Patent Publication Number: US-6902333-B2

Title: Container capable of moving a contained article in longitudinal direction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a container for containing a prepared article such as a lipstick, a medical lip balm or a paste or a fixed article such as a cosmetic brush or a seal such that the article can be taken in and out by moving an operating knob forward and backward. 
   As a container of this type is, for example, known a stick-shaped prepared article container constructed such that a receiving tube holding a stick-shaped prepared article is accommodated in a tubular housing having an opening at its leading end and is movably supported in the longitudinal direction of the housing, a belt-shaped operative member is accommodated in the housing while being curved in U-shape and has one end thereof coupled to the receiving tube, the receiving tube is moved via the operative member by moving an operating knob mounted on the operative member from the outside of the housing forward and backward to take the stick-shaped prepared article in and out (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 58-112214). 
   Such a container normally has a split structure of splitting the housing into two pieces in radial direction, and is assembled by mounting the receiving tube and the operative member in a guide groove and the like formed in the inner side surface of one split piece beforehand and mounting the operative member and the like in a guide groove formed in the other split piece while joining the other split piece with the one split piece. Thus, this container has a problem of a poor assembling operability. 
   Specifically, it is necessary to curve the belt-shaped operative member in U-shape while fitting it into the guide grooves and join the two split pieces together while maintaining such a state. For example, if an attempt is made to join the other split piece with the one split piece with the operative member assembled with the one split piece, the operative member frequently comes out of the guide grooves of the split pieces due to an occurrence of springback, thereby causing a problem of taking excessive time and labor in assembling the container. Particularly, in the case that the operative member has a high rigidity or is folded at a large radius of curvature, springback is likely to occur, resulting in an even worse assembling operability. 
   Further, since the prepared article is thought to be pushed back into the container of this type by a reaction force when the prepared article is pressed against something on which the prepared article is to be applied, it is necessary to effectively prevent it. 
   On this point, the container disclosed in the above publication is so constructed as to fixedly hold the prepared article in position by the engagement of the operating knob with a projection-shaped stopper provided at a movable end of the operating knob. By using the prepared article with the operating knob engaged with the stopper, the prepared article can be prevented from being pushed back into the container. However, this container can fixedly hold the prepared article in position only when the prepared article is completely pushed out (only in a state where the prepared article is most pushed out), and it has been impossible to fixedly hold the prepared article at any desired position according to a remaining amount. 
   There have been proposed such containers incorporated with a mechanism for locking a prepared article that an operating knob is moved to take the prepared article in and out, for example, while being pushed in to cancel locking and, when hand is released from the operating knob at the time of using the prepared article, the operating knob returns to a locked state by an elastic force of a spring or elastic element to lock the prepared article at a desired pushed-out position (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 11-164730, 8-126525). However, these containers require two operations of: (1) pushing in the operating knob and (2) moving the operating knob when the prepared article is taken in and out and, accordingly, cumbersome to operate. Further, if the operating knob is forcibly moved by neglecting the operation (1), the locking mechanism may be damaged or broken. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a container which overcomes the problems residing in the prior art and can move a contained article in its longitudinal direction. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, a container comprises a tubular housing having an opening; an inner frame member separate from the housing, placed in the housing, and formed with a support section for accommodating an article to be contained and a guiding projection. Further, an operative member folded along and movable along the guiding projection is provided. A holder located in the support section for holding the article is provided at one end of the operative member, and an operating knob exposed to the outside of the housing is provided at the other end of the operative member. The holder is moved in a longitudinal direction of the housing by moving the operating knob in the longitudinal direction of the housing. 
