Storage container

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a storage container that can be firmly gripped and lifted without slipping down, regardless of whether a lid is present, even when the storage container is lifted from above by pinching an opening section thereof. [Solution] Provided on the outer-side surface of an opening edge of a container body 1 opened at the top and formed by erecting an even number of side wall sections 3 from the peripheral edge of a bottom plate 2 is a projecting edge 5 onto which fingers brought from above the container body 1 can be hooked. This projecting edge 5 is formed on at least one set of opposing side wall sections 3. The width of the projecting edge 5 gradually decreases from the central section of the side wall section 3 to a corner section formed with an adjacent side wall section 3, and the projecting edge 5 does not project out at the corner section. The outer contour of the projecting edge 5 is formed in a curved line shape projecting at a maximum width at the central section of the side wall section in a plan view of the container body 1, and the projecting edge 5 is formed to have a maximum width of 1.1 mm and a height of 2 mm.

Description

Storage container

[0001] In a container body having an opening formed at the upper end, even when lifted so as to pinch the opening of the container body from above, it can be firmly grasped and lifted without slipping off regardless of the presence or absence of a lid. For example, as a vertically long container, it can be easily lifted and taken out even when stored in the bottom drawer of kitchen equipment, the vegetable compartment arranged at the bottom of a refrigerator, or other places. The present invention relates to a storage container that enables such lifting and removal.

[0002] Conventionally, there is a container having a sealable lid shown in Patent Document 1, which has been proposed as a so-called pop container. By pressing a button provided in the center of the lid, this container can be opened and closed with one touch. Once the button is pressed down, the gasket around the lid expands and presses against the inner periphery of the container body to maintain a sealed state. By pressing down again, the lid is lifted up to release the sealed state and the lid can be opened.

[0003] The food storage container shown in Patent Document 2 constitutes a lid body provided with a lip portion that presses against the inner peripheral edge of the container body on its outer peripheral edge, and maintains the container in a sealed state by forcibly pushing this lid body into the opening of the container body.

[0004] The sealed container shown in Patent Document 3 has an elastic packing that presses against the inner peripheral edge of the opening of the container body formed at the outer edge portion of the lower surface of the lid. When the lid is placed on the container body, the elastic packing makes it in a sealed state. Also, the lid is fixed to the container body by engaging the lid with a protrusion provided on the outer surface of the container body by a stopper.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 7212689 Utility Model Registration No. 3227234 Utility Model Registration No. 3066604

[0006] In Patent Document 1, the lid can be opened and closed with a touch by pressing the periphery of the lid, which is placed inside the opening of the container body, against the inner circumference of the container body and then releasing that pressure. Therefore, by lifting the periphery of the lid when it is sealed with pressure, the container body can also be lifted. However, if the container is stored in a low position, even if the entire container can be lifted by pinching the lid from above, if the stored items are heavy and bulky, slippage may occur at the pressure contact point, causing only the lid to detach from the container body.

[0007] Furthermore, since Patent Document 2 merely involves pressing the lip portion provided on the outer edge of the lid against the inner circumference of the container body, similar to Patent Document 1, the same drawbacks as in Patent Document 1 are recognized.

[0008] In Patent Document 3, the container body and lid are sealed by an elastic packing, and the container body is kept sealed by engaging a stopper with a projection on the outer surface of the container body. However, even if it is possible to lift the container body by placing fingers on the projection, this projection only engages the stopper to maintain the sealed state, and it is difficult to lift the container body by pinching it with fingers, for example.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention was created in view of the various conventional circumstances described above, and aims to provide a storage container that can be easily and quickly lifted by grasping it from above, regardless of whether it has a lid or not, even if it contains bulky food items, and even if it is stored at a low position, by forming a protruding edge on the outer surface of the opening edge of the container body on the outer surfaces of opposing side walls of the container body that is large enough for fingers to grip, for example, by pinching the protruding edge with one hand after opening it.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a container body 1 with an open top, which is formed by erecting an even number of side wall portions 3 around the periphery of a bottom plate 2. A protruding edge 5 is provided on the outer surface of the opening edge of the container body 1, allowing fingers to be placed on it when brought up from above. This protruding edge 5 is formed on at least one pair of opposing side wall portions 3. Furthermore, the width of the protruding edge 5 can be gradually reduced from the central part of the side wall portion 3 to the corner portion with the adjacent side wall portion 3, and it can be configured so that it does not protrude at the corner portion. The outline of the protruding edge 5 can be formed as a curved line that protrudes at its maximum width at the central part of the side wall portion 3 when viewed from the plane of the container body 1. The maximum width of the protruding edge 5 can be formed to be 1.1 mm. The height of the protruding edge 5 is 2 mm, and its outer upper and lower edges can be formed as arcs with a radius of 0.5 mm. The container body 1 can be configured to have a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The opening of the container body 1 can be fitted with a lid member 10 equipped with an opening / closing mechanism 11 that allows the container body 1 to be opened and closed by pressing against or separating from the inner surface of the opening of the container body 1.

