Powder container

Abstract

Without increasing the number of parts, the opening area through which the powder passes can be easily changed, allowing for the extraction of the appropriate amount of powder from the container body. [Solution] The powder container 100 includes a bottomed cylindrical container body 190 having an opening at the upper end of the body portion 194 into which powder can be loaded, and a lid 102 that seals the opening. An inner tray 110 is provided at the opening of the container body 190, which allows adjustment of the amount of powder dispensed from the container body 190. The inner tray 110 includes a flat surface 112 made of an elastically deformable material that covers the opening, and a single shaft 116 erected on the back side of the approximately central part of the flat surface 112. In addition to the approximately central part of the flat surface, the inner tray 110 has an elongated hole-shaped slit 114 that can be switched between a state in which powder can pass through and a state in which it cannot or has difficulty to pass through by elastic deformation. When the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder container comprising a bottomed (cylindrical) container body having an opening at the upper end of a body portion, capable of charging (storing) powder such as cosmetic powder, aromatic agents, seasonings, etc. therein, and a lid for sealing the opening, wherein the opening of the container body is provided with an inner tray capable of adjusting the amount of powder taken out from the container body; in particular, the present invention relates to a powder container capable of easily changing the opening area through which the powder provided on the inner tray passes, without increasing the number of parts of the powder container, so that an appropriate amount of powder can be taken out from the container body. [[Background Art]]

[0002] A conventional powder container generally has a structure in which powder is inserted and held (stored) in a container body, a lid is detachably attached to the container body, and a partition plate provided with a plurality of powder passage holes is provided in the container body. The partition plate has a dish-like shape, and a space where a puff can be placed is provided between the partition plate and the lid. According to such a conventional powder container, by placing the puff inside the container and inverting the powder container, the powder can pass through the powder passage holes of the partition plate and adhere to the puff. However, in such a conventional powder container, if the powder container is left in an inclined or inverted state for a long time, more powder than the predetermined amount leaks through the powder passage holes to the puff side, and as a result, excessive powder adheres to the puff, resulting in the problem of excessive application.

[0003] To solve these problems, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3847874 (Patent Document 1) discloses a powder container that prevents excessive powder from overflowing the partition plate, ensuring that the correct amount of powder can always be used, and that enhances airtightness, preventing the puff from becoming covered in powder during transport and preventing powder from scattering when the lid is opened. The powder container disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a container body and a lid for holding powder, and a partition plate with multiple powder passage holes is provided at the opening of the container body. The powder container is characterized in that an inner tray is interposed above the partition plate, a measuring chamber is provided between the partition plate and the tray, and by inverting the powder container, the correct amount of powder can always flow into the measuring chamber. The powder container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of four parts: a container body, a lid, an inner tray, and a partition plate.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to change the amount of powder adhering to the puff (the amount of powder passing through the powder passage holes in the partition plate from the container body) as needed, Japanese Patent No. 4375606 (Patent Document 2) discloses a powder container in which the area of ​​the opening portion of the powder passage holes drilled in the inner tray can be freely changed to be wider or narrower as needed. The powder container disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a lidded container in which a middle tray is fitted into the container body and a puff tray containing a puff is fitted into the middle tray so as to be rotatable. Guide grooves are provided on one of the opposing surfaces of the middle tray and the puff tray, and guides are provided on the other surface. When the guides contact one end of the guide groove due to the rotation of the puff tray relative to the middle tray, the first and second through holes drilled in the bottom plates of both trays communicate, and when the puff tray moves to the other end, the bottom plate of the other tray is formed so that at least one of the through holes can be sealed. An engaging element is attached near the other end of the guide groove, and when the guides contact the other end of the guide groove by crossing over the engaging element, the guides engage with the engaging element, preventing the guides from moving blindly within the guide groove. The powder container disclosed in Patent Document 2 is composed of four parts: a container body, a lid, a puff tray, and a middle tray. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3847874 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4375606 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the powder container disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that, although it can prevent more powder than expected from being dispensed, it requires two parts, a partition plate and an inner tray, and even though it can dispense the appropriate amount of powder, it is difficult to adjust the amount dispensed. On the other hand, the powder container disclosed in Patent Document 2 has the problem that, although it can dispense the appropriate amount of powder, it is necessary to change the area of ​​the opening portion of the powder passage hole by combining two parts, a puff tray and an inner tray, in order to adjust the amount dispensed, which requires an extra number of parts.

[0007] The present invention was developed in view of the problems of the prior art, and its objective is to provide a powder container that includes a bottomed container body with an opening at the upper end of the body into which powder can be loaded, and a lid that seals the opening, and a middle tray provided in the opening of the container body for adjusting the amount of powder dispensed from the container body, and that allows for easy adjustment of the opening area through which powder passes in the middle tray, without increasing the number of parts of the powder container, thereby enabling the dispensed amount of powder to be taken out from the container body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the powder container according to the present invention employs the following technical means.

[0009] The powder container according to the present invention comprises a bottomed container body having an opening at the upper end of the body into which powder can be loaded, and a lid that seals the opening, and a receptacle for adjusting the amount of powder dispensed from the container body is provided in the opening of the container body, wherein the receptacle includes a plane made of an elastically deformable material that covers the opening, and the receptacle has an elongated hole-shaped slit in addition to the substantially central part of the plane that can be switched between a state in which the powder can pass through and a state in which it cannot or has difficulty to pass through by elastic deformation, and the receptacle is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body, and the opening area of ​​the slit changes by rotating the receptacle relative to the container body.

[0010] Preferably, the inner tray includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, and the bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts for gripping the shaft, and the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body while the shaft is gripped by the gripping parts, and the slits form at least one spiral shape on the plane with the substantially central part as the central axis of point symmetry, and the shaft is gripped by the gripping parts in a way that prevents rotation, and when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the opening area of ​​the slits can be changed by increasing the horizontal spacing of at least some of the slits in the spiral shape.

[0011] More preferably, the inner tray may be configured to include a shutter mechanism that closes the slit when the opening area is minimized.

[0012] More preferably, the slit is formed by the distance between a hole extending from the approximate center of the plane to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member that closes the hole, and the end of the lid member on the approximate center side extends from the approximate center of the plane, and the inner tray and the container body are connected by a screw structure that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion by a change in the screw state when the inner tray and the container body are rotated relative to each other, or by a cam structure that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion by including a cam base portion having a gently changing shape and a cam follower portion that abuts the cam base portion, and when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the opening area of ​​the slit changes as the vertical distance in the slit increases due to the screw structure or the cam structure It can be configured to transform into a different form.

[0013] More preferably, the inner tray includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, and the bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts for gripping the shaft, and the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body while the shaft is gripped by the gripping parts, and the screw structure is configured such that a female thread is provided on the inside of the periphery of the opening, the outer edge of the lid member is screwed into the female thread and locked, the shaft is rotatably gripped by the gripping parts, and the outer edge of the lid member screwed into the female thread is configured to be movable vertically relative to the inner tray, and when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the screw state changes and the vertical spacing in the slit increases, thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit.

[0014] More preferably, the cam lead portion is provided on the container body and has a shape that changes gradually in the height direction, and the cam follow portion is provided on the lid member and contacts the cam lead portion, and when the inner plate is rotated relative to the container body, the rotational motion force from the cam lead portion provided on the container body is converted into linear motion force and transmitted to the cam follow portion provided on the inner plate, thereby increasing the vertical spacing in the slit and changing the opening area of ​​the slit.

[0015] More preferably, the inner tray includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, and the bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts for gripping the shaft, and the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body with the shaft gripped by the gripping parts, the slit is formed by the distance between a hole extending from the substantially central part of the plane to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member that closes the hole, the end of the lid member on the substantially central side extends from the substantially central part of the plane, the shaft is rotatably gripped by the gripping parts, the shaft and the gripping parts are connected by a cam structure and the lid member is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the inner tray by a change in the cam state, or the shaft and the gripping parts are gripped by a screw and the lid member is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the inner tray by a change in the screw state, and when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the cam state or screw state changes, increasing the vertical distance in the slit and thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit.

[0016] More preferably, the slit can be configured to form a corolla shape in which two or more petals are gathered on the plane.

[0017] More preferably, the inner tray includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, and the bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts for gripping the shaft, and the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body when the shaft is gripped by the gripping parts, and the slits form two spiral shapes on the plane with the substantially central part as the central axis of point symmetry, and the two spiral shapes can be formed when the slits are connected to each other at the substantially central part and when the slits are not connected to each other In cases where this is not the case, two shafts are erected on the back side of the approximate center of the plane of the inner tray at positions corresponding to the starting points of the two spiral shapes, and two gripping parts are provided at the approximate center of the bottom surface of the container body to grip the two shafts respectively, and the shafts are gripped by the gripping parts either so as not to rotate or so as to rotate, and when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the opening area of ​​the slits changes as the horizontal spacing of some of the slits in the two spiral shapes increases.

[0018] More preferably, the opening area of ​​the slit is changed by rotating the inner tray in a first rotational direction relative to the container body, and then the second rotational direction is the opposite direction of the first rotational direction. By rotating in the direction of rotation 2, the slit can be configured to return to its state before the opening area changed.

