JP7397750B2 - compact container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to compact containers.

For example, a container used to carry solid contents such as pressed powder, which is solidified powder cosmetics, includes a container that accommodates an inner tray containing the solid contents, and a lid that covers the top of the container. A compact container is known, which includes a shaft body that swingably connects the container and the lid.

Conventionally, in such compact containers, metal pins have been mainly used as shaft bodies, but as shown in Patent Document 1, the use of resin pins made of synthetic resin is also being considered. has been done. When such resin pins are used, it is environmentally friendly because it saves the trouble of separating the pins when disposing of them, and it is also easy to recycle them as resin products.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-33286

By the way, some compact containers have a free stop function that allows the lid to be held at the current angle when the lid stops swinging midway. Conventionally, as a configuration that exhibits the free stop function, it is known that a metal spring pin is used as the shaft body, and the elastic force of the spring pin generates a frictional force between it and the hole through which the shaft body is inserted. ing. However, even if a resin pin is used instead of such a spring pin, it is difficult to obtain the same elastic force with the resin pin, and it is difficult to fully exhibit the free stop function. Another possibility is to wrap an elastomer, etc. around the resin pin to increase the elastic force, but the constant pressure will crush the elastomer, weakening the elastic force, and gradually reducing the free stop function. is assumed.

The object of the present invention is to solve these problems, and to propose a compact container that uses a synthetic resin shaft and can exhibit sufficient free-stop function. purpose.

The present invention is a compact container that includes a container, a lid that covers the top surface of the container, and a synthetic resin shaft that swingably connects the container and the lid,
Either the container or the lid has an elastic part made of an elastic material,
The elastic portion has an arcuate concave surface concentric with the shaft,
The contact portion is provided concentrically with the shaft and has an arc shape, and includes a first convex surface that is not in contact with the concave surface when the lid is closed, and a first convex surface that is connected to the first convex surface and has an arc shape. It is provided concentrically with the shaft and has an arc shape with a larger diameter than the first convex surface, and is not in contact with the concave surface when the lid is closed and is in contact with the concave surface when the lid is opened. and a second convex surface .

The elastic part has a protrusion that protrudes from the elastic part and has a top located above the central axis of the shaft body,
The other of the container and the lid preferably has a pressed portion that presses against the top when the lid is closed.

It is preferable that the top portion is not in contact with the contact portion when the lid body is swung in the lid opening direction with respect to the container.

According to the compact container of the present invention, when the lid body is swung in the opening direction with respect to the container, the contact portion comes into contact with the elastic portion, so that the free stop function can be exhibited. Further, when the lid is closed, the contact portion is not in contact with the elastic portion, so that the elastic force of the elastic portion is maintained, and deterioration of the free stop function can be suppressed.

1A is a plan view of an embodiment of the compact container according to the present invention when the lid is closed, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of the compact container with the lid opened. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the compact container shown in FIG. 1 when the lid is closed; (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1; and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. It is. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state in which the lid body is swung from the state shown in FIG. 2 to be opened halfway; (a) is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2(a); FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3(a) is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(b) is a sectional view of FIG. ) is a sectional view corresponding to FIG.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the compact container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that "upper" and "lower" in this specification and the like basically refer to the orientation of the bottom wall (2a) of the container body (2) when placed on a horizontal surface (see FIG. 2). a)). Moreover, the "front" is the side where the lock release member (reference numeral 3) shown in FIG. 1 is provided, and the "rear" is the opposite side. Furthermore, "left" and "right" refer to the left and right directions when looking from the front to the rear.

1 and 2 show one embodiment of a compact container according to the invention. The compact container 100 of this embodiment is used when carrying solid contents such as pressed powder, which is a solidified powder cosmetic. The compact container 100 includes a container 1 (consisting of a container body 2 and a lock release member 3), a lid 5 (consisting of a lid body 6 and a mirror 7), and a shaft 8. The container 1 accommodates an inner tray 9 having a cylindrical shape with a bottom and containing solid contents therein.

