Glass storage tool and glass storage system

A glass storage tool capable of preventing a glass from being broken is provided. The glass storage tool includes: a side wall that surrounds a glass; and a bottom plate that has a glass placement part on which the glass is placed and of which the glass placement part is held at a position higher than a lower end of the side wall. The glass placement part has a substantially circular opening and two or more annular support parts substantially concentrically arranged within the opening, an outermost one of the annular support parts is connected to a circumferential edge part of the opening by three or more beam parts extending in a radial direction, and the annular support parts are mutually connected by three or more beam parts extending in the radial direction.

This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/JP2018/010714, filed Mar. 19, 2018, which claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-154498, filed Aug. 9, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a glass storage tool and a glass storage system, and in more detail, to the improvement of a glass storage tool that stores a glass.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a wine glass is very easily broken by falling or colliding with a table or the like. In order to prevent such breakage of a glass, it is necessary to suppress impact or vibration externally applied to a glass.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

Therefore, it is conceivable to store and protect a wine glass in a glass case. Specifically, it is conceivable to use a glass case which is made by processing material having high mechanical strength and has structural flexibility to the extent that it is deformed by the above impact or vibration. For example, it is conceivable to fabricate a glass case by processing a material having high mechanical strength, such as polypropylene (PP), in a mesh-like plate shape. In particular, it is conceivable to use a glass case whose bottom part, which when applied with a large force at the time of a fall or the like, has flexibility that absorbs impact or vibration.

However, there has been a problem that when the bottom part of the glass case is applied with an external force and the bottom part is deformed, a glass is likely to be damaged depending on the resulting deformed state. The glass is stored contacting with the bottom part, and in particular, when the glass is stored in an upside-down state, the most fragile lip part contacts with the bottom part. For this reason, there has been a problem that when the bottom part is applied with an external force, the glass is likely to be broken.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and intends to provide a glass storage tool capable of preventing a glass from being broken. In particular, it is intended to provide a glass storage tool which is capable of preventing a glass from being broken even when a force large enough to cause deformation on the bottom part is applied.

Also, the present invention intends to provide a glass storage system capable of, when mutually coupling two or more glass storage tools, preventing the glass storage tools from being easily mutually separated.

Solution to Problem

A glass storage tool according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a side wall that surrounds a glass; and a bottom plate that has a glass placement part on which the glass is placed and of which the glass placement part is held at a position higher than the lower end of the side wall. The glass placement part has a substantially circular opening and two or more annular support parts substantially concentrically arranged within the opening, the outermost one of the annular support parts is connected to the circumferential edge part of the opening by three or more beam parts extending in the radial direction, and the annular support parts are mutually connected by three or more beam parts extending in the radial direction.

In this glass storage tool, since the glass placement part of the bottom plate can be held at a position higher than the lower end of the side wall, a space for local deformation of the bottom plate can be secured. Also, when an external force is applied to the bottom plate, the external force is distributed to the annular support parts and the beam parts. At this time, the beam parts are likely to bend or curve in a vertical direction, and therefore likely to cause relative displacement in the radial direction, whereas the annular support parts are supported displaceable in the vertical direction by the beam parts, and therefore unlikely to cause relative displacement in the circumferential direction. For this reason, when external impact is applied, the impact is absorbed by the relative displacement of the beam parts in the radial direction, while the relative displacement in the circumferential direction is suppressed, making it possible to suppress a force from being concentrated on a part of the rim part of the glass.

Also, the two or more annular support parts having different diameters contribute to support the glass, and therefore variously sized glasses can be protected from impact. Further, each of the annular support parts is supported by three or more beam parts having different circumferential positions, and therefore the glass can be stably held.

A glass storage tool according to a second aspect of the present invention is such that, in addition to the above configuration, the beam parts are formed differentiated in circumferential position between the inner side and the outer side of each of the annular support parts. According to such a configuration, relative displacement occurring in one of the sets of beam parts on the inner side and the outer side of the annular support part is suppressed from causing relative displacement in the other set of beam parts, thus making it possible to improve the performance of absorbing impact or vibration.

