Connected container

Abstract

To provide a connected container which can be molded with a simple mold structure, which has a structure in which connecting the connected containers with each other is easy and the connected containers in a connected state are not likely to be disengaged from each other, and removal is easy when the connected containers need to be separated.SOLUTION: A container comprises a container body 1 and a flange part 3, and has a first connection part 5 protruding outward from one end of an outer peripheral surface of the flange part 3, and a second connection part 4 formed at the position on the opposite side from the first connection part 5. The second connection part 4 forms a fastening hole 4c opened in a substantially square shape penetrating vertically. The first connection part 5 is formed by a joint plate 5a and a step part 5b, and the step part 5b can be inserted into the fastening hole 4c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connected container that can be connected for use.

[0002] Connected containers that can connect multiple containers of the same shape by arranging them side by side, etc., are used in various fields. For example, the cup container and the container for storing a sterile dilution liquid and a container for storing a sterile liquid culture medium that use the cup container described in Patent Document 1, and the sample cup for storing a liquid sample such as blood or urine described in Patent Document 2 are used.

[0003] The cup container and the sterile dilution solution storage container and sterile liquid culture medium storage container using the same described in Patent Document 1 belong to the technical field of cup containers for storing liquids, and are cup containers that are particularly suitable for use in the field of food hygiene inspection. The cup containers can be used in a multi-connected manner, and for tests requiring a small number of serial dilutions, cup containers have been invented that can be connected together in the required number depending on the number of serial dilutions.

[0004] Furthermore, the sample cup of the sample cup assembly described in Patent Document 2 allows multiple sample cups to be inserted into a rack quickly and easily, and by folding the connecting plate along the groove, the sample cups can be separated into one or grouped together in any number.

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-335437 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-159745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cup container described in Patent Document 1 has an outward flange on the top of the container body, and is equipped with a male connector and a female connector shaped to be engageable with each other at opposing positions on the flange. As a specific example of the shape, the male connector has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped base protruding from the underside of the flange and a thin plate-like protrusion protruding outward from the center of its end face. The female connector also has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped base protruding from the underside of the flange and bifurcated portions protruding outward from the top and bottom of its end, with the protrusions sized to fit snugly into the gap between the bifurcated portions. Furthermore, the corners of the protrusions and bifurcated portions are chamfered to facilitate insertion.

[0007] In the cup container described in Patent Document 1, the male and female connectors are shaped to protrude outward below the flange, which poses the problem that when an injection molding die is used, the die structure becomes complicated and the die cost becomes expensive. Furthermore, when connecting the male and female connectors, dimensional accuracy is required so that they can be inserted without gaps when mated. Depending on the molding conditions and the degree of resin shrinkage, even when molded using the same die, the male and female connectors may not fit together properly, resulting in problems such as loose fitting and easy separation, or tight fitting and difficulty in interlocking.

[0008] Furthermore, the sample cup described in Patent Document 2 is cylindrical and has a bottom. It includes a plurality of sample cups, each with an upper outer circumferential surface having a larger diameter than the lower outer circumferential surface, a connecting plate disposed between adjacent sample cups and connecting the outer circumferential surfaces of the upper portions, and a groove extending vertically in the middle of the connecting plate. The sample cup described in Patent Document 2 allows the connecting plate to be folded along the groove, making it possible to separate the sample cups into a single piece or to bundle any number of sample cups together. However, because the connecting plate is folded along the groove, the edge of the broken connecting plate may be sharp, potentially causing injury to fingers or other parts of the body.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a connected container that can be molded with a simple mold structure without using a complex mold structure. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a connected container that has a structure that makes it easy to connect containers together, that makes it difficult for the connected containers to come apart when connected, and that allows the connected containers to be easily removed when desired. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Claim 1 of the present invention is a container having a cylindrical container body with a bottom, a flange portion protruding outward from the opening of the container body along the outer periphery, a first connecting portion protruding outward from one end of the outer periphery of the flange portion, and a second connecting portion located on the opposite side opposite the first connecting portion, which is joined to the underside of the flange portion and protrudes outward from the other end of the outer periphery from a position at the same height as the underside of the flange portion, wherein the second connecting portion forms a fastening hole that opens in an approximately L-shape that penetrates from top to bottom, and the first connecting portion is formed by a connecting plate and a step portion, one end of the connecting plate is joined to the flange portion and the other end of the connecting plate is provided with a recessed step portion that is shaped like an inverted L, and the step portion is insertable into the fastening hole.

