JP7576314B2 - Screw-top container - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act The product in question was wholesaled to Franc Franc Co., Ltd. on December 25, 2020 and sold.

The present invention relates to screw-top containers, which are often used as liquid containers such as spray bottles and beverage bottles, and in particular to a technology for preventing unintentional loosening of a cap screwed onto the screw top.

Publicly known technologies for preventing caps screwed onto screw-top containers from coming loose are disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3.

In the container described in Patent Document 1, a locking projection is provided on the male thread of the container's mouth, and an anti-loosening projection is provided on the female thread of the cap. When the cap is completely screwed onto the mouth, the two projections engage, making the cap less likely to come loose.

In the container described in Document 2, a downward projection is provided near the end of at least one thread of the multiple-start male thread of the container opening. In addition, a lower thread is provided in at least one thread groove of the female thread of the cap. When the cap is fully screwed onto the opening, the downward projection presses the cap's thread downward, and the cap's additional thread presses the opening's thread horizontally, making the cap less likely to come loose.

In the container described in Patent Document 3, at least three protrusions are provided at approximately equal intervals in the valley portion connected to the lowest male thread of the male thread at the mouth. When the cap is completely screwed onto the mouth, the protrusions come into contact with the threads of the cap and push the cap outward, making it difficult for the cap to come loose.

JP 2015-030483 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-292111 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-19949

One objective of the present invention is to provide a new screw-top configuration for a screw-top container that effectively prevents a cap screwed onto the screw-top from loosening.

According to one embodiment, a container with a screw cap has a body for containing an object, a cylindrical mouth for inserting and removing the object from the body, a screw thread on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth, and a plurality of protrusions for preventing loosening that are scattered on the thread groove on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth. The height of all of the plurality of protrusions for preventing loosening is less than the height of the screw thread.

All of the multiple loosening prevention protrusions are disposed within a front region that corresponds to an angular range of 180 degrees around the central axis on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth. In a back region that corresponds to an angular range of 180 degrees on the opposite side of the front region on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth, there are no protrusions that are equivalent in function and configuration to the loosening prevention protrusions. Furthermore, the multiple loosening prevention protrusions are scattered within an angular range that extends from 90 degrees to 180 degrees around the central axis within the front region.

In one embodiment of a screw-top container, the two threads run parallel to each other in a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the top. At least one or all of the multiple anti-loosening protrusions bridge the two parallel threads.

In one embodiment of a screw-top container, the threads rotate around the outer periphery of the top by 1.5 to 2.0 revolutions. All of the multiple loosening prevention protrusions are scattered within an angular range in which the two threads run parallel to each other. In an angular range in which only one thread runs, there is no protrusion equivalent in function and configuration to the loosening prevention protrusion.

A screw-top container according to one embodiment has three or more anti-loosening projections. Along the thread groove, the spacing between adjacent anti-loosening projections closer to the end of the thread is shorter than the spacing between adjacent anti-loosening projections closer to the beginning of the thread.

In one embodiment of a screw-top container, the distance along the thread groove between the anti-loosening projection closest to the start end of the thread and the start end is greater than the distance between the anti-loosening projection closest to the end end of the thread and the end end.

In one embodiment of the screw-top container, the height of the plurality of anti-loosening projections is approximately half the height of the threads.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the mouth of a screw-top container according to one embodiment. 1 shows a rear view of the mouth of the container. The cross-sectional view of the mouth of the container taken along the X-X line along the screw groove (see Figures 1 and 2) is shown. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the wall of the mouth of the container taken along line Y-Y (see FIG. 3) passing through the protrusion.

The following describes one embodiment of a screw-top container (hereafter simply referred to as the container).

Figures 1 and 2 show a front view and a back view, respectively, of the mouth 3 of a container 1 according to one embodiment. Also, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the mouth 3 of the container 1 taken along line X-X (see Figures 1 and 2) along the screw groove 8. Figure 4 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the side wall of the mouth 3 of the container 1 taken along line Y-Y (see Figure 3) passing through one protrusion 9.

In addition, in the cross-sectional view of Figure 3, the first half of the thread 7 from the starting end 71, which is not actually visible, is shown by an imaginary line using a dashed line.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container 1 has a hollow body 2 for containing an object such as a liquid, and an opening 3 for putting the object into the body 2 or removing the object from the body 2.

The mouth 3 has a cylinder 5 connected to the main body 2, whose inner space communicates with the space inside the main body 2, and a single thread 7 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder 5. The thread 7 allows the mouth 3 to function as a male screw. A cap (not shown) that functions as a female screw can be screwed into the mouth 3.

