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EP-4368071-B1 - BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID, METHOD FOR FORMING MOUTHPIECE OF BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID, AND BEVERAGE CONTAINER

EP4368071B1EP 4368071 B1EP4368071 B1EP 4368071B1EP-4368071-B1

Inventors

  • TANAKA YUUSUKE
  • OTA TOMOKI
  • HISATOMI Yoshito
  • WATANABE TSUNEAKI
  • TSUKAMOTO TAKUYA
  • TAKEGUCHI SHIRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220316

Claims (12)

  1. A beverage container lid (1) comprising: a cover plate portion (4) that covers an opening portion (3) of a beverage container (2); a side peripheral portion (5) provided on an outer peripheral edge of the cover plate portion (4), the side peripheral portion (5) being engageable with an edge portion of the opening portion (3) of the beverage container (2) when the opening portion (3) of the beverage container (2) is covered with the cover plate portion (4); a mouthpiece-forming line portion (11) provided on a peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion (4) and having a shape of the peripheral edge side of a mouthpiece to form the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece-forming line portion (11) being formed of a cut line portion or a low strength portion having a strength lower than a general portion of the cover plate portion (4); a folding low strength portion (12) having a strength lower than the general portion of the cover plate portion (4), characterized in that the folding low strength portion (12) facilitating folding by mountain fold between a mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) on an outer peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion (4) and a mouthpiece forming inner part (11B) inside the cover plate portion (4) in mouthpiece forming parts (11A, 11B) when the mouthpiece forming parts (11A, 11B) enclosed by the mouthpiece-forming line portion (11) are pushed into from above; and an engaging portion engageable with a lock portion (11c) at a peripheral edge of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) in a state where the mouthpiece forming inner part (11B) is valley-folded and lifted up and further the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) and the mouthpiece forming inner part (11B) are folded, and in that right and left coupling portions (11a, 11a) couple between a side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) and the cover plate portion (4) around the side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A).
  2. The beverage container lid (1) according to claim 1, comprising a valley fold low strength portion (13) having a strength lower than the general portion of the cover plate portion (4), the valley fold low strength portion (13) being provided between inner end portions of the mouthpiece-forming line portion (11) in the mouthpiece forming part (11A, 11B) of the cover plate portion (4) to facilitate a valley fold of the mouthpiece forming inner part (11B) that is lifted up.
  3. The beverage container lid (1) according to claim 2, wherein the valley fold low strength portion (13) is formed by providing a perforation.
  4. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the folding low strength portion (12) is formed by providing a perforation.
  5. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lock portion (11c) is formed at a narrowed width portion of an enlarged width portion where an end portion on the outer peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion (4) widens in a side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A), and the lock portion (11c) is engageable with an edge portion of the mouthpiece as the engaging portion.
  6. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lock portion (11c) is formed as a cutout at an end portion on the outer peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion (4) in a side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A), and the lock portion (11c) is engageable with an edge portion of the mouthpiece as the engaging portion.
  7. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of the lock portions (11c) are provided.
  8. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mouthpiece-forming line portion (11) is formed of a cut line portion
  9. The beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the beverage container lid (1) is made of paper.
  10. A method for forming the mouthpiece of the beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: a step of pushing the mouthpiece forming part (11A, 11B) from above with a finger; a step of folding the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) and the mouthpiece forming inner part (11B) in the mouthpiece forming parts (11A, 11B) by mountain fold with a finger and valley-folding and lifting up the mouthpiece forming inner part (11B); and a step of engaging the lock portion (11c) at the peripheral edge of the mouthpiece forming outer part (11A) with the engaging portion with a finger.
  11. A beverage container (2) that includes the beverage container lid (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
  12. The beverage container (2) according to claim 11, wherein the beverage container (2) is made of paper.

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage container lid that covers an opening portion of a beverage container, a method for forming a mouthpiece of the beverage container lid, and a beverage container including the beverage container lid. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in many beverage stores, such as fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, an opening portion of a beverage container, such as a cup made of plastic (synthetic resin) or made of paper, is covered with a beverage container lid for sale such that a beverage, such as juice and coffee, housed inside the beverage container is less likely to spill out from the opening portion when the beverage container is carried around. To drink the beverage housed inside the beverage container, the beverage container lid may be simply removed and the beverage is drunk from the opening portion. However, when the beverage container lid is removed, the beverage attached to the inside splashes, possibly resulting in smirching clothing of a person who drinks or the like. Therefore, in many cases, an insertion portion for a straw is provided in a beverage container lid, and by inserting an accessory straw into the insertion portion, a beverage inside a beverage container is easily drunk (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, nowadays, beginning with a marine contamination problem due to plastic dust or the like, a worldwide trend of plastic reduction has been increasing, and a trend of eliminating plastic straws has also been increasing as part of the plastic reduction. Under such a situation, the market demands a beverage container lid that eliminates a straw and allows forming a mouthpiece that facilitates drinking a beverage without removing the beverage container lid. Patent Document 1: JP-A-2021-14286 US 4 489 848 A relates to covers provided with a liftable wedge-shaped tab for the purpose of providing an aperture in the cover, permitting a person to drink from the container without removing the entire cover. It to provides a cover for a container having a removable tab which can be removed by one hand while the other hand is holding the container in place. US 4 489 848 A discloses a beverage container lid comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1. US 4 741 450 A also relates to a lid which is so arranged that beverage contained in the drinking cup may be drunk without removing the lid. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention has been invented in view of the above-described background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container lid that eliminates a straw and allows forming a mouthpiece that facilitates drinking a beverage without removing the beverage container lid, a method for forming the mouthpiece of the beverage container lid, and a beverage container including the beverage container lid. This object is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1. SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS To solve the above-described problems, the present inventors have invented the beverage container lid defined by the features of claim 1. A beverage container lid according to a first embodiment includes a valley fold low strength portion. The valley fold low strength portion has a strength lower than the general portion of the cover plate portion. The valley fold low strength portion is provided between inner end portions of the mouthpiece-forming line portion in the mouthpiece forming part of the cover plate portion to facilitate a valley fold of the mouthpiece forming inner part that is lifted up. In a beverage container lid according to a second embodiment, which is based on the first embodiment, the valley fold low strength portion is formed by providing a perforation. In a beverage container lid according to a third embodiment, which is based on any of the first and second embodiments, the folding low strength portion is formed by providing a perforation. In a beverage container lid according to a fourth embodiment, which is based on any of the first, second and third embodiments, the lock portion is formed at a narrowed width portion of an enlarged width portion where an end portion on the outer peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion widens in a side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part. The lock portion is engageable with an edge portion of the mouthpiece as the engaging portion. In a beverage container lid according to a fifth embodiment, which is based on any of the first, second, third and fourth embodiments, the lock portion is formed as a cutout at an end portion on the outer peripheral edge side of the cover plate portion in a side portion of the mouthpiece forming outer part. The lock portion is engageable with an edge portion of the mouthpiece as the engaging portion. In a beverage container lid according to sixth embodiment, which is based on any of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth embodiments, a plurality of the lock portions are pr