Container Cap and Sealing Member with Self-Opening Function

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a container cap and a sealing member having a self-opening function. The container cap and a sealing member may comprises: a container cap that is screw-fastened to an opening of a container and includes at least one opening lug on an inner bottom surface; and a sealing member that includes a seal membrane layer attached to a top surface of the opening of the container and having a lamination structure with one or more layers, a backing layer that is attached to the top of the seal membrane layer and is made of at least one plastic film or sheet, an opening tab that is formed in the backing layer, and an opening guide line that is formed in the backing layer and connected to the opening tab.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to Korea Patent Application No. 10-2024-0147717, filed on Oct. 25, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present disclosure relates to a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function in which an opening lug is inserted between a backing layer and a seal membrane layer through an opening tab outer insertion portion of an opening tab, and then, comes out in the upward direction of an opening tab inner insertion portion, and the opening lug lifts the opening tab as the container cap is opened so that the seal membrane layer, which is attached to a bottom of the backing layer, is simultaneously removed along inner and outer opening guide lines of the backing layer, thereby opening the backing layer and the seal membrane layer of the sealing member at the same time as opening the container cap.

BACKGROUND

Generally, containers, made of glass or plastic materials, are used for various applications such as storing objects or substances therein.

Containers require sealing for storing or keeping the contents, and what is necessary for a container for its repeated opening and closing is a lid.

There are various types and sizes of containers for storing and using medicines, food, nuts, beverages, and the like in daily life. For such containers requiring lids, screw-type lids are most commonly used.

A screw-type lid is a lid comprising screw threads on the inside that are configured to engage with corresponding screw threads formed on the neck of a container.

Although such screw type lids are most commonly used, customers may have suspicions that the contents of containers might have already been used.

That is, since customers purchase the contents, not the containers, if the lids are easily opened, the customers may suspect that the contents have already been partially consumed or damaged.

There are one-touch type lids for containers, wherein a container comprises an opening lug in the upper part of its neck and the lid comprises corresponding grooves on the upper portion of the inner side surface. However, such lids also have the above-described issues.

Depending on the contents, there are cases where containers require additional sealing. In such cases, the lips of the containers may be sealed with sealing materials made of complex materials, such as paper, plastic, aluminum foil, or the like.

There are also bridge type lids, wherein a lid further includes a so-called safety container cap comprising projections inwardly formed at its lower end, and a container comprises a stopper on which the safety container cap can be caught. Since the safety container cap remains on the neck of the container by being caught by the neck when the lid is turned to be opened, whether the product has been used may easily be confirmed with the naked eye.

Depending on the contents, the shapes of containers and methods for sealing the containers are determined, and this also influences the commercial value of products. However, continuously changing containers and lids or continuously changing or newly manufacturing either containers or lids according to a determined method is very inconvenient and is also not economically reasonable.

In the case of containers containing medicine, sealing materials are attached to the opening edges of the containers in order to store the medicine for a long time. In such cases, users need to rip off the sealing materials after opening the lids, but the sealing materials attached to the openings generally have the same diameters as the outer diameters of the containers.

For this reason, the users need to use their nails or relatively thin tools, such as a box cutter for ripping of the sealing materials.

When using their nails, there are cases where the users' nails may be broken, and when using tools, such as a box cutter, the users could cut their hands or be pricked.

For example, reference document 1 listed below discloses the invention titled ‘Container Lid and Container’.

Referring to a container lid and a container disclosed in reference document 1, a container lid, having a cylindrical shape comprising an upper surface, a circumferential surface, and an open lower portion and configured to be coupled with the neck of the container to open and close the container, comprises screw threads on the circumferential edge of its inner surface and further comprises a safety container cap that does not separate from the container neck when the lid is separated from the container. The container lid further comprises a locking groove, which is laterally recessed along an uppermost circumferential edge of the inner surface of the lid to correspond to a locking step laterally protruding from an uppermost outer circumferential edge of the neck of the container. The lid can be coupled to the container by inserting the locking step into the locking groove, and the lid can be separated from the container by an external force that bends the lid upward, causing the locking step to disengage from the locking groove.

Reference document 2 listed below discloses the invention titled ‘Container Cap for Container’.