A glass storage tool according to a third aspect of the present invention is such that, in addition to the above configuration, the annular support parts and the beam parts are all such that their thickness is a half or less of their width, and the bottom plate is formed with ribs that surround through-holes formed between the annular support parts and the beam parts within the opening. According to such a configuration, the annular support parts and the beam parts easily bend in the vertical direction, thus making it possible to improve the performance of absorbing impact or vibration. In addition, the peripheral edge parts of the through-holes are reinforced by ribs, and therefore the stiffness of the bottom plate can be improved.

A glass storage tool according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is such that, in addition to the above configuration, the upper surface of the circumferential edge part is a tilted surface whose height is lowered toward the inner side in the radial direction. According to such a configuration, when the glass is stored with the center of the glass displaced from the center of the glass placement part, the glass is guided so that the center of the glass is brought close to the center of the glass placement part by the tilted surface of the circumferential part. For this reason, the glass can be suppressed from being held with the rim part of the glass largely displaced from the annular support parts.

A glass storage system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a glass storage system in which two or more glass storage tools respectively storing glasses are coupled in a longitudinal direction or a lateral direction, the glass storage tools each has: a side wall that surrounds a glass; and a bottom plate whose glass placement part on which the glass is placed is held at a position higher than the lower end of the side wall, and the glass placement part has a substantially circular opening and two or more annular support parts substantially concentrically arranged within the opening, the outermost one of the annular support parts is connected to the circumferential edge part of the opening by three or more beam parts extending in the radial direction, and the annular support parts are mutually connected by three or more beam parts extending in the radial direction, and the glass storage system includes: a means of storage tool coupling adapted to couple two of the glass storage tools to each other by relatively sliding the glass storage tools in a vertical direction with side walls facing each other; and a stopper that, through an engagement hole provided at the upper end of one of the two side walls coupled by the means of storage tool coupling, engages with the upper end of the other, and thereby restricts the two glass storage tools from sliding in the vertical direction.

In the glass storage system, the two glass storage tools coupled by the means of storage tool coupling are restricted by the stopper from mutually sliding in the vertical direction, and therefore the two glass storage tools are tightly coupled to each other. For this reason, when two or more glass storage tools are mutually coupled, the glass storage tools can be prevented from being easily mutually separated.

A glass storage system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is such that, in addition to the above configuration, the two side walls coupled by the means of storage tool coupling are restricted by at least two stoppers whose insertion directions are opposite from sliding in the vertical direction. According to such a configuration, the multiple stoppers engaging with the two side walls coupled by the means of storage tool coupling can be suppressed from simultaneously falling out by impact or vibration at the time of a fall.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The glass storage tool according to the present invention is capable of holding a glass without easily breaking it. In particular, a force can be suppressed from being concentrated on the rim part of a glass, and therefore even when a force enough to cause deformation on the bottom part of the glass storage tool is applied, the glass can be prevented from being broken.

Also, in the glass storage system according to the present invention, since the two glass storage tools are tightly coupled to each other, when two or more glass storage tools are mutually coupled, the glass storage tools can be prevented from being easily mutually separated.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a perspective view illustrating one configuration example of a glass storage tool1according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the appearance when viewing the glass storage tool1from obliquely above is illustrated.FIG. 2is a diagram illustrating the glass storage tool1inFIG. 1, in which (a) illustrates a wide wall surface2W of the glass storage tool1, (b) illustrates a narrow wall surface2N, and (c) illustrates a bottom surface2B.FIG. 3is a cross-sectional view illustrating part of an enlarged cross section when cutting the glass storage tool1inFIG. 2along an A-A section line.

The glass storage tool1is a resin case for storing glasses, and used to keep, carry, and wash the glasses. The glasses are glass tableware for drinks. The glass storage tool1stores, for example, wine glasses.

A wine glass has structure in which a main body part called a bowl is connected to a disk-shaped base part called a plate via an elongated leg part called a stem. The rim part of the main body part is formed thin because it is used as a lip, and has the property of being easily broken.

