This invention relates to a container closure integrally formed from a synthetic resin, the container closure including a body and an outer lid pivotably connected to the body, wherein a discharge tube is disposed on the upper surface wall of the body; an inner lid is pivotably connected to the discharge tube; when the outer lid is pivotally moved from a closed position for covering the upper surface wall of the body to an open position, the inner lid is pivotally moved from a closed position for closing a discharge port present at the tip of the discharge tube to an open position for opening the discharge port; and when the outer lid is pivotally moved from the open position to the closed position, the inner lid is pivotally moved from the open position to the closed position.
Patent Documents 1 and 2 to be described below each disclose a container closure integrally formed from a synthetic resin and including a body and an outer lid, as a container closure which can be applied preferably to a container accommodating an edible oil or a liquid seasoning. The body has an upper surface wall, and a cylindrical side wall extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of the upper surface wall, while the outer lid has a top panel wall, and a cylindrical skirt wall extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of the top panel wall. The skirt wall of the outer lid and the side wall of the body are connected via a first hinge means, and the outer lid can be pivoted between a closed position for covering the upper surface wall of the body and an open position for exposing the upper surface wall of the body. A discharge tube extending out away from the first hinge means and having a discharge port formed at the tip thereof is disposed on the upper surface wall of the body. An inner lid is connected to the upper surface of the discharge tube via a second hinge means so as to be pivotable between a closed position for covering the discharge port and an open position for opening the discharge port. An interference means is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall of the outer lid. The interference means interferes with the inner lid to move the inner lid pivotally from the closed position to the open position while the outer lid is being pivoted from the closed position to the open position, whereafter the interference means is separated from the inner lid. Moreover, the interference means interferes with the inner lid to pivot the inner lid from the open position to the closed position while the outer lid is being pivoted from the open position to the closed position, whereafter the interference means is separated from the inner lid. A pressing means, which contacts the inner lid to force the inner lid into the closed position when the outer lid is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall and/or the inner surface of the top panel wall of the outer lid. The inner lid is a plate-shaped piece jutting out beyond opposite side surfaces of the discharge tube, and a seal ring engaging the discharge port is formed in a middle part of the inner surface of the inner lid. Stop projections are formed in opposite side parts of the inner surface of the inner lid, and receiving projections extending out upwards from the opposite side surfaces of the discharge tube are formed in the discharge tube. The stop projections ride resiliently over the receiving projections when the inner lid is moved pivotally from the closed position to the open position and when the inner lid is moved pivotally from the open position to the closed position.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2008-74470
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2010-126191
According to the present inventors' experience, however, the conventional container closures of the above-described form pose the following problems to be solved. The second hinge means is composed of the single hinge piece, which connects the inner lid and the discharge tube, between the stop projections and the receiving projections in the width direction of the plate-shaped piece constituting the inner lid, namely, in the central part in the width direction. This may cause an accident when a consumer contacts the inner lid via a cleaning cloth or the like, for example, in order to remove the content of the container or dust or the like deposited on the inner lid while the outer lid remains at the open position. That is, at the time of the contact, the single hinge piece may be twisted, resulting in an accidental twisted state in which the stop projection on one side in the width direction is located on an open side with respect to the receiving projection, whereas the stop projection on the other side in the width direction is located on a closed side with respect to the receiving projection. If the outer lid is pivoted toward the closed position, with such a twisted state being generated, there is a possibility that the outer lid will be brought to the closed position under excessive force, without proper pivoting of the inner lid from the open position to the closed position, accordingly, without proper closing of the discharge port.
The present invention has been accomplished in the light of the above-mentioned facts. Its principal technical challenge is to improve the container closure of the form described above such that the inner lid is prevented sufficiently reliably from becoming twisted as mentioned above.
The present inventors conducted in-depth studies, and have found that the above principal technical challenge can be solved by constituting the second hinge means, which connects the inner lid pivotably to the discharge tube, by a central hinge piece connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube in a widthwise central part of the inner lid, and opposite side hinge pieces connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube on opposite sides further widthwise outward of the receiving projections.