   These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments/examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a stick-shaped prepared article container provided with an operating knob according to an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a vertical sectional view of the stick-shaped prepared article container; 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are a perspective view in partial section and a plan view in section showing a housing forming a main body of the stick-shaped prepared article container, respectively; 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are a perspective view in partial section and a plan view in section showing an internal frame member forming the main body of the stick-shaped prepared article container, respectively; 
       FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C are perspective views in partial section showing an operative member forming the main body of the stick-shaped prepared article container, an enlarged perspective view showing a knob mounting portion, and a plan view in section showing the operative member, respectively; 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C are perspective views in partial section showing an assembling procedure of the stick-shaped prepared article container, wherein  FIG. 6A  shows a state where the operative member is inserted into the internal frame member,  FIG. 6B  shows a state during the insertion of the internal frame member and the like into the housing, and  FIG. 6C  shows a state where the internal frame member is inserted into the housing; 
       FIGS. 7A ,  7 B and  7 C are sectional views showing used states of the stick-shaped prepared article container, wherein  FIG. 7A  shows a state where the prepared article is pushed out,  FIG. 7B  shows a state where the prepared article is used, and  FIG. 7C  shows a state where the prepared article is accommodated; 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged sectional view of an essential portion (or circular portion shown in phantom line in  FIG. 7B ) of  FIG. 7B  showing a relationship between engaging teeth of the operative member and a claw portion; 
       FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional view of an essential portion (or circular portion shown in phantom line in  FIG. 7C ) of  FIG. 7C  showing a relationship between the engaging teeth of the operative member and the claw portion; 
       FIG. 10  is a front view of a stick-shaped prepared article container provided with an operating knob according to another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a sectional view of the stick-shaped prepared article container; 
       FIGS. 12A ,  12 B,  12 C and  12 D are sectional views showing used states of the stick-shaped prepared article container, wherein  FIG. 12A  shows a state immediately after the prepared article starts being pushed out,  FIG. 12B  shows a state where a lid is mostly moved at a lateral side of the container,  FIG. 12C  shows a state where the lid s completely moved to the lateral side of the container to completely open the leading end of the container, and  FIG. 12D  shows a state where the prepared article is pushed out; 
       FIG. 13  is a fragmentary front view of the stick-shaped prepared article container showing a stopper for the operating knob provided in a slit; 
       FIG. 14  is a diagram showing another exemplary relationship between the engaging teeth of the operative member and the claw portion (while the prepared article is being pushed out); 
       FIG. 15  is a diagram showing still another exemplary relationship between the engaging tooth of the operative member and the claw portion (while the prepared article is being accommodated; and 
       FIG. 16  is a vertical sectional view of another stick-shaped prepared article container provided with a modified internal frame member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a stick-shaped prepared article container provided with an operating knob according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. A stick-shaped prepared article container  10  (hereinafter, merely “container  10 ”) is provided with a tubular main body  12  for accommodating a stick-shaped prepared article C (article) such as a lip stick and a cap  14  to be detachably mountable on the leading end (upper end) of the main body  12  and is constructed such that the prepared article C can be taken in and out of the main body  12  by moving an operating knob  26  provided on the side surface of the main body  12  forward and backward along longitudinal direction along the main body  12  while the main body  12  is gripped by a user with the cap detached. 
   The main body  12  of the container  10  is, as shown in  FIG. 2 , comprised of a total of four parts: a housing  20 , an internal frame member  22 , an operative member  24  and the operating knob  26 , and is formed by assembling these parts together. 
   The housing  20  is a part forming the outer configuration of the container  10  and has a bottomed tubular shape provided with a leading-end opening  30  and has a slit formed in its side surface to extend from the leading end to a middle portion along vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the housing  20 , lengthwise direction) as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
   Inside the housing  20  is defined a guiding recess  36  which has a substantially rectangular cross section, extends from a bottom portion  32  of the housing  20  to the middle portion and is open toward the leading end. This recess  36  is made up of an inner wall surface (specifically inner wall of a portion of the housing  20  corresponding to the slit  34 ; hereinafter referred to as inner wall  36   a ) of the housing  20 , an opposite wall  36   b  opposed to the inner wall  36   a , and a pair of parallel side walls  36   c  coupling the walls  36   a  and  36   b . As described later, the guiding recess  36  cooperates a guide projection  44  of the internal frame member  22  to form a guiding path  16  for the operative member  24 . 
   The bottom surface of the recess  36  is an arcuate surface having a U-shaped cross section. A step-shaped claw portion  39  is formed on the arcuate bottom surface and engageable with engaging teeth  54  of the operative member  24  to be described later. A guide groove  38  is so formed in the opposite wall  36   b  of the inner wall surfaces of the recess  36  as to vertically extend straight from the upper end to the proximity of the bottom end for guiding a guiding portion  24   a  of the operative member  24 . 
   A guide groove  37  vertically extending straight along the slit  34  is formed at a position of the inner wall surface of the housing  20  corresponding to the slit  34 , and a knob mounting portion  56  of the operative member  24  to be described later is guidable along this guide groove  37 . Further, a locking hole  32   a  (engageable portion) for fixing the inner frame member  22  vertically penetrates the bottom portion  32  of the housing  20  outside the recess  36 , specifically at an immediate rear side (left side in  FIG. 3B ) of the opposite wall  36   b.    
   The inner frame member  22  is a part for directly containing the prepared article C to be accommodated in the housing  20  and has a hollow cylindrical shape formed with a leading-end opening  40  as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
   The dimensions of the outer shape of the inner frame member  22  are set such that the inner frame member  22  can be inserted into the housing  20  without leaving any clearance therebetween, and a jaw portion  41  having the same outer diameter as the housing  20  is integrally formed near the leading end of the inner frame member  22 . 