The number of revolutions from the start 71 to the end 72 of the thread 7 that rotates around the outer periphery of the mouth 3 is substantially 1.5 to 2.0 revolutions. In other words, the number of revolutions of the cap required to completely screw the cap onto the mouth 3 is substantially 1.5 to 2.0 revolutions. With this number of revolutions, the user does not feel particularly bothered by the rotation operation when screwing the cap onto the mouth 3 or unscrewing it, and the components for preventing the cap from loosening, which will be described later, can achieve the expected effect.

If the number of cap rotations required for full screwing is more than 2.0 rotations, the user will find it troublesome to rotate the cap. If the number of cap rotations required for full screwing is less than 1.5 rotations, the effect of preventing the cap from loosening, which will be described later, may be reduced.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the number of turns of the thread 7 from the start end 71 to the end end 72 is just over 1.5 turns (just under 1.6 turns), but this is only one practical example. The number of turns of the thread 7 may be increased to approximately 2.0 turns (the state in FIG. 3 where the start end 71 and the end end 72 are almost overlapping).

The cap that can be screwed onto the mouth 3 may be a simple lid cap that only closes the mouth 3, or a spray cap with a spray mechanism that can suck up the liquid object in the container 3 and spray it to the outside, or a cap for other purposes. When a cap that is not cylindrical in overall shape, such as some types of spray caps, is screwed onto the mouth 3, a rotational force unintended by the user is likely to be applied to the cap when the container 1 is used or transported. Such a rotational force applied to the cap may cause the screwing between the mouth 3 and the cap to unintentionally loosen.

To prevent such unintentional loosening of the cap, the mouth 3 further includes the components described below.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, one or more protrusions 9 are provided scattered on the thread groove 8 on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 3. In one embodiment, for example, three protrusions 9A, 9B, and 9C are provided, but this is one practical example, and a design with more or less than three protrusions is also possible. These protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) serve to prevent the cap screwed onto the mouth 3 from loosening, as will be explained below.

The height of these projections 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) is lower than the height of the thread 7 on the outer circumference of the mouth 3, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. This ensures the screwing function between the cap and the mouth 3. In one embodiment, the height of the projections 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) is approximately half the height of the thread 7, but this is one practical example, and the former may be lower than half the latter, or may be higher than half. In the dimensional design used for bottle products of popular sizes (e.g., with a capacity of about several hundred cc) in which both the cap and the mouth 3 are made of plastic and are available on the general consumer market as beverage bottles and spray bottles, the height of the thread 7 of the mouth 3 is approximately 2 mm. In such a dimensional design, it is preferable that the height of the projections 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) is approximately half the height of the thread 7 in order to ensure both the screwing function and the loosening prevention function.

All of the projections 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) for preventing loosening are scattered within a region of the outer periphery of the mouth 3 that corresponds to an angular range of substantially 180 degrees around the central axis of the mouth 3, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. On the other hand, within a region of the outer periphery of the mouth 3 that corresponds to an angular range of substantially 180 degrees on the opposite side to the front region (for example, the back region shown in Figure 2), there are no components that are functionally or structurally equivalent to the projections 9 for preventing loosening (9A, 9B, and 9C).

In this way, all of the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are scattered within a region (hereinafter referred to as the front region) that spans a range of 180 degrees around the central axis of the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 3, so that when the cap is screwed onto the mouth 3, the threads of the cap ride on the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C), and the cap is pushed in the outer diameter direction of the front region side of the mouth 3. As a result, the cap is attracted to the region (hereinafter referred to as the back region) on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 3 that does not have any protrusions on the opposite side to the front region, over a wide range that is close to the entire 180-degree angular range. As a result, frictional forces are generated between the multiple protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) of the mouth 3 and the threads of the cap in the front region, and frictional forces are generated between the mouth 3 and the cap over a wide range that is close to the 180-degree angular range in the back region, so that the cap is less likely to loosen from the mouth 3.

To achieve this loosening prevention effect, it is preferable that both or at least one of the cap and mouth 3 be made of a material that has both flexibility and elasticity properties, such as plastic.

In one embodiment of the container 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the angular range around the central axis of the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 2 on which the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are dotted (in other words, the angular range between the two furthest protrusions 9A and 9C) is approximately 150 degrees, but this is one practical example and this angular range may be greater or less than 150 degrees.

However, as mentioned above, in order to obtain the effect of pulling the cap towards the front region of the mouth 3 and pressing the cap against a wide area of the back region, making the cap less likely to come loose, it is preferable that the angular range in which the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) on the outer periphery of the mouth 3 are scattered (in other words, between the two furthest protrusions 9A and 9C) is 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less, and it is undesirable for the protrusions 9 to be densely packed in a narrower range than that. More preferably, the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are scattered in an angular range that is 120 degrees or more and 180 degrees or more.

When three or more protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are scattered on the front region of the outer periphery of the mouth 3, the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) may be equally spaced (i.e., the spacing between adjacent protrusions 9 may be equal at every location) or may be unequally spaced (i.e., the spacing between adjacent protrusions 9 may vary depending on the location).

