Wildlife-proof storage container

Abstract

To provide a wild animal-proof storage container which cannot be knocked over or opened by wild animals, prevents stored garbage or the like from being rummaged through, and can prevent people from being trapped inside while having a configuration that does not require a locking operation. [Solution] The container comprises a container body 2 fixed to a base 7 for preventing tipping over, an opening / closing door 3 provided at an opening 21 of the container body 2, a locking mechanism 4 provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing door 3 and automatically locking when the opening / closing door 3 is closed, and a handle-type cover 5 provided on the outer surface of the opening / closing door 3, and the locking mechanism 4 has an outer operating part for unlocking from the outside of the container body 2 and an inner operating part for unlocking from the inside of the container body 2.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a wildlife-resistant storage container that is designed to prevent wild animals such as brown bears from opening it. [Background technology]

[0002] Storage containers that are designed to prevent wild animals from opening have been proposed in the past. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-292097 discloses a wild animal-proof garbage station in which a cover member is attached to the locking part of the opening / closing part so that humans can open and close it but wild animals cannot open it (Patent Document 1). Also, Utility Model Registration No. 3195355 discloses an animal-proof storage container that prevents wild animals from rummaging through the waste stored inside by knocking over or breaking the container, while still being easy for humans to operate and take out waste (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-292097 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3195355 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the wildlife-resistant garbage station described in Patent Document 1 does not have any measures to prevent it from tipping over. As a result, even if the door is locked, there is a problem that strong wild animals such as brown bears can push over and break the garbage can, allowing them to rummage through the waste. In this regard, the animal-resistant storage container described in Patent Document 2 has a base fixed to the legs to prevent it from tipping over, and is equipped with comprehensive measures to protect against wild animals.

[0005] However, the animal-proof storage container described in Patent Document 2 has the problem that unlocking the door is required when opening it, and locking the door when closing it, which is time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, it is conceivable to simplify the locking operation by adopting a locking mechanism that automatically locks the door by simply pushing it closed, but in that case, another problem arises.

[0006] In other words, in the above-mentioned configuration, the door can only be unlocked from the outside of the storage container, so if a person is working inside the storage container to take out or put in waste or clean, and the door is suddenly closed by a strong wind or a wild animal, the door may automatically lock and trap the person inside the storage container.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a wild animal-resistant storage container that cannot be knocked over or opened by wild animals, and that not only prevents stored garbage and the like from being rummaged through, but also has a structure that does not require locking operations and can prevent people from being trapped inside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The wildlife-resistant storage container of the present invention is designed to be unable to be knocked over or opened by wild animals, and to prevent stored garbage and the like from being rummaged through, while also preventing people from becoming trapped inside. This wildlife-resistant storage container is designed to be unable to be opened by wild animals, and solves the problem of not requiring any locking operations. The container comprises a container body fixed to an anti-tip base that is heavy enough to prevent wild animals from knocking it over, an opening / closing door that is openable and closable at the opening of the container body, a locking mechanism that is attached to the inner surface of the opening / closing door and automatically locks the opening / closing door when it is closed, and a hollow handle-type cover that is attached to the outer surface of the opening / closing door and has an operating port that opens downward. The locking mechanism protrudes from the outer surface of the opening / closing door inside the handle-type cover and has an outer operating part for unlocking from the outside of the container body, and an inner operating part for unlocking from the inside of the container body.

[0009] In addition, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of having a simple configuration that allows the opening and closing door to be locked simply by closing it and to be unlocked from either the outside or the inside of the container body, the locking mechanism may include the outer operating unit and the inner operating unit, a swinging member supported so as to be swingable around a swing axis provided on the inner surface of the opening and closing door, latch locks provided on the upper and lower ends of the inner surface of the opening and closing door and biased in the direction in which the latch protrudes, and a connecting rod that connects the swinging member and the latch lock and pulls the latch in the direction in which it retracts in response to the swinging action of the swinging member by the outer operating unit or the inner operating unit.

