container

Abstract

To provide a container in which rotational displacement more than necessary for a handle is suitably regulated.SOLUTION: A container 1 comprises handles 3 which can be changed in posture from a falling posture extending along an opening edge of a container body 2 to a rotating posture upwardly rotated. The handle 3 comprises a substantially U-shaped handle body 31 and handle side shaft mechanism parts 41 protruding from portions near both end parts of the handle body 31 toward the outer peripheral side of the handle body 31. The handle side shaft mechanism part 41 comprises a shaft part 42 connected to the handle body 31 and a flange part 43 positioned closer to a protruding direction tip side of the handle side shaft mechanism part 41 than the shaft part 42. The flange part 43 comprises a flange part body 44 connected to the shaft part 42 and a protruding part 45 protruding from the flange part body 44 in a direction intersecting with the handle side shaft mechanism part 41. The container body 2 comprises pivotally supporting parts 25 pivotally supporting the shaft parts 42 and regulation parts 27 for regulating further rotational displacement of the handles 3 by contacting with the protruding parts 45 when the handles 3 are placed in a predetermined rotating posture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a handle used for transporting articles and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a container including a container body having a bottom wall component portion substantially rectangular in plan view and side wall portions extending upward from respective side edge portions of the bottom wall component portion, and a handle rotatably and displaceably connected to the container body and configured to be capable of changing its posture between a fallen posture extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotated posture extending in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body by rotating upward about a shaft portion from the fallen posture. Also, there is a technique in which, by rotating and displacing the handle from the fallen posture by a predetermined angle, further rotation and displacement of the handle in a predetermined rotated posture are restricted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in Patent Document 1, the shaft portion provided on the handle has a substantially semi-circular cross section, and in a shaft hole provided in the container body, when the handle rotates and displaces from the fallen posture by a predetermined angle, a regulating portion having a shape in which a linear portion of the substantially semi-circular cross section of the shaft portion is caught is configured to restrict further rotation and displacement of the handle. However, in such a regulated state, the contact area between the regulating portion and the shaft portion is small, and when a force is applied to the handle in a direction in which the regulating portion and the shaft portion are pressed against each other, there is a concern that the regulating portion or the shaft portion may be damaged.

[0005] The present invention was made to solve the problems exemplified above, and its objective is to provide a container that can suitably restrict the rotational displacement of a handle that is in a rotating position beyond what is necessary. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The following sections will describe each means suitable for achieving the above objectives. Additionally, specific effects and benefits of each means will be noted as needed.

[0007] Means 1. A container comprising a container body that is substantially box-shaped with an upward opening, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. 、 The contact portion of the protruding portion that abuts the restricting portion is the surface on the tip side in the protruding direction of the protruding portion and is composed of an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the protruding direction of the protruding portion. The aforementioned projection is the surface on the tip side in the projection direction of the projection, and is adjacent to the abutment portion, and has an inclined surface that is inclined on the opposite side from the abutment portion with respect to the projection direction of the projection, The flange body is provided with a tapered portion at the boundary between the surface of the flange body on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism and the peripheral wall portion of the flange body, which is inclined toward the inner circumference of the flange body toward the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism. A container characterized by the following features.

[0008] According to means 1, in the handle-side shaft mechanism, a flange is provided on the tip side of the shaft, and a projection is provided on the flange that protrudes in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism. When the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, the projection comes into contact with the restricting portion of the container body, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. For this reason, compared to, for example, a configuration that restricts further rotational displacement of the handle in a predetermined rotational position is provided in the shaft, the contact area between the handle-side portion (projection) that contributes to restricting the rotational displacement and the container body portion (restricting portion) can be made as wide as possible without adversely affecting the rotational displacement of the shaft. In other words, for example, by making the shaft portion cross-section approximately semicircular, it is possible to avoid weakening the shaft portion, or by making the protruding portion protrude from the outer circumference of the shaft portion, thereby preventing the rotation of the shaft portion from being hindered. Furthermore, it is possible to set a relatively wide contact range between the protruding portion and the restricting portion in the direction including the centrifugal direction of the shaft portion, without being constrained by the diameter of the shaft portion. In addition, it is possible to ensure that the thickness of the protruding portion and the width of the restricting portion in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion are longer than the thickness of the shaft support portion (the wall portion that constitutes the shaft support portion). Consequently, the rotational displacement of the handle beyond a predetermined rotational position can be restricted more stably. Moreover, since the rotational displacement of the handle beyond a predetermined rotational position can be restricted at a position separate from the shaft portion and the shaft support portion, the load placed on the shaft portion and the shaft support portion during such restriction can be reduced, and deformation or damage to the shaft portion and the shaft support portion can be suppressed.

