Patent Publication Number: US-2003230578-A1

Title: Closed container

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a closed container.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] In order to prevent air leakage, a closed performance is required of, for example, a container structured to be inflated with an air. Since a container is used to receive therein an article, however, it is necessary to provide an entrance and exit port, which is openable and closable so that an article is put in and taken out from the container. And there is caused a problem that when the entrance and exit port is opened, the closed performance is damaged to cause air leakage to deflate the container.  
       [0005] In order to solve such problem, there is conventionally proposed an inflatable/deflatable soft expanded product disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2001-224476. The expanded product is configured to comprise a window provided on an expanded product body to be enabled by a fastener to be opened and closed, and a top and bottom opened putting-in and taking-out portion composed of upper and lower thin-walled soft adhesion sheets having a self-adhesion, which can be pulled out or received in an inner space of the expanded product body through the window, so that a hand or an article can be put in and taken out from the inner space through the putting-in and taking-out portion.  
       [0006] However, there is a possibility that the putting-in and taking-out portion on the known soft expanded product might be caught by the faster on the window to be damaged when being taken out from the inner space or put in the inner space of the expanded product body through the window.  
       [0007] Also, while the putting-in and taking-out portion is folded or wound to be received into the inner space from the window in non-use, it is generally formed by a thin-walled soft sheet, so that bending and wrinkles are liable to be generated in a folded or wound state. Such tendency is conspicuous particularly in the case where the portion is large in size, and there is a possibility that the upper and lower sheets having adhered together are separated from each other in locations, in which bending and wrinkles are generated, to damage the closed performance to cause air leakage.  
       [0008] Also, with a structure, in which two upper and lower sheets are overlapped together and both ends thereof in a widthwise direction are fused together, as in the putting in and taking out section, there has been caused a problem that a bead  27  of a melt resin is frequently formed inside a fused part  26  between the two sheets  24 ,  25 , and the bead  27  generates a gap  28  between the two sheets  24 ,  25  to prevent the two sheets  24 ,  25  from closely contacting with each other, thus readily causing air leakage. In particular, the larger a thickness of the two sheets  24 ,  25 , the more conspicuous the tendency.  
       [0009] And in order to eliminate such gap  28 , the gap  28  is gotten rid of, as shown in FIG. 9C, by performing a work (weld processing), in which the bead  27  is crushed, several times with a thin film  29  of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like, interposed between the two sheets  24 ,  25  as shown in FIG. 9B. In addition, while the thin film  29  has a thickness of around 30 micrometer, it is interposed between the two sheets  24 ,  25  to thereby leave a slight gap therebetween, which gap is eliminated by winding the two sheets  24 ,  25 . However, there is a possibility that when internal pressure is increased in an inner space of an expanded product body, the sealing performance is made insufficient and air leakage is caused.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a closed container, in which a valve, of which closed performance is hardly damaged when a hand, or an article enters and exits an inner space, is provided on an entrance and exit port of a container body, breakage of the valve can be prevented when the valve is put in and taken out from an interior of the container body, the valve in a wound state is prevented from bending and forming wrinkles to generate a gap when the valve is put in the wound state and received in the inner space of the container body when the valve is not used, and even when internal pressure in the inner space is increased, an adequate sealing performance is maintained to be able to surely prevent air leakage.  
       [0011] In order to solve the problem, the invention provides a closed container comprising a valve  9  in the form of a flat bag with both inner and outer ends thereof opened, formed by vertically overlapping two soft sheets  10 ,  11 , which are varied in thickness to provide thin wall portions  14 ,  15  in an outer area thereof and thick wall portions  12 ,  13  in an inner area thereof and of which inner surfaces mutually possess a self-adhesion, and fusing the same along both ends thereof in a widthwise direction, and an entrance and exit port  7  provided on a part of a container body  1  of closed structure to be able to open and close, and wherein the valve  9  has an inner end thereof joined to an inner surface of the container body  1  so as to be communicated to the inner space  6  of the container body  1  and an outer end thereof made free, and the valve  9  can be taken out from the container body  1  through the entrance and exit port  7  as opened when the valve  9  is used, and put in a wound state to be received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  when the valve  9  is not used.  
       [0012] In addition, the closed container according to invention further comprises a winding core  16  for coiling the valve  9 , the winding core  16  comprising a flexible pipe body  17  and a core rod  18 , which is inserted into the pipe body  17  when the valve  9  is wound around an outer periphery of the pipe body  17 , and pulled out from the pipe body  17  when the valve  9  in a state of being wound around the pipe body  17  is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 . 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state, in which a valve is received in a container body;  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1;  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state, in which a valve is taken out from the container body;  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 3;  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a valve with a part thereof omitted;  
     [0018]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view showing a state, in which a hand is inserted into an inner space of the container body;  
     [0019]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state of being used as a container for plant culture;  
     [0020]FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 7; and  
     [0021]FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing a process, in which conventional, two upper and lower sheets are fused together.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0022] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to an example of the invention shown in the drawings. First, a container body  1  has a hollow structure with a closed performance. The container body  1  is optional in shape, and can have, for example, a dome structure as in the example shown in the drawings, in which a cylindrical-shaped peripheral wall portion  2 , a round roof portion  3 , and a disk-shaped bottom portion  4  are airtightly joined together. And the container body  1  can have a balloon-structure, into which an air is received for inflation.  
