JP7618907B2 - container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container.

Conventionally, containers that expel a predetermined amount of contents in response to an external force are known.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sliding inner plate type dispensing container that applies an external force to the container to change the internal pressure of the container body and dispense the contents contained in the container body. The sliding inner plate type dispensing container disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a cylindrical container body with a top, a dispensing member with a discharge hole formed therein for dispensing the contents, and a middle plate that is fitted into the container body so as to be able to slide toward the discharge hole. The discharge member has a fixed part and a moving part, and when the top wall part of the container body is pressed in, the moving part and the fixed part come close to each other, making it possible for the contents of the container body to be dispensed from the discharge hole. In addition, the moving part is provided with a rotation operation part that has a discharge position that allows the fixed part and the moving part to come close to each other and a restricting position that restricts the proximity of the moving part, so that the top wall part is not inadvertently pressed in during circulation or in a standby state before dispensing the contents.

Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that after the contents of the container body are used up, the discharge member can be attached to a new container body filled with the contents, and the discharge member can be reused as a refill container.

A rotary container is also known that ejects a predetermined amount of solid material by rotating the container at a certain angle (Patent Document 2).

JP 2015-127223 A Patent No. 4868400

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when dispensing the contents, the user presses down on the top wall. This brings the moving part and the fixed part closer together, and the contents are discharged from the discharge hole. At this time, the amount of contents discharged varies depending on the force (load) with which the user presses down on the top wall, and there are cases in which the desired amount cannot be discharged.

In contrast, in a rotating container such as that described in Patent Document 2, particularly when the contents are not solid but fluid and the container filled with the contents is used as a refill container (inner container), typically an inner container filled with the contents, an outer container to which the inner container is attached, and a lid that closes the opening of the outer container and the opening of the inner container are provided. A seal (packing) is provided between the lid and the opening of the inner container to prevent the contents in the inner container from leaking.

However, when the lid is rotated relative to the outer or inner container to remove it, or when the lid is rotated to close it, the top surface of the inner or outer container and the inner surface of the lid are in close contact with each other due to the seal, so the inner or outer container rotates as the lid rotates, which may cause the liquid contents to be ejected.

In view of the above, one aspect of the present invention aims to provide a rotating container in which the contents are not ejected when the lid is opened or closed.

A container according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises an inner container capable of accommodating contents therein and having an opening at an upper portion, a stage capable of moving up and down together with the contents by rotation of the inner container, a peripheral wall that fits into the inner container, a top surface having an opening, a lid that covers the inner container and the top surface, an outer container having an opening and accommodating the inner container, and an inner cap that is rotatable relative to the lid and can rotate together with the inner container, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the inner cap taken perpendicular to the central axis of the inner container is polygonal, and the cross-sectional shapes of the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface that are taken perpendicular to the central axis of the inner container are respectively The lid body is a polygon corresponding to the inner surface of the cap, and a plurality of grooves are formed on the inner or outer wall of the opening of the outer container, and a plurality of protrusions are formed on the lower end of the peripheral wall of the inner cap, and by placing the lid body over the inner container, the inner surface of the inner cap and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container are positioned and engaged with each other, the inner cap, the top surface and the inner container are non-rotatably engaged, the lid body is rotatable relative to the inner cap, the top surface and the inner container, and the inner cap is positioned relative to the outer container by the engagement of the plurality of grooves and the plurality of protrusions.

A container according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises an inner container capable of accommodating contents therein and having an opening at an upper portion, a stage capable of moving up and down together with the contents by rotation of the inner container, a peripheral wall that fits into the inner container, a top surface having an opening, a lid body that covers the inner container and the top surface, an outer container having an opening and accommodating the inner container, and an inner cap that is rotatable relative to the lid body and can rotate together with the inner container, wherein the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the central axis of the inner container at the inner peripheral surface of the inner cap is a polygonal positioning shape, and The intersecting cross-sectional shapes are polygonal positioning shapes that correspond to the inner surface of the inner cap, and at least one of the positioning shapes of the inner cap and the positioning shapes of the top surface has a guide that engages with the positioning shape of the inner cap and the positioning shape of the top surface, and by placing the lid body over the inner container, the inner surface of the inner cap and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container are positioned and engaged, so that the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container are non-rotatably engaged, and the lid body is rotatable relative to the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a rotating container in which the contents are not ejected when the lid is opened or closed.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a container according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container according to the first embodiment with the lid open. 2 is a view showing an engagement state between the inner cap and the outer container as viewed from the inner peripheral wall side of the opening of the outer container in part A of FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the container according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a container according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a lid for a container according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a container according to a third embodiment with the lid open. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 9 . FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 9 . 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the engagement state between the inner cap and the top surface of a container according to a third embodiment.

