US20160167849A1 - Cap assembly and method for assembling same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cap assembly which is put over a mouth of a bottle, and an assembly method thereof, and provides a cap assembly which prevents an occurrence of misunderstanding when opening a cap initially and has good usability, and a method for assembling thereof. There are included an inner stopper and a cap, and the inner stopper and the cap are assembled in a state in which a lid section is received in a receiving section and a protrusion section is positioned below the lid section, and the lid section is arranged at a position which is inside the receiving section and has a space between an inner surface of a shell section and the lid section, so that an occurrence of misunderstanding by torque changing before the inner stopper is opened is prevented.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present invention is related to a cap assembly which is put over a mouth of a bottle and a method for assembling of the cap assembly.
BACKGROUND ART
• Conventionally, there have been used many containers of configuration in which, for example, a mouth of a bottle filled with food having fluidity such as mayonnaise, jam and the like is closed with an inner stopper, a seal and the like, and then a cap is put thereon. In a case of such configuration, in order to take a content from a bottle, operations such as removing a cap at first, and after that, opening a pull-tab of an inner stopper, or removing a seal are required, and so, it is pointed out that it may be difficult for an elderly person to remove the pull-tab, or the content of the bottle may stick to a hand or scatter around when removing the seal, and so on, and thus, the usability is poor.
• In order to improve this, in recent years, there has been proposed cap assemblies of configuration in which, when removing a cap initially, by rotating temporarily the cap in a direction opposite to a direction of removing to open an inner stopper and then rotating the cap in the direction of removing, it is possible to remove the cap in a state in which the inner stopper is opened (see, Patent Literatures 1, 2 and 3). According to the cap assemblies of the proposals, it is not required to open the inner stopper after removing the cap, and thus, the usability is much improved.
PRIOR ART LITERATURESPatent Literatures
• Patent Literature 1: International Patent Publication Pamphlet No. WO/2007/126062.
• Patent Literature 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Literature No. 2011-225220.
• Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent No. 4581034.
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTIONTechnical Problem
• In a case of the cap assemblies of the above-described proposals, when a cap is rotated in a direction of closing which is opposite to a direction of removing in order to open the cap initially, the rotating temporarily becomes heavy and then becomes light, and however, an inner stopper is not opened yet at this stage, and thus, it is required that the cap is further rotated in the same direction to open the inner stopper, and then, the cap is now rotated in the direction of removing.
• However, at a stage in which the rotating becomes light after the rotating temporarily becomes heavy while rotating the cap in the closing direction, there may be a case in which misunderstanding that the inner stopper has been opened occurs, and thus, it is required to eliminate such misunderstanding.
• In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cap assembly which prevents an occurrence of the above-described misunderstanding when opening a cap initially and is easy to handle, and an assembly method thereof.
Solution to Problem
• A cap assembly according to the present invention to obtain the above-described object includes:
• an inner stopper that is put over a mouth of a bottle to close the mouth; and
• a cap that is put over the mouth such that the cap covers the inner stopper, wherein
• the inner stopper includes:
• a main body that includes a hollow section which has a hollow shape having an upper opening and a lower opening and communicating with the mouth of the bottle, and whose lower end section is inserted to the mouth of the bottle, and a holding section which holds an upper end section of the bottle in cooperation with the lower end section of the hollow section after the insertion has been executed; and
• a lid body that includes a lid section which spreads above the hollow section such that the lid section covers the hollow section, and a junction section which is junctioned circumferentially to an upper end edge of the hollow section and closes an opening on an upper end of the hollow section together with the lid section, and that is a component integrated with the main body, closes the mouth of the bottle together with the main body, and receives pressing from above to have the junction section broken so as to become a part separate from the main body,
• the cap includes:
• a shell section that is formed to be hollow while opening downward and is put over the mouth of the bottle while covering the inner stopper;
• a receiving section that protrudes downward from an inner side upper surface of the shell section, has a lower opening section, and receives the lid section in an inside to surround an edge of the lid section; and
• a protrusion section that protrudes inward from an inner circumference surface of the receiving section, interferes with the edge of the lid section to cause the lid section to expand the receiving section when the cap and the inner stopper are assembled, causes the receiving section to return to an original shape when the lid section comes to a side of an upper surface of the shell section so as to be positioned below the lid section, and supports the lid section after the junction section is broken, and
• the cap is coupled with the inner stopper in a state in which the cap receives the lid section in the receiving section, the protrusion section is positioned below the lid section, and the lid section is arranged at a position which is inside the receiving section and has a space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section.
