Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1
CONTAINER WITH A COVER
The present invention relates to a container with a cover for containing a
beverage or the like therein, particularly to the one that makes it possible
to drink a
beverage in a container body with a cover body thereof being closed.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, as a container with a cover of this kind, there has been
disclosed a cover for beverage container comprising a rim formed on a cover
plate; a
spout formed on one side of the cover plate adjacent to the rim, said cover
plate being
formed so as to be inclined toward the one side; an opening and closing cap
that is to
open and close the spout and provided with an operation part on the tip of an
upper
surface thereof, said opening and closing cap being provided on the upper
surface of
the cover plate in a manner capable of rotating through a bearing; a cutout
formed at a
part of said rim opposed to the spout so that when the opening and closing cap
is
opened, the cutout may allow the cap to be retracted therein, wherein said
opening and
closing cap is engageable with and disengageable from said cutout, such that
said
opening and closing cap can be kept in an opened condition by retracting said
opening
and closing cap in said cutout and then engaging the same therewith after
opening the
opening and closing cap, as disclosed in for example, Japanese unexamined
patent
application publication No. H07-95907
According to the conventional art, when the opening and closing cap is in a
closed condition, the spout is closed through the engagement of a closing part
with a
locking protrusion of the spout; the locking protrusion is provided at both
sides of the
opening and closing cap; and when closing the opening and closing cap, the
locking
protrusion is engaged with the cover plate, while when opening the opening and
closing cap, the locking protrusion is engaged with a side surface at either
side of the
cutout.
Further, as another conventional art is known a beverage container with a
grip,
comprising: a male screw part composed of a double conical helix provided
adjacent
to an upper opening of a container body on a peripheral outer wall surface
thereof; and
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a female screw part that engages with said male screw part and is provided on
an inner
peripheral surface of a cover body member having a cover plate covering the
upper
opening, wherein a starting point of the male screw part bearing the tip of
the female
screw part of the cover member is provided at a corresponding opposite
position on
the peripheral outer wall of the container body, while a terminal point
thereof bearing
the tip of the female screw part of the cover member and regulating the screw-
in
operation of the cover member is provided at another corresponding opposite
position
on the peripheral outer wall of the container body, such that a spout is
arranged at any
one of positions displaced by approximately 90 degrees relative to said grip,
thereby
enabling the position of the spout to be adjusted to an optimal position,
depending
on with which of the right and left hands the grip is held, as disclosed for
example,
Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. H07-251854.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
According to the former conventional art, due to each locking part at the
fully
closing position and/or fully opening position being comparatively distant
from the
axis of rotation of the opening and closing cap, the distance between a
rotating shaft
and each locking part differs relatively little from the distance between the
rotating
shaft and the operation part of the opening and closing cap, thus leading to
concerns
about relatively high operational load resistance being required of fingers in
order to
obtain a torque necessary for locking and unlocking operation at each locking
part.
Further, the provision of the locking part at the spout could cause some
problems such as disturbance in steady outpouring of beverage, occurrence of
an
unsanitary dirty pooling, etc. At the same time, from necessity of providing
the cutout
and locking part to allow the retracting of the opening and closing cap at the
time of
the full open, the protruding length of the rim at both sides of the cutout
becomes
relatively great in order to ensure a sufficient vertical length of the
cutout, resulting in
a possibility of decreased operability such as the accidental hitting of nose
or the
interrupting of a field of front vision when drinking. In addition, according
to the
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former conventional art, an unsanitary condition may be caused by touching a
tap with
one's hand at the time of opening and closing operation of the cap or the
cover,
because the tap (the periphery of the rim) is always exposed to the outside.
According to the latter conventional art, the operation for opening and
closing
the cover due to the screwing structure is troublesome, and the uneven
structure of the
screw part can cause a sanitary problem such as deposit of dirt. Because of
the double
conical helix structure, the spout is always located in a direction at 90
degrees relative
to the grip, yet there is a concern about the inconvenience in use being
caused because
a resultant direction can sometimes be in a 180-degree opposite direction
relative to
an intended direction. There is another concern that it is not possible to
make fine
adjustment to satisfy a user's personal preference of direction, for example
such
personal preference that the spout or the tap should be located obliquely at
60 degrees
relative to the grip.
