Refillable container

Abstract

A refillable container that includes: an inner container; a support member configured to support the inner container; and a cover having a tubular shape, which is fitted, from above the inner container, to an outer periphery of the inner container supported on the support member so as to accommodate the inner container therein, and is fitted to the support member. The support member includes: a support base portion including a tubular leg portion and having a raised bottom; and a support frame portion, which is provided on an upper surface of a bottom plate of the support base portion, and is configured to support the bottom of the inner container. The support base portion includes a seat step portion on which an opening end of the cover fitted to the support member is seated. The cover is made of hard plastic, and the support member is made of soft plastic.

Claims

1. A refillable container, comprising: an inner container, which is configured to store a content therein, wherein the inner container can be replaced when the content is used up; a support member configured to support the inner container in an upright posture by holding a bottom of the inner container; and a cover having a tubular shape, which is fitted, from above the inner container, to an outer periphery of the inner container supported on the support member so as to accommodate the inner container therein, and is fitted to the support member, the support member including: a support base portion including a bottom plate portion and a tubular leg portion projecting from the bottom plate portion to define a raised bottom; and a support frame portion, which is provided on an upper surface of the bottom plate portion of the support base portion, wherein the support frame portion is configured to support the bottom of the inner container, the support base portion including a seat step portion on which an opening end of the cover fitted to the support member is seated, wherein the cover is made of hard plastic, and the support member is made of soft plastic.

2. The refillable container according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes a seat projecting portion formed on a portion of an outer periphery of the tubular leg portion of the support base portion exposed from the cover fitted to the support member.

3. The refillable container according to claim 2, wherein the seat projecting portion formed on the outer periphery of the tubular leg portion of the support base portion is formed at each of positions opposed to each other across substantially a center of the tubular leg portion.

4. The refillable container according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes a cutout portion formed in a portion of an opening end of a tubular wall portion of the cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an exploded sectional view for illustrating an example of a refillable container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a sectional view for illustrating a state in which a cover is fitted to a support member that supports an inner container of the refillable container illustrated in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is an explanatory view for illustrating a state in which the support member is removed from the cover.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view for illustrating another example of the support member illustrated in FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 5 is an explanatory view for illustrating a way of removing the support member illustrated in FIG. 4 from the cover.

(6) FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view for illustrating another example of the cover illustrated in FIG. 1.

(7) FIG. 7 is an explanatory view for illustrating a way of removing the support member from the cover illustrated in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(8) Now, an example of a refillable container according to one embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(9) FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 are illustrations of an example of the refillable container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an exploded sectional view for illustrating the refillable container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view for illustrating a state in which a cover is fitted to a support member that supports an inner container of the refillable container illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view for illustrating a state in which the support member is removed from the cover. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for illustrating another example of the support member illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view for illustrating a way of removing the support member illustrated in FIG. 4 from the cover. FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view for illustrating another example of the cover illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view for illustrating a way of removing the support member from the cover illustrated in FIG. 6.

(10) A refillable container 1 in this embodiment includes an inner container 2, a support member 4, and a cover 5. The inner container 2 is configured to store a content therein, and is to be replaced when the content is used up. The support member 4 is configured to support the inner container 2 by holding a bottom 3 of the inner container 2. The cover 5 has a tubular shape. The cover 5 is fitted, from above the inner container 2, to an outer periphery of the inner container 2 supported on the support member 4 so as to accommodate the inner container 2 therein, and is fitted to the support member 4.

(11) The inner container 2 has a suction port 7 formed in an upper surface portion thereof and sealed with a tearable sealing sheet 6. A body 8 of the inner container 2 has a quadrangular sectional shape. Further, the bottom 3 has such a pyramidal shape that its center is deepest.

(12) The inner container 2 in this embodiment has a quadrangular sectional shape, but may have a sectional shape other than the quadrangular shape, such as a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape.

