Square bottle

Abstract

To provide a square bottle which is superior in a degree of freedom of combination and can be enjoyed as an interior decoration and a toy, etc. when used as a combination container.SOLUTION: First to sixth square bottles 10-60 comprise bottle bodies 10BTL-60BTL storing contents and lid bodies 10CP-60CP detachably screwed to a neck part extending upward from a top surface of the bottle body. In the bottle bodies 10BTL-60BTL, one storage part for storing the contents is formed by a hollow part of one unit cube in which a width, a depth and a height in an outer surface are the same, or a hollow part of two or more unit cubes in communication with each other through side surfaces or upper and lower surfaces. The lid bodies 10CP-60CP represent cube shapes with open lower ends in which the width, the depth and the height in the outer surface are the same with respect to the unit cube.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to combination containers that can separately store multiple types of liquids, powders, or granules, such as lotion and milky lotion, lotion, milky lotion and serum, a three-piece serum set, or a seasoning set, and particularly to a rectangular bottle that is suitable for packaging, transportation, display, storage, etc., and can also be enjoyed as an interior decoration or a toy, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, proposals have been made regarding combination containers (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes "a combined container which is fitted together with an identical or mirror-image container in a combination relationship so that the front surface of the neck of each container contacts the innermost surface of the recess of the other container," as shown in Figure 16(A).

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a combination container in which two containers of the same size and shape are stacked, one upright and the other inverted, with the middle top walls of both containers overlapping and the upper half of one container fitted into the recessed lower half of the body of the other container, to form a flat rectangular combination unit, as shown in Figure 16(B). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 60-148454 (Drawings) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-73133 (Drawing) DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] These conventional technologies allow multiple containers to be combined compactly, but they only allow the bottles to be combined in a certain way for transport or storage, and do not allow for freedom in combination, nor can they be used as interior decorations or toys.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a rectangular bottle which has a high degree of freedom in combination and which, when used as a combination container, can also be enjoyed as an interior decoration or a toy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The rectangular bottle of the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, comprises a bottle body for containing the contents, a neck extending upward from the top surface of the bottle body, and a lid body that is removably screwed onto the neck, and is characterized by also having the following configuration. (1A) The bottle body has a single storage section for storing the contents formed by the hollow portion of a single unit cube having the same width, depth, and height on the outer surface, or by the hollow portions of two or more unit cubes that are connected to each other on the side or top and bottom surfaces. (1B) The lid body has a cubic shape with an open bottom, whose outer width, depth, and height are the same as those of the unit cube, and is provided with a threaded engaging tube portion protruding downward from the underside of the top surface, the threaded engaging tube portion having a female thread engraved on its inner surface that screws into a male thread engraved on the outer surface of the neck portion. (1C) A plug having a central hole is attached to the open end of the neck, and a closing member that blocks the central hole of the plug and fits tightly against the upper surface of the plug is provided on the underside of the top surface of the lid. (1D) The neck portion is formed at the center of the top surface of one of the unit cubes that constitute the bottle body, and when the lid body is screwed onto the neck portion, at least one side surface of the lid body and the bottle body are flush with each other, and a positioning member is provided that seals the bottle body with the inner plug and the closure member.

[0009] According to the rectangular bottle of the present invention, when the lid has been screwed onto the neck, the positioning member causes the lid and bottle body to abut with their sides flush with each other, and the unit cubes that make up the bottle body and the lid have the same appearance, so that when the lid is closed, the bottle has the appearance of two or more unit cubes connected together.

[0010] For example, the combination of a bottle body having a storage section made of one unit cube and a lid will result in a rectangular bottle with an appearance of two connected cubes at the top and bottom. Also, if the bottle body has a storage section in which two or more unit cubes are connected, the bottle will have an appearance of three or more connected unit cubes. The storage sections in which two or more unit cubes are connected are connected to each other at the side or top and bottom, so for example, [1] if the bottle body has a storage section in which two unit cubes are connected in the vertical direction, the bottle will have an appearance of three connected unit cubes in the vertical direction when the lid is included, [2] if the bottle body has a storage section in which two unit cubes are connected at their side surfaces, the bottle will have an appearance of three connected unit cubes in an L-shape when the lid is included, and [3] if two unit cubes are connected to adjacent side surfaces of a unit cube with a neck, the bottle will have an appearance of three connected unit cubes in an L-shape when the lid is included. [4] If the bottle body is provided with a storage section that connects two unit cubes to the opposing sides of a unit cube with a neck, the bottle body will have three storage sections lined up horizontally, and the lid will be located in the center of the bottle, resulting in a rectangular bottle with an appearance of four connected unit cubes, with the lid located in the center,...In this way, it is possible to provide a variety of rectangular bottles based on unit cubes.

