Connector

Abstract

To provide a novel connector that allows for sufficiently accurate representation of the vertices and edges of a three-dimensional ornament by connecting articles 2, each having a circular top wall 4 and a cylindrical skirt wall 6 hanging down from the periphery of the top wall 4, across the upper surfaces of the top walls of multiple articles 2. [Solution] The device comprises a base portion 16 that holds the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of the article 2, and a shaft portion 18 that hangs down from the base portion 16.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector for creating a three-dimensional ornament by using an article having a circular top wall such as a used container lid and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall as mosaic pieces.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1 below, a container lid applied to a container (a container usually called a PET bottle) formed of an appropriate synthetic resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, which has a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall, and is used (although not specifically stated as used, it is presumed to be used), is used as a mosaic piece to disclose a connector for creating an ornament. Such a connector includes an annular main part having an annular shape and a clamping part disposed on the upper surface of the annular main part. The inner diameter of the annular main part corresponds to the outer diameter of the skirt wall of the container lid, and the annular main part is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the skirt wall of the container lid. The clamping part has two clamping pieces disposed at intervals, and the two clamping pieces sandwich and hold the lower end parts of the skirt walls of the other two container lids. Thus, a plurality of container lids are connected in series in the vertical direction and in parallel in the horizontal direction by the connector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, although the connector shown in Patent Document 1 above can connect items such as used container lids in series vertically and in parallel horizontally, it cannot connect a single item across the top surface of multiple items, and therefore cannot adequately represent the vertices and edges of three-dimensional decorative items.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and its main technical problem is to provide a novel connector that can accurately represent the vertices and edges of a three-dimensional ornament by connecting an article having a circular top wall, such as a used container lid (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "container lid") and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of this top wall, across the upper surfaces of the top walls of multiple articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, as a connector that solves the above-mentioned main technical problems, an article having a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall is used as a mosaic piece to create a three-dimensional decorative item. A connector is provided, characterized by comprising a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall of the article, and a shaft portion that hangs down from the base portion.

[0007] Preferably, the shaft portion is cylindrical and its bottom surface is open. In this case, it is preferable that the lower end of the shaft portion has multiple notches spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Preferably, a downward-facing locking lower surface is provided in the upper-middle portion of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, and an upward-facing locking upper surface is provided at the lower end, with the distance between the locking lower surface and the locking upper surface corresponding to the height of the base portion. A first connecting means and a second connecting means are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the base portion, and it is preferable that the first connecting means of one connector and the second connecting means of another connector are engaged to connect the two connectors. The base portion preferably includes an annular main portion whose outer circumferential surface is in the shape of a regular polygonal cylinder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The connector of the present invention comprises a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall of an article and a shaft portion that hangs down from the base portion. For example, if at least three connectors are combined on the same plane to form a group of connectors, and a vertically communicating space is defined in the center of this group of connectors, then by inserting the shaft portion of another connector into the space, a single article can be connected across the upper surfaces of the top walls of at least three articles, thereby allowing for sufficiently accurate representation of the vertices and edges of three-dimensional ornaments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A slanted view showing a typical example of a used container lid. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a connector configured according to the present invention. [Figure 3] A plan view of the connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A bottom view of the connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view along line VV. [Figure 6] A slanted view of an example of a three-dimensional ornament made using multiple connectors shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] A plan view of the three-dimensional ornament shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 7 shows the item held by the upper connector removed. [Figure 9] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view along the line IX-IX. [Figure 10] A slanted view of an example of a three-dimensional ornament made using multiple connectors of other types, along with the connector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 11] A diagram corresponding to Figure 9 in the three-dimensional ornament shown in Figure 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating typical examples of used container lids and preferred embodiments of connectors configured according to the present invention.

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates a typical example of a used container lid attached as a mosaic piece to a connector constructed according to the present invention. The container lid, shown as number 2 overall, has a circular top wall 4 and a cylindrical skirt wall 6 hanging down from the periphery of the top wall 4. A ridge 8 extending continuously in the circumferential direction is formed on the lower edge of the skirt wall 6. Above the ridge 8 on the outer surface of the skirt wall 6, a knurl 10 consisting of multiple alternating axial protrusions is formed along the entire circumferential direction. The knurl 10 may also be formed only in multiple circumferentially spaced areas. When the illustrated container lid 2 is attached to the neck of a container (not shown) and the neck is sealed, the tamper evident base 12 is connected to the lower end of the skirt wall 6 via a plurality of breakable bridging parts (not shown), as shown by the dashed line. However, when the container lid 2 is detached from the neck of the container, the plurality of bridging parts break, and the tamper evident base 12 is separated from the skirt wall 6. Such a container lid 2 is formed from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. However, the connector constructed according to the present invention can be applied not only to used container lids made of synthetic resin, but also to used container lids whose shell (outer shell) is made from a suitable thin metal sheet such as an aluminum-based alloy sheet. The container lid 2 itself, as described above, may be of a well-known form, and therefore a detailed description thereof (such as the configuration of the inner surface of the top wall and the inner circumferential surface of the skirt wall) is omitted in this specification.

