JP7540716B2 - Portable beverage container cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable beverage container, and more specifically to an opening and closing mechanism for the cap that is attached to the container body.

Conventionally, there are many types of stoppers that have a base that is attached to the container body and a lid that can be opened and closed from the base via a hinge, and the lid is kept closed by engagement between a locking part on the lid and a locked part on the base. There are also many types of so-called "locking mechanisms" that require at least two operations to open the lid (the first operation must be completed before the second operation can be performed) to prevent the lid from being unintentionally released.

For example, in Patent Document 1, an opening/closing lever 81 (the reference numbers in this paragraph are the same as those in Patent Document 1) provided on the front side of the top edge of the lid is pushed down so as to slide downward (first operation), and then the opening/closing lever 81 is rotated backward (second operation), whereby the engagement between the lid and the base is released and the lid opens.

In addition, in Patent Document 2, the operating lever 27 (the symbols in this paragraph are the same as those in Patent Document 2) provided on the lid is slid horizontally (first operation), and then the operating button 27 is pressed downward (second operation), which disengages the lid from the base and opens the lid.

JP 2017-165423 A JP 2017-61344 A

As disclosed in the above patent documents, by using a two-step operation to release the engagement between the lid and base, it is possible to reliably prevent the lid from opening unintentionally.

However, portable beverage containers are often carried in an environment where they are mixed with other luggage, for example in a bag. In such cases, it is easy to imagine that a pressing force from the outside is applied to the portable beverage container during transportation, and in the stopper structure disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a high possibility that the first operation will be completed by such pressing force from the outside. This leads to the further completion of the second operation, increasing the possibility that the lid will be opened unintentionally.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and its objective is to provide a stopper for a portable beverage container that can prevent erroneous operation caused by external pressure to an even higher degree than conventional products.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plug having a base portion attached to a container body, and a lid portion that can be opened and closed from the base portion via a hinge and is constantly biased in an open direction by a first elastic body, and the closed state of the lid portion is maintained by engagement between a locking portion provided on the lid portion side and a locked portion provided on the base portion side, and the engagement is released by the completion of two consecutive steps of a first operation performed by operating a first operating member and a second operation performed by directly or indirectly operating a second operating member, the first operating member is supported rotatably by the second operating member, a recess that allows the insertion of a fingertip is formed on the base portion side or the lid portion side, an operating portion of the first operating member is disposed within the recess, and the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operating member is rotated by pressing the operating portion of the first operating member from inside the recess.

By adopting such a configuration, the possibility of the first operation being completed by an external pressure is further reduced. First, by making the first operation a rotation operation rather than a slide operation, it counters the external pressure. That is, in many cases, external pressure is applied with a linear vector, but by making the first operation a rotation operation, it becomes difficult for the first operation to be completed by pressure applied with this linear vector. Second, a recess that allows a finger to enter is formed, the operation part of the first operating member is placed within the recess, and the direction of the rotation operation is designed to press (the operation part) from inside the recess. In short, the design is such that it is not easy to apply force to the operation part of the first operating member to rotate it with pressure applied from the outside with a linear vector.

The first operation is characterized in that the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operating member is rotated by pressing the operating portion of the first operating member in a direction that lifts the operating portion from the bottom side of the recess toward the outside.

By adopting this configuration, it is impossible to apply force to the operating part of the first operating member to rotate it using a pressing force applied from the outside in a linear vector.

The first operating member is constantly biased in the counter-rotation direction by a second elastic body, and the second operation is an operation of pressing and sliding the second operating member together with the first operating member in a specific direction while the first operating member is maintained in a rotated and displaced state.

By combining these two operations with different movements as a continuous operation and inserting a second elastic body between them, the second operation cannot be started unless force is continuously applied to complete the first operation, which effectively eliminates the possibility of the lid opening unintentionally.

The first operating member is constantly biased in the counter-rotation direction by a second elastic body, and the second operation is characterized in that, while the first operating member is maintained in a rotated and displaced state, the second operating member is pressed in a specific direction together with the first operating member, causing the second operating member to rotate in a direction different from the axis of rotation of the first operating member.