[0010] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of preventing the opening and closing door from opening too far due to strong winds, etc., an over-opening prevention chain may be provided that is connected between the inner surface of the opening and closing door and the opening of the container body to prevent the opening and closing door from opening too far.

[0011] In addition, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of preventing destruction by wild animals and increasing durability by making them rust-resistant, the container body, the opening and closing door, and the handle-type cover may be made of steel having a thickness of 2 mm or more and coated with zinc plating.

[0012] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of ensuring that the container will not be knocked over by wild animals, the anti-tip base may have a weight of 900 kg or more, and its outline may be formed larger outward than the outline of the container body when viewed in a plane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The wildlife-resistant storage container of the present invention cannot be knocked over or opened by wild animals, and it not only prevents wild animals from rummaging through the stored garbage, but also prevents people from being trapped inside, even though it does not require any locking operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing one embodiment of a wildlife-resistant storage container according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the state in which one of the opening and closing doors of the wild animal-resistant storage container of this embodiment is open. FIG. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a handle-type cover and an outer operating portion in this embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the locking mechanism of the present embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a locked state and FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a wild animal-resistant storage container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] The wildlife-resistant storage container 1 of this embodiment is designed to prevent wild animals from opening it, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it mainly comprises a container body 2 for storing garbage and the like, an opening / closing door 3 provided on the container body 2 so as to be able to open and close, a locking mechanism 4 for locking the opening / closing door 3, and a handle-type cover 5 provided on the outer surface of the opening / closing door 3. Each component will be described below.

[0017] The wildlife-resistant storage container 1 according to the present invention is suitable for a garbage station for storing garbage and other waste, but is not limited to this use and may also be used as a container for storing stored items such as food. Furthermore, while the wild animal is assumed to be a brown bear, it is not limited to this and includes all wild animals that may be able to open the wildlife-resistant storage container 1.

[0018] The container body 2 is for storing items such as garbage. In this embodiment, the container body 2 is formed in a hollow, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and has an opening 21 on its front. In addition, an anti-tip base 7 having a weight sufficient to prevent the container body 2 from being toppled by wild animals is fixed to the bottom surface of the container body 2 via four legs 6.

[0019] In this embodiment, the anti-tip base 7 has a weight of 900 kg or more to ensure that it will not be toppled by strong wild animals such as bears. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the anti-tip base 7 has an outer contour that is larger outward than the outer contour of the container body 2 in a plan view. As a result, even if a wild animal tries to push over the wildlife-resistant storage container 1 with its front legs, its hind legs rest on the anti-tip base 7, making it even more difficult for it to be toppled by its own weight.

[0020] The opening / closing door 3 is for closing and slidably the opening 21 of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the opening / closing door 3 is configured as a pair of left and right doors, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the left and right ends of the doors are fixed to the edge of the opening with hinges 31 so as to open like a double door. However, the configuration of the opening / closing door 3 is not limited to the above configuration, and the doors may be provided on a surface other than the front, and do not have to be a pair of left and right doors, as long as they can close and slidably the opening 21 of the container body 2.

[0021] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, an over-opening prevention chain 32 is provided between the inner surface of the opening / closing door 3 and the opening 21 of the container body 2 to prevent the opening / closing door 3 from opening too far.

[0022] The locking mechanism 4 is for locking the opening / closing door 3 in a closed state. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 4 is provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing door 3 as shown in Fig. 2, and is configured to automatically lock the opening / closing door 3 when it is closed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the locking mechanism 4 has a swinging member 42 supported so as to be swingable around a swinging shaft 41 provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing door 3, latch locks 44 provided at the upper and lower ends of the inner surface of the opening / closing door 3 and biased in a direction in which latches 43 protrude, and a connecting rod 45 connecting the swinging member 42 and the latch lock 44.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, locking portions 22 are provided on the opening edge of the container body 2 at positions corresponding to the latches 43. Each locking portion 22 is formed in a shape that abuts against and retracts the latch 43 while the opening / closing door 3 is being closed, and protrudes away from the latch 43 when the opening / closing door 3 is completely closed. Therefore, when the opening / closing door 3 is closed, the latch 43 automatically locks with the locking portion 22, and the door is locked.