[0011] In the case of various rectangular bottles based on these unit cubes, when the lid is screwed onto the neck, the positioning member not only makes the lid and the bottle body flush with each other, but also seals the bottle body (a state that prevents leakage of liquids, powders, granules, etc.) with the inner plug and the closing member. As a result, the contents of the rectangular bottle with the lid closed will not leak even if it is turned on its side or upside down. Therefore, when various combination containers are made, such as combining two rectangular bottles [2] with one upside down, combining two rectangular bottles [3] with one upside down, or combining one rectangular bottle [2] and one rectangular bottle [3] with one upside down, the combination will appear as a group of multiple unit cubes after combination.

[0012] In this way, the rectangular bottle of the present invention has excellent freedom in combination, and when used as a combination container, it can also be enjoyed as an interior decoration or a toy.

[0013] The rectangular bottle of the present invention may further have the following features. (2A) A parting line is formed on the bottle body along one diagonal of the upper surface of the unit cube having the neck portion, the parting line extending to a corner of the unit cube at a diagonal position, and the crab-claw-shaped member is formed at a position on the diagonal that intersects the parting line. (2B) The bottle body is integrally molded by direct blow molding, and the parting line extends from the diagonal corner to the bottom of the bottle along the top and bottom edges, or along the top and top and bottom edges, of the unit cubes that make up the bottle body, and then is connected so as not to cross the inside of the bottom of the unit cubes.

[0014] According to a rectangular bottle having the configurations of (2A) and (2B), when the lid is closed, no parting line crossing the unit cube appears, and the beauty of the appearance is not impaired.

[0015] This rectangular bottle may further include the following features. (3) The corners of the outer periphery of the bottle body and the lid body are chamfered or rounded.

[0016] This rectangular bottle may further include the following features. (4) The bottle body has a storage section in which a plurality of the unit cubes are connected to one another, and grooves are formed at the connecting portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the respective unit cubes, and the parting line is configured to be located at the bottom of the grooves when the parting line is formed to pass through the connecting portions.

[0017] A rectangular bottle that also has the features of (3) and (4) has a higher decorativeness. In particular, by having the feature of (4), the shape of each of the unit cubes stands out, improving the decorativeness of the rectangular bottle itself. When multiple rectangular bottles are combined like building blocks or a puzzle, the whole is made up of many unit cubes, further enhancing the decorativeness of the combined container.

[0018] The rectangular bottle of the present invention may further have the following configuration. (5A) The positioning member is composed of a pair of plate-shaped members protruding downward from the lower end surface of the screw-engagement tube portion and a pair of crab-claw-shaped members provided on the upper surface of a unit cube having the neck portion. (5B) The crab-claw-shaped member has a front-end claw whose protruding end is smaller than the rotation locus of the thickness center of the plate-shaped member and larger than the rotation locus of the inner surface of the plate-shaped member, and a rear-end claw whose protruding end is larger than the thickness center of the rotation locus of the plate-shaped member, and is configured so that the plate-shaped member can be sandwiched between the rear surface of the front-end claw and the front surface of the rear-end claw. (5C) The front end claw is configured so that the portion in front of the protruding end is composed of a gently sloping arc surface, and the portion behind the protruding end is composed of a radially straight surface, and the protruding end connecting these arc surface and straight surface has a rounded horizontal cross-sectional shape.

[0019] According to the rectangular bottle having the configurations (5A) to (5C), in the final stage of closing the lid, the plate-shaped member is pushed by the front part of the claw on the front end side of the claw on the front end side of the claw on the front end side and deforms outward. When it passes the protruding end of the claw on the front end side, it fits into the back side of the claw on the front end side and abuts against the front side claw on the rear end side, and stops in a state of being sandwiched between the claw-shaped members. Meanwhile, due to the initial rotational movement when opening the lid, the plate-shaped member sandwiched between the claw-shaped members is guided by the R surface of the protruding end of the claw on the front end side and deforms outward and passes the protruding end. At this time, since the protruding end of the claw on the front end side is formed to be smaller than the rotation path of the center of the plate thickness of the plate-shaped member, the operation of opening the lid can be performed smoothly. Meanwhile, since the protruding end of the claw on the front end side is larger than the rotation path of the inner surface of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member is maintained in a state where it is sandwiched between the claw-shaped members when no force is applied to open the lid.