     [0023] A material of the container body  1  is optional, and the example shown adopts, for example, a soft plastic sheet, such as polyvinyl chloride, or the like, which is flexible to be folded in non-use. In addition, the container body  1  can be partly or wholly made transparent so as to permit seeing through an interior of the container body  1  from outside.  
     [0024] When the container body  1  has a balloon-structure as described above, it is necessary to inflate the container body  1  three-dimensionally in use. Therefore, a plugged air inlet  5  can be provided on a portion of the container body  1 , for example, a portion of the peripheral wall portion  2 .  
     [0025] It is necessary to put in and take out an article from an inner space  6  of the container body  1 . Here, provided on the peripheral wall portion  2  of the container body  1  is an openable and closable entrance and exit port  7  shaped and sized to permit an article, a hand, or the like to enter and exit. Means for opening and closing the entrance and exit port  7  is optional, and can adopt, for example, a fastener  8  as in the illustrated example.  
     [0026] When an article, a hand, or the like enters and exits the inner space  6  of the container body  1  through the entrance and exit port  7 , the entrance and exit port  7  is of course opened. In order to prevent air leakage from the inner space  6  as much as possible at this time, a valve  9  is mounted on the entrance and exit port  7 .  
     [0027] The valve  9  can be made a flat bag by vertically overlapping two soft, plastic sheets  10 ,  11 , which possess a self-adhesion mutually, and fusing the sheets along both ends thereof in a widthwise direction to make both inside and outside ends of the bag open. In addition, the possession of self-adhesion means that the soft sheets  10 ,  11  adhere to themselves without the medium of other substances. For example, polyvinyl chloride, or the like can be used as a material possessing a self-adhesion.  
     [0028] The valve  9  is mounted in a manner to provide communication between the inner space  6  of the container body  1  and an outside. Also, the valve  9  is mounted such that its inner end is joined to the container body  1  and its outer end is made free. Also, the valve  9  is mounted such that it can be received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  from the entrance and exit port  7  in non-use and can be taken out from the entrance and exit port  7  in use. In order to mount the valve  9  in such manner, it suffices to position the inner end of the valve  9  in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  to fuse a peripheral edge of the inner end to a portion on an inner surface of the container body  1  to surround the entrance and exit port  7 .  
     [0029] The two upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11  constituting the valve  9  are not uniform in thickness but are varied in thickness. That is, the sheets comprise thick wall portions  12 ,  13  in an inner area thereof and thin wall portions  14 ,  15  in an outer area thereof. For example, the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  can have a thickness of 200 micrometer (0.2 mm), and the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  can have a thickness of 100 micrometer (0.1 mm). The thick wall portions  12 ,  13  are provided to protect the thin wall portions  14 ,  15 , and the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  are provided to facilitate close adhesion, thereby improving the sealing performance.  
     [0030] When a hand, or an article enters and exits the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , the entrance and exit port  7  is opened as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to put the valve  9  in a state, in which it is taken out from the entrance and exit port  7 . And a hand is inserted between the upper, soft sheet  10  and the lower, soft sheet  11  of the valve  9  as shown in FIG. 6. While the upper, soft sheet  10  and the lower, soft sheet  11  are put in a state, in which they are separated from each other, in an area where a hand is inserted, a closely adhered state is maintained in other areas than the area by the self-adhesion, so that the closed performance is slightly damaged and so air leakage can be prevented as much as possible. A quantity of an air having leaked can be replenished later from the air inlet  5 .  
     [0031] When the valve  9  is in non-use, it is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  to put the entrance and exit port  7  in a closed state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the valve  9  is to be received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , it can be put in a wound state i.e. coiled state.  
     [0032] In order to put the valve  9  in a wound state, a winding core  16  can be used to be able to coil the valve  9 . The use of such winding core  16  makes it possible to make the upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11  adhere together intensely, so that the sealing performance can be improved. In addition, the winding core  16  can be constituted by a flexible pipe body  17  made of plastics or rubber, and a hard core rod  18  insertable through a central hole of the pipe body  17 . With such constitution, the core rod  18  is inserted into the central hole of the pipe body  17  to thereby make the pipe body  17  straight, so that it becomes easy to wind the valve  9  around the pipe body.  
     [0033] When the valve  9  is put in a wound state, the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the soft sheets  10 ,  11  are positioned toward a center of the valve and the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  cover and protect peripheries of the soft sheets.  
     [0034] When the valve  9  is wound around the winding core  16  and received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  through the entrance and exit port  7 , such action can be performed in a state, in which the core rod  18  is pulled out from the pipe body  17  and the pipe body  17  is somewhat flexed. By doing so, the valve  9  wound around the pipe body  17  can be readily inserted into the inner space  6  of the container body  1  through the entrance and exit port  7 . At this time, since the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  cover and protect peripheries of the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the soft sheets  10 ,  11  as described above, damage to the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the valve  9  can be avoided even when the thin wall portions are caught by the fastener  8  on the entrance and exit port  7 .  
