JP7797310B2 - Compact container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a compact container.

For example, compact containers are often used to store cosmetics such as eye shadow.

A known example of such a compact container is one that includes a container body with a first recess inside the outer frame that stores cosmetics and a second recess in which a tool holder that holds an applicator is positioned, and a lid that has a mirror on its inner surface and covers the first and second recesses to close the container body, with the lid and tool holder rotatably supported on the outer frame by the same pivot, and the tool holder pivoting upward as the lid is opened (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this compact container, the tool holder automatically lifts from the container body when the lid is opened, allowing the applicator to be easily removed from the tool holder.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-133190

However, in the above-mentioned conventional compact containers, the lid and tool holder are supported so that they can rotate freely on the same pivot. Therefore, when the lid is opened, the tool holder rises from the container body and is positioned in front of the mirror attached to the inside of the lid, creating the problem that the tool holder gets in the way when looking in the mirror.

The present invention was made in light of these issues, and its purpose is to provide a compact container that makes it easy to remove tools from the tool holder and in which the tool holder does not interfere with the mirror when the lid is open.

The compact case of the present invention is a compact case having a container body with a first recess for storing contents inside an outer frame portion and a second recess in which a tool holder for holding tools is arranged, and a lid body with a mirror on its inner surface and supported on the outer frame portion by a first axis so as to be freely opened and closed, covering the first recess and the second recess, wherein the tool holder is supported on the outer frame portion by a second axis facing in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first axis and is configured to be rotatable to the outside of the outer frame portion, and has a drive member that is driven by the lid body when the lid body is opened to rotate the tool holder upward, and the drive member is characterized in that it comprises a rotating part rotatably supported on the outer frame portion by the first axis, an arm part connected to the rotating part and arranged at the bottom of the second recess, and a driven surface provided on the rotating part, facing in the circumferential direction of the first axis and facing a drive surface provided on the lid body at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction .

In the compact container of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the contents are cosmetics, the tool is an applicator, and the tool holder has a tubular portion into which the tool is inserted.

In the compact case of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the inner surface of the cylindrical portion is provided with a rib extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

In the compact container of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the container body is rectangular and dish-shaped, the first axis is arranged along the outer frame portion on one side of the container body, and the second axis is arranged along the outer frame portion on the other side of the container body perpendicular to the one side.

This invention provides a compact container that allows tools to be easily removed from the tool holder and does not interfere with the mirror when the lid is open.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a compact case according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container body shown in FIG. 1 with a portion thereof cut away. 2. This is a cross-sectional view of the compact case shown in FIG. 1 at a position corresponding to line AA in FIG. 2. This is a cross-sectional view of the compact case shown in FIG. 1 at a position corresponding to line BB in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the compact case in a state where the lid body is opened to a predetermined opening degree from the state shown in FIG. 4. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the compact case with the lid further opened from the state shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 1 is a front view of the compact case with the lid open and the tool holder rotated to the outside of the outer frame.

The following provides a detailed explanation of the configuration of a compact case 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

The compact container 1 of this embodiment can be used to store eye shadow, which is a cosmetic product, as the contents M. The compact container 1 has a container body 10 and a lid 20.

Here, in this embodiment and claims, "top" refers to the top of the compact case 1 in the upright position where the lid 20 is positioned above the case body 10 as shown in Figure 1, and "bottom" refers to the opposite side.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the container body 10 is shaped like a rectangular dish and has a flat bottom 11 and an annular outer frame 12 that is integrally connected to the outer periphery of the bottom 11. A first recess 13 and a second recess 14 are provided inside the outer frame 12 of the container body 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, six rectangular first recesses 13 are provided lined up left and right and front and back inside the outer frame 12, and one second recess 14 that is larger than the first recess 13 is provided adjacent to the outer frame 12.

Each of the first recesses 13 is a portion for storing eye shadow as the contents M. In this embodiment, six first recesses 13 are provided in the container body 10, so six types of contents M with different colors or uses can be stored in separate first recesses 13.

The second recess 14 is where the tool holder 16 that holds the tool 15 is placed.