(13) The support member 4 includes a support base portion 10 and a support frame portion 12. The support base portion 10 includes a tubular leg portion 9, and has a raised bottom. The support frame portion 12 is formed on an upper surface of a bottom plate 11 of the support base portion 10, and is configured to support the bottom 3 of the inner container 2 in an upright posture.

(14) The support frame portion 12 is shaped such that its upper portion forms a receiving opening 13 configured to receive the bottom 3 of the inner container 2 so as to receive the bottom 3 of the inner container 2 within the support frame portion 12. The support frame portion 12 is formed into a shape conforming to a contour of the body 8 of the inner container 2. In this embodiment, the support frame portion 12 has a quadrangular shape in conformity to the shape of the body 8 of the inner container 2.

(15) Further, the support frame portion 12 in this embodiment includes support frame pieces 14 configured to support an outer surface of the inner container 2. The support frame pieces 14 are formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 11 of the support base portion 10 at intervals therebetween so as to extend upright along four corner portions of the body 8 of the inner container 2.

(16) In this embodiment, the support frame portion 12 includes four support frame pieces 14, but may be a tubular member capable of receiving the bottom 3 of the inner container 2. The shape of the support frame portion 12 is not particularly limited as long as the support frame portion 12 can support the bottom 3 of the inner container 2 so as to support the inner container 2 in an upright posture.

(17) Further, the support base portion 10 includes a seat step portion 15 on which an opening end of the cover 5, which is described later and fitted to the support base portion 10, is seated. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 11 of the support base portion 10 is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the support frame portion 12, and a surface of the bottom plate 11 located outside the support frame portion 12 serves as the seat step portion 15.

(18) In the present invention, the support member 4 configured as described above is made of soft plastic. As the soft plastic, polyethylene (PE) is used, but a material to be used as the soft plastic is not particularly limited as long as the material satisfies the effects of the present invention.

(19) With regard to the cover 5, the cover 5 in this embodiment includes a tubular wall portion 16 fitted, from above the inner container 2, to the outer periphery of the inner container 2 supported on the support member 4 so as to accommodate the inner container 2 therein.

(20) In this embodiment, the tubular wall portion 16 is fitted to the outer periphery of the inner container 2 supported on the support member 4, and is fitted to an outer periphery of the support frame portion 12 on the support base portion 10 of the support member 4. An opening end 17 of the tubular wall portion 16 is seated on the seat step portion 15 formed on the bottom plate 11 of the support base portion 10.

(21) In the present invention, the cover 5 configured as described above is made of hard plastic. As the hard plastic, polypropylene (PP) is used, but a material to be used as the hard plastic is not particularly limited as long as the material satisfies the effects of the present invention.

(22) In this embodiment, the cover 5 includes a dispense pump 18 configured to pump up the content in the inner container 2 supported on the support member 4 and dispense the content to an outside of the refillable container. The dispense pump 18 includes a tubular cylinder portion 19, a dispense nozzle 20, and a suction tube 21. The dispense nozzle 20 is provided at an upper part of the tubular cylinder portion 19, and serves also as an operation portion for a piston that is slidably fitted into the tubular cylinder portion 19. The suction tube 21 is provided at a lower part of the tubular cylinder portion 19. The tubular cylinder portion 19 penetrates a top plate portion 22 of the cover 5, and is fixed to the top plate portion 22. The dispense nozzle 20 is arranged on an upper surface side of the top plate portion 22, and the suction tube 21 is arranged on a lower surface side of the top plate portion 22.

(23) When the tubular wall portion 16 of the cover 5 is fitted to the outer periphery of the support frame portion 12 formed on the support base portion 10 of the support member 4, the suction tube 21 arranged on the lower surface side of the top plate portion 22 of the cover 5 tears the sealing sheet 6 provided on the upper surface portion of the inner container 2, and thus is inserted into the inner container 2 through the suction port 7.