   A hollow support section for supporting the prepared article C is formed at an upper part of the inner frame member  22 , whereas the guiding projection  44  and a locking piece  46  are formed at a lower part of the inner frame member  22 . The guiding projection  44  extends downward, and the narrow locking piece  46  is provided in parallel with the guiding projection  44 . These guiding projection  44  and locking piece  46  are integrally formed with a partition wall  42  defining the hollow support section. 
   The guiding projection  44  is a projection in the form of a flat plate extending in a radial direction from a center longitudinal axis of the inner frame member  22  as shown in  FIG. 4B , and an arcuate guide surface  44   a  is formed at its bottom end. On the other hand, the locking piece  46  is provided at a side opposite from the guiding projection  44  with respect to the center longitudinal axis of the inner frame member  22  and a hook  46   a  is integrally formed at its bottom end. 
   A through hole  42   a  used to insert the operative member  24  vertically penetrates the partition wall  42 . This through hole  42   a  has such a shape corresponding to the cross section of the later-described guiding portion  24   a  of the operative member  24 , and is so provided adjacent to the guiding projection  44  that a pair of elongated projections  52   a  formed on the operative member  24  automatically hold the guiding projection  44  from opposite sides (i.e., the guiding projection  44  is located between the two elongated projections  52   b ) when the operative member  24  is inserted. 
   As shown in  FIG. 5A , the operative member  24  is a long and narrow part used to push the prepared article C in and out, and a holder  50  (holding element) for the prepared article C is integrally provided at one end thereof. In  FIG. 5A , the operative member  24  is shown to be folded at its intermediate position in view of the drawing space. 
   The holder  50  has a double disk structure provided with a small-diameter disk  50   a  and a large-diameter disk  50   b , the former being located above the latter. The outer shape of the large-diameter disk  50   b  is so dimensioned that the disk  50   b  can be smoothly slidable in the hollow support section of the inner frame member  22  along vertical direction while leaving no clearance between it and the support section. As described later, the prepared article C is supported on an end surface of the large-diameter disk  50   b  with the small-diameter disk  50   a  of the holder  50  embedded in one end (bottom end) of the shaft-shaped prepared article C. 
   The operative member  24  is substantially in the form of a flat plate except the holder  50 , and has the guiding portion  24   a  provided at a base end side and continuous with the holder  50  and a belt portion  24   b  at a leading end side. 
   The guiding portion  24   a  has a certain degree of rigidity and is constructed such that vertically extending projections for guiding are formed on its front and rear surfaces. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 5C , one elongated projection  52   a  is formed at the widthwise (vertical direction in  FIG. 5C ) center of one surface (left surface in FIG.  5 C: hereinafter referred to as front surface) of the guiding portion  24   a , and the pair of elongated projections  52   b  are formed at the opposite widthwise ends of the opposite surface (hereinafter referred to as rear surface). 
   On the other hand, the belt portion  24   b  has a sufficient flexibility. A plurality of engaging teeth  54  like sawteeth engageable with the claw portion  39  formed in the housing  20  are formed on the front surface of the belt portion  24   b  in a specified range extending from the proximity of an end portion of the guiding portion  24   a . The detailed constructions of the claw portion  39  and the engaging teeth are described later. 
   The knob mounting portion  56  projects from the front surface of the leading end of the belt portion  24   b  (leading end of the operative member  24 ). This knob mounting portion  56  is formed with a mount hole  56   a  for the operating knob  26  as shown in FIG.  5 B. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operating knob  26  has a main section having an anti-slip unevenness on its front surface as an operation surface, and a hook  26   a  used to mount the operative member (knob mounting portion  56 ) is integrally formed on the rear surface of the operating knob  26 . 
   The main body  12  is assembled from the parts constructed as above. An assembling procedure is described below. 
   First, the operative member  24  is inserted into the inner frame member  22  as shown in FIG.  6 A. Specifically, the operative member  24  is drawn out to below the support section with the holder  50  left in the support section by being inserted into a support section of the inner frame member  22  from the leading end of the belt portion  24   b  and introducing the operative member  24  through the through hole  42   a  formed in the partition wall  42 . At this time, when the operative member  24  is inserted through the through hole  42   a , the guiding projection  44  is located between the pair of elongated projections  52   b  formed on the rear surface of the guiding portion  24   a , whereby the operative member  24  is guided along the guiding projection  44 . 
   After the operative member  24  is mounted into the inner frame member  22 , the belt portion  24   a  thereof is folded in U-shape by the guide surface  44   a  along the guiding projection  44  of the inner frame member  22  and is held along the outer surface of the inner frame member  22  as shown in FIG.  6 B. At this time, the operative member  24  may be folded by being pulled down with the holder held in abutment against the partition wall  42 , and the inner frame member  22  may be held together with the knob mounting portion  56  of the operative member  24  in this state. 
