US20200346821A1

US20200346821A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: US20200346821A1
Application number: US16/862,073
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeremy Sa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-04-30
Filing date: 2020-04-29
Publication date: 2020-11-05
Also published as: EP3733546A1; CN111846538A

Abstract

The present application discloses a container comprising a container housing, a container bottom, a container top, and an outer shield. The container housing and the outer shield are movable relatively to each other. When the relative position between the container housing and the outer shield changes, at least part of a container see-through area can be aligned with at least part of a shield see-through area, or the container see-through area can be completely blocked by a shield blocking area. When the container see-through area and the shield see-through area are offset, the content stored inside the container can be protected from light. When the container see-through area and the shield see-through area are aligned, the content stored inside the container can be viewed from the outside of the container.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present application relates generally to containers, and more particularly to containers blocking light transmission.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

It is well known that containers can store various items. Depending on the types of items, the containers can have different requirements. For example, the contents in the container need to be stored away from light or sealed.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

When storing certain items with special requirements, such as tea leaves, medicines, etc., it is desirable to view the condition of the stored content inside a container from the outside of the container, while not opening the container to compromise the sealing/light-blocking function of the container.
One of the objectives of the present application is to provide a container that allows viewing the condition of the stored content inside a container from outside of the container without affecting the sealing/light-blocking functions of the container. Detailed technical solutions are as follows:
According to a first aspect of the present application, a container is provided and comprises a container housing having a container wall surrounding a container chamber. The container chamber has a chamber top edge and a chamber bottom edge. The chamber top edge defines a container top opening. At least one container see-through area is formed on the container wall, while the remaining area of the container wall is a container blocking area. The container also comprises a container bottom connected to the container wall at the chamber bottom edge, and a container top located at the container top opening and connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge. The container further comprises an outer shield, which partially or completely surrounds the container housing. The outer shield is formed with at least one shield see-through area, while the remaining area of the outer shield is a shield blocking area. The container housing and the outer shield are movable relatively to each other, so that at least part of the container see-through area can be aligned with at least part of the shield see-through area, or the container see-through area can be completely blocked by the shield blocking area, when the relative position between the container housing and the outer shield changes.
According to the above first aspect, the container bottom is sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber bottom edge, while the container top is sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge, to form a sealed container chamber.
According to the above first aspect, the container wall of the container housing and the container bottom are integrally formed.
According to the above first aspect, the container housing and/or the outer shield is made of a see-through material or a blocking material.
According to the above first aspect, the see-through material is a transparent material or a light-transmitting material. The blocking material is an opaque material or a light blocking material.
According to the above first aspect, the transparent material is a transparent glass, a transparent plastic, or a transparent crystal. The opaque material is an opaque plastic or a metal material.
According to the above first aspect, the container see-through area is formed by providing a container opening on the container housing and by providing a see-through protective layer on the container opening, wherein the container housing is made of a blocking material. In the alternative, the container see-through area is formed by providing the container blocking area on the container housing, wherein the container housing is made of a see-through material.
According to the above first aspect, the shield see-through area is formed by providing a shield opening on the outer shield, wherein the outer shield is made of a blocking material. In the alternative, the shield see-through area is formed providing a shield blocking area on the outer shield, wherein the outer shield is made of a see-through material.
According to the above first aspect, the container opening and/or the shield opening respectively extend in the longitudinal direction from a top to a bottom of the container housing and/or the outer shield.
According to the first aspect, the container chamber is cylindrical or prismatic.
According to the first aspect, the outer shield is sleeved outside the container housing and elastically connected to the container housing. The outer shield is made of a flexible material.
According to the above first aspect, the container further comprises a connection structure configured to allow the outer shield to be movably connected to the container housing through the connection structure.