In one embodiment, the distance between the two adjacent protrusions 9B and 9C located closer to the terminal end 72 of the thread 7 is somewhat shorter than the distance between the two adjacent protrusions 9A and 9B located closer to the beginning end 71 of the thread 7 along the thread groove 8. In other words, the distance between the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) along the thread groove 8 is somewhat shorter closer to the terminal end 72 of the thread than closer to the beginning end 71 (i.e., the closer to the terminal end 72, the higher the density of the protrusions 9). As a result, the part of the thread of the cap that is screwed into the part of the thread 7 of the mouth 3 that is closer to the terminal end 72 of the thread 7 is pushed more strongly in the outer diameter direction than the part of the thread of the cap that is screwed into the part of the thread 7 of the mouth 3 that is closer to the beginning end 71 of the thread 7. This creates a force that pulls the cap toward the base end of the mouth 3 (i.e., downward). It is expected that this will ensure good adhesion between the cap and the opening at the upper end of the mouth 3.

Along the thread groove 8, the distance between the protrusion 9A located closest to the beginning end 71 of the thread 7 and the beginning end 71 (hereinafter referred to as the beginning end clearance distance) may or may not be equal to the distance between the protrusion 9C located closest to the end end 72 of the thread 7 and the end end 72 (hereinafter referred to as the end end clearance distance).

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the start margin distance is somewhat longer than the end margin distance. In other words, the angular range in which the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are provided is positioned closer to the end 71 of the ridge 7 than to the start 71. This ensures sufficient screwing between the mouth 3 and the cap at the start 71, and is expected to ensure good adhesion between the cap and the opening at the top of the mouth 3.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, all of the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) are scattered in an angular range in which two parallel threads 7 that rotate around the mouth 3 for 1.5 to 2.0 revolutions run. Conversely, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in an angular range in which only one thread 7 runs, no components functionally or structurally equivalent to the protrusions 9 are provided. This allows the cap to be attracted to the thread 7 in the area in which only one thread 7 runs, thereby compensating for the weak screwing performance of the single thread 7.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one (preferably all) of the protrusions 9 (9A, 9B, and 9C) is configured to bridge two parallel threads 7 (in other words, from one thread 7 to the other thread 7, the height is maintained at a predetermined height or higher without dropping to the level of the thread groove 8 or being interrupted). This provides the following effect. That is, if the cap screwed onto the mouth 3 unintentionally loosens slightly, the cap will wobble in the central axis direction (in other words, up and down direction) relative to the mouth 3 by the amount of play of the thread. However, even if such wobbling occurs, since the protrusion 9 bridges the upper and lower threads 5, the threads of the cap will not come off the protrusion 9, but will still ride on the protrusion 9 and will still be pushed up by the protrusion 9, preventing the cap from loosening further.

The embodiments described above are merely examples for the purpose of explanation, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms other than the above-described embodiments.

1. Screw-top container (container)
2 Body 3 Mouth 5 Cylinder 7 Thread 71 Starting end of thread 72 End of thread 8 Thread groove 9 (9A, 9B, 9C) Protrusion

Claims (6)

A container with a screw cap, comprising a body for accommodating an object, and a cylindrical mouth for inserting and removing the object accommodated in the body, the mouth having a screw thread on an outer peripheral surface thereof and a screw groove between two parallel threads,
The screw has three or more anti-loosening projections disposed on the thread groove on the outer peripheral surface of the screw;
The height of the three or more loosening prevention projections is lower than the height of the thread,
the three or more loosening prevention projections are distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth within a first angular range extending from 90 degrees to 180 degrees around a central axis,
a protrusion equivalent in function and configuration to the loosening suppression protrusion is not present within a second angle range outside the first angle range around the central axis on the outer circumferential surface of the port;
A container with a screw cap is configured such that , when the mouth and the cap are screwed together , the threads of the cap ride on each of the three or more anti-loosening protrusions of the mouth, and the three or more anti-loosening protrusions push the cap in the outward radial direction. The screw-top container according to claim 1,
The three or more loosening prevention projections bridge the two parallel threads.
Screw-top container. The screw-top container according to any one of claims 1 to 2,
In an area other than the screw groove between the two parallel threads, there is no protrusion equivalent in function and configuration to the loosening suppression protrusion.
Screw-top container. The container with a screw cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A distance between adjacent anti-loosening projections located closer to a terminal end of the thread is shorter than a distance between adjacent anti-loosening projections located closer to a starting end of the thread along the thread groove.
Screw-top container. The container with a screw cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Along the thread groove, the distance between the loosening prevention protrusion located closest to the start end of the thread and the start end is longer than the distance between the loosening prevention protrusion located closest to the end end of the thread and the end end.
Screw-top container. The screw-top container according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The height of the three or more anti-loosening projections is approximately half the height of the thread.
Screw-top container.

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