[0012] The mosaic pieces applied to the connector constructed according to the present invention are not limited to used container lids, but also include articles formed specifically for mosaic pieces, having a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall, and made from appropriate materials such as synthetic resin or thin metal sheets.

[0013] Continuing the explanation with reference to Figures 2 to 5, the illustrated connector, which is shown as a whole and is constructed according to the present invention, is preferably integrally molded from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a polyester-based synthetic resin or a polycarbonate-based synthetic resin. The connector 14 may be transparent or translucent, or it may be colored in a desired color such as white, red, or blue.

[0014] It is important that the connector 14 of the present invention comprises a base portion 16 for holding the lower end of an article such as a container lid 2, and a shaft portion 18 hanging down from the base portion 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 16 includes an annular main portion 20. The inner circumferential surface of the annular main portion 20 is cylindrical in shape, and its inner diameter corresponds to the outer diameter of the skirt wall 6 of the container lid 2 (more specifically, the outer diameter of the portion above the protrusion 8), or more specifically, substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the skirt wall 6. On the other hand, the outer circumferential surface 22 of the annular main portion 20 is preferably polygonal, particularly regular polygonal, and in the illustrated embodiment, it is a regular octagonal shape, having eight side faces 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, 22f, 22g, and 22h.

[0015] Referring mainly to Figures 2, 3, and 4, it is preferable that a first connecting means 24 is provided on at least one of the side faces 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, 22f, 22g, and 22h of the outer peripheral surface 22 of the annular main portion 20, particularly on multiple side faces located at equal angular intervals, and a second connecting means 26 is provided on at least one other side face, particularly on other multiple side faces located at equal angular intervals. In the illustrated embodiment, the first connecting means 24 is provided on two side faces 22a and 22e located at an angular interval of 180 degrees, and similarly, the second connecting means 26 is provided on two side faces 22c and 22g located at an angular interval of 180 degrees. As can be understood by referring to Figures 2 and 3, each of the first connecting means 24 consists of a first connecting groove 28 extending along the side faces 22a and 22e (and thus substantially linearly) and opening upward, and a roughly elongated rectangular first connecting piece 30 defining the outer wall of the first connecting groove 28. Each of the first connecting pieces 30 protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the annular main portion 20, but its upper edge is located somewhat below the top surface of the annular main portion 20. Slits 32 are formed on both sides of the first connecting piece 30, and the upper edge and both side edges of each of the first connecting pieces 30 are free edges. On the other hand, as can be understood by referring to Figures 2 and 4, each of the second connecting means 26 consists of a second connecting groove 34 extending along the side faces 22c and 22g (and thus substantially linearly) and opening downward, and a roughly elongated rectangular second connecting piece 36 defining the outer wall of the second connecting groove 34. Each of the second connecting pieces 36 protrudes downward from the upper surface of the annular main portion 20, but its lower edge is located somewhat above the lower surface of the annular main portion 20. Slits 38 are also formed on both sides of the second connecting piece 36, and the lower edge and both side edges of each of the second connecting piece 36 are free edges. The shape of the first connecting piece 30 corresponds to the shape of the second connecting groove 34, and the first connecting piece 30 is inserted into the second connecting groove 34 from below and engaged therewith. Similarly, the shape of the second connecting piece 36 corresponds to the shape of the first connecting groove 28, and the second connecting piece 36 is inserted into the first connecting groove 28 from above and engaged therewith.The thickness of the first connecting piece 30 is preferably substantially the same as or slightly larger than the width of the second connecting groove 34. Similarly, the thickness of the second connecting piece 36 is preferably substantially the same as or slightly larger than the width of the first connecting groove 28.

[0016] On the upper surface of the annular main body 20, more specifically, on the upper surface of the annular main body 20 at each position where the side surfaces 22b, 22d, 22f, and 22h are located, clamping means 40 are provided. Therefore, a total of four clamping means 40 are provided. Each of the clamping means 40 is composed of a bottom plate piece 42 connected to the upper surface of the annular main body 20 and two clamping pieces 44 and 46 erected on the upper surface of this bottom plate piece 42. Each of the bottom plate pieces 42 is substantially slender rectangular in shape, and its outer edge is aligned with the outer peripheral surface of the annular main body 20, but its inner edge portion protrudes somewhat radially inward beyond the inner peripheral surface of the annular main body 20. Each of the clamping pieces 44 and 46 extends parallel to the side surfaces 22b, 22d, 22f, and 22h and at a predetermined interval from each other. The interval between the clamping piece 44 and the clamping piece 46 corresponds to the thickness of the lower end portion of the skirt wall 6 of the container lid 2, more specifically, is substantially the same as this or slightly narrower or wider than this. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer clamping piece 44 is substantially rectangular in shape with a relatively wide circumferential width and a relatively low height, and the inner clamping piece 46 is substantially rectangular in shape with a relatively narrow circumferential width and a relatively high height.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, a connecting beam 48 that linearly extends radially inward with the lower end portion of the inner surface of the bottom plate piece 42 or the inner surface of the clamping piece 46 as one end is connected to each of the four clamping means 40. The other end of the connecting beam 48 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 18, and the shaft portion 18 is connected to the annular main body 20 by the connecting beam 48. If desired, the connecting beam 48 may extend radially inward from the center or upper end of the clamping piece 46 or from the inner surface of the annular main body 20.

