Pour spout and packaging container

Abstract

A pour spout that is sufficiently rigid to be prevented from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding and that is readily separated from a packaging container being broken down, and a packaging container with the pour spout. The pour spout includes a cylindrical sidewall and a disk-like flange extending outwardly from one end of the sidewall. The flange has a to-be-cut portion that is a recess arranged annularly, and a rib disposed at an annular projection or at the to-be-cut portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pour spout comprising:
 a cylindrical sidewall; and   a disk-like flange extending outwardly from one end of the sidewall,   wherein the flange has a to-be-cut portion formed with a plurality of recesses that are annularly arranged and separated by a plurality of ribs.   
     
     
         2 . The pour spout of  claim 1 , wherein the to-be-cut portion is formed on the flange's bottom surface opposite the sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The pour spout of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of ribs are formed extending radially from the center of the cylindrical sidewall in a plan view of the flange. 
     
     
         4 . The pour spout of  claim 2 , wherein
 an outer peripheral surface of the sidewall is formed with a screw thread onto which a cap is screwed, and   the plurality of ribs are formed extending from the inside to the outside of the flange at a first predetermined angle less than 90° to a direction tangent to the circumferential direction of rotation of the cap being screwed, in a plan view of the flange.   
     
     
         5 . The pour spout according to  claim 4 , wherein the a plurality of ribs are formed extending from the inside to the outside of the flange at a second predetermined angle to a direction opposite the direction tangent to the circumferential direction of rotation of the cap being screwed, in the plan view of the flange. 
     
     
         6 . The pour spout of  claim 4 , wherein the first predetermined angle is 60°. 
     
     
         7 . The pour spout of  claim 5 , wherein the second predetermined angle is 60°. 
     
     
         8 . The pour spout of  claim 2 , wherein top surfaces of the plurality of ribs are flush with the bottom surface of the flange. 
     
     
         9 . The pour spout of  claim 2 , wherein d 2 ≦d 1 ≦d 3  is satisfied, where d 1  is the thickness of a portion of the flange where the recess is formed, d 2  is the distance by which the recesses are separated by the plurality of ribs, and d 3  is the width of the recess. 
     
     
         10 . The pour spout of  claim 2 , wherein
 a surface of the flange on the sidewall side is welded around the entire circumference of a container body's pouring opening having a predetermined diameter,   the recess has a first wall surface and a second wall surface on an outer side of the first wall surface, the first and second wall surfaces being concentric with the sidewall, and has a top surface connected to the first and second wall surfaces at a predetermined angle, and   with the flange welded to the container body, d 4 +d 6 ≧2×d 5  is satisfied, where d 4  is an outer diameter of the sidewall at a portion facing an inner peripheral surface of the pouring opening, d 5  is an inner diameter of the pouring opening, and d 6  is an outer diameter of the sidewall at a portion connecting the first sidewall to the top surface.   
     
     
         11 . The pour spout of  claim 10 , wherein the portion of the flange where the top surface is formed has a thickness d 7  of 0.15 mm or more and 0.45 mm or less. 
     
     
         12 . The pour spout of  claim 10 , wherein the width d 8  of the top surface along a radial direction of the recess is 0.3 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. 
     
     
         13 . The pour spout of  claim 10 , wherein the width d 9  of the rib along a circumferential direction of the recess is 0.15 mm or more and 0.45 mm or less. 
     
     
         14 . The pour spout of clam  10 , wherein an odd number of the ribs are provided to equally divide the circumference of the recess. 
     
     
         15 . The pour spout of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second wall surfaces are rounded at a section connected to the bottom surface of the flange. 
     
     
         16 . The pour spout according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a surface of the flange on the sidewall side is welded around the entire circumference of a container body's pouring opening having a predetermined diameter,   as the to-be-cut portion, a plurality of first recesses are annularly arranged and separated by a plurality of ribs on an inner side of the predetermined diameter, and   at least one annulus concentric with the annulus having the first recess is formed with a plurality of second recesses separated by a plurality of ribs.   
     
     
         17 . The pour spout of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second recesses are disposed on the flange's surface opposite the sidewall, and the first recess is disposed at an innermost annulus. 
     
     
         18 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein of the first and second recesses, one disposed at the innermost annulus has an innermost diameter equal to a diameter of the sidewall at its lower end section where the flange and the sidewall are connected. 
     
     
         19 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein an equal number of the ribs are formed at each of the annuluses. 
     
     
         20 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein the rib separating the first recess has a circumferential width d 10  less than a circumferential width d 11  of the rib separating the second recess. 
     
     
         21 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein the portions of the flange where the first and second recesses are formed each have a respective thickness d 12 , d 13  that is less than the circumferential width d 10  of the rib separating the first recess and that is less than a radial width d 14  of the first recess. 
     
     
         22 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein the portions of the flange where the first and second recesses are formed each have a respective depth d 12 , d 13  that is 0. 2 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. 
     
     
         23 . The pour spout of  claim 17 , wherein the second recess is formed to have an arched shape whose radial cross-section has a predetermined radius of curvature, and the first recess has a radial cross-section that is not rounded or has a corner rounded to have a radius of curvature less than the predetermined radius of curvature. 
     
     
         24 . The pour spout of  claim 16 , wherein at least the plurality of second recesses are concentrically disposed in the surface of the flange on the sidewall side. 
     
     
         25 . The pour spout of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ribs separating the first recess and the plurality of ribs separating the second recess are formed at positions in different directions as seen from the center of the flange. 
     
     
         26 . A pour spout comprising:
 a cylindrical sidewall; and   a disk-like flange extending outwardly from one end of the sidewall, wherein   the flange has an annular recessed portion and at least one annular projection that is outwardly spaced apart from the annular recessed portion by a predetermined distance, on the flange's bottom surface opposite the sidewall.   
     
     
         27 . The pour spout of  claim 26 , wherein d 16 ≧d 17 ≧d 18  is satisfied, where d 16  is the width of the annular recessed portion, d 17  is the distance from the annular recessed portion to the nearest annular projection that is immediately outside the annular recessed portion, and d 18  is the width of the annular projection. 
     
     
         28 . The pour spout of  claim 26 , wherein d 19 ≦d 20 ≦d 21  is satisfied, where d 19  is the thickness of the annular recessed portion, d 20  is the recess depth of the annular recessed portion, and d 21  is the height of the annular projection outside the annular recessed portion. 
     
     
         29 . A packaging container comprising: a container body that is formed by folding a sheet material into a box-like shape and that has a pouring opening; and the pour spout of  claim 1  mounted in the pouring opening, with the flange welded to the sheet material. 
     
     
         30 . The packaging container according to  claim 29 , wherein
 the container body is formed with a linear weakened portion, and   a crease formed when the container is folded along the weakened portion passes through the pouring opening.