According to reference document 2, a container cap for a container comprises a first container cap member, which is made of plastic and comprises a coupling part on the outer edge of the bottom surface, and a second container cap member, which is made of aluminum, is fixedly coupled to the first container cap by the coupling part of the first container cap so that the first and the second container cap members are opened simultaneously by the coupling part when the first container cap member is opened. The first container cap member comprises an upper surface portion covering the upper portion of a rubber stopper that is inserted into the opening of the container to seal the container, an edge portion that extends downward from the end of the upper surface, and a coupling portion whose cross section, which opens outward along the outer circumference spaced apart from the center of the bottom surface of the upper surface, is formed as a groove of a ‘L’-shape, and in which the upper end of the second container cap member is engaged with the groove and integrated by fusion.

The second container cap member comprises locking projections on the inner surfaces of the respective upper and lower portions of its side wall, which are positioned between the edge portion and the coupling portion of the first container cap member. The locking projection of the upper portion is engaged and retained by the coupling portion of the first container cap member and the locking projection of the lower portion is engaged and retained by a neck of the container. When the first container cap member is opened, external force applied to the first container cap member is transferred to the fusion portion of the outer circumference so that the fusion portion is separated from the container following the first container cap member without being torn.

The discussions in this section are intended merely to provide background information and do not constitute an admission of prior art.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

Patent Documents

• • Reference Document 1: Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-0477735
  • Reference Document 2: Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2327329
  • Reference Document 3: Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2014-0065248

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is intended to solve problems as described above.

An embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to provide a container cap that is opened through operations in which an opening lug is inserted between a backing layer and a seal membrane layer through an opening tab outer insertion portion of an opening tab, and then, comes out in the upward direction of an opening tab inner insertion portion, and the opening lug lifts the opening tab as the container cap is opened so that the seal membrane layer, which is attached to a bottom of the backing layer, is simultaneously removed along inner and outer opening guide lines of the backing layer, thereby opening the backing layer and the seal membrane layer of a sealing member at the same time as opening the container cap.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to ensure the operational reliability of the simultaneous opening of the container cap and the sealing member by providing an insertion guide portion configured such that the opening tab is projected upward to facilitate engagement between the opening lug and the opening tab.

Still another embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to facilitate modifications in the form of the opening lug by providing the opening lug that is inclined downward to correspond to an opening direction of the container cap and that is formed such that its thickness or width is reduced toward the end.

Still another embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to implement various opening mechanisms for the opening of the container in consideration of states of contents contained in the container or types of container use by forming an opening guide line selected from an outer opening guide line, an inner opening guide line, and an extended opening guide line or by varying the shape of the opening guide line to implement various opening mechanisms of the sealing member.

According to an embodiment, a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function is provided. The container cap and the sealing member comprise: a container cap that is screw-fastened to an opening of a container and includes at least one opening lug on an inner bottom surface; and a sealing member that includes a seal membrane layer attached to a top surface of the opening of the container and having a lamination structure with one or more layers, a backing layer that is attached to the top of the seal membrane layer and is made of at least one plastic film or sheet, an opening tab that is formed in the backing layer, and an opening guide line that is formed in the backing layer and connected to the opening tab, wherein, when the container cap is rotated in an opening direction in order to detach the container cap from the container, the opening lug of the container cap is caught by the opening tab of the sealing member, and the opening tab is lifted upwardly, thereby automatically removing the sealing member together with the container cap from the opening of the container.

The opening lug according to the present disclosure may be projected in a downwardly inclined manner from the inner bottom surface of the container cap and may be configured to be reduced in its thickness or width or in its thickness and width toward its end.

The backing layer according to the present disclosure may be formed of a single layer that comprises any one of plastic materials including polyolefin, polyester, polycarbonate, nylon, polystyrene, and poly lactic acid (PLA).

The backing layer according to the present disclosure may be made of a film or sheet, or a foamed film or sheet, having a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of layers of the plastic materials are laminated.

The seal membrane layer of the sealing member may include an aluminum foil layer that is laminated on the top of the backing layer, and a heat sealing resin layer that is disposed on the bottom of the aluminum foil layer so as to be attached to the top surface of the opening of the container.

The backing layer of the sealing member according to the present disclosure may include an opening tab inner insertion portion disposed in the inner side of the opening tab, and an opening tab outer insertion portion disposed in the outer side of the opening tab.

The opening tab according to the present disclosure may be provided with a non-adhesive silicon coating on its bottom so as to remain separated from the seal membrane layer.

The opening tab according to the present disclosure may further include an insertion guide portion that is projected upward so as to facilitate insertion of the opening lug.