• Since, in the cap assembly according to the present invention, the inner stopper and the cap respectively include the above-described configurations, and the cap is coupled with the inner stopper in a state in which the cap receives the lid section in the receiving section, the protrusion section is positioned below the lid section, and the lid section is arranged at a position which is inside the receiving section and has a space between the inner surface of the shell section and the lid section, the cap assembly according to the present invention does not have behaviors that cause a user to misunderstand like becoming temporarily heavy and then becoming light as the conventional cases when opening the inner stopper with the cap, and thus, the cap assembly according to the present invention has a configuration which is easy to handle.
• Here, in the cap assembly according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inner stopper includes a screw thread which circles helically on an outer circumference surface of the hollow section, and the cap includes a screwing section which protrudes in a cylindrical shape and downward from the inner side upper surface of the shell section, and has a lower opening section, and on whose inner circumference surface a screw thread to be screwed to the screw thread of the inner stopper is formed.
• In a case of this configuration, it is possible to assemble the inner stopper and the cap independently of a bottle.
• Or, in the cap assembly according to the present invention, it is acceptable that the cap includes on an inner surface of the shell section a screw thread to be screwed to a screw thread formed in the bottle.
• In addition, in the cap assembly according to the present invention, it is preferable that an upper end surface surrounding the upper opening and being oriented upward of the hollow section has a gradient rising outward.
• In a case of this configuration, when a bottle is inclined to pour a content in the bottle and then the bottle is stood up, the content is cut well, and thus, it is prevented that the content drips inadvertently.
• In addition, a method for assembling according to the present invention is a method for assembling of assembling the inner stopper and the cap included in the cap assembly according to the present invention, and includes putting the cap over the inner stopper, and causing the receiving section to receive the lid section up to a position in which the protrusion section goes beyond the lid section to be positioned below the lid section and the space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section becomes relatively narrow, and thereafter, moving the cap upward relatively to the inner stopper in a range in which a state in which the protrusion section is positioned below the lid section is maintained, so as to expand the space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section.
• According to the method for assembling, it is possible to make an arrangement in which the space between the lid section of the inner stopper and the inner surface of the shell section of the cap is securely expanded, and even in a case in which the cap is inadvertently pressed before opening, it is avoided that a force is applied to the lid section of the inner stopper, and thus, it is prevented that the inner stopper is inadvertently opened.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
• According to the above present invention, misunderstanding that the inner stopper has been opened even though the inner stopper has not been opened yet when removing the cap initially is prevented, and thus, the usability is improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of a comparative example.
• FIG. 2 is a view illustrating behaviors at the time of opening by a consumer as to the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a view illustrating behaviors at the time of opening by an user as to the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is a view illustrating behaviors at the time of opening by an user as to the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a view illustrating torque changes when a cap is rotated temporarily in a direction of closing in order to open the cap initially in the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1 toFIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of a first embodiment according to the present invention.
• FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a cap included in the cap assembly of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating a portion of the cap assembly of the first embodiment in a state in which a lid section of an inner stopper is received in a receiving section of the cap.
• FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating a portion of an edge of the lid section in a section in which the lid section is sectioned horizontally in a state in which the lid section of the inner stopper enters the receiving section of the cap.
• FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a method for assembling of assembling the cap to the inner stopper in the cap assembly of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the method for assembling of assembling the cap to the inner stopper in the cap assembly of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of the method for assembling of assembling the cap to the inner stopper in the cap assembly of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of the method for assembling of assembling the cap to the inner stopper in the cap assembly of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 14 is an explanatory view of a scene in which the cap assembly of the first embodiment is capped to a bottle.
• FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of a scene in which the cap assembly of the first embodiment is capped to a bottle.
• FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of a scene in which the cap is opened initially.
• FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of a scene in which the cap is opened initially.