According to the above first aspect, the connection structure comprises a container connecting portion provided on the container housing, the container top, or the container bottom. The connection structure also comprises a shield connecting portion provided on the outer shield. The container connecting portion and the shield connecting portion cooperate with each other, so that the outer shield can rotate or move longitudinally relative to the container housing.
According to the above first aspect, the container connecting portion and/or the shield connecting portion are ring-shaped rails, so that the outer shield can rotate relative to the container housing.
According to the above first aspect, the container top is formed with a top outer edge protruding in a radial direction. The container bottom is formed with a bottom outer edge protruding in a radial direction. The container connecting portion is provided on the top outer edge and the bottom outer edge.
According to the above first aspect, the container connecting portion and/or the shield connecting portion are longitudinal rails, so that the outer shield can move longitudinally relative to the container housing.
According to the first aspect, the container blocking area is formed with a word and/or a pattern.
According to the above first aspect, the outer shield and the container housing form a predetermined angle therebetween. The container blocking area is provided with a predetermined word and/or a predetermined pattern. The predetermined angle is so determined that the shield see-through area is aligned with the predetermined word and/or the predetermined pattern on the container blocking area.
According to the above first aspect, the container further comprises an upper lid, which is arranged on a top of the container top.
According to the above first aspect, the container top is configured to be sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge singly or repeatedly.
According to the above first aspect, the outer shield comprises a shield bottom, which is arranged outside the container bottom.
Through the relative motion of the container housing and the outer shield, the container of the present application can allow the container see-through area on the container housing to either offset from or align with the shield see-through area on the outer shield. When the container see-through area and the shield see-through area are offset, the content inside the container can be protected from light. When the container see-through area and the shield see-through area are overlapped, the condition of the content inside the container can be observed from outside of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description is set forth in connection with the attached drawing figures, which are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawing figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container 100 according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIGS. 2A-2B are exploded perspective views of the container 100 shown in FIG. 1, wherein the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111 in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are shown from different relative angles;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are axial sectional views of the container 100 shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 3B is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged axial sectional view of a container according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is an exploded structural view of a container 500 according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is an exploded structural view of a container 600 according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a structural view of a container 700 according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a structural view of a container 800 according to another embodiment of the present application; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded structural view of a container 900 according to another embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Various specific embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. It should be understood that although terminology is used in this application, such as “front”, “rear”, “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, etc., to describe the orientation of various example structural parts and elements of this application, such terminologies are used here for the convenience of explanation only and are determined based on the exemplary orientation shown in the drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this application can be set in different directions, these terminologies indicating directions are only for illustration and should not be considered as limitations. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numbers used in the present application refer to the same parts.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container 100 according to an embodiment of the present application, showing the overall structure of the container 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 100 is substantially cylindrical and comprises a cylindrical container housing 212 (see FIG. 2A) and a cylindrical outer shield 111 surrounding the container housing 212. The inner diameter of the outer shield 111 is slightly larger than the diameter of the container housing 212, so that the outer shield 111 can surround the outside of the container housing 212. In the example shown in the drawings, the outer shield 111 can be rotated relative to the container housing 212. The outer shield 111 is formed with a shield see-through area 115. When the outer shield 111 is rotated to a predetermined angle relative to the container housing 212, the shield see-through area 115 can overlap with the predetermined word or pattern 103 on the container housing 212, so that the predetermined word or pattern 103 can be displayed. As an example, the predetermined angle can be an optimal sealing angle of the articles in the container, where the outer shield and the container housing have the best sealability at such the predetermined angle. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an upper lid 102 is provided on the top of the container 100.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are exploded perspective views of the container 100, in which the outer shield 111 can rotate relative to the container housing 212, so that the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111 in FIGS. 2A and 2B can be arranged at different relative angles. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the container 100 comprises a container housing 212. The container housing 212 comprises a container wall 218 and a container chamber 241 surrounded by the container wall 218. The container chamber 241 can be used to store items, such as tea, dried fruits, and other items. The container chamber 241 can be cylindrical, or prismatic. In the embodiments illustrated in FIG. 2A to FIG. 8, the container chamber is cylindrical. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the container chamber is a prism shape. It should be noted that the shape of the container chamber does not need to match with the shape of the container housing. At the bottom edge of the container chamber 241, a chamber bottom edge 242 is provided, where the container wall 218 is provided with a container bottom 314 (see FIG. 3A). The container bottom 314 seals off the container chamber 241 from its bottom. In an example, the container bottom 314 is sealingly connected to the container wall 218 at the chamber bottom edge 242, so that the container bottom 314 seals the container chamber 241 from its bottom. In another example, the container bottom 314 may also be formed integrally with the container wall 218.
At the top edge of the container chamber 241, a chamber top edge 217 is provided. A container top 213 is connected to the container wall 218 at the chamber top edge 217. The container top 213 closes the container chamber 241 from the top. In an example, the container chamber 241 forms a container top opening 356 (see FIG. 3A) at the chamber top edge 217. The container top 213 is disposed at the container top opening 356. Through the container top opening 356, items stored in the container chamber 241 can be stored or taken out. In an example, the container top 213 is hermetically connected to the container wall 218 at the chamber top edge 217, so that the container top 213 can seal the container chamber 241 from the top. Thus, the container chamber 241 can be a sealed chamber. In an example, the container top 213 can be a hot-pressed tin foil that seals the container chamber 241, or a resealable metal sealing lid of the container chamber 241, wherein the metal sealing lid is connected to the container wall 218 at the chamber top edge 217 through a welding/riveting/plugging process. Accordingly, the container top 213 is removably attached to the container wall 218.
In the embodiment shown, the container 100 further comprises an upper lid 102 to protect the sealing connection structure between the container top 213 and the container wall 218, so that the container top 213 is not damaged during transportation and other processes, to thereby ensure the sealability of the container housing 212. Of course, the upper lid 102 can be omitted in other embodiments.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a container see-through area 216 is provided on the container wall 218 of the container housing 212. The other areas of the container wall 218 form a container blocking area 262. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the container see-through area 216 is a rectangular area in the middle of the container wall 218. Of course, as is in other embodiments, depending on the items stored in the container housing, the container see-through area 216 can also be located at other locations of the container wall 218, or have other shapes and quantities, such as circular, oval, or other irregular shapes.
When the container housing 212 is made of a see-through material, the container see-through area 216 can be formed by a covering (e.g., coating light blocking material or adhering light-blocking layer) the other areas of the container housing 212, so that such other areas are blocked. Such other areas form the container blocking area 262. When the container housing 212 is made of a blocking material, the container see-through area 216 can be formed by providing a container opening on the container housing 212, while the other non-opening areas form the container blocking area 262. To ensure the sealability of the container housing 212, a protective layer made of a see-through material is provided to seal (e.g. glue) the area of the container opening.
It should be noted that the see-through capability referred to in this application refers to a blurry visibility and comprises not only completely transparent visibility, but also translucent or light transmitting visibility. In an example, the see-through materials comprise transparent materials and translucent or light transmitting materials. The transparent materials can be transparent plastic, transparent glass, or transparent crystal, or other materials. The translucent or light transmitting materials comprise frosted glass or colored plastic, or other materials. The blocking materials comprise opaque materials or non-light transmitting materials, wherein the opaque materials or the non-light transmitting materials can be an opaque plastic, or a metal, or other materials. When the container see-through area 216 is completely transparent and see-through, the condition of the items inside the container housing 212 can be fully observed through the container see-through area 216. When the container see-through area 216 is translucent or light transmitting, quantity and other information of the items inside the container housing 212 can be seen through the container see-through area 216.
