Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02691526 2009-12-21
WO 2009/002057 PCT/KR2008/003549
Description
CONTAINER WITH ANTI-LOSS AND ANTI-IDLE-ROTATION
CAP
Technical Field
[1] The present invention relates to a container with an anti-loss and anti-
idle-rotation
cap, which prevents the loss of the cap, and prevents the cap from idly
rotating while
contents are discharged out of the container, thus affording convenience and
an
improved sensation of use, and which prevents the contents from flowing into
the cap
when the contents are taken out of the container, thus preventing the
contamination of
the cap.
Background Art
[2] Generally, a container, which is used to hold liquid materials, including
food and
beverages, such as potable water or milk, oil, paints, and chemical products,
is
provided with a container body which has a spout, and a cap which opens or
closes the
spout of the container body. The cap is detachably coupled to the spout to
open or
close it through a screw-type coupling method or a pressure-type coupling
method
using an elastic hooking end.
[3] As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, a cap 130 is provided with an annular
indication ring
133 under a cap body 131 in such a way that the annular indication ring is not
removed
from a container body 110, and enables a user to see whether a container 100
is opened
or not.
[4] The cap body 131 and the indication ring 133 are connected to each other
via a
plurality of radial bridges 135. When the cap is opened, the bridges 135
connecting the
cap body 131 with the indication ring 133 are cut, thus leaving evidence that
the
container has been opened.
[5] In such a container, after the cap body 131 is detached from the container
body 110
to open the container when a user desires to take some of the contents out of
the
container, the cap body is coupled to the container body again. The detaching
and
coupling operations are repeatedly conducted. Meanwhile, when the cap body is
completely removed from the indication ring, the cap may be contaminated or
lost.
Thus, in order to solve this problem, the indication ring and the container
body may be
connected to each other in such a way that part of the indication ring is not
removed
from the container body.
[6] However, since the indication ring 133 is coupled to the container body
110 in such a
way as to be idly rotated, the opened cap body 131 is idly rotated together
with the
indication ring and is moved to a lower position by gravity when the contents
are
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discharged out of the container.
[7] Thus, when a user puts his or her mouth to the container body in order to
drink
contents, the cap body contacts his or her mouth or jaw, thus giving the user
an
unpleasant feeling and being cumbersome. Further, when the contents are
transferred
to another container, the flowing contents pass by the cap, so that the cap
becomes
dirty and interferes with the discharge of the contents.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
[8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above
problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is
to provide
a container with an anti-idle-rotation cap, which is provided with an
indication ring
which makes it possible to check whether the container has been opened or not,
and
prevents the loss and idle rotation of the cap when the container is open,
thus
preventing the cap from rotating downwards due to gravity when contents are
discharged out of the container, preventing the cap from contacting a user's
face when
the user drinks directly from the container, and preventing the cap from being
covered
by the contents when the contents are taken out of the container, therefore
preventing
the contamination of the cap.
Technical Solution
[9] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a
container
with an anti-loss and anti-idle-rotation cap, including a cap which includes a
cap body
having in an inner circumference threads, an indication ring provided under
the cap
body in such a way that the indication ring is not removed from a container
body, and a
plurality of bridges connecting the cap body to the indication ring and being
easily cut
when the cap is twisted; and the container body which includes a threaded
fastening
part provided on a spout of the container body to correspond to the cap body,
a ring
stopping step provided under the threaded fastening part so as to prevent
removal of
the indication ring, a support step provided under the ring stopping step to
support the
indication ring, and an indication ring seat provided between the ring
stopping step and
the support step, wherein the cap body and the indication ring are integrally
coupled at
a predetermined portion thereof with each other via a coupling part so that
the cap
body and the indication ring are not separated from each other, and a wedge
and a
wedge hole are provided on the cap body and the indication ring, or are
provided on
the cap body and the container body, so that the cap body is locked to the
indication
ring or the container body when the cap is opened to be adjacent to the
coupling part.