• FIG. 18 is a view illustrating torque changes when the cap is rotated temporarily in a direction of closing in order to open the cap initially in the first embodiment.
• FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of a second embodiment according to the present invention.
• FIG. 20 is an explanatory view of a scene in which a cap is opened initially in the cap assembly of the second embodiment.
• FIG. 21 is an explanatory view of a scene in which the cap is opened initially in the cap assembly of the second embodiment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
• In the following, a comparative example which is compared to the present invention will be explained firstly, and next, embodiments according to the present invention will be explained.
• FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of a comparative example.
• Acap assembly1A of the comparative example illustrated in thisFIG. 1 includes ainner stopper10 and acap20.
• Theinner stopper10 is a component which is put over amouth31 of abottle30 to close themouth31. In addition, thecap20 is a component which is put over themouth31 of thebottle30 upon theinner stopper10 such that thecap20 covers theinner stopper10.
• ThisFIG. 1 illustrates a state in which theinner stopper20 is already capped to themouth31 of thebottle30, thecap20 is put upon theinner stopper10 and is in a predetermined relation with respect to theinner stopper10.
• Theinner stopper10 includes amain body11 and alid body12.
• Themain body11 includes ahollow section111 and aholding section112. Of them, thehollow section111 has a hollow shape which has an upper opening and a lower opening, and communicates with themouth31 of thebottle30, and alower end section111aof thehollow section111 is inserted to themouth31 of thebottle30.
• In addition, the holdingsection112 included in themain body11 plays a role of receiving an insertion of anupper end section32 of thebottle30 to hold theupper send section32 of thebottle30 in cooperation with thelower end section111aof thehollow section111 whichlower end section111ais inserted to themouth31 of thebottle30. The holdingsection112 has a configuration in which arib112ais formed to protrude inward in theholding section112, and therib112aenters adepressed section33 of thebottle30 so that the holdingsection112 firmly holds theupper end section32 of thebottle30 and is not removed from themouth31 of thebottle30.
• In addition, thelid body12 included in theinner stopper10 includes alid section121 and ajunction section122. Of them, thelid section121 is a portion which spreads in a plate shape and above thehollow section111 such that thelid section121 covers thehollow section111. In addition, thejunction section122 is junctioned circumferentially to anupper end edge111bof thehollow section111, and closes an opening on an upper end of thehollow section111 together with thelid section121. Themain body11 and thelid body12 which are included in theinner stopper10 are integrally formed as a single component, and however, thejunction section122 is easily broken when thelid section121 is pressed from above, and when thejunction section122 is broken, thelid body12 becomes a part separate from themain body11. This point will be described later.
• In order to secure a safety margin ratio such that thejunction section122 is not inadvertently broken, it is devised such that arecess121ais formed on an upper surface of thelid section121 so that thelid section121 is made to have a shape of being away from an upper surface of thecap20, and even if a force is applied to the upper surface of thecap20 and the upper surface is depressed, the force is not applied to thelid section121.
• In addition, thecap20 included in thecap assembly1A of the comparative example includes ashell section21, a receivingsection22 and aprotrusion section23.
• Theshell section21 is a portion which is formed to be hollow while opening downward, and is put over themouth31 of thebottle30 upon theinner stopper10 while covering theinner stopper10. Afemale screw thread211 which is screwed to amale screw thread34 provided in thebottle30 is formed on an inner circumference surface of theshell section21, and thecap20 is rotated to be attached or removed.
• In addition, the receivingsection22 is a portion which protrudes downward from an inner side upper surface of theshell section22, has a lower opening section, and receives thelid section121 of themain body11 in an inside thereof to surround anedge121bof thelid section121.
• Further, theprotrusion section23 is a portion which has a shape of rib protruding inward from an inner circumference surface of the receivingsection22. As described later, theprotrusion section23 protrudes up to a position where theprotrusion section23 interferes with theedge121bof thelid section121.
• In order to attach thecap assembly1A having the configuration illustrated in thisFIG. 1 to thebottle30, after thebottle30 is filled with a content, theupper end section32 of thebottle30 is held between a lower end section of thehollow section11 of theinner stopper10 and theholding section112. In other words, theinner stopper10 is capped to thebottle30. After this capping, thecap20 is put thereover and rotated, and thecap20 is attached such that theprotrusion section23 of thecap20 comes to a position immediately above thelid section121 of theinner stopper20, as illustrated inFIG. 1. Then, shrink wrap packaging and the like are performed, and thecap20 becomes a state in which thecap20 is not rotated inadvertently from the position illustrated in thisFIG. 1.
• FIG. 2 toFIG. 4 are views illustrating behaviors at the time of opening by a consumer as to the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1
• After delivered to a consumer in the state illustrated inFIG. 1, when the consumer is going to open the cap initially, after the consumer removes the shrink wrap at first, the consumer rotates the cap in a direction of closing further. Then, thecap20 moves in a direction indicated by arrow A illustrated inFIG. 2, and thelid section121 moves and comes upper than theprotrusion section23 while theedge121bof thelid section121 of theinner stopper10 interferes with theprotrusion section23 of thecap20 to expand the receivingsection22 elastically, as illustrated inFIG. 2. Then, the interference between theedge121bof thelid section121 and theprotrusion section23 of thecap20 is released and the receivingsection22 returns to an original shape, and theprotrusion section23 of thecap20 comes below theedge121bof thelid section121.
