container with lid

Abstract

The present invention provides a container with a lid that is equipped with a child-resistant function, making it resistant to damage even when the lid is repeatedly switched from the locked to the unlocked state, and possessing excellent strength. [Solution] In a container with a lid, which consists of a container body 1 and a lid 2 that screws onto its opening, teeth 8 provided on the container body 1 and claws 9 provided on the lid 2 form a ratchet mechanism, the teeth 8 protrude from the outer surface of the opening of the container body 1, which has a male screw 6, and the lid 2 has a pivoting part 12 that extends outward from the upper end of the peripheral wall 4, between notches 11 from the lower end of the peripheral wall 4, which has a female screw 7 that screws onto the male screw 6, and claws 9 protrude from the inner surface of the pivoting part 12, and a lever 14 extends upward from the outer end of the pivoting part 12, so that when the lever 14 is pressed from a state in which the teeth 8 and claws 9 are engaged and the lid 2 is locked, the pivoting part 12 moves outward, and the engagement between the teeth 8 and claws 9 is released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a container with a lid having a child resistance function.

Background Art

[0002] As a container with a lid having a child resistance function that prevents infants from opening the lid by mischief and putting the contents into their mouths, Patent Document 1 below describes a container as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 9, this container with a lid consists of a container body 51 and a lid 52 that is screwed onto the upper part thereof. When the lid 52 is rotated in the direction of tightening it against the container body 51, the lid 52 is locked so that it cannot be opened. Also, when the upper and lower parts of a pair of levers 53 provided on the lid 52 are respectively pressed, the lock of the lid 52 is released, and while maintaining that state, when the lid 52 is rotated in the direction of loosening it against the container body 51, the lid 52 can be opened.

[0004] The child resistance function is realized by utilizing the characteristic of the developmental stage that infants are not good at performing an act that achieves the purpose of opening the lid 52 by a combination of two operations of turning the lid 52 while pressing the lever 53.

[0005] In this container with a lid, as shown in FIG. 10, the container body 51 has a shape in which the mouth part 55 is constricted via a shoulder part 54 forming a step, and the lid 52 is supposed to have an inner peripheral wall 57 spaced inward from the outer peripheral wall 56. And a male screw 58 on the outer periphery of the mouth part 55 of the container body 51 and a female screw 59 on the inner peripheral wall 57 of the lid 52 are screwed together.

[0006] The lever 53 is formed by cutting into the outer circumferential wall 56 of the lid 52 and swings with a connecting portion 62 located in the middle of the vertical direction as the pivot point. Locking and unlocking the container body 51 and the lid 52 is performed by a ratchet mechanism consisting of teeth 60 rising from the shoulder portion 54 of the container body 51 and claws 61 hanging down from the flange portion on the inside of the lever 53 of the lid 52. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7316852 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Incidentally, in the case of a lidded container like the one described above, which is a molded plastic product, repeatedly pressing the lever 53 can cause a twisting force to repeatedly act on the thin connecting part 62, which acts as the pivot point for the swing, potentially causing the connecting part 62 to break prematurely. Also, attempting to forcibly open the lid 52 while it is locked may cause the teeth 60 or claws 61 to break.

[0009] Therefore, this invention aims to provide a container with a lid that has a child-resistant function, is resistant to damage even when the lid is repeatedly opened and closed, and possesses excellent strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, this invention comprises a container body and a lid that screws onto its opening, wherein teeth provided on the container body and claws provided on the lid form a ratchet mechanism. In a container with a lid, when the lid is rotated in a direction that tightens it against the container body, the teeth and claws engage to lock the lid so that it cannot be opened, and when a lever integrated with the claws is pressed, the lock on the lid is released, and while maintaining that state, the lid can be opened by rotating the lid in a direction that loosens it against the container body. The aforementioned teeth are provided protruding from the outer surface of the mouth of the container body, which is equipped with male threads. The lid has a female thread that screws into the male thread, and a swivel portion is formed between the lower end of the circumferential wall, with the upper end connected to the circumferential wall and protruding outward. The claws are provided protruding from the inner surface of the swivel portion, and the lever extends upward from the outer end of the swivel portion. When the lever is pressed while the lid is locked in place by the engagement of the teeth and the claws, the oscillating part moves outward on its upper end as an axis, releasing the engagement between the teeth and the claws (Configuration 1).

[0011] Furthermore, in the container with a lid according to configuration 1, protective protrusions are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the lid, extending smoothly toward both sides of the lever (configuration 2).

[0012] Furthermore, in the lidded container of configurations 1 and 2, the teeth form a row of teeth in a series in the circumferential direction of the container body, and the claws form a row of claws in a series in the circumferential direction of the lid so as to interlock with these teeth (configuration 3).

[0013] Furthermore, in the lidded container of configuration 3, the rows of teeth are provided at multiple locations on the outer circumference of the mouth of the container body, spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the rows of claws are provided on a pivoting part formed at only one location on the peripheral wall of the lid (configuration 4). [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the lidded container according to this invention, the lid's claws, which together with the teeth of the container body constitute a ratchet mechanism, are mounted on the inner surface of a pivoting part that extends outward from the peripheral wall of the lid, with its upper end connected to the periphery wall. A lever extends upward from the outer end of the pivoting part, and the base of the pivoting part, which acts as a hinge, extends far in the circumferential direction of the lid. As a result, even if the lever used to release the lock is repeatedly pressed, the pivoting part is less likely to break at its base, resulting in a highly durable ratchet mechanism.

