TITLE OF THE INVENTION
STORAGE CONTAINER
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a storage container for containing sheets such as
wet tissues.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] As a storage container for hermetically containing wet tissues, there has been
widely used a container formed of a resin, and having a dispensing opening for taking out sheets,
and an openable/closable top lid. When using the wet tissues, the top lid is opened to expose
the dispensing opening, and some wet tissues are pulled out one by one from the dispensing
opening. After the wet tissues have been taken out, the top lid is closed to hermetically close
the dispensing opening again, thereby to suppress drying of the remaining wet tissues.
CITATION LIST
[PATENT LITERATURE]
[0003] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-79214
[Patent Literature 2] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-180460
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0004] When the number of the remaining wet tissues inside the storage container
becomes small as the wet tissues have been used, a user needs to insert fingers deep into the
container from the dispensing opening to pick out a wet tissue, which causes a problem of poor
usability.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage container
which, even when the number of sheets contained therein is small, allows a user to easily take
out the sheets.
SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS
[0006] A storage container according to the present invention includes: a container body
including a top plate in which a dispensing opening for taking out the sheets is provided, and an
opening formed at a position opposing the top plate; and a bottom lid which is formed of an
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integrally-molded resin, is detachably mounted to the container body, and closes the opening of
the container body. The bottom lid includes: a flat plate portion; and an expanding/contracting
part which is transformable from a first state where the expanding/contracting part protrudes
from the flat plate portion up to a first height toward an inner side of the container body, to a
second state where the expanding/contracting part protrudes from the flat plate portion up to a
second height higher than the first height, toward the inner side of the container body.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to the present invention, a storage container is provided in which a
bottom part thereof can be raised up by increasing the height of an expanding/contracting part of
a bottom plate, which allows a user to easily take out sheets from a dispensing opening even
when the number of stored sheets is small.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a storage container according to an embodiment.
[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the storage container according to the
embodiment.
[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a III-III line shown in FIG.
2.
[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a bottom lid shown in FIG. 1.
[FIG. 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a V-V line shown in FIG. 4.
[FIG. 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the storage
container according to the embodiment is used.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0009] First, a fundamental structure of a storage container according to an embodiment
will be described.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the storage container according to the embodiment. FIG.
2 is a front view of the storage container according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a crosssectional
view taken along a III-III line shown in FIG. 2.
[0011] The storage container 1 includes a container body 2, a top lid 5, a rubber plate 9, a
push button structure 7, and a bottom lid 6. The storage container 1 hermetically contains
stacked sheets . The sheets are, for example, wet sheets such as wet tissues, cleansing sheets,
baby wipes, and the like. However, the sheets are not necessarily wet, and may be dry sheets
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such as tissue papers. As shown by an alternate long and two short dashes line in FIG. 3, the
sheets may be stored as a package 8. That is, the sheets may be packaged in a pouch having, at
its upper surface, an opening for taking out the sheets. Alternatively, the sheets may be directly
stored without being packaged in a pouch or the like.
[0012] The container body 2 is a hollow box-shaped member for containing the package
of sheets, and is integrally resin-molded. The container body 2 includes a top plate 3, and a
peripheral wall 10 connected to an outer periphery of the top plate 3. The top plate 3 includes a
dispensing opening 4 for taking out the sheets. The dispensing opening 4 is an opening or a slit
having any shape, and the shape and size thereof can be optionally selected, taking into
consideration ease of taking out the sheets, and sealing performance. A portion of the sheet
container body 2, which opposes the top plate 3, that is, a bottom portion of the container body 2,
is opened.
[0013] The top lid 5 is a member which is mounted to the container body 2 so as to be
openable and closable, and in the closed state, closes the dispensing opening 4 provided at the
top plate 3 of the container body 2. The top lid 5 is integrally resin-molded. The top lid 5
includes a mounting member 39 rotatable about a predetermined rotation shaft, and is mounted
to the container body 2 via the mounting member 39.
[0014] The rubber plate 9 is a member for urging the top lid 5 in an open direction. As
shown in FIG. 3, one end 63a of the rubber plate 9 is mounted to the top lid 5 while the other end
63b of the rubber plate 9 is housed in a recess 61 provided in the top plate 3 of the container
body 2. More specifically, when the top lid 5 is in the closed state, the rubber plate 9 is bent in
a U-shape, and an outer surface of the end 63b of the rubber plate 9 is in contact with a bottom
surface 62 of the recess 61. Since a repelling force is caused by that the rubber plate 9 is
elastically transformed in a U-shape when the top lid 5 is in the closed state, the top lid 5 can be
urged in the open direction. The material of the rubber plate 9 is not particularly limited as long
as it is elastically transformable. For example, silicone rubber may be used. Instead of the
rubber plate 9, a plate spring made of a metal or resin may be used.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the push button structure 7 is provided along an outer
periphery of the top lid 5, at a position opposing the mounting member 39 of the top lid 5. The
push button structure 7 is composed of a push button member 11, and a lock member 12 fitting
the push button member 11. When being engaged with the top lid 5, the push button structure 7
maintains the top lid 5 to be in the closed state. In addition, when receiving a pressing force
from a finger of a user who tries to open the top lid 5, the push button structure 7 cancels the
engagement state with the top lid 5.
