Scent container

Abstract

To provide an aroma capsule having variations in adjusting the intensity of aroma by changing the opening area of an opening part provided on the side wall of a cylindrical container body continuously in a stepless manner and also changing the opening area discontinuously in a stepwise manner.SOLUTION: The aroma capsule 100 is composed of a vessel body side 100A filled with an aroma material, an opening part side 100A of the vessel body side 112a, a side 112b, and an adjusting part side 112c for adjusting the opening area of the side 100B. The side 100B of the adjusting part is composed of a first cylindrical body 120 and a second cylindrical body 130 mounted on the outer periphery of the barrel part 110 of the side 100A of the vessel body. The first tube body 120 and the second tube body 130 move up and down integrally or individually in the axial direction of the body part 110. The opening area S of the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c formed in the body part 110 is adjusted by the integral or individual vertical movement of the first tube body 120 and the second tube body 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fragrance container in which a fragrance substance is filled inside the container and the strength of the fragrance can be adjusted by changing the opening area of ​​the opening formed in the side wall of the container. [Background technology]

[0002] Fragrance containers (fragrance pendants, etc.) are commonly manufactured and sold. These containers are filled with volatile fragrance substances such as perfumes and aroma oils, and release the fragrance substances from openings formed in the side walls of the container.

[0003] In addition, fragrance containers are also known that have an opening / closing means on the side wall of the fragrance container that changes the opening area of ​​the opening, allowing the strength of the fragrance to be adjusted (for example, Registered Utility Model No. 3165960, Patent No. 7393837). If the strength of the scent can be adjusted, it will be possible to use it according to the situation, such as a strong scent when used outdoors, a weak scent when used indoors, or blocking the scent altogether when eating. Furthermore, if the amount of fragrance inside the fragrance container decreases over time, the strength of the fragrance will weaken if left as is, but by increasing the opening area by the amount of fragrance that has decreased, the strength of the fragrance can be kept constant regardless of the passage of time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3165960 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7393837 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned conventional fragrance containers, which allow adjustment of the fragrance intensity, the opening area can be adjusted continuously by continuously moving the member (opening / closing member) that opens and closes the opening (for example, adjustment according to the lift amount of the cover 120 of the fragrance container in Patent Document 2). The opening and closing member can be moved continuously and the strength of the fragrance can be finely and continuously adjusted according to the amount of movement (lift amount), so that the user of the fragrance container can adjust the strength of the fragrance to the desired strength depending on the situation in which it is used. However, with conventional fragrance containers, the lift amount of the opening and closing member must be adjusted continuously each time to achieve the desired fragrance strength, and users of the fragrance container may find this adjustment troublesome, as the fragrance strength may vary slightly each time.

[0006] To provide a fragrance container which has been made in view of the above circumstances, and which allows the fragrance to be finely adjusted to a desired strength in a stepless manner when adjusting the opening area of ​​an opening provided in the main body of the fragrance container to adjust the strength of the fragrance, and which also allows the strength of the fragrance to be adjusted by a simple stepwise operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the fragrance container of the first invention of the present application comprises a container body having a cylindrical side wall with an opening formed therein, a first cylindrical body whose inner wall is cylindrical and has an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the side wall, and is inserted into the side wall of the container body, and a second cylindrical body whose inner wall is cylindrical and has an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the side wall, and is inserted into the side wall of the container body above the first cylindrical body, and the opening area of ​​the opening is adjusted by moving the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body in the axial direction of the side wall.

[0008] In addition, the fragrance container of the second invention of the present invention is the fragrance container of the first invention, in which a step portion is provided on the lower side of the container body that contacts the lower end surface of the first cylindrical body, and a step portion is provided on the upper side of the container body that contacts the upper end surface of the second cylindrical body. In addition, the third invention of the present invention is a fragrance container of the second invention, in which at least one of the upper and lower ends of the container body is openable, and a lid body having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the side wall is attached to at least one of the openable upper and lower ends to form the step portion.

[0009] In addition, the fourth invention of the present invention is a fragrance container of the second invention, in which ring-shaped sealing members are arranged between the lower step portion of the container body and the first cylindrical body, between the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body, and between the second cylindrical body and the upper step portion of the container body.

[0010] Furthermore, the fifth invention of the present invention is a fragrance container according to the first to fourth inventions, wherein the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body are inserted and attached so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the side wall, a male thread is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall of the container body, a female thread that screws onto the male thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body, and a female thread that screws onto the male thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second cylindrical body, and the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body move in the axial direction relative to the container body due to the rotation of the side wall in the circumferential direction.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the fragrance container of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the height of the second cylindrical body is lower than the height of the first cylindrical body. In addition, the seventh invention of the present invention is a fragrance container of the first to fourth inventions, in which the outer surface of the side wall is divided into a first region, a second region, and a third region from the axial lower side of the container body, and the first cylindrical body can cover the first region or the second region by moving in the axial direction, and the second cylindrical body can cover the second region or the third region by moving in the axial direction.

[0012] In addition, the eighth invention of the present invention is the fragrance container of the seventh invention, in which the openings are formed in two of the first area, the second area, and the third area. A ninth aspect of the present invention is the fragrance container of the eighth aspect, wherein the openings formed in the two regions have different opening areas.