Advantageous Effects
[10] As described above, the present invention provides a container with an
anti-loss and
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anti-idle-rotation cap, which is provided with an indication ring which makes
it
possible to check whether the container is opened or not, and prevents the
loss and idle
rotation of the cap when the cap is opened, thus preventing the cap from
rotating
downwards due to gravity when contents are discharged out of the container,
preventing the cap from contacting a user's face when the user drinks directly
from the
container, and preventing the cap from being covered by the contents when the
contents are taken out of the container, therefore preventing the
contamination of the
cap.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[11] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of a
container
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[12] FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the assembled state of the
container of FIG. 1;
[13] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the state in which a cap of FIG. 2 is
opened;
[14] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3;
[15] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the construction of a cap according to an
embodiment of
the present invention;
[16] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a container according
to another
embodiment of the present invention;
[17] FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the assembled state of the
container of FIG. 6;
[18] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the state in which a cap of FIG. 7 is
opened;
[19] FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating a container according to an
embodiment of the
present invention, in which part of the container is omitted;
[20] FIG. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a container according to an
embodiment of the
present invention, in which part of the container is omitted;
[21] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of
a container
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[22] FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the varying state of a cap of FIG. 11;
[23] FIG. 13 is a sectional view illustrating the assembled state of the
container of FIG.
11;
[24] FIG. 14 is a view illustrating the state in which a cap of FIG. 13 is
opened;
[25] FIG. 15 is a view illustrating the state in which the cap of FIG. 13 is
opened and is
fixed at the open position;
[26] FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 15;
[27] FIG. 17 is a view illustrating the construction of a cap according to an
embodiment
of the present invention;
[28] FIG. 18 is a view illustrating the construction of a cap according to an
embodiment
of the present invention;
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[29] FIG. 19 is a sectional view illustrating the state in which the cap of
FIG. 18 is locked
to a container body;
[30] FIG. 20 is a view illustrating the state in which the cap of FIG. 19 is
opened;
[31] FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the construction of a
container according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[32] FIG. 22 is a view illustrating the varying state of a cap of FIG. 21;
[33] FIG. 23 is a sectional view illustrating the assembled state of the
container of FIG.
21;
[34] FIG. 24 is a view illustrating the state in which the cap of FIG. 23 is
opened and is
fixed at the open position;
[35] FIG. 25 is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 24;
[36] FIG. 26 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a container
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[37] FIG. 27 is a perspective view illustrating the assembled state of the
container of FIG.
26;
[38] FIG. 28 is a sectional view illustrating a container according to an
embodiment of the
present invention, in which part of the container is omitted;
[39] FIG. 29 is a sectional view illustrating a container according to an
embodiment of the
present invention, in which part of the container is omitted;
[40] FIG. 30 is a sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 29;
[41] FIG. 31 is a sectional view illustrating a container according to an
embodiment of the
present invention, in which part of the container is omitted;
[42] FIG. 32 is a sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 31;
[43] FIG. 33 is a view illustrating a conventional container; and
[44] FIG. 34 is a view illustrating the state in which a cap of FIG. 33 is
opened.
[45] *Description of reference characters of important parts
[46] 1: container with anti-loss and anti-idle-rotation cap according to the
present
invention
[47] a: wedge b: wedge hole c: locking protrusion
[48] 10: container body 11: threaded fastening part
[49] 13: stopping step
[50] 14: indication ring seat 141: locking hole
[51] 15: support step
[52] 30: cap 31: cap body 323: lever type wedge
[53] 33: indication ring 337: horizontal cut part
[54] 34: coupling part
[55] 341: coupler 343: cap support strip 35: bridge
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Mode for the Invention
[56] Hereinafter, a container with an anti-loss and anti-idle-rotation cap
according to the
preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[57] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of a
container
according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional
view il-
lustrating the assembled state of the container of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view
illustrating
the state in which a cap of FIG. 2 is opened, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view
taken along
line A-A of FIG. 3.
[58] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a container 1 with an anti-loss and anti-idle-
rotation cap
according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cap 30 and a
container
body 10. The cap includes a cap body 31 which has threads in an inner
circumference
thereof, an indication ring 33 which is provided under the cap body 31 in such
a way
that the indication ring is not removed from the container body 10, and a
plurality of
bridges 35 which connect the cap body 31 to the indication ring 33, and are
easily cut
when the cap is twisted. The container body includes a threaded fastening part
11
which is provided on a spout of the container body to correspond to the cap
body 31, a
ring stopping step 13 which is provided under the threaded fastening part 11
to prevent
the removal of the indication ring 33, a support step 15 which is provided
under the
ring stopping step 13 to support the indication ring 33, and an indication
ring seat 14
which is provided between the ring stopping step and the support step. Here,
the cap
body 31 and the indication ring 33 are integrally coupled at a predetermined
portion
thereof with each other via a coupling part 34 so that the cap body and the
indication
ring are not separated from each other. A wedge a and a wedge hole b are
provided on
the cap body 31 and the indication ring 33, or are provided on the cap body 31
and the
container body 10, so that the cap body 31 is locked to the indication ring 33
or the
container body 10 when the cap is opened to thus be adjacent to the coupling
part 34.