[0020] This rectangular bottle may further include the following features. (6A) The screw-engagement tube portion has an outer surface that is roughly similar to the outer surface of the lid body and has a perforated octagonal cross-section with chamfered corners, and the plate-like member is formed into a flat plate whose outer surface fits within and is flush with the chamfered portion. (6B) The bottle body and the lid are each integrally molded from a transparent synthetic resin.

[0021] In a rectangular bottle having the configurations of (6A) and (6B), the outer surface of the screw-on tube, which can be seen through the transparent lid, has a rectangular base shape, giving it a natural appearance. Furthermore, by configuring the plate-like member as a flat plate, it is possible to smoothly carry out deformation by the claws on the front end side of the crab-claw-shaped member. In addition, by making the rectangular bottle transparent, a decorative effect can be expected by making the contents visible. In this invention, "transparent" is not limited to "colorless transparent" but also includes "colored transparent". Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, a rectangular bottle can be provided which has excellent freedom in combination and which, when used as a combination container, can also be enjoyed as an interior decoration or a toy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rectangular bottle that constitutes a combination container according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B show a combination container according to an embodiment, in which (A) is an exploded perspective view illustrating an assembly state, and (B) is a perspective view of the assembled state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows a first rectangular bottle as Example 1, where (A) is an oblique view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is an oblique view with the lid removed, (F) is an exploded oblique view, (G) is a front view with the lid removed, (H) is a front view of the bottle body, (I) is a front view of the lid, and (J) is a front view of the stopper. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a parting line in a first rectangular bottle as Example 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 shows a first rectangular bottle as Example 1, with (A) being a front view, (B) being a back view, (C) being a plan view, (D) being a bottom view, (E) being a right side view, (F) being a left side view, and (G) being a view seen in the V direction. [Figure 6]1 shows Example 1, where (A1) is a front view of the lid, (A2) is a plan view of the lid, (A3) is a bottom view of the lid, (A4) is a bb cross-sectional view, (A5) is a bc cross-sectional view, (A6) is a dd cross-sectional view, (B1) is a front view of the inner plug, (B2) is a plan view of the inner plug, (B3) is a bottom view of the inner plug, (B4) is an ee cross-sectional view, (C1) is a front view of the lid in a closed state, (C2) is a cross-sectional view of the lid in a closed state, and (C3) is a ff cross-sectional view. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows the open and closed states of the lid in Example 1, where (A1) to (A3) are horizontal cross-sectional views, (B1) to (B3) are vertical cross-sectional views, (C1) to (C3) are enlarged views of the main part when the lid is closed, and (D1) to (D3) are enlarged views of the main part when the lid is open. [Figure 8] 1 shows a second rectangular bottle as Example 2, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is a right side view, and (F) is a left side view. [Figure 9] 1 shows a third rectangular bottle as Example 3, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is a right side view, and (F) is a left side view. [Figure 10] 1 shows a fourth rectangular bottle as Example 4, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is a right side view, and (F) is a left side view. [Figure 11] 1 shows a fifth rectangular bottle as Example 5, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is a right side view, and (F) is a left side view. [Figure 12] 1 shows a sixth rectangular bottle as Example 6, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a back view, (C) is a plan view, (D) is a bottom view, (E) is a right side view, and (F) is a left side view. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the parting line in a rectangular bottle as Examples 2 and 5. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating parting lines in rectangular bottles as Examples 3, 4, and 6. [Figure 15] 1 is a perspective view illustrating various combination containers using the rectangular bottle of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A combination container 1 using first to sixth rectangular bottles 10 to 60 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be described below as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the first to sixth rectangular bottles 10 to 60 each include a bottle body 10BTL to 60BTL for accommodating contents, and a lid body 10CP to 60CP that is removably screwed onto a neck portion extending upward from the top surface of the bottle body.

