JP7843493B2 - Outer packaging for discharge containers, discharge products - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a replaceable outer casing for a discharge container and a discharge product to which the outer casing is attached.

Figures 6-8 of Patent Document 1 disclose a shoulder cover structure comprising a lower shoulder cover that fits onto the mounting cup of an aerosol product, and an upper shoulder cover that is detachable from the lower shoulder cover. This shoulder cover structure has a crank-shaped guide hole in the lower shoulder cover and a guide projection in the upper shoulder cover. By moving the upper shoulder cover up and down and rotating it, the guide projection can be moved to the end of the crank-shaped guide hole, allowing the upper shoulder cover to be separated from the lower shoulder cover.

Reference 2 discloses a spray member comprising an engaging piece connected to the spray member body via a hinge, having a pressing portion above the hinge and an engaging portion below the hinge that engages with the aerosol container, wherein the engaging piece can be rotated by pressing the pressing portion to release the engagement with the aerosol container, and a spray member comprising an operating ring screwed onto the outer circumference of the spray member body, which can reduce the diameter of the screwed portion, thereby loosening the engagement between the aerosol container and the engaging projection of the spray member body by rotating the operating ring.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-6488 Patent No. 5192715

The shoulder cover structure in Patent Document 1 requires the guiding projection to move along the crank-shaped guide hole, resulting in poor operability. The injection member in Patent Document 2 is easy to operate, but there is a risk of accidentally loosening the engagement.

The present invention aims to provide an outer casing for a dispensing container that can be easily removed from the dispensing container while preventing unintended detachment.

The exterior components 10, 10A, and 10B for the discharge container of the present invention comprise shoulder covers 20, 20A, and 20B, main body covers 40, and 40A rotatably attached to the shoulder covers 20, 20A, and 20B, and operating parts 30, 30A, and 30B attached to the shoulder covers 20, 20A, and 20B, each having an engaging projection 30a that engages with the discharge container 2, and allowing the engagement/disengagement of the engaging projection 30a with the discharge container 2 to be operated. The main body covers 40 and 40A are equipped with a stopper portion 41a, and by rotating the main body covers 40 and 40A around a central axis, it is possible to switch between a state where the stopper portion 41a obstructs operation of the operating parts 30, 30A, and 30B, and a state where operation of the operating parts 30, 30A, and 30B is possible.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the operating units 30 and 30B are rotatably mounted on the shoulder cover 20, and that the engaging projection 30a is separated from the discharge container 2 by rotation. Alternatively, it is preferable that the operating unit 30A is slidably mounted on the shoulder cover 20, and that the engaging projection 30a is separated from the discharge container 2 by sliding.

The discharge product 1 of the present invention is characterized by comprising a discharge container 2 and outer casings 10, 10A, and 10B for the discharge container.

The exterior and discharged product for the discharge container of this invention allow the operating part to be operated by rotating the main body cover around its central axis. After rotation, operating the operating part disengages the engagement between the discharge container and the engaging projection, allowing the exterior to be removed from the discharge container. In other words, disengaging is achieved through two independent steps rather than a continuous operation, preventing unintended detachment during dispensing or transport. Because unintended detachment is prevented, there is no need to complicate the removal operation, and a mechanism that allows for simple removal can be adopted.

The operating unit is rotatably mounted on the shoulder cover. When separating the engaging projection from the discharge container by rotation, only the main body cover needs to be rotated, followed by the operating unit, thus easily removing the external components. Alternatively, the operating unit is slidably mounted on the shoulder cover. When separating the engaging projection from the discharge container by sliding, only the main body cover needs to be rotated, followed by the operating unit, thus easily removing the external components.

This is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of an extruded product according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A is a plan view of an exterior part according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2B is a perspective view of the exterior part seen from the front left, and Figure 2C is a perspective view of the exterior part seen from the rear left. This is an exploded perspective view of the exterior components as seen from the rear left side. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the process of removing the outer packaging from the discharge container. This is a plan view showing the rotation operation of the main body cover. This is an exploded perspective view of another exterior component, seen from the rear left side. Figure 7A is a perspective view of another exterior component seen from the rear left, Figure 7B is a perspective view showing the main body cover in a rotated state, Figure 7C is a perspective view when the operating part is rotated, and Figure 7D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 7A.