• When thecap20 is further rotated in the direction of closing so that thecap20 is further moved in the direction of arrow A, thecap20 presses thelid section121, and thejunction section122 is broken, as illustrated inFIG. 3. When thecap20 is rotated in the direction of closing and becomes the state illustrated inFIG. 3, thecap20 becomes not further rotating in the direction of closing, and then, thecap20 is now rotated in a direction of opening. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 4, thelid section12 is removed from thebottle30 together with thecap20 while only thelid section12 of theinner stopper10 is separated from themain body11 and remains entering the receivingsection22 of thecap20. Since theprotrusion section23 is formed in thecap20, thelid section20 thereafter remains entering the receivingsection22 of thecap20.
• In the case of the comparative example illustrated in theseFIG. 1 toFIG. 4, it is possible to open theinner stopper10 by rotating temporarily thecap20 in the direction of closing when opening thecap20 initially, such an action to open an inner stopper after opening a cap is not required, and thus, the usability is much improved.
• FIG. 5 is a view illustrating torque changes when thecap20 is rotated temporarily in a direction of closing in order to open thecap20 initially in the comparative example illustrated inFIG. 1 toFIG. 4.
• When the shrink wrap is removed and thecap20 is rotated in the direction of closing, thecap20 moves in a direction indicated by arrow A illustrated inFIG. 2, theedge121bof thelid section121 of theinner stopper10 interferes with theprotrusion section23 of thecap20 to expand the receiving section. At this moment, as illustrated in region a ofFIG. 5, a force (torque) to rotate thecap20 increases. When thecap20 is further rotated in the direction of closing, thelid section121 moves and comes upper than thelid section23 and the torque temporarily decreases (region b). When the cap is further rotated in the direction of closing, thecap20 now presses thelid section121, and when thecap20 is furthermore rotated in the direction of closing, thejunction section122 is broken while the torque is increasing (region c). Then, thecap20 becomes not rotating in the direction of closing, and then, thecap20 is now rotated in the direction of opening, so that thecap20 is removed.
• Here, as seen from thisFIG. 5, in the case of the above-describedcap assembly1A of the comparative example, when thecap20 is rotated in the direction of closing in order to open theinner stopper10, there is a peak P of the torque before the cap abuts against thelid section121 of the inner stopper. For this reason, a consumer who is not familiar to handling a bottle to which thecap assembly1A is attached may misunderstand that theinner stopper10 has been opened based on that the peak P of the torque has passed, and at this point, the consumer accordingly rotates thecap20 in the direction of opening, and then the consumer notices that theinner stopper10 has not been opened yet after opening thecap20. Even if noticing that theinner stopper10 has not been opened yet after opening thecap20, such an inexperienced consumer may not notice that theinner stopper10 is not opened before proceeding up to region c, and thus, a complaint as a defective product may be raised.
• Based on the above explanations of the comparative example, embodiments according to the present invention will be explained next.
• FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of a first embodiment according to the present invention.
• Acap assembly1B of the first embodiment includes aninner stopper40 and acap50.
• Theinner stopper40 is a component which is put over amouth61 of abottle60 to close the mouth61 (seeFIG. 14). In addition, thecap50 is a component which is put over themouth61 of thebottle60 upon theinner stopper40 such that thecap50 covers theinner stopper40.
• Theinner stopper40 includes amain body41 and alid body42.
• Themain body41 includes ahollow section411 and aholding section412. Of them, thehollow section411 has a hollow shape which has an upper opening and a lower opening and communicates with themouth61 of thebottle60, and at the time of capping, alower end section411athereof is inserted to themouth61 of the bottle60 (seeFIG. 15).
• In addition, amale screw thread411cwhich circles helically on an outer circumference surface of thehollow section411 and is screwed to afemale screw thread541 of thecap50 is formed on the outer circumference surface in thehollow section411.
• In addition, the holdingsection412 included in themain body41 plays a role of receiving an insertion of anupper end section62 of thebottle60 to hold theupper end section62 of thebottle60 in cooperation with thelower end section411 of thehollow section411 whichlower end section411ais inserted to the mouth of thebottle60. The holdingsection412 has a configuration in which arib412ais formed in theholding section412, and therib412aenters a depressed section63 (seeFIG. 14) of thebottle60 so that the holdingsection412 firmly holds theupper end section62 of thebottle60 and is not removed from themouth61 of thebottle60.
• In addition, thelid body42 included in theinner stopper40 includes alid section421 and ajunction section422. Of them, thelid section421 is a portion which spreads in a plate shape above thehollow section411 such that thelid section421 covers thehollow section411. In addition, thejunction section422 is junctioned circumferentially to anupper end edge411bof thehollow section411, and closes an opening on an upper end of thehollow section411 together with thelid section421. Themain body41 and thelid body42 which are included in thehollow section40 are integrally formed as a single component, and however, thejunction section422 is considerably easily broken when thelid section421 is pressed from above. When thejunction section422 is broken, thelid body42 becomes a part separate from themain body41.