[0026] In the bottle bodies 10BTL-60BTL, one storage section for storing contents is formed by a hollow part of one unit cube having the same width, depth, and height on the outer surface, or by hollow parts of two or more unit cubes that are connected to each other on the side or top and bottom surfaces. The lid bodies 10CP-60CP have a cube shape with an open bottom and the same width, depth, and height on the outer surface as the unit cube.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 2, the combined container 1 is composed of two each of the first and second rectangular bottles 10 and 20, and one each of the third to sixth rectangular bottles 30 to 60. As an example of the combination, as shown in Fig. 2(A), the third rectangular bottle 30 is placed at the lower left front corner, the second rectangular bottle 20 is placed at the lower right front corner, the sixth rectangular bottle 60 is placed at the upper and lower corners at the left rear, the fifth rectangular bottle 50 upside down is placed at the upper and lower corners at the right rear, the fourth rectangular bottle 40 upside down is placed at the lower center, the second rectangular bottle 20 is placed at the front center with its lid facing right, and the first rectangular bottles 10, 10 upside down are placed in the gaps remaining at the top, forming a cubic combined container 1 with three unit cubes in each of the width, depth, and height directions as a whole. Note that the parts colored light gray in Fig. 2 are the lids of the rectangular bottles.

[0028] The first to sixth rectangular bottles 10 to 60 constituting the combination bottle 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below in Examples 1 to 6. EXAMPLES

[0029] 3, the first rectangular bottle 10 comprises a bottle body 10BTL for accommodating contents, a neck portion 11 extending upward from the top surface of the bottle body 10BTL, and a lid body 10CP detachably screwed onto the neck portion 11. Note that the dashed dotted lines shown in the front views and other drawings in the accompanying drawings of this application represent ridge lines and the like and are not patterns.

[0030] The bottle body 10BTL has a storage section formed by a hollow part of one unit cube CUBE whose outer surface has the same width Bb, depth Db, and height Hb. The lid body 10CP has a cube shape with an open bottom end whose outer surface has the same width Bc, depth Fc, and height Hc as the unit cube CUBE, and is provided with a screw-fitting tube part 15 that protrudes downward from the back side of the top surface and has a female thread engraved on the inner surface to be screwed into a male thread engraved on the outer surface of the neck part 11. In other words, the unit cube CUBE and the lid body 10CP have a relationship of Bb=Db=Hb=Bc=Dc=Hc. In addition, an inside plug 12 having a center hole 12a is attached to the open end of the neck part 11.

[0031] The bottle body 10BTL is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET. The lid body 10CP is integrally molded by injection molding using colorless and transparent PP. The inner stopper 12 is integrally molded by injection molding using white LDPE.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the bottle body 10BTL is manufactured as a synthetic resin blow-molded body using a mold in which a parting line PL is formed so as to extend from one corner of the upper surface of a unit cube CUBE having a neck portion 11 along a diagonal line DGL to the diagonal corner, then along the upper and lower edges of the unit cube CUBE to the bottom surface of the bottle, and then along the lower edge of the unit cube CUBE to connect without crossing the inside of the bottom surface of the unit cube CUBE.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 5, the bottle body 10BTL has a unit cube CUBE as a container. The upper surface of the bottle body 10BTL is provided with a neck 11 extending upward so that the centers are aligned. A male screw of a predetermined pitch is engraved on the outer surface of this neck 11. In addition, a pair of crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM having a gap capable of sandwiching both circumferential ends of a flat plate-like member provided in the lid body 10CP described later are provided at positions point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the diagonal line DGL corresponding to the parting line on the upper surface at the base portion of the neck 11.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6 (A1) to (A6), the cover 10CP has a screw-type cylindrical portion 15, which has a female thread engraved on its inner surface to be screwed into a male thread engraved on the outer surface of the neck portion 11, and which protrudes downward from the underside of the top surface. The screw-type cylindrical portion 15 has an outer surface that is almost similar to the outer surface of the cover 10CP and has a perforated octagonal cross section with chamfered corners. The lower end surface of the screw-type cylindrical portion 15 is provided with a pair of plate-like members 18, 18 that protrude downward so as to extend in a tangential direction on the same circle with respect to the screw center on one diagonal line of the bottom surface of the cover 10CP. The plate-like member 18 is formed in a flat shape whose outer surface fits into the chamfered portion of the screw-type cylindrical portion 18 and is flush with the chamfered portion.