Accordingly, the outer shield 111 is formed with a shield see-through area 115. The other areas of the outer shield 111 are formed as a shield blocking area 263. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the shield see-through area 115 is a rectangular area in the middle region of the outer shield 111. In other embodiments, the shield see-through area 115 can be in other locations on the outer shield 111, or of other shapes and quantities. Similarly, when the outer shield 111 is made of a see-through material, the shield see-through area 115 is formed by covering the other areas of the outer shield 111 so that such other areas of the outer shield 111 are blocked and form the shield blocking area 263. When the outer shield 111 is made of a blocking material, the shield see-through area 115 can be formed by providing a shield opening in the outer shield 111, while the other areas of the outer shield 111 form the shield blocking area 263.
When the outer shield 111 rotates relative to the container housing 212 to the angle illustrated in FIG. 2A, the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 are aligned, making it possible to view the condition of the items inside the container housing 212 through the overlapped see-through areas. When the outer shield 111 rotates relative to the container housing 212 to the angle illustrated in FIG. 2B, the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 are offset, so that the container see-through area 216 is blocked by the shield blocking area 263 to allow the items inside the container housing 212 to be stored and protected from light. In addition, the container blocking area 262 can also be provided with words and/or patterns 103. In one example, such words and/or patterns 103 can be advertisement information. When the outer shield 111 rotates relative to the container housing 212 to a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 1, the shield see-through area 115 coincides with the words and/or the patterns 103 (e.g., advertisement information), so that the advertisement information can be observed. As a result, the words and/or patterns 103 (e.g., advertisement information) can be provided both on the shield blocking area 263 of the outer shield 111 and on the container blocking area 262 of the container housing 212. When the size of the container 100 is predetermined, a larger advertising space can be provided.
It should be noted that the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 can have different sizes and/or shapes. The alignment of the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 comprises a complete alignment and a partial alignment. For example, the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 are non-concentric circles. When the outer shield rotates relative to the container housing, the shield see-through area 115 and the container see-through area 216 will partially overlap.
FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are axial sectional views of the container 100, wherein FIG. 3B is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3A to illustrate the connecting structure 310 between the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111.
As FIGS. 3A and 3B show, the outer shield 111 and the container housing 212 are connected together through the connection structure 310, so that the outer shield 111 and the container housing 212 can move relatively to each other. In the present embodiment, the outer shield 111 can rotate relative to the container housing 212. In the embodiments shown in the drawings, the connection structure 310 comprises a container connecting portion 323 formed on the top of the container housing 212 and a shield connecting portion 322 formed on the top of the outer shield 111, wherein an edge 357 is formed the container wall 218 at the chamber top edge 217. The container connecting portion 323 is arranged below the edge 357. The shield connecting portion 322 is formed at the top edge of the outer shield 111. In an example, the container connecting portion 323 and the shield connecting portion 322 are circular rails that match with each other, so that the outer shield 111 can rotate relative to the container housing 212 and cannot move relative to the container housing 212 in the longitudinal direction of the container 100 (i.e., up and down). When the outer shield 111 only needs to rotate a portion of the angle relative to the container housing 212, the container connecting portion 323 and the shield connecting portion 322 can also be incomplete circular rails. In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the container connecting portion 323 is a circular rib protruding in a direction from an outer surface of the container wall 218 under the edge 357 toward the outer shield 111. The shield connecting portion 322 is a circular groove recessed from an inner surface of the outer shield 111 at its top edge in a direction away from the container wall 218 and matching with the circular rib. In an example, the shield connecting portion 322 and the container connecting portion 323 are formed by a stamping process. In other embodiments, the shield connecting portion 322 and the container connecting portion 323 can be formed in other shapes, so long as they can cooperate with each other and are capable of limiting the outer shield 111 from move relative to the container housing 212 in the longitudinal direction. The connection structure 310 can also be formed at the bottom or in the middle of the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111. In the alternative, the connection structure 310 can be formed at the top, in the middle, and at the bottom of the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111. The circular rails so formed have a simple structure, are convenient for mass production, and have a firm and reliable structure. It should be noted that the connection structure does not necessarily have to be in the form of rails. In some embodiments, the connection structure only needs to be able to restrict the outer shield from moving in the longitudinal direction, to allow the outer shield to rotate relative to the container housing.