Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CAP CLOSING MEMBER FOR CONTAINER OPENING
Background of the Invention
This invention relates to a cap closing member for
a container opening and more particularly a cap closing
member provided with a resilient repelling lid.
Many types of containers with a resilient
repelling lid are well known in the art and their typical
lid is a so-called three-point hinged cap.
The cap described above is constructed such that a
rear upper end of a main body of the cap and a rear lower
end of the lid mounted on the upper surface of the cap to
close a pouring port formed in the upper surface of the cap
are connected by a pair of first right and left hinges
properly spaced apart.
A lower end of an inverted U-shaped resilient
plate arranged between the first hinges is connected to a
rear part of the main body of the cap lower than the first
hinge through a second hinge.
In addition, the other end of the resilient plate
is connected to the upper surface of the more forward lid
than the first hinge through the third hinge.
In addition to the foregoing prior art, there is
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho Ol-176055 filed
in Japan by the present applicant.
This utility model publication describes that a
circular container and a similar circular lid for closing
the upper surface of the container in such a way as it may
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be opened or closed are connected to each other by the first
resilient connector plate through a thin-walled hinge.
At both right and left sides of the first
resilient plate, their lower ends are connected to an outer
surface of the container and their upper ends are connected
to an outer surface of the lid through a thin-walled hinge,
respectively, with the second and third wider resilient
connector plates longer than the first resilient plate.
When the lid is closed, the second and third
resilient connector plates as viewed from above are
resiliently repelled from a truncated V-shape in cross-
section and in turn when the lid is released to open, the
resilient connector plates are resiliently repelled from
their truncated V-shape in cross-section to an inverted
truncated V-shape as viewed from a rear side thereof.
In case of the prior art cap provided with a lid
of a three-point hinge mechanism, its outer appearance is
deteriorated due to the fact that its inverted L-shaped
resilient plate is exposed at an outer surface of a rear
half part of a top wall of the lid.
In addition, in case of this prior art, the right
and left outer ends of the first hinge are projected in
outward edge form, resulting in that their projections may
deteriorate a user's feeling in touching operation.
Further, it sometimes occurs that some dusts enter
slits and further into the cap. The lid has slits which are
formed in the cap so as to make the aforesaid inverted L-
shaped resilient plate.
In addition, since the L-shaped resilient plate or
the first hinge is projected, the projection may hinder a
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closing operation of the cap with an automatic cap device
and so it shows a problem that the cap may not be grasped.
The present invention has as its own issue of a
resolving the aforesaid problem and it is an object of the
present invention to provide a lid closing member for a
container opening having such a structure as one in which
the hinge part is projected rearwardly.
Summary of the Invention
The lid closing member for the container opening
of the present invention is comprised of a main body (1)
having a circular cross-section with a pouring port (2) at
its upper surface, a lid (3) for closing the pouring port
(2) and having the same cross-sectional shape as that of the
main body (1) mounted on the upper surface of the main body
(1), and at least two resilient belt plates (7, 7) for use
in connecting rear side surfaces of the main body (1) and
the lid member (3) to each other.
In this case, each of the resilient belt plates
(7, 7) forms a trapezoid having a bottom side (7a) and a top
side (7b) which are parallel to each other, and a pair of
slant sides (7c, 7d) connecting both ends of the bottom side
(7a) with both ends of the top side (7b), respectively.
Each of the resilient belt plates (7, 7) is
connected to a rear side surface of the lid member (3) while
its top sides (7b, 7b) being oppositely faced to each other.
In this case, one slant side (7d) of each of the resilient
belt plates (7, 7) is low and connected to a rear surface of
the main body (1) through a thin thickness flange (10), and
the other slant side (7c) of each of the resilient belt
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plates (7, 7) is high and connected to the rear side surface
of the lid (3) through a thin-walled hinge (11).
Each of the resilient belt plates (7, 7) is
connected to the rear side surface of the main body (1)
having a circular cross-section and the rear side surface of
the lid (3) having a circular cross-section, resulting in
producing a relation in which a cross-sectional shape
crossing at a right angle with the resilient belt plates (7,
7) may show an inverted truncated V-shape.
In case of opening or closing the lid (3), each of
the resilient belt plates (7, 7) may be primarily reversed
as the lid (3) is pivoted around a center of the upper thin-
walled hinge (11) and secondarily reversed as each of the
resilient belt plates (7, 7) is pivoted around a center of
the lower thin-walled hinge (10), resulting in that a
sectional shape crossing at a right angle with the resilient
belt plates (7, 7) shows an inverted truncated V-shape.