[0035] A small diameter cylinder 16 and a large diameter ring member 17 are provided concentrically on the inside of the threaded cylindrical portion 18 on the underside of the top surface of the lid body 10CP as a closing member that closes the central hole 12a of the inner plug 12 and comes into tight contact with the upper surface of the inner plug 12.

[0036] As shown in Figures 6 (B1) to (B4), the inside plug 12 is provided with a disk whose outer diameter matches that of the neck 11, attached to the upper surface of a cylinder having a tapered lower end that fits into the open end of the neck 11, and the central hole 12a is formed through the center of the inner disk that protrudes upward from the center of the disk.

[0037] When the lid body 10CP has been screwed onto the neck portion 11 of the bottle body 10BTL, as shown in Fig. 6(C2), the small diameter cylinder 16 closes the central hole 12a of the inner plug 12, and the large diameter ring member 17 presses against the disk portion of the inner plug 12 to function as a closing member. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6(C3), the lid body 10CP and the bottle body 10BTL are positioned so that their side surfaces are flush with each other and abut against each other.

[0038] This positioning is shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 7(A1)-(A3), when the lid body 10CP is rotated in the lid closing direction to finish screwing it onto the neck portion 11, the plate-like member 18 is pinched between the crab-claw-shaped members CCM and the lid body stops. During this time, as shown in Figures 7(B1)-(B3), the small-diameter cylinder 16 of the lid body 10CP fits into the central hole 12a of the inner plug 12, and when the lid body stops, the closed state described above is completed.

[0039] The crab-claw-shaped member CCM has a front-end claw CCMa and a rear-end claw CCMb for clamping both circumferential ends of the plate-shaped member 18. As shown enlarged in Fig. 7(C1) etc., the protruding end of the front-end claw CCMa is smaller than the rotation locus of the plate-shaped member 18 at the thickness center and larger than the rotation locus of the inner surface, and the protruding end of the rear-end claw CCMb is formed to be larger than the thickness center of the rotation locus of the plate-shaped member 18. In addition, the front-end claw CCMa is composed of a front part formed of a gentle arc surface and a rear part formed in a radially straight line, and is configured so that the protruding end, which is the connection part between the front part and the rear part, has a horizontal cross-sectional shape with a rounded radius.

[0040] As a result, in the final stage of closing the cover 10CP, as shown in Fig. 7(C1)-(C3), the plate-shaped member 18 is pushed by the front part of the claw CCMa on the front end side of the claw CCMa on the front end side and deforms outward. When it passes the protruding end of the claw CCMa on the front end side, it fits into the back side of the claw CCMa on the front end side and abuts against the front side claw CCMb on the rear end side, and stops in a state of being sandwiched between the claw-shaped members CCM. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 7(D1)-(D3), the plate-shaped member 18 that was sandwiched between the claw-shaped members CCM is guided by the R surface of the protruding end of the claw CCMa on the front end side and deforms outward and passes the protruding end. At this time, the protruding end of the claw CCMa on the front end side is formed to be smaller than the rotation trajectory of the center of the plate thickness of the plate-shaped member 18, so that the operation of opening the cover 10CP can be performed smoothly. On the other hand, since the protruding end of the front end claw CCMa is larger than the rotation trajectory of the inner surface of the plate-shaped member 18, the plate-shaped member 18 remains clamped between the crab-claw-shaped members CCM when no force is applied to open the lid. EXAMPLES

[0041] The bottle body 20BTL constituting the second rectangular bottle 20 will be described. The bottle body 20BTL of the second rectangular bottle 20 is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET, like the bottle body 10BTL, and has a storage section with twice the volume of the first rectangular bottle 10, with two unit cubes CUBE, CUBE communicating with each other at their sides, as shown in FIG. 8. The unit cube on the front side is provided with a neck having crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM at its base, like the bottle body 10BTL of the first rectangular bottle 10. An inner plug is attached to this neck, like the neck of the first rectangular bottle 10, and the lid body, which has the same configuration as the first rectangular bottle 10, is positioned so that the lid body and the bottle body 20BTL are in contact with each other with their sides flush with each other and are sealed in the lid closed state. As shown in Figs. 8(D) to (F), in the bottle body 20BTL of this second rectangular bottle 20, grooves GRV are formed in the communicating portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the respective unit cubes from one another. EXAMPLES