   In this state, the inner frame member  22  is inserted into the housing  20  through the leading-end opening  30  from the leading end side of the guiding projection  44 , and a portion of the inner frame member  22  corresponding to the guiding projection  44  is inserted into the recess  36  inside the housing  20 . At this time, the inner frame member  22  and the like are inserted into the housing  20  while fitting the elongated projection  52   a  formed on the guiding portion  24   a  of the operative member  24  into the guide groove  38  formed in the opposite wall  36   b  of the recess  36  and fitting the knob mounting portion  56  into the guide groove  37 . 
   When the inner frame member  22  and the like are completely inserted into the housing  20  in this way, i.e., the inner frame member  22  and the like are inserted up to a position where the jaw portion  41  of the inner frame member  22  comes into contact with an opening edge at the leading end of the housing  20 , the hook  46   a  at the leading end of the locking piece  46  of the inner frame member  22  is inserted into the locking hole  32   a,  thereby engaging the locking piece  46  with the bottom portion  32  of the housing  20 , with the result that the inner frame member  22  and the like are so assembled into the housings as not to come out. Further, the guiding path  16  having a U-shaped cross section for guiding the operative member  24  is formed between the guiding projection  44  of the inner frame member  22  and the inner wall of the recess  36  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
   After the inner frame member  22  and the like are assembled into the housing  20 , the hook  26   a  of the operating knob  26  is inserted into the slit  34  from outside the housing  20  to be inserted into the mount hole  56   a  formed in the knob mounting portion  56  of the operative member  24  as shown in FIG.  6 C. In this way, the hook  26   a  is engaged with the knob mounting portion  56  via the mount hole  56   a  to fix the operating knob  26  to the operative member  24 . 
   The main body  12  is completed by completing the fixing of the knob mounting portion  56  as above. The cap  14  has such a hollow cylindrical shape having substantially the same outer diameter as the housing  20 , and is mountable on the main body  12  at its upper end portion, precisely at a portion of the main body  12  above the jaw portion  41  of the inner frame member  22 . 
   In the container  10  constructed as above, the prepared article C is accommodated in the support section of the inner frame member  22  of the main body  12  while being supported by the operative member  24 . More specifically, the prepared article C is accommodated while having the small-diameter disk  50   a  of the holder  50  embedded at the bottom end thereof and being supported from below by the large-diameter disk  50   b . In this way, the holder  50  and the prepared article C are integrally movable in the support section of the inner frame member  22 . 
   While the prepared article C is not used, the operating knob  26  is located near the upper end of the slit  34  to accommodate the prepared article C in the main body  12  (pulled-in state) as shown in FIG.  2 . By mounting the cap  14  on the upper end portion of the main body  12  in this state, the prepared article C can be protected from drying. 
   When the prepared article C is to be used, the cap  14  is detached and the operating knob  26  is pushed down along the slit  34  as shown in  FIG. 7A  while the main body  12  is gripped. If the operating knob  26  is pushed down, the operative member  24  moves together with the operating knob  26 , with the result that the prepared article C is moved upward together with the holder  50  in the inner frame member  22  and is pushed out toward the leading end of the main body  12  as shown in FIG.  7 C. Thus, if the prepared article C is, for example, a lipstick, the lipstick can be put on by being pressed against lips while being pushed toward the leading end of the main body  12 . 
   If the operating knob  26  is conversely pushed up to the upper end of the slit  34  after the use, the prepared article C is moved downward together with the holder  50  in the support section of the inner frame member  22 , with the result that the prepared article C can be accommodated into the main body  12 . 
   In this container  10 , the prepared article C is taken in and out by operating the operating knob  26  as described above. While the prepared article C is being used, it is necessary to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back into the main body  12  even if hand is released from the operating knob  26 . Specifically, a force to push the prepared article C back into the main body  12  (reaction force) acts due to a pressing force (force to press the lipstick against the lips if the prepared article C is a lipstick) acting at the time of using the prepared article C. Thus, it is necessary to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back into the main body  12  by this reaction force. In view of this point, in this container  10 , the engaging teeth  54  are provided on the belt portion  24   b  of the operative member  24 , the claw portion  39  engageable with the engaging teeth  54  is provided in the housing  20  as described above, and the guiding path  16  for guiding the belt portion  24   b  and the like is constructed as follows in order to satisfactorily prevent the prepared article C being used from being pushed back. 
   Specifically, the engaging teeth  54  and the claw portion  39  are so shaped such that they are not engaged when the operative member  24 , i.e., the belt portion  24   b  is moved in such a direction as to push the prepared article C out by operating the operating knob  26  and are conversely engaged when the operative member  24  is moved in an opposite direction, i.e., in a direction to accommodate the prepared article C (hereinafter, “accommodating direction”) (see FIG.  8 ). Further, a portion of the guiding path  16  corresponding to a turned portion of the operative member  24  and a portion thereof located more toward the operating knob  26  (portion at the right side of the claw portion  39  in  FIG. 8 ) from the turned portion is widened in relation to the thickness of the belt portion  24   b  to provide a vertical margin. This margin is set such that the engaging teeth  54  and the claw portion  39  are not engaged with the belt portion  24   b  held in contact with the guiding projection  44  (see FIG.  9 ). 
