JP7709506B2 - Pour cap for double container and double container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pouring cap for a double container that is attached to a container body having an inner layer that contains the liquid contents and an outer layer that fits the inner layer inside, and that pours out the liquid contents when the outer layer is pressed, and to a double container with this pouring cap attached to the container body.

In recent years, containers with a pouring cap attached to a container body that contains the liquid content have been using double containers (also called delaminated containers or peelable laminated containers) that use a container body made of an inner layer and an outer layer, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. This type of outer layer is flexible and is configured to allow air to be taken into the internal space formed between the inner layer and the outer layer through a through hole (air vent) that penetrates the front and back. The pouring cap is equipped with an air valve that prevents air from leaking from the internal space to the outside world, but allows air to be introduced from the outside world into the internal space when the internal space is decompressed, and a pouring valve that normally closes the filling space formed inside the inner layer, but opens the filling space when the pressure in the filling space increases.

With a double container of this construction, when the outer layer is pressed and the internal space is pressurized, the pressure in the filled space increases and the pouring valve opens, allowing the liquid content stored in the filled space to be poured out to the outside. When the pressure on the outer layer is released, the outer layer returns to its original state and the internal space is decompressed, allowing air to be introduced into the internal space through the vent, so that only the inner layer can be deformed and reduced in volume. In other words, there is an advantage that the container can maintain its independence even if the liquid content is reduced. Another advantage is that the liquid content can be poured out without being replaced by outside air, so the quality of the liquid content is less likely to deteriorate. For this reason, this type of container is becoming widely used as a suitable container for storing seasonings such as soy sauce, sauce, mirin, and cooking sake, as well as cosmetics such as shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, and lotion.

JP 2011-31932 A

The pouring cap shown in Patent Document 1 has an outside air inlet that connects to the vent in the outer layer in the cap body that is attached to the outer layer. An air valve that is integrated with the pouring valve is disposed inside the cap body. The air valve normally abuts against the back surface of the cap body to block air flow between the vent and the outside air inlet, but is configured to elastically deform away from the back surface of the cap body when the internal space is in a reduced pressure state, allowing air to flow between the vent and the outside air inlet.

However, if the air valve is not tightly fitted to the cap body and the airtightness inside the pouring cap is insufficient, air in the internal space will leak out of the outside air inlet when the outer layer is pressed, and the filling space will not be sufficiently pressurized, making it difficult to pour the contents as intended. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the airtightness inside the pouring cap in such double-container pouring caps. On the other hand, if the airtightness is too high, outside air cannot be smoothly introduced through the outside air inlet when the outer layer is restored, and problems will arise such as it taking time for the outer layer to return to its original shape.

In addition to or apart from the problems mentioned above, depending on the amount and flow rate of air introduced into the internal space, the air valve may repeatedly come into contact with and separate from the rear surface of the cap body while taking in outside air into the cap body. This may result in noise due to the vibration of the air valve and the vibration of the surrounding air caused by the vibration of the air valve.

However, because conventional air valves are formed integrally with the dispensing valve, it has been difficult to improve the various problems associated with such air valves while maintaining the functionality related to the discharge of the contents and the sealing of the filling space.

In order to solve these problems, the present invention aims to provide a pouring cap for a double container, and a double container, that can improve the performance of the air valve while maintaining the performance of the pouring valve.

The present invention relates to a pouring cap for a double container, which is attached to a container body having an inner layer body having a filling space for accommodating a liquid content, and an outer layer body which divides an internal space between the inner layer body and the outer layer body and has an air vent opening communicating with the internal space, and which pours the liquid content of the filling space from a pouring outlet by pressing the outer layer body, the cap body being attached to the outer layer body while covering the air vent opening, having the pouring outlet and an outside air inlet opening communicating with the air vent opening, an inner stopper provided inside the cap body and having a liquid content communication opening which communicates between the filling space and the pouring outlet, and a pressure sensor capable of opening and closing the liquid content communication opening. the cap body includes a pouring valve that blocks the flow of the liquid contained from the pouring outlet to the filling space while allowing the flow of the liquid contained from the filling space to the pouring outlet, and an air valve that can come into contact with and separate from the pouring valve and blocks the flow of air from the vent to the outside air inlet while allowing the flow of air from the outside air inlet to the vent, the inside plug includes a partition wall that closes the filling space, and an outer edge wall that extends upward from an outer edge of the partition wall, the cap body has a top wall located above the pouring valve and the air valve, and the pouring valve surrounds the liquid contained communication port, the air valve includes a first annular wall held by the inner plug, a first valve body elastically supported by the first annular wall on the radially inner side of the first annular wall and capable of opening and closing the content liquid communication port, and a flange portion extending radially outward from the first annular wall and constantly in contact with the lower surface of the top wall, the air valve includes a second annular wall located radially outward from the flange portion and held by the inner plug, and a second valve body extending radially inward from the second annular wall and capable of abutting against and separating from the lower surface of the flange portion and having a thickness thinner than the flange portion, and is made of a material having a bending elasticity modulus smaller than that of a material constituting the pouring valve, The air valve is held in the inner plug between the flange portion and the partition wall by the second annular wall fitting into the inner circumference of the outer edge wall and the flange portion abutting the second valve body from above, and when air is introduced from the outside air inlet, the second valve body elastically deforms and moves away from the flange portion , the lower surface of the flange portion against which the second valve body abuts is located lower than the upper surface of the second annular wall, and the second valve body extends radially inward from the axial center of the second annular wall, and the air valve is a pouring cap for a double container that is formed symmetrically above and below the second valve body in a cross-sectional view .