[0011] Claim 2 of the present invention is a connecting container in which the fastening hole is formed with a pair of shield plates for clamping and holding both sides of the step portion, and an abutment plate for abutting the end face at the opposite position to the tip of the L-shape of the step portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] To provide a connected container which can be molded with a simple mold structure without using a complicated mold structure, which is easy to connect when connecting connected containers to each other, which has a structure in which the connected connected containers are difficult to separate from each other, and which has a connection structure in which the connected containers can be easily removed when it is desired to separate them from each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connected container of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 as viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the connected container of FIG. 1 from a different direction. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the connected container shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion w in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the x portion of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a process of connecting the connected containers of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the y portion of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 9 is an enlarged view showing a state where the pressure is applied in the direction of the arrow p from the state of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the part is further pressed in the direction of the arrow p from the state in FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the second connecting portion has moved left and right from the state shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which three connected containers of the present invention are connected together. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of FIG. 12 as viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a plan view of FIG. 12 as seen from directly above. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of FIG. 12 viewed from directly below. [Figure 16] 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing a process of detaching the connected portions of the connected container of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the z portion of FIG. [Figure 18] 18 is an enlarged view showing a process of further removing the state shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening is sealed with a sealant in the state shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of FIG. 19 as viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 21]FIG. 2 is a structural view of a mold showing the mold structure of the connected container of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a mold structure diagram showing a process 1 of opening the mold from the state shown in FIG. 21. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a mold structure diagram showing a process 2 of further mold opening from the state of FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional connected container. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the mold structure of the conventional product shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a mold structure diagram showing a first process of mold opening from the state shown in FIG. 25. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a mold structure diagram showing a process 2 of further mold opening from the state shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a mold structure diagram showing a process 3 of further mold opening from the state shown in FIG. 27. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The connected container A of the present invention is a container molded by injection molding using a resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or polystyrene. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connected container A of the present invention has a flange portion 3 that protrudes outward from an opening 2 at the upper end of a bottomed, cylindrical container body 1 along the outer periphery. A convex portion 3b is formed on the circumference of the top surface of the flange portion 3 near the opening 2. The flange portion 3 forms a polygon such as a square, and a first connecting portion 5 is formed from one side of the polygon. A second connecting portion 4 is formed on the other side opposite the first connecting portion 5. By connecting the first connecting portion 5 of one connected container A to the second connecting portion 4 of another connected container A, a plurality of connected connected containers A can be formed, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14.

[0015] 5 is an enlarged view of the w portion of Fig. 4, and as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 5, the first connecting portion 5 is composed of a joint plate 5a that protrudes outward from the same height as the upper surface of the flange portion 3, and a step portion 5b that protrudes downward from the tip of the joint plate 5a and forms an inverted L. Also, on the flange portion 3 side of the joint plate 5a, as shown in Fig. 2, 4 and 5, a support portion 5c is formed that protrudes downward from the underside of the flange portion 3 while being joined to the joint plate 5a.

[0016] 1 to 4, a second connecting portion 4 is formed on the opposite side of the first connecting portion, joining the underside of the flange portion 3 and protruding outward from the other end of the outer circumferential surface from a position at the same height as the underside of the flange portion 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of part x in Fig. 4, and as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 6, the second connecting portion 4 is formed by a pair of left and right shield plates 4a that protrude outward from a position at the same height as the underside of the flange portion 3. Furthermore, by connecting the left and right shield plates 4a with abutment plates 4b, a fastening hole 4c that opens in a roughly square shape and penetrates vertically is formed in the second connecting portion 4, as shown in Fig. 2 or 3.

[0017] Next, a method for connecting one connected container A to another connected container A will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 11. Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of portion y in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, after the step portion 5b of the other connected container A is placed over the fastening hole 4c of one connected container A to close it, pressing is continued in the direction of the dashed arrow p shown in Figure 8. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the containers are further pressed in the direction of the dashed arrow p, and while the outer peripheral tip 3a of the flange portion 3 abuts against the tip 5g of the step portion 5b and also abuts against the slope 4d of the abutment plate 4b and the slope 5d on the other end of the step portion 5b, they can be fitted together as shown in Figure 10.

