container with lid

Abstract

To provide a container with a screw-on lid that can be securely tightened to the required position to ensure airtightness during the closing operation. [Solution] The container comprises a container body 2 having a neck 6 with a male threaded portion 8 attached, a lid 20 having a lid peripheral wall 24 with a female threaded portion 26 attached for fastening to the male threaded portion 8 attached to the peripheral edge of a lid plate 22, and an interior member 30 supported on the inside of the lid 20 so as to be sandwiched between the neck 6 and the lid plate 22, and including a rigid lower plate 34 and a flexible upper plate 32. The lower plate 34 is a pattern plate with a three-dimensional pattern 36 engraved on its upper surface. When the operation of tightening the lid 20 onto the neck 6 is completed, the three-dimensional pattern 36 is pressed against and bites into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, and a planar pattern P corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern 36 appears on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32 above the press-fit area, and this planar pattern P is formed so that it can be seen through the lid plate 22.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a lid.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A known container includes a container body having a mouth and neck portion, an inner plug fitted into the mouth and neck portion, and a lid body having a lid peripheral wall hanging down from the peripheral edge of a lid plate disposed above the inner plug, wherein the outer peripheral portion of the inner plug is sandwiched between the mouth and neck portion and the lid plate by screwing the lid peripheral wall onto the outer surface of the mouth and neck portion (Patent Document 1).

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] The container of Patent Document 1 is tightened using a screw when closing the lid, but if it is not tightened to a specified position, airtightness cannot be ensured, which may lead to deterioration of the contents.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a screw-type container with a lid that can be reliably tightened to a predetermined position required for ensuring airtightness during a lid closing operation.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006] A first means includes a container body 2 having a mouth and neck portion 6 provided with an external thread portion 8, a lid body 20 having a lid peripheral wall 24 provided with an internal thread portion 26 to be fastened with the external thread portion 8, the lid peripheral wall hanging down from the peripheral end of a lid plate 22, and an interior member 30 that is supported inside the lid body 20 so as to seal the mouth and neck portion 6 by being sandwiched between the lid plate 22 and the mouth and neck portion 6, and that includes a rigid lower plate 34 and a flexible upper plate 32. The lower plate 34 is a pattern plate with a raised and recessed three-dimensional pattern 36 engraved on its upper surface. Upon completion of the tightening operation of the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, the three-dimensional pattern 36 is pressed against and embedded in the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, and a planar pattern P corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern 36 appears on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32 above the pressed area, and this planar pattern P is formed so that it can be seen through the lid plate 22.

[0007] In this method, as shown in Figure 1, the lid peripheral wall 24 of the lid 20 is screwed onto the neck 6 of the container body 2, and the lid 20 is supported on the inside of the lid 20 so as to seal the neck 6 by being sandwiched between the lid plate 22 and the neck 6, and comprises an interior member 30 including a rigid lower plate 34 and a flexible upper plate 32. As shown in Figure 2, the lower plate 34 is a pattern plate with a raised and recessed three-dimensional pattern 36 engraved on its upper surface. Upon completion of the tightening operation of the lid 20 onto the mouth neck 6, as shown in Figure 1, the three-dimensional pattern 36 is pressed against and embedded in the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, and above the pressed area, as shown in Figure 3(D), a planar pattern P corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern 36 appears on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32, and this planar pattern P is formed so that it can be seen through the lid plate 22. This structure ensures airtightness by tightening the lid 20 until the planar pattern P is visible.

[0008] The second means has the same features as the first means, and the male thread portion 8 has an inclined step portion 10 formed at the base portion 8a, which corresponds to the final stage of tightening the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, for contacting the tip portion 27 of the female thread portion 26.

[0009] In this configuration, as shown in Figure 4(A), the male thread portion 8 has an inclined step portion 10 formed at the base portion 8a, which corresponds to the final stage of tightening the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, for contacting the tip portion 27 of the female thread portion 26. With this structure, as shown in Figure 4(B), in the final stage of tightening, the tip 27 of the female thread portion 26 collides with the inclined step portion 10 of the base portion 8a, and by feeling the distance of this collision (the sensation of collision), the user can sense that they have reached the end of the tightening position of the lid 20.