[0010] Also, The flange portion has a shape that narrows towards the tip of the protrusion, and the flange body on the opposite side of the protrusion can be tapered. This makes it easier to insert the flange portion into the pivot when supporting the shaft portion on the pivot, by first inserting the protrusion portion into the pivot, and then pushing the flange body into the pivot. Therefore, the ease of attaching the handle can be improved.

[0011] Means 2. A container comprising a container body that is substantially box-shaped with an upward opening, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The handle-side shaft mechanism portion includes a second projection portion that protrudes from the flange portion toward the tip in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion, The container body is capable of contacting the second protrusion when the handle is in the predetermined rotational position, at a position different from the restricting portion. The first A container characterized by having two regulating sections.

[0012] means 2 According to this, when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, not only do the protruding portion and the restricting portion come into contact, but the second protruding portion and the second restricting portion also come into contact, and they work together to more effectively restrict any further rotational displacement of the handle in the predetermined rotational position. Therefore, the effect of stably restricting any further rotational displacement of the handle in the predetermined rotational position, and preventing deformation or damage to the shaft and shaft support during such restriction, is further enhanced.

[0013] means 3 . A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The container body includes a placement portion on which the handle in the toppled posture can be placed, and a main body side shaft mechanism portion that protrudes upward from the placement portion. The main body side shaft mechanism portion includes a first wall portion that extends upward from the placement portion, a second wall portion that is provided at a position spaced apart from and facing the outer side of the container body with respect to the first wall portion, and a connecting wall portion that connects between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The first wall portion is provided with the shaft support portion formed therethrough, and on the inner surface side of the connecting wall portion, there is provided the restricting portion configured to be capable of coming into surface contact with the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in the predetermined rotational posture. content characterized in that the device.

[0014] means 3 According to this, the flange portion of the handle side shaft mechanism portion whose shaft portion is pivotally supported by the shaft support portion will be surrounded by the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the connecting wall portion. Therefore, protection of the flange portion can be achieved, and damage to the flange portion and deformation / damage of the handle side shaft mechanism portion through the flange portion can be avoided. Further, since the connecting wall portion provided with the restricting portion is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the first wall portion and the second wall portion and is connected to the first wall portion and the second wall portion, the strength and rigidity of the restricting portion can be enhanced.

[0015] means 4 . A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The handles are provided in a pair so as to sandwich the central portion of the container body in a specific direction that is orthogonal to the rotational axis direction of the handle and is in the horizontal direction. Each of the handles is configured such that, when positioned in the predetermined rotational position, the portion of the handle body on the centrifugal tip side of the shaft can be positioned to straddle the central portion of the container body in the specific direction. When the pair of handles are in the rotational position, the handle bodies come into contact with each other, and the protruding portion of the flange and the restricting portion are separated. content vessel.

[0016] means 4 According to the report, when a user of the container holds the container by rotating the pair of handles and gripping the contact points of the handle bodies together, it is possible to avoid a situation where a constant force is applied to the protruding part of the flange (the handle-side shaft mechanism is twisted), thereby suppressing damage to the handle-side shaft mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a container with its handles tilted down. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a container with the handle in a rotating position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the handle. [Figure 4] This is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the handle side shaft mechanism and other components. [Figure 5] This is a partially enlarged side view showing the handle side shaft mechanism and other components. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a container with the handle in a rotated position. [Figure 7] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the connection point between the handle-side shaft mechanism and the main body-side shaft mechanism when the handle is in a rotating position. [Figure 8] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view (section AA in Figure 7) showing the connection point between the handle-side shaft mechanism and the main body-side shaft mechanism when the handle is in the rotating position. [Figure 9] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a container with the handle in a reclined position. [Figure 10]This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view (section BB in Figure 7) showing the connection point between the handle-side shaft mechanism and the main body-side shaft mechanism when the handle is in a reclined position. [Figure 11] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the process of attaching the handle to the container body (connecting the handle-side shaft mechanism to the body-side shaft mechanism). [Figure 12] This is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the handle-side shaft mechanism and other components in another embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the handle-side shaft mechanism and other components in another embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the main body side shaft mechanism and other components in another embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the connection point between the handle-side shaft mechanism and the main body-side shaft mechanism when the handle is in a rotating position in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container 1 comprises a container body 2 that is roughly rectangular in shape and opens upward, and a handle 3 that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body 2. The handles 3 are provided in pairs so as to sandwich the central part in the longitudinal width direction of the container body 2. The container body 2 and the handles 3 are each made of polypropylene.