[0019] More preferably, the degree to which the opening area of ​​the slit changes can be adjusted by the degree to which the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the powder container of the present invention, there is provided a powder container comprising a bottomed container body having an opening at the upper end of a body portion and capable of being charged with powder, and a lid for sealing the opening, wherein an inner tray capable of adjusting the amount of powder taken out from the container body is provided at the opening of the container body, the powder container can provide a powder container that can easily change the opening area through which the powder provided in the inner tray passes without increasing the number of parts of the powder container, so that an appropriate amount of powder can be taken out from the container body. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an exploded perspective view of the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] They are (A) a top view of the powder container 100 excluding the lid before deformation, (B) a cross-sectional view taken along line 2B-2B, (C) a top view of the powder container 100 after deformation, and (D) a cross-sectional view taken along line 2D-2D. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of two parts (the inner tray and the container body) constituting the powder container 100 excluding the lid. [Figure 4] It is an exploded perspective view of the powder container 200 (excluding the lid) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] They are (A) a top view of the powder container 200 excluding the lid before deformation, (B) a cross-sectional view taken along line 5B-5B, (C) a top view of the powder container 200 after deformation, and (D) a cross-sectional view taken along line 5D-5D. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of two parts (the inner tray and the container body) constituting the powder container 200 excluding the lid. [Figure 7] They are an exploded perspective view and a partially enlarged perspective view of the powder container 300 (excluding the lid) according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] They are (A) a top view of the powder container 300 excluding the lid before deformation, (B) a cross-sectional view taken along line 8B-8B, (C) a top view of the powder container 300 after deformation, and (D) a cross-sectional view taken along line 8D-8D. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of two parts (the inner tray and the container body) constituting the powder container 300 excluding the lid. [Figure 10] They are an exploded perspective view and a partially enlarged perspective view of the powder container 400 (excluding the lid) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] (A) Top view of the powder container 400 before deformation, excluding the lid; (B) Cross-sectional view between 11B and 11B; (C) Top view of the powder container 400 after deformation; (D) Cross-sectional view between 11D and 11D. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the two parts (inner tray and container body) that make up the powder container 400, excluding the lid. [Figure 13] This is an exploded perspective view and a partially enlarged perspective view of a powder container 500 (excluding the lid) according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] (A) is a top view of the powder container 500 before deformation, excluding the lid, and (B) is a top view of the powder container 500 after deformation. [Figure 15] This is a perspective view of the two parts (inner tray and container body) that make up the powder container 500, excluding the lid. [Figure 16] This is an exploded perspective view and a partially enlarged perspective view of a powder container 600 (excluding the lid) according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] (A) is a top view of the powder container 600 before deformation, excluding the lid, and (B) is a top view of the powder container 600 after deformation. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of the two parts (inner tray and container body) that make up the powder container 600, excluding the lid. [Figure 19] This is a diagram illustrating a first modified example of a powder container. [Figure 20] This is a diagram illustrating a second modified example of the powder container. [Figure 21] This is a diagram illustrating a third modified example of a powder container. [Figure 22] This is a diagram illustrating a fourth modified example of the powder container. [Figure 23] This is a diagram illustrating a fifth modified example of the powder container. [Figure 24] This is a diagram illustrating a sixth modified example of the powder container. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] In the following, the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the powder container 200 according to the second embodiment with reference to Figures 4 to 6, the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment with reference to Figures 7 to 9, the powder container 400 according to the fourth embodiment with reference to Figures 10 to 12, the powder container 500 according to the fifth embodiment with reference to Figures 13 to 15, the powder container 600 according to the sixth embodiment with reference to Figures 16 to 18, modified examples applicable to the third and fourth embodiments of these embodiments with reference to Figure 19, and modified examples applicable to the third embodiment of these embodiments with reference to Figures 20 to 24. Note that in these 24 figures, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, there are exaggerated parts, omitted parts, enlarged parts, and parts shown in perspective, and there may be cases where the details do not match between figures within a single embodiment (for example, between an outline view and a cross-sectional view, where the details have been omitted and the parts are less relevant to the present invention). Furthermore, there are instances where hatching is not applied to cross-sections, or where hatching is applied to non-cross-sections, and where break lines are not indicated. Also, in figures, those not labeled "before deformation" or "after deformation" are the figures before deformation.

[0023] <Common configuration to the six embodiments (including modified examples)> First, we will briefly explain the common configuration of the powder containers according to these six embodiments. As shown in Figures 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16 (and Figures 19 to 24 showing modified examples) (the reference numerals here may be those shown in Figure 1), the powder container 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cylindrical container body 190 with a bottom (bottom surface 192) into which powder can be loaded (stored) and a lid 102 that seals the opening, and a tray 110 that can adjust the amount of powder dispensed from the container body 190 is provided at the opening of the container body 190.

[0024] The inner tray 110 includes a flat surface 112 made of an elastically deformable material (such as polypropylene or polyethylene synthetic resin) that covers the opening. The inner tray 110 has an elongated hole-shaped slit 114 (here, a slit 114N with a narrow opening area) that can be switched between a state where powder can pass through and a state where it cannot or has difficulty passing through by elastic deformation, except for the approximate center of the flat surface. The inner tray 110 is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body 190, and by rotating the inner tray 110 relative to the container body 190 (for example, by about 45 degrees, which is 1 / 8 of a turn), the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes (here, it changes to a slit 114W with a wider opening area). In this powder container, the "shaft" and "gripping part" are not essential components. In the powder containers described in the third embodiment (Figures 7-9) and the modified version of the third embodiment (Figures 20-24) described later, the "shaft" and "gripping part" are not essential components. However, in other powder containers, such as those described in the next paragraph, the "shaft" and "gripping part" are basically essential components. Thus, the present invention can be broadly divided into various options depending on whether the "shaft" and "gripping part" are necessary or unnecessary, the choice between the "screw structure" and the "cam structure," the shape, number, and position of the "cam structure," and the shape, number, and position of the slits. From these options, the first embodiment (Figures 1-3), the second embodiment (Figures 4-6), the third embodiment (Figures 7-9), the fourth embodiment (Figures 10-12), the fifth embodiment (Figures 13-15), the sixth embodiment (Figures 16-18), and the modified version (Figures 19-24), which are suitable for the purpose of the present invention, will be described in detail.

[0025] More specifically, the inner tray 110 includes a flat surface 112 made of an elastically deformable material (such as polypropylene or polyethylene synthetic resin) that covers the opening, and at least one shaft 116 (one in Figure 1) erected on the back side of the approximately central part of the flat surface 112 (the shaft may be held in a way that prevents rotation or is rotatable relative to the container body). In addition to the approximately central part of the flat surface, the inner tray 110 is provided with an elongated hole-shaped slit 114 (here, a slit 114N with a narrow opening area) that can be switched between a state where powder can pass through and a state where it cannot or has difficulty passing through by elastic deformation. On the other hand, the bottom surface of the container body 190 is provided with a number of gripping parts 196 corresponding to the number of shafts 116, which grip the shafts 116 provided on the back side of the inner tray. Furthermore, with the shaft 116 being held by the gripping part 196, the inner tray 110 is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body 190. By rotating the inner tray 110 relative to the container body 190 (for example, by about 45 degrees, which is 1 / 8 of a turn), the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes (in this case, it changes to a slit 114W with a wider opening area).

[0026] In this invention, the change in the opening area of ​​the slit includes both an increase or decrease in the width (so-called) in the horizontal direction (the direction including the bottom surface 192 of the container body 190 is the horizontal direction), and an increase or decrease in the height (so-called) in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. In all embodiments, "N" following the number in the symbol attached to the slit means a slit with a narrow (small) opening area (the inner tray is not rotated relative to the container body), and "W" means a slit with a wide (large) opening area (the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body). Furthermore, the external shape of the container body 190 of the powder container 100 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. Moreover, the shaft 116 and the gripping portion 196 are not essential in the powder container according to the present invention (they are not essential in other embodiments, including modified versions). Furthermore, although the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 is made of an elastically deformable material as described above, the inner tray 110 is configured to have strength (rigidity) so that it can rotate relative to the container body 190.

[0027] <First embodiment: With shaft, the horizontal spacing changes with spiral slits> In the following, the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Here, Figures 1, 2(A), 2(B), and 3 show the state before deformation, when the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, and Figures 2(C) and 2(D) show the state after deformation, when the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190. For this reason, the slit 114 is shown as a slit 114N with a narrow opening area before the change, and as a slit 114W with a wide opening area after the change. Note that the lid 102, which is not very relevant to the present invention, is not shown in any of the figures except for Figure 1, and the puff, which is not very relevant to the present invention, is not shown in any of the figures. However, the powder container according to the second embodiment, in which the lid 102 is not shown, will be described as powder container 200; the powder container according to the third embodiment, in which the lid 102 is not shown, will be described as powder container 300; the powder container according to the fourth embodiment, in which the lid 102 is not shown, will be described as powder container 400; the powder container according to the fifth embodiment, in which the lid 102 is not shown, will be described as powder container 500; and the powder container according to the sixth embodiment, in which the lid 102 is not shown, will be described as powder container 600.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the powder container 100, as described above, includes a bottomed cylindrical container body 190 with an opening at the upper end of the body 194 into which powder can be loaded, and a lid 102 that seals the opening. The container body 190 is equipped with an inner tray 110 at the opening, which allows adjustment of the amount of powder dispensed from the container body 190. The inner tray 110 has a flat surface 112 made of an elastically deformable material that covers the opening, and a 1 erected on the back side of the approximately central part of the flat surface 112. The container includes the shafts 116. The container 110 has elongated slits 114 (in Figures 1, 2(A), 2(B), and 3, slits 114N with a narrow opening area, and in Figures 2(C) and 2(D), slits 114W with a wide opening area) that can be switched between a state where powder can pass through and a state where it cannot or has difficulty passing through, by elastic deformation, in addition to the approximate center of the flat surface of the container. On the other hand, the bottom surface of the container body 190 is provided with gripping parts 196 corresponding to the number of shafts 116, which are provided on the back surface of the container 190. Furthermore, with the shaft 116 being held by the gripping portion 196, the inner tray 110 is configured to rotate relative to the container body 190 (in this powder container 100). By rotating the inner tray 110 relative to the container body 190 (for example, by about 45 degrees, which is 1 / 8 of a turn), the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes (from the state of slit 114N to the state of slit 114W, or vice versa).