[0013] In addition, the tenth invention of the present invention is a fragrance container of the first to fourth inventions, in which the opening is two or more openings extending in the axial direction of the side wall and formed in parallel, with one end of the axial direction of the side wall being on the same circumference and the other end being different from each other in the axial direction. In addition, the 11th invention of the present invention is a fragrance container according to the first to fourth inventions, in which the interior of the container body is divided into two upper and lower storage sections by a partition wall, and an opening is formed in the side wall of each storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the first invention of the present application, the opening area of ​​the opening of the container body can be adjusted by axially moving the first and second cylindrical bodies, which are independently movable, so that the opening area can be adjusted in two ways: by moving the first and second cylindrical bodies together, or by moving them independently. Furthermore, because the first and second cylindrical bodies can be moved independently in the vertical direction, one can be used as a stopper for the other.

[0015] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first cylindrical body can be firmly fixed in contact with the step portion by bringing the lower end of the first cylindrical body into contact with the step portion formed on the lower side of the container body and then pressing the first cylindrical body against the step portion. Also, the second cylindrical body can be firmly fixed in contact with the step portion by bringing the upper end of the second cylindrical body into contact with the step portion formed on the upper side of the container body and then pressing the second cylindrical body against the step portion.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the step portion at at least one of the upper and lower ends of the container body can be easily formed by attaching a lid body having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the side wall of the container body. Furthermore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the ring-shaped sealing member prevents undesired leakage of the fragrance substance from between the step portion on the lower side of the container body and the first cylindrical body, between the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body, and between the second cylindrical body and the step portion on the upper side of the container body.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body can be rotated individually in the circumferential direction, and as a result of this rotation, the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body can be moved individually in the axial direction. Furthermore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by making the height of the first cylinder greater than the height of the second cylinder, it is possible to reduce the amount of change in the opening area that expands when only the second cylinder is moved to the top from a state in which the opening is fully closed by the first cylinder and the second cylinder, and to increase the amount of change in the opening area that expands when the first cylinder is moved from this state until it abuts against the second cylinder.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the first cylindrical body is covering the first region at the bottom, the second cylindrical body can move in the axial direction of the container body to selectively cover the second region and the third region, and when the second cylindrical body is covering the third region at the top, the first cylindrical body can move in the axial direction of the container body to selectively cover the first region and the second region. Furthermore, according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the first and second cylindrical bodies cover the area where the opening is formed, the fragrance container is in a fully closed state, and by moving the first and second cylindrical bodies together or individually from this state, the opening can be selectively opened to adjust the strength of the fragrance.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, by making the opening areas of the openings formed in the two regions different from each other, it is possible to make different the amount of fragrance substance released from the openings that are selectively opened by integral or individual movement of the first and second cylindrical bodies. Furthermore, according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the positions of the first and second cylindrical bodies at which two or more openings formed in parallel in the axial direction of the container body begin to open can be made different, and the opening area can be gradually increased in relation to the amount of movement of the first and second cylindrical bodies.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the 11th aspect of the present invention, the interior of the container body is divided into two upper and lower storage sections by a partition wall, and by filling each storage section with a different fragrance substance, different fragrance substances can be selectively released in accordance with the movement of the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are perspective and cross-sectional views of a scent capsule 100. [Figure 2] This is an assembly diagram showing the body 110, first cylindrical body 120, second cylindrical body 130, bottom lid 140, and top lid 150 of the scent capsule 100. [Figure 3] This is an exploded view of the body 110 of the fragrance capsule 100 in which openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed. [Figure 4] These are oblique and side views showing the procedure for continuously adjusting the opening area of ​​openings 112a, 112b, and 112c by moving the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 of the fragrance capsule 100 together. [Figure 5] This is a graph showing the relationship between the lift amount h and the opening width Y and the relationship between the lift amount h and the opening area S when the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 of the fragrance capsule 100 are moved together. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are perspective and side views showing a procedure for adjusting the opening area by moving the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 individually. [Figure 7] This is an assembled view of a scent capsule 200 with triangular openings 212a, 212b, and 212c formed therein. [Figure 8] This is an exploded view of the body 210 of the scent capsule 200, in which openings 212a, 212b, and 212c are formed. [Figure 9]These are oblique and side views showing the procedure for adjusting the opening area of ​​openings 212a, 212b, and 212c by moving the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 20 of the scent capsule 200 together. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the lift amount h and the opening width Y, and the lift amount h and the opening area S when the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230 of the fragrance capsule 200 are moved integrally. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are perspective and side views showing a procedure for adjusting the opening area by moving the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230 individually. [Figure 12] This is an exploded view of the body 310 of the fragrance capsule 300, which has round openings 312, 312, 312, ... formed therein. [Figure 13] 10 is a side view showing a procedure for adjusting the numerical aperture of openings 312, 312, 312, . . . by moving first cylindrical body 320 and second cylindrical body 330. FIG. [Figure 14] 4A and 4B are a cross-sectional view and a development view of a fragrance capsule 400 in which the side wall of the body 410 is divided into a first region 410X, a second region 410Y, and a third region 410Z. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are perspective and side views showing a procedure for adjusting the opening area by moving the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 integrally or individually. [Figure 16] This is an oblique view and a cross-sectional view of a fragrance capsule 500 in which the inside of the body 510 is divided into a first storage section 510A and a second storage section 510B by a partition 515, and openings 512, 512, 512 and openings 513, 513, 513 are formed in each side wall. [Figure 17] This is a side view showing the procedure for opening and closing the openings 512, 512, 512 and openings 513, 513, 513 by individually moving the first cylindrical body 520 and the second cylindrical body 530 of the scent capsule 500. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG. Figure 1 is an oblique view showing a fragrance capsule (fragrance container) 100 relating to the first embodiment and a cross-sectional view of the fragrance capsule 100, and Figure 2 is an assembly diagram showing the body 110, first cylindrical body 120, second cylindrical body 130, lower lid (lid body) 140, and upper lid (lid body) 150 that constitute the fragrance capsule 100. As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the fragrance capsule 100 consists of a cylindrical container body 100A having openings 112a, 112b, and 112c, and an adjustment part (opening / closing means) 100B attached to the outer periphery of the side wall of the container body 100A to open and close the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c.