In this embodiment, tool 15 is an applicator, also called a tip, for applying eye shadow, which is content M. In this embodiment, tool 15 is configured to have a rod-shaped grip portion 15a, a first applicator body 15b formed into a cocoon shape from a sponge or the like and fixed to one end of grip portion 15a, and a second applicator body 15c formed into a tapered, generally rod-like shape with a smaller diameter than first applicator body 15b from a sponge or the like and fixed to the other end of grip portion 15a.

The tool holder 16 has a cylindrical portion 16a into which the tool 15 is inserted. The cylindrical portion 16a is sized to allow the first applicator body 15b to be inserted, and extends parallel to the bottom 11 when the tool holder 16 is placed in the second recess 14. One end of the cylindrical portion 16a facing the outer frame 12 is closed to form the bottom, and the other end opens toward the inside of the container body 10. In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 16a is divided into three parallel spaces by two partition walls 16b so that the tool holder 16 can hold three tools 15. The tool holder 16 can hold a tool 15 by inserting the tool 15 into the corresponding space of the cylindrical portion 16a from the side of the first applicator body 15b.

The inner surface of the cylindrical portion 16a may also be provided with ribs 16c extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 16a. In this embodiment, ribs 16c extending from the bottom to the opening of the cylindrical portion 16a are provided on the inner surface of the central portion in the width direction of each space partitioned by the partition walls 16b of the cylindrical portion 16a. By providing such ribs 16c, when the tool 15 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 16a, the ribs 16c are pressed against the first applicator body 15b, generating appropriate frictional resistance against the tool 15 and preventing the tool 15 from accidentally falling off the tool holder 16.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lid 20 has a rectangular shape and a size corresponding to the container body 10, and has a top wall portion 21 and a peripheral wall portion 22 that is continuous with the outer periphery of the top wall portion 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outer frame 12 on one side of the container body 10 has a notch 12a that opens outward from the container. Meanwhile, the lid 20 is integrally provided with a connecting portion 23 that is shaped so that it can be placed in the notch 12a. While not shown in detail, the connecting portion 23 is integrally formed and connected to one side of the peripheral wall 22 of the lid 20.

First shafts 17 are fitted and fixed to the outer frame 12 on one side of the container body 10, on both sides of the cutout 12a. The two first shafts 17 on both sides of the cutout 12a are arranged coaxially along the outer frame 12 on one side of the container body 10. Half of each of the two first shafts 17 protrudes into the cutout 12a, and the protruding portion rotatably supports the connecting portion 23. As a result, the lid 20 can be rotated, i.e., opened and closed, between a closed position that covers the first recess 13 and the second recess 14, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, and an open position rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed position in the open direction around the first shaft 17, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. The first shaft 17 may alternatively be a single shaft that passes through the connecting portion 23.

As shown in FIG. 1, a disengagement member 25 is provided on the outer frame 12 on one side parallel to and opposite the side on which the first axis 17 of the container body 10 is provided. The disengagement member 25 disengages the hook mechanism (not shown) that holds the lid 20 in the closed position, allowing the lid 20 to be opened. The disengagement member 25 can be pushed in a direction toward the inside of the container to disengage the hook mechanism and allow the lid 20 to be opened.

As shown in Figure 3, a mirror 24 is attached to the inner surface of the top wall 21 of the lid 20. The mirror 24 is a rectangular flat plate that corresponds to the top wall 21 and is fixed to the inner surface of the top wall 21 using adhesive, double-sided tape, or other means. In this embodiment, the mirror 24 is large enough to cover almost the entire inner surface of the top wall 21. By opening the lid 20, the user can visually confirm the area to which the contents M are to be applied by looking at the reflection in the mirror 24.

In this embodiment, the mirror 24 is formed separately from the lid 20 and attached to the inner surface of the top wall 21, but it may also be formed integrally with the inner surface of the top wall 21 by vapor deposition or the like.