     [0035] In a state, in which the valve  9  in a wound state is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  cover and protect peripheries of the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the soft sheets  10 ,  11  of the valve  9  as described above, so that strength is increased to make it hard to cause bending and generation of wrinkles. Accordingly, air leakage can be surely prevented without damage to the closed performance, even when a gap would be generated between the thin wall portions  14 ,  15 .  
     [0036] In a state, in which the valve  9  in a wound state is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , the wound state can be maintained to a certain degree by internal pressure in the container body  1 . However, it is impossible to completely prevent the valve  9  in a wound state from slacking. Hereupon, when the valve  9  is put in a wound state, an adhesive tape (not shown) may be used to fix the valve  9  to the pipe body  17  on the winding core  16 , thereby preventing slacking.  
     [0037] The closed container according to the embodiment has an excellent general purpose and is optional in use. The container can be used as, for example, a container for plant culture for the interior as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this case, a bed material for taking root of a plant  23  must be provided in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 . For example, soil  19  or the like can be used as a bed material for plant growth. The soil  19  is optional in kind and blending, and it is possible to select one suited to a plant being cultivated. In addition, a porous or fibrous substance capable of containing, for example, water and fertilizer, in addition to the soil  19  can be used as a bed material for plant growth. Also, a bed log having been inoculated with spawn, or the like can be used as a bed material.  
     [0038] In addition, when the soil  19  is used, it will be laid on the bottom portion  4  of the container body  1 . Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the bottom portion  4  in rigidity. Also, since the soil  19  is required to contain some moisture, the bottom portion  4  must be made water-proof in structure. Here, the bottom portion  4  is preferably structured such that water-proof sheets  21 ,  22  cover a core plate  20  of high rigidity from above and below.  
     [0039] In order to enjoy a plant  23  in the container body  1 , it is necessary to make the peripheral wall portion  2  and the roof portion  3  transparent, and application of an anti-fog treatment is preferable in order to further facilitate enjoyment.  
     [0040] A bed material for plant growth, such as the soil  19  or the like, is made to contain some water. A plant  23  sucks up the water in a manner to absorb an amount of the water required for growth and transpire the remainder of the water. Also, moisture also evaporates from a bed material such as the soil  19  or the like. Since moisture transpired from the plant  23  and evaporated from a bed material such as the soil  19  or the like has difficulty in escaping outside the container body  1 , it will be recovered by a bed material such as the soil  19  or the like. Accordingly, it is not necessary to water the plant every day.  
     [0041] Also, while a plant needs carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, it conversely releases carbon dioxide in the night, so that an amount of carbon dioxide contained in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  suffices. Accordingly, ventilation of an air is not necessary.  
     [0042] The plant  23  for growth in the inner space  6  of the container body  1  is optional but a plant liable to easily grow is not suitable. Also, a shade-liking plant is suitable.  
     [0043] The closed container according to the invention is also usable for life buoy, surfboarding play tool, air pillow, ball, or the like as well as the container for plant growth.  
     [0044] With the closed container according to the embodiment, the valve  9  provided on the entrance and exit port  7  of the container body  1  is constituted by the upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11 , which possess a self-adhesion and comprise the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  and the thin wall portions  14 ,  15 , so that the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  cover and protect peripheries of the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the soft sheets  10 ,  11  of the valve  9  when the valve  9  is put in a wound state, and so it is possible to prevent breakage of the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  of the valve  9  even in the case where the thin wall portions are caught by the fastener  8  when the valve is put in and taken out from the inner space  6  of the container body  1  through the entrance and exit port  7 .  
     [0045] Also, in a state, in which the valve  9  in a wound state is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , likewise, the thick wall portions  12 ,  13  cover the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  to increase strength thereof, so that bending and wrinkles become hard to generate and no gap is generated between the two upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11 , thus enabling surely preventing air leakage from the valve  9 .  
     [0046] Also, in the case where both ends of the two upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11  in a widthwise direction are fused together to form a valve  9 , the provision of the thin wall portions  14 ,  15  specifically makes it hard for that bead  27  of a melt resin, which has been described in the related art, to be formed in a fused portion at the both ends, and generation of the gap  28  is eliminated, so that the two upper and lower, soft sheets  10 ,  11  can come into close contact with each other to maintain the sealing performance and even when internal pressure is increased in a state, in which the valve in a wound state is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , the sealing performance is not damaged and air leakage can be surely prevented.  
     [0047] Subsequently, the closed container further comprises a winding core  16  for coiling the valve  9 , the winding core  16  comprising a flexible pipe body  17  and a core rod  18 , which is inserted into the pipe body  17  when the valve  9  is wound around an outer periphery of the pipe body  17 , and pulled out from the pipe body  17  when the valve  9  in a state of being wound around the pipe body  17  is received in the inner space  6  of the container body  1 , so that there is obtained an advantage that the valve  9  is made easy to wind, the sealing quality can be improved by intensely winding the valve  9  to increase the closed performance, and the valve  9  is made easy to be put in and taken out from the entrance and exit port  7  of the container body  1 .