In this way, two rotation operations with different rotation directions (non-coincident axes) are combined as a continuous operation, and the second elastic body is inserted between them, making it impossible to proceed to the second operation unless force is continuously applied to complete the first operation, thus eliminating as much as possible the possibility of the lid opening unintentionally.

Furthermore, when the lid is in the closed state, the first operating member and the second operating member are shaped so as not to protrude from the surface of the plug.

By adopting this configuration, a compact design is possible even when a cap (which normally functions as a cup when removed) is attached to further cover the stopper.

By applying this invention, it is possible to provide a stopper for a portable beverage container that can prevent erroneous operation caused by external pressure to a higher degree than conventional products.

1A is an overall perspective view of a portable beverage container, and FIG. 1B is a central cross-sectional view. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a first operation has been completed, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a second operation has been completed. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of how to hold the portable beverage container when opening the lid. 11A and 11B are perspective views showing a second embodiment, in which FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid is closed, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid is open. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views showing a second embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid is closed, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lid is open. 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views showing a second embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a first operation has been completed, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a second operation has been completed.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, an explanation will be given of a portable beverage container stopper (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a "stopper") 100, which is one example of an embodiment of the present invention. Please note that in order to make the drawings easier to understand, the size and dimensions of each part are exaggerated in some parts and do not necessarily match the actual product. Furthermore, each drawing should be viewed in the direction of the symbols, and the directions will be used to refer to up, down, left, right, front, and back.

<Configuration of the plug>
As shown in FIG. 1, a plug 100 shown as an example of an embodiment of the present invention is a component that constitutes a portable beverage container 1, and is attached to the opening of a container body 10 that is configured, for example, as a vacuum double structure.

As shown in FIG. 2, the stopper 100 is composed of a base 110 that is attached to the container body 10, and a lid 101 that can be opened and closed from the base 110 via a hinge 116. The lid 101 is constantly biased in the open direction by a spring (first elastic body) 170 (the spring 170 is not shown in FIG. 2; see FIG. 4).

The base 110 has a generally circular frame 111 at its center, below which a threaded portion 112 for connecting to the container body 10 is vertically disposed. An opening 113 that communicates with the container body 10 is provided at the center of the frame 111 and the threaded portion 112. A hinge 116 for hingedly connecting to the lid 101 is provided at the back of the frame 111, and a semicircular spout 114 is provided at the front so as to be continuous with the opening 113. The front side of the spout 114 is shaped so that a claw can be caught, and functions as a hook (engaged portion) 115 for engaging the lid 101.

The lid 101 is composed of an upper cover 160, an operating member 150, a spring 140, a lower cover 130, and a screw 120. A rubber packing 180 is attached to the bottom side of the lower cover 130 (not shown in FIG. 2; see FIG. 4).

The operating member 150 is sandwiched from above and below by the lower cover 130 and the upper cover 160, which are assembled with the screws 120. The operating member 150 is assembled so that the arm portion 151d is placed on the guide frame 130a of the lower cover 130, and is configured to be movable forward and backward toward the front side while being constantly biased in one direction (rearward) by the upper cover 160 via the spring 140.

The upper cover 160 is generally circular in plan view, and has an outer peripheral wall 161 with a certain width in the height direction to ensure space to accommodate the operating member 150. A portion of the front side of the outer peripheral wall 161 is cut out as a notch 163, allowing the operating member 150 (the arm portion 151d) to protrude. A hinge connection portion 164 for connecting with the hinge 116 provided on the base portion 110 is formed at the rear of the top surface 162 of the upper cover 160. A recess 165 is formed in the top surface 162 of the upper cover 160, slightly in front of the hinge connection portion 164 (on the front side).

As shown in FIG. 3, the operating member 150 is composed of a lower slide member 151, an upper slide member 152, a pin 153, a spring (second elastic body) 154, and a first operating member 155. The lower slide member 151 and the upper slide member 152 are combined to form a second operating member.

The lower slide member 151 has an arm portion 151d that extends largely toward the front side. The tip surface of the arm portion 151d is sized to fit into the notch 163 of the upper cover 160, and forms an exposed portion 151a that is normally kept flush with the surface of the upper cover 160. Below the exposed portion 151a is a claw (locking portion) 151b that is hook-shaped facing inward. This claw 151b is configured to engage with a hook portion (locked portion) 115 provided on the base portion 110, thereby keeping the lid portion 101 closed.