The container body 2 is made of a relatively hard synthetic resin (eg, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin). The container body 2 forms the outer shell of the container 1, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it includes a plate-shaped bottom wall portion 2a (see FIG. 2(a)) that is rectangular in plan view. , and a main body peripheral wall portion 2b (see FIG. 1(b)) provided around the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 2a, and is approximately shaped like a cylinder with a bottom. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the rear central portion of the container body 2 in the left-right direction is shaped into a concave shape. Here, this concave portion is referred to as a rear concave portion 2c.

A circular container-side shaft hole 2d into which the shaft 8 is inserted is provided in a side wall (wall located in the left-right direction) that partitions the rear concave portion 2c. Further, an elastic portion 2e is provided on the front wall that partitions the rear concave portion 2c. The elastic portion 2e is formed of an elastic material (for example, an elastomer (thermosetting elastomer containing rubber or thermoplastic elastomer), etc.), and is elastically deformed when force is applied to it, but can be restored when the applied force is removed. It is. The elastic part 2e may be integrated with the container body 2 during molding, for example, by using two-color molding or insert molding, or it may be formed separately from the container body 2 and held in the container body 2 later. (For example, the elastic portion 2e may be fitted and held in the container body 2, or may be fixed and held using an adhesive or the like).

The elastic portion 2e of this embodiment extends long in the left-right direction, and as shown in FIG. An arc-shaped concave surface 2f (having a common central axis with O) is provided so as to extend long in the left-right direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 3(a), the center portion of the elastic portion 2e in the left-right direction protrudes rearward from the elastic portion 2e, and has a top portion 2g located above the central axis O. A protrusion 2h located at is provided. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the protrusion 2h is provided so that its lower end is continuously connected to the upper end of the concave surface 2f, and the apex 2g has a diameter larger than the extension line L of the concave surface 2f. Located on the outside.

A front recess 2j to which the lock release member 3 is attached is provided at the center in the left-right direction at the front of the container body 2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the container main body 2 has a rectangular hole 2k and a rectangular hole 2m, and the left hole 2k accommodates the inner plate 9, and the right hole 2m accommodates an applicator such as a puff. (not shown).

The lock release member 3, like the container body 2, is made of relatively hard synthetic resin. The lock release member 3 is attached to the inside of the front recess 2j, and can be moved in the front-rear direction with respect to the container body 2. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the lock release member 3 of this embodiment includes an elastic piece 3a that elastically presses against the rear wall of the front recess 2j to urge the lock release member 3 forward. ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the lock release member 3 is provided with an engaging portion 3b at the upper rear portion thereof for holding the lid body 5 in a closed state.

The lid body 6 is shaped to cover the top surface of the container body 2 when the lid is closed. The lid body 6 is also made of relatively hard synthetic resin. The lid main body 6 includes a plate-shaped top wall 6a that is rectangular in plan view as shown in FIG. 1, and a lid peripheral wall 6b provided around the outer edge of the top wall 6a. It is roughly shaped like a covered cylinder. A stepped portion 6c to which a mirror 7 is attached is provided at the inner central portion of the ceiling wall portion 6a.

The lid main body 6 also includes a rear protrusion 6d that is located at the rear when the lid is closed, extends downward from the top wall 6a, and is formed to fit into the rear recess 2c. The rear protruding portion 6d is a portion that comes into contact with the elastic portion 2e as described later, and corresponds to a portion referred to as a “contact portion” in this specification and the like. A circular lid-side shaft hole 6e into which the shaft 8 is inserted is provided in the side wall (wall located in the left-right direction) of the rear protrusion 6d. Note that the center axis of the lid side shaft hole 6e is the same as the container side shaft hole 2d when assembled as the compact container 100, so this will also be referred to as the center axis O in this specification and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the left and right parts of the rear protrusion 6d are located in the front when the lid is closed, and have a first convex surface 6f that is arcuate about the central axis O, and The second convex surface 6g is located at the rear and has a circular arc shape centered on the central axis O. As illustrated, the second convex surface 6g has a larger diameter than the first convex surface 6f, and the first convex surface 6f and the second convex surface 6g are located at a lower position when the lid is closed. connected smoothly.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the left-right center portion of the rear protrusion 6d is cut out from the bottom to the top of the rear protrusion 6d, thereby forming a wall portion in front of the rear protrusion 6d. 6h is formed. The wall portion 6h presses against the top portion 2g of the projection portion 2h when the lid is closed, as shown in FIG. 2(a), and corresponds to a portion referred to as a “pressed portion” in this specification and the like.