   Thus, at the time of pushing the prepared article C out, the engaging teeth  54  and the claw portion  39  are not engaged and, therefore, the operative member  24  is smoothly moved along the guiding path  16  as the operating knob  26  is operated. As a result, the prepared article C can be smoothly pushed out. 
   When a reaction force, i.e., a force to push the prepared article C back (load acting in the accommodating direction) acts on the prepared article C being used as shown by an arrow in  FIG. 7B , the movement of the operative member  24  in the accommodating direction along the guiding path  16  is hindered by the engagement of the engaging tooth  54  and the claw portion  39  as shown in FIG.  8 . This prevents the prepared article C from being pushed back into the main body  12 . In other words, since the operative member  24  (belt portion  24   b ) is folded in U-shape at the bottom end of the housing  20 , if the reaction force acts on the prepared article C as shown by an arrow in  FIG. 8 , the belt portion  24   b  is resiliently deformed toward the lower surface (toward the claw portion  39 ) in the guiding path  16 , with the result that the engaging tooth  54  and the claw portion  39  are engaged to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back. 
   If the operating knob  26  is moved upward as shown in  FIG. 7C  to accommodate the prepared article C into the main body  12  in this state, the prepared article C and the like become a load and a tensile load acts on the operative member  24 . As a result, the belt portion  24   b  slides along the upper surface (along the guide surface  44   a  of the guiding projection  44 ) in the guiding path  16  as shown in FIG.  9 . Thus, the engaging teeth  54  and the claw portion  39  are disengaged to permit the movement of the operative member  24  in the accommodating direction, with the result that the prepared article C is smoothly accommodated into the main body  12  as the operating knob  26  is operated. 
   In this way, the prepared article C can be smoothly taken in and out by operating the operating knob  26  and, regardless of the pushed-out state (amount) of the prepared article C, the prepared article C can be securely prevented from being pushed back into the container  10  by the reaction force acting during the use. 
   The aforementioned construction for preventing the prepared article C from being pushed back is fairly simple because a difference in the degree of deformation of the operating knob  24  in the guiding path  16  (turned portion; portion having a U-shaped cross section and facing the claw portion  39 ) is taken advantage of as described in detail above. Further, this construction has not influence on the operability of the operating knob  26 . In other words, it is sufficient to move the operating knob  26  forward and backward along the slit  32  when the prepared article C is used, and no other special operation specifically including a two-step operation of pushing the operating knob in and moving it in this state as in the prior art container of this type is necessary. Therefore, the operability of the operating knob  26  is not impaired by the above construction at all. 
   In the basic construction for taking the prepared article C in and out via the operative member  24  by operating the operating knob  26 , the prepared article C being used is prevented from being pushed back by integrally providing the engaging teeth  54  on the operative member  24  and integrally providing the claw portion  39  engageable with the engaging teeth  54  in the housing  20 . Thus, the prepared article C can be prevented from being pushed back by a rational construction. For example, it may be considered to separately provide a special member for preventing the prepared article C from being pushed back and to incorporate this member into the container main body or the like. In such a case, the number of parts of the container increases, leading to increases in production cost and the number of assembling steps. Contrary to this, the container  10  constructed such that the parts essential to the container  10 , i.e., the operative member  24  and the housing  20  are also used to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back has an effect that the prepared article C can be satisfactorily prevented from being pushed back while being hardly accompanied by increases in production cost and the number of assembling steps. 
   A stopper  62  (see  FIGS. 7 and 13 ) comprised of a pair of opposed projections is provided near the upper end of the slit  34 . When the operating knob  26  is set at an upper end position, the operating knob  26  and the stopper  62  are engaged to fixedly hold the operating knob  26  at the upper end position. This prevents the prepared article C from being pushed out by an inadvertent movement of the operating knob  26  while the container  10  is carried around. Further, a user notices a click when the prepared article C is accommodated and, therefore, can recognize by feeling at his fingertips that the prepared article C has been accommodated. 
   The container  10  constructed as above has the following effects. 
   First, the assembling operability of the container  10  can be improved. Specifically, since this container  10  is assembled by inserting the operative member  24  into the inner frame member  22 , folding it in U-shape, and inserting the inner frame member  22  and the like through the leading-end opening  30  of the housing  20  with the end of the operative member  24  gripped together with the inner frame member  22  as described above, the operative member  24  can be easily assembled into the housing  20  while being folded in U-shape without the operative member  24  experiencing any springback. Thus, as compared to the prior art container of this type in which the springback of the operative member is likely to occur during the assembling, the container  10  can be more easily and quickly assembled. Therefore, the assembling operability of the container  10  can be improved. 
