Description

CONTAINER DEVICE WITH SAFETY DEVICE FOR PREVENTING LOSS OF CLOSURE PLUG

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a container capable of preventing loss of a closure plug, and more particularly, to a container with a safety device which can prevent loss of a closure plug by connecting the closure plug with a body of the container when opening the closure plug, and prevent the closure plug from contacting a user's face or contents from running down the closure plug when directly drinking or discharging the contents, by maintaining the opened position of the closure plug without holding the closure plug by user's fingers, thereby improving application feeling remarkably and preventing contamination of the contents. Background Art

[2] Containers accommodating liquid materials, such as oil, paint, chemical, and so forth, as well as drinks, such as mineral water or milk, generally include a container body having an outlet opening, and a closure plug for opening and closing the outlet opening of the container body. Engagement or disengagement of the closure plug to or from the outlet opening is generally carried out by use of threaded engagement or a re- siliently forcible locking portion.

[3] In order to increase a volume of the container or build up the air- tightness, the closure plug may be provided with an internal resilient cap, for example, a liner.

[4] In case of taking contents out of such a container, the closure plug is released from the container body to open the outlet opening, and then is again engaged with the outlet opening. In this instance, the closure plug is laid down on the ground, such as a floor, which congests surrounding environment. Also, the closure plug is frequently not only be contaminated by alien substances, but also be lost.

[5] In addition, the loss of the closure plug may cause the contents accommodated in the container to be contaminated or leaked. In particular, in case of volatile chemicals, it may cause a fire.

[6] In order to solve the above problems, a conventional container 100 includes, as shown in Fig. 10, a closure plug 130, and a holding ring 135 coupled to the closure plug 130 via a coupling member 133. The holding ring 135 is fitted around an outlet opening 111 of a body 110.

[7] With the construction, when the outlet opening 111 is opened, the closure plug 130 is attached to the body by a coupling member 133 and the holding ring 135, thereby preventing loss of the closure plug.

[8] According to the conventional container, however, the coupling member 133 and the holding ring 135 are integrally formed with the closure plug 130. Consequently, the opened closure plug 130 is downwardly rotated around the outer periphery of the outlet opening together with the holding ring 135 due to its weight, as shown in Fig. 11.

[9] In case a user drinks the contents while setting the outlet opening to user's lips, the closure plug comes in contact with user's mouth or jaw, which gives the user an unpleasant feeling and being cumbersome. In case of pouring the contents into other container, the closure plug is stained with the discharging contents, and also interrupts the discharge of the contents.

[10] Therefore, the user must grip the closure plug by one hand so that the closure plug is stained with the contents. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[11] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems involved in the prior art, and to provide a container with a safety device which can prevent loss of a closure plug by connecting the closure plug with a body of the container when opening the closure plug, and prevent the closure plug from contacting a user's face or contents from running down the closure plug when directly drinking or discharging the contents, by maintaining the opened position of the closure plug without holding the closure plug by user's fingers, thereby improving application feeling remarkably and preventing contamination of the contents.

Technical Solution

[12] In order to achieve these and other objects, the present invention provides a container with a safety device including a body having an outlet opening, and a closure plug engaged to or disengaged from the outlet opening for opening and closing the container; wherein a ring-shaped groove is formed on an outer periphery of the closure plug; a coupling member includes a locking ring fitted in the groove of the closure plug which does not interfere with rotation of the closure plug, and at least one slider formed on one side of the locking ring and sliding along the outlet opening of the body; and the body has a guide way formed on an outer periphery of the outlet opening corresponding to the slider of the coupling member which does not interfere with opening and closing of the closure plug.

[13] As one embodiment, stoppers are formed on upper and lower ends of the guide way so as to prevent the coupling member from being released from the body.

[14] As one embodiment, a foldable hinge is integrally formed on the coupling member by using a thickness difference between the locking ring and the slider.

Advantageous Effects

[15] According to the container including the safety device, it can prevent loss of the closure plug by connecting the closure plug with the body of the container when the closure plug is opened, and prevent the closure plug from contacting the user's face or the contents from running down the closure plug when directly drinking or discharging the contents, by maintaining the opened position of the closure plug without holding the closure plug by user's fingers, thereby improving application feeling remarkably and preventing contamination of the contents. Brief Description of the Drawings

[16] The above objects, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[17] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a container with a safety device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[18] Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the assembled state of the container in Fig. 1.

[19] Fig. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of the container in Fig. 2.

[20] Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 3.

[21] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the container in Fig. 3, in which a closure plug is in an intermediate opening stage.

[22] Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an opening state of the container according to the present invention.

[23] Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a container with a safety device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[24] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a closure plug according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[25] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a closure plug according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[26] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional container.

[27] Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the container in Fig. 10.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[28] Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[29] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a container with a safety device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the assembled state of the container in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partially cross- sectional view of the container in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the container in Fig. 3, in which a closure plug is in an intermediate opening stage. Fig. 6 is a

perspective view illustrating an opening state of the container according to the present invention.

