Connector

Abstract

To provide a novel connector that allows one article 2, having a circular top wall 4 and a cylindrical skirt wall 6 hanging down from the periphery of the top wall 4, to be connected to another article 2 at an angle. [Solution] A connecting piece 24 is provided on the base portion 16 that holds the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of the article 2, and such connecting piece 24 hangs down from the lower surface of the base portion 16 and extends radially inward or extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 16.

Description

Technical Field

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[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, there is disclosed a connector for creating an ornament by using, as mosaic pieces, 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. Such a connector has an annular main body in an annular shape and a clamping portion disposed on the upper surface of the annular main body. The inner diameter of the annular main body corresponds to the outer diameter of the skirt wall of the container lid, and the annular main body is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the skirt wall of the container lid. The clamping portion has two clamping pieces disposed at an interval, and the two clamping pieces sandwich and hold the lower end portions of the skirt walls of each 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, while the connector shown in Patent Document 1 can connect items such as used container lids in series vertically and in parallel horizontally, it cannot connect one item to another at an angle, and therefore cannot accurately represent the shape of a three-dimensional decorative item. Furthermore, when multiple items connected in series vertically are viewed horizontally, the connectors that hold the items are largely exposed, making them conspicuous and undesirable.

[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 connect one 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, to another article at an angle. [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. The article is equipped with a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall, A connecting piece is provided on the base portion, and the connecting piece extends radially inward after hanging down from the lower surface of the base portion, or extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base portion. A connector characterized by the above is provided.

[0007] Preferably, the base portion comprises an annular main portion, and the connecting piece hangs downward from the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the annular main portion and then extends radially inward. The outer peripheral surface of the base portion is preferably polygonal cylindrical in shape, and the connecting piece is preferably arranged corresponding to one side face of the outer peripheral surface. Furthermore, other connecting means are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base, and it is preferable that the connecting piece of one connector and the other connecting means of another connector can engage freely. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the connector of the present invention, a connecting piece is provided on a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall of an article. This connecting piece hangs down from the lower surface of the base portion and then extends radially inward or radially outward from the outer surface of the base portion. Therefore, by engaging this connecting piece with other connecting means provided on the outer surface of another connector, the connector of the present invention can be connected to the other connector at an angle. In other words, one article can be connected to another article at an angle. As a result, the shape of a three-dimensional ornament can be expressed with sufficient precision using the connector of the present invention. Furthermore, when viewing the outer surface of a three-dimensional ornament constructed using the connector of the present invention and the other connectors in the horizontal direction, even if multiple articles are connected in series vertically by the other connectors, the multiple articles and the multiple other connectors that hold them are hidden by the single article connected by the connector of the present invention. Therefore, the other connectors are not conspicuous, and the appearance of the three-dimensional ornament is good. [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 2. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a bottom view of the connector. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view along line VV. [Figure 6] A slope view showing the combination of one connector shown in Figure 2 and another connector shown in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Central longitudinal section view in Figure 6. [Figure 8] A central longitudinal section view showing a combination of one connector and one other type of connector, as shown in Figure 2. [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] The connector 14 includes a base portion 16 for holding the lower end of an article such as a container lid 2. 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] In the connector of the present invention, a connecting piece 24 is provided on the base portion 16, and the connecting piece 24 extends radially inward after hanging down from the lower surface of the base portion 16 or extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base portion 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting piece 24 is provided along the edge surface 22a of the outer circumferential surface 22 of the annular main portion 20 (and therefore substantially linearly), and the connecting piece 24 extends substantially horizontally radially inward after hanging vertically downward from the lower surface of the outer edge of the annular main portion 20. The portion of the connecting piece 24 that extends substantially horizontally is located below the lower surface of the annular main portion 20 in its entirety (and therefore its upper and lower surfaces). The inner surface of the edge surface 22a is displaced radially outward in correspondence with the connecting piece 24, and a rectangular recess 25 is formed on the inner surface of the edge surface 22a.

[0016] In the illustrated embodiment, another connecting means 26 is also provided on the outer peripheral surface 22 of the pedestal portion 16. As can be understood by referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the other connecting means 26 includes two side surfaces 22c and 22g that are located at an angular interval of 90 degrees from the side surface 22a on which the connecting piece 24 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 22 of the annular main portion 20 (therefore, substantially linearly) extending along and upwardly open other connecting grooves 28, and other connecting pieces 30 having a substantially horizontally long rectangular shape that define the outer side walls of such other connecting grooves 28. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the other connecting pieces 30 projects vertically upward from the bottom surface of the annular main portion 20, but its upper edge is located somewhat below the upper surface of the annular main portion 20. Slits 32 are formed on both sides of the other connecting piece 30, and the upper edge and both side edges of each of the other connecting pieces 30 are free edges. The shape of the connecting piece 24 corresponds to the shape of the other connecting groove 28, and as will be described later, the connecting piece 24 is inserted into the other connecting groove 28 from above and engaged therewith. It is convenient that the thickness of the connecting piece 24 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the width of the other connecting groove 28. If desired, the connecting piece 24 may extend radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 16 (the annular main portion 20 in the illustrated embodiment), and the other connecting means 26 may be composed of other connecting grooves that extend along (therefore, substantially linearly) the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 16 (the annular main portion 20 in the illustrated embodiment) and are open downward, and other connecting pieces that define the outer side walls of such other connecting grooves.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, auxiliary connecting means 34 is further provided on the outer peripheral surface 22 of the pedestal portion 16. As can be understood by referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the auxiliary connecting means 34 extends (substantially linearly) along the side surface 22e that is located at an angular interval of 180 degrees from the side surface 22a where the connecting piece 24 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 22 of the annular main portion 20 (therefore, it is substantially linear) and is open downward, and is composed of an auxiliary connecting groove 36 and a substantially horizontally long rectangular auxiliary connecting piece 38 that defines the outer wall of the auxiliary connecting groove 36. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the auxiliary connecting pieces 38 projects vertically 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 39 are also formed on both sides of the auxiliary connecting piece 38, and the lower edge and both side edges of each of the auxiliary connecting pieces 38 are free edges.