• In order to secure a safety margin ratio as large as possible such that thejunction section422 is not broken inadvertently, it is devised such that arecess421ais formed on an upper surface of thelid section421 so that thelid section421 is made to be away as much as possible from an upper surface of thecap50, and thus, even if a force is applied to the upper surface of thecap50 and the upper surface is depressed, the force is not applied to thelid section421.
• Thecap50 includes ashell section51, a receivingsection52, aprotrusion section53, a screwingsection54 which are illustrated inFIG. 6, and further, hooks55 (seeFIG. 7).
• Theshell section51 is a portion which is formed to be hollow while opening downward, and is put over the mouth61 (seeFIG. 15) of thebottle60 upon theinner stopper40 while covering theinner stopper40.
• In addition, the receivingsection52 is a portion which protrudes downward from an inner side upper surface of theshell section51, has a lower opening section, and receives thelid section421 of themain body41 in an inside thereof to surround anedge421bof thelid section421.
• Further, theprotrusion section53 is a portion which has a rib shape protruding inward from an inner circumference surface of the receivingsection52. Theprotrusion section53 protrudes up to a position in which theprotrusion section53 interferes with theedge421bof thelid section421 when thecap50 and theinner stopper40 are assembled.
• In addition, the screwingsection54 has a shape which protrudes in a cylindrical shape and downward from an inner side upper surface of theshell section51 and opens downward. Thefemale screw thread541 which is screwed to themale screw thread411cformed on the outer circumference surface of thehollow section411 of theinner stopper40 is formed on an inner circumference surface of the screwingsection54. In other words, in the above-described comparative example, thecap20 is opened or closed with respect to thebottle30, and in contrast, in the case of thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment, it is configured such that thecap50 is opened or closed with respect to theinner stopper40 in terms of directly.
• FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a cap included in thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6.
• In addition,FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating a portion of thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6 in a state in which thelid section42 of theinner stopper40 is received in the receivingsection52 of thecap50.
• In the case of thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment, as illustrated inFIG. 6 andFIG. 8, thelid section421 of theinner stopper40 enters a space upper than theprotrusion section53 in the receivingsection52 of thecap50. However, there is formed a space between an inner surface of an upper section of theshell section51 and thelid section422 such that the space is opened to an extent in which even if a force is applied to theshell section51 from above and theshell section51 is depressed slightly, the force is not applied to thelid section421.
• In addition, as illustrated inFIG. 7, thehooks55 protruding inward are formed in a portion immediately above theprotrusion section53 and inside the receivingsection50 of thecap50. Thehooks55 are formed at plural locations with spaces with respect to a circumferential direction, respectively.
• FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating a portion of anedge421bof thelid section421 in a section in which thelid section421 is sectioned horizontally in a state in which the lid section of the inner stopper enters the receiving section of the cap.
• As illustrated in thisFIG. 9, there are includedrotation preventing protrusions421dwhich are formed circumferentially in a circumferential direction on a circumference surface421cof thelid section421 of theinner stopper40 in large numbers. Therotation preventing protrusions421dengage with thehooks55 to prevent a positional relation between thecap50 and theinner stopper40 from being deviated from a predetermined relation.
• FIG. 10 toFIG. 13 are explanatory views of a method for assembling of assembling the cap to the inner stopper in the cap assembly of the first embodiment which have been explained with reference toFIG. 6 toFIG. 9.
• At first, as illustrated inFIG. 10, theinner stopper40 is placed on ajig70 which agrees with a shape of theinner stopper40.Ribs411eare formed on an inner circumference surface of thehollow section411 in theinner stopper40, and theribs411eare fitted in depressions (not illustrated in the drawings) of thejig70 to prevent rotation.
• Next, as illustrated inFIG. 11, thecap50 is put on, and with thecap50 being fixed, thejig70 is moved up in a direction of arrow U while being rotated in a direction of arrow R1 as illustrated inFIG. 12. Since theinner stopper40 is prevented from rotating with respect to thejig70, theinner stopper40 rotates together with thejig70, and themale screw thread411cof theinner stopper40 is screwed to thefemale screw thread541 of the screwingsection54 of thecap50. Then, theedge421bof thelid section421 of theinner stopper40 interferes with the protrusion53 (seeFIG. 7) formed on the inner circumference surface of the receivingsection52 of thecap50, and thus, the receivingsection52 is expanded elastically by thelid section421 of theinner stopper40, and when thelid section421 goes beyond theprotrusion section53 and comes to a side of the upper surface of theshell section51, the receivingsection52 returns to an original shape. With this, theprotrusion section53 plays a role in which theprotrusion section53 is positioned below thelid section421, and as described later, even after thejunction section422 is broken, theprotrusion section53 supports thelid section421 to keep thelid section421 in an inside of the receivingsection52.
• When thelid section421 rides on theprotrusion section53, the receivingsection52 is expanded and the torque to rotate thejig70 increases, and when thelid section421 goes beyond theprotrusion section53, the torque quickly decreases. Accordingly, by monitoring the torque, it is possible to detect that thelid section421 has gone beyond theprotrusion section53. Or, instead of monitoring the torque, by using a rotation angle in the direction of arrow R1 or a movement amount in the direction of arrow U of thejig70, it may be detected that thelid section421 has gone beyond theprotrusion section53.