An object of the invention is to realize a facile opening and closing
operation,
by reducing a torque required for locking and unlocking of the opening and
closing
cap associated with the full opening and the full closing thereof, so as to
perform
those actions at reduced operational load resistance. Another object of the
invention is
to eliminate the possibility of touching the tap with one's hand, i.e.,
touching the outer
periphery of the rim in any direction whatsoever, when fully closing the
opening and
closing cap. A further object of the invention is to allow the mounting of the
tap or
spout of a cover body so that the opening and closing cap may be turned in a
desired
direction.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
The invention according to a first aspect of the invention is a container with
a
cover comprising:
a container body having an upper opening;
a cover body detachably covering said upper opening, said cover body
including a cover plate detachably mounted at said upper opening and formed
with a
spout at a front portion thereof adjacent to a rim; and an opening and closing
cap
covering said spout, said opening and closing cap being provided in a manner
capable
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of rotating in a front to back direction through a rotating shaft provided on
either side
of said cover plate,
wherein said rotating shaft is protruded from either side of said opening and
closing cap, while a bearing for said rotating shaft is provided on said cover
plate, and
wherein a lock receiving portion is provided in the vicinity of one of said
rotating shaft and said bearing, while a locking portion for full closing is
provided in
the vicinity of the other thereof to lock said lock receiving portion.
The invention according to a second aspect of the invention is a container
with
a cover comprising:
a container body having an upper opening;
a cover body detachably covering said upper opening, said cover body
including a cover plate detachably mounted at said upper opening and formed
with a
spout at a front portion thereof adjacent to a rim; and an opening and closing
cap
covering said spout, said opening and closing cap being provided in a manner
capable
of rotating in a front to back direction through a rotating shaft provided on
either side
of said cover plate,
wherein said rotating shaft is protruded from either side of said opening and
closing cap, while a bearing for said rotating shaft is provided on said cover
plate, and
wherein a lock receiving portion is provided in the vicinity of one of said
rotating shaft and said bearing, while a locking portion for full opening is
provided in
the vicinity of the other thereof to lock said lock receiving portion.
The invention according to a third aspect of the invention is a container with
a
cover comprising:
a container body having an upper opening;
a cover body detachably covering said upper opening, said cover body
including a cover plate detachably mounted at said upper opening and formed
with a
spout at a front portion thereof adjacent to a rim; and an opening and closing
cap
covering said spout, said opening and closing cap being provided in a manner
capable
of rotating in a front to back direction through a rotating shaft provided on
either side
of said cover plate,
wherein said rotating shaft is protruded from either side of said opening and
closing cap, while a bearing for said rotating shaft is provided on said cover
plate, and
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wherein a lock receiving portion is provided in the vicinity of one of said
rotating shaft and said bearing, while a locking portion for full opening or
full closing
is provided in the vicinity of the other thereof to selectively lock said lock
receiving
portion.
The invention according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the container
with a cover according to any one of first to third aspects, wherein said
bearing is
provided on an inner peripheral surface of said cover plate, while said lock
receiving
portion is provided on said inner peripheral surface in the vicinity of said
bearing, and
wherein said rotating shaft is provided on an outer peripheral surface of said
opening
and closing cap, while said locking portion is provided on said outer
peripheral
surface adjacent to said rotating shaft.
The invention according to a fifth aspect of the invention is the container
with
a cover according to any one of the foregoing aspects, wherein said cover
plate
comprises an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate so that said bearing is
divided
into two parts above and below, and said upper cover plate and said lower
cover plate
are integrated with each other with said rotating shaft sandwiched
therebetween.
The invention according to a sixth aspect of the invention is the container
with
a cover according to any one of the foregoing aspects, further comprising an
operation
part provided on an upper surface of said opening and closing cap, said
operation part
being provided at a side located a distance away from said rotating shaft and
provided
with a tap-protective protrusion capable of covering the outer periphery of
said rim.
The invention according to a seventh aspect of the invention is the container
with a cover according to the sixth aspect, further comprising a grip provided
on an
outer peripheral surface of said container body, wherein a protruding length
of said
tap-protective protrusion is greater than a height from a top edge of said rim
to a top
of said grip.