Next, a discharge product and its exterior components according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the discharge product 1 comprises a discharge container 2 and an exterior component 10 that is interchangeably attached to the discharge container 2.

The dispensing container 2 is a so-called aerosol can, comprising a container body 3 and an aerosol valve 4.

The container body 3 is made of metal, such as tinplate or aluminum, and comprises a bottom portion 3a, a roughly cylindrical body portion 3b rising from the outer circumference of the bottom portion 3a, a shoulder portion 3c extending upward from the upper end of the body portion 3b while gradually decreasing in diameter, and a dome portion 3d whose lower end is crimped and fixed to the upper end of the shoulder portion 3c. The upper end of the dome portion 3d is open, and a bead portion 3e is provided to frame this opening. A circumferentially continuous recess is formed below the bead portion 3e. The outer shape of the bead portion 3e is circular in plan view.

The aerosol valve 4 comprises a bottomed cylindrical stem 4a having a stem hole on its side, a housing that allows the stem 4a to move up and down, an elastic body (spring) that constantly biases the stem 4a upward, a stem rubber that closes the stem hole before the stem 4a is pressed down or tilted, and deforms to open the stem hole when the stem 4a is pressed down or tilted, and a mounting cup 4b that secures the housing to the container body.

The aerosol valve 4 is fixed to the container body 3 by placing the outer edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b over the bead portion 3e of the container body 3 and crimping it. During crimping, multiple crimping jaws are expanded radially outward, pushing the inner wall of the mounting cup 4b radially outward. Therefore, the planar shape of the inner wall becomes approximately polygonal, but the outer edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b maintains a circular shape in plan view. Furthermore, the outer edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b and the shoulder cover 20 and body cover 40 of the exterior parts 10 (described later) are located concentrically (axially) in plan view.

The discharge container 2, as described above, is filled with an aerosol composition consisting of a stock solution and a propellant for dispensing the stock solution.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the exterior component 10 comprises a shoulder cover 20 attached to the discharge container 2, an operating unit 30 mounted behind the shoulder cover 20 which has an engaging projection 30a that engages with the discharge container 2 from the outer circumference and allows for the engagement/disengagement of the engaging projection 30a with the discharge container 2, and a main body cover 40 mounted on the upper part of the shoulder cover 20 so as to be rotatable around a central axis.

As shown in Figure 3, the shoulder cover 20 comprises an outer cylinder 21 that fits onto the outer peripheral edge 4b1 of the bead portion 3e and mounting cup 4b, an inner cylinder 22 that is integrally attached to or coupled above the outer cylinder 21 and rotatably mounts the main body cover 40 to the shoulder cover 20, and a button body 23 located inside the inner cylinder 22 and attached to the stem 4a of the discharge container 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the outer cylinder 21 is provided with fixing ribs 21a on its inner circumferential surface that engage with the bead portion 3e and the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b. These fixing ribs 21a are provided only at the front of the outer cylinder 21, and not at the sides or rear. As shown in Figure 3, the outer cylinder 21 has a roughly C-shape in plan view, with a portion of the rear of the ring missing, and the open end faces rearward. A mounting portion 21b extends rearward from the open end, and the operating portion 30 is rotatably mounted vertically to this mounting portion 21b. Note that if the engagement force of the fixing ribs 21a needs to be increased to match the weight of the discharge container 2, fixing ribs 21a may be provided on the sides. It is preferable to make the engagement force of the side fixing ribs 21a weaker than that of the front fixing ribs 21a, by shortening the circumferential length (range of provision) in plan view, or reducing the amount of lateral protrusion of the fixing ribs 21a, in order to make them easier to detach.

The inner cylinder 22 has a roughly C-shape in plan view, with a portion of the front of the ring missing. It also has a smaller diameter than the outer cylinder 21. A circumferentially extending protrusion 22a is provided on the outer surface of the inner cylinder 22. This protrusion 22a is fitted into a groove 41b (see Figure 1) of the main body cover 40 (described later), allowing circumferential rotation of the main body cover 40 while preventing it from detaching from the shoulder cover 20. The main body cover 40 rotates around the central axis of the inner cylinder 22.

