Container with locking mechanism

Abstract

The challenge is to create a container with a locking mechanism that reduces costs by decreasing the total number of magnets used, improves the smoothness of the cap's rotation, and automatically sets the lid to a closed position simply by placing the cap on top. [Solution] The container comprises a container body B and a cap body A that fits over the container body B. The cap body A holds a ball 2 made of a spherical metal containing a ferromagnetic material, with the ball exposed to the front side of the container body B. The container body B has a slope 52a that guides the ball 2, and a magnet M is placed at the lower part of the slope 52a. When the cap body A is placed over the container body B, the ball 2 rolls down the slope 52a and is set to a closed lid state, and the locked state is maintained as the ball 2 continues to be magnetically attracted to the magnet M.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a lock mechanism using a magnet.

Background Art

[0002] A container with a lock mechanism that allows the lid to be easily opened and closed with a small number of rotations is known (for example, Patent Document 1). In the prior art described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of container-side magnets are arranged on the mouth cylinder portion of the container, and the same number of lid-side magnets are also arranged on the lid attached to the mouth cylinder portion. When the lid is rotated in the closing direction, the lid is locked by the magnetic attractive force acting between the lid-side magnet that descends along the slope formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth cylinder portion and the container-side magnet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the prior art described in the above Patent Document 1 requires a plurality of container-side magnets and the same number of lid-side magnets, so there is still room for improvement in terms of cost.

[0005] Further, in the above Patent Document 1, to bring the container into the closed lid state, a two-step operation of attaching the lid to the container body and subsequently rotating the lid in the closing direction is required, so the development of a container that allows a smoother operation when closing the lid has been desired.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above by reducing the total number of magnets used to lower costs, improving the smoothness of the cap's rotation, and creating a container with a locking mechanism that automatically sets the lid to a closed state simply by placing the cap on top. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Among the means for solving the above problems, the first means of the present invention is: A lockable container comprising a container body and a cap body that fits over the container body, The cap body holds a spherical metal ball containing a ferromagnetic material, with the ball exposed to the container body side. The container body has a slope formed to guide the ball, and a magnet is placed at the lower part of the slope. The invention is characterized in that when the cap body is placed over the container body, the ball rolls down the slope and is set to the closed lid state, and the ball continues to be magnetically attracted to the magnet, thereby maintaining the locked state. In the first method of the present invention, by configuring one side of the locking mechanism with a ball containing a ferromagnetic material, the sliding of the cap can be improved, and costs can be reduced by reducing the total number of magnets.

[0008] A second means of the present invention is that the cap body is assembled having an outer cap and an inner cap assembled inside the outer cap, and the ball is positioned so as to be able to roll in the gap between the outer wall of the outer cap and the inner wall of the inner cap which are radially opposed to each other, and is held so as to be exposed to the inside of the inner wall through a through hole formed in the inner wall. In the above method, the ball rolls as it moves, especially when closing the lid, which makes the lid closing operation smoother.

[0009] A third means of the present invention is to add to any of the above means that the container body is assembled to include a refill container for containing contents, an inner container, and an outer container, and the magnet is positioned in such a way that it can face the ball in an opening formed in the joint wall of the inner container. In the above method, by positioning the magnet opposite the ball inside the container body, a locking mechanism can be created that locks the cap body when the lid is closed.

[0010] Furthermore, a fourth means of the present invention is that, in any of the means described above, a pair of guide ribs having a predetermined width in the circumferential direction and extending parallel to the height direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion of the inner container, and the opening is formed between the pair of guide ribs. The outer container has a support piece formed thereon, which has a locking recess at its tip and is inserted between the pair of guide ribs during assembly. An additional measure is to insert the magnet between the locking recess and the pair of guide ribs, thereby assembling the magnet so that it faces the opening. In the above method, by assembling the inner container into the outer container, the magnet can be easily and reliably positioned in the appropriate location within the container body.