• Here, only by rotating thejig70 and theinner stopper40 in the direction of arrow R1 illustrated inFIG. 12, it is difficult to hold thelid section421 at a position beyond theprotrusion section53 and immediately above theprotrusion section53, and thus, thelid section421 results in going upward excessively in the receivingsection52.
• Then next, as illustrated inFIG. 13, thejig70 is moved downward in a direction of arrow D while thejig70 is now inversely rotated in a direction of arrow R2, so that thelid section421 is positioned immediately above theprotrusion section53. Since the torque to rotate thejig70 begins to increase when thelid section421 abuts against theprotrusion section53, it is possible to detect that thelid section421 comes down up to immediately above theprotrusion section53 by monitoring the torque. Or, it may be detected that thelid section421 reaches immediately above theprotrusion section53 by using a rotation angle in the direction of arrow R2, an amount of moving down in the direction of arrow D or the like.
• In thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment, through such assembling procedures described above, thecap50 and theinner stopper40 are coupled with each other in a state in which thecap50 receives thelid section421 in the receivingsection52 and theprotrusion section53 is positioned below thelid section421, and thelid section421 is arranged at a position which is in the inside of the receivingsection52 and has a space between thelid section421 and the inner surface of theshell section51.
• Here, in the state in which thelid section421 is immediately above theprotrusion section53, as illustrated inFIG. 9, therotation preventing protrusions421dengage with thehooks55, and thus, theinner stopper40 and thecap50 are not rotated inadvertently by such a degree as a vibration at the time of transportation, and thus, the positional relation thereof is maintained.
• Incidentally, as illustrated inFIG. 7 andFIG. 8, thehooks55 for rotation prevention are provided only in a portion immediately above theprotrusion section53, and not provided in a portion further above in the receivingsection52. This is because, when thecap50 is closed again, after delivered to a consumer and thecap50 is opened together with thelid body42 of theinner stopper40, if therotation preventing protrusions421dremain engaging with thehooks55, closing thecap50 results in becoming heavy, and thus, when thecap50 is closed again, thelid section421 moves to an upper area where thehooks55 are not provided, and thus, it is possible to close thecap50 with a small force.
• Incidentally, the example in which thejig70 and theinner stopper40 are rotated and moved vertically has been explained in here, and however, a jig (not illustrated in the drawings) to hold thecap50 may be rotated or moved vertically with theinner stopper40 being fixed.
• As described above, in thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment, theinner stopper40 and thecap50 are assembled before being capped to a bottle. In other words, assembling of thecap assembly1B may be performed at a side of a manufacturer of thecap assembly1B. The assembling of theinner stopper40 and thecap50 is required to be performed under a substantially high precision control. The respect that the assembling may be performed at a side of a manufacturer of thecap assembly1B accordingly does not put a burden of manufacturing facilies on a side of manufacturer which fills thebottle30 with a content and caps thebottle30 from a technical viewpoint for the assembling, and thus, the first embodiment is preferable also in this respect.
• Next, a scene in which the cap assembly is capped to a bottle will be explained.
• FIG. 14 andFIG. 15 are explanatory views of a scene in which the cap assembly of the first embodiment is capped to a bottle.
• Thebottle60 is filled with a content, and, as illustrated inFIG. 14, thecap assembly1B is pressed down, for example, with aflat plate80 being put thereon, while the state in which theinner stopper40 and thecap50 are coupled with each other is maintained. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 15, theupper end section62 of thebottle60 enters between thelower end section411aof thehollow section41 of theinner stopper40 and theholding section412, therib412aformed in theholding section412 enters thedepressed section63 of thebottle60, and thus, theinner stopper40 is firmly fixed to themouth61 of thebottle60.
• After thecap assembly1B is capped to thebottle60, shrink wrap packaging is performed.
• FIG. 16 andFIG. 17 are explanatory views of a scene in which the cap is opened initially.
• A product is delivered to a consumer, in the state illustrated inFIG. 15.
• After the consumer opens the shrink wrap, the consumer temporarily rotates thecap50 in the direction of closing. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 16, thecap50 presses down thelid section42 of theinner stopper40, and with this, thejunction section421bis broken. Then, when thecap50 is rotated in the direction of opening, as illustrated inFIG. 17, thecap50 is removed while thelid section421 of theinner stopper40 is kept in the receivingsection52 of thecap50. At this moment, the mouth of heinner stopper40 is in a state of opened already.
• Incidentally, theupper end surface411dbeing oriented upward and surrounding the upper opening of theinner stopper40 is formed to be a surface which has a gradient rising outward, as illustrated inFIG. 8. Theupper end surface411dhaving the gradient rising outward has an effect that when thebottle60 is inclined to pour a content thereof and then is stood up, the content is cut well, and thus, it is prevented that the content drips inadvertently.
• FIG. 18 is a view illustrating torque changes when thecap50 is rotated temporarily in the direction of closing in order to open thecap50 initially in the first embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6 toFIG. 17. ThisFIG. 18 is a view which is compared toFIG. 5 in the above-described comparative example.