The invention according to an eighth aspect of the invention is the container
with a cover according to any one of the foregoing aspects, wherein said cover
plate
slants so that one side thereof is lower than the other side.
The invention according to a ninth aspect of the invention is the container
with a cover according to any one of the foregoing aspects, wherein either one
or both
of said locking portion and lock receiving portion is/are formed from an
elastic
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member, and said locking portion engages with said lock receiving portion by
getting
over said lock receiving portion.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the first aspect of
the
invention, an arm length in the torque required for locking and unlocking
associated
with the full closing action of the opening and closing cap can be
substantially
reduced as compared with an arm length in the operation moment.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the second aspect of
the
invention, an arm length in the torque required for locking and unlocking
associated
with the full opening action of the opening and closing cap can be
substantially
reduced as compared with an arm length in the operation moment.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the third aspect of
the
invention, the opening and closing operation part can be operated with
decreased
operational load resistance, enabling a facile opening operation.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the fourth aspect of
the
invention, the structures of the rotating shaft and the bearing can be
simplified.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the fifth aspect of
the
invention, the rotating shaft can be assembled with the same being sandwiched
between the two components of the bearing above and below.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the sixth aspect of
the
invention, when the opening and closing cap is closed, the protective
protrusion
covers the tap and thus it can be kept in a sanitary condition.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the seventh aspect of
the invention, the protective protrusion gets stranded on the grip and lifted
off from
the fixed position, thus enabling a user to know the tap is directed to the
grip.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the eighth aspect of
the
invention, drinking water on the cover plate is allowed to drop from the spout
into the
container body.
According to the container with a cover as set forth in the ninth aspect of
the
invention, engagement of the lock receiving part with the full-closing locking
part or
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the full-opening locking part is ensured, utilizing elasticity and elastic
restoring force.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an opening and closing cap in a
closed condition according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the opening and closing cap in an
opened condition according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the opening and closing cap in
a closed condition according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the opening and closing cap in
an opened condition according to the embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a cover body according to the
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a front view showing the embodiment of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described with reference
to the accompanying drawings. Here, the embodiments described below do not
limit
the contents of the present invention described in claims. Further, all
structures
described bellow are not always the essential requirements of the present
invention.
The drawings represent an embodiment of the invention, and a front side in a
cover body shows a tap side. A beverage container comprises a cuplike
container body
1 and a cover body 2 fitted on the container body 1. The cover body 2 covers
an upper
opening 3 of the container body 1. The container body 1 is so structured as to
make a
space between a bottomed outer container 4 and a bottomed inner container 5,
which
are integrated together, evacuated and heat-insulated. A bottom member 6 and a
shoulder member 7 are provided on the bottom and in a periphery of the upper
opening 3, respectively. The cover body 2 is detachably fitted into the upper
opening 3.
Then, the container body 1 is provided with a grip 8. The grip 8 is so
structured that a
handgrip 11 is vertically coupled to both ends of an upper horizontal portion
9 and a
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lower horizontal portion 10 that protrude integrally from the outside of the
bottom
member 6 and the shoulder member 7, respectively.
The cover body 2 comprises a cover plate 12 for covering the upper opening 3
of the container body 1 and an opening and closing cap 14 provided in a manner
capable of opening and closing a spout 13 formed in the cover plate 12. The
cover
plate 12 is formed with a peripheral wall 15 or rim at its periphery in a
standing
condition so that a planar view of the peripheral wall 15 becomes circular.
The
peripheral wall 15 is arranged in a protruding manner from an outer edge of
the cover
plate 12 to upper and lower portions thereof.
A liquid-tight packing 16 is fitted into a lower portion of an outer
circumferential surface 15A of the peripheral wall 15. By inserting the cover
plate 12
from the upper opening 3 of the container body 1 slightly to the bottom, the
lower
portion of the outer circumferential surface 15A of the peripheral wall 15 is
rotatably
fitted into the upper opening 3, and then the liquid-tight packing 16 is
fitted into an
inner circumferential surface 1B of the container body 1, thereby enabling the
liquid
to be prevented from leaking.