The opening guide line according to the present disclosure may include an outer opening guide line connected to an outer end of the opening tab, and an inner opening guide line connected to an inner end of the opening tab.

The outer opening guide line according to the present disclosure may be formed in an annular shape along the periphery of the backing layer so that a part of the sealing member remains attached to the top surface of the opening of the container in a band shape when the container cap and the sealing member are opened.

The outer opening guide line according to the present disclosure may be formed to extend from the opening tab to the outermost side of the sealing member in an outward direction so that the entire sealing member is completely removed from the opening of the container when the container cap and the sealing member are opened.

The outer opening guide line according to the present disclosure may further include a non-circular guide line, at least a part of which is not circular, wherein the non-circular guide line is configured not to be in contact with the inner opening guide line, and a part opened by the sealing member is non-circular and formed to be smaller, based on the outer opening guide line and the non-circular guide line, in comparison with the shape of the top surface of the opening of the container.

The outer opening guide line and the inner opening guide line according to the present disclosure may be configured to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and to be in non-contact with each other in order to prevent breakage of the opening tab.

The present disclosure enables opening of the backing layer and the seal membrane layer of the sealing member simultaneously with the opening of the container cap through operations in which the opening lug is inserted between the backing layer and the seal membrane layer through the opening tab outer insertion portion of the opening tab, and then, comes out in the upward direction of the opening tab inner insertion portion, and the opening lug lifts the opening tab as the container cap is opened so that the seal membrane layer, which is attached to a bottom of the backing layer, is simultaneously removed along inner and outer opening guide lines of the backing layer.

The present disclosure also enables ensuring the operational reliability of the simultaneous opening of the container cap and the sealing member by providing an insertion guide portion configured such that the opening tab is projected upward to facilitate engagement between the opening lug and the opening tab.

Further, the present disclosure enables facilitation of form modification by providing the opening lug that is inclined downward to correspond to an opening direction of the container cap and that is formed such that its thickness or width is reduced toward the end.

The present disclosure enables implementing various opening mechanisms of the opening of the container in consideration of states of contents contained in the container or types of container use by forming an opening guide line selected from an outer opening guide line, an inner opening guide line, and an extended opening guide line or by varying the shape of the opening guide line to implement various opening mechanisms of the sealing member.

The present disclosure also enables simplification of a lamination structure of the sealing member by forming an opening guide line in the sealing member, and improvement of economic feasibility and applicability in terms of diversification of the lamination structure of the sealing member depending on applications or materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for one having ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure, various forms of the present disclosure are described given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are exploded perspective views of a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are assembled perspective views of a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing a container cap of an assembly of a container cap and a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a side view showing a container cap of an assembly of a container cap and a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a side view showing a sealing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the operation of simultaneous opening of a container cap and a sealing member when the container cap is opened;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views showing removal of a sealing member leaving a band-shaped portion of the sealing member on an upper surface of the opening of a container cap when the container cap and the sealing member are simultaneously opened;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views showing complete removal of a sealing member by a container cap when the container cap and the sealing member are simultaneously opened; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views showing opening of only a portion of a sealing member smaller than its entire area when the container cap and the sealing member are simultaneously opened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail in reference to accompanying drawings such that persons skilled in the art would readily implement them.

However, the description of the present invention is merely illustrative of structural and functional embodiments, and thus the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the specification.

For example, since various modifications and numerous alternative forms of embodiments are possible, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing the technical concept.

Moreover, the objectives or effects presented in the present invention do not imply that a particular embodiment must include all of them or only such effects. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereby.

In this specification, the embodiments are provided to ensure a complete disclosure of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. The invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, well-known components, well-known operations, and well-known techniques are not described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the essence of the present invention.

Meanwhile, the meanings of the terms used in the present invention should not be limited to their dictionary definitions and should be interpreted as follows.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Terms that are generally defined in dictionaries shall be interpreted in accordance with their meanings in the context of the relevant technical field, and unless explicitly defined in the present invention, shall not be construed as having idealized or overly formal meanings.

Hereinafter, a container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, an assembly of a container cap 150 and a sealing member 130 having a self-opening function according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a container 110 that may contain contents, a sealing member 130, attached to a top surface 111a of an opening 111 of the container, in order to prevent the contents from coming out through the opening, and a container cap 150 detachably fastened to the top of the container 110.