• In the case of thecap assembly1B of the first embodiment, the peak P of the torque illustrated inFIG. 5 is passed when theinner stopper40 and thecap50 are assembled, and in the state in which theinner stopper40 and thecap50 have been assembled, thelid section421 of theinner stopper40 is inside the receivingsection52 of thecap50 and on a side of the upper surface of thecap50 than theprotrusion section53. Accordingly, the peak P of the torque illustrated inFIG. 5 does not appear at a stage in which thecap50 is opened initially, and it is when thecap50 presses thelid section421 that the force (torque) to rotate thecap50 increases. For this reason, there is avoided such an occurrence that a consumer who is trying to open theinner stopper40 and remove thecap50 is caused to misunderstand that theinner stopper40 has been opened, thereby providing the consumer with a feeling of safety, and thus, a cap assembly having good usability is obtained.
• Next, a cap assembly of a second embodiment according the present invention will be explained. Since the cap assembly of the second embodiment may be easily understood when being compared to the above-described comparative example, elements corresponding to the respective elements of thecap assembly1A according to the comparative example will be illustrated while denoted with reference signs same as those denoted in the drawings (FIG. 1 toFIG. 4) of thecap assembly1A of the comparative example even if there are some slight differences as to shapes and the like, and only differences will be explained.
• FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view of a cap assembly of the second embodiment according to the present invention.
• In a cap assembly1C of the second embodiment, acap20 is coupled with aninner stopper10 in a state in which thecap20 receives alid section121 in a receivingsection22 and aprotrusion section23 is positioned below thelid section121, and thelid section121 is arranged at a position which is in an inside of the receivingsection22 and has a space between an inner surface of ashell section21 and thelid section121.
• In order to obtain this, in the case of the cap assembly1C of the second embodiment illustrated inFIG. 19, a size of the receivingsection22 is determined such that a sufficiently wide space is secured between thelid section121 and theshell section21 even when thelid section121 is received upper than theprotrusion section23 in the receivingsection22.
• In the cap assembly1C of the second embodiment, in order to assemble theinner stopper10 and thecap20, similarly to the comparative example, there are used such procedures that after thebottle30 is filled with a content and is capped with theinner stopper10, and then thecap20 is attached. In order to attach thecap20 to theinner stopper10 which has been capped, areal bottle30 is used instead of thejig70 illustrated inFIG. 10 toFIG. 13, and there is used the method for assembling explained with reference toFIG. 10 toFIG. 13, that is, a method for assembling in which after thelid section121 is moved up to the side of the upper surface of thelid section21 where thelid section121 goes beyond theprotrusion section23 in the receivingsection22, thecap20 is then inversely rotated so that thelid section121 is positioned immediately above theprotrusion section23.
• When the cap assembly1C is assembled as illustrated inFIG. 19, it is packaged together with thebottle30 by shrink wrap packaging, and with this, thecap20 may not be rotated and becomes a state in which a position thereof with respect to theinner stopper10 is fixed.
• FIG. 20 andFIG. 21 are explanatory views of a scene in which the cap is opened initially in the cap assembly1C of the second embodiment.
• A product is to be delivered to a consumer, in the state illustrated inFIG. 19.
• After opening the shrink wrap, the consumer temporarily rotates thecap20 in the direction of closing. Then, as illustrated inFIG. 20, thecap20 presses down thelid section12 of theinner stopper10, and with this, thejunction section121bis broken. Then, when thecap20 is rotated in the direction of opening, as illustrated inFIG. 21, thecap20 is removed while thelid section121 of theinner stopper10 is kept in the receivingsection22 of thecap20. At this moment, the mouth of theinner stopper10 is in a state of already opened.
• Also in the case of the cap assembly1C of the second embodiment, similarly to thecap assembly1B of the above-described first embodiment, the peak P of the torque illustrated inFIG. 5 is passed when theinner stopper10 and thecap20 are assembled, and in the state in which theinner stopper10 and thecap20 have been assembled, thelid section121 of theinner stopper10 is inside the receivingsection22 of thecap20 and on the side of the upper surface of thecap20 than theprotrusion section23. Accordingly, at the stage when the cap is initially opened, the peak P of the torque illustrated inFIG. 5 does not appear, and it is when thecap20 presses thelid section121 that the force (torque) to rotate thecap20 increases. For this reason, there is avoided such an occurrence that a consumer who is going to open theinner stopper10 and remove thecap20 is caused to misunderstand that theinner stopper10 has been opened, thereby providing the consumer with a feeling of safety, and thus, a cap assembly having good usability is obtained.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
• 1A,1B,1C Cap assembly
• 10,40 Inner stopper
• 11,41 Main body
• 12,42 Lid body
• 20,50 Cap
• 21,51 Shell section
• 22,52 Receiving section
• 23,53 Protrusion section
• 30,60 Bottle
• 31,61 Mouth
• 32,62 Upper end section
• 34,411cMale screw thread
• 112a,412a,411eRib
• 54 Screwing section
• 55 Hook
• 63 Depressed section
• 70 Jig
• 80 Plate
• 111,411 Hollow section
• 112,412 Holding section
• 111a,411aLower end section
• 111b,411bUpper end section
• 121,421 Lid section
• 121b,421bEdge
• 122,422 Junction section
• 121a,421aRecess
• 411dUpper end surface
• 421bJunction section
• 421cCircumference surface
• 421dRotation preventing protrusion
• 541 Female screw thread