By storing a wine glass in the glass storage tool1except when the wine glass is in use, the wine glass can be prevented from being broken. For example, when loading the glass storage tool1storing the wine glass into a washer, the wine glass can be prevented from being broken during washing. Also, by keeping in a state of being stored in the glass storage tool1after washing, the wine glass can be prevented from being broken during keeping. Further, by carrying in the state of being stored in the glass storage tool1, the wine glass can be prevented from being broken during handling. The wine glass is stored in the glass storage tool1in a state where, for example, the opening of the main body part faces downward.

The glass storage tool1consists of: a side wall2that surrounds a glass; a bottom plate4on which a glass is placed; and a divider3that divides an internal space of a rectangular parallelepiped shape surrounded by the side wall2into two glass storage compartments, and is capable of simultaneously storing two glasses. Also, the glass storage tool1has an opening on the upper surface, and is capable of storing a glass through the opening. The side wall2, bottom plate4, and divider3are provided with many through-holes5, which allow washing liquid to pass therethrough during washing of a glass and are also suitable for draining and drying of the glass.

The side wall2is provided with storage tool coupling parts21for coupling two or more glass storage tools1in a longitudinal direction or a lateral direction in a horizontal plane; engagement concave parts23aand engagement convex parts23bfor stacking two or more glass storage tools1in a vertical direction; and engagement holes24and25for engaging the below-described stoppers6.

The outer wall surfaces of the side wall2includes a wide wall surface2W whose horizontal length is long and a narrow wall surface2N whose horizontal length is short. Here, the horizontal direction in which the wide wall surface2W extends is referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the horizontal direction in which the narrow wall surface2N extends is referred to as the lateral direction. The length of the wide wall surface2W in the longitudinal direction is substantially twice the length of the narrow wall surface2N in the lateral direction.

The storage tool coupling parts21are coupling means adapted to couple two glass storage tools1to each other by relatively sliding the glass storage tools1in the vertical direction with side walls2facing each other. The storage tool coupling parts21each consists of a rail part21aand an engagement groove21bthat extend in the vertical direction, and a protrusion part21cand an engagement hole21dthat are provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the side wall2. The rail part21aand the protrusion part21cof one of the glass storage tools1are respectively accommodated in the engagement groove21band the engagement hole21dof the other glass storage tool1, and between the two glass storage tools1, relative movements in the longitudinal direction and in the lateral direction are restricted.

The rail part21aand the protrusion part21cprotrude from the wall surface, and are formed of two claws whose cross sections along the horizontal plane are L-shaped. The engagement groove21band the engagement hole21dare formed of concave parts formed by concaving the wall surface, and the cross-sections of the concave parts along the horizontal plane are T-shaped. The wide wall surface2W is provided with the two rail parts21aand the two engagement grooves21b, and the rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21bare alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the narrow wall surface2N is provided with the one rail part21aand the one engagement groove21b. The protrusion parts21care provided corresponding to the rail parts21a, and the engagement holes21dare provided corresponding to the engagement grooves21b. By engaging a storage tool coupling part21with a storage tool coupling part21of the other glass storage tool1, wide walls2W, narrow walls2N, or a wide wall2W and a narrow wall2B can be connected to each other.

The engagement concave parts23bare coupling means adapted to accommodate the engagement convex parts23aof the other glass storage tool1, and provided at the lower end of the side wall2. On the other hand, the engagement convex parts23aare coupling means adapted to be inserted into the engagement concave parts23bof the other glass storage tool1, and protrude upward from the upper end surface of the side wall2. The engagement convex parts23aare respectively formed at the four corners of the upper opening surface2U of the glass storage tool1. On the other hand, the engagement concave parts23bare respectively formed on the bottom surface at positions opposite to the engagement convex parts23a.

With the bottom surface2B of one of glass storage tools1facing the upper opening surface2U of the other glass storage tool1, the two glass storage tools1can be stacked in the vertical direction. The stacked two glass storage tools1are restricted from relatively moving in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction because the four engagement convex parts23aand the four engagement concave parts23brespectively engage with each other.

The engagement holes24are through-holes for inserting the stoppers in the horizontal direction, and provided at the upper end of the side wall2. The engagement holes24are arranged above the engagement grooves21b. The engagement holes25are concave parts that are for accommodating the fore end parts of the stoppers and concave in the horizontal direction, and provided at the upper end of the side wall2. The engagement holes25are arranged above the rail parts21a.