[59] The wedge a comprises a vertical protrusion 321 provided at a
predetermined
position on the outer circumference of the cap 30. Preferably, the wedge hole
b
comprises wedge holes which are continuously formed in the outer circumference
of
the support step 15 or the outer circumference of the indication ring 33 to
correspond
to the vertical protrusion 321.
[60] As shown in FIG. 5, the vertical protrusion 321 may comprise an anti-slip
uneven
part throughout the outer circumference of the cap body 31.
[61] Preferably, the wedge hole b is formed such that its inlet is narrow,
thus preventing
the wedge a from being removed from the wedge hole as long as external force
is not
applied to the cap.
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[62] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, according to an embodiment of the present
invention, the
wedge hole b comprise a wedge hole 322 which is formed in the cap 30 to have a
hook-shaped section, and the wedge comprises a hooking rim 152 which is
provided
on the support step 15 to correspond to the hook-shaped sectional wedge hole
322.
[63] Further, the wedge hole b may comprise a fitting groove 153 which is
provided in the
support step 15 so that one end of the cap body 31 can be fitted into the
fitting groove
(see FIG. 9).
[64] The fitting groove 153 defines a gap in the support step 15 so that part
of the cap
body 31 is fitted into the gap.
[65] As shown in FIG. 10, in the container body 10 having the wedge hole, a
spout l0a of
the container body may be made from a different material.
[66] According to an embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the
coupling part
34 is formed such that the coupling length thereof varies when the cap body 31
is
opened.
[67] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 17, the coupling part 34 includes a horizontal
cut part 337
which is formed in a predetermined portion of the indication ring 33 connected
to the
cap body 31 in such a way as to be offset from a bridge forming layer, thus
providing a
cap support strip 343 which increases a cap supporting length when the cap is
opened.
[68] The cap body 31, the cap support strip 343, and the indication ring 33
are arranged in
a zigzag fashion by the horizontal cut part 337, so that the coupling length
is increased
when the cap is opened.
[69] A second bridge 336 may be provided on the horizontal cut part 337.
[70] Further, a lever type wedge 323 protrudes from the cap body 31 in such a
way as to
be inclined relative to a vertical direction, and supports the cap support
strip 343. The
indication ring 33 includes a guide groove 333 which is concavely formed in
the
horizontal cut part 337 so that the lever type wedge 323 is fitted into the
guide groove.
[71] The lever type wedge 323 is formed to be supported by the container body
31 when
the cap is opened.
[72] Further, the outer portion of the lever type wedge 323 is curved to
correspond to the
outer circumference of the spout of the container body 10 (see FIGS. 16 and
17). This
construction is more important in the case where the lever type wedge 323 is
wide.
[73] Further, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the coupling part 34 may comprise a
foldable
coupler 341 which is foldable at the central portion thereof and protrudes
outwards.
Reference numeral '342' denotes a folding line.
[74] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 21
to 25,
the indication ring 33 is provided with a locking protrusion c, which is
locked to the
container body 10 so as to prevent the rotation of the cap when no external
force is
applied thereto.
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[75] Preferably, the locking protrusion c comprises flexible locking
protrusions 331 which
are radially formed on the inner circumference of the indication ring 33, and
locking
holes 141 are formed in the outer circumference of the indication ring seat 14
of the
container body to correspond to the flexible locking protrusions 331.
[76] The locking holes 141 comprise a plurality of locking holes which are
continuously
formed at the same pitch as the flexible locking protrusions 331.
Alternatively, the
locking holes may comprise one or two locking holes.
[77] Even if there is no locking hole 141, the locking protrusions 331 are
caught by the
indication ring seat 14 when the cap is opened, so that the idle rotation of
the
indication ring 33 is prevented.
[78] Further, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the locking protrusion c comprises
a serrated
locking protrusion 335 which is provided on the lower surface of the
indication ring
33, and a toothed locking part 155 is provided on the upper surface of the
support step
15 of the container body to correspond to the serrated locking protrusion 335.
[79] The locking protrusion c prevents the rotation of the indication ring 33
relative to the
cap body 31 when the cap is rotated to be opened, and generates torsion force
to cut the
bridges 35 when the cap is opened first. Further, the locking protrusion
functions to
prevent the idle rotation of the cap as long as external force is not applied
to the cap.
