication hole 23, the first abutment part 41 and the second abutment part 42 abut against each other about the cap axis O, thereby restricting further movement of the pouring member 12. As a result, when pouring the contents, the pouring member 12 is not removed from the cap body 11 or the mouth part W1, and the contents can be poured solely from the pouring hole 13.

The spouting member 12 may be attached to the cap body 11 or the mouth portion W1 in an undetachable manner.
The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 do not necessarily have to be provided.
The upper end of the communication cylinder 25 does not necessarily need to be formed with the lip portion 25 a.

In the second embodiment, the blocking member 43 is configured to be rotatable around the cap axis O between the closed position and the open position on the dispensing member 12, but the blocking member 43 may be configured to be movable up and down between the closed position and the open position on the dispensing member 12.

In addition, the components in the above embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate.

Reference Signs List 1, 2 Spout cap 11 Cap body 12 Spout member 13 Spout hole 21 Cover wall 23 Communication hole 25 Communication tube 25a Lip portion 26 Weakened portion 27 Plug body 33 Sealing portion 34 Outer sealing tube 35 First locking portion 36 Second locking portion 41 First contact portion (contact portion)
42 Second contact portion (contact portion)
43 Closing member O Cap shaft W Container body W1 Mouth

Claims (5)

a cap body having a covering wall covering an upper end opening of a mouth portion of a container body, said covering wall having a communication hole communicating with the inside of said container body;
a pouring member provided on the cap body or the mouth portion so as to be movable up and down in accordance with rotation around a cap axis, and having a plurality of pouring holes for the contents formed at different positions around the cap axis and with different flow path cross-sectional areas;
The plurality of pouring holes communicate with the inside of the container body through the communication holes,
The cap body includes:
a communication tube extending upward from an opening peripheral portion of the communication hole in the covering wall;
a plug body connected to the cap body via a breakable weakened portion and closing the communication hole,
The pouring member is
a seal portion that is releasably abutted against an inner circumferential surface of the communication cylinder and blocks communication between the communication hole and the pouring hole;
an outer seal cylinder fitted onto the communication cylinder so as to be vertically slidable;
a first engaging portion that engages with the plug and restricts relative rotation of the spouting member and the plug about a cap axis;
A second engaging portion that engages with the plug and restricts downward movement of the plug relative to the spouting member;
Equipped with
A pouring cap in which, when the outer sealing tube is fitted onto the communicating tube, the sealing portion separates from the inner peripheral surface of the communicating tube, and the communicating hole and the pouring hole communicate with each other. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing member is removably attached to the cap body or the mouth portion. The dispensing cap according to claim 1 or 2, in which a lip portion curved radially outward is formed at the upper end of the communication tube. The dispensing cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap body and the dispensing member are each formed with an abutment portion that abuts against each other around the cap axis when the dispensing member rises while rotating around the cap axis relative to the cap body. A blocking member is provided to block the plurality of pouring holes,
The dispensing cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blocking member is mounted on the dispensing member so as to be movable between a closed position in which the plurality of dispensing holes are blocked and an open position in which the plurality of dispensing holes are opened.

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