[0023] 1 and 2, the container body 100A of the scent capsule 100 is composed of a cylindrical body 110 with a male thread 111 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall, a lower lid 140 with a female thread 141 formed on the inner peripheral surface, and an upper lid 150 with a female thread 151 formed on the inner peripheral surface. Here, the side wall of the body 110 becomes the side wall of the container body 100A. In the container body 100A, the male thread 111 at the lower end of the body 110 and the female thread 141 of the bottom lid 140 are screwed together to form the bottom. With the bottom formed in this manner, the sponge 10 permeated with a fragrance substance (such as perfume) is placed inside the body 110, and then the male screw 111 at the top end of the body 110 is screwed into the female screw 151 of the top lid 150 to close the container body 100A. The top surface of the top lid 150 is provided with an insertion hole through which the strap 1 is passed when the scent capsule 100 is used as a pendant top. In the following description, for ease of explanation, the sponge 10 will not be described or illustrated.

[0024] 1(B), the outer diameter of the bottom lid 140 that forms the bottom of the container body 100A is larger than the outer diameter of the side wall of the body 110, so that a step is created when the bottom lid 140 is screwed onto the lower end of the body 110. This step becomes the step portion 140A between the body 110 and the bottom lid 140. The outer diameter of the top lid 150 is also larger than the outer diameter of the side wall of the body 110, so that a step created when the top lid 150 is screwed onto the upper end of the body 110 becomes the step portion 150A between the body 110 and the top lid 150.

[0025] The adjustment section 100B of the fragrance capsule 100 is composed of a first cylindrical body 120 inserted into the outer periphery of the side wall of the container body 100A (the side wall of the trunk portion 110), and a second cylindrical body 130 inserted into the outer periphery of the side wall of the container body 100A above this first cylindrical body 120 (Figure 1). A female screw 121 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first cylindrical body 120, and the female screw 121 is screwed into the male screw 111 of the trunk portion 110 when the first cylindrical body 120 is inserted into the container main body 100A. A female screw 131 is also formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical body 130, and the female screw 131 screws into the male screw 111 of the trunk portion 110 when the second cylindrical body 130 is inserted into the container main body 100A.

[0026] In the fragrance capsule 100 configured in this manner, when the first cylindrical body 120 rotates clockwise as viewed from above in Figure 1, the first cylindrical body 120 moves downward (descends) relative to the body 110, and when it rotates counterclockwise, it moves upward (ascends). Similarly, when the second cylindrical body 130 rotates clockwise as viewed from above in FIG. 1, the second cylindrical body 130 moves downward (descends) relative to the body 110, and when it rotates counterclockwise, it moves upward (rises).

[0027] When the first cylindrical body 120 moves in the up and down direction, the female thread 121 remains engaged with the male thread 111 of the trunk 110. When the second cylindrical body 130 moves in the up and down direction, the female thread 131 remains engaged with the male thread 111 of the trunk 110. Therefore, when the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 rise / fall, the fragrance substance does not unnecessarily leak out from between the first cylindrical body 120 and the body 110, or between the second cylindrical body 130 and the body 110.

[0028] In this fragrance capsule 100, as the first cylindrical body 120 continues to rotate clockwise, the first cylindrical body 120 abuts against the step portion 140A on the side of the lower lid 140. If the first cylindrical body 120 continues to rotate clockwise in this state, the first cylindrical body 120 is pressed firmly against the step portion 140A, and the first cylindrical body 120 is firmly fixed at the bottom. At this time, the step portion 140A functions as a stopper that prohibits the clockwise rotation of the first cylindrical body 120.

[0029] When the second cylindrical body 130 continues to rotate clockwise while the first cylindrical body 120 is fixed at the bottom, the second cylindrical body 130 comes into contact with the upper end of the first cylindrical body 120 at the bottom. When the second cylindrical body 130 is further rotated clockwise in this state, the second cylindrical body 130 is pressed firmly against the upper end of the first cylindrical body 120. At this time, the first cylindrical body 120 functions as a stopper that prohibits the clockwise rotation of the second cylindrical body 130.

[0030] In order to raise the first and second cylindrical bodies 120 and 130 from a state in which the first cylindrical body 120 is pressed against the step portion 140A and the second cylindrical body 130 is pressed against the first cylindrical body 120 and fixed at the bottom, first, only the second cylindrical body 130 is rotated counterclockwise to raise it. This raising loosens the space between the second cylindrical body 130 and the first cylindrical body 120. When the second cylindrical body 130 and the first cylindrical body 120 are rotated counterclockwise together in this loosened state, the space between the first cylindrical body 120 and the step portion 140A is loosened. Thereafter, when the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are rotated together counterclockwise while maintaining a loose connection between them, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 move together in the axial direction of the body 110 (rising).

[0031] When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 rise together and reach the desired position, rotating only the second cylindrical body 130 counterclockwise will cause the second cylindrical body 130 to be pressed against the first cylindrical body 120. At this time, the first cylindrical body 120 is prevented from rotating counterclockwise by the second cylindrical body 130 (the second cylindrical body 130 functions as a stopper). As a result, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are firmly fixed at this desired position.

