KR20180096471A - Opening and closing type container - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a highly-sealable closable container that has a simple configuration and has a door lid that can open automatically. The container includes a container body having a mouth part defining an opening, and a cap closing the opening. The cap includes a ring-shaped frame, a door lid, a gasket, and a biasing member. The frame is detachably attached to the mouth part. The door lid is coupled to the frame and rotates between a closed position to close the opening and an open position to open the opening. The gasket is attached to the frame or the door lid, is composed of an elastic material, and is interposed in a gap between the frame and the door lid so as to seal the gap when the door lid is at the closed position. The biasing member is composed of the same material as the gasket, is constituted integrally with the gasket, and biases the door lid toward the open position.

Description

OPENING AND CLOSING TYPE CONTAINER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a retractable container, and more particularly, to a retractable container having a good hermeticity and being suitable for storing foods and the like.

Conventionally, various retractable containers having good hermeticity are known. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a container having a container body and a cap as this type of container. The cap has an annular frame provided so as to surround an inlet portion defining an opening of the container body, and a door cover which is hingedly connected to the frame to open and close the opening. In the frame, a gasket is disposed at a position where the gap between the frame and the door lid is filled when the door lid is closed. The gasket ensures the hermeticity of the container.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-204104 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-261670

The container of Patent Document 1 must move by hand to unlock the door when opening the door and then turn the door cover around the axis of the hinge. In this respect, the container of Patent Document 2 is provided with a coil spring which pushes the door lid in the opening direction to the hinge portion connecting the door lid and the frame. Therefore, when the door cover is unlocked to the frame, the door cover is automatically opened. However, since the container of Patent Document 2 requires a coil spring, the number of parts increases, the structure becomes complicated, and the cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable container having a simple structure and a good hermeticity capable of automatically opening a door lid.

A retractable container according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a container body having an inlet portion defining an opening and a cap for opening and closing the opening. The cap includes an annular frame, a door cover, a gasket, and a pressing member. The frame is detachably attached to the inlet portion. The door lid is hingedly connected to the frame such that the opening pivots between a closed closed position and an open open position. The gasket is mounted on the frame or the door lid and is made of an elastic material and is fitted into a gap between the frame and the door lid when the door lid is in the closed position to seal the clearance. The pressing member is made of the same elastic material as the gasket, and is integrally formed with the gasket, and pushes the door lid in the direction toward the open position.

A retractable container according to a second aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to the first aspect, wherein the gasket is provided in the frame.

A retractable container according to a third aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to the second aspect, wherein the gasket is fitted in a gap between the inlet portion and the frame in a state where the frame is installed in the inlet portion, Seal it.

A retractable container according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the cap has a lock state in which the door lid is held in the closed position, And a lock mechanism for switching the released released state.

A retractable container according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to the fourth aspect, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a first extension extending from the door lid; and a second extension extending from the frame, And a second extending portion engaged with the first extending portion.

A retractable container according to a sixth aspect of the present invention comprises a container, a door lid, a gasket, and a pressing member. The container includes a peripheral portion surrounding the opening. The door lid is hingedly connected to the periphery so that the opening pivots between a closed closed position and an open open position. The gasket is provided on the peripheral edge or the door lid and is made of an elastic material and is fitted into a gap between the periphery and the door lid when the door lid is in the closed position to seal the clearance. The pressing member is made of the same elastic material as the gasket, and is integrally formed with the gasket, and pushes the door lid in the direction toward the open position.

A retractable container according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to the sixth aspect, further comprising a lock mechanism for switching the lock state in which the door lid is held in the closed position and the release state in which the lock state is released Respectively.

A retractable container according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to the seventh aspect, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a first extension extending from the door lid; and a second extension extending from the periphery, And a second extending portion engaged with the first extending portion.

A retractable container according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the pressing member is in contact with the door lid, and the door lid is in the closed position And pushes the door cover in the direction toward the open position by an elastic force that tries to return to the original shape.

A retractable container according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the elastic material is an elastomer.

The retractable container according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the retractable container according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the elastic material is a silicone rubber.

According to the present invention, the gasket for sealing the gap between the door lid and the portion (peripheral portion or frame) defining the opening of the container and the pressing member for pushing the door lid in the opening direction are integrally formed of the same elastic material. Thereby, there is provided an openable and closable container having a small number of parts, a simple structure, and good hermeticity capable of automatically opening the door lid.