The container 110 may have a predetermined size such that a predetermined amount of contents may be contained. The container 110 may comprise the opening 111, through which the contained contents may come out, in an upper part and a fastening portion 112, to which the container cap 150 may be fastened, on an outer surface of the opening 111. In this regard, a body 151 of the container cap may include a corresponding fastening portion 153 that conforms to the fastening portion 112 of the container so that the container cap may be coupled to and detached from the container in a screw-fastening manner. The contents may be liquid, solid, powder, or the like, and may be various types of substances including medicine, food, health supplements, nuts, beverages, as well as engine oil for industrial applications, agricultural chemicals, or the like.

The sealing member 130 may be provided with a seal membrane layer 131 attached to the top surface of the opening 111 for maintaining the seal of the container 110, and with a backing layer 133, having a lamination structure comprising at least one layer, which is attached to the top of the seal membrane layer 131.

As shown in FIG. 5, the seal membrane layer 131 of the sealing member may comprise an aluminum foil layer 131a and a heat-sealing resin layer 131b attached to the bottom surface of the aluminum foil layer 131a. The heat-sealing resin layer 131b may be attached to the top surface 111a of the opening of the container by thermocompression.

The seal membrane layer 131 may be made of various materials depending on the seal strength required for the material of the container 110.

The backing layer 133 of the sealing member may be preferably formed to have a lamination structure comprising one or more layers. The backing layer 133 may be made of various materials, such as a plastic film, a foamed plastic film or sheet, nonwoven, paper, or the like. Accordingly, the backing layer 133 may have a single layer made of one of the above-described materials or multiple layers made of two or more of the above-described materials.

For example, in a case where the backing layer 133 has a single layer as shown in “A” of FIG. 5, the backing layer may be formed of only a foamed layer as long as it has sufficient strength to facilitate opening of the seal membrane layer 131 and may also maintain cushioning at the same time.

In this case, the backing layer 133 may be formed of a single layer that comprises any one of plastic materials including polyolefin, polyester, polycarbonate, nylon, polystyrene, and poly lactic acid (PLA).

In a case where the backing layer 133 has multiple layers as shown in “B” of FIG. 5, the baking layer may be formed of two or more layers so as to utilize functional features of the respective layers. In this case, the backing layer 133 may comprise two or more layers, sequentially from the top, of a surface film layer 133a, an intermediate base layer 133b, and a strong film layer 133c, which may be selectively combined according to the application.

The strong film layer 133c may be formed of a single layer comprising any one of plastic materials including polyolefin, polyester, polycarbonate, nylon, polystyrene, and poly lactic acid (PLA), in order that the strong film layer, in particular, may have a relatively high tensile strength.

The backing layer 133 may have multiple layers in which the above-described plastic materials are laminated. In this case, the backing layer may be formed of films or sheets, or foamed films or sheets.

In order to improve complete adhesion between the container cap 150 and the container 110, and to prevent transferring heat, generated in the aluminum foil layer 131a of the seal membrane layer 131 due to high-frequency induction heating, to the upper layer, the intermediate base layer 133b, made of one or more materials among foamed resin made of a plastic material, paper, and nonwoven, may be disposed under the surface film layer 133a. In this case, the strong film layer 133c may be disposed under the intermediate base layer 133b in order to increase the tensile strength and hardness of the backing layer 133.

The backing layer 133 formed as described above may comprise an opening guide line 135 in an edge portion, more specifically, at an appropriate position inwardly spaced from the outermost edge of the backing layer 133 and extending by an appropriate length. The opening guide line 135 may function as a guide line to facilitate breakage or cutoff of the backing layer 133 when the sealing member 130 is opened by an opening member 160 to be described below. The opening guide line 135 may be a completely cut line or a dotted line.

The sealing member 130 as described above may be manufactured by attaching the backing layer 133 and the seal membrane layer 131, and then, cutting out and punching it in the form of the sealing member 130. As such, the sealing member according to the present disclosure has an advantage that the manufacturing process is simple and the economic feasibility may be increased. In this case, the backing layer 133 and the seal membrane layer 131 may preferably be formed to have the same planar shape, overlapping each other, and to have the same planar area.

The backing layer 133 and the seal membrane layer 131 may be attached to each other through an adhesive layer to form the sealing member 130, wherein the adhesive layer may be formed such that the adhesive strength between the bottom surface of the backing layer 133 and the top surface of the seal membrane layer 131 is about 500 gf per 15 mm of width or higher.