The upper slide member 152 has square retaining frames 152a on the left and right, and each retaining frame 152a has a guide hole 152b formed in it. The lower slide member 151 and the upper slide member 152 are assembled so that the protrusion 151e of the lower slide member 151 fits into this guide hole 152b.

When the lower slide member 151 and the upper slide member 152 are assembled, the semi-cylindrical protrusion 151c on the lower slide member 151 side and the semi-cylindrical protrusion 152c on the upper slide member 152 side combine to form a cylinder, and the spring 140 is assembled to this part. The other side of this spring 140 is assembled so as to be supported by the spring receiving protrusion 168 protruding from the side of the screw receiving part 167 suspended from the upper cover 160 (see Figure 4).

The first operating member 155, which is located at the top in FIG. 3, is attached to the upper slide member 152 so as to rotate around the pin 153 as an axis. The pin 153 passes through the through hole 152e of the upper slide member 152 and the through hole 155c of the first operating member 155. The first operating member 155 is constantly biased in the counter-rotation direction (the direction in which the operating part 155a is pulled down) by the spring (second elastic body) 154. The spring 154 is attached to a cylindrical protrusion 152d formed on the upper slide member 152.

<Action and function of the plug>
As a result of assembling in this configuration, when the lid portion 101 is closed, the entire operating member 150 moves to the right (towards the hinge 116) as shown in Fig. 4. Also, the operating portion 155a of the first operating member 155 is located closest to the bottom side of the recess 165. Furthermore, because the stepped portion 155b of the first operating member 155 abuts against the abutment portion 166 of the upper cover 160, the entire operating member 150 does not slide to the left (towards the front) even if the first operating member 155 is pushed horizontally to the left.

To disengage the lid 101 from the base 110 and open the lid 101, two consecutive steps are required, as shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), the first operation is to insert a finger into the recess 165 and lift the operating portion 155a of the first operating member 155 to rotate the first operating member 155. This operation releases the contact between the stepped portion 155b of the first operating member 155 and the contact portion 166 of the upper cover 160. Only then can the entire operating member 150 slide leftward (toward the front).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, the second operation is performed by pressing the entire first operating member 155 to the left (front) while applying a force to lift the operating portion 155a (i.e., while applying the force of the rotation operation as the first operation). Then, the force is also applied to the second operating member connected by the pin 153, and the first operating member 155 in the rotated state moves to slip under the upper cover 160, and as a result, the entire operating member 150 slides to the left (front). This releases the engagement between the claw 151b and the hook portion 115, and the lid portion 101 opens due to the biasing force of the spring 170. When the operation on the operating portion 155a is released, the entire operating member 150 returns to its original position due to the biasing force of the spring 140, and the first operating member 155 is also pushed back in the counter-rotation direction by the biasing force of the spring 154. Furthermore, this operation can be easily completed with one hand if you hold the device as shown in Figure 6.

When closing the lid 101, simply return the lid 101 in the closing direction and press down from above. When this operation is performed, the tapered surface of the claw 151b comes into contact with the tapered surface of the hook 115, causing only the lower slide member 151 to be temporarily pulled out to the left (towards the front), and then pushed back by the force of the spring 140, completing the engagement between the lid 101 and the base 110.

As explained in the above configuration, the present invention is a plug 100 having a base 110 attached to a container body 10, and a lid 101 that can be opened and closed from the base via a hinge 116 and is constantly biased in the open direction by a spring (first elastic body) 170, and the closed state of the lid 101 is maintained by engagement between a claw (locking portion) 151b on the lid side 101 and a hook portion (locked portion) 115 on the base side 110, and the engagement is performed by a first operation performed by operating a first operating member 155, and a second operating member (lower slide member 151 and The lock is released by completing a two-stage continuous operation of the second operation, which is performed by directly or indirectly operating the first operating member 155 and the upper slide member 152, and the first operating member 155 is supported rotatably by the second operating member, and a recess 165 that allows the insertion of a fingertip is formed on the lid portion 101 side, and the operating part 155a of the first operating member 155 is disposed within the recess 165, and the first operation is a rotation operation in which the operating part 155a of the first operating member 155 is pressed from the inside of the recess 165 to rotate the first operating member 155.