The button body 23 comprises a vertical cylinder 23a, a horizontal cylinder 23b extending forward from the upper end of the vertical cylinder 23a, and an extension portion 23c extending backward from the vertical cylinder 23a. As shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the vertical cylinder 23a is fitted onto the upper part of the stem 4a. A spray nozzle 24 for dispensing the aerosol composition in a desired form, such as a mist, is attached to the tip of the horizontal cylinder 23b. The spray nozzle 24 has a spray hole 24a at its front. The extension portion 23c is mounted on the inner cylinder 22 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. When the lever 42 of the main body cover 40 (described later) is pressed down, the button body 23 rotates as pushed down by the lever 42, pushing down the stem 4a. The aerosol composition discharged from the stem 4a passes through an internal passage formed inside the vertical cylinder 23a and the horizontal cylinder 23b, and through the spray nozzle 24 to the outside through the spray hole 24a.

As shown in Figure 3, the operating section 30 has a roughly gamma-shaped vertical cross-section and includes an engaging projection 30a located near the lower end, a rotating shaft 30b located above the engaging projection 30a and near the corner, and an operating flange 30c located behind the rotating shaft 30b and near the rear end. The operating flange 30c, which is part of the operating section 30, protrudes outward from the stopper portion 41a in a plan view. The operating section 30 is rotatably attached to the shoulder cover 20. Specifically, it is rotatable in the vertical direction by attaching the rotating shaft 30b to the mounting portion 21b.

When the operating section 30 is rotated in a way that lifts the operating flange 30c upward, the entire operating section 30 rotates around the rotation axis 30b, and the engaging projection 30a moves away from the bead portion 3e of the discharge container 2 and the outer edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b. Conversely, when the operating section 30c is rotated in a way that pushes it downward, the entire operating section 30 rotates around the rotation axis, and the engaging projection 30a moves closer to the bead portion 3e of the discharge container 2 and the outer edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b. When the operating flange 30c is pushed all the way down, the engaging projection 30a engages with the lower surface of the outer edge 4b1 of the bead portion 3e and the mounting cup 4b. Therefore, it can be said that the shoulder cover 20 is engaged with the discharge container 2 at two points: the front fixing rib 21a and the rear engaging projection 30a. The engagement of both the fixing rib 21a and the engaging projection 30a provides sufficient fitting strength and rotational torque resistance, preventing upward movement of the outer casing 10 relative to the discharge container 2 and preventing the shoulder cover 20 from rotating together with the rotation of the cover portion 41 around its central axis.

The main body cover 40 comprises a cover portion 41 that primarily covers the button body 23, and a lever 42 that is rotatably attached to the cover portion 41.

The cover portion 41 is roughly cylindrical, but a portion of its rear protrudes radially outward (rearward). This protruding portion is a stopper portion 41a that restricts the rotation of the operating portion 30. In a plan view, the stopper portion 41a protrudes outward from the rotation axis 30b of the operating portion 30, and interferes when attempting to lift the operating flange 30c upward, preventing the rotation of the operating portion 30. The portion of the cover portion 41 that does not have the stopper portion 41a is inward from the rotation axis 30b in a plan view and does not interfere with the rotation of the operating portion 30. As shown in Figure 1, an injection opening 41d is provided at the front of the cover portion 41 for passing the aerosol composition discharged from the injection hole 24a. The inner circumferential surface of the cover portion 41 is provided with a groove 41b for fitting the convex portion 22a of the inner cylinder 22. The groove 41b extends in the circumferential direction, allowing the main body cover 40, which is attached to the inner cylinder 22, to rotate laterally (around the central axis of the inner cylinder).