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the connection structure 310 can be omitted between the container housing 212 and the outer shield 111, as long as the outer shield 111 is movably connected to the container housing 212. In an example, the outer shield 111 can be flexible and made of an elastic material (such as a cloth or rubber material). The outer shield 111 is sleeved on the outside of the container housing 212, and elastically connected to the container housing 212. The container housing 212 can be formed in a polygonal prism or other shapes, so long as the outer shield 111 can be elastically connected to the outside of the container housing 212.
The outer shield 111 further comprises a shield bottom 324. The shield bottom 324 is located outside the container bottom 314 to protect the container bottom 314 so that the container bottom 314 is not damaged during transportation or the like. Of course, when the container bottom 314 is integrally formed with the container wall 218, the shield bottom 324 can be omitted.
FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged axial sectional view of a container according to another embodiment of the present application, to illustrate a further embodiment of the connection structure. As FIG. 4 shows, an edge 457 is formed on the container wall 418 at the chamber top edge 417. The container connecting portion 423 is a hook groove 423 formed by an internal recess inside the edge 457. The top edge of the shield connecting portion 422 protrudes outwardly forming a ledge 422 matching with the hook groove 423. The ledge 422 is engageable inside the hook groove 423, so that the outer shield 411 rotatably connects with the container housing 212.
FIG. 5 is an exploded structural view of a container 500 according to another embodiment of the present application, to illustrate an embodiment of another container 500. As is shown in FIG. 5, the container 500 comprises a cylindrical container housing 512, an outer shield 511 surrounding the container housing 512, a container 513 and a container bottom 514 sealingly connected with the container housing 512, and an upper lid 502 disposed outside the container top 513. The outer shield 511 can rotate about the container housing 512 for rotational movement.
A rectangular container see-through area 516 is formed in the middle of the container wall 518 of the container housing 512. The remaining areas of the container wall 518 form a container blocking area 562. The container top 513 has a cylindrical sealing cap, projecting into a top opening of the container housing 512 and sealing against the same. The top surface of the container top 513 projects radially to form a top outer edge 533. The lower surface of the top outer edge 533 is formed with an upwardly recessed container connecting portion 523.1, i.e., the circular rail 523.1. Similarly, the bottom surface of the container bottom 514 also protrudes outwardly to form a bottom outer edge. The upper surface of the bottom outer edge is formed with a downwardly recessed container connecting portion 523.2, i.e., a circular rail 523.2. The lateral cross-section of the outer shield 511 is substantially C-shaped. A rectangular shield see-through area 515 is formed in the middle of the outer shield 511. Two shield see-through areas 515.1 and 515.2 can be formed. The remaining portion of the outer shield forms a shield blocking area 563. The top and bottom surfaces of the outer shield 511 form the shield connecting portions 522 for inserting into the circular rails 523.1 and 523.2, respectively, so that the outer shield 511 can rotate relative to the container housing 512 and does not move up and down in the longitudinal direction of the container 500. During rotation, the two shield see-through areas 515.1 and 515.2 can each align with or offset from the container see-through area 516, so that the condition of the articles inside the container housing 512 can be observed from outside of the container 500 without affecting the sealing/light-proof requirements for such articles. In this embodiment, the end of the outer shield 511 is used to form the shield connecting portion 522, so it is not necessary to process the outer shield 511 separately. At the same time, the container connecting portions 523.1 and 523.2 do not need be stamped to form a rib/groove track that cooperates with the shield connecting portion. Instead, the container connecting portions 523.1 and 523.2 only need be formed to prevent the outer shield 511 from moving longitudinally and not to restrict the outer shield 511 from rotating. Consequent, processing accuracy requirements can be reduced.
Additionally, in this embodiment, a plurality of (for example, two) predetermined words/patterns can be provided on the container blocking area 562 on the container housing 512 and be displayed through the shield see-through areas 515.1 and 515.2.
FIG. 6 is an exploded structural view of a container 600 according to another embodiment of the present application, for illustrating an embodiment of another container 600.
The container 600 also comprises a cylindrical container housing 612, an outer shield 611 surrounding the container housing 612, a container top 613 and a container bottom 614 sealingly connected to the container housing 612, and an upper lid 602 placed outside the container top 613. The outer shield 611 can rotate about the container housing 612.