[0016] The bottom lid 6 is a member which is detachably mounted to the bottom portion
5
of the container body 2, and closes the opening opposed to the top plate 3. The bottom lid 6 is
integrally resin-molded. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom lid 6 includes an
expanding/contracting part 58 having a bellows-shaped cross section. The height of the
expanding/contracting part 58 is variable when receiving a pressing force.
[0017] Hereinafter, the bottom lid will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to
6.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bottom lid shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a crosssectional
view taken along a V-V line shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5(a) shows a first state of the
expanding/contracting part, and FIG. 5(b) shows a second state of the expanding/contracting part.
[0019] The bottom lid 6 includes a flat plate portion 55, the expanding/contracting part 58,
a fitting portion 56, and a handle 57. The bottom lid 6 is integrally molded of a soft resin that is
transformable by a pressing force applied by hand. As a material of the bottom lid 6, low
density polyethylene may be used, for example. Since neither a slit nor an opening is provided
in the bottom lid 6, the opening of the container body 2 can be hermetically closed. Therefore,
when wet sheets such as wet tissues are contained in the container body 2, drying or the like of
the sheets can be suppressed by closing the top lid 5.
[0020] The flat plate portion 55 is a flat portion provided around the
expanding/contracting part 58.
[0021] The expanding/contracting part 58 is provided at almost the center of the flat plate
portion 55. The expanding/contracting part 58 is configured to be transformable from the first
state where it protrudes up to a first height toward the inner side of the container body 2, to the
second state where it protrudes up to a second height higher than the first height, from the flat
plate portion 55 toward the inner side of the container body 2. More specifically, the
expanding/contracting part 58 is composed of an almost circular bottom surface portion 50, a
first peripheral wall portion 51, a second peripheral wall portion 52, a third peripheral wall
portion 53, and a fourth peripheral wall portion 54.
[0022] The bottom surface portion 50 has a curved shape protruding to the outer side of
the container body 2 (downward in FIG. 5). The bottom surface portion 50 is a portion to be
pressed by a finger or the like when the expanding/contracting part 58 is transformed from the
first state to the second state.
[0023] The first peripheral wall portion 51 is formed so as to be connected to an outer
periphery of the bottom surface portion 50 and rise up toward the inner side of the container
body 2.
[0024] The second peripheral wall portion 52 is formed so as to surround the first
peripheral wall portion 51. The second peripheral wall portion 52 is connected to a peripheral
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portion of the first peripheral wall portion 51 on the inner side of the container body 2 via a bent
portion.
[0025] The third peripheral wall portion 53 is formed so as to surround the second
peripheral wall portion 52 in the first state of the expanding/contracting part 58. The third
peripheral wall portion 53 is connected to a peripheral portion of the second peripheral wall
portion 52 on the outer side of the container body 2 via a bent portion. In addition, the third
peripheral wall portion 53 has an outer diameter and an inner diameter that are gradually reduced
from the inner side of the container body 2 toward the outer side thereof, and has a curved shape
expanding toward the outer side of the container body 2.
[0026] The fourth peripheral wall portion 54 is formed so as to surround the third
peripheral wall portion 53 in the first state of the expanding/contracting part 58. The fourth
peripheral wall portion 54 is connected to a peripheral portion of the third peripheral wall portion
53 on the inner side of the container body 2, and is connected to the flat plate portion 55.
[0027] The fitting portion 56 is formed so as to surround the periphery of the flat plate
portion 55. As shown in FIG. 3, the fitting portion 56 has an almost C-shaped cross section so
that the peripheral of the bottom portion of the container body 2 can be fitted therein. By fitting
the periphery of the bottom portion of the container body 2 in the fitting portion 56, the bottom
lid 6 can be detachably mounted to the container body 2.
[0028] The handle 57 is formed so as to protrude outward from a part of the fitting
portion 56. The handle 57 allows the user to easily hold the bottom lid 6 when the user
detaches the bottom lid 6 to refill the container body 2 with sheets.
[0029] A description is now given of a method of transforming the expanding/contracting
part 58 configured as described above, between the first state and the second state.