The lever 42 is attached to the front upper surface of the cover portion 41 via a hinge 42a, allowing it to rotate vertically. The rear end of the lever 42 extends rearward. A lever opening 41c is formed in the cover portion 41, extending from the top surface to the rear side surface. The lever 42 is exposed to the outside through this lever opening 41c, allowing it to be pushed down (dispensing) from the outside. When dispensing, pushing down the rear end of the lever 42 causes the hinge 42a to act as a pivot, pushing down the button body 23. Furthermore, since the button body 23 is also attached to the inner cylinder 22 via an extension 23c, the two levers reduce the operating force of the lever 42, making dispensing easier.

Next, the procedure for removing the outer casing 10 from the discharge container 2 will be described. S1 in Figures 4 and 5 shows the state in which the outer casing 10 is fixed to the discharge container 2. In this fixed state, the stopper portion 41a is located above the operating direction of the operating portion 30. Therefore, the stopper portion 41a obstructs the rotation of the operating portion 30 (the engagement and disengagement of the engaging projection 30a). In short, it is in an inoperable state. In order to rotate the operating portion 30, the main body cover 40 is rotated relative to the shoulder cover 20 in the circumferential direction (for example, counterclockwise in a plan view), and the stopper portion 41a is moved from above the operating portion 30. At this time, the lever 42 also rotates together with the cover portion 41. As shown in S2 in Figure 5, by rotating it by about 70 degrees, the stopper portion 41a is completely moved from above the operating portion 30. This releases the rotation restriction imposed by the stopper portion 41a (switching to the release state), making it operable. Therefore, as shown in S3 of Figure 4, the operating flange 30c is rotated upward to retract the engaging projection 30a (setting it to the retracted state), thereby releasing its engagement with the discharge container 2. With the engaging projection 30a released, further lifting of the operating flange 30c releases the engagement of the fixing rib 21a, as shown in S4, allowing the outer casing 10 to be removed from the discharge container 2.

Thus, the exterior component 10 of the present invention cannot be removed from the discharge container 2 unless the two components, the main body cover 40 and the operating unit 30, are operated in a predetermined order, thus preventing unintended detachment. On the other hand, the operation of each component itself is simple, involving only rotation of the main body cover 40 around its central axis (circumferential direction) and vertical rotation of the operating unit 30. Therefore, it can be easily removed if the intention to remove it is present. As a result, consumers can easily attach and detach the exterior component 10, promoting the separate disposal of the discharge container 2 and the exterior component 10, and encouraging the reuse of the exterior component 10.

When attaching the outer casing 10 to the discharge container 2, the operating flange 30c is lifted upward, and the engaging projection 30a is retracted to the rear. With the fixing rib 21a engaged with the outer periphery 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b, the outer cylinder 21 is fitted onto the outer periphery 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b. At this time, the vertical cylinder 23a is also fitted onto the stem 4a. Next, the operating flange 30c is pushed down to move the engaging projection 30a forward and engage it with the outer periphery 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b (engaging operation of the engaging projection 30a). Then, the main body cover 40 is rotated circumferentially (for example, clockwise in a plan view) so that the stopper portion 41a is above the operating portion 30, thereby switching to the fixed state and completing the installation. When the main body cover 40 is rotated, the injection opening 41d moves forward, and the positions of the injection hole 24a and the injection opening 41d are aligned. Furthermore, the lever 42 is positioned above the button body 23, allowing the aerosol composition to be dispensed by pressing the lever 42.

Alternatively, the stopper portion 41a may be fixed in the operating direction of the operating portion 30, and then the outer cylinder 21 may be fitted onto the outer peripheral edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b and pushed downwards. This pushing causes the fixing rib 21a and the engaging projection 30a to elastically deform, overcoming the bead portion 3e and the outer peripheral edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b. Afterward, the fixing rib 21a and the engaging projection 30a return to their original shape and engage with the bead portion 3e and the outer peripheral edge 4b1 of the mounting cup 4b, respectively.

Figure 6 shows another exterior component 10A. In this exterior component 10A, the operating unit 30A is attached to the shoulder cover 20A so as to be slidable backward. For example, by providing a lateral groove 21b1 extending laterally in the mounting portion 21b, and fitting the rotation axis 30b of the operating unit 30A into this lateral groove 21b1, backward sliding becomes possible. By sliding the operating unit 30A backward (away from the discharge container 2) (engaging and disengaging the engaging projection 30a), the engaging projection 30a moves away from the discharge container 2, and the engagement is released. Conversely, by sliding the operating unit 30A forward (towards the discharge container 2) (engaging the engaging projection 30a), the engaging projection 30a moves closer to the discharge container 2 and engages.