[80] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 28,
the
extent to which the indication ring 33 is fitted into the indication ring seat
14 is
controlled, so that the idle rotation of the indication ring is prevented, as
long as no
external force is applied to the indication ring.
[81] That is, the wedge a and the wedge hole b are formed on the cap body 31
and the
indication ring 33, and the indication ring and the container body have no
locking
structure and are smooth. Thereby, the indication ring and the container body
are
coupled to each other through press fitting, so that the idle rotation of the
cap is
prevented.
[82] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 29
and 30,
variable wings 338 serving as the locking protrusion c are radially formed on
the inner
circumference of the indication ring 33. Each of the variable wings 338 is
folded when
the cap is fitted over the container body, so that the variable wing does not
interfere
with the assembly of the cap with the container body, and each of the variable
wings is
unfolded towards the container body 10 when the cap is opened, thus preventing
the
idle rotation of the indication ring 33.
[83] Each variable wing 338 extends from a lower position to an upper position
on the
inner circumference of the indication ring. Thus, when the indication ring is
fitted over
the container body, the variable wing smoothly passes over the ring stopping
step 13.
Meanwhile, when upward pressure is applied to the indication ring so as to
open the
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cap, each variable wing comes into contact with the indication ring seat 14 of
the
container body, so that the idle rotation of the indication ring is prevented.
[84] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 31
and 32,
locking pieces 339 serving as the locking protrusion c are radially formed on
the inner
circumference of the indication ring 33. The locking pieces 339 do not
interfere with
the assembly of the cap with the container body due to elasticity, when the
cap is fitted
over the container body, and are inclined to prevent the idle rotation of the
indication
ring 33.
[85] The operation of the container 1 with the anti-loss and anti-idle-
rotation cap
according to the present invention, which is constructed as described above,
will be
described below.
[86] According to the present invention, in the container having the
indication ring 33
which makes it possible to check whether the container has been opened, when
the cap
is twisted and opened, the bridges 35 are cut, thus providing evidence that
the
container has been opened. Simultaneously, the coupling of the cap 30 with the
indication ring 33 is maintained via the coupling part 34. The wedge a and the
wedge
hole b are formed on the cap body 31 and the indication ring 33, or are formed
on the
cap body 31 and the container body 10 in such a way that the wedge is
detachably
locked to the wedge hole. Thus, when the cap is opened and bent backwards
while
being lightly pushed, the cap body 31 is locked to the indication ring 33 or
the
container body 10.
[87] Further, when the horizontal cut part 337 is formed to be offset from the
layer having
the bridges 35, and the cap is opened, the cap body 31, the cap support strip
343, and
the indication ring 33 are arranged in a zigzag fashion, so that spare length
is ensured
when the cap body 31 is detached from the container body 10.
[88] Meanwhile, when the lever type wedge 323 supports the cap support strip
343 (see
FIGS. 11 to 16), the lever type wedge 323 is easily fitted between the ring
stopping
step 13 of the container body 10 and the thread through the guide groove 333
formed
in the horizontal cut part of the indication ring 33 (see FIG. 15).
[89] As such, the coupling of the cap body 31 with the indication ring 33 is
always
maintained, so that the loss of the cap is prevented. Further, when the cap
body 31
detached from the container body 10 is bent backwards, the cap body is locked
to the
indication ring 33 or the container body 10.
[90] Meanwhile, in the case of the foldable coupler 341, when the cap body 31
is opened,
the foldable coupler is unfolded and has the function of the coupling part.
[91] According to the present invention, the container, which has the
indication ring for
checking whether the container has been opened, prevents the loss and idle
rotation of
the cap when the cap is opened, thus preventing the cap from rotating
downwards due
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to gravity when contents are discharged out of the container, and preventing
the cap
from contacting a user's face even if the cap is not held in the hand when the
user
drinks directly from the container, and preventing contents from flowing into
the cap
when the contents are taken out of the container body, therefore preventing
the con-
tamination of the cap.
[92] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
disclosed for
illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various
modifications,
additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of
the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
Industrial Applicability
[93] As described above, the present invention provides a container with an
anti-loss and
anti-idle-rotation cap, which is provided with an indication ring which makes
it
possible to check whether the container is opened or not, and prevents the
loss and idle
rotation of the cap when the cap is opened, thus preventing the cap from
rotating
downwards due to gravity when contents are discharged out of the container,
preventing the cap from contacting a user's face when the user drinks directly
from the
container, and preventing the cap from being covered by the contents when the
contents are taken out of the container, therefore preventing the
contamination of the
cap.
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