In the following explanation, the scale of each component in the drawings may differ from the actual scale to make it easier to understand.

Note that in this specification, explanations may be given using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with three axial directions (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis). In this case, the direction parallel to the central axis CL of the container is defined as the Z-axis direction, and on a plane perpendicular to the central axis CL, one of the two mutually perpendicular directions is defined as the X-axis direction, and the other as the Y-axis direction. Also, the +Z-axis direction may be referred to as up, and the -Z-axis direction may be referred to as down.

First Embodiment
A container 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the container 100 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container 100 according to the first embodiment with the lid 14 open. Fig. 4 is a view showing an engagement state between the inner cap 15 and the outer container 12 as viewed from the inner peripheral wall 121a side of the opening 121 of the outer container 12 in part A of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the container 100 according to the first embodiment, which is disassembled.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, in this embodiment, the container 100 includes an inner container 11 having an opening 111, an outer container 12 that houses the inner container 11, a top surface 13 that covers the opening 111 of the inner container 11, and a lid 14 that covers the inner container 11 and the top surface 13.

The inner container 11 is a cylindrical container with an open top and a closed bottom, and contains the contents. In this embodiment, the container is described as discharging a fluid as the contents, but it may also be a container that discharging a solid as the contents.

The fluid discharged by the container 100 according to this embodiment is not limited as long as it exhibits fluidity at least when discharged and can be pushed out of the container 100 from the opening 132 of the container 100. The fluid may be a liquid, for example, a pure liquid or a liquid mixture. Furthermore, the fluid may be, for example, a solution, and a dispersion such as an emulsion or suspension, and may be in a state called a gel, slurry, paste, cream, or the like. The fluid may contain a powder, may contain a powder as a main component, or may be substantially composed of or consist of a powder. The fluid may be a mixture of the above-mentioned fluid and a gas such as nitrogen, a rare gas, or air, and be contained in the inner container 11 in a foam state. The fluid may also be a paste or cream state having a viscosity similar to or higher than that of water.

The fluid may be skin care products or basic cosmetics such as lotion, milky lotion, face cream, serum, facial cleanser, cleansing agent, etc.; makeup cosmetics such as foundation, makeup base, concealer, liquid eye shadow, liquid blush, liquid lip product, etc.; personal care products (hygienic products) such as sunscreen, hand soap, body soap, hair shampoo, hair dye, styling agent, hand cream, body cream, body lotion, etc.; fragrance products, etc.

When the contents are solid, the solid may be a solid or semi-solid cosmetic such as a particularly hard hair stick, hair wax, lipstick, solid beauty serum (e.g., one with a similar hardness to a stick beauty serum), solid soap, or food such as cheese or butter. The solid substance may be pre-filled in the inner container 11, filled by replacing the entire inner container 11 as a refill, or set by filling the inner container 11 with the replaced solid later.

The inner container 11 has an opening 111 at the top, a peripheral wall 112 which is a side surface, a bottom surface 113, an engagement tube portion 114 provided in the center of the bottom surface 113 and protruding upward (in the +Z axis direction), and a fitting hole 115 formed by connecting the lower side (in the -Z axis direction) of the engagement tube portion 114 to the outside. The support tube portion 124 of the outer container 12 is inserted into the fitting hole 115. Furthermore, the inner container 11 has a stage 16 and a spiral tube 17 inside.