[0011] Furthermore, a fifth means of the present invention adds to any of the above means that a restraining projection for holding the ball in place is provided on the outer surface of the joint wall portion above the opening. In the above method, even if the cap body is forcibly pulled straight up while the lid is locked, the ball is held in place by the retaining projection, thus maintaining the closed state. Furthermore, the lock can be released by simply rotating the cap body slightly, making the lid opening operation easy.

[0012] A fifth means of the present invention is to add to any of the above means that the ball is formed of a metal containing one or more of iron, nickel, and cobalt. In the above means, by forming the balls constituting the lock mechanism from a material other than magnet, the total number of magnets can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In the present invention, costs can be reduced by decreasing the total number of magnets used. Further, in the present invention, since the cap main body has improved slipperiness, it is possible to automatically bring the container into a closed lid state simply by covering the container main body with the cap main body, and the operation at the time of lid closing can be performed smoothly. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism showing the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view of the container with a lock mechanism. [Figure 4] It is a partial perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism showing a state where the ball is placed in the recess. [Figure 5] The assembly of the inner container and the outer container is shown, where (a) is an exploded perspective view, and (b) is an exploded perspective view with a part cut away. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism showing the positions of the balls that move as the cap main body rotates. [Figure 7] It is a partial perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism showing a state where the restraining projection restrains the ball in the lid closed state. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the container with a lock mechanism will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container with a lock mechanism showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container with a lock mechanism, FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the container with a lock mechanism showing a state where a ball is placed in a recess, and FIG. 5 shows the assembly of the inner container and the outer container, where (a) is an exploded perspective view, and (b) is an exploded perspective view with a part cut away. Note that in FIG. 4, the outer cap and the packing are omitted from illustration. In the following description, the direction along the container axis O passing through the center of the container with a lock mechanism is referred to as the axial direction, the vertical direction or the height direction, the direction orthogonal to the container axis O is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction orbiting around the container axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction for explanation.

[0016] The container 1 with a lock mechanism shown as the present embodiment in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 is a jar container, which is configured to have a cap body A that consists of an outer cap 10, a packing 20 and an inner cap 30 and fits over a container body B described later, and a container body B that consists of a refill container 40 for storing contents, an inner container 50 and an outer container 60. Each member constituting the container 1 with a lock mechanism is integrally formed by injection molding a synthetic resin material. Note that, as will be described later, the packing 20 can also be formed of a material other than the synthetic resin material.

[0017] Such a container 1 with a lock mechanism is used, for example, as a container for storing contents such as moisturizing cream and massage cream. When the contents stored in the refill container 40 are exhausted after use, it is possible to continue using the members other than the refill container 40 by replacing the refill container 40 with a new refill container 40 in which contents are stored.

[0018] First, the outer cap 10, the packing 20 and the inner cap 30 constituting the cap body A will be described. The outer cap 10 is a topped cylindrical member in which an outer side wall portion 12 formed in a short cylindrical shape is suspended from the outer peripheral edge of a circular top wall portion 11.

[0019] The packing 20 is integrally constructed with a top plate portion 21 having a disc shape that covers the upper opening end of the refill container 40, an inclined portion 22 that slopes gently outward and upward from the peripheral edge of the top plate portion 21, and an annular flange portion 23 that is connected in a ring shape to the end of the inclined portion 22. Such a packing 20 may be made of a soft synthetic resin material such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), or it may be made of a soft material such as silicone rubber or elastomer.

[0020] The inner cap 30 is formed having an inner wall portion 31 positioned opposite to the inner outer wall portion 12 of the outer cap 10, and an outward-facing flange 32 connected to the lower end of the inner wall portion 31. Multiple (four in this embodiment) through holes 31a are formed radially through the lower end of the inner wall portion 31, and recesses 32a are formed on the upper surface of the outward-facing flange 32 adjacent to each through hole 31a, for rotatably mounting a ball 2 made of a spherical metal (iron in this embodiment) containing a ferromagnetic material (see Figure 4). The through holes 31a are formed to be too small for the ball 2 to pass through.