[0042] The bottle body 30BTL constituting the third rectangular bottle 30 will be described. The bottle body 30BTL of the third rectangular bottle 30 is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET, like the bottle body 10BTL, and has three unit cubes CUBE, CUBE, CUBE connected to each other with their sides so as to form an L-shape in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 9, and has a storage section with a volume three times that of the first rectangular bottle 10. The unit cubes located at the corners of the L-shape are provided with a neck portion having crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM at their bases, like the bottle body 10BTL of the first rectangular bottle 10. An inner plug is attached to this neck portion, like the neck portion of the first rectangular bottle 10, and a lid body having the same configuration as the first rectangular bottle 10 is positioned so that the lid body and the bottle body 30BTL abut with their sides flush with each other and are sealed in a closed state. As shown in Figs. 9(A), (D) to (F), the bottle body 30BTL of this third rectangular bottle 30 has grooves GRV formed in the communicating portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the unit cubes from each other. EXAMPLES

[0043] The bottle body 40BTL constituting the fourth rectangular bottle 40 will be described. The bottle body 40BTL of the fourth rectangular bottle 40 is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET, like the bottle body 10BTL, and has three unit cubes CUBE, CUBE, CUBE that are connected to each other with their sides aligned in a plane view, as shown in FIG. 10, and has a storage section with a volume three times that of the first rectangular bottle 10. The unit cube located in the center is provided with a neck having crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM at its base, like the bottle body 10BTL of the first rectangular bottle 10. An inner plug is attached to this neck, like the neck of the first rectangular bottle 10, and the lid body, which has the same configuration as the first rectangular bottle 10, is positioned so that the lid body and the bottle body 40BTL are in contact with each other with their sides flush with each other and are sealed when the lid is closed. As shown in Figs. 10(D) to (F), in the bottle body 40BTL of this fourth rectangular bottle 40, grooves GRV are formed in the communicating portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the respective unit cubes from one another. EXAMPLES

[0044] The bottle body 50BTL constituting the fifth rectangular bottle 50 will be described. The bottle body 50BTL of the fifth rectangular bottle 50 is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET, similar to the bottle body 10BTL, and has three unit cubes CUBE, CUBE, CUBE that are connected at the top, bottom and sides so as to be L-shaped in side view, as shown in FIG. 11, and has a storage section with a volume three times that of the first rectangular bottle 10. The unit cube located at the top is provided with a neck having crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM at its base, similar to the bottle body 10BTL of the first rectangular bottle 10. An inner plug is attached to this neck, similar to the neck of the first rectangular bottle 10, and the lid body has the same configuration as the first rectangular bottle 10, and is positioned so that the lid body and the bottle body 50BTL abut with their sides flush with each other and are sealed in a closed state. As shown in FIGS. 11(A), (D) to (F), the bottle body 50BTL of this fifth rectangular bottle 50 has grooves GRV formed in the communicating portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the unit cubes from one another. EXAMPLES

[0045] The bottle body 60BTL constituting the sixth rectangular bottle 60 will be described. The bottle body 60BTL of the sixth rectangular bottle 60 is integrally molded by direct blow molding using colorless and transparent PET, like the bottle body 10BTL, and has four unit cubes CUBE, CUBE, CUBE, CUBE that are connected at the top and bottom and sides so as to be arranged in two rows and two columns in a side view, as shown in FIG. 12, and has a storage section with a volume four times that of the first rectangular bottle 10. The unit cube located at the upper front is provided with a neck having crab-claw-shaped members CCM, CCM at its base, like the bottle body 10BTL of the first rectangular bottle 10. An inner plug is attached to this neck, like the neck of the first rectangular bottle 10, and the lid body has the same configuration as the first rectangular bottle 10, and is positioned so that the lid body and the bottle body 60BTL abut with their sides flush with each other and are sealed when the lid is closed. As shown in Figures 12(A), (B), (D) to (F), the bottle body 50BTL of this sixth rectangular bottle 60 has groove portions GRV formed in the connecting portions between the unit cubes to distinguish each unit cube from the others.