(24) According to the refillable container 1 configured as described above, the support member 4 is made of the soft plastic. With this configuration, in a case in which the support member 4 fitted to the cover 5 is removed from the cover 5 in order to replace the inner container 2, when the support base portion 10 of the support member 4 exposed to the outside from the opening end 17 of the tubular wall portion 16 of the cover 5 is pinched from both sides of the support member 4, and then is pressed so as to be slightly squeezed inward, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the support base portion 10 is easily deformed so as to bend downward with respect to an axis substantially orthogonal to an axis of the pressing direction. As a result, a gap is defined in a part of a contact surface region between fitting portions of the support member 4 and the cover 5.

(25) In this embodiment, the support frame portion 12 has a quadrangular shape. With this configuration, in a case in which the tubular leg portion 9 of the support base portion 10 of the support member 4 is pressed inward, when two opposing corner portions of four corner portions of the tubular leg portion 9 are pressed, fingers are suitably put on the corner portions, thereby being capable of easily pressing the tubular leg portion 9.

(26) With this configuration, a contact area between the fitting portions of the support member 4 and the cover 5 is reduced, and thus a frictional force is reduced. Accordingly, the support member 4 can be easily removed from the cover 5.

(27) Moreover, when the refillable container 1 is dropped at the time of, for example, replacement of the inner container 2, the support member 4 made of the soft plastic absorbs the shock, thereby being capable of preventing damage of the refillable container 1.

(28) FIG. 4 is an illustration of another example of the support member 4 illustrated in FIG. 1. The support member 4 in this embodiment includes seat projecting portions 23 formed on portions of the outer periphery of the tubular leg portion 9 of the support base portion 10 exposed from the cover 5 fitted to the support member 4.

(29) In this embodiment, the support frame portion 12 has a quadrangular shape, and it is preferred that the seat projecting portions 23 be formed on at least two opposing corner portions of the four corner portions of the tubular leg portion 9 of the support base portion 10. In this embodiment, the seat projecting portions 23 are formed on the four corner portions of the tubular leg portion 9, respectively.

(30) In the support member 4 configured as described above, in a case in which two opposing corner portions of the tubular leg portion 9 are pinched, when fingers are put on the seat projecting portions 23 from directions indicated by the arrows of FIG. 5, there is no fear in that the fingers pressing the support base portion 10 slip off a surface of the support base portion 10. Therefore, a pressing force can be reliably transmitted, and the support base portion 10 can be more easily deformed.

(31) FIG. 6 is an illustration of another example of the cover 5 illustrated in FIG. 1. The cover 5 in this embodiment includes cutout portions 24 formed in portions of the opening end 17 of the tubular wall portion 16.

(32) In this embodiment, the support frame portion 12 has a quadrangular shape, and it is preferred that the cutout portions 24 be formed in at least two opposing corner portions of four corner portions of the tubular wall portion 16. In this embodiment, the cutout portions 24 are formed in the four corner portions of the tubular wall portion 16, respectively.

(33) In the cover 5 configured as described above, the cutout portions 24 are formed in the portions of the opening end 17 of the tubular wall portion 16. With this configuration, when the cover 5 is fitted to the support member 4, and the opening end 17 of the tubular wall portion 16 is seated on the seat step portion 15 formed on the support base portion 10 of the support member 4, the seat step portion 15 is partially exposed through the cutout portions 24. Accordingly, in a case in which two opposing corner portions of the tubular leg portion 16 are pinched, when fingers are put on the seat step portion 15 exposed through the cutout portions 24 from directions indicated by the arrows of FIG. 7, there is no fear in that the fingers pressing the support base portion 10 slip off the surface of the support base portion. Therefore, a pressing force for squeezing can be reliably transmitted, and the support base portion 10 can be more easily deformed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(34) 1 refillable container 2 inner container 3 bottom 4 support member 5 cover 6 sealing sheet 7 suction port 8 body 9 tubular leg portion 10 support base portion 11 bottom plate 12 support frame portion 13 receiving opening 14 support frame piece 15 seat step portion 16 tubular wall portion 17 opening end 18 dispense pump 19 tubular cylinder portion 20 dispense nozzle 21 suction tube 22 top plate portion 23 seat projecting portion 24 cutout portion