The stopper portion 41a engages with the operating portion 30A in order to prevent the operating portion 30A from sliding backward. Specifically, a projection 30c1 is provided on the upper surface of the operating portion 30A, and a groove 41a1 extending circumferentially and open at the left end is provided on the lower surface of the stopper portion 41a. The projection 30c1 is fitted into the groove 41a1, thereby restricting the sliding operation of the operating portion 30A backward. In short, a wall portion 41a2 that defines a part of the groove 41a1 is located in the operating direction (rearward) of the operating portion 30A, and the wall portion 41a2 comes into contact with the projection 30c1, preventing the operating portion 30A from sliding. To slide the operating portion 30A, the main body cover 40A is rotated circumferentially to release the engagement between the groove 41a1 of the stopper portion 41a and the projection 30c1 of the operating portion 30A. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the stopper portion 41a and the outer circumference of the operating flange 30c may be aligned, or the outer circumference of the stopper portion 41a may be made to protrude further outward than the outer circumference of the operating flange 30c. This allows the stopper portion 41a to cover the entire upper surface of the operating flange 30c, thus preventing it from being grasped.

The other components are identical to the exterior part 10 in Figure 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used, and their explanations are omitted.

Figure 7 shows yet another exterior part 10B. In this exterior part 10B, the shoulder cover 20B and the operating part 30B are integrally molded. Specifically, they are connected so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction via a hinge 30d. As shown in Figures 7A and 7D, the operating part 30B has a vertical cross-sectional shape resembling an inverted L, with the hinge 30d positioned approximately in the center in the vertical direction. This hinge 30d has restorative properties (spring-like properties) that cause it to return to its original shape before twisting in the event of torsional deformation. For example, it is made of synthetic resin. The entire shoulder cover 20B and operating part 30B may also be made of synthetic resin. The hinge 30d is connected to the mounting part 21d. The engaging projection 30a is below the hinge 30d and protrudes toward the discharge container 2 from near the lower end. Also, the upper part of the hinge 30d is a pressing part 30e. There is no operating flange, but one may be provided.

When the push portion 30e is pushed towards the main body cover 40, the operating portion 30B rotates vertically around the hinge 30d, as shown in Figure 7C, causing the engaging projection 30a to move away from the discharge container 2, and the engagement is released. When the push portion 30e is released and the pushing operation stops, the hinge 30d, which was twisted by the pushing, returns to its original shape, and the entire operating portion 30B returns to its original position before being pushed in (see Figure 7B). At this time, the engaging projection 30a approaches the discharge container 2 and engages. Therefore, in order to remove the outer casing 10B from the discharge container 2, the push portion 30e must be continued to be pushed in.

The stopper portion 41a is located in front of the push portion 30e (in the pushing direction) and obstructs the pushing operation of the push portion 30e (operation disabled). To operate the push portion 30e, the main body cover 40 is rotated circumferentially to move the stopper portion 41a away from the front of the push portion 30e (operation enabled state: see Figure 7B). The portion of the cover portion 41 where the stopper portion 41a is not provided has a smaller diameter than the stopper portion 41a and appears recessed from the perspective of the stopper portion 41a, thus enabling the pushing operation of the push portion 30e.

The other components are identical to the exterior part 10 in Figure 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used, and their explanations are omitted.

The embodiments of this invention have been described above, but this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of this invention. For example, in the exterior part 10 of Figure 1 and the exterior part 10B of Figure 7, the operating parts 30 and 30B rotated in the vertical direction, but they may be made to rotate in the horizontal direction. For example, if one end of either the left or right operating part 30 or 30B is attached to the shoulder cover 20 so as to be rotatable, horizontal rotation becomes possible. In this case, for example, if the operation restriction mechanism (projection 30c1 and groove 41a1) of the exterior part 10A of Figure 6 is adopted, the exterior part will be removable in two actions, similar to the exterior part 10 of Figure 1, the exterior part 10A of Figure 6, and the exterior part 10B of Figure 7.