1 is a side view of a retractable container in an open state according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a side view of a retractable container in a closed state according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view of the container body according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a cap in an open state according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a cross-sectional view of a cap and a top portion of the container body in an open state along the line AA in Fig.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the top of the container body and the cap in the closed state along the line AA in Fig.
7 is a cross-sectional view of the cap in an open state along the line BB in Fig.
8 is a sectional view of the cap in a closed state along the line BB in Fig.

Hereinafter, a retractable container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Overall configuration of retractable container>

1 and 2 are side views of a retractable container (hereinafter, simply referred to as container) 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in these figures, the container 1 has a container body 2 and a cap 3 for opening and closing an opening S1 formed in the upper portion of the container body 2. As shown in Fig. Fig. 1 shows an open state in which the opening S1 is open, and Fig. 2 shows a closed state in which the opening S1 is closed. The container 1 has good airtightness in a closed state as described later, and the use of the container 1 is not particularly limited, but it is suitable for preserving foods and the like.

<2. Composition of each part>

Hereinafter, the configuration of each part will be described in detail. Unless otherwise specified, the upper, lower, front (front side) and rear (rear side) are defined as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and left and right mean left and right as viewed from the front side. As described later, the position of the door lid 30 of the cap 3 is changed by rotation. However, unless otherwise stated, the upper, lower, front (front side) and rear (back side) Closed state.

<2-1. Container body>

3 is a side view of the single unit of the container main body 2. Fig. The container body 2 defines an internal space S2 for accommodating contents such as foods. The container body 2 includes a bottom face portion 21, a tubular body portion 22 which is erected from the peripheral edge of the bottom face portion 21, a shoulder portion 22 extending radially inwardly from the upper end of the body portion 22, And a neck portion 24 extending upward from an inner end of the shoulder portion 23 in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, the bottom surface portion 21 is substantially rectangular in plan view, and the trunk portion 22 has a square (prismatic) shape. The neck portion (24) is cylindrical in shape with a diameter smaller than that of the body portion (22). The neck portion 24 surrounds the opening S1 of the container body 2 and forms an inlet portion defining the opening S1. Therefore, in the following, the neck portion 24 is also referred to as an inlet portion 24. The opening S1 communicates with the inner space S2.

On the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 24, a rib 25 extending along the circumferential direction is formed. More specifically, the rib 25 extends in a helical shape along the center axis of the neck portion 24 and is screwed to the rib 45 formed in the cap 3 described later. As a result, the cap 3 is detachably attached to the container body 2. The inlet portion 24 serves as a connection portion to the cap 3 where the cap 3 is installed.

The material of the container body 2 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably made of a hard synthetic resin having no rubber elasticity in view of light weight, strength, corrosion resistance and the like, but it may be made of glass. In the present embodiment, the container body 2 is made of AS (acrylonitrile styrene resin). In the present embodiment, the above-described portions 21 to 25 are formed integrally.

<2-2. Cap>

4 is a perspective view of the cap 3 in an open state. 5 and 6 are top cross-sectional views of the container 3 and the container body 2 along the line A-A in Fig. 4, wherein Fig. 5 shows the opened state and Fig. 6 shows the closed state. Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views of the single cap 3 along the line B-B in Fig. 4, wherein Fig. 7 shows an opened state and Fig. 8 shows a closed state. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cap 3 will be described in detail with reference to these drawings.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cap 3 has a substantially ring-shaped frame 40 and a substantially disc-shaped door cover 30 hingedly connected to the frame 40. Fig. The door lid 30 pivots with respect to the frame 40 between the closed position in which the opening S1 is closed and the open position in which the opening S1 is open. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the frame 40 is detachably attached to the inlet portion 24 of the container body 2. Fig. The frame 40 surrounds the inlet portion 24 from the outside and forms a peripheral portion surrounding the opening S1 together with the inlet portion 24 when the inlet portion 24 is installed.

4, 7 and 8, the door lid 30 includes a substantially lid-shaped lid body 31 and a plate member 32 (hereinafter referred to as &quot; ). The plate member 32 is inclined slightly downward as it moves away from the lid body 31 (see Figs. 2 and 8). Sidewall portions 33a and 33b extending inward in the radial direction (in the closed state, extending downward) in the state of Fig. 4 stand upright on both left and right ends of the plate member 32, respectively. Further, columnar projections 34, 34 extending outward in the left-right direction are protruded from the outer surfaces of the side wall portions 33a, 33b, respectively. The projections 34 and 34 are arranged coaxially with respect to the axis extending in the left-right direction.