The spiral tube 17 is a shaft-shaped tube extending in the vertical direction, and a male screw 171 is formed on the outer circumferential surface. The spiral tube 17 has an inner circumferential surface 172 with an open lower end in the center. That is, the spiral tube 17 is a bottomed hollow cylinder with the bottom located at the top. In addition, a circular groove 173 with an open lower end and circumferential is formed between the inner circumferential surface 172 and the male screw (outer circumferential surface) 171, and the engagement tube portion 114 of the inner container 11 is inserted inside. As a result, the spiral tube 17 is fixed rotatably to the inner container 11. The relationship between the inner container 11 and the spiral tube 17 will be described later. Furthermore, the support tube portion 124 of the outer container 12 is inserted into the inner circumferential surface 172 of the hollow cylinder of the spiral tube 17. As a result, the spiral tube 17 is fixed to the outer container 12 in a non-rotatable manner. In other words, the spiral tube 17 rotates integrally with the outer container 12. The inner circumferential surface 172 of the spiral cylinder 17, the support cylinder portion 124 of the outer container 12, and the engagement cylinder portion 114 of the inner container 11 are arranged coaxially and coincide with the central axis CL (rotational center axis) of the inner container 11 and the outer container 12.

The stage 16 is arranged so that it can move up and down inside the inner container 11, as the spiral tube 17 rotates due to the rotation of the outer container 12 relative to the inner container 11, and the female screw 162 of the stage 16 that screws into the male screw 171 of the spiral tube 17 is interlocked. That is, a hole 161 is formed in the center of the stage 16 in the vertical direction, and a female screw 162 is formed on the inner surface of the hole 161. The stage 16 is non-rotatable relative to the inner surface of the inner container 11 but can move up and down. As a configuration in which the stage 16 is non-rotatable relative to the inner surface of the inner container 11 but can move up and down, for example, a convex portion in the Z-axis direction (not shown) is formed on one side of the inner surface of the inner container 11 and the outer surface of the stage 16 facing the inner surface of the inner container 11 of the stage 16, and a corresponding groove portion in the Z-axis direction is formed on the other side. The outer peripheral surface of the stage 16 and the inner peripheral surface of the inner container 11 are in liquid-tight contact so that the contents filled in the inner container 11 do not leak below the stage 16.

As shown in Figure 2, the spiral tube 17 has a circular groove 173 at its lower end into which the engaging tube portion 114 of the inner container 11 is inserted. A number of claws 175 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the circular groove 173. Each claw 175 has a surface on one side that is approximately perpendicular to the inner circumferential surface of the circular groove 173, and an inclined surface on the other side. Figure 2 shows an example in which four claws 175 are formed.

In addition, a plurality of protrusions 116 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the engagement tube portion 114 of the inner container 11. The protrusions 116 are also formed of a surface that is approximately vertical on one side and an inclined surface that is inclined on the other side. FIG. 2 shows an example in which 20 protrusions 116 are formed. The protrusions 116 of the inner container 11 and the claws 175 of the spiral tube 17 form a ratchet mechanism 190 having a gear and a pawl. That is, in FIG. 2, when the inner container 11 is rotated in the rotation direction D _r1 (or when the outer container 12 is rotated in the rotation direction D _r2 ), the protrusions 116 ride over the claws 175 and become rotatable. At this time, each time one protrusion 116 and one claw 175 ride over each other's inclined surface, the inner container 11 or the outer container 12 rotates by a certain angle, and in conjunction with this, the stage 16 can also be raised by a certain distance.

In the case of FIG. 2, rotation is possible every 18 degrees. Therefore, the contents pushed out by the upper surface of the stage 16 and discharged from the opening 132 of the top surface 13 can be discharged in a constant amount. In addition, a clicking sound is generated each time one protrusion 116 and one claw 175 overcome each other's inclined surfaces, thereby alerting the user that a constant amount of the contents has been discharged. The interval at which the protrusions 116 and the claws 175 are arranged can be appropriately changed depending on the rotation angle of the inner container 11 or the outer container 12, the amount of contents to be discharged, etc. The rotation angle of the inner container 11 or the outer container 12 required for one protrusion 116 and one claw 175 to overcome each other's inclined surfaces is preferably 5 to 60 degrees, and more preferably 10 to 30 degrees. This allows the contents to be discharged in a constant amount regardless of the magnitude of the external force applied by the user to the container 100. In addition, the force required to discharge the contents is smaller than that required for a push-type container, reducing the burden on the user.

In addition, when the inner container 11 is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction D _r1 (or when the outer container 12 is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction D _r2 ), the protrusion 116 cannot get over the claw 175 because their approximately perpendicular surfaces face each other. Therefore, in the case of the example shown in Fig. 2, the inner container 11 or the outer container 12 can only rotate in the direction in which the stage 16 rises, and the stage 16 cannot descend.