That is, according to the present invention, there is provided, as a container closure solving the above-mentioned principal technical challenge, a container closure integrally formed from a synthetic resin and including a body, which has an upper surface wall and a cylindrical side wall extending downwardly from a peripheral edge of the upper surface wall, and an outer lid, which has a top panel wall and a cylindrical skirt wall extending downwardly from a peripheral edge of the top panel wall, wherein the skirt wall of the outer lid and the side wall of the body are connected via first hinge means; the outer lid is pivotable between a closed position for covering the upper surface wall of the body and an open position for exposing the upper surface wall of the body; a discharge tube extending out away from the first hinge means and having a discharge port formed at a tip thereof is disposed on the upper surface wall of the body; an inner lid is connected to an upper surface of the discharge tube via second hinge means so as to be pivotable between a closed position for covering the discharge port and an open position for opening the discharge port; interference means is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall of the outer lid, the interference means interferes with the inner lid to move the inner lid pivotally from the closed position to the open position while the outer lid is being pivoted from the closed position to the open position, whereafter the interference means rides over the inner lid and is separated from the inner lid, and the interference means also interferes with the inner lid to pivot the inner lid from the open position toward the closed position while the outer lid is being pivoted from the open position to the closed position, whereafter the interference means is separated from the inner lid; pressing means, which contacts the inner lid to force the inner lid into the closed position while the outer lid is being pivoted from the open position to the closed position, is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall and/or an inner surface of the top panel wall of the outer lid; the inner lid is a plate-shaped piece jutting out beyond opposite side surfaces of the discharge tube; a seal ring engaging the discharge port is formed in a central part of an inner surface of the inner lid; stop projections are formed in opposite side parts of the inner surface of the inner lid; receiving projections extending out upwards are formed on opposite sides of the discharge tube; and the stop projections ride resiliently over the receiving projections when the inner lid is moved pivotally from the closed position to the open position and when the inner lid is moved pivotally from the open position to the closed position,
characterized in that the second hinge means is composed of a central hinge piece connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube in a widthwise central part of the inner lid, and opposite side hinge pieces connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube on opposite sides further widthwise outward of the receiving projections.
It is preferred that extending-out pieces extending out upwardly and bilaterally from an upper surface of the discharge tube be annexed to the discharge tube, that the receiving projections be disposed on the extending-out pieces, and that an edge of each of the central hinge piece and an edge of each of the opposite side hinge pieces be connected to the extending-out pieces.
With the container closure of the present invention, the second hinge means includes the opposite side hinge pieces connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube on the opposite sides further widthwise outward of the receiving projections, in addition to the central hinge piece connecting the inner lid and the discharge tube in the widthwise central part of the inner lid. Because of the presence of the opposite side hinge pieces, a twist of the central hinge piece is inhibited sufficiently effectively, so that the inner lid is prevented sufficiently reliably from becoming twisted.
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The preferred embodiment of a container closure constituted according to the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The body 4 has an upper surface wall 8, circular in a plan view, and a cylindrical side wall 10 extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of the upper surface wall 8. An annular ridge 12 protruding upward is formed in an outer peripheral edge part of the upper surface of the upper surface wall 8. An annular stop groove 14 is formed in a lower part of the outer peripheral surface of the annular ridge 12. The inner peripheral surface of the annular ridge 12 is inclined radially inwardly toward a lower side. A cylindrical sealing ridge 16 protruding downward is formed at the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper surface wall 8. An annular small ridge 18 is formed in an upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 10, and an annular stop ridge 20 is formed in a lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 10.