The cover plate 12 is aslope provided so that one side thereof adjacent to the
peripheral wall 15, i.e., a front side where the spout is situated becomes
low, whereas
a side opposite the side adjacent to the peripheral wall 15, i.e., a rear side
becomes
high. The front side of the cover plate 12 is formed with the spout 13 that
penetrates
vertically through the cover plate 12. The opening and closing cap 14 that
closes the
spout 13 and is L-shaped in cross section is provided on an upper surface of
the cover
plate 12 in a manner capable of rotating.
A front end of the spout 13 is arranged at a front side of an inner
circumferential surface 15B of the peripheral wall 15, whereas a rear end
thereof is
arranged at a rather front side than a central portion of the cover plate 12
or in a
substantially central portion. Further, both left and right edges of the spout
13 are
arranged so as to extend along the inner circumferential surface 15B.The spout
13 is
formed in a nearly elliptical shape in a planar view. An opening area of the
spout 13 is
formed comparatively large, accounting for about 20 to 50% of a superficial
area of
the cover plate 12, preferably about one third of that of the cover plate 12.
The opening and closing cap 14 is half-round in a planar view and a front edge
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14D of the cap is formed in a circular-arc shape along the inner
circumferential
surface 15B of the cover plate 12. A rear edge 14C is linearly formed like a
line
segment extending to the left and right so as to connect both ends of the
circular arc.
At left and right sides of an outer periphery 14A of the opening and closing
cap 14, a rotating shaft 17 is provided adjacent to the rear edge 14C in a
manner
protruding toward the left and the right directions, respectively. The
rotating shaft 17
is rotatably coupled to a bearing 18 provided at left and right portions of
the cover
plate 12, respectively. The bearing 18 is defined by holes 19 whose centers of
axle
18A are directed to the right and left, formed through an intermediary portion
in the
vertical direction on the inner circumferential surface 15B of the peripheral
wall 15.
Then, by inserting the rotating shaft 17 into the holes 19, the opening and
closing cap
14 can be turned in a manner capable of being tilted up and down.
A stopper mechanism 20 that selectively holds the opening and closing cap 14
either in a fully closed condition or in a fully opened condition is provided
in the
vicinity of the rotating shaft 17 and the bearing 18.
Next is a detailed description of the stopper mechanism 20. In the following
description, positional relationship is discussed based on the fully closed
condition of
the opening and closing cap 14. A lock receiving portion 21 is provided so as
to
protrude inward at the front side of the bearing 18 on the inner
circumferential surface
15B of the peripheral wall 15. An inward protruding length A of the lock
receiving
portion 21 is on the order of 0.1 to 1 mm, and the lock receiving portion 21
is
arranged slightly above an upper surface of the cover plate 12. A height B
from the
upper surface of the cover plate 12 to the lock receiving portion 21 is formed
smaller
than thickness C of the cover plate 12.
At the same time, a full-closing locking portion 22 and a full-opening locking
portion 23 which engage selectively with the lock receiving portion 21 are
provided in
the vicinity of the rotating shaft 7 in the opening and closing cap 14. When
the
opening and closing cap 14 is in the fully closed condition, the full-closing
locking
portion 22 is defined by a stepped portion 22A provided at a front side of the
rotating
shaft 17 on the outer circumferential surface 14A of the opening and closing
cap 14.
The stepped portion 22A for use in full closing has a depressed portion 22B
thereabove and a protrusion 22C therebelow. A boundary between these depressed
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portion 22B and protrusion 22C defines the stepped portion 22A. The full-
opening
locking portion 23 is defined by a stepped portion 23A for use in full opening
provided at a rear side of the rotating shaft 17. The stepped portion 23A for
full
opening has a depressed portion 23B thereabove and a protrusion 23C
therebelow. A
boundary between these depressed portion 23B and protrusion 23C defines the
stepped
portion 23A. Further, a region from the full-closing protrusion 22C to the
full-opening
protrusion 23C is connected together by an intermediate protrusion 24C
provided in a
manner getting around a downside of the rotating shaft 17. In addition, the
lock
receiving portion 21, the full-closing locking portion 22 and the full-opening
locking
portion 23 are formed from synthetic resin and therefore are elastic, so that
the full-
closing locking portion 22 and the full-opening locking portion 23 can get
over the
lock receiving portion 21 against the elastic force.