[0011] In the storage container according to the present invention configured as described above, the protruding rim 5 formed at the opening of the container body 1 allows fingers or other objects brought up from above to catch on it, thereby lifting not only the container body 1 itself, but also the contents stored inside the container body 1, and the lid member 10 that closes the container body 1. The protruding rim 5 has its maximum width at the central part of the side wall 3, which, combined with the fact that this is the normal and common support point when lifting the container body 1 with fingers or other objects, ensures a secure engagement of fingers or other objects, allowing the container body 1 to be lifted reliably and smoothly. Furthermore, the width gradually decreases from the central part to the corners, and the protruding rim 5 is not formed at the corners, which positions the working support position when gripping with fingers or other objects to lift the container body 1 at the central part, further improving the stability during the lifting operation of the container body 1. The protruding shape of the protruding rim 5 has a maximum width of 1.1 mm and a height of 2 mm, which provides the best feel and engagement when gripping with fingers or other objects, and also gives a sense of psychological security during the lifting operation.

[0012] As explained above, the formation of a protruding edge 5 on the outer surface of the opening of the container body 1 prevents the lid member 10 from separating from the container body 1 when the container body 1 is configured as a deep-bottom pop container, for example, when lifting with the lid member 10, the lid member 10 may not be able to be lifted together with the container body 1 due to the weight of the contents, and the lifting operation can be carried out safely and stably.

[0013] In other words, in this invention, a protruding edge 5 is formed on the outer surface of the opening edge of the open-topped container body 1, so that fingers brought up from above the container body 1 can be gripped. This allows for stable lifting of the container body 1, regardless of whether a lid member 10 is attached or the weight of the contents.

[0014] Furthermore, the protruding edge 5 has its maximum width at the central part of the side wall 3, allowing the container body 1 to be lifted using the usual, typical part of the hand when gripping it from above, thus enabling stable and safe lifting.

[0015] Since the container body 1 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, it can be lifted with one hand if the distance between opposing side walls 3 is within the range of outstretched fingers. Even if the container body is larger than the range of outstretched fingers, it can be lifted by placing both hands on the protruding rim 5, making it possible to carry out the operation regardless of the size of the container body 1.

[0016] Furthermore, even if the container body 1 is rectangular when viewed from above, if the distance between its long sides is within the range of outstretched fingers, it is possible to implement the same method by forming protruding edges 5 on the side walls 3 of those long sides.

[0017] Furthermore, even in the case of a so-called pop-up container type container, in which a lid member 10 equipped with an opening / closing mechanism 11 that allows the container body 1 to be opened and closed by pressing against or separating from the inner surface of the opening of the container body 1 is detachably attached to the opening of the container body 1, it is sufficient to place fingers over the lower edge of the lid member 10 and onto the protruding rim 5 from above. Moreover, the operation of placing fingers on the protruding rim 5 at this time is not significantly different from the operation of placing fingers on the lid member 10 and lifting it, and consequently, even if the weight of the stored items is bulky and it is difficult to lift with the lid member 10, it is sufficient to place fingers on the protruding rim 5 of the container body 1, which has the advantage of expanding the use of pop-up container type containers.

[0018] Furthermore, the reference numerals appended in the sections on the means for solving the above problems and the effects of the invention are provided to facilitate reference with the parts of the components shown in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the structure, shape, etc., indicated by these descriptions or the reference numerals in the drawings.