The present invention also relates to a double container that is composed of the container body and any of the above-mentioned double container pouring caps.

In the double container dispensing cap of the present invention, the air valve is capable of contacting and separating from at least one of the cap body, the inner plug, and the dispensing valve, and is made of a material with a smaller flexural modulus than the material constituting the dispensing valve. Therefore, the shape of the air valve is designed to ensure sufficient contact with the cap body, etc., while the small flexural modulus of the material itself allows the air valve to be more reliably separated from the cap body, etc., when outside air is taken into the dispensing cap, thereby solving problems such as operability when dispensing the contents, the restoration of the outer layer, and noise. In addition, since the dispensing valve is made of a material with a larger flexural modulus than the air valve, it is possible to open and close the contents communication port with good responsiveness even when the contents flow has a higher flow resistance than air, and functions related to the dischargeability of the contents and the shielding of the filling space can be maintained.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a double container according to the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inside plug, the air valve, the spout valve, and the moving valve shown in FIG. 1 are assembled.

Below, one embodiment of a double container according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. In this specification, the "upper" and "lower" directions refer to the directions when the outer layer (reference number 3) is located at the bottom and the lid (reference number 10) is located at the top, as shown in Figure 1.

The double container of this embodiment includes a container body 1 (made up of an inner layer 2 and an outer layer 3), a pouring cap 4 (made up of an inner plug 5, a pouring valve 6, an air valve 7, a moving valve 8, and a cap body 9), and a lid 10.

The inner layer 2 has a filling space S inside that can hold the liquid content. In this embodiment, the inner layer 2 is made of a thin synthetic resin and is designed to be deformable so that it can be reduced in volume.

The outer layer 3 has a cylindrical mouth 3a extending along the central axis O. In this embodiment, the mouth 3a has a lower portion 3c with a larger diameter than the upper portion 3b, which is open at the top. The outer peripheral surface of the upper portion 3b is provided with a male thread 3d. The upper portion 3b is further provided with a vent 3e extending radially through the upper portion 3b, and the outer peripheral surface where the vent 3e opens is provided with a notch 3f extending vertically and dividing the male thread 3d. Although not shown, a cylindrical body and a bottom that closes the lower end of the body are provided below the mouth 3a, and the outer layer 3 has a bottle-like shape. The outer layer 3 in this embodiment is made of synthetic resin, and the body is flexible.

In addition, an internal space N that communicates with the ventilation hole 3e is formed between the inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3.

In this embodiment, the inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3 are formed by peeling off synthetic resins that are mutually poorly compatible. Examples of synthetic resins that constitute the inner layer 2 include nylon resin (PA), ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin (EVOH), modified polyolefin resin (such as "Admer" (registered trademark) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.), polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), polyethylene resin (PE), and polypropylene resin (PP). Examples of synthetic resins that constitute the outer layer 3 include polyethylene resins (PE) such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene resin (HDPE), as well as polypropylene resin (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET). The inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3 may each be formed of a single synthetic resin so that they each have a single-layer structure, or may each be formed of a laminate structure by overlapping multiple synthetic resins. The inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3 can be obtained by blow molding a parison in which the synthetic resin material forming the inner layer 2 and the synthetic resin material forming the outer layer 3 are laminated, but it is also possible to prepare a test tube-shaped preform in which the synthetic resin material of the inner layer 2 and the synthetic resin material of the outer layer 3 are laminated, and then biaxially stretch blow molding the preform, or to form the inner layer and the outer layer separately, and then place the inner layer inside the outer layer. Also, although not shown, one or more adhesive strips may be provided between the inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3, extending vertically to partially join the inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3.