An adhering method may be a dry lamination adhering method using an adhesive, an extrusion lamination method using an adhesive resin, or an adhering method using a hot melt adhesive. The backing layer 133 and the seal membrane layer 131 may be attached using an appropriate one selected from such adhering methods. Prior to the adhering process, the opening guide line 135 is formed on the backing layer 133 using a cutting knife for complete cutting or a blade for forming a dotted line. In addition, a marking using a laser may be made at a portion of the heat-sealing resin layer 131b coated with a film or polymer, where the opening would start, so that the heat-sealing resin layer may be more easily torn, resulting in an easier breakage of the seal membrane layer 131 to facilitate the opening of the container.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the container cap 150 is configured to open or close the opening 111 of the container.

The container cap 150 may comprise the body 151 and the corresponding fastening portion 153 formed on the inner surface of the body 151, which cooperates with the fastening portion 112 formed on the outer surface of the opening 111 of the container so the container cap may open or close the container 110.

Regarding the sealing member 130 according to the present disclosure, which is configured as described above, unlike the conventional opening methods as described in the background art, an opening member 160 may be applied so that the sealing member 130 is broken or cut off at the same time as the opening of the container cap 150, resulting in opening of the opening 111 of the container. Hereinafter, the opening member 160 is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the opening member 160 according to the present disclosure may be formed in the sealing member 130 and the container cap 150. In this specification, the relevant description is made presuming that the opening member 160 is formed in the sealing member 130 and the container cap 150 such that each of the opening member corresponds to the other. However, in a case where the opening member 160 is formed in the sealing member 130 or the container cap 150, it may have a shape and a function identical or similar to those of an opening tab and an opening lug to be described below, and may be formed such that the opening of the container can be opened through an independent operation of each of the opening member.

The opening member 160 may include an opening tab 161 formed in the sealing member 130 and an opening lug 163 formed in the container cap 150.

In this case, the opening tab 161 of the opening member may be formed in the backing layer 133 of the sealing member, and may comprise an opening tab outer insertion portion 161a disposed on the inner side of the opening tab 161 and an opening tab inner insertion portion 161b disposed on the outer side of the opening tab 161, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The opening tab inner insertion portion 161b and the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a may be preferably formed in the form of a hole as shown the accompanying figures. This is intended to facilitate insertion of the opening lug 163. Otherwise, the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b and the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a may be formed by cutting the backing layer 133, not making them in the form of a hole. In this case, an insertion guide portion 161c, that serves to protrude the opening tab 161 upwardly, is formed so as to facilitate insertion of the opening lug 163 into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a.

In a case where the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a and the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b are formed in the form of a hole as shown in the accompanying figures, the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a may preferably have a size greater than that of the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b. This is to allow smoother insertion of the opening lug 163 when the container cap 150 is opened. That is, this is intended to allow the opening lug 163 to rotate in the direction, in which the container cap 150 opens, and to be inserted first into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a when the container cap 150 is opened. For this reason, it is preferable that the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a has a size greater than that of the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b.

The opening lug 163 of the opening member may be formed to be integrated with the bottom surface on the inner side of the body 151 of the container cap, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. In this case, the opening lug 163 may be at least one projection, which is made of an elastic material.

In the accompanying figures, the opening lug 163 is formed as three projections. The number of projections of the opening lug 163 may increase or decrease depending on the size of the container cap 150 or the size of the container. The opening lug 163 may be formed so as not to be integrated with the container cap 150, and, in this case, it may be formed in a separate disk-shaped member, which is inserted into the container cap.

In addition, if the direction in which the container cap 150 opens is counter-clockwise, the opening lug 163 may preferably be formed to be inclined downwardly so that the distance, by which the opening lug 163 is spaced apart from the bottom surface on the inner side of the container cap 150, gradually increases in the counter-clockwise direction.

In this case, the opening lug 163 may be pressed down by contact with the sealing member 130 when the container cap 150 is closed on the container 120 prior to the opening of the sealing member 130, but may protrude by elasticity when the container cap 150 is opened. For this, the opening lug 163 may be formed of plastic or thin metal.

Referring to the opening member 160 configured as described above, when the container cap 150 is rotated in the direction in which the container cap 150 opens, the opening lug 163 also rotates in the opening direction and changes, by elasticity, from a pressed state to a downward protruding state. In this case, one of the projections of the opening lug 163 may be inserted into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a.