[0019] This is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment for carrying out the present invention. This is also an enlarged plan view of the main part. Similarly, (A) is an end view of the main part along line A-A in Figure 2, (B) is an end view of the main part along line B-B, and (C) is an end view of the main part along line C-C. Similarly, this is an exploded perspective view showing a different embodiment. Similarly, this is an exploded perspective view showing yet another different embodiment. Similarly, this is an exploded perspective view showing yet another different embodiment. Similarly, this is a perspective view of the usage state when lifting with the fingers of one hand. Similarly, this is a perspective view of the usage state when lifting with the fingers of both hands.

[0020] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, one embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described. Reference numeral 1 in the drawings indicates a container body with an open top, comprising a bottom plate 2 and an even number of continuous side walls 3 that stand on the periphery of the bottom plate 2 and surround the periphery with opposing side walls 3 running parallel to each other. When viewed from above, it exhibits a shape such as a square, rectangle, regular hexagon, or octagon.

[0021] Furthermore, a finger-grip projection 5 is provided along the upper edge of the opening edge of the container body 1, that is, the upper edge of the side wall portion 3, extending outward from the side wall portion 3. This projection 5 protrudes with maximum width at the central position of the side wall portion 3, gradually narrowing from the center to both side edges, and not protruding at all at the corners which are the boundary areas with adjacent side wall portions 3, with the width of the projection 5 being zero.

[0022] The protruding edge 5 is formed along the opening edge of the container body 1, so that when a lid member 10 is attached to close the opening of the container body 1 by pressing it against the inner surface, such as to create a so-called pop container, the protruding edge 5 is positioned at the boundary with the lid member 10. In this way, when you place your fingers on the lid member 10 from above, your fingers will naturally be brought to the opening edge of the container body 1, and your fingers will also be able to grip the protruding edge 5.

[0023] Furthermore, the protruding edge 5 is formed in a curved arc shape, being wide at the center when viewed from above, and gradually narrowing towards both sides. The upper and lower edges of the protruding edge 5 are also formed in an arc shape in cross-section, taking care to ensure a comfortable fit for the fingers.

[0024] The protruding edge 5 itself is formed on each of the opposing side walls 3 of the container body 1. As shown in Figure 7, when lifting the container body 1 from above with one hand, for example, when spreading the fingers and then narrowing them to grasp the top of the container body 1, the fingers can be placed on the protruding edge 5 by pinching it between the thumb and other fingers, allowing the container to be lifted.

[0025] Considering that the container will be lifted with one hand, the spacing, length, and distance between opposing side walls 3 on the container body are preferably around 100 to 120 mm in maximum width, for example. If the container is roughly square when viewed from above, the depth and width should be approximately the same, and if it is rectangular when viewed from above, the spacing between the longer side side walls 3 should correspond to this. However, it is not limited to these.

[0026] Of course, although not shown in the illustration, the same applies to cases where the shape is a regular hexagon or a regular octagon in plane. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, even if the container body 1 is relatively large, with such a large distance between opposing side walls 3 that it cannot be lifted with one hand, it can still be lifted with both hands, so the same method can be used with these container bodies 1 as well.

[0027] When the container body 1 is lifted, it remains stable without tilting significantly by supporting at least the opposing side walls 3. Therefore, it is sufficient for the protruding edges 5 to be provided on at least one pair of opposing side walls 3. Of course, it is also acceptable to provide them on all of the opposing side walls 3. In that case, handling becomes even easier, as there is no need to check the presence or absence of the protruding edges 5 on any of the opposing side walls 3, and no need to choose which side wall 3's protruding edge 5 to place your fingers on.

[0028] To explain the protruding edge 5 in more detail, as shown in Figure 2, the maximum width of the protrusion at the central part of the side wall 3 corresponds to a width sufficient for fingers to grip and lift the container body 1. For example, the protruding width is 1.1 mm and the height is 2 mm, and the upper and lower edges on the outer surface of the protruding edge 5 are formed in an arc shape with a radius of 0.5 mm to ensure a comfortable grip for the fingers. Of course, as long as it is possible to lift the container by gripping it with fingers, the protruding length and height are not limited to these dimensions.