The bottom plate4consists of: two glass placement parts40on which glasses are respectively placed; and a frame part41extending along the outer edge of the bottom plate4and surrounding the glass placement parts40. The glass placement parts40include substantially circular areas and are held at a higher position than the lower end of the side wall2by the frame part41in order to secure a space for when locally deformed. That is, the lower surfaces of the glass placement parts40are arranged on the upper side of the lower end of the side wall2. The glass placement parts40each has: a substantially circular opening401; two or more annular support parts42substantially concentrically arranged within the opening401; and beam parts43radially extending within the opening401. Also, the glass placement parts40each includes a circumferential edge part402surrounding the opening401.

The annular support parts42are ring members that are for supporting the rim part of a glass and extend in the circumferential direction. In the bottom plate4, two annular support parts42having different diameters are arranged concentrically with the glass placement part40. The outermost annular support part42of them is connected to the circumferential edge part402of the opening401by three or more radially extending beam parts43. In addition, the two annular support parts42are also connected to each other by three or more radially extending beam parts43.

Specifically, the inner annular support part42and the outer annular support part42are connected by three beam parts43having different circumferential positions, and the outer annular support part42and the circumferential edge part402are connected by six beam parts43having different circumferential positions. That is, the annular support parts42are arranged so that the number of the outer beam parts43is larger than the number of the inner beam parts43.

In addition, assuming that it is called relative displacement in the radial direction that a vertical displacement amount differs depending on a position in the radial direction, in order to prevent the relative displacement in the radial direction from being directly transmitted, the beam parts43are formed differentiated in circumferential position between the inner side and outer side of the annular support part42. The respective beam parts43are arranged at substantially regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The annular support part42is adapted to have sizes opposite to the rim part of a glass.

The glass placement parts40are held at a higher position than the lower end of the side wall2to secure a space for when locally deformed. This makes it possible to ensure the performance of absorbing impact or vibration at the time of a fall. Also, it is possible to suppress the impact or vibration at the time of a fall from being applied directly to the glass placement parts40.

When an external force is applied to the bottom plate4, the external force is distributed to the annular support parts42and the beam parts43. At this time, the beam parts43easily bend or curve in the vertical direction, and vertical displacement is likely to locally increase in the radial direction. That is, the beam parts43are likely to cause the relative displacement in the radial direction. In contrast, the annular support parts42are supported displaceable in the vertical direction by the beam parts43, and therefore the vertical displacement is unlikely to locally increase in the circumferential direction. That is, the annular support parts42are unlikely to cause the relative displacement in the circumferential direction. For this reason, when external impact is applied, the impact is absorbed by the relative displacement of the beam parts43in the radial direction, while the relative displacement in the circumferential direction is suppressed, thus making it possible to suppress a force from being concentrated on part of the rim part of a glass.

Also, a glass is supported by the two or more annular support parts42having different diameters, and therefore variously sized glasses can be protected from impact. Further, the annular support parts42are each supported by three or more beam parts43having different circumferential positions, and can therefore stably hold a glass.

FIGS. 3 and 5illustrate that the annular support parts42each have a thickness (T1) and a width (W1) and the beam parts43each have a thickness (T2) and a width (W2). The thickness (T1, T2) is a dimension in a vertical direction relative to the side wall2and the width (W1, W2) is a dimension in a horizontal direction relative to the side wall2. The annular support parts42are all such that, for example, the thickness (T1) is a half or less of the width (W1). The beam parts43are all such that, for example, the thickness (T2) is a half or less of the width (W2). Making the thickness (T1, T2) thinner than the width (W1, W2) makes it easy for the annular support parts42and the beam parts43to bend in the vertical direction, the impact or vibration absorption performance of the bottom plate4can be improved.

The bottom plate4includes: through-holes5formed by the inner annular support parts42; through-holes5formed by the inner annular support parts42, the outer annular support parts42and beam parts43, and through-holes5formed by the outer annular support parts42, the circumferential edge parts402, and beam parts43. The bottom plate4is formed with ribs51surrounding the through-holes5. The ribs51are reinforcing parts extending along the peripheral edges of the through-holes5.