In addition, if the stage 16 is configured to move up and down, this can be achieved by making the approximately vertical surfaces of the protrusion 116 and the claw 175 into inclined surfaces.

In addition, if the structure is such that the contents are dispensed in any amount rather than a fixed amount, this can be achieved by omitting the ratchet mechanism described above.

The top surface 13 has a peripheral wall 131 that fits into the inner container 11 and an opening 132 for discharging the contents to the outside. A valve body 18 may be disposed in the opening 132. The top surface 13 is fixed to the inner container 11 so as to cover the opening 111 of the inner container 11. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the valve body 18 rises as the internal pressure of the contents filled in the inner container 11 increases with the rise of the stage 16, and the contents are discharged onto the upper surface of the top surface 13 from between the valve body 18 and the top surface 13 that has risen. As a result, the user only touches the discharged used contents, so that the user can use the contents without touching the unused contents, and the contents can be stored hygienically. If the contents are solid, the valve body 18 does not need to be provided, and the configuration of the top surface 13 can be configured to accommodate solids.

The outer container 12 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening 121 at the top, and contains the inner container 11. The opening 121 of the outer container 12 is located below the opening 111 of the inner container 11 when the inner container 11 is contained in the outer container 12. Furthermore, the outer container 12 has a peripheral wall 122, which is a side surface, a bottom surface 123, and a support tube portion 124 that is provided at the center of the bottom surface 123 and protrudes upward. The support tube portion 124 is inserted into the inner peripheral surface 172 of the hollow cylinder of the spiral tube 17. The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the central axis CL of the support tube portion 124 is octagonal as shown in FIG. 2, and the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface 172 of the spiral tube 17 is also octagonal, thereby fixing the spiral tube 17 to the outer container 12 so that it cannot rotate. The cross-sectional shape of the support tube portion 124 and the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface 172 of the spiral tube 17 are not limited to an octagonal shape, and may be any shape as long as they are fixed so that they cannot rotate. With this configuration in which the support tube portion 124 and the spiral tube 17 are fixed, for example, when the outer container 12 is rotated in a specific direction relative to the inner container 11, the spiral tube 17 also rotates at the same time, and the rotation of the spiral tube 17 causes the stage 16 to rise inside the inner container 11.

The lid 14 has an upper surface portion 141 and a peripheral wall 142. In this embodiment, the upper surface portion 141 and the peripheral wall 142 are shown as separate bodies, but they may be formed as one body. A gasket 19 is provided on the inside of the upper surface portion 141. The gasket 19 is provided to prevent the contents of the inner container 11 from leaking to the outside through the opening 132 of the top surface 13, so the gasket 19 and the top surface 13 need to be in close contact with each other. The lid 14 is a so-called screw lid, and a female thread is formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 142, which is screwed into and fixed to a male thread formed on the outer surface of the opening 121 of the outer container 12 so as to cover the inner container 11, the top surface 13, and the opening 121 of the outer container 12. The lid 14 may be a so-called snap type instead of a screw lid.

A ring-shaped inner cap 15 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lid body 14 so as to be rotatable relative to the lid body 14. As shown in part A of FIG. 1, the inner cap 15 is rotatably engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the lid body 14 by a continuous or discontinuous annular rib 143 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lid body 14 and a continuous or discontinuous annular rib 153 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cap 15.

Next, the engagement relationship between the inner cap 15, the top surface 13, and the inner container 11 will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container 100 according to the first embodiment with the lid 14 open.

The inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 15 is formed by arranging a plurality of rectangular faces in the circumferential direction. In other words, the cross-sectional shape of the inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 15 perpendicular to the Z-axis direction is a polygon. The number of corners of the polygon is not particularly limited, but is preferably 6 to 60 corners, and more preferably 9 to 36 corners. In this embodiment, the case of an 18-sided polygon will be described. The cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the outer peripheral surface 117 of the peripheral wall 112 of the inner container 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13 are polygonal corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 15. The polygonal shape formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 15 and the polygonal shape formed on the outer peripheral surface 117 of the peripheral wall 112 of the inner container 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13 position the inner cap 15, the inner container 11, and the top surface 13. Hereinafter, each polygonal shape may be referred to as a positioning shape. By placing the lid body 14 with the inner cap 15 over the inner container 11, the inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 15 is positioned and engaged with the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13 and the outer circumferential surface 117 of the inner container 11, and the inner cap 15, top surface 13, and inner container 11 are locked so that they cannot rotate. In other words, at this time, the lid body 14 is rotatable relative to the inner cap 15, top surface 13, and inner container 11.