[0019] The container body 2 comprises a bottom wall portion 11 that is substantially rectangular in plan view, long-side wall portions 12 extending upward from each long side of the bottom wall portion 11, and short-side wall portions 13 extending upward from each short side of the bottom wall portion 11. In this embodiment, the long-side wall portions 12 and the short-side wall portions 13 extend upward and inclined outward toward the container body 2. This configuration makes it possible to stack containers 1 on top of each other (nesting) by inserting the upper container 1 (container body 2) into the inside of the lower container 1 (container body 2).

[0020] Furthermore, the container body 2 includes a long-side upper flange portion 14 extending outward from the upper edge of the long-side side wall portion 12, a short-side upper flange portion 15 extending outward from the upper edge of the short-side side wall portion 13, with both ends connected to the ends of the long-side upper flange portion 14, a folded portion 16 extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange portions 14 and 15, and a connecting rib 17 (see Figure 6) connecting the upper flange portions 14 and 15, the folded portion 16, and the side wall portions 12 and 13.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 6, and 8, in each of the upper flange portions 14 on the long side, a body-side shaft mechanism portion 21 is provided in the area including the central part in the longitudinal width direction of the container body 2, by causing the outer peripheral portion of the container body 2 (the portion located at a predetermined distance or more outward from the opening edge of the container body 2) to bulge upward. Both ends of the body-side shaft mechanism portion 21 are inclined such that, when viewed from the front, the width of the body-side shaft mechanism portion 21 gradually narrows upward. In other words, in order to provide the main body side shaft mechanism 21, the upper flange portion 14 on the long side is shaped as if a portion of the general part on the outer circumference side of the container body 2 is cut out. The main body side shaft mechanism 21 is composed of a shaft wall portion 22 which is roughly trapezoidal in front view and extends upward from the inner edge of the container body 2 at the cutout, an upper wall portion 23 which extends roughly horizontally from the upper edge of the shaft wall portion 22 toward the outside of the container body 2, an inclined wall portion 24 which extends toward the outside of the container body 2 from the slanted edge of the shaft wall portion 22, and the folded portion 16 which extends downward from the outer edges of the upper wall portion 23 and the inclined wall portion 24. The portion of the folded portion 16 corresponding to the main body side shaft mechanism 21 is provided displaced upward from the general part of the folded portion 16, following the upper wall portion 23 and the inclined wall portion 24. Furthermore, the shaft wall portion 22 is configured to have a hole formed through it, and a support portion 25 is provided to support the shaft portion 42 of the handle 3, which will be described in more detail later. In accordance with the fact that the handle 3 is provided in pairs, each shaft wall portion 22 of the main body side shaft mechanism portion 21 is provided with a pair of support portions 25. In this embodiment, the shaft wall portion 22 corresponds to the first wall portion, the upper wall portion 23 and the inclined wall portion 24 correspond to the connecting wall portion, and the folded portion 16 extending downward from the outer edge of the upper wall portion 23 and the inclined wall portion 24 corresponds to the second wall portion.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the handle 3 comprises a handle body 31 which is roughly U-shaped in front view, and a pair of substantially straight support parts 32 which are substantially parallel to each other, and a connecting part 33 which connects one end of the pair of support parts 32, and a handle-side shaft mechanism part 41 which protrudes outward from the outer surface on the other end side of each support part 32. As shown in Figures 4, 8, etc., the handle-side shaft mechanism part 41 comprises a shaft part 42 which is connected to the handle body 31 (support part 32), and a flange part 43 which is located on the tip side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism part 41 than the shaft part 42. As shown in Figure 1, etc., each handle-side shaft mechanism part 41 is inserted through the shaft support part 25 of the shaft wall part 22 of each body-side shaft mechanism part 21 of the container body 2, and the shaft part 42 is pivotally supported by the shaft support part 25. As a result, the handle 3 is configured to change its orientation between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body 2 (see Figure 1) and a rotated position rotating upward from the tilted position to extend in a direction intersecting the opening edge (long side upper flange portion 14) of the container body 2 (see, for example, Figure 2). Furthermore, when the handle 3 is in the tilted position, it is configured to rest on the upper flange portions 14 and 15 of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the upper flange portions 14 and 15 constitute the resting portion.