[0021] The cap body A is assembled by placing the packing 20 and the inner cap 30 inside the outer cap 10 in that order. At this time, the annular flange portion 23 of the packing 20 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the top wall portion 11 of the outer cap 10 and the upper edge of the inner wall portion 31 of the inner cap 30. Furthermore, when assembling the inner cap 30, the ball 2 is set together with it. That is, by inserting the inner wall portion 31 of the inner cap 30, with the ball 2 resting on each recess 32a, into the outer cap 10, the ball 2 is positioned to roll in the gap between the outer wall portion 12 of the outer cap 10 and the inner wall portion 31 of the inner cap 30, which are radially opposed to each other. At this time, a portion of the ball 2 is held exposed to the inside of the inner wall portion 31 through the through hole 31a (see Figure 3).

[0022] Next, we will describe the refill container 40, inner container 50, and outer container 60 that make up the main container body B. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the refill container 40 is integrally formed with a bottom portion 41 that is convex downwards, a cylindrical body portion 42 connected to the bottom portion 41, and a flange portion 43 connected to the upper open end of the body portion 42 in an inverted U-shape in cross-section. Inside the refill container 40, there is a storage portion 44 for storing the contents.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, and 6, the inner container 50 is integrally formed with a cylindrical inner cylinder portion 51, a thick-walled circumferential projection 52 radially outward from the upper part of the inner cylinder portion 51, an outer cylinder portion 53 connected to the lower end of the circumferential wall portion 52, a flange 54 annularly projecting from the outer circumferential surface of the upper part of the outer cylinder portion 53, and a mouth cylinder portion 56 connected to the upper end of the circumferential wall portion 52. The inner cylinder portion 51 and the outer cylinder portion 53 constitute a double cylinder with the container axis O coaxial.

[0024] The outer circumferential surface of the joint wall portion 52 has multiple slopes 52a formed thereon (4 × 2 in this embodiment), each consisting of alternating peaks and valleys in the circumferential direction. That is, each slope 52a is formed with one slope 52a1 that slopes downward toward one circumferential direction α, and the other slope 52a2 that slopes downward toward the other circumferential direction β (see Figures 6 and 7). At the lower part of the slope 52a, which forms a valley, a semicircular opening 52b is formed that penetrates the guide wall 52 radially. A convex restraining projection 52c is provided above the opening 52b to hold down the ball 2 when the cap body A is lifted straight up when the lid is closed, preventing it from opening. As will be described later, a magnet M is placed in the opening 52b.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5(b), a pair of guide ribs 51a, each consisting of a convex rib having a predetermined width in the circumferential direction and extending parallel to the height direction, are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 51 at predetermined intervals (every 90 degrees in this embodiment) at multiple locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction. Between these pairs of guide ribs 51a, a fitting recess 52d is formed that is continuous with the opening 52b and holds the magnet M. Furthermore, an engaging projection 51b is provided around the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the inner cylinder portion 51. Note that the opening 52b is formed to a size that prevents the magnet M and the ball 2 from passing through.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the outer container 60 is a bottomed cylindrical member with a cylindrical side wall portion 62 erected on the periphery of a disc-shaped bottom wall portion 61. Multiple (four in this embodiment) support pieces 63 are erected on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 61 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (every 90 degrees in this embodiment), and cylindrical engaging cylinder portions 63A are erected radially inward at the lower ends of the support pieces 63. A locking recess 64, cut out in the shape of an arc, is formed at the tip of the support piece 63. Furthermore, an engaging groove 65 is provided around the upper end surface of the side wall portion 62, into which the flange 54 of the inner container 50 engages. As will be described later, the support pieces 63 are positioned within a pair of guide ribs 51a of the inner container 50 during assembly. In addition, a locking projection 63a is provided around the inner circumferential surface of the engaging cylinder portion 63A (see Figure 3).