[0032] When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are fixed in the desired position and only the second cylindrical body 130 is rotated counterclockwise again, the space between the second cylindrical body 130 and the first cylindrical body 120 is loosened again, and both the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 become rotatable. Here, when the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are rotated counterclockwise together while keeping the gap between them loose, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 move upward (rise) together again.

[0033] As the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 continue to rotate counterclockwise together, and the upper end of the second cylindrical body 130 abuts against the step portion 150A on the top cover 150 side, the second cylindrical body 130 is first pressed firmly against the step portion 150A, making it unable to rotate and firmly fixed in this position. When the second cylindrical body 130 is in contact with and fixed to the step portion 150A and the first cylindrical body 120 is further rotated counterclockwise, the upper end of the first cylindrical body 120 comes into contact with the lower end of the second cylindrical body 130, and as the first cylindrical body 120 continues to rotate counterclockwise, the first cylindrical body 120 is pressed firmly against the lower end of the second cylindrical body 130, and as a result, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are firmly fixed at the top.

[0034] If you want to move the second cylindrical body 130 and the first cylindrical body 120 downward again from a state in which they are firmly fixed at the top, first rotate the first cylindrical body 120 clockwise to loosen the gap between the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130, and then rotate the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 together, and the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 will descend together in the axial direction of the body 110. When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are in the desired positions, if only the second cylindrical body 130 continues to rotate clockwise, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 will be firmly fixed in this desired position. The same effect occurs if only the first cylindrical body 120 is rotated counterclockwise.

[0035] In this fragrance capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 can be fixed on the lower lid 140 side (lowest part) by the step portion 140A, and the second cylindrical body 130 can be fixed on the upper lid 150 side (top part) by the step portion 150A. Specifically, by continuing to rotate only the first cylindrical body 120 clockwise, the first cylindrical body 120 moves downward until it abuts against the step portion 140A, and after abutting, by further rotating the first cylindrical body 120 clockwise, the first cylindrical body 120 is pressed firmly against the step portion 140A and is firmly fixed in this position (bottom). On the other hand, by continuing to rotate only the second cylindrical body 130 counterclockwise, the second cylindrical body 130 moves upward until it abuts against the step portion 150A, and after abutting, by further rotating the second cylindrical body 130 counterclockwise, the second cylindrical body 130 is pressed firmly against the step portion 150A and fixed in this position (top).

[0036] In the fragrance capsule 100, the height of the second cylindrical body 130 is lower than the height of the first cylindrical body 120 for the following reason. In the aroma capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 function as stops for each other, and are structured so that they can be firmly fixed together at a desired position. A person using the scent capsule 100 typically holds the container in his / her hand and rotates the adjustment part 100B (first cylindrical body 120, second cylindrical body 130) from above. In this case, if the first cylinder 120 and the second cylinder 130 are moved together to a desired position and then fixed at this desired position, it is easier to rotate them using the upper second cylinder 130 as a stopper, and if they are to be rotated, it is better for the second cylinder 130 to be low in height. For this reason, the second cylinder 130 is lower in height than the first cylinder 120.

[0037] Also, when loosening the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 that are fixed to each other as stoppers at a desired position, it is easier to rotate the upper second cylindrical body 130 counterclockwise.

[0038] The height of the second cylindrical body 130 is low and the height of the first cylindrical body 120 is high for the following reason. In other words, when gradually adjusting the fragrance intensity using the fragrance capsule 100 described below (adjusting the fragrance intensity by moving the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 individually), the rate at which the opening area increases when the second cylindrical body 130 is raised from a half-open state to a fully open state can be made relatively larger than the opening area when only the first cylindrical body 120 is raised from a fully closed state to a half-open state (making it possible to adjust the fragrance intensity in a manner approximating the Weber-Fechner law described below).

[0039] In addition, a gasket 161 is arranged between the upper end of the lower cover 140 and the lower end of the first cylindrical body 120, a gasket 162 is arranged between the upper end of the first cylindrical body 120 and the lower end of the second cylindrical body 130, and a gasket 163 is arranged between the upper end of the second cylindrical body 130 and the lower end of the upper cover 150. By arranging the gaskets 161, 162, and 163 in this manner, there are no gaps between the lower lid 140 and the first cylindrical body 120, between the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130, and between the second cylindrical body 130 and the upper lid 150, thereby preventing the fragrance substance from leaking out unnecessarily.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a development view of the body 110 having rectangular openings 112a, 112b, and 112c of different heights formed in the side wall. Here, the side wall of the body 110 is divided into a first region 110X and a second region 110Y, and openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed in the first region 110X. The upper ends (upper in Figure 3) of rectangular openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are located on the same circumference of cylindrical body 110, but the positions of their lower ends are different from each other (Figure 3). In fragrance capsule 100, when first cylindrical body 120 and second cylindrical body 130 rise from a fully closed state and the openings begin to open, openings 112a, 112b, and 112c begin to open from the bottom in Figure 3.

[0041] The height of the first region 110X in which the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed is smaller than the sum of the heights of the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130, and when the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are fixed together at the bottom, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can completely close the three openings 112a, 112b, and 112c (Figure 4(A)(a)).