[0018] Continuing the explanation with reference to Figures 2 to 5, the shaft portion 18 comprises a circular top wall 50 and a cylindrical hanging wall 52 that hangs downward from the outer edge of the top wall 50, with the other end of the aforementioned connecting beam 48 connected to the outer surface of the top wall 50. In plan view, the center of the top wall 50 aligns with the center of the annular main portion 20. The lower surface of the hanging wall 52 is open, and four notches 54 are formed at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction at the lower end of the hanging wall 52. The outer diameter of the lower part of the hanging wall 52, excluding the lower end, is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper part, and a downward-facing annular locking lower surface 56 is formed at the boundary between the lower and upper parts. A locking projection 58 projecting radially outward is also formed at the lower end of the outer surface of the hanging wall 52. The locking projection 58 is provided continuously in the circumferential direction, except for the areas where the notches 54 are formed. Furthermore, an upward-facing locking upper surface 60 is defined on the upper surface of the locking projection 58. Here, the distance between the locking lower surface 56 and the locking upper surface 60 corresponds to the height of the base portion 16, and more specifically, it is substantially the same as, or slightly shorter than, the height from the lower surface of the annular main portion 20 to the upper surface of the clamping piece 44.

[0019] Next, the usage of the connector 14 as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 9. First, as shown in Figures 6 and 9, the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of the container lid 2 can be partially inserted between the clamping pieces 44 and 46 of the clamping means 40 of the connector 14 to combine the container lid 2 with the connector 14. In the illustrated embodiment, since the first connecting means 24 and the second connecting means 26 are arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the base portion 16 of the connector 14, multiple connectors 14 can be connected laterally by engaging their respective first connecting means 24 and second connecting means 26 with each other as described above. Figure 6 shows a state in which six connectors 14a to 14f, each with a container lid 2 attached, are arranged in two rows and three columns and connected.

[0020] As can be understood by referring to Figure 8, a space 64 is defined in the center of each of the connector groups 62-1 and 62-2, which are composed of connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f, and connector groups 62-2, which are composed of connectors 14b, 14c, 14d, and 14e, respectively, communicating in the vertical direction. The space 64 is defined by the outer circumferential surface 22 of the annular main part 20 of the connector 14. In the illustrated embodiment, since the outer circumferential surface 22 is in the shape of a regular octagonal cylinder, the space 64 is square in plan view.

[0021] In this invention, since the shaft portion 18 hangs down from the base portion 16, as shown in Figure 9, by inserting the shaft portion 18 of the connector 14g into the space portion 64 defined in the center of the connector group 62-1, a single container lid 2 is connected across the upper surface of the top wall 4 of each of the multiple (four in the illustrated embodiment) container lids 2 that are combined with each of the multiple connectors 14 (four in the illustrated embodiment, i.e., connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f) that constitute the connector group 62-1. Thus, the apex of the three-dimensional ornament is expressed. In the illustrated embodiment, a downward-facing locking lower surface 56 is provided at the middle of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 18 in the vertical direction, and an upward-facing locking upper surface 60 is provided at the lower end. The distance between the locking lower surface 56 and the locking upper surface 60 corresponds to the height of the base portion 16, and more specifically, it is substantially the same as, or slightly shorter than, the height from the lower surface of the annular main portion 20 to the upper surface of the clamping piece 44, and therefore the locking of the upper connector 14g The locking projection 58 elastically moves downward over the clamping pieces 44 and annular main body 20 of the four connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f that constitute the connector group 62-1, and the base portion 16, more specifically the annular main body 20 and clamping pieces 44, is sandwiched between the locking lower surface 56 and the locking upper surface 60, thereby locking the upper connector 14g to the four lower connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f. In the illustrated embodiment, due to the notch 54 formed at the lower end of the shaft portion 18, the locking projection 58 can easily move downward elastically over the clamping pieces 44 and annular main body 20 of the four connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f. In this case, if the distance between the locking lower surface 56 and the locking upper surface 60 is slightly longer than the height from the lower surface of the annular main part 20 to the upper surface of the clamping piece 44, the upper connector 14g becomes rotatable with respect to the four connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f assembled in the lower section, thus broadening the range of expression for the three-dimensional ornament. On the other hand, if the distance between the locking lower surface 56 and the locking upper surface 60 is slightly shorter than the height from the lower surface of the annular main part 20 to the upper surface of the clamping piece 44, or if the shaft portion 18 is rectangular in shape, the upper connector 14g becomes immobile with respect to the four connectors 14a, 14b, 14e, and 14f assembled in the lower section, thus increasing the rigidity of the three-dimensional ornament.