Further, the lid main body 6 is provided with a claw-like portion 6j as shown in FIG. 2(a) at the front center portion in the left-right direction when the lid is closed. As illustrated, the claw-like portion 6j engages with the engaging portion 3b of the lock release member 3 when the lid is closed.

The mirror 7 is plate-shaped and rectangular in plan view, and is attached to the stepped portion 6c. The mirror 7 is made by depositing a metal such as aluminum on a plate-shaped base material made of synthetic resin (for example, acrylic (PMMA) resin or polycarbonate (PC) resin), or by applying a mirror-like seal to this base material. Formed by pasting.

The shaft body 8 has a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the container-side shaft hole 2d and the lid-side shaft hole 6e. Note that either the container-side shaft hole 2d or the lid-side shaft hole 6e is for fitting and holding the shaft 8, and the other is for sliding with respect to the shaft 8. Thereby, the lid body 6 can be rocked relative to the container body 2 while preventing the shaft body 8 from falling off from the container body 2 and the lid body body 6. The shaft body 8 is also made of synthetic resin, but it is preferably made of a material with low abrasion properties, such as polyacetal (POM) resin or polyamide (PA) resin. Although the shaft body 8 of this embodiment is a member formed separately from the container body 2 and the lid body body 6, it may be provided integrally with either of them.

The compact container 100 composed of such members can be assembled in the same manner as the conventional compact container that uses spring pins, and since the number of components remains the same, it can be assembled just as well as before. can. Moreover, since the elastic portion 2e provided on the container body 2 is not directly visible from the outside due to the rear protrusion 6d of the lid body 6 when the lid is closed, the appearance is not impaired. The shaft body 8, which was conventionally made of metal, is made of synthetic resin, and the mirror 7 is also made of synthetic resin. There is no need to separate the materials into separate parts, making them highly recyclable.

Furthermore, in the compact container 100 of this embodiment, when the lid is closed, the claw-like portion 6j of the lid body 6 engages with the engaging portion 3b of the lock release member 3. can be maintained. Therefore, even when carrying the compact container 100, the contained inner tray 9 and the applicator do not fly out of the compact container 100. In this state, as shown in FIG. 2(b), there is a gap between the first convex surface 6f and the elastic portion 2e, and the first convex surface 6f and the elastic portion 2e are in contact with each other. There is no contact. That is, since no pressure is applied to the elastic part 2e and the shape of the elastic part 2e has returned to its initial state, the original elastic force of the elastic part 2e is maintained.

On the other hand, when applying the solid content stored in the inner tray 9, the lock release member 3 is pressed rearward. This releases the engagement between the engaging portion 3b and the claw-like portion 6j. By the way, as shown in FIG. 2(a), when the lid 5 is closed, the wall 6h of the lid main body 6 is pressed against the top 2g of the projection 2h, and the projection 2h is elastically deformed. ing. Further, the top portion 2g is located above the central axis O. Therefore, when the engagement between the engaging portion 3b and the claw-like portion 6j is released, the elastically deformed protruding portion 2h returns to its original state and presses the wall portion 6h, so that the lid 5 is moved in the opening direction. It can be swung. As a result, the front portion of the lid 5 is lifted up from the container 1, making it easier to open the lid 5.