The circumferential edge parts402each has a tilted surface403whose height is lowered toward the inner side in the radial direction. The tilted surface403is part of the upper surface of the glass placement part40, and extends along the circumferential edge of the opening401to surround the opening401. When a glass is stored with the center of the glass displaced from the center of the glass placement part40, the glass is guided so that the center of the glass is brought close to the center of the glass placement part40by the tilted surface403of the circumferential edge part402.

The divider3is a partition wall that separates the two glass storage compartments, formed in a shape extending in the vertical direction, and arranged opposite to the narrow walls. Each of the glass storage compartments is an internal space surrounded by the two wide walls opposite to each other in the lateral direction, and a narrow wall and the divider3that are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 4is a diagram illustrating developing a side wall member20constituting the side wall2of the glass storage tool1, in which (a) illustrates the upper end surface of the side wall member20, (b) illustrates the inner wall surface, and (c) illustrates a side end surface. In the diagram, the outer shape of the side wall member20and the outlines of through-holes5are drawn by thick lines.

The side wall member20is formed in a flat plate shape in which one wide wall and one narrow wall are connected to each other, and used in a state of being folded in an L-shape. The side wall member20is folded along a folding line L extending in the vertical direction. The side wall2is formed by coupling two folded side wall members20. Paired tilted surfaces are provided sandwiching the folding line L, and by folding the side wall member20at a right angle, the paired tilted surfaces meet each other. The tilted surfaces are provided with protrusion parts20cand engagement holes20d, and the folded state of the side wall member20is configured not to be easily released by fitting the protrusion parts20cof one of the tilted surfaces into the engagement holes20dof the other tilted surface.

The side wall member20is formed of a network structure member having many through-holes5, and provided with coupling parts20aand20bfor coupling the side wall members20to each other, a rail part203for engaging the divider3, bottom plate engagement parts204for engaging the bottom plate4, rail parts21a, engagement grooves21b, protrusion parts21c, engagement holes21d, engagement convex parts23a, engagement concave parts23b, and engagement holes24and25.

The side wall member20is formed of an upper area26where the rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21bare formed and a lower area27on the lower side of the upper area26, and the lower area27is formed with more through-holes5than the upper area26.

The coupling parts20aare convex parts for engaging with the coupling parts20bof the other side wall member20, and protrude from a side end surface of the side wall member20. The coupling parts20bare concave parts for accommodating the coupling parts20aof the other side wall member20to engage with claws of the coupling parts20a. The coupling parts20aand20bare coupled by relatively moving the two side wall members20in the horizontal direction. The coupling parts20aand20bare provided near the upper end and near the lower end of the side wall member20.

The rail part203is an engagement convex part extending in the vertical direction, protrudes from the inner wall surface of the side wall member20, and includes two claws whose cross sections along the horizontal surface are L-shaped. The rail part203is provided in the center of the wide wall in its width direction, and engages with a side end part of the divider3. Also, the rail part203is provided in the upper part of the upper area26. The bottom plate engagement parts204are locking parts for locking the bottom plate4to prevent the bottom plate4from falling out downward, and are provided at the lower end of the side wall member20.

Ribs51are formed surrounding the through-holes5only on the outer wall surface of the side wall member20, but not present on the inner wall surface. Such ribs51make it possible to smooth the inner wall surface while suppressing the strength of the side wall member20from being reduced by the many through-holes5.

The rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21bare provided only in the upper area26of the side wall member20, but not present in the lower area27. For this reason, the total area of the openings of many through-holes5is larger in the lower area27than in the upper area26. When storing a wine glass with the lip facing downward for washing the wine glass, the lower area27of the side wall2is opposite to the main body part of the wine glass. Therefore, the washing liquid can be uniformly sprayed to the whole of the main body part of the wine glass through the through-holes5in the lower area27.