The inner plug 5 is provided with a partition wall 5a located above the mouth portion 3a and closing the filling space S. The partition wall 5a has an opening (communication port 5b for the content liquid) that penetrates it, and a cylindrical wall 5c that is cylindrical overall and has a smaller diameter at the bottom than at the top.

In addition, an annular recess 5e with an open top is provided on the radial outside of the content liquid communication port 5b and the cylindrical wall 5c, and an annular seal wall 5d that abuts the inner layer body 2 in a liquid-tight manner is provided on the lower surface of the partition wall 5a radially outside the annular recess 5e. Furthermore, an outer edge wall 5f extending upward is provided on the outer edge of the partition wall 5a. At the connection between the partition wall 5a and the outer edge wall 5f, a plurality of ribs 5g extending along the radial direction are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inside of the outer edge wall 5f. In addition, a communication opening 5h penetrating the outer edge wall 5f is provided at the base of the outer edge wall 5f. The communication opening 5h is connected to the gaps provided between the above-mentioned plurality of ribs 5g. The inside plug 5 of this embodiment is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP).

The discharge valve 6 has a function of regulating the flow of the content liquid. The discharge valve 6 of this embodiment has an annular wall (first annular wall 6a) that is annular about the central axis O and whose lower end is supported by the annular recess 5e. The first annular wall 6a is provided with a plate-shaped valve body (first valve body 6b) located above the content liquid communication port 5b and the cylindrical wall 5c on the radial inner side thereof, which is seated on the partition wall 5a to close the content liquid communication port 5b while leaving a part of the cylindrical wall 5c open, and a connecting piece 6c that elastically connects the first valve body 6b and the first annular wall 6a. The discharge valve 6 is not limited to a valve that connects the first valve body 6b and the first annular wall 6a with a plurality of connecting pieces 6c, such as a three-point valve or a four-point valve, but may be a valve that connects the first valve body 6b and the first annular wall 6a with one connecting piece 6c, such as a one-point valve. The upper part of the first annular wall 6a is provided with a ring-shaped flange portion 6d that extends radially outward. The spout valve 6 of this embodiment is made of soft polyethylene (low-density polyethylene).

The air valve 7 has a function of regulating the flow of air. The air valve 7 of this embodiment has an annular wall (second annular wall 7a) centered on the central axis O. The second annular wall 7a is radially inside the outer edge wall 5f as shown in the figure, and is placed on the rib 5g. A plate-shaped valve body (second valve body 7b) is provided on the radially inside of the second annular wall 7a, and extends around the entire circumference of the second annular wall 7a. The second valve body 7b of this embodiment is provided in the center of the second annular wall 7a in the direction along the central axis O, and has a symmetrical shape in the vertical direction. The tip of the second valve body 7b is normally in airtight contact with the lower surface of the flange portion 6d. The second valve body 7b is elastically deformable, and its tip can also be separated from the lower surface of the flange portion 6d as described later.

Such an air valve 7 is made of a material (such as rubber or elastomer (nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, silicone rubber, fluororubber, urethane, etc.)) that has a smaller (softer) flexural modulus than the material that makes up the spout valve 6. In this embodiment, the air valve 7 is made of a material that has a smaller flexural modulus than the soft polyethylene that makes up the spout valve 6. The magnitude of the flexural modulus between the material that makes up the spout valve 6 and the material that makes up the air valve 7 is determined by the flexural modulus when the same shape is tested in the same environment.

In this embodiment, the moving valve 8 is spherical and disposed within the cylindrical wall 5c, and moves along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 5c in response to changes in the position of the container body 1 and the internal pressure of the filling space S. When the container body 1 is in an upright position as shown in FIG. 1, the moving valve 8 sits on the reduced diameter lower part of the cylindrical wall 5c, keeping the cylindrical wall 5c and the filling space S in a non-communicating state.

In this embodiment, the cap body 9 is made of synthetic resin and includes a top wall 9a located above the spout valve 6 and the air valve 7, and an outer peripheral wall 9b that is integrally connected to the outer edge of the top wall 9a and surrounds the mouth portion 3a. The inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 9b is provided with a female thread portion 9c that fits the male thread portion 3d.

A pouring tube 9e is provided in the center of the top wall 9a, extending upward from the edge of a hole penetrating the top wall 9a, with its upper opening serving as a pouring outlet 9d for the liquid content. An annular recess 9f is provided on the underside of the top wall 9a, which is open downward and supports the upper end of the first annular wall 6a. An outside air inlet 9g is provided radially outward from the annular recess 9f, penetrating the top wall 9a in the vertical direction. A claw 9h that holds the lid 10 is provided on the outer edge of the top wall 9a.

In this embodiment, the lid 10 is made of synthetic resin and includes a top wall 10a located above the top wall 9a and a lid outer peripheral wall 10b that is integrally connected to the top wall 10a. A seal tube 10c is provided on the underside of the top wall 10a, which is inserted into the inside of the pouring tube 9e and abuts airtightly against the inner surface of the pouring tube 9e. An engagement protrusion 10d that engages with the claw portion 9h is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lid outer peripheral wall 10b. A hinge portion 10e that is integrally connected to the outer peripheral wall 9b of the cap body 9 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lid outer peripheral wall 10b. Note that although the lid 10 in this embodiment is integrally connected to the cap body 9, it may be provided separately from the cap body 9 and detachably attached to the cap body 9 by a screw or an undercut.

In each of the components in this form, the inside plug 5, the spout valve 6, the air valve 7, and the moving valve 8 can be assembled as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the moving valve 8 is inserted into the cylindrical wall 5c of the inside plug 5, and the air valve 7 is placed on the rib 5g, and then the first annular wall 6a of the spout valve 6 is inserted into the inside of the annular recess 5e. By assembling in this manner, these can be handled as one component. In addition, the air valve 7 and the moving valve 8 will not fall off even if the assembled components are turned upside down, improving workability. In addition, the second valve body 7b of the air valve 7 is provided in the vertical center of the second annular wall 7a, and can be attached to the inside plug 5 regardless of the vertical direction, so this also provides excellent workability. Then, the assembled components can be inserted into the inside of the cap body 9 and fitted together to form the spout cap 4. Although multiple types of cap bodies 9 may be prepared depending on the design, etc., there is also the advantage that the assembled components described above can be used in common.

Then, the pouring cap 4 is attached to the container body 1 filled with the liquid content, thereby forming the double container shown in FIG. 1. An air passage (communication passage) is formed inside the pouring cap 4, which connects the outside air inlet 9g to the vent 3e. The communication passage in this embodiment passes through the outside air inlet 9g, through the gap between the second valve body 7b separated from the lower surface of the flange portion 6d and the flange portion 6d, via the gap between the multiple ribs 5g and the communication opening 5h, and further through the spiral gap (or the gap due to the notch 3f) formed between the male thread portion 3d and the female thread portion 9c to the vent 3e.

In the double container having such a configuration, the internal space N is pressurized by pressing the body of the outer layer 3, and the pressure of the filling space S increases, so that the liquid content in the filling space S flows from the liquid content communication port 5b through the gap around the connecting piece 6c into the inside of the first annular wall 6a while raising the first valve body 6b, and is poured out from the pouring outlet 9d through the inside of the pouring tube 9e. Here, the above-mentioned communication passage connecting the vent 3e and the outside air inlet 9g is in a non-communicating state with the lower surface of the flange portion 6d and the tip of the second valve body 7b in airtight contact, so that the air in the internal space N does not leak out to the outside world. In addition, when the container body 1 is displaced to a tilted position to pour out the liquid content, the movable valve 8 in the cylindrical wall 5c moves to the first valve body 6b side (the position shown by the broken line in Figure 1) due to its own weight and the liquid content flowing in from the opening on the lower side of the cylindrical wall 5c.

After that, when the pressure on the outer layer body 3 is released and the body starts to restore, the volume of the internal space N increases, and the internal space N becomes decompressed. As a result, the tip of the second valve body 7b separates from the lower surface of the flange portion 6d, and the air introduced from the outside air inlet 9g is introduced into the internal space N through the above-mentioned communication passage. This allows the outer layer body 3 to be restored while the inner layer body 2 remains in a reduced volume. The air valve 7 of this embodiment is made of a material that has a smaller bending elasticity modulus and is softer than the material constituting the spout valve 6, so that the tip of the second valve body 7b is more likely to separate from the lower surface of the flange portion 6d when air is introduced into the internal space N than in the conventional case in which the spout valve and the air valve are made of the same material. For this reason, even if the tip of the second valve body 7b presses against the lower surface of the flange portion 6d more strongly than expected due to, for example, variations in the part shape or variations during assembly, the outer layer body 3 can be restored with good stability. Also, compared to conventional valves, there is less risk of the tip of the second valve body 7b repeatedly coming into contact with and separating from the underside of the flange portion 6d when air is introduced into the internal space N, which helps to reduce noise.