[0015] Furthermore, if protective protrusions are provided on the outer surface of the lid's peripheral wall that smoothly extend outwards from both sides of the lever, damage to the lever caused by accidentally hitting something with the lever when it is separated from the lid's peripheral wall, or by force being applied to the lever from the side, can be prevented.

[0016] Furthermore, by forming a row of teeth on the container body and a row of claws on the pivoting part of the lid, repeated opening and closing of the lid will not repeatedly apply large forces to specific teeth and claws, thus preventing damage to the teeth and claws.

[0017] In addition, by providing multiple rows of teeth at intervals around the circumferential direction of the container body and a row of claws at only one location on the periphery of the lid, the lid can be locked by simply rotating it slightly relative to the container body, ensuring reliable child resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the lid of a container with a lid according to an embodiment of this invention in a closed state. [Figure 2] The same as above, with the lid opened and separated from the container body, showing the container body from above and the lid from below in a perspective view. [Figure 3] Plan view of the container body and lid as seen from the opening surface. [Figure 4] Partially cut-out side view of the lid along line IV-IV in Figure 3 above. [Figure 5] A partially enlarged perspective view showing the main part of the lid side of the ratchet mechanism shown above, viewed from below. [Figure 6]Partial enlarged plan views showing the states of the ratchet mechanism above (I) before locking, (II) during locking, and (III) after locking, respectively [Figure 7] Outer side view of the container body and longitudinal sectional side view of the lid showing the state where the lid lever is pressed to unlock the ratchet mechanism above [Figure 8] Partial enlarged plan view showing the unlocked state of the ratchet mechanism above [Figure 9] Perspective view showing the state where the lid of the container with a lid described in Patent Document 1 is closed [Figure 10] Perspective views showing the container body above and the lid below, respectively

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0020] <Overall Configuration> This container with a lid is made of plastic and is composed of a container body 1 and a lid 2 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The container body 1 has a shape with a closed bottom and a cylindrical peripheral wall 3, and the lid 2 has a shape with a closed top surface and a cylindrical peripheral wall 4. The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2 is provided with an anti-slip knurling.

[0021] The upper part of the peripheral wall 3 of the container body 1 is a mouth part 5 to which the lid 2 is screwed, and a male thread 6 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth part 5. A female thread 7 that screws into the male thread 6 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2. The male thread 6 and the female thread 7 are two-start threads so that the lid 2 can be securely tightened even when the rotation angle of the lid 2 with respect to the container body 1 is small.

[0022] <Ratchet Mechanism> Locking and unlocking of the lid 2 with respect to the container body 1 are performed by a ratchet mechanism composed of teeth 8 provided on the container body 1 and claws 9 provided on the lid 2 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] (On the Container Body Side) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, one element of the ratchet mechanism, the teeth 8, are projected from the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 5 of the container body 1. One side of the teeth 8 is inclined, and the other side is an engaging surface aligned radially. Multiple teeth (four in the illustrated example) 8 are arranged continuously in the circumferential direction of the container body 1 to form a tooth row 10.

[0024] The teeth rows 10 are provided at multiple locations (two locations in the illustrated example) with circumferential spacing around the outer circumference of the mouth 5 of the container body 1.

[0025] (Lid side) As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the lid 2 has only one pivoting portion 12 formed between the notches 11 extending from the lower end of the peripheral wall 4, with its upper end connected to the peripheral wall 4 and protruding outwards.

[0026] The other element of the ratchet mechanism, the pawl 9, is projected from the lower inner surface of the oscillating part 12. One side of the pawl 9 is an inclined surface that faces the inclined surface of the teeth 8 of the container body 1, and the other side is an engaging surface that is oriented radially. Multiple pawls 9 (two in the illustrated example) are arranged continuously in the circumferential direction of the lid 2 to form a row of pawls 13.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, a lever 14 is extended upward from the outer end of the swinging part 12, spaced apart from the peripheral wall 4. The surface of the lever 14 is marked with letters and an anti-slip finish to indicate that it is the part to be pressed when unlocking. The lever 14 swings together with the lower swinging part 12, with its upper part moving toward and away from the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2.

[0028] In addition, protective projections 15 are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, extending smoothly toward both sides of the lever 14. The portion of the protective projection 15 adjacent to the lever 14 protrudes from the peripheral wall 4 to the same extent as the surface of the lever 14.

[0029] <effect> (Closing and locking the lid) When the contents of a lidded container such as a prepared drug are placed in the container body 1 and the lid 2 is closed, as shown in Figure 6(I), rotating the lid 2 in a direction that tightens it against the container body 1 causes the row of claws 13 to approach the row of teeth 10.