[0029] In this powder container 200, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the slits 114 formed on the plane 112 of the inner tray 110 form at least one spiral shape on the plane 112 (here, there are two, slits 114A and slit 114B, as shown separately in Figure 3(C), but it is acceptable as long as one or more spiral shapes are formed on the plane 112 by the slits 114) with the approximate center of the inner tray 110 as the central axis of point symmetry. Then, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the shaft 116 is held by the gripping part 196 in a way that prevents rotation (the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the shaft 116 and the gripping part 196 is approximately a regular hexagon). When the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, the opening area of ​​the slits changes because the plane of the inner tray 110 is made of an elastically deformable material, and the horizontal spacing of at least a portion of the spiral-shaped slits 114 (here, the portion that changes from slit 114N to slit 114W, but since it is at least a portion, the opening area of ​​the entire slit may widen, or it may be sufficient if at least a portion of the slit widens) increases. As described above, the change in the opening area of ​​the slits here includes widening or narrowing of the (so-called) width in the horizontal direction (the direction including the bottom surface 192 of the container body 190 is the horizontal direction).

[0030] Here, two features of the powder container 100 according to this embodiment, which are also the same for the powder containers 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 according to other embodiments, will be described below. (1) By rotating the inner tray 110 relative to the container body 190 in a first rotational direction (for example, clockwise, right-handed), the opening area of ​​the slit 114 is changed (widened from a narrowed normal state), and then by rotating it in a second rotational direction which is the opposite of the first rotational direction (for example, counterclockwise, left-handed), the opening area of ​​the slit 114 returns to its state before the change (narrowed normal state). (2) The degree to which the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes is adjusted by the degree to which the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190. Here, the degree of rotation means a rotation angle of less than or equal to one full rotation. The degree of change in the opening area means a change in the width of the opening in the slit 114 (a change in height in the powder container 300 and powder container 400). For example, when the inner tray 110 is rotated 45 degrees clockwise relative to the container body 190, the width of the slit is widened to its maximum, and when rotated 25 degrees, the width of the slit is widened to approximately halfway between the narrowest width and the widest width.

[0031] The powder container 100 according to this embodiment, which has the features described above, will now be explained in more detail. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this powder container 100 is composed of three parts: a container body 190, a lid 102, and an inner tray 110. In particular, a feature that differentiates it from prior art documents is that the configuration (component) that allows adjustment of the amount of powder dispensed from the container body 190 is realized with only one part, the inner tray 110.

[0032] The lid 102 that seals the opening of the container body 190 has a female thread (not shown) on its inner circumference that screws onto a male thread 198 provided on the outer circumference of the container body 190 in the middle of the vertical direction. The inner tray 110 provided in the opening of the container body 190 is gripped rotatably with respect to the container body 190 by inserting a concave engaging portion 115 provided on the periphery of the inner tray 110 into the peripheral wall 195 of the container body 190. In addition, the shaft 116 of the inner tray 110 is gripped so as not to rotate by the gripping portion 196 of the container body 190. Since the material of the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 is made of an elastically deformable material, and two spiral-shaped slits 114 are provided on the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110, when the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, at least a portion of the spiral-shaped slits 114 deforms from slit 114N to slit 114W, causing a change in the opening area of ​​the slits (in this case, the width, which is the horizontal length of the slits 114, widens).

[0033] In a powder container 100 having such structural features, when the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, the shaft 116 of the inner tray 110 is held in a non-rotatable position by the gripping portion 196 of the container body 190. As a result, the approximately central part of the inner tray 110 on its plane 112 does not rotate, while its outer edge rotates. Consequently, a portion of the spiral-shaped slit 114 undergoes elastic deformation, changing from slit 114N (no rotational load) to slit 114W (with rotational load). At this time, as shown in Figure 2, the width, which is the horizontal length of the slit 114, changes from t(N) for slit 114N (no rotational load) to t(W) (>t(N)) for slit 114W (with rotational load). This t(N) corresponds to a width where the powder cannot or has difficulty passing through, and t(W) corresponds to a width where the powder can pass through.

[0034] As described above, the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 is made of an elastically deformable material, and the slits 114 formed on the flat surface 112 form two spiral shapes on the flat surface 112 with the approximate center of the inner tray 110 as the central axis of point symmetry. A single shaft 116 erected on the back side of the approximate center of the flat surface 112 is held in a non-rotatable position by the gripping portion 196 of the container body 190, but the powder container 100 is configured so that the inner tray 110 can rotate relative to the container body 190 while the shaft 116 is held by the gripping portion 196. The approximate center of the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 is gripped by the shaft 116 and the gripping part 196 so as not to rotate relative to the container body 190, but the outer edge of the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 is rotatable relative to the container body 190. When the inner tray 110 is rotated relative to the container body 190, the approximate center of the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110 remains fixed while the outer edge rotates. The flat surface 112 in the area where the slit 114 does not exist in the approximate center does not rotate or deform, but in the area where the slit 114 exists, at least a part of the spiral-shaped slit 114 deforms from slit 114N to slit 114W (the rotational load is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the slit 114 provided outside the approximate center due to the application of rotational load), and the opening area of ​​the slit 114 changes from slit 114N, where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through, to slit 114W, where powder can pass through.

[0035] As a result, the powder container 100 according to this embodiment allows for adjustment of the amount of powder dispensed from the container body 190 using only one part, the inner tray 110 (without increasing the number of parts of the powder container). Furthermore, by simply rotating the inner tray 110 relative to the container body 190, the opening area of ​​the slit 114 through which the powder passes in the inner tray 110 can be easily changed, allowing for the dispensing of an appropriate amount of powder from the container body.

[0036] <Second Embodiment: First Embodiment + Shutter Mechanism> Next, with reference to Figures 4 to 6, a powder container 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, Figures 4, 5(A), 5(B), and 6 show the state before deformation when the inner tray 210 is rotated relative to the container body 190, and Figures 5(C) and 5(D) show the state before deformation. The images show the deformed state of the inner tray 210 after it has been rotated relative to the container body 190. The difference between the powder container 200 and the powder container 100 is that the powder container 200 is equipped with a shutter mechanism 220, which the powder container 100 does not have. Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, so parts that overlap with the above explanation will not be repeated here (in this second embodiment and subsequent embodiments, components that are the same as those described earlier will not be repeated in embodiments described later).

[0037] In the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment described above, even if the slit 114N is in a state where it is difficult for powder to pass through when no rotational load is applied, there is a possibility that it may not be possible to seal the container to a state where powder cannot pass through, depending on the particle size of the powder. For this reason, in the powder container 200 according to this embodiment, a shutter mechanism 220 is provided on the back surface of the flat surface 212 of the inner tray 210, thereby achieving a state where powder cannot pass through even when the slit 114N is in a state where no rotational load is applied. Note that because this shutter mechanism 220 has thickness (vertical length (height)), the only difference between the shaft 216 and the shaft 116 is that the shaft 216 is shorter in the vertical direction.

[0038] The powder container 200 is equipped with a shutter mechanism 220 on the back surface of the inner tray 210 (of the plane 212) that closes the slit 114N when the opening area of ​​the slit 114 is minimized (when no rotational load is applied to the slit 114N). As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the shutter mechanism 220 has a stepped shape in its vertical cross-section, with the thickness gradually increasing from the outer edge of the inner tray 210 towards the approximate center, and a horizontal plane with two spiral shapes along the two slits 114 (forming two spiral shapes on the plane 212). Furthermore, the shutter mechanism 220, as shown in the hatched areas of the partially enlarged views in Figures 5(B) and 5(D) (hatching is applied only to the areas corresponding to the slit 114NY before deformation and the slit 114WY after deformation), has a shape in which three L-shaped members, each having a closing part 222 as a horizontal member, are connected, corresponding to the number of slits, and these three members are provided in the left-right direction (in the top view, they are provided around the entire outer edge of the spiral).