[0010] The third means has either the first or second means, and the upper plate 32 is patternless when no external pressure force is applied to it.

[0011] In this method, the upper plate 32 is patternless as shown in Figure 3(B) when no external pressure force is applied to it. This structure clearly shows the difference in appearance before and after the appearance of the planar pattern P. Therefore, it is easy to see that the bolts have been tightened to the predetermined position to ensure airtightness.

[0012] The fourth means has either the first means or the second means, and the inner surface of the lid peripheral wall 24 is provided with an upper support rib 28 that is in contact with the lower surface of the lid plate 22 and supports the upper support portion a on the outer circumference of the upper plate 32, and a lower support rib 29 that is in contact with the upper plate 32 and supports the lower support portion b on the outer circumference of the lower plate 34 with a gap g between it and the upper plate 32 when the lid 20 is unscrewed from the opening neck 6. By screwing the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, the neck portion 6 pushes up the lower plate 34, and the three-dimensional pattern 36 is pressed against the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32.

[0013] In this method, as shown in Figure 3(A), the inner surface of the lid peripheral wall 24 is provided with an upper support rib 28 that contacts the lower surface of the lid plate 22 and supports the upper support portion a on the outer circumference of the upper plate 32, and a lower support rib 29 that, when the lid 20 is unscrewed from the opening neck 6, supports the lower support portion b on the outer circumference of the lower plate 34 with a gap g between it and the upper plate 32. Then, by screwing the lid body 20 onto the mouth-neck portion 6, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the mouth-neck portion 6 pushes up the lower plate 34, and the three-dimensional pattern 36 is provided so as to be brought into pressure contact with the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32. According to this structure, it is possible to avoid the three-dimensional pattern 36 being pressed into contact with the upper plate 32 before the point when the lid is tightened to a predetermined position, and therefore, the change in the appearance of the upper plate 32 allows the tightening operation to be completed reliably.

[0014] A fifth means includes the first means or the second means, and the upper plate 32 is formed of flexible silicon.

[0015] In this means, the upper plate 32 is formed of flexible silicon. According to this structure, by tightening the lid body 20 onto the mouth-neck portion 6, the three-dimensional pattern 36 can be sufficiently bitten into the upper plate 32, and the planar pattern P corresponding to this three-dimensional pattern 36 can be reliably made to appear. Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, in a screw-type container with a lid, it is possible to reliably tighten the lid to a predetermined position required to ensure airtightness during the lid closing operation. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view of the container with a lid according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 3] It shows the operation of the container shown in Fig. 1, where Fig. (A) shows an intermediate stage of the process of tightening the lid, Fig. (B) shows the planar shape of the upper plate at that stage, Fig. (C) shows the stage where the tightening of the lid is completed, and Fig. (D) shows the planar shape of the upper plate at that stage, respectively. [Figure 4]The operation of the container shown in Figure 1 is illustrated, where Figure (A) shows the stage where the male threaded portion approaches the root portion of the female threaded portion, and Figure (B) shows the stage where the male threaded portion engages with the root portion. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0018] Figures 1 to 4 show a lidded container according to an embodiment of the present invention. This lidded container can be used, for example, for storing creamy substances. The lidded container is composed of a container body 2, a lid body 20, and an interior member 30. Further, in the present embodiment, the interior member 30 is composed of an upper plate 32, a lower plate 34, and a packing 38, as will be described later. Among these members, the container body 2, the lid body 20, and the lower plate 34 can be molded from, for example, a synthetic resin material, the upper plate 32 can be molded from, for example, silicon, and the packing 38 can be molded from rubber or an elastomer or the like.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the container body 2 is a wide-mouthed bottomed cylindrical member as a whole, and has a neck portion 6 erected from a straight cylindrical body portion 4 via a shoulder portion 5. The neck portion 6 is provided with a male threaded portion 8 that fastens with a female threaded portion 26 to be described later. In the present invention, by tightening the lid body 20 onto the neck portion 6 using the male threaded portion 8 and the female threaded portion 26, the three-dimensional pattern 36 of the lower plate 34 to be described later is brought into pressure contact with the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, so that a planar pattern P to be described later appears on the front surface Sf of the upper plate 32. The illustrated neck portion 6 is composed of a large-diameter base portion 6a, a tapered intermediate portion 6b, and a small-diameter tip portion 6c, and the male threaded portion 8 is provided on the base portion 6a.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3(A), the male threaded portion 8 is formed such that the gradient of the root portion 8a corresponding to the final stage of the tightening operation of the lid body 20 onto the neck portion 6 is larger than the gradient of the screw main body 8b which is the remaining screw portion. Specifically, the lower edge of the screw body 8b is formed as a gently sloping portion (upper gently sloping portion 11), and the part of the root portion 8a adjacent to the screw body 8b is formed as a steeply sloping portion, which is the inclined step portion 10. In this way, the female thread portion 26, shown by the solid line in Figure 4(A), screws along the upper gently sloping portion 11, and then, as shown by the dashed line in the same figure, the tip portion 27 of the female thread portion 26 abuts against the steeply sloping step portion 10. Therefore, the user can feel the impact caused by this abutment and know by touch that the lid 20 is near the end of its tightening position. Furthermore, after hitting the inclined step 10, the female thread portion 26 slides along the inclined step 10, changing the screw angle (gradient), increasing the amount the lid is tightened, and causing the lid 20 to momentarily drop. As a result, the three-dimensional pattern 36 momentarily bites into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, causing the planar pattern P to suddenly appear. Therefore, it is visually clear that the lid 20 has reached the fully tightened position. In the illustrated example, the lower edge of the base portion 8a, on the side opposite the screw body 8b with respect to the inclined step portion 10, is formed as a lower gently sloping portion 9 having a gradient similar to that of the upper gently sloping portion 11. In the tightened state shown in Figure 4(B), the tip portion 27 of the female thread portion 26 is in contact with the lower gently sloping surface portion 9. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, a stopping recess 12 is formed on the lower side of the base portion 8a, as shown in Figure 4(B), which is a portion for stopping the tip of the female thread portion 26.

