JP2000159234A - Expandable container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably maintain the shrunk condition when a container body is shrunk by providing an engagement part comprising a projecting part and a recessed part to be engaged with each other on each of surfaces opposite to each other in the container body which are brought close to each other when shrunk in an expandable container provided with an expandable mechanism to be expandable in the width direction of the container body. SOLUTION: A container to put a refreshing beverage therein is a PET bottle, and comprises a container body 1 and a cap. The container body 1 comprises a bottle part 2 and a cylindrical mouth part 3, and a bellows part 5 to expand/contract the body part 2 in its width direction is formed on the body part 2. The bellows part 5 is provided on both side surfaces and an upper surface of the body part 2, and a bottom part of a container, and extended to a base end part of the cylindrical mouth part 3. A plurality of engagement parts 10 comprising a projecting part 8 and a recessed part 9 to be engaged with each other are provided on each of surfaces opposite to each other in the container body 1 which are brought close to each other when shrunk. The engagement projecting part 8 and the engagement recessed part 9 are engaged with each other as the body part 2 is shrunk in its width direction, and the shrunk condition of the container can be maintained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telescopic container having a telescopic mechanism that expands and contracts in the width direction of a container body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of telescopic container is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, a bellows portion that makes the container body expandable and contractible in the width direction is provided on an outer portion of the container body, and the container can be formed to be contractable according to a change in the amount of contents. It is considered.

[0003]

According to the above-described conventional telescopic container, a mechanism for maintaining the contracted state when the container body is contracted is not provided, and the container is unstable.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a telescopic container capable of stably maintaining a contracted state when the container body is contracted.

[0005]

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, a characteristic structure of the present invention is a telescopic container provided with a telescopic mechanism that expands and contracts in the width direction of the container main body 1. Each of the opposing surfaces of the container main body 7 is provided with an engaging portion 10 which is freely engageable with each other and includes an elongated engaging convex portion 8 and an engaging concave portion 9 along the opposing surface.

The features of the invention according to claim 2 are shown in FIGS.
As illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, a plurality of the engaging portions 10 are arranged side by side at intervals in the width direction of the engaging portion 10.

The feature of the invention according to claim 3 is shown in FIGS.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the engaging portions 10 are arranged so as to have a vertically elongated shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the engaging recess 9 is formed so as to protrude outward from the container from the one opposing surface. At the base end of the mating projection 8, the bulging portion 1 of another container
1 is provided with a receiving portion 12 which can be freely inserted.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, each of the opposing surfaces in the container body which is close to each other at the time of contraction is capable of engaging with each other, and has an elongated engaging projection along the opposing surface. Since the engaging portion including the engaging concave portion is provided, it is possible to engage with a small engaging operation force. That is, FIG.
(A) When considering a comparative example of a configuration in which the engaging portion 10 including the circular protrusion 17 and the circular concave portion 18 as shown in (B) is provided to maintain the contracted state, the circular protrusion 17 At the time of fitting, a force for expanding the concave portion 18 acts, and the concave portion 18 is opposed to the concave portion 18 by a pulling force acting in a circumferential direction with respect to the pressing and expanding force. In other words, in this type of engagement structure, the engagement force is determined by the pulling force over the entire circumference of the circle. Therefore, if the engagement force is increased, the elongation is reduced, and the engagement is hardly deformed. Therefore, if the engaging force is set strong, it becomes an obstacle to the pushing-out force and it is difficult to engage, so a strong engaging operation force is required. And FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and (b), when the container body is made of a soft material, the base end of the projection 17 is easily buckled at the time of fitting, making it difficult to engage. However, in the case of the container of the present invention, since the engaging portion 10 is formed in an elongated shape, a pulling force does not act on the entire periphery of the concave engaging portion 9a of the engaging concave portion 9 as compared with a circular one, The engagement can be performed with a small engagement operation force. In other words, by sequentially performing the ironing operation by engaging one portion in the longitudinal direction of the engaging projection 8, it is possible to sequentially expand the opening to the other end of the recess engagement opening 9 a with a small engaging operation force, The entire protrusion 8 can be engaged with the engagement recess 9. Then, once the entire engaging portion 10 is engaged, the engaging portion 10 is engaged by the engaging force of the entire elongated shape of the engaging portion 10, so that it is difficult to be disengaged.

Therefore, when the container body is contracted, the engaging portion can be easily engaged, and even if the container body is made of a soft material, it can be easily engaged without buckling, and the contracted state can be obtained. Can be provided stably.