[0042] Here, the adjustment of the fragrance strength of the fragrance capsule 100 will be described in detail. When the scent capsule 100 is not in use (when the scent is blocked), the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are fixed at the bottom and the openings 112a, 112b, 112c are all closed (fully closed state). To emit fragrance from the fragrance capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130, which are fixed at the bottom, are rotated counterclockwise together, and as the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 rotate, the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c begin to open sequentially.

[0043] Specifically, when the fragrance capsule 100 is in a fully closed state, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are firmly fixed at the bottom, but in order to rotate the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 counterclockwise from this state, the second cylindrical body 130 is first rotated counterclockwise to loosen the gap between the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130.

[0044] After the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are loosened, if the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are rotated counterclockwise together, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 will move upward together (rise). When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 start to rise together, opening 112a begins to open first (Figure 4(B)(b)), and as they continue to rotate counterclockwise, opening 112b begins to open (Figure 4(C)(c)), and finally opening 112c begins to open.

[0045] When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are in the desired positions, by rotating only the second cylindrical body 130 in the opposite direction (clockwise), the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are firmly fixed in this desired position. When the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 fixed in the desired position are to be rotated together again, only the second cylindrical body 130 is rotated counterclockwise to loosen the gap between it and the first cylindrical body 120.

[0046] If the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 continue to rotate counterclockwise together, the opening area S continues to increase according to the amount of movement (lift amount), and by the time the second cylindrical body 130 abuts against the step portion 150A of the upper cover 150, the openings 112a, 112b, 112c are fully open (Figure 4(D)(d)). In this way, in the capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved integrally and continuously in the vertical direction in a stepless manner from the fully closed state (Figure 4(A)(a)) to the fully open state (Figure 4(D)(d)). FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the lift amount of the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 (the movement amount of the lower end of the first cylindrical body 120), the opening width Y of the opening, and the opening area S.

[0047] In the scent capsule 100, the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed as rectangles of different lengths (FIG. 3), and therefore the opening start positions of the openings are different from one another (h0, h1, h2). Once opening begins, the opening areas of the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c subsequently expand as the lift amount h increases. 5(B), only opening 112a is open from ho to h1, openings 112a and 112b are open from h1 to h2, and openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are open from h2 onwards. At this time, the opening area S of openings 112a, 112b, and 112c is overlapped in order, and increases along the broken line shown by the solid line in the figure.

[0048] It is known that the amount of scent actually released is not proportional to the scent intensity perceived by humans, but follows the Weber-Fechner law, which states that human olfactory sensitivity is proportional to the logarithm of the substance concentration (δ in Figure 5(B)). In the fragrance capsule 100, the opening area S gradually increases along the broken line formed by overlapping three straight lines (the dotted and dashed lines in Figure 5(B) overlap), so it can be made closer to the curve δ of the Weber-Fechner law than if the opening were a rectangle of the same height (the dashed line in Figure 5(B)). As a result, the fragrance capsule 100 allows the user to feel that the strength of the fragrance is proportional to the amount of vertical movement (lift amount h) of the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130.

[0049] In this way, with the fragrance capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved up and down together to adjust the fragrance intensity continuously and finely in a stepless manner, but the user of the fragrance capsule 100 may also want to adjust the fragrance intensity in discontinuous steps, for example, from a fully closed state to a half-open state to a fully open state. Therefore, in the fragrance capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved vertically together to allow for continuous, fine adjustment of the fragrance intensity in a stepless manner, while also allowing for gradual, discontinuous adjustment (gradual switching between fully closed, half-open, and fully open states). The reason why it is possible to switch between stepless continuous adjustment and stepwise discontinuous adjustment in this way is that in the fragrance capsule 100, the opening area of ​​the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c is adjusted using two cylindrical bodies, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a perspective view and a side view showing a method for adjusting the scent intensity stepwise and discontinuously by moving the first cylinder 120 and the second cylinder 130 independently. The first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved individually in the following ways (i) to (iii). (i) The first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are fixed at the bottom (FIG. 6(A)(a)). At this time, the first region 110X in which the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed is closed (fully closed) by the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body . (ii) The first cylindrical body 120 is fixed at the bottom and the second cylindrical body 130 is fixed at the top, and they are fixed separately (FIG. 6(B(b)) At this time, a part of the upper side of the first region 110X in which the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed is exposed (half-open). At this time (iii) Fix the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 at the top (FIG. 6(C)(c)). (c)) At this time, the first region 110X in which the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c are formed is entirely exposed (fully opened).

[0051] By switching the positions at which the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are fixed as shown in (i) to (iii), the fragrance capsule 100 can be switched between (i) a fully closed state, (ii) a half-open state, and (iii) a fully open state, thereby enabling the fragrance intensity to be adjusted in a gradual and discontinuous manner. Here, in state (i), the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 are both rotated clockwise to the bottom, and the first cylindrical body 120 abuts against and is fixed to the step portion 140A, and the second cylindrical body 130 abuts against and is fixed to the first cylindrical body 120. In the state (ii), the first cylindrical body 120 is rotated clockwise to the bottom and abuts against the step portion 140A and is fixed there, and the second cylindrical body 130 is rotated counterclockwise and abuts against the step portion 150A and is fixed there. In the state (iii), the second cylindrical body 130 and the first cylindrical body 120 are rotated counterclockwise to the top, and the second cylindrical body 130 abuts against the step portion 150A and is fixed thereto, and the first cylindrical body 120 abuts against the second cylindrical body 130 and is fixed thereto.