[0024] 3 and 4, the swinging member 42 is provided with an outer operating part 46 that protrudes from the outer surface of the opening / closing door 3 inside the handle-type cover 5 and is used to unlock from the outside of the container body 2, and an inner operating part 47 that is used to unlock from the inside of the container body 2. When the outer operating part 46 or the inner operating part 47 is lifted upward, the swinging member 42 swings around the swing shaft 41 as shown in FIG. 4(b), and the connecting rod 45 pulls the latch 43 in a direction to retract it in response to the swinging movement. As a result, the latch 43 retracts to a position where it does not engage with the locking part 22, and the opening / closing door 3 is unlocked.

[0025] As described above, the locking mechanism 4 of this embodiment has a simple configuration, yet is locked simply by closing the opening and closing door 3, and can be unlocked from either the outside or inside of the container body 2.

[0026] The locking mechanism 4 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it is automatically locked when the door 3 is closed and has an outer operating unit 46 and an inner operating unit 47. Also, while Fig. 2 shows the locking mechanism 4, latching unit 22, and over-opening prevention chain 32 on only one door 3, the other door 3 is configured in the same way. However, the inner operating unit 47 only needs to be provided on one of the locking mechanisms 4.

[0027] The handle-type cover 5 functions as a handle for the opening / closing door 3 and also as a cover for the outer operating unit 46. In this embodiment, the handle-type cover 5 is formed in a hollow, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 3, and is provided on the outer surface of the opening / closing door 3. The handle-type cover 5 opens downward to make it difficult for wild animals to operate it, and has an operation opening 51 that is just large enough for a human finger to enter. This operation opening 51 is located at a low position that makes it difficult for a brown bear or the like to operate it with its forelimbs when it stands up. The handle-type cover 5 is not limited to the above configuration, and may have any configuration as long as it has an operation opening 51.

[0028] In the wildlife-resistant storage container 1 having the above configuration, at least the container body 2, the opening / closing door 3, and the handle-type cover 5 are made of steel with a thickness of 2 mm or more to prevent them from being destroyed by wild animals. They are also coated with zinc plating to make them rust-resistant and increase durability. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, as long as they are resistant to destruction by wild animals and have high durability.

[0029] Next, the operation of the wild animal-resistant storage container 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0030] When storing garbage or other items in the wildlife-resistant storage container 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, a finger is inserted through the operation opening 51 of the handle-type cover 5 and the outer operation part 46 is lifted upward. As a result, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the swinging member 42 swings around the swinging shaft 41, pulling the connecting rod 45 and retracting the latch 43. As a result, the latch 43, which has been locked with the locking part 22, is released and the opening / closing door 3 is unlocked, so that the opening / closing door 3 can be opened simply by pulling the handle-type cover 5 toward you.

[0031] While the door 3 is open, the over-opening prevention chain 32 prevents the door 3 from opening too far. This prevents the hinge 31 from being damaged and allows the user to close the door 3 with almost no movement from the location.

[0032] After storing items in the wildlife-resistant storage container 1, the door 3 is pushed closed by hand. At this time, each latch 43 of the latch lock 44 abuts against the engaging portion 22 and retreats, allowing the door 3 to pass through without engaging with the engaging portion 22. Then, when the door 3 is completely closed, each latch 43 protrudes due to the biasing force of the latch lock 44 and engages with the engaging portion 22. As a result, simply closing the door 3 automatically engages the latch 43 with the engaging portion 22 and locks it, eliminating the need for any locking operation.

[0033] However, even if the opening / closing door 3 is suddenly closed by a strong wind, a wild animal, or the like, it will automatically lock. This means that there is a risk that a person working inside the container body 2, such as putting items in and out or cleaning, may become trapped inside. Even in this case, if the inner operating part 47 is lifted upward from inside, the latch 43 is retracted via the swinging member 42 and connecting rod 45, as shown in FIG. 4(b), and the opening / closing door 3 is unlocked. This means that even if the opening / closing door 3 is suddenly closed and locked, the door can be easily unlocked and people can quickly escape, preventing them from becoming trapped inside.