[0021] The lid 20 comprises a lid plate 22 positioned above the mouth neck 6, and a lid peripheral wall 24 that is suspended from the peripheral end of the lid plate and has a female threaded portion 26 attached to it for fastening with the male threaded portion 8. In the illustrated example, the lid periphery wall 24 hangs down to the vicinity of the shoulder portion 5 and has a diameter approximately the same as that of the body portion 4. The lid circumferential wall 24 in the illustrated example consists of an upper circumferential wall 24a with a small inner diameter and thick wall, and a lower circumferential wall 24b with a large inner diameter and thin wall, and the female thread portion 26 is attached to this lower circumferential wall 24b. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(A), an upper support rib 28 for supporting the upper support portion a on the outer circumference of the upper plate 32 and a lower support rib 29 for supporting the lower support portion b on the outer circumference of the lower plate 34 are attached to the inner surface of the upper half circumferential wall 24a, before the lid 20 is tightened onto the mouth neck 6. The upper support rib 28 is attached to a position close to the cover plate 22 in order to support the upper plate 32 which is positioned in contact with the lower surface of the cover plate 22. The lower support rib 29 is attached below the upper support rib 28 in order to support the lower plate 34, which is positioned with a gap g between it and the upper plate 32. In the illustrated example, as shown in Figure 1, the lower half of the outer circumferential surface of the lower plate 34 is formed as a small outer diameter portion 34a, and the upper half of its outer circumferential surface is formed as a large outer diameter portion 34b, while the downward step portion between the small outer diameter portion 34a and the large outer diameter portion 34b is the aforementioned lower support portion b. Furthermore, the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the upper plate 32 is designated as the upper support portion a mentioned above. However, these structures can be modified as needed. In this embodiment, the entire lid 20 is integrally molded from a transparent or translucent material. However, this structure can be modified as appropriate, and at least the lid plate 22 may be formed from a transparent or translucent material.

[0022] The interior member 30 is fitted inside the lid 20 and is supported so as not to fall off when the lid 20 is unscrewed from the neck portion 6. The interior member 30 is sandwiched between the lid plate 22 and the neck portion 6, thereby sealing the neck portion 6. In this embodiment, the interior member 30 is made up of an upper plate 32, a lower plate 34, and a packing 38 stacked on top of each other. Specifically, the upper plate 32 and the lower plate 34 are arranged side by side so as to be separable from each other, and when the lid 20 is tightened onto the neck portion 6, the three-dimensional pattern 36 arranged on the upper surface of the lower plate 34 is pressed against the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32. The packing 38 is interposed between the lower surface of the lower plate 34 and the neck portion 6.