By adopting such a configuration, the possibility that the first operation will be completed by an external pressure is further reduced. First, by making the first operation a rotation operation rather than a slide operation, it is possible to counteract the external pressure. That is, in many cases, external pressure is applied with a linear vector, but by making the first operation a rotation operation, it is difficult for the first operation to be completed by the pressure applied with this linear vector. Secondly, a recess 165 that allows a finger to enter is formed, the operation part 155a of the first operating member 155 is disposed within the recess 165, and the direction of the rotation operation is designed to be a direction in which pressure is applied (to the operation part 155a) from the inside of the recess 165. In short, the design is such that it is not easy to apply a force to the operation part 155a of the first operating member 155 to rotate it with a pressure applied from the outside with a linear vector.

In particular, in the above-mentioned configuration, the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operating member 155 is rotated by pressing the operating portion 155a of the first operating member 155 in a "direction of pulling up from the bottom side of the recess 165 toward the outside," so that it is virtually impossible to apply a force to the operating portion 155a of the first operating member 155 to rotate it with a pressing force applied from the outside in a linear vector.

The first operating member 155 is constantly biased in the counter-rotation direction by a spring (second elastic body) 154, and the second operation is an operation in which the first operating member 155 is rotated and kept in a displaced state, and the second operating member (lower slide member 151 and upper slide member 152) is pressed and slid together with the first operating member 155 in a specific direction.

In this way, two operations with different movements (a rotation operation and a slide operation) are combined as a continuous operation, and by using the spring 154, it is possible to proceed to the second operation only when a force is continuously applied to complete the first operation, thereby eliminating as much as possible the possibility of the lid 101 opening unintentionally.

Other configuration examples
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the operating member is provided on the base unit 210 side and the second operation is also a "rotation operation". Note that the parts that are functionally common are given reference numerals with the last two digits being the same. Also, parts that are not directly related to the invention are only illustrated and their description is omitted.

In the second embodiment, a recess 265 is provided on the front side of the base 210, and a first operating member 255 is disposed above the recess 265. In addition, two members (a rear rotating member 251 and a front rotating member 252) disposed at the rear of the first operating member 255 correspond to the second operating member.

The first operating member 255 is rotatably supported by a pin 253 from a front rotating member 252 constituting the second operating member. In addition, although not shown, it is constantly biased in the counter-rotation direction by an elastic body such as a spring. On the other hand, the rear rotating member 251 on which the claw 251b is formed is rotatably supported by a pin 258 arranged at a different position whose axis does not coincide with that of the pin 253 mentioned above. In other words, it is configured so that the direction of applying force to rotate the first operating member 255 does not coincide with the direction of applying force to rotate the second operating member (the rear rotating member 251 and the front rotating member 252).

Assembling in this manner results in the entire operating member 250 being located to the left (front side) when the lid portion 201 is closed. Also, the operating portion 255a of the first operating member 255 is located closest to the inside of the recess 265. Furthermore, because the protrusion 255b of the first operating member 255 abuts against the abutment portion 266 of the base portion 210, the entire operating member 250 will not move even if the first operating member 255 is pushed horizontally to the right (rearward).

To disengage the lid 201 from the base 210 and open the lid 201, two consecutive steps are required, as shown in Figure 9.

As shown in FIG. 9(A), the first operation is to insert a finger into the recess 265 and lift the operating portion 255a of the first operating member 255 to rotate the first operating member 255. This operation releases the contact between the protrusion 255b of the first operating member 255 and the contact portion 266 of the base portion 210. This makes it possible for the entire operating member 250 to move (rotate) to the right (rearward).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9B, the second operation is performed by applying a force to lift the operating portion 255a (i.e., applying the force of the rotation operation as the first operation) and further pressing the entire first operating member 255 to the right (rearward). This also applies the force to the second operating member connected by the pin 253, and the first operating member 255 in the rotated state moves to slip under the abutment portion 266, and as a result, the entire operating member 250 rotates to the right (rearward) around the pin 259 as an axis. This releases the engagement between the claw 251b and the hook portion 215, and the lid portion 201 opens due to the biasing force of the spring. When the operation on the operating portion 255a is released, the entire operating member 250 is pushed back to its original position by the biasing force of the spring 240.