[0023] In this embodiment, each shaft support portion 25 provided in each body-side shaft mechanism portion 21 of the container body 2 is an elongated hole with a relatively long width in the longitudinal direction of the container body 2, and is configured to allow the handle 3, which is in a tilted position, to slide along the opening edge of the container body 2 in the longitudinal direction of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the handle 3 in a tilted position is configured to slide between a first position, where the pair of handles 3 are furthest apart and, in plan view, almost the entire handle is located on the outer circumference side of the opening edge of the container body 2 (the support portion 32 is placed on the long-side upper flange portion 14 and the connecting portion 33 is placed on the short-side upper flange portion 15), and a second position, where the pair of handles 3 are closest to each other and, in plan view, the connecting portion 33 is located on the inner circumference side of the opening edge of the container body 2 (the support portion 32 is placed on the long-side upper flange portion 14 and the connecting portion 33 is located above the opening of the container body 2).

[0024] As described above, when nesting containers 1, by setting the pair of handles 3 of the lower container 1 to the first position, the container body 2 of the upper container 1 can be inserted into the inside of the container body 2 of the lower container 1 through the space between the pair of handles 3 of the lower container 1 without being obstructed by the handles 3 of the lower container 1. Furthermore, by setting the pair of handles 3 to the second position, it becomes possible to stack another container body 2 on top of the pair of handles 3 (stacking of containers 1).

[0025] Furthermore, the shaft portion 42 has a roughly oblong cross-section (a rectangle that widens along the extension direction of the support portion 32, with each short side being roughly arc-shaped), and the vertical width of each shaft support portion 25 is formed to be slightly larger than the major axis of the cross-section of the shaft portion 42 at the end on the short-side side wall portion 13, as shown in Figure 9, etc., while the portion closer to the center in the longitudinal width direction of the container body 2 is formed to be smaller than the major axis of the cross-section of the shaft portion 42. For this reason, the handle 3 can only be rotated when the shaft portion 42 is positioned at the end on the short-side side wall portion 13 of the shaft support portion 25 (first position), and the handle 3 can be slid horizontally by tilting it. In addition, each shaft support portion 25 is provided with a temporary restricting projection 26 that protrudes downward from the upper edge of the elongated hole constituting the shaft support portion 25, making the vertical width of a predetermined part of the shaft support portion 25 slightly shorter than the minor axis of the cross-section of the shaft portion 42. The temporary restricting projections 26 are provided in pairs at each shaft support 25 to easily restrict the displacement of the handle 3 from the first position toward the second position and the displacement of the handle 3 from the second position toward the first position, respectively, by contacting the shaft portion 42 of the handle 3 when it is in a tilted position at the first and second positions, respectively. In addition, the lower edge of the temporary restricting projection 26 is substantially arc-shaped, so that even when the shaft portion 42 is in contact with the temporary restricting projection 26, applying force in the longitudinal direction of the container body 2 to the handle 3 in a tilted position makes it relatively easy to slide the handle 3 horizontally by causing the shaft portion 42 to pass under the temporary restricting projection 26 (see Figure 10).

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the flange portion 43 comprises a flange body 44 connected to the shaft portion 42, and a projection 45 that protrudes from the flange body 44 in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41. As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, when the handle 3 is in a tilted position, the projection 45 protrudes from the flange body 44 toward the center of the longitudinal width direction of the container body 2 and downward.