The material of the door lid 30 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the door lid 30 is made of a hard synthetic resin having no rubber elasticity in view of light weight, strength, corrosion resistance, and the like. In the present embodiment, the door lid 30 is made of saturated polyester. In the present embodiment, the door lid 30 is integrally formed with the first extended portion 50 described later.

On the other hand, the frame 40 has a substantially ring-shaped base frame 41 and a pair of left and right side wall portions 42a, 42b extending further from the rear portion of the base frame 41 toward the back side. The lower portions of the side wall portions 42a and 42b are connected to each other via a bottom portion 43 (see Figs. 7 and 8) extending from the rear portion of the same base frame 41 to the back side. The side wall portions 42a and 42b are provided with holes 44 and 44, respectively. The holes 44 and 44 are arranged coaxially with respect to the axis extending in the left-right direction.

The material of the frame 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the frame 40 is made of a hard synthetic resin having no rubber elasticity in view of light weight, strength, corrosion resistance, and the like. In the present embodiment, the frame 40 is made of polypropylene. In the present embodiment, the frame 40 is integrally formed with the second extending portion 60 to be described later.

The side wall portions 33a and 33b of the door lid 30 are formed so as to face the side walls 42a and 42b so that the outer surfaces of the side wall portions 33a and 33b are opposed to the inner surfaces of the side wall portions 42a and 42b of the frame 40, . The projections 34 and 34 of the door lid 30 are inserted into the holes 44 and 44 of the side wall portions 42a and 42b, respectively. The protrusions 34 and 34 form the pivot axis of the hinge mechanism 4 connecting the door lid 30 and the frame 40 and the holes 44 and 44 form the pivot axis of the hinge mechanism 4 Thereby forming a bearing. That is, the hinge mechanism 4 (4) is fixed by the plate member 32, the side wall portions 33a and 33b, the projections 34 and 34, the side wall portions 42a and 42b, the holes 44 and 44, Is formed. Thereby, the door lid 30 is hingedly connected to the frame 40, and is rotatable with respect to the frame 40. The peripheral edge of the lid body 31 is received in the upper end portion 41b of the base frame 41 in the closed state (although there is a slight gap between them as shown in Fig. 2) The lid body 31 covers the opening S1 from above.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the base frame 41 has a peripheral wall portion 41a having a substantially constant thickness. On the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 41a, a rib 45 extending along the circumferential direction is formed. More specifically, the ribs 45 extend in a helical shape along the central axis of the peripheral wall portion 41a and are screwed to the ribs 25 formed in the inlet portion 24 described above.

The upper end portion 41b of the base frame 41 is located on the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 41a and protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 41a. That is, in the upper portion of the base frame 41, a step is formed when viewed from the inside of the base frame 41. A ring-shaped gasket 70 is provided on the base frame 41 so as to catch the step.

4 to 6, the gasket 70 includes a ring-shaped main body portion 71 and a ring-shaped upper portion 72 extending upward from the center of the upper surface of the main body portion 71 I have. The main body portion 71 has a substantially rectangular cross-section. The gasket 70 includes a ring-shaped inner lower portion 73 extending downward from the radially inner end of the body portion 71 and a ring-shaped lower portion 73 extending downward from the radially outer end of the body portion 71 And an outer lower portion 74 of the lower portion. 5 and 6, a step formed by the body portion 71 and the upper portion 72 (stepped portion in contact with the radially outward side) is formed by the upper end portion 41b of the base frame 41 and the peripheral wall portion 41a, and the engaging surfaces are surely in contact with each other. The outer circumferential surfaces of the body portion 71 and the outer lower portion 74 are reliably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 41a. The lower surface of the main body portion 71 is reliably brought into contact with the upper end portion of the inlet portion 24 of the container body 2 in a state in which the frame 40 is provided in the container main body 2. [ The gasket 70 is sandwiched by a gap formed between the inlet portion 24 and the base frame 41 in a state in which the frame 40 is installed in the container body 2, .

6, the gasket 70 is fitted in a gap between the base frame 41 and the door lid 30 when the door lid 30 is in the closed position, and seals the clearance. More specifically, the door lid 30 has a leg portion 35 of a ring shape extending downward from the lower surface of the lid body 31. The leg portion 35 is located slightly inside of the outer peripheral edge of the lid body 31. The stepped portion formed by the body portion 71 and the upper portion 72 (stepped toward the radially inward direction) is formed by the stepped portion formed by the lid body 31 and the leg portion 35 And the engaging surfaces are surely in contact with each other.