[30] Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, a container 1 with a safety device according one embodiment of the present invention includes a body 10 having an outlet opening 11, and a closure plug 30 engaged to or disengaged from the outlet opening 11 for opening and closing the container. A ring-shaped groove 31 is formed on an outer periphery of the closure plug 30. The container further includes a coupling member 50 consisting of a locking ring 51 fitted in the groove 31 of the closure plug which does not interfere with rotation of the closure plug, and at least one slider 55 formed on one side of the locking ring 51 and sliding along the outlet opening 11 of the body. The body 10 has a guide way 13 formed on an outer periphery of the outlet opening 11 corresponding to the slider 55 of the coupling member 50 which does not interfere with opening and closing of the closure plug 30.

[31] The guide way 13 is formed on one side of the outer periphery of the outlet opening

11, and extends in parallel with a discharging direction. The coupling member 50 is engaged to the guide way 13 to interrupt rotation of the coupling member 50 to the body 10 and fix the coupling member 50.

[32] Preferably, stoppers 13a are formed on upper and lower ends of the guide way so as to prevent the coupling member 50 from being released from the body 10.

[33] Preferably, a foldable hinge 53 is integrally formed on the coupling member 50 by using a thickness difference between the locking ring 51 and the slider 55.

[34] The hinge 53 may have a foldable groove 53c formed between a first coupling portion 53a formed on the locking ring 51 and a second coupling portion 53b formed on a side of the slider.

[35] The slider 55 and the guide way 13 may be formed in a dovetail shape (see Fig. 4).

[36] The slider 55 and the guide way 13 corresponding to the slider may be formed in at least two, as shown in Fig. 7, if the closure plug has a large diameter.

[37] Preferably, the ring-shaped groove 31 is formed on the outer periphery of the closure plug 30.

[38] As shown in Fig. 8, the ring-shaped groove 31 is formed on a lower end of the closure plug 30, so that the lower portion of the closure plug is formed in a double-fold wall. Consequently, a holding boss 33 for preventing release of the locking ring 51 may be formed on one side of the groove 31.

[39] As shown in Fig. 9, the closure plug 30 may be formed in a double-fold plug consisting of an external plug 30a and an internal plug 30b integrally formed on the external plug 30a, so that when the closure plug 30 is pushed down, the internal plug is rotated. The locking ring 51 may be fitted in a gap between the external plug 30a and the internal plug 30b, and the holding boss 33 may be formed on an inner periphery of

the external plug 30a or an outer periphery of the internal plug 30b at a front end thereof to prevent release of the holding ring.

[40] The assembly and operation of the container with the safety device according to the present invention will now be described herein.

[41] The coupling member 50 is firmly fixed by the holding boss 33 when the locking ring 51 is forcibly fitted in the ring-shaped groove 31 of the closure plug.

[42] When the slider 55 is fitted in and pressed against the guide way 13 of the body, the slider 55 is assembled into the guide way 13 by the resilience of resin material, even when the stopper protrudes. Thus, the slider 55 is linearly slid along the guide way 13 in a discharging direction, and is not released from the body 10 by the stopper.

[43] The coupling member 50 includes the locking ring 51 engaged to the closure plug 30, the slider 55 slidably engaged to the body 10, and the hinge 53 interposed between the locking ring 51 and the slider 55. The locking ring 51 holds the closure plug 30 to allow the closure plug to be freely rotated. The slider 55 is linearly slid along the outer periphery of the outlet in the discharge direction, and also is lifted by rotation of the closure plug 30, so that the slider 55 is not released from the closure plug 30. Consequently, the coupling state of the closure plug and the body 10 is maintained to prevent loss of the closure plug.

[44] The coupling member 50 couples the closure plug 30 to the body 10, and is not rotated together with the closure plug. But, the coupling member 50 is slid in the discharging direction, and is engaged to the guide way 13, so that the coupling member is fixed to a portion of the periphery of the outlet opening 11.

[45] Consequently, when the closure plug 30 is opened from the body 10 to discharge the contents, the closure plug is not rotated downwardly by its weight.

[46] Since the opened posture of the closure plug 30 is maintained intact by the hinge 53, it can prevent the closure plug from contacting a user's face when directly drinking or discharging the contents, and to prevent the contents from running down the closure plug when the contents are transferred to other container, thereby improving application feeling remarkably and preventing contamination of the contents.

[47] It would be understood to one skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied to closure plugs of various shapes, as well as a general on-fold closure plug (see Figs. 1 to 3).

[48] The ring-shaped groove 31 is formed on the lower portion of the closure plug, which prevents it from being exposed to the exterior (see Fig. 7), and the double-fold closure plug utilizes a clearance between the external plug 30a and the internal plug 30b to easily form the ring-shaped groove (see Fig. 8).

[49] While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that

various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Industrial Applicability

[50] With the above description, according to the container including the safety device, it can prevent loss of the closure plug by connecting the closure plug with the body of the container when the closure plug is opened, and prevent the closure plug from contacting the user's face or the contents from running down the closure plug when directly drinking or discharging the contents, by maintaining the opened position of the closure plug without holding the closure plug by user's fingers, thereby improving application feeling remarkably and preventing contamination of the contents.