[0018] Clamping means 40 is provided on the upper surface of the annular main portion 20, more specifically, on the upper surface of the annular main portion 20 at each of the positions where the side surfaces 22b, 22d, 22f, and 22h are located. 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 portion 20 and two clamping pieces 44 and 46 erected on the upper surface of the bottom plate piece 42. Each of the bottom plate pieces 42 is substantially slender and rectangular, and its outer edge is aligned with the outer peripheral surface of the annular main portion 20, but its inner edge portion projects somewhat radially inward beyond the inner peripheral surface of the annular main portion 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, and 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 with a relatively wide circumferential width and a relatively low height, and the inner clamping piece 46 is substantially rectangular with a relatively narrow circumferential width and a relatively high height.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the four clamping means 40 is connected to a connecting beam 48 that extends linearly radially inward, with one end being the inner surface of the bottom plate piece 42 or the lower end of the inner surface of the clamping piece 46. The four connecting beams 48 are interconnected at the center of the annular main part 20 in a plan view. If desired, the connecting beams 48 may also extend radially inward from the center or upper end of the clamping piece 46 or from the inner surface of the annular main part 20.

[0020] Next, the usage method of the connector 14 as described above will be explained. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, 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. Furthermore, with the connector of the present invention, two connectors 14a and 14b, which have the same shape as the connector 14, can be connected at an angle by using the connecting piece 24 of the connector 14. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector 14a is connected to the connector 14b at a 90-degree angle by inserting the connecting piece 24 of the connector 14a into the other connecting groove 28 of the other connecting means 26 provided on the connector 14b from above. Note that the above angle can be appropriately adjusted and fixed by changing the shape of the connecting piece 24 and the other connecting means 26.

[0021] Here, the connector 14 of the present invention is not necessarily limited to connecting two connectors 14 of the same type, but can also be connected to other types of connectors 14', for example, as shown in Figure 8. Although not necessarily explicitly shown in the drawings, when comparing connector 14' and connector 14, connector 14' is identical to connector 14 except that it does not have the connecting piece 24 and recess 25 of connector 14, and auxiliary connecting means 34 are also provided on the side surface 22a of the outer peripheral surface 22 of the annular main part 20. Therefore, a detailed explanation of connector 14' is omitted. Note that such other types of connectors 14' are substantially 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. Therefore, the connector 14' is also provided with other connecting means 26, and the connector 14 is connected to the connector 14' at a 90-degree angle by inserting the connecting piece 24 into the connecting groove 28 of the other connecting means 26 from above. In other words, the connector 14 of the present invention is not necessarily limited to being connected only to connectors of the same type, but can also be connected to other types of connectors, such as connector 14'. The connector 14' does not have a connecting piece 24, and the inner diameter of the annular main part 20' corresponds to the outer diameter of the skirt wall 4 of the container lid 2, so with the connector 14', multiple container lids 2 can be connected in series in the vertical direction, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8.

[0022] In the connector 14 of the present invention, a connecting piece 24 is provided on a base portion 16 that holds the lower end of the skirt wall 6 of the container lid 2 (article). This connecting piece 24 hangs down from the lower surface of the base portion 16 and then extends radially inward or radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base portion 16. Therefore, by engaging this connecting piece 24 with other connecting means 26 provided on the outer circumferential surface of other connectors 14, 14', the connector 14 of the present invention can be connected to the other connectors 14, 14' at an angle. In other words, one container lid 2 (article) can be connected to another container lid 2 (article) at an angle. As a result, the shape of a three-dimensional decorative item can be expressed with sufficient precision using the connector of the present invention. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when viewing the outer surface of a three-dimensional ornament constructed using the connector 14 of the present invention and the other connectors 14' in the horizontal direction, even if multiple articles are connected in series in the vertical direction by the other connectors 14', the multiple container lids 2 (articles) and the multiple other connectors 14' that hold them are hidden by the single container lid 2 (article) connected by the connector 14 of the present invention. Therefore, the other connectors 14' are not conspicuous, and the appearance of the three-dimensional ornament is good.

[0023] Although the connectors configured according to the present invention have 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, the connector 14 was equipped with a connecting piece 24 and other connecting means 26, but if one connector 14 is connected to only one other connector via its own connecting piece 24, then the other connecting means 26 is not necessary for the one connector 14 and can be omitted. Also, 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]

[0024] 2: Container lid (article) 4: Top wall 6: Skirt Wall 14: Connectors 16: Base 24: Connecting piece 26: Other connecting means

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. The article is equipped with a base portion that holds the lower end of the skirt wall, A connecting piece is provided on the base portion, and the connecting piece extends radially inward after hanging down from the lower surface of the base portion, or extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base portion. A connector characterized by the following features.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises an annular main portion, and the connecting piece hangs downward from the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the annular main portion and then extends radially inward.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the base portion is polygonal cylindrical in shape, and the connecting piece is arranged corresponding to one of the side faces of the outer surface.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein other connecting means are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the base, and the connecting piece of one connector and the other connecting means of another connector can be engaged.

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