[0052] As mentioned above, the height of the second cylindrical body 130 is lower than the height of the first cylindrical body 120, so the opening area S that opens when only the second cylindrical body 130 is moved to the top from the fully closed state shown in Figure 6(A)(a) is relatively small because it is only a part of the area that was covered by the second cylindrical body 130 in the fully closed state (Figure 6(b)).

[0053] When the state transitions from the half-open state to the fully-open state, all of the openings 112a, 112b, and 112c that were covered by the first cylindrical body 120 in the half-open state are opened, and the opening area S increases by the amount that the first cylindrical body 120 is taller than the second cylindrical body 130 (Figure 6(c)). As a result, compared to the amount of fragrance released when the valve is half-open, a larger amount of fragrance is released when the valve is fully open (the opening area S increases dramatically), so even when adjusting the fragrance intensity in a gradual and discontinuous manner, it is possible to adjust the fragrance intensity in accordance with Weber-Fechner's law by increasing the amount of fragrance released relatively when transitioning from the half-open state to the fully open state.

[0054] As described above, in the first embodiment of the fragrance capsule 100, the first cylindrical body 120 and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved vertically together to allow for continuous, fine adjustment of the fragrance intensity in a stepless manner. However, since the first cylindrical body 120 can be moved and fixed individually toward the step portion 140A (lower lid 140), and the second cylindrical body 130 can be moved and fixed individually toward the step portion 150A (upper lid 150), it is also possible to adjust the fragrance intensity in a stepwise, discontinuous manner, such as from a fully closed state to a half-open state to a fully open state.

[0055] Next, a fragrance capsule 200 according to a first modified example of the first embodiment will be described. In the scent capsule 200, the body 210, the lower lid 240, and the upper lid 250 form the container body 200A, and the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230 form the adjustment part 200B (Figure 9(A)). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the scent capsule 200 has isosceles triangular openings 212a, 212b, and 212c of different heights formed in the first region 210X. The three openings 212a, 212b, and 212c are isosceles triangles with the same base length a and different heights b (b1, b2, and b3). The isosceles triangles of openings 212a, 212b, and 212c are located on the same circumference of the side wall of body 210, which has a cylindrical base. In addition, in the scent capsule 200, a gasket 261 is embedded in the upper end of the lower lid 240, a gasket 262 is embedded in the upper end of the first cylindrical body 220, and a gasket 263 is embedded in the upper end of the second cylindrical body 230. In Fig. 9, reference numeral 211 denotes a male screw, and reference numerals 221, 231, 241, and 251 also denote male screws. Reference numerals 240A and 250A denote stepped portions. This scent capsule 200 differs from the scent capsule 100 in the shape of the openings 212a, 212b, and 212c and the way the packing is provided, but the rest of the configuration is the same, so detailed explanation of the other components will be omitted.

[0056] FIG. 9 is a perspective view and a side view showing how triangular openings 212a, 212b, and 212c open when first cylindrical body 220 and second cylindrical body 230 move together in the vertical direction. When the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230 move up and down together, as the amount of movement (lift amount h of the bottom of the first cylindrical body 220) increases, the opening width Y of the openings 212a, 212b, 212c increases proportionally as shown in FIG. 10(A). As a result, as the lift amount increases (h0 → h1 → h2), the opening area S increases exponentially.

[0057] In this case, the opening area S gradually increases as the lift amount h increases, from one quadratic curve, to a curve made up of two overlapping quadratic curves, to a curve made up of three overlapping quadratic curves, and so on. In this way, by increasing the opening area S relative to the lift amount h according to a curve that is a succession of three quadratic curves, it becomes possible to adjust the fragrance strength in accordance with the Weber-Fechner law even more than with the fragrance capsule 100.

[0058] Figure 11 is an oblique view and a side view showing the procedure for adjusting the opening area in a fragrance capsule 200 having triangular openings 212a, 212b, and 212c in a stepwise and discontinuous manner by individually moving the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230. In the fragrance capsule 200, by fixing the first cylindrical body 220 and the second cylindrical body 230 at the lowest part, the first region 210X of the body 210 is blocked and the openings 212a, 212b, 212c are fully closed. From this state, when only the second cylindrical body 230 is rotated counterclockwise and pressed against the step portion 250A between the second cylindrical body 230 and the top cover 250 to fix it, the portions of the openings 212a, 212b, 212c that were closed by the second cylindrical body 230 (Figure 11(b)) open, and the fragrance substance is released from these portions (half-open state).

[0059] Furthermore, when the first cylindrical body 220 is rotated counterclockwise and pressed against the second cylindrical body 230, which is already fixed at the top, and fixed in place, the openings 212a, 212b, 212c, which were partially closed by the first cylindrical body 220 in the half-open state, open (fully open state), and the fragrant substance is released (Figure 11(c)).

[0060] Next, a fragrance capsule 300 according to a second modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 12, the scent capsule 300 has a first region 310X and a second region 310Y on the side wall of the body 310, and the first region 310X has a large number of round openings 312, 312, 312, . . . formed therein. The number of round openings 312, 312, 312, . . . in the cylindrical body 310 increases from the bottom to the top of the body 310 in the drawing. When the first cylindrical body 320 and the second cylindrical body 330 are moved upward as a unit, the number of circular openings 312, 312, 312, . . . that are opened increases according to the amount of lift (FIGS. 13(A) to (D)).