Furthermore, while the operating section 30A in the exterior part 10A of Figure 6 was operated by sliding it laterally, it may also be possible to make it slide downwards. Even in this case, the engagement between the engaging projection 30a and the discharge container 2 can be released. As an operation restriction mechanism, for example, the rear end of the stopper section 41a could be extended to the underside of the operating section 30A, and the engaging projection 30a could be held by the stopper section 41a.

The concave and convex fittings between the protrusion 22a of the inner cylinder 22 and the concave groove 41b of the main body cover 40, the concave and convex fittings between the lateral groove 21b1 of the mounting portion 21b and the rotating shaft 30b of the operating portion 30A, and the concave and convex fittings between the projection 30c1 of the operating flange 30c and the groove 41a1 of the stopper portion 41a may be reversed. Furthermore, although a discharge container 2 with a dome portion 3d was used, a discharge container 2 with a bead portion 3e at the upper end of the shoulder portion 3c instead of the dome portion 3d may be used, and the exterior parts 10 and 10A may be attached to the bead portion 3e. The rotation direction of the main body covers 40 and 40A may be either clockwise or counterclockwise.

1 Discharge product 2 Discharge container 3 Container body 3a Bottom 3b Body 3c Shoulder 3d Dome 3e Bead 4 Aerosol valve 4a Stem 4b Mounting cup 4b1 Outer edge 10, 10A, 10B Outer parts 20, 20A, 20B Shoulder cover 21 Outer cylinder 21a Fixing rib 21b Mounting part 21b1 Horizontal groove 22 Inner cylinder 22a Protrusion 23 Button body 23a Vertical cylinder 23b Horizontal cylinder 23c Extension 24 Spray nozzle 24a Spray holes 30, 30A, 30B Operating part 30a Engaging projection 30b Rotating shaft 30c Operating flange 30c1 Projection 30d Hinge 30e Push part 40, 40A Body cover 41 Cover part 41a Stopper part 41a1 Groove 41a2 Wall part 41b Groove 41c, Lever opening 41d, Spray opening 42, Lever 42a, Hinge

Claims (4)

Shoulder covers and
The main body cover is rotatably attached to the shoulder cover,
It comprises an operating part attached to the shoulder cover that has an engaging projection that engages with the discharge container, and the engagement/disengagement of the engaging projection with the discharge container can be operated,
The main body cover is equipped with a stopper, and by rotating the main body cover around its central axis, it is possible to switch between a state where the stopper obstructs the operation of the control unit and a state where the control unit can be operated. This is an external component for a discharge container.
An outer casing for a discharge container, which, by operating the control section, separates the engaging projection in the radially outward and/or downward direction of the discharge container, thereby releasing the engagement between the engaging projection and the discharge container. Shoulder covers and
The main body cover is rotatably attached to the shoulder cover,
It comprises an operating part attached to the shoulder cover that has an engaging projection that engages with the discharge container, and the engagement/disengagement of the engaging projection with the discharge container can be operated,
The main body cover is equipped with a stopper, and by rotating the main body cover around its central axis, it is possible to switch between a state where the stopper obstructs the operation of the control unit and a state where the control unit can be operated. This is an external component for a discharge container.
An external component for a discharge container, in which the operating part is rotatably mounted on the shoulder cover, and the engaging projection is separated from the discharge container by rotation. Shoulder covers and
The main body cover is rotatably attached to the shoulder cover,
It comprises an operating part attached to the shoulder cover that has an engaging projection that engages with the discharge container, and the engagement/disengagement of the engaging projection with the discharge container can be operated,
The main body cover is equipped with a stopper, and by rotating the main body cover around its central axis, it is possible to switch between a state where the stopper obstructs the operation of the control unit and a state where the control unit can be operated. This is an external component for a discharge container.
An external component for a discharge container, in which the operating part is slidably attached to the shoulder cover, and the engaging projection is separated from the discharge container by sliding the cover. A dispensing product comprising a dispensing container and an outer casing for the dispensing container according to any one of claims 1 to 3.