[0034] When the opening / closing door 3 is locked, the handle-type cover 5 covers the outer operating part 46, and the narrow operation opening 51 that opens downward makes it difficult for wild animals to operate it. This is because it is thought to be difficult for wild animals to insert their hands and feet into the operation opening 51 from below and pull it toward themselves. For this reason, only operation by human fingers is permitted, preventing the opening / closing door 3 from being opened by wild animals such as brown bears.

[0035] In addition, the weight and shape of the anti-tip base 7 fixed to the container body 2 prevent it from being pushed over by wild animals. Furthermore, the wild animal-resistant storage container 1 is highly durable and difficult to destroy, preventing wild animals from rummaging through stored items such as garbage.

[0036] The wildlife-resistant storage container 1 according to the present invention as described above provides the following effects. 1. It cannot be knocked over or opened by wild animals, and it not only prevents stored garbage and the like from being rummaged through, but also prevents people from being trapped inside, despite its configuration not requiring any locking operation. 2. The locking mechanism 4 has a simple structure, but the door 3 can be locked simply by closing it, and can be unlocked from either the outside or the inside of the container body 2. 3. The excessive opening prevention chain 32 can prevent the opening and closing door 3 from opening too far due to strong winds, etc. 4. By using the right materials and coatings, they can be made more durable by not being destroyed by wild animals and by being less susceptible to rust. 5. An anti-tip base 7 of appropriate weight and shape can ensure that the structure will not be toppled by wild animals.

[0037] The wildlife-resistant storage container 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. For example, in this embodiment, the container body 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, but it can be modified as appropriate to have a cylindrical shape, a dome shape, or the like depending on the size and shape of the items to be stored, the space and scenery of the installation location, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Wildlife-proof storage container 2 Container body 21 Opening 22 Locking portion 3 Opening and closing doors 31 Hinge 32 Over-opening prevention chain 4 Locking mechanism 41 Swing axis 42 Swinging member 43 Latch 44 Latch Lock 45 Connecting rod 46 Outer control section 47 Inner operation section 5 Handle-type cover 51 Operation port 6 legs 7 Anti-fall foundation

Claims

1. A wildlife-resistant storage container that is designed to prevent wild animals from opening it, A container body fixed to a base for preventing tipping over that is heavy enough to prevent it from being toppled over by wild animals; an opening / closing door provided at the opening of the container body in an openable / closable manner; a locking mechanism provided on the inner surface of the door, which automatically locks the door when the door is closed; a hollow handle-type cover provided on the outer surface of the opening and closing door and having an operation port that opens downward; and The locking mechanism is located inside the handle-type cover and protrudes from the outer surface of the opening and closing door, and has an outer operating part for unlocking from the outside of the container body, and an inner operating part for unlocking from the inside of the container body. Wildlife-resistant storage container.

2. The locking mechanism is a swing member including the outer operating portion and the inner operating portion, the swing member being swingably supported around a swing axis provided on an inner surface of the opening and closing door; a latch lock provided at the upper and lower ends of the inner surface of the opening / closing door, the latch being biased in a protruding direction to engage with the opening edge of the container body; a connecting rod that connects the swinging member and the latch lock and pulls the latch in a direction to retract in response to the swinging operation of the swinging member by the outer operating unit or the inner operating unit; having The wildlife-resistant storage container according to claim 1.

3. an over-opening prevention chain connected between the inner surface of the opening / closing door and the opening of the container body to prevent the opening / closing door from opening too far; 3. The wildlife-resistant storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The container body, the opening and closing door, and the handle-type cover are made of steel having a thickness of 2 mm or more and coated with zinc plating.

3. The wildlife-resistant storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The anti-tip base has a weight of 900 kg or more, and its outline is formed larger outward than the outline of the container body in a plan view.

3. The wildlife-resistant storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

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