When closing the lid 201, simply return the lid 201 in the closing direction and press down from above. When this operation is performed, the tapered surface of the claw 251b comes into contact with the tapered surface of the hook 215, causing the rear rotating member 251 to temporarily tilt backwards, and then the rear rotating member 251 is pushed back by the biasing force of the spring 240, completing the engagement between the lid 201 and the base 210.

In this way, two rotation operations with different rotation directions (non-coincident axes) are combined as a continuous operation, and an elastic body is inserted that constantly biases the first operating member 255 in the opposite rotation direction, making it impossible to proceed to the second operation unless the force required to complete the first operation is continuously applied, thus eliminating as much as possible the possibility of the lid opening unintentionally.

The claw (engaging portion) and the hook portion (engaged portion) may be on either side, and may have any shape as long as the engagement between the two keeps the lid closed.

1: Portable beverage container 10: Container body 100: Stopper body 101: Lid portion 110: Base portion 111: Frame portion 112: Screw portion 113: Opening 114: Drinking spout 115: Hook portion (engaged portion)
116: hinge 120: screw 130: lower cover 130a: guide frame 140: spring 150: operation member 151: lower slide member (second operation member)
151a...Exposed surface 151b...Claw (locking part)
152: Upper slide member (second operating member)
153: Pin 154: Spring (second elastic body)
155: First operating member 155a: Operating portion 155b: Step portion 160: Upper cover 161: Outer peripheral wall portion 162: Top surface portion 163: Notch portion 164: Hinge connection portion 165: Recess 166: Contact portion 170: Spring (first elastic body)

Claims (4)

A plug having a base portion attached to a container body, and a lid portion that can be opened and closed from the base portion via a hinge and is constantly biased in an open direction by a first elastic body, the lid portion being held in a closed state by engagement between an engaging portion provided on the lid portion and an engaged portion provided on the base portion,
The engagement is released by completing two consecutive operations, a first operation performed by operating a first operating member and a second operation performed by directly or indirectly operating a second operating member,
The first operating member is rotatably supported by the second operating member,
A recess that allows a fingertip to be inserted is formed on the base side or the lid side,
An operating portion of the first operating member is disposed within the recess;
the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operation member is rotated by pressing the operation portion of the first operation member from an inside of the recess ,
The first operating member is constantly biased in a counter-rotation direction by a second elastic body,
The second operation is an operation of pressing and sliding the second operating member together with the first operating member in a specific direction while the first operating member is kept in a rotated and displaced state.
A closure for a portable beverage container. A plug having a base portion attached to a container body, and a lid portion that can be opened and closed from the base portion via a hinge and is constantly biased in an open direction by a first elastic body, the lid portion being held in a closed state by engagement between an engaging portion provided on the lid portion and an engaged portion provided on the base portion,
The engagement is released by completing two consecutive operations, a first operation performed by operating a first operating member and a second operation performed by directly or indirectly operating a second operating member,
The first operating member is rotatably supported by the second operating member,
A recess that allows a fingertip to be inserted is formed on the base side or the lid side,
An operating portion of the first operating member is disposed within the recess;
the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operation member is rotated by pressing the operation portion of the first operation member from an inside of the recess ,
The first operating member is constantly biased in a counter-rotation direction by a second elastic body,
The second operation is an operation of pressing the second operating member together with the first operating member in a specific direction while maintaining the first operating member in a rotated and displaced state, thereby rotating the second operating member in a direction having an axis different from that of the rotation of the first operating member.
A closure for a portable beverage container. In claim 1 or 2,
The stopper of the portable beverage container, characterized in that the first operation is a rotation operation in which the first operating member is rotated by pressing the operating portion of the first operating member in a direction lifting the operating portion from the bottom side of the recess toward the outside. In any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A stopper for a portable beverage container, characterized in that when the lid portion is in a closed state, the first operating member and the second operating member are shaped so as not to protrude from a surface of the stopper.

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