When the door lid 30 is in the closed position, the opening S1 is completely closed by the gasket 70 having the above-described configuration, and the internal space S2 of the container body 2 is sealed from the outside. In the present embodiment, one gasket 70 is added to the clearance between the frame 40 and the door lid 30 to seal the gap between the container body 2 and the frame 40. Therefore, the container 1 having a small number of parts, a simple structure, and good hermeticity is realized.

As shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 8, the cap 3 has a locking mechanism 5 for holding the door lid 30 in the closed position. The locking mechanism 5 is comprised of a first extension 50 extending from the lid body 31 and a second extension 60 extending from the base frame 41. The first extension portion 50 has a projection portion 51 projecting slightly forward from the front portion of the lid body 31 and a plate member 52 extending downward from the front side of the projection portion 51. On the front surface of the plate member 52, a claw portion 53 is formed near the center in the lateral direction. On the other hand, the second extending portion 60 has a protruding portion 61 protruding from the front portion of the base frame 41 to a slightly front side and a plate member 62 extending upward from the protruding portion 61. The second extension portion 60 has a push button 63 continuing to the upper end of the plate member 62. On the back surface of the push button 63, a pawl portion 64 is formed in the vicinity of the center in the lateral direction. The second extended portion 60 has a peripheral wall portion 65 surrounding the above-mentioned portions 61 to 64 successively to the front portion of the base frame 41. The peripheral wall portion 65 is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with these portions 61 to 64.

The plate member 52 is inserted into the space between the plate member 62 and the base frame 41 when the door lid 30 falls forward in the open position and approaches the closed position. At this time, the claw portion 53 presses the claw portion 64, whereby the plate member 62 is elastically deformed and falls slightly forward. Then, when the plate member 52 is further advanced from this state, the claw portion 53 passes the claw portion 64. At this time, the plate member 62 is returned to the original position by the elastic force, and the claw portions 64 and 53 are engaged with each other. As a result, the claw portion 53 is caught by the claw portion 64, thereby forming a locked state in which the door lid 30 is held in the closed position.

When the user presses the push button 63 with the finger in the locked state, the plate member 62 is again elastically deformed and falls slightly forward. As a result, the locked state where the claw portion 53 and the claw portion 64 are engaged is released, and the state is released. As described above, the lock mechanism 5 can switch between the locked state and the released state.

When the locked state is released, the door lid 30 automatically rotates around the rotary shaft 34 and returns to the open position. More specifically, the cap 3 further includes a pressing member 80 cooperating with the above-described hinge mechanism 4, as shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 8. The pressing member 80 presses the door lid 30 in the direction toward the open position. Further, in the present embodiment, the door lid 30 stands up substantially vertically when it is in the open position.

The pressing member 80 is made of the same material as the gasket 70 and is formed integrally with the gasket 70. The pressing member 80 and the gasket 70 are made of an elastic material and have rubber elasticity. The pressing member 80 and the gasket 70 are typically made of an elastomer (rubber or thermoplastic elastomer), and in the present embodiment, they are made of silicone rubber. The gasket 70 and the pressing member 80 can be detached from other portions of the cap 3 because they are soft and easy to deform.

The pressing member 80 is continuous to the rear portion of the gasket 70 and has a protruding portion 81 protruding from the rear portion of the gasket 70 slightly to the back side. 4, the upper end portion 41b of the base frame 41 and the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 41a extend substantially all over the outer periphery thereof, but a part thereof is notched at the rear portion thereof. The projecting portion 81 extends from the radially inner side to the outer side of the base frame 41 through the notch.

7 and 8, the pressing member 80 includes a wall portion 82 extending downward from the rear portion of the protruding portion 81, a sheet portion 82 bent rearward from the lower portion of the wall portion 82, (Not shown). The radially inner side surface of the wall portion 82 is reliably in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the base frame 41. On the other hand, the outer surface of the seat portion 83 is securely fixed to the upper surface of the lower surface portion 43 extending rearward from the base frame 41 and the inner surface of the plate member 32 extending rearward from the lid body 31 Contact. On the inner surface of the plate member 32, a projection 36 is formed. On the other hand, the seat portion 83 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a notch for receiving the projection 36 is formed at the tip end thereof. By inserting the protrusion 36 into the notch, the position of the seat portion 83 is fixed. In this state, the seat portion 83 makes contact with the projection 36 securely.