[0027] In the container body B, the outer container 60 and the inner container 50 are assembled as shown in Figures 2 and 5(a). At this time, as shown in Figure 5(b), a magnet M, for example, shaped like a small coin, is first set in the inner container 50 by dropping it into the fitting recess 52d via a pair of guide ribs 51a. Next, the inner cylinder portion 51 and the outer cylinder portion 53 of the inner container 50 are inserted into the inside of the outer container 60. At this time, a support piece 63 is inserted between the pair of guide ribs 51a, and the magnet M is fixed by sandwiching it from above and below between the locking recess 64 provided at the tip of the support piece 63 and the fitting recess 52d. This makes it easy and reliable to assemble the magnet M so that it faces the semicircular opening 52b. Furthermore, when the inner cylinder portion 51 and outer cylinder portion 53 of the inner container 50 are inserted into the outer container 60, the engaging projection 51b of the inner cylinder portion 51 and the locking projection 63a of the engaging cylinder portion 63A engage, and the flange 54 engages with the engaging groove 65 (see Figure 3).

[0028] Next, the refill container 40 is set inside the inner cylinder portion 51 of the inner container 50. In this case, the refill container 40 is assembled by fitting the inverted U-shaped flange portion 43 of the refill container 40 onto the mouth portion 56 of the inner container 50. It is preferable to form engaging protrusions on both sides of the flange portion 43 and the mouth portion 56 that face each other to prevent the refill container 40 from coming loose.

[0029] Next, the effects of the container 1 with a locking mechanism, which has the above configuration, will be explained with additional drawings. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a container with a locking mechanism showing the position of a ball that moves as the cap body rotates, and Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of the container with a locking mechanism showing the state in which the retaining projection holds the ball in place when the lid is closed. Note that in Figures 6 and 7, the cap body A is omitted.

[0030] The container 1 with a locking mechanism has its cap body A placed over the container body B. Then, the ball 2 inside the cap body A will be positioned on either one slope 52a1 or the other slope 52a2, depending on the circumferential position of the cap body A relative to the container body B. For example, as shown by the solid line in Figure 6, if the ball 2 is positioned on one slope 52a1, the ball 2 will be guided down the slope 52a1 and move to the lower position (valley) of the slope 52a shown by the dashed line in Figure 6, and will slip under the retaining projection 52c. At the same time, as the ball 2 moves to the lower position, the cap body A also descends, allowing the container 1 with a locking mechanism to be closed. The same applies when the ball 3 is positioned on the other slope 52a2 when the cap body A is placed over the container body B.

[0031] As the ball 2 rolls along the slope 52a, it can move smoothly to the lower position where the magnet M is located. This improves the sliding of the cap body A against the container body B, allowing the cap body A to rotate smoothly in the circumferential direction (one circumferential direction α and the other circumferential direction β). As a result, simply placing the cap body A over the container body B automatically sets the container 1 with the locking mechanism to a closed state. When the ball 2 reaches the lower position and faces the magnet M, the ball 2 continues to be magnetically attracted to the magnet M, thus maintaining the locked state of the container 1 with the locking mechanism, preventing the cap body A from opening unintentionally. In this way, the ball 2 and the magnet M constitute a locking mechanism that sets the container 1 with the locking mechanism to a locked state.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in the closed lid state (locked state), the ball 2 is held down by the restraining projection 52c that protrudes from its upper part. Therefore, even if the cap body A is forcibly pulled straight up, the locked state is not released, and the container 1 with the locking mechanism can maintain the closed lid state.

[0033] Thus, in this invention, by making the ball 2 that constitutes one of the locking mechanisms out of inexpensive iron, it is not necessary to place magnets M on both the cap body A and the container body B as in the conventional invention, and the total number of magnets M used can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0034] Next, to open the container 1 with a locking mechanism, which is currently in the closed (locked) state, the cap body A is rotated in either the circumferential direction. As the cap body A rotates, the ball 2 moves circumferentially from its position opposite the magnet M and escapes from under the retaining projection 52c, thus releasing the lock on the container 1 with the locking mechanism. Subsequently, by lifting the cap body A straight up, the container 1 with the locking mechanism can be opened. Then, by removing the cap body A from the top of the container body B, the contents contained in the refill container 40 can be removed. Thus, with the container 1 equipped with a locking mechanism of the present invention, the locked state can be released simply by slightly rotating the cap body A, making it easy to open the lid.