Further, an opening and closing operation part 25 is provided at a front side
of
an upper surface of the opening and closing cap 14. The opening and closing
operation
part 25 comprises a vertical portion 25A that rises from the upper surface of
the
opening and closing cap 14 along the inner circumferential surface 15B of the
peripheral wall 15 and a horizontal portion 25B that protrudes outward in a
manner
getting over an upper end of the peripheral wall 15 from an upper end side of
the
vertical portion 25A. The opening and closing cap 14 is allowed to rotate
about the
rotating shaft 17 into a closed or opened condition by lifting an edge of the
horizontal
portion 25B up and down with fingers. Then, a protective-protrusion 26 for
protecting
the tap that partially covers the outer circumferential surface 15A of the
peripheral
wall 15 is provided downward on a lower surface of the horizontal portion 25B.
The
upper end of the protective-protrusion 26 is provided rather inside of a tip
end of the
horizontal portion 25B to permit a finger operation on the edge of the
horizontal
portion 25B to be favorably practiced. Further, a vertical length D of the
protective-
protrusion 26 is formed larger than a vertical length E from an upper end of
the
peripheral wall 15 to the horizontal portion 9.
In addition, the cover plate 12 is formed into a one-piece structure by
joining
upper and lower cover plates 27, 28 together, and besides, the upper cover
plate 27 is
formed integrally with the peripheral wall 15. At a front section of the upper
cover
plate 27 and the lower cover plate 28, an upper spout 13A and a lower spout
13B are
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formed so as to communicate with each other. Between the upper cover plate 27
and
the lower cover plate 28, the aforesaid holes 19 are formed at the right and
left sides
to thereby form the bearings 18.
That is, an upward depression 19B formed by making a cutout upwardly is
formed in left and right portions at the outer edges of the upper cover plate
27,
respectively, and similarly, a downward depression 19A formed by making a
cutout
downwardly is formed in left and right portions at the outer edges of the
lower cover
plate 28, respectively. Then, by combining the upper cover plate 27 and the
lower
cover plate 28, the downward depressions 19A and the upward depressions 19B
are
coupled opposite to each other, so that the holes 19 are formed between the
downward
depressions 19A and the upward depressions 19B.
When assembling these plates, first, the rotating shaft 17 is placed on the
upward depressions 19B and then the lower cover plate 28 is fitted into the
upper
cover plate 27 from the downside of the upper cover plate 27, and thus the
downward
depressions 19A are pressed against the rotating shaft 17 from therebelow,
thus
rotatably providing the rotating shaft 17 in the holes 19. In addition, the
downward
depressions 19A are provided inside the peripheral wall 15 via a groove 29,
while an
outer circumferential surface A of the lower cover plate 28 is fitted into a
lower
portion of an inner circumferential surface B of the upper cover plate 27, and
then the
upward depressions 19B are fitted into the groove 29. As a result, the lower
cover
plate 28 is positioned in the upper cover plate 27, thus accurately forming
the holes 19.
In the full-opening position of the opening and closing cap 14, an auxiliary
locking portion 30 and an auxiliary lock receiving portion 31 that perform
auxiliary
locking action and give a user a locking click feeling are each provided on
the opening
and closing cap 14 and the peripheral wall 15 (at an opposed side to the tap).
Due to the structure thus made up, with the opening and closing cap 14 closed,
an underside of the opening and closing cap 14 closes the spout 13. Then, the
opening
and closing cap 14 is opened so as to be erected. Accordingly, when the
opening and
closing cap 14 is in a fully closed condition, the lock receiving portion 21
is opposed
to the depression 22B, and thus the stepped portion 22A for full closing is
brought in a
locked condition relative to the lock receiving portion 21, to thereby hold
the fully
closed condition of the opening and closing cap 14.
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Then, when the stepped portion 22A for full closing gets opposed to the lock
receiving portion 21 instead of the depressed portion 22B that had been
opposed
thereto, in association with a rotating action that makes the transition from
the fully
closed condition to the fully opened condition of the opening and closing cap
14, the
stepped portion 22A for full closing is subjected to slight elastic
deformation so as to
get over the lock receiving portion 21. Along with the further rotating action
of the
opening and closing cap 14, the opening and closing cap 14 disengages from the
lock
receiving portion 21. At this time, the intermediate protrusion 24C slides on
the lock
receiving portion 21 with the former pressed against the latter.