[0023] The upper plate 32 is formed as a flexible plate that can be deformed (bite into) by the pressure of the three-dimensional pattern 36. The upper plate 32 is locally pressed against a portion of its back surface Sr and deformed, causing the appearance of its surface Sf above the pressed area to change relative to its surroundings. Therefore, as the three-dimensional pattern 36 intrudes into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, the degree of light reflection changes compared to the surrounding area in the area of ​​the surface Sf of the upper plate 32 that corresponds to the shape of the three-dimensional pattern 36, when viewed from above. Consequently, a planar pattern P that matches the three-dimensional pattern 36 appears on the surface Sf. One example of this mechanism is that the three-dimensional pattern 36 of the rigid lower plate 34 bites into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, so that the three-dimensional pattern 36 is visible from the front surface Sf side. To achieve this effect, the upper plate 32 can be made of a translucent material. One example of a suitable material for the upper plate 32 is flexible silicon (especially translucent silicon). Here, "having flexibility" means being flexible enough to allow the three-dimensional pattern 36 to be embedded within it. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper plate 32 is formed without a pattern when no external pressure force is applied. As a result, the change in the appearance of the surface Sf of the upper plate 32 becomes noticeable before and after the three-dimensional pattern 36 bites into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, allowing the user to reliably notice the planar pattern P.

[0024] The lower plate 34 is a patterned plate with a raised and recessed three-dimensional pattern 36 engraved on its upper surface. This lower plate 34 is molded from a harder material than the upper plate 32. The three-dimensional pattern 36 is a compression projection that protrudes from the upper surface of the lower plate 34 in order to locally bite into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32. By locally biting in, a change in appearance appears clearly as a planar pattern P on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32. The user can determine whether or not the tightening operation of the lid 20 is complete based on the presence or absence of this planar pattern P, thus avoiding the inconvenience of ending the tightening operation with the lid in an incomplete state. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional pattern 36 is formed as a character pattern 36A (the word "LOCK" in the illustrated example) and a decorative pattern 36B. When multiple compression protrusions are provided as the three-dimensional pattern 36, it is preferable to make the end face e of the compression protrusion located in the center higher and the end face e of the compression protrusions located away from the center lower. This makes it less likely for the amount of penetration of each compression protrusion into the back surface Sr of the lower plate 34 to be uneven, even if the tightening of the lid 20 onto the neck 6 is slightly tilted. Therefore, the entire shape of the three-dimensional pattern 36 is appropriately projected as a planar pattern P onto the surface Sf of the upper plate 32.

[0025] The packing 38 is a portion interposed between the lower surface of the lower plate 34 and the neck of the mouth 6 so as to seal the entire neck of the mouth 6.

[0026] In the above configuration, when the lid is closed as shown in Figure 1, at the completion of the tightening operation of the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, the three-dimensional pattern 36 of the lower plate 34 is embedded in the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32. As a result, a planar pattern P corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern 36 is projected onto the surface Sf of the upper plate 32. Therefore, the user can confirm that the container is sealed by viewing the planar pattern P from the outside through the lid plate 22. When using this container with a lid, simply rotate the lid 20 in the opening direction. This causes the lid 20 to screw upward relative to the neck 6, relieving the pressure contact of the three-dimensional pattern 36 on the back surface Sr of the lower plate 34, and thus the planar pattern P disappears. When the lid 20 is pulled up after the lid perimeter wall 24 is unscrewed from the neck 6, the interior member 30 rises along with the lid 20, and the neck 6 is opened. In this state, the contents can be removed. When the lid 20 is tightened onto the neck 6 after the contents have been removed, the female thread portion 26 of the lid 20 advances along the screw body 8b, and the tip portion 27 of the female thread portion 26 abuts against the inclined step portion 10 of the base portion 8a of the male thread portion 8. The feeling of this collision indicates that the lid 20 has reached the near-final tightening position. Furthermore, as the female thread portion 26 slides along the inclined step portion 10, the screw angle increases, causing the lid 20 to drop instantaneously. This causes the lid 20 to drop rapidly. As a result, the three-dimensional pattern 36 bites into the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, and a planar pattern P appears on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32. By observing this planar pattern P from the outside through the lid plate 22, it can be seen that the lid 20 has rotated to a predetermined position where airtightness is ensured.