FIG. 5is a diagram illustrating the bottom plate4of the glass storage tool1, in which (a) illustrates the lower surface of the bottom plate4and (b) illustrates a side end surface. In the diagram, the outer shape of the bottom plate4and the outlines of the through-holes5are drawn by thick lines. The bottom plate4is provided with: multiple protrusions44for restricting the bottom plate4from moving upward when attaching the bottom plate4to the side wall2; and an engagement hole45for engaging with the divider3.

The protrusions44are formed in a shape protruding from the outer wall surface of the frame part41, and provided on both longitudinal side end surfaces and both lateral side end surfaces of the bottom plate4. The engagement hole45is an insertion opening extending in the lateral direction and opening upward, and formed in the longitudinal center.

The ribs51are formed only on the lower surface of the bottom plate4so as to surround the through-holes5, but not present on the upper surface. Such ribs51make it possible to smooth the inner surface while suppressing the strength of the bottom plate4from being reduced by the many through-holes5.

FIG. 6is a diagram illustrating the divider3of the glass storage tool1, in which (a) illustrates the upper end surface of the divider3, (b) illustrates a wall surface, and (c) illustrates a side end surface. In the diagram, the outer shape of the divider3and the outlines of through-holes5are drawn by thick lines. The divider3is a flat plate extending in the vertical direction, and the width of the central part is narrower than the other parts.

The divider3is provided with: engagement convex parts31for engaging with the side wall2; an engagement convex part32for engaging with the bottom plate4; and frame parts33for engaging with the rail parts203of the side wall2. The engagement convex parts31are engaged with the upper end of the side wall2to thereby serve as stoppers that restrict the divider3from moving upward, and provided at the upper end of the divider3. The engagement convex parts31are respectively provided on both side end surfaces of the divider3.

The engagement convex part32is formed in a shape protruding from the lower end surface of the divider3, and inserted into the engagement hole45of the bottom plate4to thereby restrict the divider3from moving in the horizontal direction. The frame parts33extend in the vertical direction, and are respectively formed at both side end parts of the divider3.

Ribs51are formed on both wall surfaces of the divider3so as to surround through-holes5, but not present on the other wall surface. Such ribs51make it possible to suppress the strength of the divider3from being reduced by many through-holes5.

The above-described side wall member20, bottom plate4, and divider3are high in stiffness, and formed of a resin material superior in moldability into a mesh-like plate-shaped body, for example, polypropylene (PP) having heat resistance.

An assembling method when assembling the glass storage tool1from the two side wall members20, the bottom plate4, and the divider3is as follows. First, the two side wall members20are both brought into a flat state, the coupling parts20aof one of the side wall members20are inserted into the coupling parts20bof the other side wall member20, and on the other side as well, the coupling parts20aof the other side wall member20are inserted into the coupling parts20bof the one side wall member20. Then, by engaging the protrusion parts20cand the engaging holes20don the tilted surfaces together while folding both the side wall members20in the L-shape, the side wall members20are coupled to each other to complete the side wall2.

Subsequently, by moving the bottom plate4downward through the upper opening of the side wall2and locking it to the bottom plate engagement parts204of the side wall2, the bottom plate4is fixed to the lower end of the side wall2. Then, by engaging the frame parts33with the rail parts203of the side wall2while moving the divider3downward through the upper opening of the side wall2with the divider3facing the narrow walls, and inserting the engagement convex part32into the engagement hole45of the bottom plate4, the divider3is fixed to the side wall2and to the bottom plate4to complete the glass storage tool1.

FIG. 7andFIG. 8are diagrams illustrating each of the stoppers6used when coupling two glass storage tools1to each other.FIG. 7(a)illustrates the upper surface of the stopper6,FIG. 7(b)illustrates a side end surface, andFIG. 7(c)illustrates the back end surface in an insertion direction. In addition,FIG. 8(a)illustrates a perspective view of the stopper6before use, andFIG. 8(b)illustrates a perspective view of the stopper6in use.

The stoppers6are engagement members that pass through the engagement holes24provided at the upper end of one of two side walls2coupled by the storage tool coupling parts21and are inserted into the engagement holes25provided at the upper end of the other to thereby restrict the two glass storage tools1from sliding in the vertical direction.