[0018] Therefore, the opening dimensions of the fastening holes 4c shown in Fig. 2 should be such that the stepped portions 5b can be pressed and fitted with a light pushing force in the direction of the dashed arrow p, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the opening width b is slightly narrower than the outwardly protruding width a of the inverted L-shaped stepped portions 5b. After fitting, it is sufficient that the tip 5g of the other stepped portion 5b in one of the fastening holes 4c protrudes toward the flange portion 3 by an engagement width f beyond the outer peripheral tip 3a of the flange portion 3, as shown in Fig. 10. As a result, the tip 5g abuts against and catches on the underside of the flange portion 3, thereby maintaining the connected state A.

[0019] As shown in Figure 8, the stepped portion 5b has a tip-side slope 5f that slopes upward from the bottom surface of the stepped portion 5b toward the tip 5g. This causes the thickness of the tip 5g to taper toward the tip, so that even if the protruding width a is greater than the opening width b, the tip can be fitted with a light pushing force due to the instantaneous deflection that occurs when pressed. The corners of the stepped portion 5b are rounded. Furthermore, the inner wall surface opposite the tip 5g, i.e., the slope 5d on the other end side, has an inclination angle c that slopes upward in the opposite direction to the tip-side slope 5f, forming a roughly inverted V-shape relative to the tip-side slope 5f.

[0020] 8, the abutment plate 4b is formed with a slope that guides insertion while contacting the slope 5d on the other end when the stepped portion 5b is pressed in the direction of the dashed arrow p. Therefore, the slope angle c of the slope 5d on the other end and the slope angle d of the abutment plate 4b are equal to or similar to each other. Furthermore, each corner of the outer circumferential tip 3a of the flange portion 3 is rounded, and the inner corners of the upper end of the abutment plate 4b are also rounded.

[0021] As a result, when the step portion 5b begins to be inserted into the fastening hole 4c as shown in Figure 8, the rounded portions of each corner, such as the R portion 5e of the step portion 5b and the R portion 4e of the abutment plate 4b, make the insertion easier, and as further pressure is applied in the direction of the dashed arrow p as shown in Figure 9, the inclination angles c and d come into contact with each other with their approximately parallel surfaces, causing them to slide against each other, making the insertion structure easier.

[0022] 10 and 11 show the state after the step portion 5b has been fitted into the fastening hole 4c, but immediately after fitting, it stops at the position shown in Fig. 10. However, as shown in Fig. 10, a gap e is formed between the step portion 5b and the outer peripheral tip 3a, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, a gap e1 or gap e2 is formed that allows the step portion 5b to move toward the flange portion 3 or the abutment plate 4b. Because the gap e1 or the gap e2 is formed, when it is desired to separate one of the connected containers A from the other connected container A, the connected containers can be easily separated by tilting one of the connected containers A in the direction of the dashed arrow r and lifting it diagonally upward, as shown in Fig. 16.

[0023] More specifically, Fig. 17 shows an enlarged view of portion z in Fig. 16. By rotating and lifting the stepped portion 5b in the direction of the dashed arrow r as shown in Fig. 17, the gaps e1 and e2 shown in Fig. 11 ensure sufficient clearance for the stepped portion 5b to freely rotate and move. That is, by rotating and lifting the stepped portion 5b in the direction of the dashed arrow r while the inclination 4d of the abutment plate 4b and the rounded portion 5e of the stepped portion 5b are in contact with each other in the rotational direction, as shown in Fig. 18, the stepped portion 5b can be easily removed from the fastening hole 4c. Furthermore, the rounded edges formed on the outer peripheral tip 3a and the rounded edges formed on the tip 5g facilitate the removal of the stepped portion 5b from the fastening hole 4c. Thus, the connected container A of the present invention can be freely connected side-by-side in the required number, as shown in Figs. 12 to 15.