[0030] Then, as shown in Figure 6(II), the inclined surface of tooth 8 and the inclined surface of claw 9 come into sliding contact, pushing the claw row 13 outward, and the top surface of tooth 8 and the top surface of claw 9 come into sliding contact.

[0031] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6(III), when the claw 9 overcomes the teeth 8, the teeth row 10 and the claw row 13 engage, and even if one tries to rotate the lid 2 in the direction of loosening it relative to the container body 1, the engaging surfaces of the teeth 8 and the engaging surfaces of the claw 9 engage, preventing the lid 2 from rotating in the direction of loosening it relative to the container body 1, thus locking the lid 2 in place and preventing it from being opened.

[0032] (Unlocking and opening the lid) On the other hand, from this locked state, as shown in Figure 7, when the upper part of the lever 14 is pressed toward the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, the swinging part 12 swings outward on its upper end as an axis, and as shown in Figure 8, the engagement between the teeth 8 and the claws 9 is released, and the lock on the lid 2 is released. By maintaining this state and rotating the lid 2 toward the container body 1, the lid 2 can be opened.

[0033] <Effects> In the above-described container with a lid, the pawls 9 of the lid 2, which together with the teeth 8 of the container body 1 form a ratchet mechanism, are provided protruding from the inner surface of a swinging part 12 that extends outward from the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, with its upper end connected to the periphery wall 4. A lever 14 extends upward from the outer end of the swinging part 12, and the base of the swinging part 12, which acts as a hinge, extends far in the circumferential direction of the lid 2. Therefore, even if the lever 14 used to release the lock is repeatedly pressed, the swinging part 12 is less likely to break at its base, resulting in a highly durable ratchet mechanism.

[0034] Furthermore, protective protrusions 15 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, smoothly extending outwards to both sides of the lever 14. This prevents damage to the lever 14 caused by accidentally hitting it against something while it is separated from the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, or by force applied to the lever 14 from the side.

[0035] Furthermore, since a row of teeth 10 is formed on the container body 1 and a row of claws 13 is formed on the pivoting part 12 of the lid 2, even if the lid 2 is opened and closed repeatedly, large forces are not repeatedly applied to specific teeth 8 and claws 9, thereby preventing damage to the teeth 8 and claws 9.

[0036] In addition, since the teeth 10 are provided at multiple locations with spacing in the circumferential direction of the container body 1, and the claw 13 is provided at only one location on the peripheral wall 4 of the lid 2, the lid 2 can be locked by simply rotating it slightly relative to the container body 1, ensuring that the child-resistant function is reliably performed.

[0037] <Other> In the above embodiment, the container body 1 is exemplified as having a cylindrical peripheral wall 3, but the container body 1 may also have a shape with a narrowed opening 5.

[0038] Furthermore, although an example was given in which the teeth 10 are provided at multiple locations with spacing in the circumferential direction of the container body 1, the teeth 10 may be provided at only one location in the circumferential direction of the container body 1.

[0039] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1. Container body 2 lid 3,4 Surrounding wall 5 Mouth 6 Male screw 7 Female thread 8 teeth 9 claws 10 teeth 11 cuts 12. Oscillating part 13 Claw row 14 Lever 15 Protective protrusion

Claims

1. It consists of a container body (1) and a lid (2) that screws onto its opening (5), and the teeth (8) provided on the container body (1) and the claws (9) provided on the lid (2) form a ratchet mechanism. In a container with a lid, when the lid (2) is rotated in a direction that tightens it against the container body (1), the teeth (8) and the claws (9) engage to lock the lid (2) so that it cannot be opened, and when the lever (14) which is integrated with the claws (9) is pressed, the lock on the lid (2) is released, and while maintaining that state, the lid (2) can be opened by rotating it in a direction that loosens it against the container body (1), The teeth (8) are provided protruding from the outer surface of the mouth (5) of the container body (1) which is equipped with a male screw (6), The lid (2) has a oscillating portion (12) formed between notches (11) extending from the lower end of the circumferential wall (4), which is equipped with a female thread (7) that screws into the male thread (6). The upper end of the oscillating portion (12) is connected to the circumferential wall (4) and extends outward. The claw (9) is provided protruding from the inner surface of the oscillating portion (12), and the lever (14) extends upward from the outer end of the oscillating portion (12). A container with a lid, characterized in that when the lever (14) is pressed while the lid (2) is locked by the engagement of the teeth (8) and the claws (9), the oscillating part (12) moves outward on its upper end as an axis, and the engagement between the teeth (8) and the claws (9) is released.

2. The container with a lid according to claim 1, characterized in that protective protrusions (15) are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall (4) of the lid (2) so as to protrude smoothly toward both sides of the lever (14).

3. The container with a lid according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the teeth (8) form a row of teeth (10) in a continuous manner in the circumferential direction of the container body (1) and engage with them, and the claws (9) form a row of claws (13) in a continuous manner in the circumferential direction of the lid (2).

4. The container with a lid according to claim 3, characterized in that the rows of teeth (10) are provided at multiple locations on the outer circumference of the mouth (5) of the container body (1) at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the rows of claws (13) are provided on a swinging portion (12) formed at only one location on the peripheral wall (4) of the lid (2).

Images