With such an arrangement of the present invention
as described above, the resilient belt plates are provided
at the rear side surfaces of the main body and the lid,
resulting in that they may not deteriorate an outer
appearance caused by an exposure of the resilient belt
plates on the upper surface of the lid as found in the
container having the lid formed by the prior art three-point
hinge mechanism.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate a first preferred
embodiment.
Fig. 1 is a top plan view for showing a lid
closing member of the first preferred embodiment.
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Fig.2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1.
Fig.3 is a rear view for showing a lid closed state.
Fig.4 shows a shape of right crossed section of a resilient
belt plate.
Fig.5 is an illustrative view for showing an opening or closing
of a lid caused by a resilient reversing of the resilent belt
plate.
- Figs.6 to 9 illustrate the second preferred embodiment.
Fig.6 is a side elevational view of the second preferred
embodiment.
Fig.7 is a top plan view of Fig.6.
Fig.8 is a rear view for showing a lid closed state.
Fig.9 is an illustrative view for showing an opening or closing
of a lid under a resilient reversing of each of the resilient belt
plates.
Fig.lO is a rear view for showing the third preferred embodiment.
Figs.ll to 13 show the fourth preferred embodiment.
Fig.ll is a top plan view of the fourth preferred embodiment.
Fig. l2 is a side elevational view of Fig.ll.
Fig. l3 is a rear view with the resilient belt plates being broken
away.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring now to the drawings, same preferred embodiments of
the present invention will be described.
(First Preferred Embodiment)
In Figs.1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body having
a circular cross-section with an opening 2 at its upper surface.
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The main body 1 may be formed of a cap with its lower end surface
being released to open or of a container with its lower end
surface being closed.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a lid mounted on the upper surface
of the main body 1 to close the opening 2. The lid has the same
cross-sectional shape as that of the main body 1. In this example,
the main body 1 and the lid 3 are circular shape as viewed from
their top surfaces.
The lid 3 shown in the figure is vertically provided with a
plug 4 to be fitted into the opening 2 from a central lower
surface thereof and has a peripheral wall 6 vertically suspended
from a top plate 5 thereof.
There are provided at least a pair of resilient belt plates
7 and 7 for use in connecting the rear side surfaces of the main
body 1 and the lid 3 to each other. The main body 1 and the lid
3 are provided with, at their rear .right and left side surfaces
grooves 8 and 9 communicating to each other in a longitudinal
direction over the main body 1 and the lid 3 when the lid 3 is
closed in correspondence with a pair of resilient belt plates 7
and 7.
Each of the lower ends of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7
is connected to the lower ends of the grooves 8 and 9 through
the thin-walled hinges 10 and 10, and each of the upper ends
of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 is connected to the upper
ends of the grooves 8 and 9 through the thin-walled hinges 11
and 11.
When the lid is closed over the cap, a pair of resilient
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belt plates 7 and 7 are stored within each of the grooves 8
and 9.
In this case, each of the resilient belt plates 7
and 7 may form as shown in Fig. 3 a trapezoid having the
bottom side 7a and the top side 7b which are parallel to
each other and further having a pair of slant sides 7c and
7d, each connecting an end of the bottom side 7a and an end
of the top side 7b.
The resilient belt plates 7 and 7 are connected
such that their top sides 7b and 7b are oppositely faced to
each other and connected to the rear side surface of the lid
3. In this case, one slant side 7d of each of the resilient
belt plates 7 and 7 is low and connected to the rear surface
of the main body 1 through the thin-walled hinge 10, the
other slant side 7c of each of the resilient belt plates 7
and 7 is high and connected to the rear surface of the lid 3
through the thin-walled hinge 11.
Each of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 is
connected to the rear side surface of the main body 1 having
a circular cross-section and the rear side surface of the
lid 3 having a circular cross-section, thereby the cross-
sectional shape of it crossing at a right angle with the
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 forms an inverted truncated V-
shape.
In addition, as viewed from the rear side surfaces
of the main body 1 and the lid 3, both ends of the thin-
walled hinges 10 and 10 at the lower side of each of the
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 are placed on a curved line 31
drawn to extend upwardly around a center of curvature of any
point on a center line 30 between the two resilient belt
plates 7 and 7. Both ends of the upper thin-walled hinges
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11, 11 are placed on a curved line 32 drawn to extend
downwardly with a center of curvature of any point on a
center line 30 between the two resilient belt plates 7
and 7.
A curvature of each of the curved lines 31 and 32
is the same as that of a circle as viewed from above the
main body 1 and the lid 3.
When the lid 3 is opened, the bottom sides 7a of
the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 are expanded upwardly to
form arcular shapes.
An example of operation of this preferred
embodiment will be described.