[0022] Similar to connector 14g, by inserting the shaft portion 18 of connector 14h into the space 64 defined in the center of connector group 62-2, a single container lid 2 combined with connector 14g is connected across the upper surfaces of the top walls 4 of the four container lids 2 combined with the four connectors 14b, 14c, 14d, and 14e that constitute connector group 62-2. Furthermore, connectors 14g and 14h, positioned in the upper row, can also be connected to each other by engaging their respective first connecting means 24 and second connecting means 26. Thus, the edges of a three-dimensional decorative object can be expressed.

[0023] Figures 6 to 9 show examples of three-dimensional decorative items formed by combining connectors 14 of the same type, while Figures 10 and 11 show examples of three-dimensional decorative items formed by combining connectors 14 with other types of connectors 14'. Although not explicitly shown in the drawings, when comparing connectors 14' and 14, connector 14' is identical to connector 14 except that it lacks the shaft portion 18 of connector 14 and has multiple connecting beams 48 that connect to each other in the center of the annular main portion 20. Therefore, a detailed explanation of connector 14' is omitted. Note that this other type of connector 14' is identical to the connector shown in Figure 8 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-016364, filed by the applicant of this application prior to this application. Accordingly, connector 14' is also provided with a first connecting means and a second connecting means, and by connecting multiple connectors 14' to define the above-mentioned space, the shaft portion 18 of connector 14 can be inserted into this space. In other words, the connector 14 of the present invention is not necessarily limited to being connected to the connector 14 or to container lids 2 combined with it, but can be connected to other types of connectors, such as connector 14'.

[0024] Accordingly, since the connector of the present invention comprises a base portion 16 that holds the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of an article such as a used container lid 2, and a shaft portion 18 that hangs down from the base portion 16, for example, if at least three connectors are combined on the same plane to form a connector group 62-1 or 62-2, and a space portion 64 communicating in the vertical direction is defined in the center of this connector group 62-1 or 62-2, then by inserting the shaft portion 18 of another connector 14 into the space portion 64, a single container lid 2 can be connected across the upper surfaces of the top walls 4 of at least three container lids 2, thereby allowing the vertices and edges of three-dimensional decorative items to be expressed with sufficient precision.

[0025] Although the connector configured according to the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and appropriate modifications and changes are possible without departing from the present invention. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a downward-facing locking lower surface 56 is provided at the upper-middle portion of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 18, and an upward-facing locking upper surface 60 is provided at the lower end, but these are not necessarily required. If the locking upper surface 60 is not present, the upper connector 14 is supported by the lower surface of the base portion 16 of the upper connector 14 contacting the upper surface of the top wall of the container lid 2 which is combined with the lower connector. Furthermore, if the container lid 2 combined with the upper connector 14 is, for example, the apex of a three-dimensional ornament, the connector 14 does not need to be equipped with a first connecting means 24 and a second connecting means 26. In the illustrated embodiment, since the outer circumferential surface 22 of the annular main portion 20 of the base portion 16 is in the shape of a regular octagonal cylinder, a single space 64 is defined by four connectors. However, by appropriately adjusting the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the annular main portion, the above space can be defined by at least three connectors. Furthermore, since the base portion 16 only needs to hold the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of the container lid 2, the main portion of the base portion 16 does not necessarily have to be annular (annular main portion 20), but may be flat. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 2: Container lid (article) 4: Top wall 6: Skirt Wall 14: Connectors 16: Base 18: Shaft

Claims

1. Using an article having a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall as a mosaic piece, a connecting device for creating a three-dimensional decorative item is used. A connector characterized by comprising a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall of the article, and a shaft portion that hangs down from the base portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the shaft portion is cylindrical and the bottom surface is open.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the lower end of the shaft portion has a plurality of notches spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a downward-facing locking lower surface is provided at the upper-middle portion of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion, and an upward-facing locking upper surface is provided at the lower end, and the distance between the locking lower surface and the locking upper surface corresponds to the height of the base portion.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a first connecting means and a second connecting means are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the base portion, and the first connecting means of one connector and the second connecting means of another connector can be engaged to connect the two connectors.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the base portion includes an annular main portion whose outer surface is in the shape of a regular polygonal cylinder.

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