The stoppers6each consists of: a flat plate-shaped insertion part61; a slit part62provided in the insertion part61; a locking part63provided at the back end of the insertion part61; and a falling-out prevention part64extending backward from the locking part63.

The insertion part61is inserted into the engagement hole24,25of the side wall2. The slit part62is formed in a shape extending in the insertion direction of the stopper6, i.e., in an up-down direction ofFIG. 7(a). Meanwhile, in the engagement hole25, a sandwiched plate25P extending in the insertion direction of the stopper6is provided. For this reason, when the insertion part61is inserted into the engagement hole25, the slit part62sandwiches the sandwiched plate25P and the stopper6is engaged with the side wall2on the engagement hole25side. At this time, the locking part63abuts on the side wall2on the engagement hole24side. For this reason, the stopper6connects the two glass storage tools1and restricts vertical sliding.

The fall-out prevention part64consists of a flat plate-shaped extension part640and three pins641to643provided at the fore end of it. The extension part640is formed in an easily foldable thin shape, and when folding the extension part640, the three pins641to643are arranged respectively intersecting with the insertion part61. At this time, the pins641and643on both sides are arranged on both sides of the insertion part61so as to sandwich the insertion part61, and the center pin642is inserted into the slit part62. The pins641and643on both sides are locking pins that sandwich the insertion part61to thereby suppress the slit part62from opening, and prevent the stopper6from falling off. The center pin642is a positioning pin for arranging the pins641and643on both sides so as to sandwich the insertion part61, and can also be omitted. In addition, the pins641and643on both sides are provided with engagement protrusions on the surfaces opposite to the insertion part61, and configured not to easily release a state of sandwiching the insertion part61.

A coupling method when coupling two or more glass storage tools1in the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction is as follows. First, by relatively sliding two glass storage tools1in the vertical direction with the side walls2facing each other, and accommodating the rail parts21aof one of the side walls2in the engagement grooves21bof the other side wall2, the two glass storage tools1are coupled to each other in the upper areas26of the side walls2. In this state, the protrusion parts21cof the one side wall2are accommodated in the engagement holes21dof the other side wall2, and thereby the two glass storage tools1are coupled to each other in the vicinities of the lower ends of the side walls2as well.

Then, by engaging the stoppers6with the engagement hole25at the upper end of the other side wall2through the engagement holes24provided at the upper end of the one side wall2of the two side walls2coupled by the storage tool coupling parts21, the two glass storage tools1are restricted from sliding in the vertical direction. Further, by folding the extension parts640of the fall-out prevention parts64and inserting the pins641to643, the stoppers are prevented from falling out, resulting in the completion of the coupling work.

In the glass storage tool1, the width of the wide walls is approximately twice the width of the narrow walls, and other two glass storage tools1can be coupled to one of the wide walls without a gap. That is, two glass storage tools1can be coupled to each other in an L-shape. For this reason, when coupling two or more glass storage tools1in the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction, the degree of freedom of coupling is high. For example, four glass storage tools1can be coupled in a square shape as viewed from above.

FIG. 9is a diagram illustrating a situation when coupling two glass storage tools1to each other.FIG. 10is a perspective view illustrating a glass storage system in which two glass storage tools1are connected.FIG. 9(a)illustrates a situation where by relatively sliding the two glass storage tools1in the vertical direction with the side walls2facing each other, the glass storage tools1are coupled to each other. When coupling the two glass storage tools1in the same attitude in the lateral direction, it is only necessary to, while relatively sliding the two glass storage tools1in the vertical direction with wide walls facing each other, accommodate the rail parts21aprovided on one of the wide walls in the engagement grooves21bprovided on the other wide wall.

FIG. 9(b)illustrates a situation where by inserting the stoppers6, the two side walls2are restricted from sliding in the vertical direction. The two side walls2coupled by the storage tool coupling parts21are restricted by at least two stoppers6whose insertion directions are opposite from sliding in the vertical direction. The wide walls are coupled to each other at four sites in the longitudinal direction by the rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21b, and restricted by the four stoppers6from moving in the vertical direction. The stoppers6are horizontally inserted from inside the engagement holes24, and by folding the fall-out prevention parts64, the stoppers6can be suppressed from falling out.