[0035] The configuration and effects of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above examples. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the container 1 with a locking mechanism is a jar container was described, but any container that requires a locking mechanism may be used.

[0036] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case where ball 2 is made of iron, any metal that is attracted to magnet M is acceptable, including not only iron but also nickel, cobalt, and other metals containing one or more types of ferromagnetic material.

[0037] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described using a small coin-shaped magnet M, the shape of the magnet M is not limited to this.

[0038] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a case in which the ball 2 is made of iron metal and the magnet M is placed in the opening 52b, it is also possible to configure the magnet to be spherical and place the metal that will be attached to the magnet in the opening 52b. [Industrial applicability]

[0039] This invention can be applied to a wider range of applications in the field of containers with locking mechanisms. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1: Container with locking mechanism 2: Ball 10: Outer cap 11:Top wall part 12:Outer wall 20: Packing 21: Top panel 22: Inclined part 23: Annular flange section 30: Inner cap 31:Inner wall 31a: Through hole 32: Outward-facing flange 32a: Recess 40: Refill container 41: Bottom 42: Torso 43: Flange section 44: Containment Unit 50: Inner container 51: Inner cylinder 51a: Guide rib 51b: Engagement protrusion 52: Matching wall part 52a: Slope 52a1: One slope 52a2: The other slope 52b: Opening 52c: Retaining protrusion 52d: Mating recess 53: Outer cylinder 54: Flange 56: Mouth tube part 60: Outer container 61: Bottom wall 62: Side wall section 63: Support piece 63A: Engagement cylinder part 63a: Locking protrusion 64: Locking recess 65: Engagement groove A: Cap body B: Container body M: Magnet O: Container axis α: One circumferential direction β: The other circumferential direction

Claims

1. A lockable container comprising a container body (B) and a cap body (A) that fits over the container body (B), The cap body (A) holds a ball (2) made of a spherical metal containing a ferromagnetic material, with the ball exposed to the container body (B). The container body (B) has a slope (52a) formed therein for guiding the ball (2), and a magnet (M) is positioned at the lower part of the slope (52a). A container with a lock, characterized in that when the cap body (A) is placed over the container body (B), the ball (2) rolls down the slope (52a) to set the lid closed, and the lock state is maintained as the ball (2) continues to be magnetically attracted to the magnet (M).

2. A lockable container according to claim 1, wherein the cap body (A) is assembled having an outer cap (10) and an inner cap (30) assembled inside the outer cap (10), and the ball (2) is positioned so as to be able to roll in the gap between the outer wall portion (12) of the outer cap (10) and the inner wall portion (31) of the inner cap (30) which are radially opposed to each other, and is held so as to be exposed to the inside of the inner wall portion (31) through a through hole (31a) formed in the inner wall portion (31).

3. The container with a lock according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container body (B) is assembled to include a refill container (40) for containing contents, an inner container (50), and an outer container (60), and the magnet (M) is positioned in such a way that it can face the ball (2) in an opening (52b) formed in the fitting wall portion (52) of the inner container (50).

4. On the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion (51) of the inner container (50), a pair of guide ribs (51a) are formed, having a predetermined width in the circumferential direction and extending parallel to the height direction, and the opening (52b) is formed between the pair of guide ribs (51a). The outer container (60) has a support piece (63) formed thereon, which has a locking recess (64) at its tip and is inserted between the pair of guide ribs (51a) during assembly. The lockable container according to claim 3, wherein the magnet (M) is sandwiched between the locking recess (64) and the pair of guide ribs (51a), so that the magnet (M) is assembled facing the opening (52b).

5. The lockable container according to claim 3, wherein a restraining projection (52c) for holding down the ball (2) is provided on the outer surface of the connecting wall portion (52) above the opening (52b).

6. The lockable container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball (2) is formed of a metal containing one or more of iron, nickel, and cobalt.

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