[0061] In this fragrance capsule 300, the first cylindrical body 320 and the second cylindrical body 330 can be moved individually from the fully closed state (Fig. 13(A)) to fix the first cylindrical body 320 on the lower lid 340 side (lowest part) and the second cylindrical body 330 on the upper lid 350 side (top part) (Fig. 13(E)). At this time, only the round openings 312, 312, 312, ... formed at the top are open. Therefore, with this fragrance capsule 300, the first cylindrical body 320 and the second cylindrical body 330 are fixed at the bottom to be in a fully closed state (Figure 13(A)), and then only the second cylindrical body 330 is fixed at the top to be in a half-open state (Figure 13(E)), and by pressing and fixing the first cylindrical body 320 against the second cylindrical body 330 fixed at the top, the round openings 312, 312, 312, ... can be made fully open (Figure 13(D)).

[0062] (Second embodiment) Next, a scent capsule 400 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In this scent capsule 400, the container body is also composed of a trunk portion 410, a lower lid 440, and an upper lid 450, and the adjustment portion is composed of a first cylindrical body 420 and a second cylindrical body 430. The side wall of the body 410 of the scent capsule 400 is divided into three regions: a first region 410X, a second region 410Y, and a third region 410Z. The height of the first cylindrical body 420 is determined so as to be able to cover the first region 410X and the second region 410Y (1 / 3 of the height of the exposed side wall). The height of second cylindrical body 430 is determined so as to cover second region 410Y and third region 410Z (1 / 3 of the height of the exposed side wall).

[0063] As a result, when the first cylinder 420 and the second cylinder 430 move up and down in the axial direction together, the second region 410Y is always covered by both or either the first cylinder 420 and the second cylinder 430. In the fragrance capsule 400, the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 are rotated integrally to continuously and finely adjust the fragrance strength in a stepless manner, so the openings (triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c) for continuously and steplessly adjusting the fragrance strength must be provided in the first region 410X or the third region 410Z.

[0064] On the other hand, in order to adjust the scent strength in a stepwise and discontinuous manner in scent capsule 400, openings 413, 413, 413 that open alternatively to openings 412a, 412b, 412c provided in first region 410X must be provided in second region 410Y. If openings were formed in first region 410X and third region 410Z, it would be impossible to adjust the scent strength in a stepless and continuous manner by rotating first cylindrical body 420 and second cylindrical body 430 together.

[0065] In this aroma capsule 400, triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c are formed in a first region 410X of the body 410, and rectangular openings 413, 413, 413 . . . are formed in a second region 410Y. Here, the number of rectangular openings 413, 413, 413... is greater than the number of triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c, and each opening is larger. Note that the other configurations are the same as those of the scent capsule 100 of the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In the fragrance capsule 400 configured in this manner, when the first cylindrical body 420 is pressed and fixed at the bottom against the step portion 440A on the lower lid 440 side, and the second cylindrical body 430 is pressed and fixed against the upper end of the first cylindrical body 420, the triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c of the first region 410X and the rectangular openings 413, 413, 413... of the second region 410Y are all closed (fully closed state in Figures 14 and 15(A)(a)).

[0067] From this state, when the first cylinder 420 and the second cylinder 430 are rotated counterclockwise together and moved upward, the triangular openings 412a, 412b, and 412c begin to open sequentially according to the amount of lift (Figure 15(A) → (B) → (C), (a) → (b) → (c)). As a result, when the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 rotate integrally and are pulled up, the opening area increases continuously and exponentially in a stepless manner according to the lift amount (see FIG. 10).

[0068] When the second cylindrical body 430 and the first cylindrical body 420 reach the top on the upper lid 450 side (abutting against the step portion 450A) and all of the triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c are open (Figure 16(C)(c)), if only the first cylindrical body 420 is rotated clockwise to the bottom and fixed in a pressed position against the step portion 440A of the lower lid 440, the triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c, which were fully open, become fully closed, and the square openings 413, 413, 413..., which were previously covered by the first cylindrical body 420, become fully open.

[0069] In this way, in the fragrance capsule 400, by moving the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 vertically together, the triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c can be continuously changed in a stepless manner, thereby changing the fragrance intensity exponentially and making it possible to adjust the fragrance intensity in accordance with the Weber-Fechner law. On the other hand, since the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 can also be moved individually, for example, the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 can be fixed at the bottom to be in a fully closed state, and the first cylindrical body 420 and the second cylindrical body 430 can be raised to the top and fixed to be in a fully closed state, leaving only the triangular openings 412a, 412b, 412c with relatively small opening areas open (Figure 15(C)(c)), and then the first cylindrical body 420 can be fixed at the bottom and the second cylindrical body 430 at the top individually to fully open the square openings 413, 413, 413... with relatively large opening areas (Figure 15(D)(d)). In this way, the fragrance strength can be adjusted in a gradual and discontinuous manner.

[0070] (Third embodiment) Next, a scent capsule 500 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 and 17. In Figures 16 and 17, in order to simply show the configuration of the body 510, the male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body 510 and the female threads formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the first cylindrical body 520, the second cylindrical body 530, the lower lid 540, and the upper lid 550 are omitted. Also, in the fragrance capsule 500, as in the first and second embodiments, the container body is formed by the body 510, the lower lid 540, and the upper lid 550, and the adjustment section is formed by the first cylindrical body 520 and the second cylindrical body 530. As shown in Figure 16, the interior of the body 510 of this fragrance capsule 500 is divided into a first storage section 510A and a second storage section 510B by a partition (divider) 515, and openings 512, 512, 512 and openings 513, 513, 513 are formed in the side walls of each of the first storage section 510A and the second storage section 510B, respectively.