[0046] Next, the parting lines PL of the bottle bodies 20BTL to 60BTL will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. All of the bottle bodies 20BTL to 60BTL are made of synthetic resin blow molded bodies in which the parting lines PL extend along one diagonal line of the upper surface of the unit cube having the neck portion, reach the corner of the diagonal position of the unit cube, then along the vertical edges or the upper and vertical edges of the unit cube constituting the bottle body to the bottle bottom surface, and then along the lower edge of the unit cube to connect the bottom edges of the unit cubes. At this time, particularly on the bottom surface, the parting lines PL are formed to be located at the bottom of the groove portion GRV of the communication portion.

[0047] In all of the first to sixth rectangular bottles 10 to 60, the corners of the outer periphery of the bottle body and the lid are chamfered or rounded.

[0048] According to each of the embodiments described above, when the lid has been screwed onto the neck, the positioning member causes the lid and bottle body to abut with their sides flush with each other, and the unit cube that makes up the bottle body and the lid have the same appearance.When the lid is closed, the appearance is that of two or more unit cubes connected together, making it possible to provide a variety of rectangular bottles based on unit cubes.

[0049] In these various rectangular bottles based on unit cubes, when the lid is screwed onto the neck, the positioning member not only brings the lid and the bottle body into contact with each other with their sides flush, but also seals the bottle body with the inner plug and the closing member. As a result, the rectangular bottle with the lid closed does not leak its contents even if it is turned on its side or upside down. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, even if it is turned upside down or turned on its side and combined, there is no leakage, and it has a high degree of freedom in combination, and when used as a combined container, it can be enjoyed as an interior decoration or a toy, etc.

[0050] In addition, in the final stage of closing the lid, the plate-shaped member is pushed by the front part of the claw on the front end side of the claw on the front end side of the claw on the front end side and deforms outward. When it passes the protruding end of the claw on the front end side, it fits into the back side of the claw on the front end side and abuts against the front side of the claw on the rear end side, and stops in a state of being sandwiched between the claw-shaped members. On the other hand, due to the initial rotational movement when opening the lid, the plate-shaped member sandwiched between the claw-shaped members is guided by the R surface of the protruding end of the claw on the front end side and deforms outward and passes the protruding end. At this time, since the protruding end of the claw on the front end side is formed to be smaller than the rotation trajectory of the center of the plate thickness of the plate-shaped member, the operation of opening the lid can be performed smoothly. On the other hand, since the protruding end of the claw on the front end side is larger than the rotation trajectory of the inner surface of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member is maintained in a state where it is sandwiched between the claw-shaped members when no force is applied to open the lid.

[0051] Furthermore, the outer surface of the screw-on tube, which can be seen through the transparent lid, is also based on a square shape, giving it a natural appearance. Also, by making the plate-shaped member out of a flat plate, it is possible to smoothly deform the claws at the front end of the crab-claw-shaped member. In addition, by making the rectangular bottle transparent, it is possible to expect a decorative effect by making the contents visible.

[0052] In addition, the bottle body has a parting line formed along one diagonal of the upper surface of the unit cube having the neck portion, reaching the corner of the unit cube at the diagonal position, and the crab-claw-shaped members are formed at diagonal positions intersecting the parting line. Therefore, even if the bottle body has the crab-claw-shaped members, it is possible to smoothly release the bottle body from the mold, making it easy to achieve complex and precise designs.

[0053] In addition, when the lid is closed, no parting line crossing the unit cube appears, and the beauty of the external appearance is not marred.

[0054] In addition, the corners of the outer periphery of the bottle body and the lid are chamfered or rounded, and grooves are formed at the connecting parts between the unit cubes to make each unit cube stand out, and when the parting line is formed to pass through the above parts, it is positioned at the bottom of the grooves, which further enhances the decorativeness. In particular, by providing the grooves, the shape of each of the unit cubes stands out, improving the decorativeness of the rectangular bottle itself, and when multiple rectangular bottles are combined like building blocks or puzzles, a large number of unit cubes are combined to form the whole, further enhancing the decorativeness of the combined container.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(A), two third rectangular bottles 30, 30 can be combined to form a combined container 2, as shown in Figure 15(B), two second rectangular bottles 20, 20 can be combined to form a combined container 3, as shown in Figure 15(C), a first rectangular bottle 10 and a fourth rectangular bottle 40 can be combined to form a combined container 4, and as shown in Figure 15(D), a first rectangular bottle 10, a second rectangular bottle 20 and a fourth rectangular bottle 40 can be combined to form a combined container 5.

