JP7633114B2 - Powder container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powder container that holds powder.

Powder containers for storing powder (for example, powdered cosmetics such as foundation and face powder) have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a container for storing powdered cosmetics.

The powder container shown in Patent Document 1 has a mesh body on the container body that houses an inner tray filled with powder, and by pressing a puff or the like against the mesh body, the powder that floats up through the mesh can be attached to the puff or the like. In other words, with this type of container, the powder can be applied to the face, etc., using a puff or the like.

JP 2005-21544 A

Thus, conventional powder containers are configured to allow the contained powder to adhere to a puff or the like. However, there are cases where it is preferable to be able to apply the powder with one's fingers without using a puff or the like. For example, when using a powder container at a travel destination, one must also carry a puff or the like, so being able to apply the powder with one's fingers can reduce bulky luggage. On the other hand, when applying powder with one's fingers, pressing the fingers against the mesh body means that the fingers come into contact with the contained powder through the mesh body, which raises hygiene concerns.

The present invention aims to solve these problems and provide a powder container that is suitable for applying the powder with the fingers.

The present invention includes a lower member having a receiving tray portion,
an upper member having a storage space for storing powder and a discharge port communicating with the storage space, the upper member being attached to the lower member with the discharge port facing the receiving tray portion and being openable and closable relative to the lower member;
When the upper member is closed, the upper member is attached to the lower member and the receiving portion is isolated from the external space, while when the upper member is opened, the upper member is detached from the lower member and the receiving portion is exposed to the external space;
the upper member has a valve body that opens the discharge port when the upper member is attached to the lower member and closed , and closes the discharge port when the upper member is detached from the lower member and opened ,
The upper member is a powder container that surrounds the discharge outlet and has a peripheral wall that defines a storage space between the upper member and the receiving tray portion to store powder discharged from the discharge outlet when the upper member is attached to the lower member .

It is preferable that the valve body has a protrusion that protrudes toward the receiving tray when the upper member is attached to the lower member.

It is preferable that the upper member has a moving body that vibrates the powder contained in the storage space.

It is preferable to have a hinge portion that swingably connects the lower member and the upper member.

The powder container of the present invention is equipped with a valve body that opens the discharge port when the discharge port faces the receiving tray, and in this state, the powder contained in the storage space is discharged to the receiving tray. Therefore, the powder discharged to the receiving tray can be applied using a finger. Furthermore, since the powder is taken out to the receiving tray, fingers do not come into contact with the powder contained in the storage space, which is also hygienic. Furthermore, since this valve body can close the discharge port when it is away from the receiving tray, it is possible to prevent the powder from spilling out of the storage space.

1A and 1B are cross-sectional side views showing one embodiment of a powder container according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which an upper member is closed, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the powder container according to the present invention.

One embodiment of a powder container according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction is the direction along the axis O shown in FIG. 1(a). The front-rear direction is the direction connecting the front wall 2c and the lower support portion 2e, which will be described later. The left-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1).

Figure 1 shows a powder container 1, which is one embodiment of a powder container according to the present invention. The powder container 1 of this embodiment comprises a lower member 2 and an upper member 3. The upper member 3 is composed of a lid member 4, a partition member 5, a valve member 6, a holding member 7, and a movable body 8. In this embodiment, the lid member 4 and the like, excluding the valve member 6, are made of a hard synthetic resin, and the valve member 6 is made of an elastic material such as an elastomer or silicone rubber.

The lower member 2 has a receiving portion 2a. In this embodiment, the receiving portion 2a is formed in a shape that curves from the center to the outer edge so as to be convex downward. An annular wall 2b extending in the vertical direction is provided at the outer edge of the receiving portion 2a. A front wall 2c extending forward from the lower end of the annular wall 2b is provided at the front side of the annular wall 2b, and an engagement portion 2d protruding forward from the annular wall 2b is provided above the front wall 2c. A lower support portion 2e is provided at the rear side of the annular wall 2b. A pair of lower support portions 2e are provided with a gap in the left-right direction. A cylindrical shaft portion 2f is provided on the inner left-right surfaces of the opposing lower support portions 2e.

The cover member 4 has a plate-shaped top wall 4a. An outer peripheral wall 4b is provided on the outer edge of the top wall 4a. A knob portion 4c protruding forward is provided on the front side of the outer peripheral wall 4b, and a claw portion 4d that engages with the engagement portion 2d is provided on the lower side of the outer peripheral wall 4b. An upper support portion 4e located between a pair of lower support portions 2e is provided on the rear side of the outer peripheral wall 4b. An axial hole portion 4f into which the shaft portion 2f is inserted is provided on the outer side surface of the upper support portion 4e in the left-right direction. That is, the cover member 4 is swingably connected to the lower member 2 by the shaft portion 2f and the shaft hole portion 4f. The shaft portion 2f and the shaft hole portion 4f in this embodiment correspond to the "hinge portion" in this specification. Also, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the state in which the claw portion 4d engages with the engagement portion 2d and the upper member 3 is closed relative to the lower member 2 corresponds to the "state in which the upper member is attached to the lower member" in this specification. Also, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the state in which the upper member 3 swings open relative to the lower member 2 corresponds to the "state in which the upper member is removed from the lower member" in this specification.