[0039] The shutter mechanism 220 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 5. In this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged views of Figures 5(B) and 5(D), the slits 114 on the right side of the paper are described as slits 114NX, 114NY, and 114NZ before deformation (before rotational load is applied), and slits 114WX and 114WY after deformation (during rotational load is applied). (Although not limited to these, slit 114NZ is assumed not to expand here, so the reference numeral for slit 114WZ is not used, and slit 114NZ is closed by the closing part 222Z of the shutter mechanism 220 both before and after deformation.) Also, when slit 114N is simply described, it includes slits 114NX, 114NY, and 114NZ, and when slit 114W is simply described, it includes slits 114WX and 114WY. Furthermore, as shown in the enlarged views of Figures 5(B) and 5(D), the closing portion 222 of the shutter mechanism 220 that closes the slit 114 on the right side of the paper is described as closing portion 222X, closing portion 222Y, and closing portion 222Z, regardless of whether it is before or after deformation (regardless of whether or not rotational load is applied). Also, when simply described as closing portion 222, it includes closing portion 222X, closing portion 222Y, and closing portion 222Z.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) (particularly in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 5(B)), before deformation (before application of a rotational load), the slit 114NX is blocked by the closing portion 222X of the shutter mechanism 220, the slit 114NY is blocked by the closing portion 222Y, and the slit 114NZ is blocked by the closing portion 222Z. At this time, before deformation (before application of a rotational load), with the black triangle mark as a starting point, the relationship t(N)<t(S) holds between the width t(N), which is the horizontal length of the slit 114N (here, the width of the slit 114NX, the width of the slit 114NY and the width of the slit 114NZ are all the same t(N)), and the horizontal length t(S) of the closing portion 222 (here, the length of the closing portion 222X, the length of the closing portion 222Y and the length of the closing portion 222Z are all the same t(S)). Therefore, before deformation (before application of a rotational load), the slit 114N is blocked by the closing portion 222 of the shutter mechanism 220.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5(C) and 5(D) (particularly in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 5(D)), after deformation (during application of a rotational load), the slit 114WX is not blocked by the closing portion 222X of the shutter mechanism 220, and the slit 114WY is not blocked by the closing portion 222Y. At this time, after deformation (during application of a rotational load), with the black triangle mark as a starting point, the relationship t(S)<t(W) holds between the width t(W), which is the horizontal length of the slit 114W (here, the width of the slit 114WX and the width of the slit 114WY are both the same t(W)), and the horizontal length t(S) of the closing portion 222 (here, the length of the closing portion 222X, the length of the closing portion 222Y and the length of the closing portion 222Z are all the same t(S)). Therefore, after deformation (during application of a rotational load), the slit 114W (excluding the slit 114WZ) is not blocked by the closing portion 222 of the shutter mechanism 220.

[0042] From the slit 114N shown in Fig. 5(B) to the slit 114W shown in Fig. 5(D), the width of the slit in the horizontal direction is increased (a region indicated by a dotted line as a change in opening area appears), and as indicated by the hollow arrow, the powder stored in the container body 190 passes through the slit 114W and exits from the container body 190. As described above, the relationship t(N)<t(S) holds before deformation (before application of rotational load), and the relationship t(S)<t(W) holds after deformation (during application of rotational load). Therefore, the relationship t(N)<T(S)<t(W) is established. This relationship is also consistent with the relationship t(N)<t(W) described in the first embodiment mentioned above.

[0043] As described above, according to the powder container 200 of the present embodiment, in addition to the functions and effects of the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment, when the inner tray 110 is not rotated relative to the container body 190, that is, in a state where no rotational load is applied, the slit 114N is blocked by the closing portion 222 of the shutter mechanism 220. As a result, it is possible to suitably prevent or suppress the powder stored in the container body 190 from passing through the slit 114N when the powder container 200 is carried in a bag or the like.

[0044] <Third Embodiment: Presence or absence of shaft does not matter, vertical interval changes in petal-shaped slit> Next, with reference to Figures 7 to 9, a powder container 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, Figures 7, 8(A), 8(B), 9(A), and 9(B) show the state before deformation, when the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, while Figures 8(C), 8(D), 9(C), and 9(D) show the state after deformation, when the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390 (the container body 390 shown in Figure 9(E) does not change before and after deformation). The difference between powder container 300 and powder container 100 is that in powder container 100, the slit 114 forms a spiral shape on the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110, and when a rotational load is applied, the width of the slit 114 (the horizontal length) expands (at least in part), thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit 114. In contrast, in powder container 300, the slit 314 does not form a spiral shape but rather a corolla shape (though not limited to) on the flat surface 112 of the inner tray 110, and when a rotational load is applied, the height of the slit 314 (the vertical length) expands (at least in part), thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314. Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, so parts that overlap with the above explanation will not be repeated here. Also, in Figure 7(C), the female thread 394D provided on the inside of the periphery of the opening of the container body 390 (inner wall surface 394) is not shown in detail. In addition, in the powder container according to this embodiment, the shaft 316 and handle The gripping portion 396 is not an essential component and does not need to be provided. The reason for this is that (as will be compared with the modified examples described later, but especially in comparison with the powder container according to the fourth embodiment) in the powder container 300 according to this embodiment, the outer edge end 314D of the slit 314 is screwed into the female thread 394D provided on the inner circumferential surface of the container body 390, thereby connecting the inner tray 310 and the container body 390, so it is not necessary to provide a shaft and a gripping portion (it is also acceptable to provide a shaft and a gripping portion: whether or not they are present is irrelevant).

[0045] In this powder container 300, the slit 314 (which changes shape to slit 314W before the rotational load is applied, and is initially slit 314N) is formed by the distance between a hole 314A extending from approximately the center of the plane 312 to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member 314B that closes the hole 314A. The end portion 314C of the lid member 314B on the approximately central side extends from approximately the center of the plane 312. The inner plate 310 and the container body 390 are connected by a screw-type structure (shown in Figures 7-9) that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion by changing the screw-type state when the inner plate 310 and the container body 390 are rotated relative to each other, or by a cam structure (shown in Figures 20-24, described later) that includes a cam base portion with a gently changing shape and a cam follower portion that abuts the cam base portion, and converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When the inner plate 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, the opening area of ​​the slit 314 changes as the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases due to the screw-type structure or the cam structure. More specifically (in the case of the screw-type structure), a female thread 394D is provided on the inside of the periphery of the opening of the container body 390 (inner wall surface 394), and the outer edge side (outer edge end 314D) of the lid member 314B is screwed into and locked by this female thread 394D. The gripping portion 396 (approximately round hole shape) rotatably grips the shaft 316 (approximately round bar shape), and the outer edge side (outer edge end 314D) that is screwed into the female thread 394D of the lid member 314B is configured to move vertically relative to the inner plate 310 (the outer edge end 314D moves downward (or upward) along the female thread 394D of the container body 390, so that the outer edge end 314D is configured to move vertically (downward in this case) relative to the inner plate 310). When the inner plate 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, the screwed state changes (the outer edge end 314D moves downward along the female thread 394D provided on the inner wall surface 394 of the container body 390, changing the screwed state), and the vertical spacing (height) in the slit 314 increases, thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314.

[0046] Although not limited to these, the slit 314 forms a corolla shape on the plane 312 in which two or more (five in this case) petals are clustered together. Here, "petal" refers to what is commonly known as a "flower petal," and the cluster of "petals" is the "corolla." However, as shown in Figure 19 later, the present invention is not limited to the shape that the slit forms on the plane of the inner dish being a petal or a corolla, nor is it limited to the number or position of the slits (formed in this case in the shape of petals).

[0047] The powder container 300 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 7 to 9. As described above, in the powder container 300 according to this embodiment, the elongated hole-shaped slit that can switch between a state in which the powder stored in the container body 390 can pass through and a state in which it cannot or has difficulty passing through is represented as slit 314N before the rotational load is applied, and as slit 314W while the rotational load is applied. While the rotational load is applied, the vertical spacing (height) of the slit 314 increases from the state of slit 314N to the state of slit 314W (for example, the outer edge side of the lid member 314B descends), thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314. The slit 314 that realizes this change in opening area is formed by the spacing between the hole 314A extending from approximately the center of the plane 312 to the outer edge of the plane and the lid member 314B that closes the hole 314A. The end portion 314C of the lid member 314B, located approximately in the center, extends from approximately in the center of the plane 312. At the end portion 314C, a hole 314A is provided by the cantilevered lid member 314B, with a slit 314N in size (the narrower the difference in width and height of this slit 314N, the closer it becomes to making it impossible for powder to pass through the container body 390 without applying rotational load). The other end of the lid member 314B, the outer edge side (outer edge end portion 314D), is screwed into a female thread 394D provided on the inner side (inner wall surface 394) of the periphery of the opening of the container body 390, thereby locking the lid member 314B to the inner circumferential wall of the container body 390.

[0048] Furthermore, because the shaft 316 is rotatably gripped by the gripping portion 396, when the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390 (when a rotational load is applied), the outer edge end 314D moves downward along the female thread 394D of the container body 390, and the outer edge end 314D moves downward relative to the inner tray 310, causing the vertical height of the slit to widen from the slit 314N shown in Figure 8(B) to the slit 314W shown in Figure 8(D) (a region shown by a dotted line appears as a change in the opening area), and as shown by the white arrow, the powder stored in the container body 390 can pass through this slit 314W and come out of the container body 390. Furthermore, when the rotational load that rotates the inner tray 310 relative to the container body 390 is stopped (by reversing rotation), the outer edge end 314D moves upward along the female thread 394D of the container body 390, and the outer edge end 314D moves upward relative to the inner tray 310, causing the vertical height of the slit to narrow from the slit 314W shown in Figure 8(D) to the slit 314N shown in Figure 8(B) (the area shown by the dotted line that appeared as a change in the opening area disappears), making it impossible or difficult for the powder stored in the container body 390 to pass through this slit 314N. This effectively prevents or suppresses the passage of powder stored in the container body 390 through the slit 314N when carrying the powder container 300 in a bag, for example.