Since the two glass storage tools1coupled by the rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21bare restricted by the stoppers6from mutually sliding in the vertical direction, the two glass storage tools1are tightly coupled to each other. For this reason, when two or more glass storage tools1are mutually coupled, the glass storage tools1can be prevented from being easily mutually separated.

Also, by differentiating the insertion directions of the multiple stoppers6engaging with the two side walls2coupled by the rail parts21aand the engagement grooves21b, they can be suppressed from simultaneously falling out by impact or vibration at the time of a fall.

FIG. 11is a diagram illustrating glasses7stored in the glass storage tool1, in which the glass storage tool1is cut by a plane parallel to the wide wall surfaces2W to show the glasses7. The glasses7are wine glasses and each consists of a main body part71, a leg part72, and a base part73. In the glass storage tool1, the glasses7are stored in a state where the lips (rim parts) of the main body parts71face downward, i.e., in an upside-down state. The lips of the main body parts71are annular in shape.

The glasses7are placed on the glass placement parts40of the bottom plate4. The glass placement parts40are held at a position higher than the lower end of the side wall2, and therefore a space for when locally deformed can be secured. Accordingly, when an external force is applied to the bottom plate4by causes such as the fall of the glass storage tool1, the external force can be absorbed by the local deformation of the glass placement parts40. Also, the beam parts43are likely to cause the relative displacement in the radial direction, whereas the annular support parts42are unlikely to cause the relative displacement in the circumferential direction. For this reason, impact or vibration is absorbed by the relative displacement of the beam parts43in the radial direction, while the relative displacement in the circumferential direction is suppressed, making is possible to suppress a force from being concentrated on parts of the lips of the main body parts71.

By providing the circumferential edge parts of the glass placement parts40with the tilted surfaces403, when the glasses7are stored with the centers of the glasses7displaced from the centers of the glass placement parts40, the glasses7are guided so that the centers of the glasses7are brought close to the centers of the glass placement parts40by the tilted surfaces403. For this reason, the glasses7can be suppressed from being held in a state where the lips of the main body parts71are largely displaced from the annular support parts42. In addition, since the distances between the side wall2and the glasses7are secured regardless of a state at the time of storage, the performance of protecting the glasses7from impact or vibration at the time of a fall can be improved.

The total area of the openings of many through-holes5is larger in the lower area27than in the upper area26of the side wall2, and the lower area27is opposite to the main body parts71of the glasses7. For this reason, when washing the glasses7, the washing liquid can be uniformly sprayed to the whole of the main body parts71through the through-holes5in the lower area27to improve the washability of the glasses7.

In addition, in the glass storage tool1, the glasses7may be stored with the lips (rim parts) of the main body parts7facing upward. Storing with the lips (rim parts) facing upward makes it possible to prevent leftovers from spilling at the time of carrying, or the like.

The glass storage tool1according to the present embodiment is capable of holding the glasses7without easily breaking them. In particular, since a space for when the bottom plate4is locally deformed is secured, the performance of absorbing impact or vibration at the time of a fall can be ensured. In addition, since a force can be suppressed from being concentrated on the rim parts of the glasses7, the rim parts of the glasses7can be prevented from being damaged.

Further, since two glass storage tools1are tightly coupled to each other by the rail parts21a, the engagement grooves21b, and the stoppers6, when two or more glass storage tools1are mutually coupled, the glass storage tools1can be prevented from being easily mutually separated.

In addition, in the present embodiment, described is an example of a case where wine glasses are stored in the glass storage tool1; however, the present invention can also be applied to, for example, storage tools that store champagne glasses and cocktail glasses other than a wine glass.

Also, in the present embodiment, described is an example of a case where the two glasses7are stored in the one glass storage tool1; however, the present invention is not one that limits the configuration of the glass storage tool1to this. For example, in one glass storage tool1, one glass7may be stored, or three or more glasses7may be stored.

Further, in the present embodiment, described is an example of a case where the two annular support parts42are arranged within the opening401of the glass placement part40; however, the present invention is not one that limits the configuration of the glass placement part40to this. For example, three or more annular support parts42may be configured to be arranged within the opening401.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS