Receptacles – Closures – With closure opening arrangements for means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-15
2002-07-23
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
With closure opening arrangements for means
C222S081000, C222S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422412
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a container having a cap.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, a container having a cap, which includes a container body and a cap, has been provided (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 7-277324).
FIG. 1
is a sectional view of a main portion of the conventional container having a cap.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a cap composed of a cover-receiving flange portion
5
and a cover plate
3
is attached to a top panel of a container body
1
. The cover plate
3
is supported pivotally with respect to the cover-receiving flange portion
5
while a hinge portion
2
serves as a fulcrum, so that the cover plate
3
can be opened and closed in the direction indicated by the arrow of FIG.
1
. When the cover plate
3
is first opened, a user holds an end portion of a seal
4
and pulls it off. The container is thus unsealed while the cover plate
3
is opened. Thus, the user can pour out the contents; i.e., liquid food, from a discharge opening
1
A.
The cover-receiving flange portion
5
is disposed on the top panel of the container body
1
along the upper circumferential edge of the discharge opening
1
A. The cover-receiving flange portion
5
engages with a hook portion
3
A formed along the circumferential edge of the cover plate
3
against their mutual repellent force, thereby establishing a state in which the cover plate
3
is reclosed.
Next, another conventional container having a cap will be described (refer to Japanese Kohyo (PCT) Patent Publication No. 9-501890).
FIG. 2
is a sectional view of a main portion of the other conventional container having a cap.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, a cap composed of a base flange
15
, a movable cylinder
16
, and a screw cap
17
is attached to the top panel of a container body
11
. Before the container is unsealed, a discharge opening
11
A formed in the top panel of the container body
11
is sealed by means of a seal
12
. The base flange
15
whose lower portion is formed into a flange portion
13
and whose upper portion is formed into a cylindrical portion
14
integrated with the flange portion
13
is fixedly attached to an upper circumferential edge of the discharge opening
11
A.
A female screw
14
A is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion
14
, and a male screw
14
B is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion
14
. The movable cylinder
16
is fitted into the cylindrical portion
14
while being screw-engaged with the female screw
14
A. A pointed tip portion
16
A for rupturing the seal
12
is formed at the lower end of the movable cylinder
16
. A plurality of ribs
16
B extend vertically on the inner surface of the movable cylinder
16
.
The male screw
14
B is engaged with a female screw
17
B formed on the inner surface of the screw cap
17
. A plurality of arms
17
A are projected within the screw cap
17
, extending downward from the top panel of the screw cap
17
. When the screw cap
17
is rotated in a tightening direction, the arms
17
A engage with the ribs
16
B. Thus, as the screw cap
17
is rotated, the movable cylinder
16
is rotated to be moved downward along the cylindrical portion
14
to a predetermined position.
Before the container is unsealed, the pointed tip portion
16
A is located above the seal
12
. When the screw cap
17
is rotated in the tightening direction in order to unseal the container, the pointed tip portion
16
A ruptures the seal
12
. Subsequently, the screw cap
17
is rotated in an opening direction to thereby be removed from the cylindrical portion
14
.
When the screw cap
17
is rotated in the opening direction, the arms
17
A do not engage with the ribs
16
B, but slide on the ribs
16
B. For that purpose, a slope portion is formed on at least one of the end faces of the ribs
16
B and arms
17
A.
The above-described containers having a cap involve the following problems. In the case of the container shown in
FIG. 1
, after the cover plate
3
is opened, the seal
4
must be pulled off in order to unseal the container; i.e., troublesome work is involved. Also, when the cover plate
3
is closed in such a manner that engagement between the cover-receiving flange portion
5
and the hook portion
3
A is incomplete, resealability is impaired, causing leakage of liquid food from inside the container.
In the case of the container having a cap shown in
FIG. 2
, the seal
12
can be ruptured by rotating the screw cap
17
in the tightening direction, and the screw cap
17
can be removed from the cylindrical portion
14
through rotation in the opening direction. That is, the screw cap
17
can be opened or closed by means of a simple operation. However, a plurality of ribs
16
B must be formed on the inner surface of the movable cylinder
16
, and a plurality of arms
17
A must be projected within the screw cap
17
in such a manner as to extend downward from the top panel of the screw cap
17
. Not only does the structure of the movable cylinder
16
and the screw cap
17
become complicated, but also the cost of the container increases.
Particularly, in order to prevent the arms
17
A from sliding idly on the ribs
16
B when the screw cap
17
is tightened, the arms
17
A must be rendered rigid, thereby requiring the designer to consider, for example, the material, structure, and strength of the arms
17
A. Thus, the cost of the container is further increased.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems involved in the conventional containers having a cap, and to provide a container having a cap capable of simplifying an unsealing operation, improving resealability against leakage of the contents thereof, and reducing cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a container having a cap comprising a container body having a rupture portion for forming a discharge opening, and a cap attached to the container body in correspondence to the rupture portion.
The cap comprises an annular base member fixedly attached to the container body; a screw cap; and a retainer comprising an unsealing member formed at a tip for rupturing the rupture portion, a first screw-engagement portion defined in cooperation with the base member, and a second screw-engagement portion defined in cooperation with the screw cap.
The first and second screw-engagement portions have screw-engagement directions opposite to each other.
The screw cap and the retainer include a rotation control portion, which inhibits relative rotation therebetween when a force not greater than an allowable value is applied thereto and which permits relative rotation therebetween when a force greater than the allowable value is applied thereto.
After the rupture portion is ruptured, the retainer is moved axially by a predetermined amount and is then stopped by stop means.
When the screw cap is rotated for removal, the retainer is advanced, since relative rotation between the screw cap and the retainer is inhibited. As a result, the unsealing member ruptures the rupture portion, thereby forming a discharge opening.
Upon axial advancement of a predetermined amount, the retainer is stopped by the stop means. Subsequently, when the screw cap is rotated further, relative rotation between the screw cap and the retainer is permitted, so that the screw cap can be removed.
As described above, simply by rotating the screw cap counterclockwise, the rupture portion is ruptured to thereby unseal the container, whereby an unsealing operation can be simplified. Also, simply by rotating the screw cap clockwise, the cap can be closed, whereby resealability can be improved to thereby prevent leakage of the contents of the container. Since the structure of the retainer and screw cap can be simplified, the cost of the container can be reduced.
Once the container is unsealed while the screw cap is removed therefrom, screw engagement at the first screw-engagement portion becomes deep. Therefore, even when the screw cap is tightened, the container cannot be restored to the initial state
Lorusso & Loud
Newhouse Nathan J.
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
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