The partition member 5 has an inner peripheral wall 5a that is inserted inside the outer peripheral wall 4b and is fitted and held by the outer peripheral wall 4b. The upper end of the inner peripheral wall 5a is connected to an intermediate wall 5b that extends downward and becomes upwardly convex as it approaches the axis O, and a central wall 5c that extends horizontally is connected to the inner edge of the intermediate wall 5b. The central wall 5c is provided with a communication port 5d that penetrates it in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the central wall 5c is provided with an annular connecting wall 5e that surrounds the communication port 5d. Here, the opening provided at the lower end of the annular connecting wall 5e is referred to as the discharge port 5f. The lower surface of the intermediate wall 5b is provided with a claw-shaped annular wall 5g whose tip is formed into a claw shape.

When the partition member 5 is attached to the inside of the lid member 4, a storage space S1 for storing powder F is defined inside the top wall 4a, the intermediate wall 5b, and the central wall 5c as shown in the figure. Note that the size of the powder F is exaggerated in the drawing.

The valve member 6 is circumferential and includes a peripheral wall 6a that surrounds the annular connecting wall 5e and has a lower end located below the annular connecting wall 5e. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 6a at the portion that protrudes below the annular connecting wall 5e is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular connecting wall 5e. In addition, when the discharge port 5f faces the receiving portion 2a as shown in FIG. 1(a), the lower surface of the peripheral wall 6a is close to or in contact with the upper surface of the receiving portion 2a. In the state shown in FIG. 1(a), the space below the discharge port 5f and surrounded by the peripheral wall 6a and the receiving portion 2a is referred to as the storage space S2.

A thin valve body 6b with a slit (cut) in the center is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 6a below the annular connecting wall 5e. The valve body 6b opens the discharge port 5f when the slit is open as shown in FIG. 1(a), and closes the discharge port 5f when the slit is closed as shown in FIG. 1(b). A protrusion 6c that protrudes downward is provided on the underside of the valve body 6b. The lower end of the protrusion 6c is located lower than the lower end of the peripheral wall 6a as shown in FIG. 1(b). A flange 6d that extends horizontally is provided on the upper end of the peripheral wall 6a.

The retaining member 7 is open at the top and has a fitting portion 7a that is inserted into the claw-shaped annular wall 5g and is fitted and held by the claw-shaped annular wall 5g. A support wall 7b is provided at the inner upper end of the fitting portion 7a to support the flange 6d from below and prevent the valve member 6 from falling out. A partition wall 7c is provided at the outer upper end of the fitting portion 7a, which extends radially outward and fits into the inner surface of the inner wall 5a.

Here, when the retaining member 7 is attached to the partition member 5, the space defined inside the inner peripheral wall 5a, the intermediate wall 5b, the claw-shaped annular wall 5g, and the partition wall 7c is referred to as the moving space S3.

In this embodiment, the moving body 8 is plate-shaped and shaped to be ring-shaped in a plan view. The moving body 8 is disposed in the moving space S3 as shown in the figure, and is movable within the moving space S3.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the powder container 1 configured in this way can hold the upper member 3 on the lower member 2 with the discharge port 5f facing the receiving tray 2a by engaging the engagement portion 2d with the claw portion 4d. In this state, the lower end of the projection 6c abuts against the upper surface of the receiving tray 2a, elastically deforming the valve body 6b and opening the discharge port 5f. The lower surface of the peripheral wall 6a is close to or abuts against the upper surface of the receiving tray 2a, so that a storage space S2 is defined between the peripheral wall 6a and the receiving tray 2a. Therefore, the powder F stored in the storage space S1 passes through the communication port 5d and the discharge port 5f and is stored in the storage space S2.

When the user places a finger on the knob 4c and swings the upper member 3 relative to the lower member 2 so that it opens, the valve body 6b, which had been elastically deformed by the protrusion 6c coming into contact with the receiving tray 2a, returns to its original state as shown in FIG. 1(b). This closes the open discharge port 5f, and the discharge of powder F from the discharge port 5f stops. Therefore, only the specified amount of powder F stored in the storage space S2 can be discharged into the receiving tray 2a. After that, the powder F discharged into the receiving tray 2a can be wiped off with a finger, allowing the powder F on the finger to be applied to the skin.