   Particularly, the inner frame member  22  and the like can be easily fixed to the housing  20  since the locking piece  46  provided in the inner frame member  22  is engaged with the housing  20  to fix the inner frame member  22  and the like to the housing  20  when the inner frame member  22  and the like are completely inserted into the housing  20 . Further, since the inner frame member  22  and the like are inserted into the housing  20  while the elongated projections  52   a  formed on the guiding portion  24   a  of the operative member  24  are guided along the guide groove  38  formed in the recess  36  of the housing  20  and the knob mounting portion  56  is guided along the guide groove  37  as described above, an orientation error at the time of insertion can also be prevented. Furthermore, since the inner frame member  22  and the like are inserted into the housing  20  while the knob mounting portion  56  is being guided along the guide groove  37  formed along the slit  34  as described above, the position of the knob mounting portion  56  can be easily specified when the operating knob  26  is mounted. Thus, the operating knob  26  can be easily and quickly mounted from the outside of the housing  20 . These points also contribute to the improved assembling operability of the container  10 . 
   In the basic construction of the above container  10  for taking the prepared article C in and out via the operative member  24  by operating the operating knob  26 , the prepared article C being used is prevented from being pushed back by integrally providing the engaging teeth  54  on the operative member  24  and integrally providing the claw portion  39  engageable with the engaging teeth  54  in the housing  20 . Thus, the prepared article C can be advantageously prevented from being pushed back by the rational construction. For example, it may be considered to separately provide a special member for preventing the prepared article C from being pushed back and to incorporate this member into the housing or the like. In such a case, the number of parts of the container increases, leading to increases in production cost and the number of assembling steps. Contrary to this, the container  10  constructed such that the parts essential to the container  10 , i.e., the operative member  24  and the housing  20  are also used to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back has an effect that the prepared article C can be satisfactorily prevented from being pushed back while being hardly accompanied by increases in production cost and the number of assembling steps. 
   Further, the construction for preventing the prepared article C from being pushed back in the container  10  has a fairly simple construction since it takes advantage of the difference in the degree of deformation of the operative member  24  in the guiding path  16  (turned portion; portion corresponding to the claw portion  39 ) as described above, and has no influence on the operability of the operating knob  26 . In other words, the prepared article C can be satisfactorily taken in and out by moving the operating knob  26  forward and backward along the slit  34  similar to the conventional container of this type, and no other special operation is necessary. 
   Since the rigid guiding portion  24   a  of the operative member  24  is provided immediately below the holder  50  in this container  10 , operability of pushing the prepared article C out can be improved. Specifically, the entire operative member  24  may be flexible like the belt portion  24   b , for example, without providing the guiding portion  24   a . However, in such a case, if a compression load acts on the operative member  24  at the time of pushing the prepared article C out, the operative member  24  is deflected in the inner frame member  22  as the prepared article C is pushed out. As a result, a sense of incongruity that the prepared article C is not sufficiently pushed out is thought to be given to a user. Contrary to this, according to the construction of this embodiment, the rigid guiding portion  24   a  is provided at the bottom end of the holder  50  and is vertically movable straight along the guiding projection  44 . Thus, the operative member  24  does not experience the above deflection at all. Therefore, the prepared article C can be properly pushed out by an amount corresponding to the operation of the operating knob  26  and a sense of incongruity is not given to the user. 
   Next, a second embodiment of the present invention is described.  FIGS. 10 and 11  schematically show a stick-shaped prepared article container provided with an operating knob according to the second embodiment. It should be noted that, since a basic construction of the stick-shaped prepared article container shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  is common to the container  10  of the first embodiment, no description is given on the common elements by identifying them by the same reference numerals and only points of difference are described in detail below. 
   A container  10 ′ of the second embodiment is not provided with the cap  14  unlike the container  10  of the first embodiment and, instead, the main body  12  is integrally provided with a lid  15  for opening and closing the leading-end opening of the main body  12 , i.e., the leading-end opening  40  of the inner frame member  22 . 
   This lid  15  is provided with a lid main body  15   a  in the form of a flat plate for opening and closing the leading-end opening  40  and a coupling portion  15   b  projecting from an end edge of the lid main body  15   a  and has an inverted L-shaped cross section (inverted L-shape in FIG.  11 ). The lid  15  is rotatably supported at the upper end of the operating knob  26  via a shaft  60 . 
