JP7637995B2 - Storage case - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage case that allows various items to be easily removed and stored.

As a conventional storage case, Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging box in which two side panels forming a peripheral wall are connected together, and an inner end panel and an outer end panel extending upward from each side panel are folded inward so that they overlap each other approximately horizontally to close the ends. This packaging box is configured so that the side panels are curved outward and a casting opening formed in the inner end panel is covered by the outer end panel, and by grasping both ridges of the peripheral wall, the curvature of the side panels changes elastically to open the casting opening, allowing the contents to be cast out.

JP 2006-232336 A

The conventional packaging boxes described above are designed to open and close the opening by the relative movement of the inner and outer end plates caused by deformation of the peripheral walls, but it is difficult to ensure a sufficient amount of movement of the inner and outer end plates and a sufficient size of the opening, which makes it difficult to remove the contents.

In addition, conventional storage cases commonly referred to as "pillow cases" or "pillow-shaped cases" are constructed so that the upper inner and outer end plates overlap each other to close the opening, but even if the ridges on both sides of the peripheral wall are grasped to elastically change the shape of the curved side plates, the inner and outer end plates do not open. For this reason, when removing the contents, it is necessary to grasp the case with one hand and open the inner and outer end plates in sequence with the other hand, which creates the problem that it is not possible to open the opening with one hand to remove the contents.

Furthermore, when placing items in the storage case for safekeeping, it is necessary to use both hands to close the opening in the reverse order to the above-mentioned procedure for removing the contents, which makes the process complicated.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a storage case whose opening can be opened and closed easily and reliably.

The object of the present invention is achieved by a storage case in which both side edges of a pair of rectangular sheet members are joined to each other to form a flat tube shape, and which has an opening at at least one end, and when the both side edges are pressed in a direction toward each other, the opening opens due to elastic deformation of the pair of sheet members, the storage case having a lid piece connected to the edge of the sheet member that forms the opening , the lid piece being provided on both of the pair of sheet members and having a plurality of folded pieces that can be folded along fold lines, the lid piece being folded multiple times toward the inside of the sheet member along each fold line so as to wrap around the folded piece on the tip side, and the folded pieces on the base end side abutting against each other to cover the opening, and when the both side edges are pressed in a direction toward each other to open the opening, each lid piece deforms to conform to the inner surface of the sheet member .

The present invention provides a storage case that allows the opening to be opened and closed easily and reliably.

FIG. 2 is a development view of a storage case according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a front view showing the storage case shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled state. FIG. 3 is a side view of a main part of the storage case shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a plan view of the storage case shown in FIG. 2 . 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the storage case shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 11 is a development view of a storage case according to another embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a rear view showing the state in which the storage case shown in FIG. 6 is assembled. FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of a main part of the storage case shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a storage case according to still another embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the storage case shown in FIG. 9 is assembled. FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a storage case according to still another embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a front view showing the state in which the storage case shown in FIG. 11 is assembled. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a storage case according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view of a main portion of a storage case according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the storage case shown in FIG. 14 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a storage case according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing the storage case shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled state.

The storage case 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be manufactured by punching out a blank sheet made of synthetic resin, and then performing a folding process and a bonding process on the punched sheet of material. The storage case 1 is preferably made of a material that is flexible and elastically deformable, and may be made of, for example, paper or thin metal plate in addition to synthetic resin. The plate thickness of the storage case 1 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, about 50 μm to 3 mm. By forming the storage case 1 from a transparent material, it is easy to check the contents contained therein, and products can be stored and removed while checking the amount. However, the storage case 1 may also be formed from an opaque or colored material.

As shown in FIG. 1, the storage case 1 of this embodiment is made of a single sheet of material, and has a shape in which the side edges of a pair of rectangular sheet members 2a, 2b are connected by a connecting portion 4 extending vertically. A glue strip 3 extending approximately parallel to the connecting portion 4 is provided on the side edge of one sheet member 2a opposite the connecting portion 4. The glue strip 3 has an appropriate width (e.g., 1 mm or more) that allows it to be glued or welded to the other sheet member 2b, and may be larger than the width of the storage case 1. By folding the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b at the connecting portion 4 so that they face each other, and gluing or welding the glue strip 3 to the outer surface of the other sheet member 2b, the storage case 1 is formed into a flat tube shape with openings 12 at both the top and bottom ends, as shown in FIG. 2.

A lid piece 10 is connected to the upper and lower edges of a pair of sheet members 2a, 2b that form the opening 12 via a fold line 11. The fold line 11 can be formed, for example, by a general fold line, a half cut, a perforation, etc., and as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, the lid piece 10 can be folded nearly 180 degrees toward the inner surface of each sheet member 2a, 2b.

Figure 3 is a side view of the main part showing the vicinity of the upper opening 12 of the storage case 1 shown in Figure 2. Also, Figure 4 is a plan view of the opening 12 of the storage case 1 seen from above. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lid pieces 10 folded inwardly of the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b come into contact with each other to cover the opening 12.