[0049] In order for the outer edge side (outer edge end 314D) of the lid member 314B, which is screwed into the female thread 394D, to move vertically along the female thread 394D, thereby enabling the lid member 314B to move vertically relative to the inner tray 310, it is necessary to set the height position of the outer edge end 314D with respect to the pitch of the female thread 394D as follows. As shown in Figures 7 to 9, in the powder container 300 according to this embodiment, the slits 314N and 314W form the shape of a corolla made up of five petals on the plane 312. For this reason, the inner tray 310 is provided with five sets of a hole 314A and a lid member 314B, the outer edge end 314C of which extends from the approximate center of the plane 312 to form a slit 314 and close the hole 314A, and the outer edge end 314D of which is screwed into the female thread 394D and locked. Furthermore, the five outer edge ends 314D provided on each of the five lid members 314B are different because the height positions of the female threads 394D to which they are locked are different. Therefore, the height position of the part of the outer edge end 314D that is screwed into and locked by the female threads 394D must be matched to the height position of the spiral female threads 394D. Note that the height position of the part of the outer edge end 314D is matched to the pitch of the female threads 394D, but it is also acceptable to match the pitch of the female threads 394D to the height position of the part of the outer edge end 314D. In addition to the pitch, the thread direction (for example, setting the height position of each outer edge end 314D so that it engages with the right-hand and left-hand threads of the female threads 394D) must also be matched.

[0050] This height direction is shown as height H in Figure 8(B), and the outer edge end 314D with the minimum height H is shown as outer edge end 314D1 in Figures 8(B) and 8(D). As shown in Figure 9(B), which shows the state before deformation (before rotational load is applied), and Figure 9(D), which shows the state before deformation (during rotational load is applied), the height H of the outer edge end 314D increases sequentially along the rotational direction, matching the pitch of the female screw 394D. Here, in order to provide five sets of holes 314A and cover members 314B of the same shape and at equal intervals, the height H of the outer edge end 314D2 adjacent to the outer edge end 314D1, which has the minimum H, is higher than the outer edge end 314D1 by an amount corresponding to 1 / 5 of the pitch of the female screw 394D, the height H of the outer edge end 314D3 adjacent to the outer edge end 314D2 is higher than the outer edge end 314D2 by an amount corresponding to 1 / 5 of the pitch of the female screw 394D, the height H of the outer edge end 314D4 adjacent to the outer edge end 314D3 is higher than the outer edge end 314D3 by an amount corresponding to 1 / 5 of the pitch of the female screw 394D, and the maximum height H of the outer edge end 314D5 adjacent to both the outer edge end 314D4 and the outer edge end 314D1 is higher than the outer edge end 314D4 by an amount corresponding to 1 / 5 of the pitch of the female screw 394D.

[0051] As described above, in this powder container 300, the flat surface 312 of the inner tray 310 is made of an elastically deformable material, and the slit 314N (which is slit 314N before the application of rotational load and changes shape to slit 314W when the load is applied) is formed by the distance between a hole 314A extending from the approximate center of the flat surface 312 to the outer edge of the surface and a lid member 314B that closes the hole 314A, with the end portion 314C of the lid member 314B on the approximate center side extending from the approximate center of the flat surface 312. Furthermore, a female thread 394D is provided on the inside (inner wall surface 394) of the periphery of the opening of the container body 390, and the outer edge side (outer edge end portion 314D) of the lid member 314B is screwed into and locked by this female thread 394D. The gripping portion 396 (approximately round hole shape) rotatably grips the shaft 316 (approximately round bar shape), and the outer edge side (outer edge end 314D) that is screwed into the female thread 394D of the lid member 314B is configured to move vertically relative to the inner tray 310. When the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, the outer edge end 314D moves downward along the female thread 394D of the container body 390, and the outer edge end 314D moves downward relative to the inner tray 310, causing the vertical height of the slit to widen from the slit 314N shown in Figure 8(B) to the slit 314W shown in Figure 8(D) (a region shown by a dotted line appears as a change in the opening area), and as shown by the white arrow, the powder stored in the container body 390 can pass through this slit 314W and come out of the container body 390. When the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, the outer edge end 314D, which is screwed into the female thread 394D of the lid member 314B, moves downward relative to the inner tray 310. However, the approximately central part of the inner tray 310 remains fixed in height (although it rotates), while the outer edge end 314D descends.As a result, the plane 312 in the area where the slit 314 does not exist rotates (rotates), but its height position does not change, and the outer edge side (outer edge end 314D) of the slit 314 descends, deforming from slit 314N to slit 314W (the downward movement of the outer edge end 314D due to the applied rotational load causes the lid member 314B of the slit 314, which is provided outside the approximate center, to elastically deform, thereby absorbing the downward movement of the outer edge end 314D due to the rotational load), and the opening area (here, the height, which is vertical) of the slit 314 changes from a state where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through slit 314N to a state where powder can pass through slit 314W.

[0052] As a result, the powder container 300 according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment, has the following advantages: when the inner tray 310 is not rotated relative to the container body 390, i.e., when no rotational load is applied, the height in the vertical direction of the slit 314N is small, which effectively prevents or suppresses the passage of powder stored in the container body 390 through the slit 114N. When the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, i.e., when a rotational load is applied, the height in the vertical direction of the slit 314W is large, which allows powder stored in the container body 190 to pass through the slit 314W.

[0053] <Fourth embodiment: With axis, the vertical spacing changes with petal slits> Next, with reference to Figures 10 to 12, a powder container 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, Figures 10, 11(A), 11(B), 12(A), and 12(B) show the state before deformation, when the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490, and Figures 11(C), 11(D), 12(C), and 12(D) show the state after deformation, when the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490 (the container body 490 shown in Figure 12(E) does not change before and after deformation). Note that the powder container 400 and the powder container 30 The differences from version 0 are as follows: In the powder container 300, the slit 314 is formed by the distance between a hole 314A extending from approximately the center of the plane 312 to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member 314B that closes the hole 314A. The slit 314 forms a crown shape on the plane 312 of the inner tray 310, and before and after the application of a rotational load, the outer edge end 314D, which is screwed into the female thread 394D of the lid member 314B, moves upward / downward relative to the inner tray 310, causing the lid member 314B of the slit 314 to elastically deform. This absorbs the upward / downward movement of the outer edge end 314D due to the rotational load, changing the opening area (here, the height, which is vertical) from a slit 314N where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through to a slit 314W where powder can pass through. The powder container 400 is similar in that the slit 414 is formed by the distance between a hole 414A extending from approximately the center of the plane 412 to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member 414B that closes the hole 414A, and the slit 414 forms a corolla shape on the plane 412 of the inner tray 410, but it does not have the outer edge end 314D of the lid member 314B and the female thread 394D of the inner tray 310. Before and after the application of a rotational load, the approximately central side (axis 416 side) of the lid member 314B moves upward / downward relative to the inner tray 310, and the lid member 414B of the slit 414 is elastically deformed, absorbing the upward / downward movement of the approximately central side (axis 416 side) due to the rotational load, and changing the opening area (here, the height, which is vertical) from a slit 414N where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through to a slit 414W where powder can pass through. Otherwise, it is the same as the third embodiment or the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, so parts that overlap with the above description will not be repeated here. Note that the holes 414A and 314A, the lid members 414B and 314B, and the ends 414C and 314C have slightly different sizes, positions, or shapes, and therefore have different reference numerals, but they produce the same function and effect, so they will not be described again here.

[0054] In this powder container 400, the slit 414 (which changes shape from slit 414N before rotational load is applied to slit 414W during application) is formed by the distance between a hole 414A extending from approximately the center of the plane 412 to the outer edge of the plane and a lid member 414B that closes the hole 414A. The end portion 414C of the lid member 414B on the approximately center side extends from approximately the center of the plane 412, and the shaft 416 is rotatably gripped by a gripping portion 496. The shaft 416 and the gripping portion 496 are connected by a cam structure CA (a mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear (up and down) motion), and the lid member 414B is configured to move vertically relative to the inner tray 410 by a change in the cam state, or by a change in the screwed state, as the shaft and the gripping portion are gripped by a screw. When the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490, the screwed state or cam state changes, increasing the vertical distance in the slit and thus changing the opening area of ​​the slit. In Figures 10 to 12, the shaft 416 and the gripping portion 496 are shown to be connected by a cam structure CA, but as mentioned above, the shaft and the gripping portion may also be gripped by a screw connection. In other words, the connection between the gripping portion and the shaft in the powder container 400 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it has a mechanism that changes the vertical height difference between the bottom surface 192 of the container body 490 and the flat surface 412 of the inner tray 410. Here, the cam structure CA shown in Figures 10 to 12 has a concave-concave shape on the lower end surface of the shaft 416 and the upper end surface of the gripping portion 496 (here, symmetrical both vertically and horizontally in a top view). When the middle plate 410 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the state in Figure 11(A), where one convex portion aligns with the other concave portion and the other concave portion aligns with the other convex portion, it changes to the state in Figure 11(B), where one convex portion aligns with the other convex portion (the convex portion on the lower end surface of the shaft 416 contacts the convex portion on the upper end surface of the gripping portion 496, causing the shaft 416 to be lifted (a cam structure that converts the rotational motion of the middle plate 410 into vertical motion of the shaft). However, even if it is a cam structure, it is not limited to this type of structure; it is not particularly limited as long as it is a cam structure that converts the rotational motion of the middle plate 410 into vertical motion of the shaft. Furthermore, in addition to the structure itself, the position of the structure is also not limited, as is the case when the shaft and gripping portion are gripped by screwing as described above.For example, the cam structure or screw structure may be provided on the inner or outer wall surface of the gripping portion 496, or on the inner or outer wall surface of the shaft 416, with the gripping portion 496 and shaft 416 being hollow structures, as shown in Figures 10 to 12. do not have.