   In the main body  12 , the inner frame member  22  is not provided with the mounting portion for the cap  14  unlike the first embodiment and, instead, a rib  41   a  having a substantially annular plan view and fittable on the lid  15  is integrally formed atop the jaw portion  41 . In other words, when the lid  15  is closed, the lid main body  15   a  of the lid  15  is engaged with the rib  41   a  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , and the lid  15  is held at a closed position shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  by this engaging force. 
   Further, a cam  41   b  (cam portion) projects in a radially outward direction (radially outward direction of the inner frame member  22 : rightward in  FIG. 11 ) at a position of the jaw portion  41  corresponding to the coupling portion  15   b  of the lid  15 . 
   Although not shown in detail, the operative member  24  is provided with the knob mounting portion  56  including the mount hole  56   a  narrow and long in vertical direction (longitudinal direction), the mount hole  56  being used as a mount hole for the operating knob  26 . Thus, the operating knob  26  is relatively movable with respect to the operative member  24  within a range of the mount hole  56   a . As described later, a vertical (longitudinal) dimension of the mount hole  56   a  is set at a value sufficient for the lid  15  to move to a lateral side of the main body  12  to open the leading-end opening  40  as the prepared article C is pushed out by means of the operating knob  26 . 
   In the container  10 ′ of the second embodiment thus constructed, the operating knob  26  is located near the upper end of the slit  34  to accommodate the prepared article C in the main body  12  and the lid  15  is set at the closed position, i.e., at a position where it closes the leading-end opening  40  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  while the prepared article C is not used. 
   When the prepared article C is to be used, the operating knob  26  is moved down along the slit  34  as shown in  FIG. 12A  with the main body  12  held. 
   When the operating knob  26  is moved down in this way, only the operating knob  26  is first relatively moved with respect to the operative member  24 , and the lid  15  is accordingly moved from the leading end (upper end) of the main body  12  to the lateral side, thereby starting to open the leading-end opening  40  as shown in FIG.  12 B. When the operating knob  26  is moved to the bottom end of the mount hole  56   a  of the knob mounting portion  56 , a distal end (upper end in  FIG. 12C ) of the lid  15  is completely moved to the lateral side of the main body  12  to completely open the leading-end opening  40  as shown in FIG.  12 C. 
   When being further pushed down, the operating knob  26  is engaged with the operative member  24 . Thereafter, the prepared article C is pushed out toward the leading end of the main body  12  as shown in  FIG. 12D  by the movement of the operative member  24  caused by the movement of the operating knob  26 . 
   After being used, the prepared article C can be accommodated into the main body  12  by conversely moving the operating knob  26  upward. At this time, when the operating knob  26  is moved upward, only the operating knob  26  is relatively moved with respect to the operative member  24  within the range of the mount hole  56   a . When being moved to the upper end of the mount hole  56   a , the operating knob  26  is engaged with the operative member  24 . Thereafter, the prepared article C is accommodated into the main body  12  by the movement of the operative member  24  caused by the movement of the operating knob  26 . At this time, when the operating knob  26  reaches a position near the upper end of the slit  34 , the coupling portion  15   b  of the lid  15  comes into contact with the cam  41   b , whereby the lid  15  is rotated about the shaft  60 . When the operating knob  26  is completely pushed up, the prepared article C is accommodated and the leading-end opening  40  is completely closed by the lid  15  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
   In this container  10 ′ as well, the stopper  62  comprised of a pair of opposed projections is provided near the upper end of the slit  34  as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 13 . When the operating knob  26  is set at the upper end position, i.e., at a position where the leading-end opening  40  is closed by the lid  15 , the operating knob  26  and the stopper  62  are engaged to fixedly hold the operating knob  26  at the upper end position. This prevents the lid  15  from being inadvertently opened and the prepared article C from being pushed out while the container  10 ′ is carried around. Further, a user notices a click when the prepared article C has been accommodated and, therefore, can recognize by feeling at his fingertips that the prepared article C is accommodated. In order to more securely hold the leading-end opening  40  closed by the lid  15 , a biasing device comprised of an elastic element such as a spring for biasing the operating knob  26  in such a direction to close the lid  15  (direction to rotate the lid  15  to the closed position) may be incorporated, for example, into the operating knob  26 , the lid  15  and the like. 
   According to the container  10 ′ of the second embodiment as described above, since the opening and closing operations of the lid  15  are linked with the operations of taking the prepared article C in and out by means of the operation knob  26 , a series of operations of taking the prepared article C in and out including the opening and closing operations of the lid  15  can be easily performed by one hand. Thus, in addition to the effects of the container  10  of the first embodiment, operability can be further improved. There is also an effect of preventing a loss of the lid  15  since the lid  15  is integrally assembled with the main body  12 . 