When the opening lug 163 continues rotating while it is inserted into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a as such, the opening lug 163 is caught by the opening tab 161, and when the container cap 150 continues to be rotated in this state, the opening lug 163 rises upwardly to lift the opening tab 161 upwardly. When the opening lug 163 lifts the opening tab 161 while being caught by the opening tab 161 as such, the sealing member 130 may be broken or cut by the rotational force of the opening lug 163. In this case, the opening guide line 135 may form a cutting line of the sealing member 130 so that the sealing member 130 may easily be cut along the opening guide line 135 to be removed from the top of the opening of the container.

In a case where the opening guide line 135 is not formed, the sealing member 130 may be damaged as if it is torn by the opening lug 163, or the opening lug 163 may be bent or broken due to excessive force applied to the opening lug 163. Accordingly, the opening guide line 135 enables a safe cut-off of the sealing member 130 and facilitates the removal of the sealing member by means of the safe cut-off by preventing excessive force from being applied to the opening lug 163.

The opening member 160 configured as described above may enable the cut-off of the sealing member 130 by means of the opening tab 161 and the opening lug 163 inserted into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a. However, in order to ensure more reliable operability, the opening member may further comprise the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b and the insertion guide portion 161c, and the opening lug 163 may easily exhibit elasticity through variation in its thickness or width, or in both its thickness and width.

The opening tab 161 may comprise the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b, which is preferably disposed ahead of the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a in the opening direction. That is, the opening lug 163 rotates in the opening direction to be inserted primarily into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a, and, as it continues to rotate, the opening lug 163 may be inserted secondarily into the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b. As the opening lug 163 is inserted into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a and the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b, it may be fully caught by the opening tab 161. As such, the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a and the opening tab inner insertion portion 161b enable the opening lug 163 to be fully caught by the opening tab, resulting in the easier and smoother cutting of the sealing member 130.

The opening tab 161 may comprise the insertion guide portion 161c protruding upwardly so as to facilitate the primary insertion of the opening lug 163 into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a. The opening lug 163 may be more easily inserted into the opening tab outer insertion portion 161a by the insertion guide portion 161c, thereby being more easily caught by the opening tab 161.

The opening lug 163 may preferably be formed to have a thickness and width that are reduced toward the end.

This ensures the elasticity of the opening lug 163, and minimizes the failure probability in coupling between the opening lug 163 and the opening tab 161 by facilitating insertion of the opening lug into the opening tab 161. That is, when the opening lug 163 is formed to have a thickness and width that are reduced toward the end, this facilitates variation in the form of the opening lug 163, which ensures reliable operability.

In this case, the insertion guide portion 161c may be formed to be convex by thermal forming when manufacturing the backing layer 133 of the sealing member, so that the opening lug 163 can easily be inserted into the opening tab 161 and can easily be caught by the opening tab 161.

The container cap and the sealing member having a self-opening function according to the present invention, configured as described above, enable the cut-off or removal of the sealing member to be facilitated by the opening member caught by the opening tab when the container cap is opened.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show different embodiments depending on the type of removal of the sealing member from the opening of the container.

The opening guide line 135 according to the present disclosure may comprise an outer opening guide line 135a connected to an outer end of the opening tab 161 and an inner opening guide line 135b connected to an inner end of the opening tab 161, as shown in FIG. 7A.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the outer opening guide line 135a is formed in an annular shape along the edge of the backing layer 133 so that a part of the sealing member 130 may be left in the form of a band 136 on the top surface 111a of the opening of the container when the container cap 150 and the sealing member 130 are opened. This may be implemented by forming the outer opening guide line 135a in an annular shape at an inner portion of the edge of the backing layer 133. This may be a fully partial opening type in which an opening band 136 remains on the top surface 111a of the opening of the container. In this case, the seal of the sealing member on the top surface of the opening of the container may be a weld-seal type used when strong adhesion is required.

Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the outer opening guide line 135a is formed to start from the opening tab 161 and to extend outwardly to the outermost side of the sealing member so that the entire sealing member 130 may be removed from the opening 111 of the container when the container cap 150 and the sealing member 130 are opened. This may be a full opening type in which the sealing member is fully removed. In this case, the seal of the sealing member on the top surface 111a of the opening of the container may be a peelable-seal type having an appropriate sealing strength of 200 gf/15 mm to 1,500 gf/15 mm.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the outer opening guide line 135a is formed to include a non-circular guide line 135c in at least a part thereof. In this case, the non-circular guide line 135c may be formed so as not to meet the inner opening guide line 135b and formed in a straight line or an arc shape, which is extended from the outer opening guide line 135a, thereby forming a guide line having an overall non-circular shape by means of the outer opening guide line 135a and the non-circular guide line 135c. Accordingly, when the container cap and the sealing member are opened, the cut-off part where the sealing member has been removed may have a shape that is smaller than that of the top surface of the opening of the container and non-circular. This may be a partial-opening type in which the sealing member is partially opened.

