Cap locking device

Abstract

Conventionally, to lock a cap onto a container with a minute interval of degree rotation, it is necessary to provide a large number of engaging teeth at minute intervals and to engage minute locking teeth thereto, but there is the problem that adequate locking force is not attained so the lock is disconnected, making a secure lock impossible. There is also the problem that high-precision forming technology is required, making it difficult to provide the neck or shoulders of a container with teeth using a plastic blow-forming process. A cap locking device in which engaging teeth provided in a circumferential shape on one side are elastically engaged by locking teeth 2 provided on the other side when a cap 10 is rotatingly mounted onto a container 20 , wherein locking teeth B 1 and C 1 positioned on both sides of a central locking tooth A 1 of a set of three locking teeth 2 are set to an integer multiple pitch interval including zero of engaging teeth plus one-third or two-thirds of a pitch interval.

1 . A cap locking device made such that engaging teeth provided on either a cap or a container are elastically engaged by locking teeth provided on the other when the cap is rotatingly mounted on the container, wherein locking teeth positioned at both sides of a central locking tooth of a set of three locking teeth are set at a pitch interval of an integer multiple including zero of the engaging teeth plus one-third of a pitch interval. 
   
   
       2 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that a set of three locking teeth are provided mutually separated by at least a pitch interval of an integer multiple of at least 1 pitch of the engaging teeth plus two-thirds of a pitch interval. 
   
   
       3 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the set of three locking teeth are separated by at least four pitch intervals of an engaging tooth. 
   
   
       4 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the number of engaging teeth is set to a multiple of 4. 
   
   
       5 . A cap locking device made such that engaging teeth provided on either a cap or a container in a circumferential shape are elastically engaged by locking teeth provided on the other when the cap is rotatingly mounted on the container, wherein locking teeth positioned at both sides of a central locking tooth of a set of three locking teeth are set at a pitch interval of an integer multiple including zero of the engaging teeth plus one-third of a pitch interval. 
   
   
       6 . The cap locking device described in  claim 5 , made such that a set of three locking teeth are provided mutually separated by at least a pitch interval of an integer multiple of at least 1 pitch of the engaging teeth plus two-thirds of a pitch interval. 
   
   
       7 . The cap locking device described in  claim 5 , made such that the set of three locking teeth are separated by at least five pitch intervals of an engaging tooth. 
   
   
       8 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the number of engaging teeth is set to a multiple of 5. 
   
   
       9 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the locking teeth are set at substantially equal intervals. 
   
   
       10 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the engaging teeth are set at substantially equal intervals spanning the entire circumference. 
   
   
       11 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the locking teeth are provided at a rotational mounting end portion limited to a portion relative to the engaging teeth. 
   
   
       12 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the engaging teeth are provided spanning the entire circumference. 
   
   
       13 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the engaging teeth are formed into comparatively sharp-angled peaks, and the locking teeth are formed into comparatively blunt-angled peaks. 
   
   
       14 . The cap locking device described in  claim 13 , made such that the engaging teeth are formed into peaks of substantially 60° to substantially 110°. 
   
   
       15 . The cap locking device described in  claim 13 , made such that the angles of the engaging teeth peaks are formed to be 10° to 40° smaller than the angles of the locking teeth peaks. 
   
   
       16 . The cap locking device described in  claim 13 , made such that the engaging teeth are formed in peaks of substantially 90°, and the locking teeth are formed into peaks of substantially 110°. 
   
   
       17 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the engaging teeth are formed by comparatively hard plastic, and the locking teeth are formed by comparatively soft plastic easily elastically deformed. 
   
   
       18 . The cap locking device described in  claim 1 , made such that the engaging teeth are provided on a cap, and the locking teeth are provided on a container. 
   
   
       19 . The cap locking device described in  claim 18 , made such that the engaging teeth are provided inside a cap skirt, and the locking teeth are provided at a container shoulder part. 
   
   
       20 . The cap locking device described in  claim 18 , made such that the engaging teeth are provided integrated in a cap using injection molding, and the locking teeth are provided integrated in a container using blow molding. 
   
   
       21 . The cap locking device described in  claim 20 , made such that the container comprises a squeeze tube container formed by blow molding and is squeezable up to a rotation mounting portion having a multi-thread swell-neck at the top of the shoulder portion. 
   
   
       22 . The cap locking device described in  claim 21  for providing the squeeze tube container with a narrow neck opening portion at the top of the multi-threaded swell-neck, and provided with a cap portion in a narrow neck on which a cap fits on a narrow-neck opening portion and a screw skirt portion for threading a multi-threaded portion. 
   
   
       23 . The cap locking device described in  claim 22 , made such that a squeeze tube container is provided with an elastic bellows-like portion between the narrow neck opening and the multi-threaded swell-neck so that the cap top is clamped on the opening when the cap is mounted. 
   
   
       24 . The cap locking device described in  claim 23 , made such that an elastic fitting skirt portion elastically fits on the bellow-like portion at the cap in the narrow neck. 
   
   
       25 . The cap locking device described in  claim 24 , constructed such that a notched portion is provided on the elastic fitting skirt to elastically fit on the bellows-like portion.