[0027] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the container body 2 is equipped with a restricting portion 27 that contacts the protruding portion 45 of the flange portion 43 when the handle 3 is in a predetermined rotational position (in this example, a position rotated 110 to 120 degrees from the tilted position) to restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 27 is formed by the inner surface of the inclined wall portion 24 of the main body side shaft mechanism portion 21.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the contact portion 46 of the protruding portion 45 that abuts against the restricting portion 27 is composed of an inclined surface that is the front end side of the protruding portion 45 and is inclined with respect to the protruding direction of the protruding portion 45. When the handle 3 is in the predetermined rotational position, the protruding portion 45 (contact portion 46) of the flange portion 43 and the restricting portion 27 of the main body side shaft mechanism portion 21 are configured to abut each other on a surface. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 27 and the contact portion 46 are composed of flat surfaces, but for example, multiple ribs may be provided on the inner surface of the inclined wall portion 24 or on the inclined surface (one or both) of the protruding portion 45, so that the restricting portion 27 and the contact portion 46 are composed of multiple ribs, and the restricting portion 27 and the contact portion 46 can abut each other over a relatively wide area (multiple locations). This configuration is also included in the definition of a configuration in which the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27 can abut each other on a surface.

[0029] Furthermore, the protruding portion 45 has an inclined surface 47 adjacent to the contact portion 46 on the front end side in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 45, and is inclined on the opposite side from the contact portion 46 with respect to the protruding direction of the protruding portion 45. As a result, the protruding portion 45 has a tapered shape.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the peripheral wall portion 48 of the flange body 44 is inclined toward the inner circumference of the flange body 44 toward the tip side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41. In contrast, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 11, the contact portion 46 of the protruding portion 45 extends along the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 (the axial direction of the shaft portion 42). On the other hand, as shown in Figures 5 and 10, the inclined surface 47 of the protruding portion 45 is inclined toward the inner circumference of the flange portion 43 toward the tip side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41, similar to the peripheral wall portion 48. The diameter of the largest part of the flange body 44 is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 42. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the entire peripheral wall portion 48 of the flange body 44 constitutes a tapered portion. However, the peripheral wall portion 48 may be configured so that only the end side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 (the boundary between the surface of the flange body 44 on the end side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 and the peripheral wall portion 48) is tapered, or at least a portion of the peripheral wall portion 48 located on the opposite side from the protruding portion 45 when the flange 43 is viewed from the front from the end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 may be tapered.

[0031] To connect (attach) the handle 3 to the container body 2, first, as shown in Figure 11, the protruding portion 45 of the flange portion 43 of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 is inserted diagonally into the shaft support portion 25. Next, the entire flange portion 43 is inserted into the shaft support portion 25 by pushing the flange portion body 44 side of the flange portion 43 into the shaft support portion 25. At this time, the tapered shape of the peripheral wall portion 48 of the flange portion body 44 allows the flange portion body 44 to be inserted into the shaft support portion 25. With respect to the pair of handle-side shaft mechanism portions 41 of the handle 3, as shown in Figure 10, the flange portion 43 is positioned inside the body-side shaft mechanism 21, and the shaft portion 42 is pivotally supported by the shaft support portion 25, thereby completing the attachment of the handle 3 to the container body 2.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, in this embodiment, in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 (the thickness direction of the main body-side shaft mechanism 21, and the short-width direction of the container body 2), the thickness of the flange 43, the extension length of the upper wall 23, and the inclined wall 24 are configured to be greater than the thickness of the shaft wall 22. Moreover, as shown in Figure 7, the length of the contact range between the restricting portion 27 and the contact portion in the direction of the inclination of the inclined wall 24 (restricting portion 27) (a direction including the centrifugal direction of the shaft portion 42) is configured to be longer than the radius of the shaft portion 42 (half the length of the major axis of the cross-section of the shaft portion 42).

[0033] In addition, as shown in Figure 6, when each handle 3 is in the predetermined rotational position and the protruding portion 45 (contact portion 46) of the flange portion 43 and the restricting portion 27 are in contact, a part of the connecting portion 33 of the handle body 31 is positioned so as to straddle the center of the container body 2 in the longitudinal width direction (see center line X in Figure 6). Therefore, when both handles 3 are in the rotational position, the handle bodies 31 (connecting portion 33) come into contact with each other. Furthermore, as the handle bodies 31 come into contact with each other, the pair of handles 3 are supported in a position where they are rotated slightly more to the side of the predetermined rotational position than the predetermined rotational position. As a result, the protruding portion 45 of the flange portion 43 and the restricting portion 27 are separated (not in contact). The connecting portion 33 is the part that comes into contact with each other when the pair of handles 3 are in the rotational position, and it has a contact surface 34 that extends in a substantially vertical direction when the connecting portions 33 of the pair of handles 3 are in contact with each other.