Further, the outer opening guide line 135a and the inner opening guide line 135b may preferably be formed to have a predetermined distance therebetween so that they may not meet each other. This is because the neck of the opening tab 161 may be ruptured if the outer opening guide line 135a and the inner opening guide line 135b meet. Accordingly, it is preferable to maintain a predetermined distance between the outer opening guide line 135a and the inner opening guide line 135b to prevent the contact therebetween, thereby preventing the rupture of the neck of the opening tab 161. In this case, the outer opening guide line 135a may preferably be formed to have a width of at least 3 mm and an appropriate length in an inward direction toward the center of the circle.

As described above, when the opening guide line 135 according to the present disclosure is formed in various types as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the opening types of the sealing member 130 may also be implemented in various ways. This may be effective in that the opening types of the opening 111 of the container may be implemented in various ways in consideration of states of contents contained in the container 110 or types of container use.

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is of course possible to make various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A container cap and a sealing member with a self-opening function comprising:

a container cap that is screw-fastened to an opening of a container and includes at least one opening lug on an inner bottom surface; and

a sealing member that includes a seal membrane layer attached to a top surface of the opening of the container and having a lamination structure with one or more layers, a backing layer that is attached to the top of the seal membrane layer and is made of at least one plastic film or sheet, an opening tab that is formed in the backing layer, and an opening guide line that is formed in the backing layer and connected to the opening tab,

wherein, when the container cap is rotated in an opening direction in order to detach the container cap from the container, the opening lug of the container cap is caught by the opening tab of the sealing member, and the opening tab is lifted upwardly, thereby automatically removing the sealing member together with the container cap from the opening of the container.

2. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the opening lug is projected in a downwardly inclined manner from the inner bottom surface of the container cap and is configured to be reduced in its thickness or width or in its thickness and width toward its end.

3. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the backing layer is formed of a single layer that comprises any one of plastic materials including polyolefin, polyester, polycarbonate, nylon, polystyrene, and poly lactic acid (PLA).

4. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 3, wherein the backing layer is made of a film or sheet, or a foamed film or sheet, having a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of layers of the plastic materials are laminated.

5. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the seal membrane layer of the sealing member includes an aluminum foil layer that is laminated on the top of the backing layer, and a heat sealing resin layer that is disposed on the bottom of the aluminum foil layer so as to be attached to the top surface of the opening of the container.

6. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the backing layer of the sealing member includes an opening tab inner insertion portion disposed in the inner side of the opening tab, and an opening tab outer insertion portion disposed in the outer side of the opening tab.

7. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the opening tab is provided with a non-adhesive silicon coating on its bottom so as to remain separated from the seal membrane layer.

8. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 7, wherein the opening tab further includes an insertion guide portion that is projected upward so as to facilitate insertion of the opening lug.

9. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 1, wherein the opening guide line includes an outer opening guide line connected to an outer end of the opening tab, and an inner opening guide line connected to an inner end of the opening tab.

10. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 9, wherein the outer opening guide line is formed in an annular shape along the periphery of the backing layer so that a part of the sealing member remains attached to the top surface of the opening of the container in a band shape when the container cap and the sealing member are opened.

11. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 9, wherein the outer opening guide line is formed to start from the opening tab and to extend to the outermost side of the sealing member in an outward direction so that the entire sealing member is completely removed from the opening of the container when the container cap and the sealing member are opened.

12. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 9, wherein the outer opening guide line further includes a non-circular guide line, at least a part of which is not circular, wherein the non-circular guide line is configured not to be in contact with the inner opening guide line, and a part opened by the sealing member is non-circular and formed to be smaller, based on the outer opening guide line and the non-circular guide line, in comparison with the shape of the top surface of the opening of the container.

13. The container cap and the sealing member of claim 9, wherein the outer opening guide line and the inner opening guide line are configured to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and to be in non-contact with each other in order to prevent breakage of the opening tab.