Accordingly, the intermediate protrusion 24C comes in press-contact with the
lock receiving portion 21, so that the opening and closing cap 14 is still
held in an
obliquely upward condition even if a user releases his/her hand with the
opening and
closing cap 14 being rotated to an obliquely upward position. Further, when
the
opening and closing cap 14 is further rotated to make transition to the full-
opening
state, the lock receiving portion 21 is allowed to drop in the depression 23B
for full
opening from the protrusion 23C that had been opposed to the lock receiving
portion
21 to get over the same, whereby the step portion 23A for full opening is
locked
relative to the lock receiving portion 21. As a result, the opening and
closing cap 14 is
held in the fully opened condition where the cap faces obliquely backwards.
Besides,
due to the opening action of the opening and closing cap 14, the protective-
protrusion
26 is raised to expose a front side of the peripheral wall 15. At this time,
the auxiliary
locking portion 30 locks supplementarily to the auxiliary locking receiving
portion 31,
giving a click feeling.
Then, when the container body 1 is tilted with one's mouth in contact with the
peripheral wall or rim 15 adjacent to the spout 13, one can drink drinking
water or
beverage inside the container body 1 from the spout 13. Additionally, one can
drink
the drinking water with a straw inserted into the spout 13. Then, when having
finished
drinking and then erecting the container body 1, drinking water on the cover
plate 12
falls from the spout 13 into the container body 1 since the cover plate 12
slants and
the spout 13 is formed at a lower side of the cover plate 12. Accordingly, one
can
drink the drinking water inside the container body 1 without removing the
cover body
2 from the container body 1.
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An operation moment in the above-mentioned opening and closing operations
of the opening and closing cap 14 is equal to a value calculated by
multiplying a
distance F from a center of the rotating shaft 17 to an end of the opening and
closing
operation part 25 by finger force. At the same time, the torque required for
releasing
the locked state due to the full closing of the opening and closing cap 14 is
equal to a
value calculated by multiplying a distance G between the center of the
rotating shaft
17 and the full-closing locking portion 22 by resistive force caused by
elastic
deformation resulting from getting over actions of the full-closing locking
portion 22
and lock receiving portion 21, while the torque required for releasing the
locked state
caused by the full opening of the opening and closing cap 14 is equal to a
value
calculated by multiplying a distance H between the center of the rotating
shaft 17 and
the full-opening locking portion 23 by friction force between the full-opening
locking
portion 23 and the lock receiving portion 21. The distance F from the center
of the
rotating shaft 17 to the end of the opening and closing operation part 25 is
formed
much larger than any one of the distance G between the center of the rotating
shaft 17
and the full-closing locking portion 22 and the distance H between the center
of the
rotating shaft 17 and the full-opening locking portion 23 (F>G, F>H).
On the other hand, when rotating the opening and closing cap 14 from the
fully opening condition to the fully closing condition, the opening and
closing cap 14
is turned in the reverse direction and therefore the protective protrusion 26
covers the
front side of the peripheral wall 15.
Further, when the spout 13 faces the grip 8 with the opening and closing cap
14 closed, a lower end of the protective protrusion 26 abuts against an upper
surface
of the horizontal portion 9 as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the end of the
opening and
closing operation part 25 is pushed up to uplift the opening and closing
operation part
25 above an upper end of the peripheral wall 15. Then, it is visibly indicated
that the
tap faces the grip 8 to suggest a user to turn the cover body 2 around.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lock receiving
portion 21 is provided in the vicinity of the bearing 18 while the full-
closing locking
portion 22 which gets over the lock receiving portion 21 to perform the
locking action
is provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 17. Hence, an arm length in
the torque
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required for locking and unlocking associated with the full closing action of
the
opening and closing cap 14 can be substantially reduced as compared with an
arm
length of the operation moment, so that the opening and closing operation part
25 can
be operated with reduced operational load resistance, enabling a facile
opening
operation.