[0027] According to the above configuration and operation, when the tightening operation of the lid 20 onto the mouth neck 6 is completed, the three-dimensional pattern 36 is pressed against and embedded in the back surface Sr of the upper plate 32, and a planar pattern P corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern 36 appears on the surface Sf of the upper plate 32 above the pressed area. Since this planar pattern P is formed so that it can be seen through the lid plate 22, airtightness can be reliably ensured by tightening the lid 20 until the planar pattern P is visible. Since the male thread portion 8 has an inclined step portion 10 formed at its base portion 8a, which corresponds to the final stage of tightening the lid 20 onto the neck portion 6, it is easy to see when the lid 20 has reached the near-final tightening position. Since the upper plate 32 is made of flexible silicone, the tightening of the lid 20 onto the mouth neck 6 allows the three-dimensional pattern 36 to be sufficiently embedded in the upper plate 32, and the planar pattern P corresponding to this three-dimensional pattern 36 can be reliably made to appear. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 2...Container body 4...Body 5...Shoulder 6...Mouth / Neck 6a...Base 6b...Middle part 6c...Tip 8...Threaded part 8a...Base 8b...Screw body 9...Lower gently sloping part 10...Steep slope section (inclined step section) 11...Upper gentle slope section 12...Stopping recess 20...Lid body 22...Lid plate 24...Lid circumference wall 24a...Upper half wall part 24b...Lower half circumference wall 26...Female thread section 27...Tip section 28...Upper support rib 29...Lower support rib 30...Interior component 32...Upper plate 34...Lower plate 34a...Small outer diameter section 34b...Large outer diameter section 36...Three-dimensional pattern 36A...Text pattern 36B...Decorative pattern 38... Gasket a... Upper support part b... Lower support part e... End face of three-dimensional pattern g... Gap P... Planar pattern Sf...Front side Sr...Back side

Claims

1. A container body (2) having a neck (6) with a male threaded portion (8) attached, A lid (20) is provided with a lid periphery wall (24) attached vertically from the periphery of the lid plate (22), having a female threaded portion (26) that fastens with the male threaded portion (8), The interior member (30), which includes a rigid lower plate (34) and a flexible upper plate (32), is supported on the inside of the lid (20) so as to be sandwiched between the lid plate (22) and the neck portion (6) to seal the neck portion (6), The lower plate (34) is a pattern plate with a raised and recessed three-dimensional pattern (36) engraved on its upper surface. A container with a lid, characterized in that, upon completion of the tightening operation of the lid (20) onto the neck portion (6), the three-dimensional pattern (36) is pressed against and embedded in the back surface (Sr) of the upper plate (32), and a planar pattern (P) corresponding to the three-dimensional pattern (36) appears on the surface (Sf) of the upper plate (32) above the pressed-off area, and this planar pattern (P) is formed so that it can be seen through the lid plate (22).

2. The container with a lid according to claim 1, characterized in that the male thread portion (8) has an inclined stepped portion (10) formed at the base portion (8a) corresponding to the final stage of tightening the lid (20) onto the mouth neck portion (6) for contacting the tip portion (27) of the female thread portion (26).

3. The container with a lid according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the upper plate (32) is unpatterned when no external pressure is applied to it.

4. The inner surface of the lid peripheral wall (24) is provided with an upper support rib (28) that abuts against the lower surface of the lid plate (22) and supports the upper support portion (a) on the outer circumference of the upper plate (32), and a lower support rib (29) that, when the lid (20) is unscrewed from the opening neck (6), supports the lower support portion (b) on the outer circumference of the lower plate (34) with a gap (g) between it and the upper plate (32). A container with a lid according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the lid (20) is screwed onto the neck portion (6), causing the neck portion (6) to push up the lower plate (34) and press the three-dimensional pattern (36) against the back surface (Sr) of the upper plate (32).

5. The container with a lid according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the upper plate (32) is made of flexible silicone.

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