As the lid body 5 is rocked in the opening direction, the second convex surface 6g begins to come into contact with the concave surface 2f of the elastic portion 2e, as shown in FIG. This generates a frictional force between the second convex surface 6g and the concave surface 2f, so that the lid 5 can be held at the current angle. Therefore, it is possible to apply makeup or the like while maintaining the mirror 7 provided inside the lid body 5 at an angle that is easy to see. Here, both the second convex surface 6g and the concave surface 2f are formed in an arc shape centered on the central axis O. That is, as the angle at which the lid body 5 is swung in the lid opening direction increases, the contact area between the second convex surface 6g and the concave surface 2f increases. As the angle at which the lid 5 is swung in the opening direction increases, the lid 5 tends to fall in the direction of fully opening, but the increased contact area between the second convex surface 6g and the concave surface 2f reduces the friction between them. Since the force is large, the free stop function can be exerted regardless of the angle of the lid body 5 in the opening direction.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the top portion 2g of the protrusion 2h is located radially outward from the extension line L of the concave surface 2f. Therefore, even when the lid body 5 is swung in the opening direction, the top portion 2g is not in contact with the second convex surface 6g. That is, although the top part 2g is in a state of being crushed by the wall part 6h when the lid body 5 is closed, when the lid body 5 is opened, the collapse is canceled and the top part 2g returns to the initial state, so that the original elastic force is reduced. can be maintained.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiment, and unless specifically limited by the above explanation, the gist of the present invention described in the claims Various modifications and changes are possible within the range. Furthermore, the effects of the embodiments described above are merely illustrative of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above effects.

For example, the portion where the second convex surface 6g contacts the elastic portion 2e is preferably the concave surface 2f, but the second convex surface 6g may contact a planar portion of the elastic portion 2e.

In addition, the rear concave portion 2c and elastic portion 2e of the container body 2 are replaced with the rear protrusion portion 6d (contact portion) of the lid body 6 to provide an elastic portion on the lid body 6 and a contact portion on the container body 2. It may be configured to provide the following.

1: Container 2: Container main body 2a: Bottom wall 2b: Main body peripheral wall 2c: Rear concave portion 2d: Container side shaft hole 2e: Elastic portion 2f: Concave surface 2g: Top 2h: Protrusion 2j: Front concave portion 2k: Hole 2m: Hole 3: Lock release member 3a: Elastic piece 3b: Engagement portion 5: Lid body 6: Lid body body 6a: Top wall portion 6b: Lid body peripheral wall portion 6c: Step portion 6d: Rear protrusion portion (contact portion)
6e: Lid side shaft hole 6f: First convex surface (convex surface)
6g: Second convex surface (convex surface)
6h: Wall part (pressed part)
6j: Claw-like part 7: Mirror 8: Shaft body 9: Inner plate 100: Compact container L: Extension line O: Central axis

Claims (3)

A compact container comprising a container, a lid that covers the top surface of the container, and a synthetic resin shaft that swingably connects the container and the lid,
Either the container or the lid has an elastic part made of an elastic material,
The other of the container and the lid is provided concentrically with the shaft, and does not come into contact with the elastic part when the lid is closed, and the lid swings in the opening direction with respect to the container. a contact portion that comes into contact with the elastic portion when moved ;
The elastic portion has an arcuate concave surface concentric with the shaft,
The contact portion includes a first convex surface that is provided concentrically with the shaft and has an arc shape and is not in contact with the concave surface, and a first convex surface that is connected to the first convex surface and is concentric with the shaft. a second convex shape that is provided and has an arc shape with a larger diameter than the first convex surface, is not in contact with the concave surface when the lid is closed, and is in contact with the concave surface when the lid is opened; A compact container having a surface . The elastic part has a protrusion that protrudes from the elastic part and has a top located above the central axis of the shaft body,
The compact container according to claim 1 , wherein either the container or the lid has a pressed portion that presses against the top when the lid is closed. The compact container according to claim 2 , wherein the top portion does not contact the contact portion when the lid body is swung in a lid opening direction with respect to the container.

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