According to the characteristic structure of the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, the plurality of the engaging portions can be spaced apart in the width direction of the engaging portion. Are opened and juxtaposed, it is possible to maintain a stable engagement state against the action of external force on the container. That is, as shown in FIGS.
FIG. 17 shows a case where 0 is one elastic container as a comparative example.
As shown in (c), when an external pressure is applied to a portion distant from the engaging portion 10, it is easy to swing around the engaging portion, and accordingly, the engaging portion 10 is easily detached. However, according to the telescopic container of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to restrict the swinging in the width direction by the plurality of engaging portions 10 and to make the engaging portions 10 hard to come off.

According to the characteristic configuration of the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to achieving the function and effect of the first aspect of the present invention, the engaging portion is arranged to have a vertically elongated shape. Therefore, when the contents are taken in and out of the container, the engaging portion itself is less likely to become an obstacle, and the contents can be taken in and out quickly. As a result, when filling the container with the contents, it is easy to prevent a decrease in the filling efficiency. For example, when the contents are discharged (poured or directly drunk), it is possible to smoothly carry out the contents.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, the engagement recess can be expanded outward from the one of the opposed surfaces. It is formed in a protruding state, and a receiving portion in which a bulging portion of another adjacent container body can be fitted is provided at a base end portion of the engaging convex portion. By fitting the bulging portion of the engaging concave portion of another container into the receiving portion, the containers can be stacked in a bulky state, and the storage efficiency can be improved. In addition, since it is easy to prevent the stacked containers from being displaced, it is possible to exhibit the effect of preventing the containers from being displaced during transportation.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional example indicate the same or corresponding portions.

In the present embodiment, a container 1 in which soft drinks can be put will be described as an example of the container of the present invention. The container 1 is a PET bottle, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, and includes a container body 1 and a cap 4. These are formed so that they can be screwed together with the container mouth tube portion 3 of the container body 1 to achieve a hermetic seal. Incidentally, the cap 4 is made of metal (or made of synthetic resin).
It is.

The container body 1 comprises a container body 2 and a mouthpiece 3. And the container body 2
Is formed with a bellows portion 5 which makes the container body 2 expandable and contractible in the width direction thereof. The bellows part 5 is provided with bellows on both sides and the upper surface of the body part 2 of the container body 1 having the shape of a quadrangular cylinder and the bellows on the bottom part of the vessel. It is formed. Further, as shown in FIGS.
Each of the opposing surfaces in the container body 1 which is close to each other when contracted is engageable with each other, and a plurality of engaging portions 10 each including an elongated engaging convex portion 8 and an engaging concave portion 9 along the opposing surface are provided. The engaging portions 10 are provided side by side at intervals in the width direction. According to this container, when the expanding / contracting means is contracted in accordance with the amount of contents, the body 2 of the container body 1 is contracted in the width direction, and the engaging projection 8 is engaged with the engaging member 8. After entering the concave portion 9, the convex portion 8 and the concave portion 9 are engaged with each other, and it is possible to maintain the contracted state of the container. Then, for example, if the container main body is made thin in the width direction, it becomes possible to form a pocket container.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engaging recess 9 has a bulging portion 11 which bulges out of the container from the one facing surface. At the base end of the portion 8, the bulging portion 1 of the engaging concave portion 9 of another adjacent container body 1 is provided.
1 is provided with a receiving portion 12 which can be fitted therein, so that when a plurality of containers are stacked, the engaging concave portion 9 of another container is bulged in the receiving portion 12 at the base end of the engaging convex portion 8. Part 1
By fitting 1 inside, it is possible to stack in a bulkless state, so that it becomes easy to prevent collapse of the load and it is possible to improve the storage efficiency. Therefore,
For example, when the manufactured container is stored or transported to the site where the contents are filled, as shown in FIG. By disposing the bulging portion 11 of the engaging concave portion 9 of the lower container in a certain receiving portion, the storage efficiency can be improved and the collapse of the load can be easily prevented. When storing or transporting a container filled with contents, as shown in FIG.
In a state where the container is extended, the bulging portion 11 of the engaging concave portion 9 of the lower container is disposed so as to fit inside the receiving portion 12 at the base end portion of the engaging convex portion 8 so that the storage efficiency is improved. Can be improved. Therefore, the dimension setting of the receiving portion 12 at the base end of the engaging convex portion 8 does not necessarily require that the bulging portion 11 of the engaging concave portion 9 fit tightly, but may be in a loosely fitting state. .