[0034] As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 is provided with a flange portion 43 located on the tip side of the shaft portion 42 (located on the opposite side from the handle body 31, with the shaft wall portion 22 constituting the shaft support portion 25 in between), and the flange portion 43 is provided with a projection portion 45 that protrudes in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41, so that when the handle 3 is in a predetermined rotational position, the projection portion 45 comes into contact with the restricting portion 27 of the container body 2, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle 3. For this reason, compared to, for example, the case in which a configuration is provided in the shaft portion 42 to restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3 in a predetermined rotational position, the contact area between the part on the handle 3 side that contributes to restricting the rotational displacement (projection portion 45) and the part on the container body 2 side (restricting portion 27) can be made as wide as possible without adversely affecting the rotational displacement of the shaft portion 42. In other words, for example, by making the shaft portion 42's cross-section approximately semicircular, it is possible to avoid weakening the shaft portion 42, or by making the protruding portion 45 protrude from the outer circumference of the shaft portion 42, thereby preventing the rotation of the shaft portion 42 from being hindered. Furthermore, the contact range between the protruding portion 45 and the restricting portion 27 in the direction including the centrifugal direction of the shaft portion 42 can be set to be relatively wide without being constrained by the diameter of the shaft portion 42. In addition, the thickness of the protruding portion 45 and the width of the restricting portion 27 in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 can be made longer than the thickness of the shaft support portion 25 (the shaft wall portion 22 that constitutes the shaft support portion 25). Consequently, the rotational displacement of the handle 3 beyond a predetermined rotational position can be restricted more stably. Furthermore, since the rotational displacement of the handle 3 beyond a predetermined rotational position can be restricted at a position separate from the shaft 42 and the pivot 25, the load placed on the shaft 42 and the pivot 25 during such restriction can be reduced, and deformation or damage to the shaft 42 and the pivot 25 can be suppressed (without having to make the shaft 42 thicker or the area around the pivot 25 thicker). In particular, if a force is applied to the handle 3 that is in a predetermined rotational position, the pivot 25 may be damaged, and situations where the container body 2 has to be replaced due to damage to the pivot 25 (the handle 3 is reused) can be reduced, thereby contributing to resource conservation and cost reduction.

[0035] Furthermore, the flange portion 43 has a shape that narrows towards the tip of the projection portion 45, and the flange body 44 on the opposite side of the projection portion 45 is tapered. This makes it easier to insert the flange portion 43 into the pivot portion 25, which is done by first inserting the projection portion 45 into the pivot portion 25 and then pushing the flange body 44 into the pivot portion 25. Consequently, the ease of installation of the handle 3 can be improved.

[0036] Furthermore, the flange portion 43 of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41, whose shaft portion 42 is pivotally supported by the shaft support portion 25, is surrounded by the main body-side shaft mechanism portion 21 (shaft wall portion 22, inclined wall portion 24 (upper wall portion 23), and folded portion 16). Therefore, the flange portion 43 is protected, and damage to the flange portion 43 and deformation or damage to the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 via the flange portion 43 can be avoided. In addition, since the inclined wall portion 24 on which the restricting portion 27 is provided is positioned between the shaft wall portion 22 and the folded portion 16 and connected to the shaft wall portion 22 and the folded portion 16, the strength and rigidity of the restricting portion 27 can be increased.

[0037] In addition, when the pair of handles 3 are in a rotating position, the handle bodies 31 (connecting portion 33) come into contact with each other, supporting each other, and the protruding portion 45 of the flange portion 43 and the restricting portion 27 are separated. Therefore, when the user of the container 1 carries the container 1 by gripping the contact points of the handle bodies 31 together in a rotating position, it is possible to avoid a situation where a constant force acts on the protruding portion 45 of the flange portion 43 (the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41 is twisted), thereby suppressing damage to the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41.