In the compact case 1 of this embodiment, the tool holder 16 is supported by the outer frame 12 via a second shaft 18 oriented perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft 17, allowing it to rotate to the outside of the outer frame 12. More specifically, the outer frame 12 has a cutout 12b that opens toward the inside of the case on the other side (the right side in Figure 2) of the case body 10 that is perpendicular to the side on which the first shaft 17 is provided. Meanwhile, the tool holder 16 is integrally formed with a pair of connecting portions 16d that are positioned in the cutout 12b. The second shaft 18 is arranged along the outer frame 12 on the other side, and the pair of connecting portions 16d are rotatably supported by the outer frame 12 via the second shaft 18. This allows the tool holder 16 to rotate about the second axis 18 by an angle of 90 degrees or more from the position where it is disposed in the second recess 14, and to rotate to the outside of the outer frame 12 of the container body 10 so that at least a portion of the tool holder 16 is positioned outside the outer frame 12 of the container body 10. In this way, the opening and closing direction of the tool holder 16 relative to the container body 10 is shifted by 90 degrees from the opening and closing direction of the lid 20 relative to the container body 10.

The compact case 1 of this embodiment has a drive member 30 that is driven by the lid 20 when the lid 20 is opened to rotate the tool holder 16 upward. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, in this embodiment, the drive member 30 has a rotating portion 31, an arm portion 32, and a driven surface 33.

The rotating part 31 is roughly disc-shaped with a through hole in the center, is positioned adjacent to the connecting part 23, and is rotatably supported on the outer frame part 12 by the first shaft 17.

The arm portion 32 is a long, thin plate with a thickness similar to that of the bottom portion 11 of the container body 10, and is integrally connected to the pivot portion 31 via a connection portion 34. When the lid body 20 is in the closed position, the arm portion 32 is located at the bottom of the second recess 14 and below the tool holder 16. In this embodiment, a through hole 11a is provided in the bottom portion 11 of the container body 10, and the arm portion 32 is located in the through hole 11a.

The driven surface 33 is formed as the circumferentially facing end surface of the protruding portion 31a that protrudes outward integrally from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating portion 31. The driven surface 33 faces one side in the circumferential direction of the first shaft 17 (the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the first shaft 17) and is a flat surface perpendicular to that circumferential direction. Meanwhile, a drive surface 26 is provided at the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 22 of the lid body 20 in the portion where the drive member 30 is provided. The drive surface 26 faces the other circumferential side of the first shaft 17 and is a flat surface perpendicular to that circumferential direction. The driven surface 33 faces the drive surface 26 provided on the lid body 20 at a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction of the first shaft 17.

With the compact container 1 configured as described above, when the lid 20 is opened, the tool holder 16 is driven by the drive member 30 to rotate upward and is lifted obliquely from the container body 10, allowing the tools 15 to be easily removed from the tool holder 16.

More specifically, from the state shown in Figure 4, when the disengagement member 25 is pressed and the lid body 20 is rotated upward around the first shaft 17 to open to a predetermined angle, the drive surface 26 on the lid body 20 comes into contact with the driven surface 33 of the drive member 30, as shown in Figure 5. At this time, the arm portion 32 is located at the bottom of the second recess 14 of the container body 10, and the tool holder 16 holding the tool 15 is positioned in the second recess 14.

When the lid body 20 is further rotated from this state, as shown in FIG. 6 , the driven surface 33 is pushed by the driving surface 26, causing the driving member 30 to be driven by the lid body 20 and rotate together with the lid body 20 around the first shaft 17 or the rotating portion 31. When the driving member 30 rotates together with the lid body 20 around the first shaft 17, the arm portion 32 rotates upward from the bottom of the second recess 14 around the first shaft 17. As a result, the tool holder 16 holding the tool 15 is pushed by the arm portion 32 and rotates upward around the second shaft 18, lifting it diagonally out of the second recess 14 of the container body 10. Therefore, the user can easily remove the tool 15 from the tool holder 16 that is lifted diagonally out of the second recess 14 of the container body 10.

In this way, with the compact case 1 of this embodiment, when the lid 20 is opened, the tool holder 16 is driven by the drive member 30 to rotate upward and is lifted diagonally from the case body 10, allowing the tools 15 to be easily removed from the tool holder 16.