[0024] An example will now be described using specific dimensions. The dimensions shown are merely illustrative and are not limited to these. The length of the overlapping allowance, dimension f, where the tip 5g of the stepped portion 5b shown in Figure 10 engages with the flange portion 3 is shown. Usability was assessed using eight different sample shapes in which the overlapping allowance, dimension f, was increased by 0.05 mm each. Specifically, the ease of fitting the first connecting portion 5 and the second connecting portion 4 when connecting the connected containers A together (indicated by the dashed arrow p in Figure 8 ) and the difficulty of disengagement after fitting (the difficulty of disengagement in the direction of the dashed arrow q in Figure 10 ) were summarized in Table 1 below as human usability. As shown in Table 1, dimension a is increased by 0.05 mm for each increase in dimension f of dimension a. [Table 1]

[0025] As shown in Table 1, we focused on two points: push-in force (indicated by dashed arrow p in Figure 8) and difficulty to remove (difficulty to remove in the direction of dashed arrow q in Figure 10), and evaluated them based on the sensations experienced by humans when using them. As a result, we found that shape 5 in Table 1, with dimensions a of 2.54 mm, dimension b of 2.19 mm, and dimension f of 0.35 mm, was the dimension and shape that functioned most effectively in terms of both push-in force and difficulty to remove. Therefore, when we examined the ratios of dimensions a and f to the opening dimension b of the fastening hole 4c for shape 5, we found that, assuming dimension b to be a reference value of 100, the length ratio of a / b was 116%, and the length ratio of f / b was 16%, as shown in Table 1.

[0026] Furthermore, when shapes other than Shape 5 were examined to see if they had a certain degree of effect, as shown in Table 1, Shapes 6 and 7 required a slightly stronger pushing force, but the results showed that they were shapes with a connecting structure (the first connecting part 5 and the second connecting part 4) that was difficult to remove. Furthermore, Shapes 3 and 4 were shapes that were slightly easier to remove, but could be pushed in with a light pushing force. From the above, it is possible to provide a connected container A of the present invention in which the connecting structure (the first connecting part 5 and the second connecting part 4) functions as long as the length ratio of a / b is 111.4% or more and 120.5% or less, and the length ratio of f / b is 11.4% or more and 20.5% or less.

[0027] 19 and 20 are conceptual diagrams of linked containers A of the present invention in a connected state, with the openings of the container bodies sealed by heat-welding a sheet material B, such as a film sheet or aluminum sheet. As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, a convex sealing portion 3b is formed on the circumference of the top surface of the flange portion 3 near the opening 2. As a result, by heat-welding the sheet material B to the sealing portion 3b, a sealed state can be achieved with the sealing material B, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, and a linked container A can be provided that can store the contents in the linked container A in an appropriate state.

[0028] Furthermore, the sheet material B has a perforation Ba formed at the boundary between one connected container A and the other connected container A, i.e., near the location where the first connecting part 5 on one side and the second connecting part 4 on the other side are connected. This makes it possible to easily separate the connected containers A one by one while they are still sealed with the sheet material B, even when they are connected together. In other words, the sheet material B is bent in a V shape along the perforation Ba, and the connected containers A can be easily separated one by one along the perforation Ba while lifting up one of the connected containers A.

[0029] Next, we will explain the differences in mold structure between the conventional connected container O and the connected container A of the present invention. First, the shape of the conventional connected container O and the structure of the conventional mold Ka will be explained with reference to Figures 24 to 28. As shown in Figure 24, the conventional connected container O has a male connector o3 and a female connector o6 on two opposing sides of the flange o2 of the cup container o1. The male connector o3 is formed by a base o4 protruding from the underside of the flange o2 and a thin, plate-like protrusion o5 protruding outward from the center of the end face. The female connector o6 is formed by a base o7 protruding from the underside of the flange o2 and two bifurcated portions o8 protruding outward from above and below the end face. When connecting the cup containers o1 to each other, the protrusion o5 of one cup container o1 is inserted sideways into the bifurcated portion o8 of the other cup container o1.

[0030] 25 to 28 are simplified structural diagrams of a conventional mold Ka when injection molding a conventional connected container O. When injection molding a conventional connected container O, as shown in FIG. 25, the mold is composed of a fixed side k1 having an injection portion s, a movable side k2 of the mold, and a sliding portion k3 that slides to form the shape of the bifurcated portion o8. That is, when molten resin is injected from the injection portion s shown in FIG. 25 into the product portion of the mold, the male connecting portion o3 is formed on one side of the flange o2 of the cup container o1. Furthermore, the female connecting portion o6 is formed on the flange o2 on the other end opposite the male connecting portion o3.

[0031] Next, the process of removing the product portion from the mold clamped state shown in FIG. 25 will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 to 28. As shown in FIG. 26, when the movable mold side k2 and the slide portion k3 are moved rearward, the outer side of the cup container o1 removed from the fixed mold side k1 is formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 27, the slide portion k3 slides laterally, thereby forming the bifurcated portion o8 that protrudes outward up and down without deformation. Next, as shown in FIG. 28, the movable mold side k2 is further moved rearward to eject the product portion with an ejector pin (not shown), thereby removing the conventional linked container O, which will become the product portion, from the mold. Because of the above mold removal structure, the slide portion k3 is required for the shape of the conventional linked container O, which results in a complex mold structure and high mold costs.

[0032] Next, the mold structure of the mold K for the connected container A of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23. As shown in FIG. 21, the connected container A of the present invention is molded when molten resin is injected into the mold from the injection section s. Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the movable mold side k2 moves rearward, forming the outer surface of the connected container A of the present invention, which is removed from the fixed mold side k1. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 23, the connected container A of the present invention, which will become the product part, can be removed from the mold by ejecting the product part with an ejector pin (not shown) while the movable mold side k2 moves further rearward. That is, with the shape of the connected container A of the present invention, the first connecting part 5 and the second connecting part 4 are configured in a mold shape that allows the product part to be removed simply by moving the movable mold side k2 in one direction. Therefore, a product that can be molded with a simple mold structure can be provided without a complex mold structure.

[0033] As described above, the connected container A of the present invention has a shape that can be molded with a simple mold structure, thereby reducing mold costs and providing an inexpensive product. Furthermore, the connected container A of the present invention can provide a product that can be easily connected by simply placing the first connecting portion 5 on top of the second connecting portion 4 and pushing the stepped portion 5b from above into the fastening hole 4c. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8 , the protruding width a of the stepped portion 5b is greater than the opening width b of the fastening hole 4c, making it difficult for the connected containers A to come apart. Furthermore, when it is desired to separate the connected containers A from each other, the connecting portion (first connecting portion 5 or second connecting portion 4) on the unconnected side can be tilted while being lifted upward as shown in FIG. 16 , thereby tilting the stepped portion 5b diagonally upward and lifting it, thereby forming a shape that allows the stepped portion 5b to be easily removed from the fastening hole 4c. This allows for the connected containers A to be easily removed one by one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Container body 2 Opening 3 Flange 3a Outer tip 3b Seal protrusion 4 Second connection part 4a shield plate 4b Contact plate 4c Fastening hole 4d tilt 4e R section 5 First connection part 5a Joint board 5b Step 5c Support part 5d Slope on the other end 5e R Division 5f Tip side inclination 5g tip A Connected container B Sheet material Ba perforation O Conventional connected container o1 cup container o2 flange o3 male connection o4 base o5 convex part o6 female connection o7 base o8 Forked part K mold Ka Conventional mold k1 Mold fixing side k2 Mold movable side k3 Slide part s Injection part

Claims

1. a container body having a cylindrical shape with a bottom; a flange portion that protrudes outward from the opening of the container body along the outer periphery; a first connecting portion protruding outward from one end of the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion; a second connecting portion that is located on the opposite side facing the first connecting portion and that protrudes outward from the other end of the outer peripheral surface from a position that is the same height as the lower surface of the flange portion while joining with the lower surface of the flange portion; A container having The second connecting portion has a fastening hole that penetrates vertically and opens in a substantially square shape; The first connecting portion is formed by a joint plate and a step portion, One end of the connecting plate is joined to the flange portion, and the other end of the connecting plate is provided with an inverted L-shaped recessed step portion, The connecting container is characterized in that the stepped portion is insertable into the fastening hole.

2. 2. The connecting container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening hole is formed with a pair of shield plates for clamping and holding both sides of the step portion, and a contact plate for contacting the end face of the step portion at the opposite position from the tip of the L-shape.

Images