[0056] Although the embodiment and examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be embodied in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] It can be used as a combination container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1, 2,3,4,5···combination container, 10~60···first to sixth rectangular bottles, 10BTL~60BTL···bottle body, 10CP~60CP···lid body, 11···neck portion, 12···inner stopper, 12a···central hole, 15···threaded cylindrical portion, 16···small diameter cylindrical body, 17···large diameter ring member, 18···plate-shaped member, 20···second rectangular bottle, 30···third rectangular bottle, 40···fourth rectangular bottle, 50···fifth rectangular bottle, 60···sixth rectangular bottle, CUBE···unit cube, CCM···crab-claw-shaped member, CCMa···front end claw, CCMb···rear end claw, DGL··diagonal line, PL···parting line.

Claims

1. A rectangular bottle comprising a bottle body for accommodating contents, a neck portion extending upward from an upper surface of the bottle body, and a lid body that is removably screwed onto the neck portion, and further comprising the following configuration: (1A) The bottle body has a single storage section for storing the contents formed by the hollow portion of a single unit cube having the same width, depth, and height on the outer surface, or by the hollow portions of two or more unit cubes that are connected to each other on the side or top and bottom surfaces. (1B) The lid body has a cubic shape with an open bottom, whose width, depth, and height on the outer surface are the same as those of the unit cube, and is provided with a threaded tube portion protruding downward from the back of the top surface, the threaded tube portion having a female thread engraved on its inner surface that screws into a male thread engraved on the outer surface of the neck portion. (1C) An inner plug having a central hole is attached to the open end of the neck, and a closing member that blocks the central hole of the inner plug and fits tightly against the upper surface of the inner plug is provided on the underside of the top surface of the lid. (1D) The neck portion is formed at the center of the top surface of one of the unit cubes that make up the bottle body, and when the lid body is screwed onto the neck portion, at least one side surface of the lid body and the bottle body are flush with each other, and a positioning member is provided that seals the bottle body with the inner plug and the closure member.

2. The square bottle according to claim 1, further comprising the following configuration: (2A) A parting line is formed on the bottle body along one diagonal of the upper surface of the unit cube having the neck portion, the parting line extending to a corner of the unit cube at a diagonal position, and the crab-claw-shaped member is formed at a position on the diagonal that intersects the parting line. (2B) The bottle body is integrally molded by direct blow molding, and the parting line reaches the diagonal corner, then extends along the top and bottom edges, or the top and top and bottom edges, of the unit cubes that make up the bottle body to the bottom of the bottle, and is then connected so as not to cross the inside of the bottom of the unit cubes.

3. The square bottle according to claim 2, further comprising the following configuration: (3) The corners of the outer periphery of the bottle body and the lid body are chamfered or rounded.

4. The square bottle according to claim 3, further comprising the following configuration: (4) The bottle body has a storage section in which a plurality of the unit cubes are connected to one another, and grooves are formed at the connecting portions between the unit cubes to distinguish the respective unit cubes, and the parting line is configured to be located at the bottom of the grooves when the parting line is formed to pass through the connecting portions.

5. The rectangular bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the following configuration: (5A) The positioning member is composed of a pair of plate-shaped members protruding downward from the lower end surface of the screw-engagement tube portion, and a pair of crab-claw-shaped members provided on the upper surface of a unit cube having the neck portion. (5B) The crab-claw-shaped member has a front-end claw whose protruding end is smaller than the rotation locus of the thickness center of the plate-shaped member and larger than the rotation locus of the inner surface of the plate-shaped member, and a rear-end claw whose protruding end is larger than the thickness center of the rotation locus of the plate-shaped member, and is configured so that the plate-shaped member can be sandwiched between the rear surface of the front-end claw and the front surface of the rear-end claw. (5C) The front end claw is configured so that the portion forward of the protruding end is composed of a gently sloping arc surface, and the portion rearward of the protruding end is composed of a radially straight surface, and the protruding end connecting these arc surface and straight surface has a rounded horizontal cross-sectional shape.

6. The square bottle according to claim 5, further comprising the following configuration: (6A) The screw-engagement tube portion has an outer surface that is roughly similar to the outer surface of the lid body and has a perforated octagonal cross-section with chamfered corners, and the plate-like member is formed into a flat plate whose outer surface fits within and is flush with the chamfered portion. (6B) The bottle body and the lid body are each integrally molded from a transparent synthetic resin.

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