Further, the rotating shaft 17 is provided at the left and right sides of the
opening and closing cap 14 in a protruding manner, while the bearing 18 of the
rotating shaft 17 is provided in the cover plate 12, and furthermore, the lock
receiving
portion 21 is provided in the vicinity of the bearing 18, while the full-
opening locking
portion 23 which gets over the lock receiving portion 21 to perform the
opening action
is provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 17. Hence, an arm length in
the torque
required for locking and unlocking associated with the full opening action of
the
opening and closing cap 14 can be substantially reduced as compared with an
arm
length of the operation moment, so that the opening and closing operation part
25 can
be operated with reduced operational load resistance, enabling a facile
opening
operation.
Furthermore, the rotating shaft 17 is provided at the left and right sides of
the
cover plate 12 in a protruding manner, and further the bearing 18 of the
rotating shaft
17 is provided in the cover plate 12, while the lock receiving portion 21 is
provided in
the vicinity of the bearing 18, and the full-closing locking portion 22 and
the full-
opening locking portion 23 which can selectively get over the lock receiving
portion
21 are provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 17. Hence, the opening
and closing
operation part 25 can be operated with reduced operational load resistance,
enabling a
facile opening operation.
Moreover, the bearing 18 is provided in the cover plate 12 while the lock
receiving portion 21 is provided in the vicinity of the bearing 18, and
furthermore, the
rotating shaft 17 is provided in the opening and closing cap 14 while the
locking
portion 23 is provided in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 17. Hence, the
structures of
the rotating shaft 17 and bearing 18 can be simplified by utilizing the inner
circumferential surface 15B of the peripheral wall 15 and the outer
circumferential
surface 14A of the opening and closing cap 14.
Further, the cover plate 12 is divided into the two portions to form the upper
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CA 02628695 2008-04-09
cover plate 27 and lower cover plate 28, and besides the upper cover plate 27
and the
lower cover plate 28 are integrated with the rotating shaft 17 while being
sandwiched
from the upper and lower sides by both the plates. Hence, the rotating shaft
17 is
sandwiched by the bearing 18 divided into the upper and lower portions,
permitting
the assembling of the shaft and bearing so that the shaft may freely rotate.
Furthermore, the opening and closing operation part 25 is provided on an
upper surface of the opening and closing cap 14, specifically at the front
side thereof
so as to be relatively distant away from the rotating shaft 17, while the tap-
protective
protrusion 26 which can cover a part of the outer circumference of the
peripheral wall
15 is provided in the opening and closing operation part 25. Hence, when the
opening
and closing cap 14 is in a fully closed condition, the protective-protrusion
26 covers
the front side of the peripheral wall 15, i.e., a side of the tap, thus
enabling the
preventing of an unsanitary condition being caused by touching the tap with
one's
hand when opening and closing the opening and closing cap 14 and the cover
body.
Besides, the grip 8 is provided in the container body 1 and the protruding
length D of the tap-protective protrusion 26 is formed larger than the height
E from
the upper end of the peripheral wall 15 to the top of the grip 8. Hence, when
the tap,
i.e., the spout 13 faces the grip 8, the protective protrusion 26 gets
stranded on the
upper horizontal portion 9 and lifted off from the fixed position, thus
enabling a user
to know the tap is directed to the grip 8. As a result, the user may turn the
cover body
2 2 to allow the spout 13, eventually, the tap to face a direction different
from that of
the grip 8, so that he/she may use the container 1, eliminating the lifted
state of the
protective-protrusion.
Further, the cover plate 12 slants in such a manner that one side thereof is
lower than the other. Hence, by electing the beverage container 1 after having
finished
drinking, drinking water remaining on the cover plate 12 can fall through the
spout 13
into the container body 1.
Furthermore, the lock receiving portion 21, the locking potion 22 for full
closing and the locking potion 23 for full opening are formed from an elastic
body
made of synthetic resin. Thus, the lock receiving portion 21 can be certainly
locked to
the full-closing locking portion 22 and the full-opening locking potion 23,
utilizing
elasticity and elasticity restoring force.
CA 02628695 2008-04-09
As described above, the container with a cover according to the present
invention is applicable to a wide variety of applications.
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