In addition, in the compact container 1 of this embodiment, the drive member 30 is configured to include a rotating portion 31 rotatably supported on the outer frame portion 12 by the first shaft 17; an arm portion 32 connected to the rotating portion 31 and positioned at the bottom of the second recess 14; and a driven surface 33 provided on the rotating portion 31, facing the circumferential direction of the first shaft 17 and opposing the drive surface 26 provided on the lid body 20 at a predetermined circumferential distance. Therefore, the tool holder 16 begins to rotate upward once the lid body 20 is opened to a predetermined opening angle. This allows the tool holder 16, whose opening and closing direction is 90 degrees different from that of the lid body 20, to be lifted by the simply configured drive member 30 without interfering with the lid body 20, thereby reducing the cost of the compact container 1.

Meanwhile, after removing the tool 15 from the tool holder 16, the user adjusts the opening of the lid 20 so that the area to which the contents M will be applied can be easily viewed using the mirror 24 provided on the inner surface of the lid 20. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7 , the tool holder 16 can be rotated around the second axis 18 to the outside of the outer frame 12. This prevents the tool holder 16 from being positioned in front of the mirror 24 when viewing it, and prevents the tool holder 16 from interfering with the mirror 24. Furthermore, by rotating the tool holder 16 around the second axis 18 to the outside of the outer frame 12, the tool holder 16 can be prevented from interfering with adjusting the angle of the mirror 24 or the process of removing the contents M with the tool 15.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the compact case 1 has a rectangular, dish-shaped container body 10, but this is not limited to this and the shape can be changed in various ways.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the compact container 1 is configured to store cosmetics such as eye shadow as the contents M, but this is not limited to this, and the compact container 1 can be used to store various other contents M. In this case, various items suited to the contents M can be used as the tool 15 instead of an applicator such as a tip. Furthermore, in this case, various configurations suited to the tool 15 can be used as the tool holder 16.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the driving member 30 is configured to include a rotating portion 31, an arm portion 32, and a driven surface 33, but other configurations may be used as long as they are driven by the lid body 20 when the lid body 20 is opened to rotate the tool holder 16 upward.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compact case 10 Case body 11 Bottom 11a Through hole 12 Outer frame 12a Cutout portion 12b Cutout portion 13 First recess 14 Second recess 15 Tool 15a Grip portion 15b First application body 15c Second application body 16 Tool holder 16a Cylindrical portion 16b Partition wall 16c Rib 16d Connecting portion 17 First shaft 18 Second shaft 20 Lid 21 Top wall portion 22 Peripheral wall portion 26 Drive surface 23 Connecting portion 24 Mirror 25 Disengagement member 30 Drive member 31 Rotating portion 31a Protrusion 32 Arm portion 33 Driven surface 34 Connection portion M Contents

Claims (4)

a container body provided with a first recess for accommodating contents inside an outer frame and a second recess for accommodating a tool holder for holding tools;
a lid body having a mirror on an inner surface, the lid body being supported by the outer frame part by a first shaft so as to be freely opened and closed, and covering the first recess and the second recess,
The tool holder is supported by the outer frame portion by a second shaft that is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft, and is configured to be rotatable to the outside of the outer frame portion;
a drive member that is driven by the lid when the lid is opened to rotate the tool holder upward ;
The drive member is
a rotating portion rotatably supported on the outer frame portion by the first shaft;
an arm portion connected to the rotating portion and disposed at the bottom of the second recess;
A compact container characterized by having a driven surface provided on the rotating portion, facing in the circumferential direction of the first axis, and facing a driving surface provided on the lid body at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction . The contents are cosmetics,
the tool is an applicator;
The compact case of claim 1 , wherein the tool holder comprises a cylindrical portion into which the tool is inserted. The compact case according to claim 2 , wherein the inner surface of the cylindrical portion is provided with a rib extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion. The container body is rectangular and dish-shaped,
the first axis is disposed along one side of the container body and along the outer frame portion,
The compact case according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the second axis is disposed along the outer frame portion on another side of the case body that is perpendicular to the one side.