With further reference to
With reference to
As will be clearly understood by referring to
With further reference to
A stop ridge 72 extending arcuately, except in the region where the hinge means 68 exists, is formed in a lower end part of the inner peripheral surface of the lower part 64 of the skirt wall 60. Further, an interference means 74 is also disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the interference means 74 is composed of a pair of plate-shaped pieces 76, spaced from each other in the circumferential direction and protruding horizontally from the inner peripheral surface of the lower part 64 of the skirt wall 60, on the side diametrically opposite from the hinge means 68. Such plate-shaped pieces 76 are located slightly above the stop ridge 72. A pressing means 78 is also disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressing means 78 is composed of three pressing pieces 80 protruding, with spacing therebetween in the circumferential direction, from the inner peripheral surface of the upper part 62 of the skirt wall 60 and from a peripheral edge part of the inner surface of the top panel wall 58 on the side diametrically opposite from the hinge means 68. Each of the pressing pieces 80 is extended substantially vertically, and the protruding edge of each pressing piece is inclined downwardly outwardly. If desired, the pressing means 78 can be composed of a single wide pressing piece extending uninterruptedly in the width direction.
The above-mentioned container closure is applied preferably to a mouth-and-neck portion of a container (not shown) accommodating an edible oil or a liquid seasoning. When the container closure 2 is to be mounted on the mouth-and-neck portion of the container, an upper end part of the mouth-and-neck portion of the container is inserted into an annular space between the side wall 10 and the sealing ridge 16 of the body 4, with the result that the mouth-and-neck portion is sealed with the sealing ridge 16 advancing into the mouth-and-neck portion.
When the outer lid 6 is located at the closed position indicated by the dashed double-dotted lines in
When the contents accommodated in the container having the container closure 2 mounted thereon are to be consumed, a finger is hooked on the protruding piece 70 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the skirt wall 60 of the outer lid 6 to pivotally move the outer lid 6 from the closed position indicated by the dashed double-dotted lines in
As noted above, when the outer lid 6 is moved for opening, the inner lid 46 is moved for opening in accordance with this movement. Thus, the consumer can discharge the contents of the container through the discharge tube 22 without the need to hook his or her finger on the inner lid 46 itself and move it for opening. If the content of the container or dust or the like adheres to the inner surface of the inner lid 46, on the other hand, the consumer may wipe the inner lid with a cleaning cloth or paper. On this occasion, an offset load tends to be imposed on the inner lid 46. In the container closure 2 constituted in accordance with the present invention, however, the hinge means 44 which connects the inner lid 46 to the discharge tube 22 includes the central hinge piece 44a disposed in the widthwise central part, and the opposite side hinge pieces 44b disposed widthwise outwardly of the paired receiving projections 54. Even if offset load is imposed on the inner lid 46, therefore, twisting of the hinge means 44 of the inner lid 46 is prevented sufficiently reliably, so that the inner lid 46 is not brought into a twisted state.
After the consumption of the contents is completed, the outer lid 6 is moved pivotally from the open position illustrated in
2: Container closure
4: Body
6: Outer lid
8: Upper surface wall of body
10: Side wall of body
22: Discharge tube
44: Hinge means (second hinge means)
44
a: Central hinge piece
44
b: Opposite side hinge piece
46: Inner lid
48: Seal ring
50: Stop projection
53: Extending-out piece
54: Receiving projection
58: Top panel wall of outer lid
60: Skirt wall of outer lid
68: Hinge means (first hinge means)
74: Interference means
78: Pressing means
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2011/075104 | 10/31/2011 | WO | 00 | 4/18/2014 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2013/065111 | 5/10/2013 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4638916 | Beck et al. | Jan 1987 | A |
4895282 | Robinson | Jan 1990 | A |
4949883 | Dubach | Aug 1990 | A |
5257708 | Dubach | Nov 1993 | A |
5489035 | Fuchs | Feb 1996 | A |
8123065 | Mitsuhashi et al. | Feb 2012 | B2 |
8292110 | Rutter | Oct 2012 | B2 |
20090107998 | Meissen | Apr 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2001-322659 | Nov 2001 | JP |
4049800 | Feb 2008 | JP |
2008-074470 | Apr 2008 | JP |
4402755 | Jan 2010 | JP |
2010-126191 | Jun 2010 | JP |
4471047 | Jun 2010 | JP |
4799110 | Oct 2011 | JP |
Entry |
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Search report from International Search Report in PCT/JP2011/075104, mail date is Jan. 24, 2012. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140252017 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |