Patent Publication Number: US-2004045511-A1

Title: Keeping case and partition plate for the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] This invention relates to a keeping case and a partition plate for the same.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Generally, a keeping case to keep insects, small animals, fish, etc. has a case main body provided with a partition plate piece to separate males and females, and prevent hostile ones from fighting each other by separation. FIG. 9 shows a conventional keeping case having the partition plate piece for separation (a lid is not shown in FIG. 9).  
       [0005] The conventional keeping case is provided with plural pairs of vertical grooves  32  on inner faces  31  of a pair of parallel side walls of a case main body  30 . And, a partition plate piece  33  is inserted downward to the pair of grooves  32  to be set.  
       [0006] However, production cost for metal mold is high because the plural grooves have to be formed on the case main body  30 . And, size (volume) of left and right spaces divided by the partition plate piece  33  is restricted by the positions of the grooves  32  (divisional pattern is restricted to 5 stages in FIG. 9).  
       [0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a keeping case of which main body does not require the grooves to reduce the production cost of the metal mold. And, it is another object to provide a keeping case with which the both of the left and right spaces can be made large and small steplessly.  
       [0008] And, it is still another object to provide a keeping case of which partition plate can be easily detached from the case when it is not required. And, it is another object to provide a keeping case with which insects and small animals can be clearly observed through the side wall of the main body. And, it is further object to provide a keeping case of which partition plate can be easily attached and detached. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a principal portion;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is an explanatory enlarged cross-sectional side view of a principal portion;  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is an explanatory enlarged cross-sectional side view of the principal portion;  
     [0015]FIG. 6 is an explanatory enlarged cross-sectional side view of the principal portion;  
     [0016]FIG. 7 is a top view;  
     [0017]FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a principal portion showing a second embodiment; and  
     [0018]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a conventional example. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0020]FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. This keeping case is used to keep insects and small animals inside. The keeping case has a case main body  1  composed of transparent or translucent material (plastic, glass, etc.). Although a lid is omitted in Figures, this lid having ventilation holes (mesh) is generally provided with a handle to be portable.  
     [0021] A partition plate  2 , to divide an inner space of the upper-opening case main body  1 , is attached as to freely and steplessly slide in directions of arrows A along a pair of parallel sides  4  on an upper-opening brim  3  of the case main body  1 . When the partition plate  2  is slid in an arrow A 1  direction, a space X on a right side of the case main body  1  is made smaller and a space Y on a left side is made larger. On the contrary, when the partition plate  2  is slid in an arrow A 2  direction, the space X on the right side of the case main body  1  is made larger and the space Y on the left side is made smaller.  
     [0022] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the partition plate  2  has hitching portions  5  of inverted U-shaped, to prevent the plate from being drawn out of the case, detachably hitched on a pair of sides  4  of the case main body  1 . The hitching portion  5  has an elastically deformable holding piece portion  6  and a (wedge shaped) claw portion  7 , of which cross section is approximately right-angled triangle, protruding from an inner side of the holding piece portion  6 .  
     [0023]FIGS. 4 through 6 show how the hitching portion  5  is hitched on the case main body  1  when the partition plate  2  is attached to the case main body  1 . First, as shown in FIG. 4, the partition plate  2  above the case main body  1  is moved in an arrow C direction.  
     [0024] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the claw portion  7  contacts a turnback wall portion  8  to elastically deform the holding piece portion  6  and the turnback wall portion  8 . Then, the hitching portion  5  is hitched on the case main body  1  as shown in FIG. 6 by elastic resilient force of the holding piece portion  6  and the turnback wall portion  8 .  
     [0025] That is to say, the holding piece portion  6  always has elastic force in an inward direction (toward the left side in FIGS.  4  through  6 ), and the turnback wall portion  8  always has elastic force in an outward direction (toward the right side in FIGS. 4 through 6). When the claw portion  7  contacts the turnback wall portion  8  of the case main body  1 , the holding piece portion  6  is elastically deformed outward and the turnback wall portion  8  is elastically deformed inward. And, when the claw portion  7  passes a lower end of the turnback wall portion  8 , the claw portion  7  is hitched on the lower end of the turnback wall portion  8  to attach the hitching portion  5  to the case main body  1 .  
     [0026] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the partition plate  2  has a belt piece portion  11  facing an inner face of the case main body  1  on each of side edges  9  as to be at right angles with each of the side edges  9  to prevent falling and inclining. The belt piece portion  11  prevents the partition plate  2  from deviating in arrows B directions in FIG. 7, namely, from falling and inclining.  
     [0027] Maximum width dimension W 0  of the belt piece portion  11  is set to be 5 mm≦W 0 ≦30 mm. If the maximum width dimension W 0  is less than 5 mm, the partition plate  2  may be deviated and damaged by receiving force in the deviation direction of the partition plate  2  (namely, the direction of the arrows B in FIG. 7). And, if the maximum width dimension W 0  is more than 30 mm, material of the belt piece portion  11  is excessively used.  
     [0028] Maximum width dimension W 1  of the hitching portion  5  is set to be 10 mm≦W 1 ≦50 mm. When the maximum width dimension W 1  is within this range, the partition plate  2  is effectively prevented further from deviating in the arrow B direction.  
     [0029] If the maximum width dimension W 1  is less than 10 mm, the partition plate  2  may be deviated and damaged by receiving force in the deviation direction of the partition plate  2  (namely, the direction of the arrows B in FIG. 7). And, if the maximum width dimension W 1  is more than 50 mm, material of the hitching portion  5  is excessively used.  
     [0030] The belt piece portion  11  is made as to contact the inner face  10  or make a small gap between the inner face  10  to prevent the small animals in the case from passing through the gap. The slide of the partition plate  2  is impeded if the belt piece portion  11  excessively fit to the inner face  10 . And, if the gap between the belt piece portion  11  and the inner face  10  is large, function of the case to separate small animals according to the species by the partition plate  2  is spoiled because the small animals pass through the gap.  
     [0031]FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment in which the claw portion  7  of the partition plate  2  (refer to FIGS. 1 through 7) has a small R portion  12  in its cross-sectional configuration. By this construction, possibility of damaging the case main body  1  and fingers when the partition plate  2  is attached to and detached from the case main body  1  (refer to FIGS. 1 through 7) can be eliminated.  
     [0032] According to the keeping case and the partition plate for the same, production cost of the metal mold is reduced without forming grooves on the case main body  1 . And, size of the both of the divided spaces X and Y can be steplessly made larger and smaller. And, the partition plate  2  can be easily detached from the case when it is not required. And, insects and small animals in the case can be clearly observed through the side wall of the case main body  1 .  
     [0033] And, the partition plate  2  can be easily attached and detached. And, the partition plate  2  can be kept vertical without falling and inclining.  
     [0034] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in this specification, it is to be understood that the invention is illustrative and not restrictive, because various changes are possible within the spirit and indispensable features.