At first, under the closed condition of the lid,
its cross-sectional shape crossing at a right angle with the
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 draws an inverted truncated V-
shape. Due to this fact, as viewed from the side of each of
the resilient belt plates 7 and 7, the thin-walled hinges 10
and 10 are seemed to cross with the top side 7b at an angle
as shown in Fig. 5.
From this state, at first if it is assumed that a
crossing point O1 between the top side 7b and the upper thin-
walled hinge (the upper slant side) 7c, as the lid 3 is
pivoted, the crossing point A1 between the bottom sides 7a of
the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 and the upper slant sides
7c is moved on an arcular path S1 with its radius being a
distance R1 = m x sin 8 x cos R (where, m is a length as
viewed from the upper surface of the hinge) between OlAl as
viewed from a side around a point O1.
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Due to this fact, the resilient belt plate 7, in particular,
its bottom side 7a is resiliently extended from the point A1
up to an intermediate point P1 applying the maximum spacing
distance C between each of the arcs S1 and S2 and when it
exceeds this intermediate point Pl, it may resiliently be
recovered. With such an arrangement, the primary reversing is
completed.
- Then if it is assumed -that a crossing point 02 between the
top side 7b and the lower thin-walled hinge (a lower slant
side) 7d is a center, a crossing point A1 between the bottom
side 7a and the upper slant side 7c of the resilient belt plate
7is moved on an arc S3 having a center of 02 and a radius of
a distance radius R3 = m x sin B x cos a between Q2 and A1 as
viewed from the side thereof with 02 being applied as a center.
To the contrary, if it is assumed that a crossing point 03
between the bottom side 7a and the lower thin-walled hinge
the lower slant side) 7d is applied as a center, a crossing
point A1 between the bottom side 7a and the upper slant side
7c of the resilient belt plate 7 is moved on an arc SZ with
a length R2 of the bottom side 7a being a radius.
Due to this fact, the resilient belt plate 7, in particular
its bottom sides 7a are resiliently expanded from the point A1
to the intermediate point P2 applying the maximum spacing
distance D between each of the arcs S3 and S2 and as it exceeds
the intermediate point P~, subsequently it is resiliently recovered
to form an upward arc S connecting the points 03 and A3 and
then the secondary reversing is completed. As a result, the
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cross-sectional shape crossing at a right angle with the resilient
belt plates 7 and 7 becomes an inverted ~~-shape.
A primary reversing around a center of O1 and a secondary
reversing around a center 02 are normally performed continuously
with an integral operation. Provided that it is also possible
to keep the lid in its half-opened state under a state of the
primary reversing operation.
.In the preferred embodiment, the bottom side 7a of the resilient
belt plate 7 is formed arcularly to expand upwardly when the lid
3 is opened, so that an allowance of a resilient extension of
the bottom side 7a is increased, an excessive tension force is
applied to the thin-walled hinges 10 and 11 at both ends of the
resilient belt plates so as to enable these thin-walled hinges
and 11 from being torned off.
The bottom side 7a of the resilient belt plate 7 is formed
to be expanded upwardly when the lid 3 is opened, and a crossing
point A4 at the forward side of the arcs S3 and S4 is positioned
more forwardly than a base end point 03 of the bottom sides 7a
of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 (i.e. as viewed from the
side, it may fulfill a relation of L A4,03, 02 -
With such an arrangement, the upper end A1 of the bottom side 7a
of the resilient belt plate is further apt to move up to a position
of the point A4 with a resilient retaining strength returning to
an arc form under a state of the closed lid,. so that a certain
force may act in such a direction as one to close the lid 3 and
the closed state of the lid can be positively maintained.
(Second Preferred Embodiment)
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As shown in Figs.6 and 7, this second preferred embodiment
is constructed such that the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 may
keep their flat plate states when the lid 3 is opened.
As shown in Fig.8, an extension line of the lower thin-walled
hinge 10 of one resilient belt plate 7 is crossed with an another
extension line of the lower thin-walled hinge 10 of the other
resilient belt plate 7 over a center line 30 between each of the
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 and over an interface line 35 between
the main body 1 and the lid 3 and at the same time at this crossing
point, an extension line of the thin-walled hinge 11 over one
resilient belt plate 7 is crossed with another lower extension
line 10 of the other resilient belt plate 7.
A lid opening operation in this preferred embodiment will be
described in reference to Fig.9, wherein at first if it is assumed
that a crossing point O1 between the top side 7b and the upper
thin-walled hinge (an upper slant side) 7c is applied as a center,
a crossing point A1 between the bottom sides 7a of the resilient
belt plates 7 and 7 and the upper slant sides 7c is moved on an
arc A1 with a radius of a distance R1 between O1 and A1 as viewed
from a side while the point O1 being a center when the lid 3 is
pivoted.