As described above, according to the powder container 1 of this embodiment, the powder F can be discharged into the receiving tray 2a, so that the powder F can be applied to the face, etc., using a finger. In addition, since the finger does not directly touch the discharge port 5f, etc., it is also excellent in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, by providing the storage space S2, the amount of the discharged powder F can be made almost constant. In this embodiment, the protrusion 6c is provided on the valve body 6b to open and close the discharge port 5f, but the protrusion 6c may be provided on the receiving tray 2a. When wiping the receiving tray 2a with a finger, it is easier to perform the task if the receiving tray 2a is smooth. For this reason, it is preferable to provide the protrusion 6c on the valve body 6b as shown in the figure.

In addition, according to the powder container 1 of this embodiment, since the upper member 3 is configured to swing relative to the lower member 2, the upper member 3 can be opened and closed relative to the lower member 2 even with one hand, which is easy to use. The configuration for attaching and detaching the lower member 2 and the upper member 3 is not limited to the "hinge portion" formed by the shaft portion 2f and the shaft hole portion 4f shown in the figure, and the lower member 2 and the upper member 3 may be connected, for example, by a bendable thin portion. Also, a screw mechanism may be used that screws together a male thread portion provided on either the lower member 2 or the upper member 3 with a female thread portion provided on the other, or a mechanism may be used that engages the two by an undercut.

However, the powder F may become lumpy due to, for example, moisture in the air or temperature. If the powder F becomes lumpy, it is expected that the powder F will remain in the storage space S1 and will not be able to be discharged to the end, or that the powder F will become clogged at the discharge port 5f. In response to this, the powder container 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a moving body 8, and when the powder container 1 is carried or the upper member 3 is swung, the moving body 8 moves within the moving space S3 and collides with surrounding areas, thereby applying vibrations to the powder F. In other words, the powder F that has become lumpy is broken down by this vibration, thereby preventing the above-mentioned problems.

The moving body 8 is not limited to the ring-shaped one shown in FIG. 1, but may be, for example, a spherical moving body 8A shown in FIG. 2(a) or a circular moving body 8B shown in FIG. 2(b) in a plan view. The number of moving bodies 8, 8A, and 8B is also not limited to the illustrated example and may be changed as appropriate.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention described in the claims unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. Furthermore, the effects of the above embodiment are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above effects.

For example, the movable body 8 has the advantage of being able to eliminate the problem of the powder F becoming lumpy as described above, but the movable body 8 is not necessarily provided. Also, the storage space S2 is partitioned by the peripheral wall 6a, which makes it possible to keep the amount of powder F discharged approximately constant, but if such a function is not required, the peripheral wall 6a may be eliminated. Furthermore, although the upper member 3 described above is made up of multiple members, it may be made up of a single member.

1: Powder container 2: Lower member 2a: Receiver portion 2b: Annular wall 2c: Front wall 2d: Engagement portion 2e: Lower support portion 2f: Shaft portion 3: Upper member 4: Lid member 4a: Top wall 4b: Outer peripheral wall 4c: Knob portion 4d: Claw portion 4e: Upper support portion 4f: Shaft hole portion 5: Partitioning member 5a: Inner peripheral wall 5b: Intermediate wall 5c: Center wall 5d: Communication port 5e: Annular connecting wall 5f: Discharge port 5g: Claw-shaped annular wall 6: Valve member 6a: Peripheral wall 6b: Valve body 6c: Projection 6d: Flange 7: Holding member 7a: Fitting portion 7b: Support wall 7c: Partition wall 8: Moving body 8A: Moving body 8B: Moving body F: Powder O: Axis line S1: Accommodation space S2: Storage space S3: Movement space

Claims (4)

A lower member having a tray portion;
an upper member having a storage space for storing powder and a discharge port communicating with the storage space, the upper member being attached to the lower member with the discharge port facing the receiving tray portion and being openable and closable relative to the lower member;
When the upper member is closed, the upper member is attached to the lower member and the receiving portion is isolated from the external space, while when the upper member is opened, the upper member is detached from the lower member and the receiving portion is exposed to the external space;
the upper member has a valve body that opens the discharge port when the upper member is attached to the lower member and closed , and closes the discharge port when the upper member is detached from the lower member and opened ,
The upper member is a powder container having a peripheral wall that surrounds the discharge port and defines a storage space between the upper member and the receiving tray portion to store powder discharged from the discharge port when the upper member is attached to the lower member . The powder container according to claim 1, wherein the valve body has a protrusion that protrudes toward the receiving tray when the upper member is attached to the lower member. The powder container according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the upper member has a moving body that vibrates the powder contained in the containing space. The powder container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a hinge portion that swingably connects the lower member and the upper member.

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