[0038] Furthermore, the embodiment is not limited to the description above, and may be implemented as follows, for example. Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

[0039] (a) In the above embodiment, the handle 3 may be configured to be rotatably displaced in positions other than the first position. Furthermore, it is not necessary to adopt a configuration that allows the handle 3 to slide when it is in a tilted position. In addition, in the above embodiment, the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 is configured to protrude outward from the outer surface of the support portion 32, but the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 may be configured to protrude inward from the inner surface of the support portion 32 (the main body-side shaft mechanism 21 protrudes upward from the inner edge of the long-side upper flange portion 14).

[0040] (b) In the above embodiment, the flange portion 43 (flange portion body 44) has a larger diameter than the shaft portion 42, but the diameter (the diameter of the largest part) may be the same length. Also, in the above embodiment, for example, the folded portion 16 of the main body side shaft mechanism portion 21 may be omitted, and a rib may be provided that protrudes outward from the outer surface of the shaft wall portion 22 to the outside of the container body 2.

[0041] (c) In the above embodiment, the container body 2 and the handle 3 are made of polypropylene, but they may be made of other polyolefin resins (such as polyethylene), or synthetic resins other than polyolefins (for example, ABS resin, AES resin, acrylic resin, polycarbonate, etc.).

[0042] (d) As shown in Figures 12 and 13, each handle-side shaft mechanism 41 is provided with a second projection 51 that protrudes from the flange 43 toward the tip in the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41, and as shown in Figure 14, each main body-side shaft mechanism 21 is provided with a second restricting portion 52 that protrudes downward from the upper part of each inclined wall 24 that is on the folded-back portion 16 side, and as shown in Figure 15, the handle 3 may be configured such that the second projection 51 and the second restricting portion 52 come into contact when the handle 3 is in a predetermined rotational position in which the contact portion 46 of the projection 45 and the restricting portion 27 come into contact.

[0043] As shown in Figure 13, the surface of the circumferential wall portion 48 of the flange body 44 that faces upward when the handle 3 is in the predetermined rotational position (the upper surface of the circumferential wall portion 53) extends parallel to the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41. The upper surface of the protruding portion 45 (the upper surface of the protruding portion 54), which is located between the upper surface of the circumferential wall portion 53 and the contact portion 46 (connecting the upper surface of the circumferential wall portion 53 and the contact portion 46), also extends in a continuous manner with the upper surface of the circumferential wall portion 53 and parallel to the upper surface of the circumferential wall portion 53 (the contact portion 46 is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the protruding portion 54).

[0044] The second projection 51 protrudes toward the front end of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 in the protruding direction from a range that includes the side corresponding to the upper surface 53 of the peripheral wall, the upper surface 54 of the projection, and the contact portion 46, respectively, of the surface of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41 on the protruding direction side of the flange 43. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the lower surface of the second restricting portion 52 extends in a substantially horizontal direction, and when the handle 3 is in the predetermined rotational position, the lower surface of the second restricting portion 52 and the second projection 51 are configured to contact each other across their surfaces.

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 15, the second protrusion 51 is provided so as to include the range corresponding to the contact portion 46, so that the contact portion 46 extends toward the tip side in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism 41. However, the second protrusion 51 only needs to be provided in a position where it can contact the second restricting portion 52 (so as to restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3 in the predetermined rotational position). For example, the second protrusion 51 may not be provided in the range corresponding to the protrusion 45. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the second restricting portion 52 is configured to contact only the second protrusion 51 (particularly the portion connected to the upper surface 53 of the peripheral wall), but it may also be configured to contact the upper surface 53 of the peripheral wall, or the upper surface 54 of the protrusion (and the portion of the second protrusion 51 connected to the upper surface 54 of the protrusion).

[0046] As described above, when the embodiments shown in Figures 12 to 15 are adopted, when the handle 3 is in the predetermined rotational position, not only do the protruding portion 45 (contact portion 46) and the restricting portion 27 come into contact, but the second protruding portion 51 and the second restricting portion 52 also come into contact (at a different position in the rotational direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion 41, and in a different direction from the direction in which the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27 come into contact). Therefore, they work together to more effectively restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3 in the predetermined rotational position. Consequently, the effects of stably restricting further rotational displacement of the handle 3 in the predetermined rotational position, and preventing deformation or damage to the shaft portion 42 and the shaft support portion 25 during such restriction, are further enhanced.