Claims (5)

1. A cap assembly comprising:

an inner stopper that is put over a mouth of a bottle to close the mouth; and

a cap that is put over the mouth such that the cap covers the inner stopper, wherein

the inner stopper comprises:

a main body that includes a hollow section which has a hollow shape having an upper opening and a lower opening and communicating with the mouth of the bottle, and whose lower end section is inserted to the mouth of the bottle, and a holding section which holds an upper end section of the bottle in cooperation with the lower end section of the hollow section after the insertion has been executed; and

a lid body that includes a lid section which spreads above the hollow section such that the lid section covers the hollow section, and a junction section which is junctioned circumferentially to an upper end edge of the hollow section and closes an opening on an upper end of the hollow section together with the lid section, and that is a component integrated with the main body, closes the mouth of the bottle together with the main body, and receives pressing from above to have the junction section broken so as to become a part separate from the main body,

the cap comprises:

a shell section that is formed to be hollow while opening downward and is put over the mouth of the bottle while covering the inner stopper;

a receiving section that protrudes downward from an inner side upper surface of the shell section, has a lower opening section, and receives the lid section in an inside to surround an edge of the lid section; and

a protrusion section that protrudes inward from an inner circumference surface of the receiving section, interferes with the edge of the lid section to cause the lid section to expand the receiving section when the cap and the inner stopper are assembled, causes the receiving section to return to an original shape when the lid section comes to a side of an upper surface of the shell section so as to be positioned below the lid section, and supports the lid section after the junction section is broken, and

the cap is coupled with the inner stopper in a state in which the cap receives the lid section in the receiving section, the protrusion section is positioned below the lid section, and the lid section is arranged at a position which is inside the receiving section and has a space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section.

2. The cap assembly according toclaim 1, wherein

the inner stopper includes a screw thread which circles helically on an outer circumference surface of the hollow section, and

the cap includes a screwing section which protrudes in a cylindrical shape and downward from the inner side upper surface of the shell section, and has a lower opening section, and on whose inner circumference surface a screw thread to be screwed to the screw thread of the inner stopper is formed.

3. The cap assembly according toclaim 1, wherein the cap includes on an inner surface of the shell section a screw thread to be screwed to a screw thread formed in the bottle.

4. The cap assembly according toclaim 1, wherein an upper end surface surrounding the upper opening and being oriented upward of the hollow section has a gradient rising outward.

5. A method for assembling of assembling a cap assembly, wherein,

the cap assembly comprises:

an inner stopper that is put over a mouth of a bottle to close the mouth; and

a cap that is put over the mouth such that the cap covers the inner stopper,

the inner stopper comprises:

a main body that includes a hollow section which has a hollow shape having an upper opening and a lower opening and communicating with the mouth of the bottle, and whose lower end section is inserted to the mouth of the bottle, and a holding section which holds an upper end section of the bottle in cooperation with the lower end section of the hollow section after the insertion has been executed; and

a lid body that includes a lid section which spreads above the hollow section such that the lid section covers the hollow section, and a junction section which is junctioned circumferentially to an upper end edge of the hollow section and closes an opening on an upper end of the hollow section together with the lid section, and that is a component integrated with the main body, closes the mouth of the bottle together with the main body, and receives pressing from above to have the junction section broken so as to become a part separate from the main body,

the cap comprises:

a shell section that is formed to be hollow while opening downward and is put over the mouth of the bottle while covering the inner stopper;

a receiving section that protrudes downward from an inner side upper surface of the shell section, has a lower opening section, and receives the lid section in an inside to surround an edge of the lid section; and

a protrusion section that protrudes inward from an inner circumference surface of the receiving section, interferes with the edge of the lid section to cause the lid section to expand the receiving section when the cap and the inner stopper are assembled, causes the receiving section to return to an original shape when the lid section comes to a side of an upper surface of the shell section so as to be positioned below the lid section, and supports the lid section after the junction section is broken, and

the method for assembling is a method for assembling of assembling the inner stopper and the cap, and the method for assembling comprises:

putting the cap over the inner stopper, and causing the receiving section to receive the lid section up to a position in which the protrusion section goes beyond the lid section to be positioned below the lid section and the space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section becomes relatively narrow; and

moving the cap upward relatively to the inner stopper in a range in which a state in which the protrusion section is positioned below the lid section is maintained, so as to expand the space between the lid section and the inner surface of the shell section.

Images