The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13 has a guide 133 in a loft shape in which the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the Z-axis direction transitions (changes) stepwise or continuously from a circle to a polygon as it moves from the top end to the bottom end. As a result, as described below, when the lid body 14 is screwed onto the outer container 12, the inner peripheral surface of the inner cap 15, the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13, and the peripheral wall 112 of the inner container 11 can automatically rotate the inner cap 15 so that the corresponding surfaces coincide with the top surface 13, even if the polygonal positioning shape of the inner cap 15 and the polygonal positioning shapes of the outer peripheral surfaces of the top surface 13 and the inner container 11 are misaligned, so that the inner cap 15 is reliably positioned with respect to the top surface 13 and the inner container 11. In addition, when the lid 14 is screwed onto the outer container 12, the inner surface of the inner cap 15 comes into contact with the guide 133 on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 131 of the top surface 13, allowing the positioning shape of the inner cap 15 to smoothly engage with the positioning shape of the top surface 13.

In the example shown in this embodiment, the guide 133 is described as being included in the positioning shape of the top surface 13, but it may also be included in the positioning shape of the inner cap 15, or it may be included in both the positioning shape of the top surface 13 and the positioning shape of the inner cap 15.

Next, we will explain the engagement relationship between the inner cap 15 and the outer container 12.

4 is a diagram showing the engagement state between the inner cap 15 and the outer container 12 as viewed from the inner wall 121a side of the opening 121 of the outer container 12 in part A of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower end of the inner cap 15 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 151 protruding downward. In addition, a plurality of grooves 125 are formed in the inner wall (inner surface) 121a of the opening 121 of the outer container 12. Ribs 126 are formed between the grooves 125. When the lid 14 is screwed to the outer container 12, the protrusions 151 approach the grooves 125 of the outer container 12 (FIG. 4(a)), are inserted (FIG. 4(b)), and engage (FIG. 4(c)). With this configuration, the outer container 12 and the inner container 11 can be positioned via the inner cap 15. The lid 14 is screwed onto the outer container 12, so that the lid 14, outer container 12, inner cap 15, and inner container 11 are locked (fixed) together. It is also preferable that the number of grooves 125 is a multiple of the number of corners of the polygonal cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the inner cap 15 that is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which multiple grooves 125 are formed in the inner wall 121a of the opening 121 of the outer container 12, but they may also be formed in the outer wall (outer surface) 121b of the opening 121. In this case, however, the grooves 125 need to be provided in a position that avoids the position of the male screw provided in the outer wall 121b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip 152 of the protrusion 151 is inclined and sharp. The tip 127 of the rib 126 is also inclined. Due to the shape of the tip 152 of the protrusion 151 and the tip 127 of the rib 126, even if the position of the protrusion 151 is misaligned with the position of the groove 125 (FIG. 4(a)), the inner cap 15 can rotate and move, allowing the protrusion 151 to be smoothly inserted into the groove 125 (FIG. 4(b)). By rounding the tips of the protrusion 151 and rib 126, the possibility of the tips being damaged can be reduced.

In the above configuration, when the lid body 14 is screwed to the outer container 12, as the female thread of the lid body 14 is screwed deeply into the male thread on the outer peripheral surface of the outer container 12, the packing 19 provided on the lower side (inside) of the upper surface 141 of the lid body 14 is gradually pressed, and the rotation of the lid body 14 is transmitted to the inner container 11 via the packing 19 and the top surface 13. However, the top surface 13 and the inner container 11 are non-rotatably engaged with the inner cap 15, the inner cap 15 and the outer container 12 are also non-rotatably engaged, and the lid body 14 and the inner cap 15 are held rotatably, so that the rotation of the lid body 14 is not transmitted to the inner container 11. In other words, the inner cap 15 can rotate together with the inner container 11. Therefore, even if the lid body 14 is rotated to be screwed, the inner container 11 does not rotate, and the stage 16 does not rise and the contents do not discharge. This prevents the contents from spilling out when the lid 14 is closed.