Transformation of the expanding/contracting part 58 from the first state to the second state may
be performed in either of the state where the bottom lid 6 is mounted to the container body 2 or
the state where the bottom lid 6 is dismounted from the container body 2. Transformation of
the expanding/contracting part 58 from the second state to the first state is performed in the state
where the bottom lid 6 is dismounted from the container body 2.
[0030] First, when the expanding/contracting part 58 is to be transformed from the first
state shown in FIG. 5(a) to the second state shown in FIG. 5(b), the user applies, with a finger or
the like, a pressing force in a direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 5(a) to the outer surface of the
bottom surface portion 50 located in the center of the expanding/contracting part 58, while
holding the periphery of the bottom lid 6 or the container body 2. The pressing force applied to
the bottom surface portion 50 pushes up the bottom surface portion 50, the first peripheral wall
portion 51, the second peripheral wall portion 52, and the third peripheral wall portion 53 toward
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the inner side of the container body 2. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the third peripheral wall
portion 53 is inverted with a connection portion between the second peripheral wall portion 52
and the third peripheral wall portion 53 and a connection portion between the third peripheral
wall portion 53 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54 as supporting points. In other words,
the connection portion between the second peripheral wall portion 52 and the third peripheral
wall portion 53 is raised up toward the inner side of the container body 2. Thus, by pushing up
the bottom surface portion 50 toward the inner side of the container body 2, the
expanding/contracting part 58 is expanded and transformed to the second state where the
expanding/contracting part 58 protrudes up to the second height, as shown in FIG. 5(b). After
the transformation, the expanding/contracting part 58 is not spontaneously restored to the first
state but is retained in the second state.
[0031] The shape of the upper surface of the bent portion connecting the third peripheral
wall portion 53 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54 is determined so that the connection
portion between the third peripheral wall portion 53 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54
forms an annular flat surface 59 when the expanding/contracting part 58 is transformed to the
second state. Since, in the second state, the connection portion between the third peripheral
wall portion 53 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54 forms the annular flat surface 59, even
when expansion and contraction of the expanding/contracting part 58 are repeatedly performed,
occurrence of crack in this portion is suppressed. In order to effectively suppress such crack,
the width of the annular flat surface 59 formed in the second state is preferably 1.0 mm or more.
[0032] Next, when expanding/contracting part 58 is to be transformed from the first state
shown in FIG. 5(b) to the second state shown in FIG. 5(a), the user applies, with a hand or the
like, a pressing force in a direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 5(b) to the connection portion
between the first peripheral wall portion 51 and the second peripheral wall portion 52, while
holding the outer surface of the bottom lid 6. The pressing force applied to the first peripheral
wall portion 51 and the second peripheral wall portion 52 pushes down the bottom surface
portion 50, the first peripheral wall portion 51, the second peripheral wall portion 52, and the
third peripheral wall portion 53. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the third peripheral wall
portion 53 is again inverted with the connection portion between the second peripheral wall
portion 52 and the third peripheral wall portion 53 and the connection portion between the third
peripheral wall portion 53 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54 as supporting points. Thus,
by pushing down the connection portion between the first peripheral wall portion 51 and the
second peripheral wall portion 52, the expanding/contracting part 58 is contracted and restored to
the first state where the expanding/contracting part 58 protrudes up to the first height, as shown
in FIG. 5(b). Further, since the third peripheral wall portion 53 has the curved shape expanding
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to the outer side of the container body 2, the third peripheral wall portion 53 is not wrinkled in
the first state, resulting in a simple appearance.
[0033] In order to facilitate the transformation of the expanding/contracting part 58, the
third peripheral wall portion 53 is preferably formed to be thinner than the bottom surface
portion 50 and the first peripheral wall portion 51. For example, the thicknesses of the bottom
surface portion 50 and the first peripheral wall portion 51 are 0.7 to 1.0 mm, and the thickness of
the third peripheral wall portion 53 is 0.5 to 0.8 mm. The thicknesses of the second peripheral
wall portion 52 and the fourth peripheral wall portion 54 are not particularly limited as long as
the shapes thereof can be retained.
[0034] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the storage container
according to the embodiment is used. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to
FIG. 3.
[0035] When the sheets contained in the container body 2 have been used and the number
of remaining sheets becomes small, the user needs to insert fingers deep into the container body
2 to pick up a sheet, which makes the sheets difficult to be taken out. According to the storage
container 1 of the present embodiment, the bottom of the storage container 1 can be raised up as
shown in FIG. 6 by expanding the expanding/contracting part 58 provided at the bottom lid 6 to
the second state. When all the sheets in the container body 2 have been used up, the user can
fill the storage container 1 with a new package 8 containing a large number of sheets, by causing
the expanding/contracting part 58 to contract to the first state.