[0055] Furthermore, as with the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment, although not limited thereto, the slit 414 forms a corolla shape on the plane 412 in which two or more (five in this case) petals are clustered together. However, as shown in Figure 19 later, the present invention is not limited to the shape formed by the slit on the plane of the inner tray as petals or corollas, nor is it limited to the number or position of the slits (formed in this case as petals).

[0056] The powder container 400 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 10 to 12. As described above, in the powder container 400 according to this embodiment, the elongated hole-shaped slits that can switch between a state in which the powder stored in the container body 490 can pass through and a state in which it cannot or has difficulty passing through are represented as slit 414N before the rotational load is applied and as slit 414W while the rotational load is applied. While the rotational load is applied, the vertical spacing (height) of these slits 414 increases from the state of slit 414N to the state of slit 414W (for example, the approximate central part of the lid member 414B rises), thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slits 414.

[0057] Then, the shaft 416 is rotatably gripped by the gripping part 496, and the gripping part 496 and the shaft 416 are connected by a cam structure CA (not limited to the cam structure CA, as it is a mechanism that changes the vertical height difference between the bottom surface 192 of the container body 490 and the plane 412 of the inner tray 410). Therefore, when the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490 (when a rotational load is applied), the end portion 414C of the lid member 414B moves upward relative to the inner tray 410 due to the cam structure CA, and the vertical height of the slit expands from the slit 414N shown in Figure 11(B) to the slit 414W shown in Figure 11(D) (a region shown by a dotted line appears as a change in the opening area), and as shown by the white arrow, the powder stored in the container body 490 can pass through this slit 414W and come out of the container body 490. Furthermore, when the rotational load that rotates the inner tray 410 relative to the container body 490 is stopped (by reversing rotation), the cam structure CA causes the end portion 414C of the lid member 414B to move downward from an upward position relative to the inner tray 410. As a result, the vertical height of the slit narrows from the slit 414W shown in Figure 11(D) to the slit 414N shown in Figure 11(B) (the area shown by the dotted line that appeared as a change in the opening area disappears), making it impossible or difficult for the powder stored in the container body 490 to pass through the slit 414N. This effectively prevents or suppresses the passage of powder stored in the container body 490 through the slit 414N when carrying the powder container 400 in a bag, for example.

[0058] As described above, in this powder container 400, the flat surface 412 of the inner tray 410 is made of an elastically deformable material, and the slit 414N (which is slit 414N before the application of rotational load and changes shape to slit 414W when the load is applied) is formed by the distance between a hole 414A extending from the approximate center of the flat surface 412 to the outer edge of the surface and a lid member 414B that closes the hole 414A, and the end portion 414C of this lid member 414B on the approximate center side extends from the approximate center of the flat surface 412. Furthermore, the shaft 416 is rotatable by the gripping portion 496, and the vertical height difference between the bottom surface 192 of the container body 490 and the flat surface 412 of the inner tray 410 can be changed by rotation (here by the cam structure CA). When the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490, the cam structure CA formed by the gripping portion 496 of the container body 490 and the shaft 416 of the inner tray 410 causes the end portion 414C of the lid member 414B (the entire lid member 414B including the end portion 414C in Figure 11) to move upward, causing the lid member 414B to move upward relative to the inner tray 410. As a result, the vertical height of the slit widens from the slit 414N shown in Figure 11(B) to the slit 414W shown in Figure 11(D) (a region shown by a dotted line appears as a change in the opening area), and as indicated by the white arrow, the powder stored in the container body 490 can pass through this slit 414W and come out of the container body 490. When the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490, the lid member 414B moves upward relative to the inner tray 410. However, the plane 412 on the inner tray 410 remains fixed in height (although it rotates), while the lid member 414B rises. As a result, the plane 412 in the area where the slit 414 does not exist rotates (rotates), but its height does not change, and the lid member 414B rises, deforming from slit 414N to slit 414W (the rotational load causes the lid member 414B to rise, and the plane 412 where the slit 414 does not exist undergoes elastic deformation, absorbing the rise of the lid member 414B due to the rotational load). Consequently, the opening area (height, which is vertical in this case) of the slit 414 changes from slit 414N, where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through, to slit 414W, where powder can pass through.

[0059] As a result, the powder container 400 according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment, has the following advantages: when the inner tray 410 is not rotated relative to the container body 490, i.e., when no rotational load is applied, the height in the vertical direction of the slit 414N is small, which effectively prevents or suppresses the powder stored in the container body 490 from passing through the slit 414N; when the inner tray 410 is rotated relative to the container body 490, i.e., when a rotational load is applied, the height in the vertical direction of the slit 414W is large, which allows the powder stored in the container body 490 to pass through the slit 414W.

[0060] <Fifth embodiment: With two fixed shafts, the horizontal spacing changes with a spiral double slit> Next, with reference to Figures 13 to 15, a powder container 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, Figures 13, 14(A), 15(A), and 15(B) show the state before deformation, when the inner tray 510 is rotated relative to the container body 590, while Figures 14(B), 15(C), and 15(D) show the state after deformation, when the inner tray 510 is rotated relative to the container body 590 (the container body 590 shown in Figure 15(E) does not change before and after deformation). The difference between the powder container 500 and the powder container 100 is that in the powder container 100, the slit 114 forms at least one spiral shape on the plane 112 of the inner tray 110 (the slit 114 in the first embodiment forms two spiral shapes), and there is one gripping part 196 on the inner tray 110 (there is also one gripping part 196 on the bottom surface 192 of the container body 190). In contrast, the powder container 500 has a slit 514 that forms two spiral shapes on the plane 512 of the inner tray 510, and these two spiral shapes are connected, and there are two shafts 516 on the inner tray 510 (there are also two gripping parts 596 on the bottom surface 192 of the container body 590). Otherwise, it is the same as the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, so parts that overlap with the above explanation will not be repeated here.

[0061] In this powder container 500, as shown in Figures 13 to 15, the slits formed in the plane 512 of the inner tray 510 form two spiral shapes on the plane 512 with a point-symmetrical central axis at approximately the center, and the two spiral shapes include cases where the slits are connected to each other at approximately the center and cases where the slits are not connected (here they are connected). Two shafts 516 are erected on the back side of approximately the center of the plane 512 of the inner tray 510 at positions corresponding to the starting points 514S of the two spiral shapes, and two gripping parts 596 are provided at approximately the center of the bottom surface 192 of the container body 590 to grip the two shafts 516 respectively. The shafts 516 are gripped either non-rotatably or rotatably by the gripping parts 596 (here the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the shafts 516 and the gripping parts 596 is approximately a regular hexagon and gripped non-rotatably). When the inner tray 510 is rotated relative to the container body 590, the horizontal spacing (width) of some of the slits 514 in the two spiral shapes increases, causing the opening area of ​​the slits 514 to change (from the state of slit 514N to the state of slit 514W, or vice versa).

[0062] When the inner tray 510 is rotated relative to the container body 590, because the surface of the inner tray 510 is made of an elastically deformable material, at least one of these spiral-shaped slits 514 The opening area of ​​the slit changes as the horizontal spacing in the slit 514W increases in the section (here, the section where slit 514N changes to slit 514W, but since it is at least a part, it is acceptable for the opening area of ​​the entire slit to widen, or for at least a part of the slit to widen). As described above, the change in the opening area of ​​the slit here includes widening or narrowing of the width (so-called) in the horizontal direction (the direction including the bottom surface 192 of the container body 590 is the horizontal direction) (by rotating the inner tray 510 in the opposite direction to the container body 590).

[0063] In a powder container 500 having such structural features, when the inner tray 510 is rotated relative to the container body 590, the shaft 116 of the inner tray 510 is held in a non-rotatable position by the gripping portion 596 of the container body 590 (the position of the shaft itself does not change and the shaft itself does not rotate). On the plane 512 of the inner tray 510, the approximate center portion does not change position or rotate, while its outer edge rotates. The starting point 514S of the slit 514 in the approximate center portion does not change position, rotate, or deform, but at least a part of the spiral-shaped slit 514 in the portion where the slit 514 exists deforms from slit 514N to slit 514W (the rotational load is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the slits 514 provided outside the approximate center portion due to the application of rotational load), and the opening area of ​​the slit 514 changes from slit 514N, where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through, to slit 514W, where powder can pass through.