In the storage case 1 having the above configuration, the lid pieces 10 connected to the edges of the sheet members 2a, 2b that form the opening 12 are folded inwardly of the sheet members 2a, 2b, respectively, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sheet members 2a, 2b near the opening 12, and thus the opening 12 can be reliably covered by the lid pieces 10.

When opening the opening 12, the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b are pressed against the side edges 6 in the direction in which they approach each other (in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 4), so that the sheet members 2a, 2b are elastically deformed and bent outwardly convex, as shown in FIG. 5. As the sheet members 2a, 2b are deformed in this way, the lid pieces 10 are subjected to a force directed toward the inner surfaces of the sheet members 2a, 2b (in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 5), and deform to fit the inner surfaces of the sheet members 2a, 2b, so that the opening 12 can be opened reliably with a sufficient size. On the other hand, when the pressure on the side edges 6 is released, the pair of elastically deformed sheet members 2a, 2b return to their original shape shown in FIG. 4, and the opening 12 is closed by the elastic force (repulsion force) of the lid pieces 10. By making the width of the storage case 1 large enough to press the side edges 6 with one hand, the opening 12 can be opened and closed easily and reliably with one hand.

As shown in FIG. 1, the storage case 1 of this embodiment has notches 5 formed above and below the connecting portion 4 that connects the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b, and is formed so that the vertical length of the adhesive strip 3 is shorter than the vertical length of the sheet members 2a, 2b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, notches 7 are formed near the opening 12 on both side edges 6, making it easier to open the opening 12. However, notches 7 are not essential to the present invention, and the configuration may not include notches 7.

The lid piece 10 in this embodiment is tapered so that the length L1 (see FIG. 2) is longest at the center of the width of the sheet members 2a and 2b, and when opening the opening 12, the lid piece 10 can easily follow the deformation of the sheet member 2 to reliably open it. However, the shape of the lid piece 10 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be formed into a rectangular shape so that the length L1 is constant in the width direction of the sheet members 2a and 2b. The length L1 of the lid piece 10 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably 3 to 70 mm, more preferably 10 to 20 mm, from the viewpoint of easily and reliably opening and closing the opening 12 while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the storage case 1. As in this embodiment, the lid piece 10 is preferably folded inward of the sheet members 2a and 2b, but the lid piece 10 may also be folded outward of the sheet members 2a and 2b (similar to each of the following embodiments).

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a storage case according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a rear view showing the assembled state of the storage case shown in Figure 6. In the following figures, components having substantially the same functions as the components of the storage case 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations are omitted.

The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 6 is formed from a single sheet of material and has a shape in which a bottom 13 is interposed between a pair of sheet members 2a and 2b. The pair of sheet members 2a and 2b are connected to each other by a connecting portion 4 extending in the width direction through the center of the bottom 13. The adhesive strips 3 are provided on both side edges of one of the sheet members 2a. The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 6 is formed by folding the pair of sheet members 2a and 2b so that they face each other at the connecting portion 4 provided approximately in the center of the vertical direction of the material sheet, and gluing or welding each adhesive strip 3 to both sides of the other sheet member 2b, as shown in FIG. 7, so that the storage case 1 has a bottom 13 at the lower end side and an opening 12 at the upper end side and is formed into a flat cylindrical shape. By making the bottom 13 into a gusseted shape as in this embodiment, a wide variety of items can be stored. Each lid piece 10 is folded toward the inside of the sheet members 2a and 2b, but the lid pieces 10 may be folded at the same time as each adhesive piece 3 is adhered or welded, or the lid pieces 10 may be folded after each adhesive piece 3 is adhered or welded.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cover piece 10 has multiple folded pieces 10a, 10b, which are provided on the edge of each sheet member 2a, 2b opposite the connecting portion 4. Each folded piece 10a, 10b can be folded at a fold line 11a, 11b, respectively. The fold lines 11a, 11b can be formed, for example, by not only a typical fold line, but also by half cuts, perforations, etc.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the storage case 1 shown in Figure 7, showing the vicinity of the opening 12. Each lid piece 10 is folded toward the inside of the sheet members 2a and 2b by the fold line 11a, and is folded so as to roll up the folded piece 10b on the tip side by the fold line 11b. Each lid piece 10 covers the opening 12 by the folded pieces 10a on the base end side abutting each other. In this way, by configuring the lid piece 10 to be folded multiple times toward the inside of the sheet members 2a and 2b, both the opening force and closing force of the opening 12 by the lid piece 10 can be increased, so that the opening 12 can be opened and closed more easily and reliably by pressing and releasing the pressure on both side edges 6 shown in Figure 7. The number of times that the lid piece 10 is folded is not particularly limited, and it may be folded three or more times.

9 is a development view of a storage case according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the storage case shown in FIG. 9 is assembled. The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 9 is formed from two material sheets, and each material sheet has a lid piece 10 connected to the edge of a pair of sheet members 2a, 2b. The lid piece 10 has a plurality of folding pieces 10a, 10b, and each folding piece 10a, 10b can be folded at folding lines 11a, 11b, respectively. The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 9 is formed by folding each lid piece 10 toward the inside of the sheet members 2a, 2b, overlapping the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b, and then bonding or welding the peripheral parts excluding the lid piece 10 to form a joint part 14, as shown in FIG. 10, so that the storage case 1 is formed in a flat tube shape with a closed lower end and an opening 12 on the upper end side. In the storage case 1 of this embodiment, the opening 12 can be easily and reliably opened and closed by the lid piece 10 by pressing and releasing the pressure on both side edges 6. The pair of sheet members 2a, 2b may be bonded or welded to each other using a glue tab provided on one of the sheet members 2a, 2b, instead of gluing or welding the peripheral edges.

11 is a development view of a storage case according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a front view showing the state in which the storage case shown in FIG. 11 is assembled. The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 11 is formed from a single sheet of material, and has a shape in which the side edges of a pair of sheet members 2a and 2b are connected to each other by a connecting portion 4. A glue strip 3 is connected to the side edge of one sheet member 2a opposite to the connecting portion 4. A cover 15 is connected to the upper edge of one sheet member 2a, and a lid piece 10 having multiple folded pieces 10a and 10b is connected to the upper edge of the other sheet member 2b. A bottom 13 is provided at the lower edges of the pair of sheet members 2a and 2b. A hanging piece 15a is formed at the center of the cover 15 by a cut, and a through hole 15b is formed in the hanging piece 15a. An insertion piece 16 that can be inserted into a slit 17 formed by cutting out the other sheet member 2b is provided at the upper end of the cover 15.

The storage case 1 shown in FIG. 11 is formed by folding the lid piece 10 toward the inside of the sheet member 2b, folding the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b at the connecting portion 4 so that they face each other, and then gluing or welding the adhesive strip 3 to the sheet member 2b, and then assembling the bottom portion 13, as shown in FIG. 12(a), to form a flattened cylindrical storage case 1 having a bottom portion 13 at the lower end and an opening portion 12 at the upper end. The storage case 1 of this embodiment also allows the opening portion 12 to be opened and closed easily and reliably by pressing and releasing the pressure on both side edges 6.

When products are stored in the storage case 1 and displayed in a store such as a convenience store, the cover 15 can be folded from the state shown in FIG. 12(a) so as to cover the other sheet member 2b, and the insertion piece 16 can be inserted into the slit 17, so that the opening 12 is covered with the cover 15, as shown in FIG. 12(a). Also, as shown in FIG. 12(b), a hanging rod for displaying products installed in a store or the like can be inserted into the through hole 15b of the hanging piece 15a separated from the cover material 15 by the cut, allowing the product to be displayed by hanging.

The lid piece 10 of the storage case 1 shown in FIG. 12 is not provided on one of the sheet members 2a, but only on the other sheet member 2b, and the lid piece 10 can be abutted against the inner surface of one of the sheet members 2a to cover the opening 12. With this configuration, the products stored in the storage case 1 can be easily removed from the opening 12 by smoothly sliding them along the inner surface of the one of the sheet members 2a that does not have the lid piece 10. The lid piece 10 may be folded so that the folded piece 10b on the tip side is rolled up by multiple fold lines 11a, 11b as shown in FIG. 13(a), or may be folded so that the peaks and valleys are alternately arranged by multiple fold lines 11a, 11b as shown in FIG. 13(b). Even when the lid piece 10 is provided on only one of the sheet members 2a, 2b, the lid piece 10 may be folded only once, or may be folded three or more times.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the specific aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, the lid piece 10 is provided across the entire width of the sheet member 2, but as shown in the front view of the main part in FIG. 14, the lid piece 10 may be provided only on a part of the sheet member 2a, such as the center of the width. With this configuration, as shown in the plan view in FIG. 15, the lid piece 10 can cover necessary areas such as the center of the opening 12, so that relatively large items can be securely held within the storage case 1. Note that the pair of sheet members 2a, 2b and the lid piece 10 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 have through holes through which hanging rods for displaying products can be inserted.

Items that can be stored in the storage case of the present invention are not particularly limited, but examples include fishing tackle such as lures, insulin needles, incense sticks, travel sets, stationery, push pins, wood screws, cosmetics, cosmetic accessories, portable ashtrays, etc.

Reference Signs List 1: Storage case 2a, 2b: Sheet member 3: Glue strip 4: Connection portion 5: Cutout portion 6: Both side edges 7: Notch portion 10: Lid piece 11: Fold line 12: Opening 13: Suspension hole

Claims (1)

A storage case in which both side edges of a pair of rectangular sheet members are joined together to form a flat tube shape, and an opening is provided at at least one end, and the opening opens due to elastic deformation of the pair of sheet members by pressing the both side edges in a direction toward each other,
a lid piece connected to an edge of the sheet member that forms the opening,
The cover piece is provided on both of the pair of sheet members and has a plurality of folding pieces that can be folded at folding lines, and is folded a plurality of times toward the inside of the sheet member at each folding line so as to roll in the folding pieces on the tip side, and the folding pieces on the base end side abut against each other to cover the opening,
When the side edges are pressed toward each other to open the opening, the lid pieces deform to fit the inner surface of the sheet member .

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