[0036] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize the storage
container 1 which allows the user to easily take out sheets even when the number of remaining
sheets becomes small. In addition, since neither a slit nor an opening is formed in the bottom
lid 6, the expanding/contracting part 58 is transformable between the first state and the second
state without deteriorating the sealing performance of the bottom lid 6. Therefore, it is possible
to maintain the container body 2 in the hermetically-sealed state, regardless of the transformation
state of the expanding/contracting part 58.
[0037] Further, since the outer surface of the bottom surface portion 50 is a curved
surface protruding to the outer side of the container body 2, the user can easily push the bottom
surface portion 50 to transform the expanding/contracting part 58, resulting in improved usability.
[0038] In the bottom lid 6 according to the present embodiment, between the first
peripheral wall portion 51 and the second peripheral wall portion 52, a plurality of ribs
connecting these wall portions may be further provided. In this case, since the rigidities of the
first peripheral wall portion 51 and the second peripheral wall portion 52 are increased,
transformation of the first peripheral wall portion 51 and the second peripheral wall portion 52
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can be suppressed when the expanding/contracting part 58 is expanded and contracted.
[0039] Further, in the present embodiment, the bottom surface portion 50 constituting the
expanding/contracting part 58 has an almost circuit shape, and the first peripheral wall portion 51,
the second peripheral wall portion 52, the third peripheral wall portion 53, and the fourth
peripheral wall portion 54 are concentric with the bottom surface portion 50. However, the
shape of the bottom surface portion 50 and the shapes of the peripheral wall portions surrounding
the bottom surface portion 50 may be other than concentric circles.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0040] The present invention is applicable to a resin-made storage container which
hermetically contains sheets, particularly, wet sheets such as wet tissues.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE CHARACTERS
[0041] 1 storage container
2 container body
3 top plate
4 dispensing opening
5 top lid
6 bottom lid
50 bottom surface portion
51 first peripheral wall portion
52 second peripheral wall portion
52 third peripheral wall portion
54 fourth peripheral wall portion
55 flat plate portion
58 expanding/contracting part
59 flat surface

CLAIMS
[Claim 1] A storage container for containing sheets, comprising:
a container body including a top plate in which a dispensing opening for taking
out the sheets is provided, and an opening formed at a position opposing the top plate; and
a bottom lid which is formed of an integrally-molded resin, is detachably mounted
to the container body, and closes the opening of the container body, wherein
the bottom lid includes:
a flat plate portion; and
an expanding/contracting part which is transformable from a first state where
the expanding/contracting part protrudes from the flat plate portion up to a first height toward an
inner side of the container body, to a second state where the expanding/contracting part protrudes
from the flat plate portion up to a second height higher than the first height, toward the inner side
of the container body.
[Claim 2] The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the bottom lid hermetically
closes the opening of the container body.
[Claim 3] The storage container according to claim 2, wherein
the expanding/contracting part includes:
a bottom surface portion;
a first peripheral wall portion that rises up from an outer periphery of the bottom
surface toward the inner side of the container body;
a second peripheral wall portion that surrounds the first peripheral wall portion,
and is connected to a peripheral portion of the first peripheral wall portion on the inner side of
the container body;
a third peripheral wall portion that, in the first state, surrounds the second
peripheral wall portion, and is connected to a peripheral portion of the second peripheral wall
portion on an outer side of the container body; and
a fourth peripheral wall portion that, in the first state, surrounds the third
peripheral wall portion, and is connected to a peripheral portion of the third peripheral wall
portion on the inner side of the container body and to the flat plate portion, wherein
the expanding/contracting part is transformed to the second state by inverting the
third peripheral wall portion with a connection portion between the third peripheral wall portion
and the fourth peripheral wall portion as a supporting point, according to a pressing force, toward
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the inner side of the container body, applied to the bottom surface.
[Claim 4] The storage container according to claim 3, wherein
the third peripheral wall portion has an inner diameter and an outer diameter that
are gradually reduced toward the outer side of the container body, and has a curved shape
expanding toward the outer side of the container body.
[Claim 5] The storage container according to claim 1, wherein
the third peripheral wall portion has a thickness of 0.5 to 0.8 mm.
[Claim 6] The storage container according to claim 3, wherein
in the second state, the connection portion between the second peripheral wall
portion and the third peripheral wall portion forms an annular flat surface that is substantially
parallel to the flat plate portion, and
the flat surface has a width equal to or larger than 1 mm.
[Claim 7] The storage container according to claim 3, wherein
a surface of the bottom surface portion on the outer side of the container body is a
convex surface.
[Claim 8] The storage container according to claim 3, further including a plurality of ribs
that connect the first peripheral wall portion to the second peripheral wall portion.