[0071] In this fragrance capsule 500, when the first cylindrical body 520 rotates clockwise, the male thread (not shown) of the body 510 and the female thread (not shown) of the first cylindrical body 520 are threaded together, so that the first cylindrical body 520 descends until it abuts against the step portion 540A on the lower lid 540 side, and then the first cylindrical body 520 is pressed against the step portion 540A and fixed in place. On the other hand, as second cylindrical body 530 continues to rotate counterclockwise, the male thread of body 510 and the female thread (not shown) of second cylindrical body 530 are threaded together, so that second cylindrical body 530 descends until it abuts against step portion 550A on the top cover 550 side, and then second cylindrical body 530 is pressed against step portion 550A and fixed in place. At this time, first cylindrical body 520 closes openings 512a, 512a, 512a, and second cylindrical body 530 closes openings 512b, 512b, 512b, so that scent capsule 500 is in a fully closed state (FIG. 17(A)).

[0072] When the second cylindrical body 530 is rotated clockwise from the fully closed state shown in Figure 17(A) and moved downward until it abuts the first cylindrical body 520, the openings 513, 513, 513 become fully open and the fragrance substance (not shown) contained in the second storage section 510B is released to the outside (Figure 17(B)). Conversely, when the first cylindrical body 520 is rotated counterclockwise from the fully closed state shown in Figure 17(A) and moved upward until it abuts the second cylindrical body 530, the openings 512, 512, 512 become fully open and the fragrance substance (not shown) contained in the first storage section 510A is released to the outside (Figure 17(C)).

[0073] In this fragrance capsule 500, body 510 is divided into first storage section 510A and second storage section 510B by partition 515, and either section can be selectively opened by individually moving first cylindrical body 520 and second cylindrical body 530.Therefore, by storing fragrance substances with different components in first storage section 510A and second storage section 510B, two different fragrances can be selectively released to the outside. Furthermore, by making the opening areas of openings 512, 512, 512 and openings 513, 513, 513 formed in first storage section 510A and second storage section 510B, respectively, different, it is possible to make the strength of the fragrance different when first storage section 510A is opened and when second storage section 510B is opened.

[0074] In the first to third embodiments, examples are shown in which the container body 100A, 400A of the fragrance capsule is composed of a body 110, a lower lid 140, and an upper lid 150, but either the upper end or the lower end of the container body 100A may be integrally molded with the body 110, and either the upper lid or the lower lid may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 sponge 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Scent Capsules (Scent Containers) 100A container body 100B Adjustment part 110,210,310,410,510 Torso 112a, 112b, 112c opening 120,220,320,420,520 First cylinder 130,230,330,430,530 Second cylinder 140,240,340,440,540 Lower lid (lid body) 150,250,350,450,550 Upper lid (lid body) 140A, 240A, 440A, 540A step 150A, 250A, 450A, 550A Stepped section 161, 162, 163 Packing (sealing material) 212a,212b,212c opening 312 Opening 412a,412b,412c opening 413 Opening 510A, 510B storage section 512a,512b,512c,512d opening 515 Bulkhead 540A, 550A step

Claims

1. a container body having a cylindrical side wall with an opening formed therein; a first cylindrical body having an inner wall with an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the side wall, the first cylindrical body being inserted into the side wall of the container body; a second cylindrical body having an inner wall with an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the side wall, the second cylindrical body being inserted into the side wall of the container body above the first cylindrical body; A fragrance container characterized in that the opening area of ​​the opening is adjusted by moving the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body in the axial direction of the side wall.

2. a step portion that contacts the lower end of the first cylindrical body is provided on the lower side of the container body; 2. The scent container according to claim 1, wherein a step portion is provided on the upper side of the container body so as to contact the upper end of the second cylindrical body.

3. At least one of the upper end and the lower end of the container body is openable, 3. The scent container according to claim 2, wherein the step portion is formed by attaching a lid having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the side wall to at least one of the openable upper and lower ends.

4. The fragrance container described in claim 2, characterized in that ring-shaped sealing members are arranged between the lower step portion of the container body and the first cylindrical body, between the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body, and between the second cylindrical body and the upper step portion of the container body.

5. the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body are inserted and attached to the side wall so as to be rotatable in a circumferential direction, a male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall of the container body; a female screw thread that screws into the male screw thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first cylindrical body; a female screw thread that screws into the male screw thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical body; 5. The fragrance container according to claim 1, wherein the first cylindrical body and the second cylindrical body rotate in the circumferential direction of the side wall, thereby moving the side wall in the axial direction.

6. 5. The scent container according to claim 1, wherein the height of the second cylindrical body is lower than the height of the first cylindrical body.

7. The outer peripheral surface of the side wall is divided into a first region, a second region, and a third region from the axial lower side of the container body, the first cylindrical body is capable of covering the first region or the second region by moving in the axial direction, 5. The scent container according to claim 1, wherein the second cylindrical body is capable of covering the second region or the third region by moving in the axial direction.

8. 8. The scent container according to claim 7, wherein the openings are formed in two of the first region, the second region, and the third region.

9. The scent container according to claim 8, wherein the openings formed in the two regions have different opening areas.

10. An aroma container as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the opening consists of two or more openings extending in the axial direction of the side wall and formed in parallel, and one end of each opening in the axial direction of the side wall is on the same circumference, while the other end is at a different position from the other in the axial direction.

11. A fragrance container as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the interior of the container body is divided into a first storage section and a second storage section by a partition, and openings are formed in the side walls of the first storage section and the second storage section, respectively.

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