[0047] In this embodiment, the second protruding portion 51 and the second restricting portion 52 come into contact simultaneously with the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27. However, when the handle 3 is set to the predetermined rotational position, the second protruding portion 51 and the second restricting portion 52 may come into contact first (provisionally), and then the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27 may come into contact to restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3 once it is set to the predetermined rotational position, and then the second protruding portion 51 and the second restricting portion 52 may come into contact. Alternatively, the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27 may come into contact first (provisionally), and then the second protruding portion 51 and the second restricting portion 52 may come into contact to restrict further rotational displacement of the handle 3 once it is set to the predetermined rotational position, and then the contact portion 46 and the restricting portion 27 may come into contact. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1...Container, 2...Container body, 3...Handle, 14...Long side upper flange, 15...Short side upper flange, 16...Folded part, 21...Body side shaft mechanism, 22...Shaft wall, 23...Upper wall, 24...Inclined wall, 25...Shaft support, 27...Contact part, 31...Handle body, 41...Handle side shaft mechanism, 42...Shaft, 43...Finger, 44...Finger body, 45...Protruding part, 46...Restricting part, 48...Circumferential wall, 51...Second protruding part, 52...Second restricting part.

Claims

1. A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The contact portion of the protruding portion that abuts the restricting portion is the surface on the tip side in the protruding direction of the protruding portion and is composed of an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the protruding direction of the protruding portion. The aforementioned projection is the surface on the tip side in the projection direction of the projection, and is adjacent to the abutment portion, and has an inclined surface that is inclined on the opposite side from the abutment portion with respect to the projection direction of the projection, The container is characterized in that the flange body has a tapered portion at the boundary between the surface of the flange body on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism and the peripheral wall portion of the flange body, which is inclined toward the inner circumference of the flange body toward the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism.

2. A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The handle-side shaft mechanism portion includes a second projection portion that protrudes from the flange portion toward the tip in the protruding direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion, The container body is characterized by having a second restricting portion that can come into contact with the second protrusion when the handle is in the predetermined rotational position, at a position different from the restricting portion.

3. A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The container body comprises a mounting portion on which the handle in the tilted position can be placed, and a body-side shaft mechanism portion that protrudes upward from the mounting portion. The main body side shaft mechanism comprises a first wall portion extending upward from the previously described mounting portion, a second wall portion provided at a position opposite to the first wall portion at a distance from the outer side of the container body, and a connecting wall portion connecting the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The container is characterized in that the first wall portion is provided with a shaft support portion formed through it, and the inner surface of the connecting wall portion is provided with a regulating portion configured to be able to contact the protruding portion of the flange portion with a surface when the handle is in the predetermined rotational position.

4. A container comprising a container body that is roughly box-shaped and opens upward, and a handle that is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the container body and configured to change its posture between a tilted position extending along the opening edge of the container body and a rotating position that rotates upward from the tilted position and extends in a direction intersecting the opening edge of the container body, The handle comprises a handle body that is substantially U-shaped overall, and a handle-side shaft mechanism that protrudes in the inner and outer directions of the handle body near both ends. The handle-side shaft mechanism comprises a shaft portion connected to the handle body and a flange portion located on the protruding end side of the handle-side shaft mechanism relative to the shaft portion. The flange portion comprises a flange body connected to the shaft portion and a projection extending from the flange body in a direction intersecting the projection direction of the handle-side shaft mechanism portion. The container body comprises a pivot support portion that pivotally supports the shaft portion, and a restricting portion that contacts the protruding portion of the flange portion when the handle is in a predetermined rotational position, thereby restricting further rotational displacement of the handle. The handles are provided in pairs so as to sandwich the central part of the container body in a specific direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the handles and is horizontal, Each of the handles is configured such that, when positioned in the predetermined rotational position, the portion of the handle body on the centrifugal tip side of the shaft can be positioned to straddle the central portion of the container body in the specific direction. A container characterized in that, when the pair of handles are in the rotational position, the handle bodies come into contact with each other, and the protruding portion of the flange and the restricting portion are separated.

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