Therefore, according to the container described in the present embodiment, since the container is in a contracted state, the bulk is reduced and the storage space is not taken up, so that the storage efficiency in a limited space can be improved. At the same time, it is easy to prevent collapse of the load, and it is easy to transport more containers at once, and it is possible to improve the transportation efficiency.
Further, when filling the contents into the container, it is possible to easily increase the volume by stretching. And, especially when disposing of containers, since more containers can be collected at a time by reducing the volume of containers, it becomes possible to improve the disposal efficiency of industrial waste, for example, it is useful for resource recycling, This can lead to the purification of the global environment. As a result, an environment-friendly container can be provided.

[Another Embodiment] Another embodiment will be described below. <1> The engagement portion 10 is not limited to the one-stage engagement described in the above embodiment. For example, FIG.
(B) As shown in (c), a plurality of engagement grooves 13 are provided on the outer periphery of the engagement projection 8, and the engagement recess 9 is provided with a projection 14 that engages with the engagement groove 13. It may be something.
According to this, since the contracted state can be maintained in multiple stages according to the amount of the contents, a more detailed contracted state can be exhibited. <2> The engaging means is not limited to the one in which the irregular shape described in the previous embodiment fits, for example,
As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), each of the opposing surfaces of the container body may be locked by using a hook-shaped engaging portion 10. <3> The arrangement of the engaging portion 10 is not limited to the arrangement described in the above embodiment, and may be as shown in FIG. At this time, if it is not a horizontally elongated shape like (e) but is arranged so as to be vertically elongated like (a), (b), (c), and (d), the contents in the container will be It is less likely to become an obstacle when putting things in and out, and it is possible to put things in and out quickly. <4> The engaging portion 10 is not limited to the two-line type described in the above embodiment, but may be a three-line type as shown in FIGS. FIG.
As shown in (c), the number of lines may be increased. <5> The container body 1 is made of PET described in the above embodiment.
It is not limited to a bottle and may be made of another synthetic resin. Further, the contents are not limited to soft drinks, but may be other beverage liquids, powders, or granular materials. Further, the container is not limited to a rectangular cylinder, but may be a square, a rectangle, or a polygon other than a rectangle. For example, the container may be a cylinder as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG.
The shape of the engaging portion 10 may be formed in the shape of a character or the like. <6> As shown in FIG. 14, the engaging protrusion 15 provided in the receiving portion 12 at the base end of the engaging recess 9 is provided on the bulging portion 11 of the engaging recess 9 of another container. The engagement recesses 16 may be stacked in a state of being engaged and closely fitted. With this, it is possible to further prevent the collapse of the load. <7> In the above embodiment, the description has been given of the telescopic container provided with the receiving portion 12 into which the bulging portion 11 of the engaging concave portion 9 can be freely inserted. There is no need to form a container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state change of an embodiment of a container.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the container.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an embodiment of the container.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the operation of a bellows portion.

FIG. 5 is an AA cross-sectional view showing the operation of the bellows portion.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the containers are contracted and stacked.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which containers are stretched and stacked.

FIG. 8 is an operation sectional view showing an engagement portion of a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an operation sectional view showing an engagement portion of a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a container according to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a stacked state of containers according to another embodiment.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a state change of a container of a comparative example.

FIG. 16 is an operation sectional view showing an engagement portion of the container of the comparative example.

FIG. 17 is an operation sectional view showing an engagement portion of the container of the comparative example.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a state change of a conventional container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container main body 7 Inside a container main body 8 Engagement convex part 9 Engagement concave part 10 Engagement part 11 Swelling part 12 Receiving part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A telescopic container provided with a telescopic mechanism that expands and contracts in the width direction of a container body, and is elongated along the opposing surface so as to be engageable with each of opposing surfaces in the container main body that are close to each other when contracted. A telescopic container provided with an engaging portion formed of an engaging convex portion and an engaging concave portion. 2. The telescopic container according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the engaging portions are arranged side by side at intervals in a width direction of the engaging portion. 3. The telescopic container according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is disposed so as to have a vertically elongated shape. 4. The engaging recess is formed so as to protrude outward from the container from the one opposing surface, and a proximal end of the engaging protruding portion is inflated with an adjacent container main body. The telescopic container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the projecting portion is provided with a receiving portion capable of being fitted thereinto.