When the pressure on the outer layer 3 is released, the pressure in the filling space S returns to its original state and the first valve body 6b sits on the upper surface of the partition wall 5a, preventing outside air from flowing into the filling space S from the liquid communication port 5b. When the liquid contents are poured out and the container body 1 is displaced to its original upright position, the moving valve 8 moves downward due to its own weight and the drop in pressure in the filling space S. This creates a space on the upper inside of the cylindrical wall 5c by the amount of the moving valve 8 moved, so that the liquid contents equivalent to this space can be pulled back from the pouring tube 9e into the cylindrical wall 5c (suck-back function), effectively preventing dripping from the pouring tube 9e. The moving valve 8 that has moved downward sits on the reduced-diameter lower part of the cylindrical wall 5c, preventing outside air from flowing into the filling space S from the cylindrical wall 5c.

Although the double container dispensing cap and the double container according to the present invention have been described above in accordance with specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. For example, in order to exercise the function of the air valve 7, it is preferable to abut the tip of the second valve body 7b against the underside of the flange portion 6d, since it can be handled as one member as described above, but the tip of the second valve body 7b may also abut against the inner surface of the cap body 9 or against the inner plug 5 (for example, by providing the inner plug 5 with something similar to the flange portion 6d). In addition, the second valve body 7b is a ring-shaped body extending around the entire circumference of the second annular wall 7a in the above-mentioned embodiment, but it may also be partially provided around the second annular wall 7a, while the other portions are configured to be sealed, so that the function of the air valve 7 is exercised.

1: Container body 2: Inner layer 3: Outer layer 3a: Mouth portion 3b: Upper portion 3c: Lower portion 3d: Male thread portion 3e: Vent 3f: Notch 4: Pour-out cap 5: Inside plug 5a: Partition wall 5b: Communication port for content liquid 5c: Cylindrical wall 5d: Sealing wall 5e: Annular recess 5f: Outer edge wall 5g: Rib 5h: Communication opening 6: Pour-out valve 6a: First annular wall 6b: First valve body 6c: Connecting piece 6d: F Lunge portion 7: Air valve 7a: Second annular wall 7b: Second valve body 8: Movable valve 9: Cap body 9a: Top wall 9b: Outer peripheral wall 9c: Female thread portion 9d: Spout outlet 9e: Spout tube 9f: Annular recess 9g: Outside air inlet 9h: Claw portion 10: Lid body 10a: Top wall 10b: Lid body outer peripheral wall 10c: Sealing tube 10d: Engagement protrusion 10e: Hinge portion N: Internal space O: Central axis S: Filling space

Claims (2)

A pouring cap for a double container is attached to a container body having an inner layer body having a filling space for accommodating a liquid content, and an outer layer body defining an internal space between the inner layer body and the outer layer body and having an air hole communicating with the internal space, and the pouring cap pours the liquid content of the filling space from a pouring outlet by pressing the outer layer body,
a cap body that is attached to the outer layer body while covering the vent hole, has the spout and an outside air inlet that communicates with the vent hole;
an inside plug provided inside the cap body and having a content liquid communication port that communicates the filling space with the pouring outlet;
a pouring valve capable of opening and closing the content liquid communication port and blocking the flow of the content liquid from the pouring outlet toward the filling space while allowing the flow of the content liquid from the filling space toward the pouring outlet;
an air valve that is capable of coming into contact with and being separated from the spout valve and that blocks the flow of air from the vent port toward the outside air inlet port while allowing the flow of air from the outside air inlet port toward the vent port;
The inside plug includes a partition wall that closes the filling space, and an outer edge wall that extends upward from an outer edge of the partition wall,
The cap body has a top wall located above the spout valve and the air valve,
the pouring valve includes a first annular wall surrounding the content liquid communication port and held by the inner plug, a first valve body elastically supported by the first annular wall on a radially inner side of the first annular wall and capable of opening and closing the content liquid communication port, and a flange portion extending radially outward from the first annular wall and constantly in contact with a lower surface of the top wall,
The air valve includes a second annular wall located radially outward from the flange portion and held by the inner plug, and a second valve body extending radially inward from the second annular wall and capable of contacting and separating from the lower surface of the flange portion and having a thickness smaller than that of the flange portion, and is made of a material having a bending elastic modulus smaller than that of a material constituting the spout valve,
the second annular wall is fitted onto the inner periphery of the outer edge wall, and the flange portion is brought into contact with the second valve body from above, so that the air valve is held by the inner plug between the flange portion and the partition wall,
When air is introduced through the outside air inlet, the second valve body is elastically deformed and moves away from the flange portion ,
a lower surface of the flange portion against which the second valve body abuts is located lower than an upper surface of the second annular wall,
The second valve body extends radially inward from the axial center of the second annular wall, and the air valve is formed symmetrically above and below the second valve body in a cross-sectional view . A double container comprising the container body and the pouring cap for a double container according to claim 1 .