8, the seat portion 83 is folded and accommodated in the space between the plate member 32 and the lower surface portion 43 when the door lid 30 is in the closed position. However, when the locked state is released, the folded seat portion 83 pushes the plate member 32 by the elastic force which tries to return to the original flat shape. As a result, the lid body 31 connected to the plate member 32 automatically rotates in the opening direction. As described above, the container 1 is constituted by a one-push opening type in which the door lid 30 can be opened only by pressing the push button 63, and the operability is excellent. When the door lid 30 is rotated to a predetermined angle, the side wall portions 33a and 33b of the door lid 30 come into contact with the bottom portion 43 of the frame 40, and further rotation is restricted.

The seat portion 83 is in the shape of a flat plate when the gasket 70 and the pressing member 80 are separated from other portions of the cap 3. [ The seat portion 83 is curved not only when it is folded in the closed state but also in the open state as shown in Fig. Therefore, even when the pressing member 80 is in the open state with respect to the door lid 30, the door lid 30 is further urged in the opening direction. Therefore, even if the container 1 is tilted at the time of use, for example, it is difficult for the door lid 30 to fall due to its own weight. Therefore, the door lid 30 is not shaken sharply at the time of use, and the container 1 has excellent usability.

As shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 8, on the inner surface of the seat portion 83, a partially thick portion 84 is formed. The thick portion 84 can increase the elastic force of the seat portion 83 to return to its original shape. The thick portion 84 encourages the sheet portion 83 to be always deformed into the same shape in the open state and the closed state and in the state between these states. Therefore, the same open state and closed state can always be realized.

<3. Modifications>

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following changes are possible. The gist of the following modified examples can be appropriately combined.

<3-1>

The gasket 70 has a role of sealing both the clearance between the container body 2 and the frame 40 and the clearance between the frame 40 and the door lid 30, A gasket for filling the gap may be provided separately. In this case, the gasket for filling the gap between the frame 40 and the door lid 30 may be provided not on the base frame 41 but on the lid body 31. [ A gasket for sealing the gap between the container body 2 and the frame 40 may be omitted.

<3-2>

The installation structure of the cap 3 with respect to the container main body 2 is not limited to the above-described one (screw connection), and any structure such as a fitting type can be adopted. It is also possible to connect the door lid 30 to the inlet portion 24 of the container body 2 directly without hitting the container 3 with respect to the container body 2.

<3-3>

Although the inlet portion 24 and the frame 40 are formed in a ring shape in the above embodiment, the inlet portion 24 and the frame 40 may be formed in a rectangular shape.

1: retractable container
2:
3: Cap
4: Hinge mechanism
5: Locking mechanism
24:
30: Door cover
40: frame
50: first extension
60: second extension part
70: Gasket
80: pressing member
S1: opening

Claims (11)

A container body having an inlet portion defining an opening,
A cap for opening /
And,
The cap
An annular frame detachably attached to the inlet portion,
A door lid hingedly connected to the frame such that the opening pivots between a closed closed position and the open open position;
A gasket provided on the frame or the door lid and made of an elastic material and fitted in a gap between the frame and the door lid when the door lid is in the closed position to seal the clearance;
A pressing member which is made of the same elastic material as the gasket and which is integrally formed with the gasket and pushes the door lid in a direction toward the open position,
And a retractable container. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the gasket is installed in the frame. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the gasket is fitted in a gap between the inlet portion and the frame in a state in which the frame is installed in the inlet portion and seals the gap. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the cap further comprises a locking mechanism for holding the door cover in the closed position and a locking mechanism for switching the unlocked state to the unlocked state. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the locking mechanism has a first extension extending from the door lid and a second extension extending from the frame and engaging the first extension in the locked condition. A container including a periphery surrounding the opening,
A door lid hingedly connected to the periphery, the door lid being pivoted between a closed closed position and an open open position,
A gasket provided on the peripheral edge or the door lid and made of an elastic material and fitted in a gap between the peripheral edge and the door lid when the door lid is in the closed position to seal the clearance;
A pressing member which is made of the same elastic material as the gasket and which is integrally formed with the gasket and pushes the door lid in a direction toward the open position,
. The method of claim 6,
Further comprising a lock mechanism for switching the lock state in which the door cover is held in the closed position and the release state in which the lock state is released. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the locking mechanism has a first extension extending from the door lid and a second extension extending from the periphery and engaging the first extension in the locked state. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Wherein the pressure member is in contact with the door lid and folds when the door lid is in the closed position and pushes the door lid in a direction toward the open position by an elastic force that tries to return to its original shape, . The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Wherein the elastic material is an elastomer. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the elastic material is silicone rubber.

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