In this embodiment, the container connecting portions 623.1 and 623.2 and the shield connecting portion 622 are similar to the corresponding structures in the embodiment of the container 500, but the see-through areas differ from those in the embodiments of container 500. More specifically, as is shown in FIG. 6, the container housing 612 is formed with a container opening extending in the axial direction (longitudinal or vertical direction) from the top of the container wall 618 to the bottom of the container wall 618. To ensure the sealability of the container housing 612, the container see-through area 616 is formed by sealingly the container opening with a protective layer made of a see-through material. The remaining non-opening area on the container wall 618 forms a container blocking area 662. Similarly, the outer shield 611 is formed with a shield opening extending from the top to the bottom and in the axial direction (longitudinal or vertical direction). The shield opening forms the shield see-through area 615. The remaining non-opening area on the outer shield 611 forms the shield blocking area 663. By rotating the outer shield 611, the container see-through area 616 and the shield see-through area 615 can align with or offset from each other. In this embodiment, the container see-through area 616 and the shield see-through area 615 can have a larger surface area, so that the see-through areas are larger. At the same time, comparing with the container 500, the process step of opening a window on the outer shield can be omitted to simplify manufacturing.
FIG. 7 is a structural view of a container 700 according to another embodiment of the present application, for illustrating an embodiment of a further container 700. In this embodiment, the structure of the container 700 is substantially the same as that of the container 100. The container top and the upper lid are omitted to better illustrate the matching structure of the container housing and the outer shield. As is shown in FIG. 7, the container 700 comprises a container housing 712 and an outer shield 711, wherein the outer shield 711 can rotate relative to the container housing 712.
A rectangular container see-through area 716 is formed in the middle of the container wall 718 of the container housing 712. The remainder of the container wall 718 forms a container blocking area 762. There can be a plurality of container see-through areas 716. In the embodiment shown, two container see-through areas 716 are provided. A circle of container connecting portion (not shown) is formed above and under the container see-through area 716, respectively. In one example, the container connecting portion is a circular rail formed by a rib or a groove. The outer shield 711 has a ring shape and is sleeved in the middle of the container housing 712. The top and bottom edges of the outer shield 711 are formed with shield connecting portions 722 respectively which cooperate with the container connecting portions. In an example, the shield connecting portions 722 are circular rails 722 formed by a corresponding groove or rib, so that the outer shield 711 rotatably connects with the container housing 712. The middle region of the outer shield 711 is formed with an oval shield see-through area 715. The remainder of the outer shield 711 forms the blocking area 763. By rotating the outer shield 711, the shield see-through area 715 can align with or offset from the container see-through areas 716, respectively. In this embodiment, two upper and lower circular rails are formed between the container housing 712 and the outer shield 711, to make the rotation of the outer shield 711 relative to the container housing 712 more stable and to prevent the outer shield 711 from moving axially (or longitudinally) relative to the container housing 712. In addition, the container housing 712 is formed with a plurality of container see-through areas 716. When the shield see-through area 715 overlaps with each of the container see-through areas 716, the items stored in the container housing 712 can be seen from multiple angles.
FIG. 8 is a structural view of a container 800 according to another embodiment of the present application, for illustrating an embodiment of a further container 800. The structure of the container 800 is substantially the same as that of the container 700; therefore the container top and the upper lid are omitted. Only the connecting structure of the container housing with the outer shield is shown. As is shown in FIG. 8, the container 800 comprises a container housing 812 and an outer shield 811, wherein the outer shield 811 can move longitudinally (i.e., axially or vertically) relative to the container housing 812.
Two container see-through areas 816 are formed in the middle of the container wall 818 of the container housing 812. The remaining portion of the container wall 818 forms a container blocking area 862. A container connecting portion 823 is formed on an outer surface of the container wall 818 and extends in the longitudinal direction. In an example, the container connecting portion 823 is a longitudinal rail formed by a rib/groove. The outer shield 811 has a ring shape and surrounds the outside of the container housing 812. The inner surface of the outer shield 811 is formed with a shield connecting portion 822 extending in a longitudinal direction from the top of the outer shield 811 to the bottom of the outer shield 811. In one example, the shield connecting portion 822 is also a longitudinal rail connected to the container connecting portion 823, so that the outer shield 811 can move longitudinally relative to the container housing 812 and along the extending direction of the container connecting portion 823. Two shield see-through areas 815 are provided in the middle of the outer shield 811. The remaining portion of the outer shield 811 forms a blocking area 863. The two shield see-through areas 815 correspond respectively to two container see-through areas 816. When the outer shield 811 moves relative to the container housing 812 in the longitudinal direction, the two container see-through areas 816 overlap with or offset from the two shield see-through areas 815, respectively. In this embodiment, the two container see-through areas 816 either can overlap with the two shield see-through areas 815 at the same time or can overlap with the two shield see-through areas 815 separately, to meet different needs.