[0064] As a result, the powder container 500 according to this embodiment can exhibit the same effects and benefits as the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0065] <Sixth embodiment: Two non-fixed shafts, with a spiral double slit that allows for horizontal spacing to change> Next, with reference to Figures 16 to 18, a powder container 600 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Here, Figures 16, 17(A), 18(A), and 18(B) show the state before deformation when the inner tray 610 is rotated relative to the container body 690, while Figures 17(B), 18(C), and 18(D) show the state after deformation when the inner tray 610 is rotated relative to the container body 690 (the container body 690 shown in Figure 18(E) does not change before and after deformation). The difference between the powder container 600 and the powder container 500 is that in the powder container 500, the shaft 516 was held by the gripping part 596 in a way that prevented rotation (rotation), whereas in the powder container 600, the shaft 616 is held by the gripping part 696 in a way that allows rotation (rotation). Otherwise, it is the same as the fifth embodiment or the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, so we will not repeat the parts that overlap with the above description here.

[0066] In this powder container 600, as shown in Figures 16 to 18, the slits formed in the plane 612 of the inner tray 610 form two spiral shapes on the plane 612 with a point-symmetrical central axis at approximately the center, and the two spiral shapes include cases where the slits are connected at approximately the center and cases where the slits are not connected (here they are connected). Two shafts 616 are erected on the back side of approximately the center of the plane 612 of the inner tray 610 at positions corresponding to the starting point 614S of the two spiral shapes, and two gripping parts 696 are provided at approximately the center of the bottom surface 192 of the container body 690 to grip the two shafts 616 respectively. The shafts 616 are gripped either non-rotatably or rotatably by the gripping parts 696 (here the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the shafts 616 and the gripping parts 696 is approximately circular and gripped rotatably). When the inner tray 610 is rotated relative to the container body 690, the horizontal spacing (width) of some of the slits 614 in the two spiral shapes increases, causing the opening area of ​​the slits 614 to change (from the state of slit 614N to the state of slit 614W, or vice versa).

[0067] When the inner tray 610 is rotated relative to the container body 690, because the plane of the inner tray 610 is made of an elastically deformable material, at least a portion of these spiral-shaped slits 614 (in this case, the portion that changes from slit 614N to slit 614W, but at least The opening area of ​​the slits changes as the horizontal spacing in the slits 614W increases (it is acceptable if the opening area of ​​the entire slit widens, or if at least a part of the slit widens). As described above, the change in the opening area of ​​the slits here includes widening or narrowing of the width (so-called) in the horizontal direction (the direction including the bottom surface 192 of the container body 690 is the horizontal direction) (by rotating the inner tray 610 in the opposite direction to the container body 690).

[0068] In a powder container 600 having such structural features, when the inner tray 610 is rotated relative to the container body 690, the shaft 616 of the inner tray 610 is rotatably gripped by the gripping portion 696 of the container body 690 (the position of the shaft itself does not change, but the shaft itself can rotate (whether or not it rotates on its own axis)). On the plane 612 of the inner tray 610, each of the shafts 616 in the approximate center is rotatable (rotates on its own axis), but the positions of the two shafts 616 do not change, while their outer edges rotate, and the slit 614 in the approximate center Although the starting point 614S does not change position or deform (even if it can rotate), at least a portion of the spiral-shaped slit 614 in the area where the slit 614 exists deforms from slit 614N to slit 614W (the rotational load is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the slit 614 located outside the approximate center due to the application of the rotational load), and the opening area of ​​the slit 614 changes from slit 614N, where powder cannot or has difficulty passing through, to slit 614W, where powder can pass through.

[0069] As a result, the powder container 500 according to this embodiment can exhibit the same effects and benefits as the powder container 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0070] <First variation> In the following, with reference to the top view of the inner tray (which constitutes the powder container) shown in Figure 19, modified examples applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment and the powder container 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described in detail.

[0071] Figures 19(A) and 19(B) show modified examples of the inner tray 310 of the powder container 300, and Figures 19(C) and 19(D) show modified examples of the inner tray 410 of the powder container 400. As described above, the flat surfaces 312 of the inner tray 310 of the powder container 300 and the inner tray 410 of the powder container 400 were formed by slits 314 and 414, creating a corolla shape consisting of five petals.

[0072] In contrast, in the inner tray 310A shown in Figure 19(A), the slit 314 forms a shape consisting of six roughly rectangular shapes, and in the inner tray 310B shown in Figure 19(B), the slit 314 forms a shape consisting of four roughly triangular shapes. Similarly, in the inner tray 410A shown in Figure 19(C), the slit 414 forms a shape consisting of six roughly rectangular shapes, and in the inner tray 410B shown in Figure 19(D), the slit 414 forms a shape consisting of four roughly triangular shapes. Thus, in the present invention, the shape formed by the slits on the inner tray is not limited to petals or corollas, and furthermore, as described above, the shape formed by the slits on the plane of the inner tray is not limited to petals or corollas, rectangles or triangles, nor is the number or position of the slits limited. In each of these modified examples, the same effects and advantages as those of the powder container according to the third embodiment and the powder container according to the fourth embodiment can be achieved.

[0073] <Differences 2 through 6> In the following, with reference to the figures 20 to 24, the common points of the five modified examples applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail. In these modified powder containers, the same applies as in the powder container according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the slit 314 (which changes shape to slit 314W before the rotational load is applied, and is initially slit 314N) is formed by the distance between a hole 314A extending from the approximate center of the plane 312 to the outer edge of the plane and a cover member 314B that closes the hole 314A. The end portion 314C of this cover member 314B on the approximate center side extends from the approximate center of the plane 312. The inner tray 310 and the container body 390 are connected by a screw structure (shown in Figures 7-9) that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion by changing the screw state when the inner tray 310 and the container body 390 are rotated relative to each other, or by a cam structure (shown in Figures 20-24) that includes a cam base portion with a gently changing shape and a cam follower portion that abuts the cam base portion, and converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When the inner tray 310 is rotated relative to the container body 390, the opening area of ​​the slit 314 changes as the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases due to the screw structure or cam structure. In the following, powder containers are not denoted by reference numerals and are simply referred to as "powder containers". In the following, each modification will be described in detail, but each of these modifications can also produce the same effects as the powder container according to the third embodiment.

[0074] <Second variation> In the following, a second modified example applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the figure shown in Figure 20. Note that the shaft 316 and gripping portion 396 in Figure 20 may or may not be present. The cam mechanism has the following configuration. As shown in Figure 20, the cam base portion 1394C is provided on the container body 390C (its inner circumferential surface 394) and has a shape that changes gradually in the height direction, and the cam follower portion 1314C is provided as an outer edge end on the outer edge side of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 on the inner plate 310C and abuts against the cam base portion 1394C, realizing a cam structure CA that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When this inner plate 310C is rotated relative to the container body 390C, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam base portion 1394C provided on the container body 390C and transmitted to the cam follower portion 1314C provided on the inner plate 310C, causing the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 to lift upward from the outer edge end (cam follower portion 1314C) on the outer edge side of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314. As a result, the opening area of ​​the slit 314 changes as the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases.

[0075] Note that the outer edge end of the cam follower portion 1314C of the intermediate plate 310C shown in Figure 20(A) differs from the outer edge end 314D shown in Figures 7 to 9. As long as the shapes of the five cam base portions 1394C are the same, the height H of the outer edge end of the cam follower portion 1314C (see Figure 8(B)) is the same for all five.

[0076] <Third variation> In the following, a third modified example applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the figure shown in Figure 21. The cam mechanism has the following configuration. As shown in Figure 21, the cam lead portion 1394D is provided on a hollow cylinder 1394 (similar in shape to an axis, with the higher part of the hollow cylinder 1394 than the cam lead portion 1394D serving as a guide for the rod that will later be described as the cam follow portion 1314D) erected on the bottom surface 1392 of the container body 390D, and has a shape that changes gradually in the height direction. The cam follow portion 1314D is provided as a rod of the same length on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 in the inner tray 310D, and contacts the cam lead portion 1394D, realizing a cam structure CA that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When the inner tray 310D is rotated relative to the container body 390D, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam lead portion 1394D provided on the container body 390D and transmitted to the cam follow portion 1314D provided on the inner tray 310D. This causes the lid member 314B, which forms the slit 314, to lift upward, starting from the rod (cam follow portion 1314D) provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B. As a result, the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases, changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314.

[0077] Furthermore, the lengths of the rods that serve as the five cam follower sections 1314D provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B of the inner plate 310D shown in Figure 21(A) are the same for all five, as long as the shapes of the five cam base sections 1394D are the same.

[0078] <Fourth variation> In the following, a fourth modified example applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the figure shown in Figure 22. The cam mechanism has the following configuration. As shown in Figure 22, the cam base portion 1394E is a groove carved into the container body 390E (the bottom surface 1392), and the depth of the groove has a shape that changes gradually in the height (here, depth) direction. The cam follow portion 1314E is provided as a rod of the same length on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 in the inner tray 310E, and contacts the groove which is the cam base portion 1394E (enters the groove and contacts the part of the cam base portion 1394E that changes shape gradually), realizing a cam structure CA that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When the inner tray 310E is rotated relative to the container body 390E, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam lead portion 1394E provided on the container body 390E and transmitted to the cam follow portion 1314E provided on the inner tray 310E. This causes the lid member 314B, which forms the slit 314, to lift upward, starting from the rod (cam follow portion 1314E) provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B. As a result, the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases, changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314.

[0079] Furthermore, the lengths of the rods that serve as the five cam follower sections 1314E provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B of the inner plate 310E shown in Figure 22(A) are the same for all five cam base sections 1394E (the shape of the change in depth inside the groove).