When the lid 14 is screwed onto the outer container 12 and then the screws are loosened to remove it from the outer container 12, the packing 19 is tightly pressed, so the rotational force of the lid 14 is transmitted to the top surface 13 and inner container 11 via the packing 19. However, the inner cap 15, top surface 13, inner container 11, and outer container 12 other than the lid 14 are integrally engaged, and the inner cap 15 can rotate together with the inner container 11, so the inner container 11 does not rotate, and the stage 16 does not rise, causing the contents to be discharged.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the container 100 according to the first embodiment, disassembled. The inner container 11 and the top surface 13 are detachable from the outer container 12 and the lid 14 as a unit. The inner container 11 has a stage 16 and a spiral tube 17 inside. An inner cap 15 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lid 14. When the contents contained in the inner container 11 are exhausted, the user can pull the used inner container 11 and the top surface 13 upward from the outer container 12, and attach a new inner container 11 and top surface 13 (refill) filled with the contents, and use the container 100. In other words, the lid 14 and the outer container 12 can be reused, thereby reducing the environmental impact.

Second Embodiment
A container 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the container 200 according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of part B in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the lid 24 of the container 200 according to the second embodiment.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the container 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the container 100 according to the first embodiment in that an elastic member 20 is provided between the inner cap 25 and the lid body 24, and the structure of the inner cap 25 and the lid body 24 is also different accordingly. The configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. The elastic member 20 is, for example, a compression spring.

In the first embodiment, the length of the protrusion 151 provided at the lower end of the inner cap 15 must be close to the travel distance (stroke) when the lid body 14 is screwed into the outer container 12 (Figure 4). If the travel distance of the lid body 14 is long, the length of the protrusion 151 must also be long, but if the length of the protrusion 151 is long, the protrusion 151 becomes more likely to be damaged during use. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to increase the length of the protrusion, as shown in Figure 6, the inner cap 25 is provided so as to be rotatable and movable up and down relative to the lid body 24.

In this state, the inner cap 25 is constantly pressed downward by the elastic member 20, so the annular rib 253 of the inner cap 25 and the annular rib 243 of the lid body 24 are in contact with each other. When the lid body 24 is screwed onto the outer container 12, the protrusion 251 of the inner cap 25 first engages with the groove 125 of the outer container 12. When the lid body 24 is screwed onto the outer container 12 in this state, the lid body 24 gradually descends relative to the outer container 12, but since the elastic member 20 is interposed between the lid body 24 and the inner cap 25, the protrusion 251 of the inner cap 25 remains engaged with the groove 125, as shown in FIG. 7, and the downward movement of the lid body 24 is absorbed by the compression of the elastic member 20.

Therefore, even if the length of the protrusion 251 is short, the protrusion 251 can be reliably engaged with the groove 125. Thus, a protrusion having a relatively short length in the Z-axis direction can be used, and the risk of the protrusion 251 breaking can be reduced.
Third Embodiment

A container 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the container 300 according to the third embodiment with the lid 34 open, Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of part D in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of part C. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the engagement state between the inner cap 35 and the top surface 33 of the container 300 according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the container 300 according to the third embodiment differs from the container 100 according to the first embodiment in the shape of the inner cap 35 and the top surface 33. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 331 of the top surface 33 has a guide 333 that has the same positioning shape as in the first embodiment and a loft shape. In this embodiment, the guide 333 is further formed with a first convex portion 332 that is pointed toward the inner cap 35, and the first convex portion 332 has inclined surfaces S1, S1 as shown in FIG. 10. The inclined surfaces S1, S1 are formed so that the height (depth) of the inclined surfaces decreases toward the inner container 11 side. In other words, it has a triangular shape with an apex in the -Z axis direction.

The inner circumferential surface of the inner cap 35 is formed with a positioning shape similar to that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a second protrusion 352 having a pointed shape toward the top surface 33 is further formed on the end surface of the inner cap 35 facing the top surface 33, and the second protrusion 352 has inclined surfaces S2, S2 as shown in FIG. 11. The inclined surfaces S2, S2 are formed so that the height (depth) of the inclined surfaces increases toward the top surface 33 side. In other words, it has a triangular shape with an apex in the +Z axis direction.