FIG. 9 is an exploded structural view of a container 900 according to another embodiment of the present application, for illustrating an embodiment of another container 900. As FIG. 9 shows, the container 900 comprises a container housing 912, an outer shield 911, and a container top 913, wherein the outer shield 911 can move longitudinally relative to the container housing 912.
The container chamber 941 formed by the container wall 918 of the container housing 912 is a cuboid shape. A plurality of container see-through areas 916 are formed in the middle region of the container wall 918. In one example, there are four container see-through areas 916, formed on the four surfaces of the container housing 912 in the circumferential direction. A container connecting portion 923 is formed on an outer surface of the container wall 918 and extends in the longitudinal direction. In an example, the container connecting portion 923 is a longitudinal rail 923 formed by ribs on the front and rear surfaces of the container wall 918. The outer shield 911 is sleeved on the outside of the container housing 912. The inner surface of the outer shield 911 has two shield connecting portions 922 (longitudinal rails 922) formed by grooves and corresponding to the container connecting portions 923. The container connecting portions 923 can be inserted into the shield connecting portions 922, so that the outer shield 911 can move longitudinally with respect to the container housing 912 and in an extending direction of the container connecting portions 923. The outer shield 911 is formed with four shield see-through areas 915. The remaining portion of the outer shield forms a shield blocking area 963. The four shield see-through areas 915 correspond to the four container see-through areas 916 respectively. When the outer shield 911 moves in the longitudinal direction relative to the container housing 912, the four container see-through areas 916 align with or offset from the four shield see-through areas 915, respectively.
Because of its structural features, the container of the present application can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes, as small as less than 1 cm in diameter, to be suitable for containing various articles, such as tea, medicine, food, health products, and the like.
This application has the advanced technical effect of allowing the content stored in the container to be seen at any time, while protecting the stored content from light. In addition, this application has the following advanced technical effects:
1. Because the see-through areas are separated from the relatively rotatable parts (such as the circular rail), the shield see-through area and the container see-through area can be aligned with each other more easily, to not only achieve a simple and reliable structure but also be easy to operate and simple to manufacture and assemble, so that the cost is lower.
2. In addition to the rectangular shapes shown in the drawings, the see-through areas can also be in various other shapes, such as circles and irregular shapes (including animal patterns, floral patterns, etc.), without affecting the assembly and manufacture of the container housing and the outer shield.
3. Since the container housing transmits light only in the container see-through area and blocks light in the other areas, and since the outer shield also transmits light only in the shield see-through area and blocks light in the other areas, the container of the present application allows to control the angle of relative movement during use. Even if the outer shield is moved accidentally within a certain range, it will not affect the container from blocking the light, thus preventing light from accidentally transmitting into the container housing.
4. The outer shield does not need be separately provided with a locking mechanism to lock the angle of movement of the outer shield in relation to the container housing, to thus reduce the manufacturing costs of the container.
5. Because the see-through areas are formed respectively on the container housing and the outer shield, the operation to observe the inside of the container housing becomes more conveniently. Users can either hold the container housing and rotate the outer shield to align the see-through areas on the container housing and on the outer shield, or hold the outer shield and rotate the container housing to align the see-through areas on the container housing and on the outer shield. Thus, the container has increased areas for users to hold and operate and is convenient for users to operate particularly when the volume of the container is relatively small.
6. The structure design in this application facilitates the manufacturing of containers of different volume sizes.
Although the present application has been described with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be appreciated that, without departing from the spirit and the scope and the background taught by the present application, the containers in the embodiments of the present application can have many variations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that different ways can be used to change the exemplary structures in the embodiments disclosed in this application, all of which fall within the spirit of the application and the scope of the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A container, comprising:

a container housing comprising a container wall surrounding a container chamber, the container wall being formed with at least one container see-through area, and the remaining area on the container wall forming a container blocking area; and

an outer shield partially or completely surrounding the container housing, the outer shield being formed with at least one shield see-through area, the remaining area on the outer shield forming a shield blocking area;

wherein the container housing and the outer shield are movable relatively to each other,

when the relative position between the container housing and the outer shield changes, at least part of the container see-through area is aligned with at least part of the shield see-through area, or the container see-through area is completely blocked by the shield blocking area.

2. The container according to claim 1, further comprising:

a container bottom connected to the container wall at the chamber bottom edge;

a container top located at the container top opening and connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge;

wherein the container chamber has a chamber top edge and a chamber bottom edge, the chamber top edge defining a container top opening.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the container bottom is sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber bottom edge, and the container top is sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge, to form a sealed container chamber.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the container wall of the container housing and the container bottom are integrally formed.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container housing and/or the outer shield are made of a see-through material or a blocking material.

6. The container according to claim 5, wherein:

the see-through material is a transparent material or a light-transmitting material, and

the blocking material is an opaque material or a light-blocking material.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein:

the transparent material comprises a transparent glass, a transparent plastic, or a transparent crystal, and

the opaque material comprises an opaque plastic or a metal material.

8. The container according to claim 5, wherein:

the container see-through area is formed by providing a container opening on the container housing and by providing a see-through protective layer at the container opening, the container housing being made of a blocking material; or

the container see-through area is formed by providing the container blocking area on the container housing, the container housing being made of a see-through material.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein:

the shield see-through area is formed by providing a shield opening on the outer shield, the outer shield being made of a blocking material; or

the shield see-through area is formed by providing the shield blocking area on the outer shield, the outer shield being made of a see-through material.

10. The container according to claim 9, wherein the container opening and/or the shield opening respectively extend in a longitudinal direction of the container.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the outer shield is sleeved outside the container housing and elastically connected to the container housing, the outer shield being made of a flexible material.

12. The container according to claim 2, further comprising a connection structure configured to allow the outer shield to be movably connected to the container housing through the connection structure.

13. The container according to claim 12, wherein:

the connection structure comprises:

a container connecting portion formed on one of the container housing, the container top, and the container bottom; and

a shield connecting portion formed on the outer shield;

wherein the container connecting portion and the shield connecting portion cooperate with each other, so that the outer shield can rotate or move longitudinally relative to the container housing.

14. The container according to claim 13, wherein the container connecting portion and/or the shield connecting portion are ring-shaped rails, so that the outer shield can rotate relative to the container housing.

15. The container according to claim 14, wherein:

the container top is formed with a top outer edge protruding in a radial direction,

the container bottom is formed with a bottom outer edge protruding in the radial direction, and

the container connecting portion is formed on the top outer edge and the bottom outer edge.

16. The container according to claim 13, wherein the container connecting portion and/or the shield connecting portion are longitudinal rails, so that the outer shield can move longitudinally relative to the container housing.

17. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container blocking area is provided with a word and/or a pattern.

18. The container according to claim 17, wherein:

the outer shield and the container housing form a predetermined angle therebetween,

the container blocking area is provided with a predetermined word and/or a predetermined pattern, and

the predetermined angle is so determined that the shield see-through area is aligned with the predetermined word and/or the predetermined pattern on the container blocking area.

19. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an upper lid arranged on a top of the container top.

20. The container according to claim 2, wherein the container top is configured to be sealingly connected to the container wall at the chamber top edge singly or repeatedly.