To the contrary, if it is assumed that a crossing point 03 between
the bottom side 7a and the lower thin-walled hinge (a lower slant
side) 7d is applied as a center, the crossing point A1 between
the bottom side 7a and the upper slant side 7c of the resilient
belt plate 7 is moved on an arc S2 with a length R3 of the bottom
side 7a being a radius.
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Due to this fact, the resilient belt plate 7, in particular,
its bottom side 7a resiliently extends from the point A1 up to
the intermediate point P1 applying the maximum spacing distance
C between each of the arcs S1 and S2 and as it exceeds this
intermediate point P1, it is apt to resiliently recover up to
the point A2. With such an arrangement, the primary reversing
operation is completed.
Then, if it is assumed that a crossing point 02 between the
top side 7b and the lower thin-walled hinge (a lower slant side)
7d is applied as a center, a crossing point A1 between the bottom
side 7a and the upper slant side 7c of the resilient belt plate
7 is moved over an arc S3 with a distance radius R3 between 02
and A1 as viewed from the side around the point 02 being a radius
when the lid 3 is pivoted.
To the contrary, if it is assumed that the crossing point 03
between the bottom side 7a and the lower thin-walled hinge (a
lower slant side) 7d is applied as a center, the cross9_ng point
A1 between the bottom side ?a and the upper slant side 7c of
the resilient belt plate 7 is moved on the arc S2 with a length
R2 of the bottom side 7a being a radius.
Due to this fact, the resilient belt plate 7, in particular,
its bottom side 7a is resiliently extended from the point A1 up
to the intermediate point P2 applying the maximum spacing distance
D between each of the arcs S3 and S2 and if it exceeds this
intermediate point P2, it is resiliently recovered after it and
then the secondary reversing operation is completed. As a result,
a cross-sectional shape crossing at a right angle with the resilient
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belt plates 7 and 7 becomes an inverted/1-shape.
(Third Preferred Embodiment)
As shown in Fig.lO, this preferred embodiment is made such
that an extension line of the lower thin-walled hinge 10 of one
of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 is crossed with another
extension line of the lower thin-walled hinge 10 of the other
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 over a center line 30 between each
of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 and at the same time this
crossing point is positioned lower than an interface line 35
between the main body 1 and the lid 3, and an extension line
of the upper thin-walled hinge 11 of one of the resilient belt
plates 7 and 7 is crossed with another extension line of the
upper thin-walled hinge 11 of the other resilient belt plates 7
and 7 over the center line 30 between each of the resilient belt
plates 7 and 7 and at the same time this crossing point is p7.aced
over the interface line 35 between the main body 1 and the lid
3.
Each of the crossing points is placed at an equal distance
from the interface line 35 between the main body 1 and the lid
3, and the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 are symmetrically arranged
around the interface line 35 between the main body 1 and the lid
3.
A plane 36 including thin-walled hinges 10 and 11 for connecting
each of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 to the main body 1 and
the lid 3 is formed at the rear surfaces of the main body 1 and
the lid 3.
In this preferred embodiment, when the lid 3 is opened as shown
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in Fig.6, a distance between the lid 3 and the main body 1 is
made large, so that a machining of a molding die is facilitated.
Since the thin-walled hinges 10 and 11 are included in the plane
36, it becomes easy to design the die in view of this fact.
(Fourth Preferred Embodiment)
Figs.ll to 13 illustrate a cap in which the main body 1 is
threadably engaged with an opening neck la of a container at its
inner surface.
There are provided at least a pair of resilient belt plates
7 and 7 for connecting the rear side surface of the main body
1 and the lid 3 to each other in the same manner as that of the
first preferred embodiment and they are stored in the grooves 8
and 9 in the same manner as that of the first preferred embodiment.
Each of the lower ends of the resilient belt plates 7 and 7 is
connected to the lower ends of 'the grooves 8 and 9 through the
thin-walled hinges 10 and 10, and each of the upper ends of the
resilient belt plates 7 and 7 is connected to the thin-walled
hinges 11 and 11 at the upper ends of the grooves 8 and 9.
The third resilient plate 37 is arranged between one resilient
belt plate 7 and the other resilient belt plate 7 so as to connect
the rear surfaces of the main body 1 and the lid 3.
The third resilient plate 37 has basically a rectangular form
and the rear surfaces of the main body 1 and the lid 3 are connected
through the thin-walled hinges 10 and 11. However, since an
intermediate part of the hinge is cut, this becomes an H-shape
as shown in Fig.ll.
The resilient belt plates 7 and 7 are curved upwardly while
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the lid is being opened.
The grooves 8 and 9 corresponding to the third resilient
belt plate 37 may be eliminated.
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