When the lid 24 is screwed onto the outer container 12, first, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the inclined surface S2 of the second convex portion 352 of the inner cap 35 comes into contact with the inclined surface S1 of the first convex portion 332 of the top surface 33. Then, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the second convex portion 352 moves along the inclined surface S1 of the first convex portion 332, so that in addition to the same effect as the guide 133 of the first embodiment, the positioning shape of the inner cap 35 can be more smoothly engaged with the positioning shape of the top surface 33.

In this embodiment, an example in which no elastic member is provided between the lid body 34 and the inner cap 35 is shown, but an elastic member may be provided, and accordingly, the shapes of the protrusion 351 of the inner cap 35 and the groove 125 of the outer container 12 can also be appropriately changed as in the second embodiment.

Although the embodiments have been described above, they are presented as examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various combinations, omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

The refill configuration shown in FIG. 5 in the first embodiment can also be used in the second and third embodiments.

11 Inner container 111, 121, 132 Opening 12 Outer container 121a Inner peripheral wall of opening 121b Outer peripheral wall of opening 125 Groove 13, 33 Top surface 131, 331 Peripheral wall 133, 333 Guide 14, 24, 34 Lid 15, 25, 35 Inner cap 151, 251, 351 Protrusion 16 Stage 17 Spiral tube 20 Elastic member 332 First convex portion 352 Second convex portion S1, S2 Inclined surface 100, 200, 300 Container

Claims (7)

an inner container capable of accommodating contents therein and having an opening at an upper portion;
a stage that can move up and down together with the contents by rotating the inner container;
a peripheral wall that fits into the inner container and a top surface having an opening;
A lid body that covers the inner container and the top surface;
an outer container having an opening and accommodating the inner container;
An inner cap is provided which is rotatable relative to the lid body and rotatable together with the inner container,
A cross-sectional shape of an inner circumferential surface of the inner cap perpendicular to a central axis of the inner container is polygonal,
a cross-sectional shape of an outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container and an outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface, the cross-sectional shape being perpendicular to a central axis of the inner container, each of which is a polygon corresponding to an inner peripheral surface of the inner cap;
A plurality of grooves are formed on the inner or outer peripheral wall of the opening of the outer container, and a plurality of protrusions are formed on the lower end of the peripheral wall of the inner cap,
By placing the lid body over the inner container, the inner circumferential surface of the inner cap, the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface, and the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container are positioned and engaged with each other, and the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container are non-rotatably engaged with each other, and the lid body becomes rotatable with respect to the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container.
A container, wherein the inner cap is positioned relative to the outer container by engagement between the plurality of grooves and the plurality of protrusions. an inner container capable of accommodating contents therein and having an opening at an upper portion;
a stage that can move up and down together with the contents by rotating the inner container;
a peripheral wall that fits into the inner container and a top surface having an opening;
A lid body that covers the inner container and the top surface;
an outer container having an opening and accommodating the inner container;
An inner cap is provided which is rotatable relative to the lid body and rotatable together with the inner container,
a cross-sectional shape of an inner circumferential surface of the inner cap perpendicular to a central axis of the inner container is a polygonal positioning shape;
a cross-sectional shape of an outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container and a cross-sectional shape of an outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface, the cross-sectional shape being perpendicular to a central axis of the inner container, each of which is a polygonal positioning shape corresponding to an inner peripheral surface of the inner cap;
At least one of the positioning shape of the inner cap and the positioning shape of the top surface has a guide that engages with the positioning shape of the inner cap and the positioning shape of the top surface,
A container in which, by placing the lid body over the inner container, the inner surface of the inner cap and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the top surface and the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the inner container are positioned and engaged with each other, so that the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container are non-rotatably engaged with each other, and the lid body can rotate relative to the inner cap, the top surface, and the inner container . The container of claim 2, wherein the guide is formed by a loft shape that transitions from a circle to a polygon. the positioning shape of the inner cap and the positioning shape of the top surface each have the guide,
The container of claim 3 , wherein the guide includes a protrusion having an inclined surface. The container according to claim 1 , wherein an elastic member is provided between the inner cap and the lid, and the inner cap is configured to be movable up and down relative to the lid. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stage moves up and down a predetermined distance by rotating the inner container and the outer container relative to each other. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner container, the top surface, and the stage are detachable integrally with the lid body having the outer container and the inner cap.

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