[0029] However, if the maximum width and height are larger than these limits, for example, when configured as a pop container, the adjacent protruding edges 5 will come into contact with each other when lined up side by side, making it impossible to arrange them neatly. Furthermore, the protruding edges 5 will be conspicuous, ruining the smart styling image of the pop container. Conversely, if the dimensions are smaller, fingers and other body parts will not be able to firmly grip them, making them prone to slipping when grasped and lifted, increasing the risk of dropping them, and potentially causing anxiety to workers and operators.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the protruding length gradually decreases from the central position of the side wall 3 to the corner between adjacent side wall 3s, and in the intermediate portion leading to the corner, the protruding length is about half of the maximum width. The shape of this reduction can be curved (arc-shaped) or straight, but a curved shape can provide a good tactile sensation to the fingers.

[0031] Furthermore, the opening of the container body 1 is fitted with a lid member 10, which is a so-called pop container, equipped with an opening and closing mechanism 11 (details of the structure are omitted) that closes the opening of the container body 1 by a pressure action from the inside of the container body 1 and opens when the pressure action is released. In container bodies 1 fitted with such a lid member 10, the outer surface along the vertical direction of the boundary between the lid member 10 and the container body 1 is often designed to be continuous without any steps.

[0032] Therefore, in such pop containers, the absence of handles on the container body 1 means that even when placed adjacent to each other in the front-to-back or left-to-right directions, no wasted space is created between them, resulting in a compact arrangement that allows for efficient grouping even with multiple containers. In this kind of densely grouped arrangement, when removing individual pop containers, they may be lifted from above by the lid member 10.

[0033] In this case, if the pressure exerted by the opening / closing mechanism 11 against the inner surface of the container body 1 is sufficiently large, the container body 1 will not fall off even when lifted by the lid member 10. However, if the contents stored in the container body 1 are bulky and the overall weight is considerable, the lid member 10 may detach from the container body 1 when lifted by the lid member 10, and it may not be possible to lift the container body 1 together with it.

[0034] In such cases, for example, when bringing your fingers to the container body 1 from above, you can extend your fingers beyond the lower edge of the lid member 10 to the area below the opening of the container body 1 and place your fingers on the protruding edge 5 of the container body 1.

[0035] Next, to explain an example of use, the container body 1 can be as shown in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6. For example, it can be a square when viewed from a 100 mm square plane with a depth of 50 mm, a square when viewed from a 200 mm square plane with a depth of 100 mm, a short side length of 70 mm, a long side length of 200 mm, and a depth of 150 mm, or a square when viewed from a 100 mm square plane with a depth of 300 mm, and so on. A protruding edge 5 is formed on the outer surface of the opening edge of these various types of container body 1. Then, a lid member 10 equipped with an opening and closing mechanism 11 is detachably attached to the opening of the container body 1.

[0036] The contents stored inside the container body 1 may be, for example, food ingredients or various miscellaneous goods, and are not particularly limited. Depending on the size of the container body 1, they may be placed adjacent to each other in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and may also be stacked vertically.

[0037] 1...Container body 2...Bottom plate 3...Side wall 5...Protruding rim 10...Lid member 11...Opening and closing mechanism

Claims

1. A storage container characterized in that, having an open top container body formed by erecting an even number of side wall sections around the periphery of a bottom plate, a protruding edge is provided on the outer surface of the opening edge of the container body, on which fingers brought up from above the container body can be placed, and this protruding edge is formed on at least one pair of opposing side wall sections.

2. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the width of the protruding edge gradually decreases from the central part of the side wall to the corner part with the adjacent side wall, and the protruding edge is not present at the corner part.

3. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge of the protruding rim is formed in a curved shape that protrudes with maximum width at the central part of the side wall when viewed from the plane of the container body.

4. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the maximum width of the protruding edge is formed to be 1.1 mm.

5. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the height of the protruding edge is 2 mm, and the upper and lower edges on the outside thereto are formed in an arc shape with a radius of 0.5 mm.

6. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the container body has a rectangular shape when viewed from above.

7. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein a lid member equipped with an opening / closing mechanism that allows the container body to be opened and closed by pressing against or separating from the inner surface of the opening of the container body is attached to the opening of the container body.

Images