[0080] <Fifth variation> In the following, a fifth modified example applicable to the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the figure shown in Figure 23. The cam mechanism has the following configuration. As shown in Figure 23, the cam lead portion 1394F is provided on the container body 390F (the bottom surface 1392) and has a shape that changes gradually in the height direction, and the cam follow portion 1314F is provided as a rod of the same length on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 in the inner tray 310F and contacts the cam lead portion 1394F, realizing a cam structure CA that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When this inner tray 310F is rotated relative to the container body 390F, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam lead portion 1394F provided on the container body 390F and transmitted to the cam follow portion 1314F provided on the inner tray 310F, causing the lid member 314B to lift upward starting from the rod (cam follow portion 1314F) provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314. As a result, the opening area of ​​the slit 314 changes as the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases. Here, this fifth modified example shown in Figure 23 is substantially the same as the third modified example shown in Figure 21, except that the higher part omits the hollow cylinder 1394 that guides the rod material as the cam follower portion 1314D, which will be described later. The difference is that the third modified example shown in Figure 21 has a hollow cylinder 1394 (which can also be called a gripping portion 396 or shaft) on the bottom surface of the container body, but the fifth modified example shown in Figure 23 does not have such a hollow cylinder 1394 (which can also be called a gripping portion 396 or shaft) on the bottom surface of the container body, and only the cam follower portion 1394F is provided on the bottom surface of the container body.

[0081] <Sixth variation> In the following, referring to the diagram shown in Figure 24, the powder container 300 according to the third embodiment The sixth applicable variation will be described in detail. The cam mechanism has the following configuration. As shown in Figure 24, the cam base portion 1394G is made of the bottom surface 1392 of the container body 390G, which is a gently sloping surface (more precisely, a half-plane + half-slope) that changes in the height direction, and the cam follow portion 1314G is provided as a rod of the same length on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 in the inner tray 310G, and contacts the cam base portion 1394G to realize a cam structure CA that converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion. When the inner tray 310G is rotated relative to the container body 390G, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam lead portion 1394G provided on the container body 390G and transmitted to the cam follow portion 1314G provided on the inner tray 310G. At least one of the three rods (cam follow portion 1314G) provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B that forms the slit 314 becomes the starting point, causing the lid member 314B to lift upward. As a result, the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases, changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314.

[0082] Furthermore, the length of the rods that serve as the three cam follower parts 1314G provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B of the inner tray 310G shown in Figure 24(A) is such that, if the inclined surface constituting the cam base part 1394G is a half-plane and a half-inclined surface as shown in Figures 24(C) and (D), the lower end of the rods that serve as the cam follower parts 1314G will not reach the start of the plane and inclined surface before the inner tray 310G is rotated relative to the container body 390G, but will reach the inclined surface. In addition, when the inner tray 310G is rotated relative to the container body 390G, the shape and position of the cam base part 1394G and the cam follower parts 1314G must be determined such that the lower end of the rods that serve as the cam follower parts 1314G reaches the half-inclined surface. As shown in Figures 24(C) and (D), after rotation (deformation), the lower ends of the rods 1314G4 and 1314G5, which are the cam follower parts 1314G, reach the slope (the lower end of rod 1314G3 does not reach the slope), and the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases, thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit 314.

[0083] Here, the lengths of the rods that serve as the five cam follower parts 1314G provided on the back surface of the lid member 314B of the inner tray 310G may be varied (to match the height of the spiral slope described later) so that the entire bottom surface of the container body becomes a spiral slope. Before the inner tray 310G is rotated relative to the container body 390G, the lower end of the rod does not reach the upper surface of the spiral slope, but when rotated, the lower end of the rod reaches an even higher slope, and the opening area of ​​the slit 314 changes as the vertical spacing in the slit 314 increases.

[0084] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Industrial applicability]

[0085] The present invention is preferable for a powder container that can dispense an appropriate amount of powder (cosmetic) such as powder from the container body, and is particularly preferable for a powder container that can adjust the amount dispensed more easily without increasing the number of parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 100 Powder container (according to the first embodiment) 200 Powder container (related to the second embodiment) 300 Powder container (related to the third embodiment) 400 Powder container (related to the fourth embodiment) 500 Powder container (related to the fifth embodiment) 600 Powder container (related to the sixth embodiment) 102 Lid 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 Medium Plate 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612 plane 114, 314, 414, 514, 614 slits 116, 216, 316, 416, 516, 616 axes 190, 390, 490, 590, 690 Container body 196, 396, 496, 596, 696 grip part 220 Shutter mechanism 222 Closing part

Claims

1. A powder container comprising a bottomed container body having an opening at the upper end of the body into which powder can be loaded, and a lid that seals the opening, wherein a tray for adjusting the amount of powder dispensed from the container body is provided at the opening of the container body, The inner tray includes a plane made of an elastically deformable material that covers the opening, The aforementioned tray is provided with an elongated hole-shaped slit, in addition to the approximately central part of the plane, which can be switched between a state in which the powder can pass through and a state in which it cannot or has difficulty passing through by elastic deformation. The inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body, A powder container characterized in that the opening area of ​​the slit changes by rotating the inner tray relative to the container body.

2. The aforementioned inner plate includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, The bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts, which grip the shafts, located approximately in the center of the bottom surface. With the shaft being held by the gripping portion, the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body. The slit forms at least one spiral shape on the plane with the approximately central portion as the central axis of point symmetry, The shaft is held so that it cannot rotate by the gripping portion. The powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the opening area of ​​the slits changes as the horizontal spacing of at least some of the slits in the spiral shape increases.

3. The powder container according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner tray is equipped with a shutter mechanism that closes the slit when the opening area is minimized.

4. The slit is formed by the distance between a hole extending from the approximate center of the plane to the outer edge of the plane and a cover member that closes the hole, and the end of the cover member on the approximate center side extends from the approximate center of the plane. The inner tray and the container body are connected by a screw structure that, when rotated relative to the inner tray and the container body, converts rotational motion into vertical linear motion by a change in the screw state, or by a cam structure that includes a cam base portion having a slowly changing shape and a cam follower portion that abuts the cam base portion, thereby converting rotational motion into vertical linear motion. The powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the opening area of ​​the slit changes as the vertical spacing in the slit increases due to the screw structure or the cam structure.

5. The aforementioned inner plate includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, The bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts, which grip the shafts, located approximately in the center of the bottom surface. With the shaft being held by the gripping portion, the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body. The aforementioned screw-fitting structure is configured such that an internal thread is provided on the inner side of the periphery of the opening, the outer edge of the lid member is screwed into the internal thread and locked, the shaft is rotatably gripped by the gripping portion, and the outer edge of the lid member that is screwed into the internal thread is configured to be movable vertically relative to the inner plate. The powder container according to claim 4, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the screwed state changes, increasing the vertical spacing in the slits and thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slits.

6. The aforementioned cam section is provided on the container body and has a shape that changes gradually in the height direction. The cam follower portion is provided on the cover member and abuts against the cam base portion. The powder container according to claim 4, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the rotational motion force is converted into linear motion force from the cam lead portion provided on the container body and transmitted to the cam follow portion provided on the inner tray, thereby increasing the vertical spacing in the slits and changing the opening area of ​​the slits.

7. The aforementioned inner plate includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, The bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts, which grip the shafts, located approximately in the center of the bottom surface. With the shaft being held by the gripping portion, the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body. The slit is formed by the distance between a hole extending from the approximate center of the plane to the outer edge of the plane and a cover member that closes the hole, and the end of the cover member on the approximate center side extends from the approximate center of the plane. The shaft is rotatably gripped by the gripping portion, and the shaft and the gripping portion are connected by a cam structure, and the lid member is configured to move vertically relative to the inner tray by a change in the cam state, or by a change in the screw state, as the shaft and the gripping portion are gripped by a screw. The powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the cam state or screw state changes, increasing the vertical spacing in the slit and thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slit.

8. The powder container according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the slits form a corolla shape in which two or more petals are gathered on the plane.

9. The aforementioned inner plate includes at least one shaft erected on the back side of the substantially central part of the plane, The bottom surface of the container body is provided with a number of gripping parts corresponding to the number of shafts, which grip the shafts, located approximately in the center of the bottom surface. With the shaft being held by the gripping portion, the inner tray is configured to be rotatable relative to the container body. The slit forms two spiral shapes on the plane with the substantially central portion as the central axis of point symmetry, and the two spiral shapes include cases where the slits are connected to each other at the substantially central portion and cases where the slits are not connected to each other. On the underside of the approximately central part of the flat surface of the aforementioned inner plate, two axes are erected at positions corresponding to the starting points of the two spiral shapes. The bottom surface of the container body is provided with two gripping parts, each gripping the two shafts, located approximately in the center of the bottom surface. The shaft is either held so as not to rotate by the gripping portion, or held so as to rotate. The powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body, the horizontal spacing between some of the slits in the two spiral shapes increases, thereby changing the opening area of ​​the slits.

10. By rotating the inner tray in the first rotational direction relative to the container body, the slit is formed. A powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or 9, characterized in that, after changing the opening area, the slit returns to its state before the opening area was changed by rotating it in a second rotation direction which is the opposite direction to the first rotation direction.

11. A powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or 9, characterized in that the degree to which the opening area of ​​the slit changes is adjusted by the degree to which the inner tray is rotated relative to the container body.

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