   Further, in the container  10 ′, the prepared article C is not pushed out until the lid  15  is completely moved to the lateral side of the main body  12  even if the operating knob  26  is operated to push the prepared article C out. Thus, the lid  15  integrally assembled with the main body  12  does not stand as an obstacle at all when the prepared article C is taken in and out or used. 
     FIG. 16  shows a construction of a modified inner frame member  22 ′. The modified inner frame member  22 ′ is identical to the previously-mentioned inner frame member  22  in the respect of construction except for the following points. Accordingly, identical elements or parts are given like reference numerals to omit detailed description of them. 
   The inner frame member  22 ′ is not formed with the cylindrical wall defining the hollow support section of the inner frame member  22 . The inner frame member  22 ′ includes a partition wall  42 , a guiding projection  44  extending from the underside of the partition wall  42 , and a locking piece  46 . A holder  50  holding a prepared article C is supported on the partition wall  42 . Thus, the partition wall  42  serves as a support section. 
   The partition wall  42  of the inner frame member  22 ′ is placed on a support rib  80  formed at a specified portion of an inner surface of a tubular housing  20 . In this way, the inner frame member  22 ′ is kept from moving downward. Also, the inner frame member  22 ′ is prevented from moving upward by an engagement of a hook  46   a  at a leading end of a locking piece  46  of the inner frame member  22 ′ with a locking hole  32   a  formed in a bottom portion  32  of the housing  20 . 
   The inner frame member  22 ′ is more easily insertable into the housing  20  and can accommodate a larger volume of prepared article because of not having such a cylindrical wall to define a hollow support space as that in the foregoing inner frame member  22 . 
   The containers  10 ,  10 ′ described above are merely embodiments of the present invention, and the specific constructions thereof can be suitably changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Specifically, the present invention may take the following constructions. 
   (1) A mechanism for pushing the prepared article C back in the containers  10 ,  10 ′ may take a construction as shown in FIG.  14 . Specifically, the claw portion  39  is provided not at the bottom surface of the recess  36  and, instead, provided on the guide surface (part of the opposite wall  36   b ) located above this bottom surface, and the clearance is widened at a portion of the guiding path  16  extending from the turned portion of the operative member  24  to the claw portion  39 , i.e., a displacement caused by the deflection of the belt portion  24   b  is permitted to make the claw portion  39  and the engaging teeth  54  engageable with and disengageable from each other. By this construction as well, when a force to push the prepared article C back acts as shown by an arrow in  FIG. 14 , the belt portion  24   b  is deflected toward the opposite wall  36   b  to engage the engaging tooth  54  with the claw portion  39 , whereby the movement of the operative member  24  in the accommodating direction is hindered to prevent the prepared article C from being pushed back into the main body  12 . On the other hand, when a tensile load is exerted on the operative member  24  by operating the operating knob  26  to accommodate the prepared article C into the main body  12 , the belt portion  24   b  is moved toward the guiding projection  44  to disengage the engaging tooth  54  from the claw portion  39  as shown in  FIG. 15 , whereby the movement of the operative member  24  in the accommodating direction is permitted to accommodate the prepared article C into the main body  12 . It should be noted that a specific construction including the position of the claw portion  39  in the guiding path  16  and the clearance of the guiding path  16  is not limited to the construction of this embodiment. In other words, any construction will do provided that the prepared article C can be prevented from being pushed back while being used by securely engaging the engaging tooth with the claw portion  39 . 
   (2) In order to simplify the construction, the guide groove  38  of the housing  20 , the elongated projections  52   a ,  52   b  and the like of the operative member  24  or the recess  36  (opposite wall  36   b , side walls  36   c ) of the housing  20  may be omitted. In the case of omitting the recess  36 , it is necessary to use the operative member  24  having a relatively high rigidity since the operative member  24  is thought to be deflected upon action of a compression load thereon to hinder the operation of pushing the prepared article C out when the operating knob  26  is operated to push the prepared article C out. 
   (3) In the foregoing embodiments, an assembly is formed by inserting the operative member  24  into the inner frame member  22  and folding it in U-shape and is assembled with the housing  20  by being inserted thereinto as shown in FIG.  6 B. However, a divided housing which is radially divided into two pieces may be used, the above assembly may be incorporated into one of the divided piece and then the other divided piece may be joined with the one divided piece. In such a case as well, the assembly in which the operative member  24  is folded in U-shape beforehand along the guide projection  44  forming the guiding path  16  is assembled with the divided piece. Thus, unlike the prior art, a cumbersome operation of fitting the operative member along the guide grooves formed in the respective divided pieces is not necessary. Therefore, as compared to conventional containers of this type, the operative member and the like can be more easily incorporated into the container. 
   (4) Concerning the detailed construction, it is not necessary, for example, to integrally form the operative member  24  and the holder  50 . The operative member  24  and the holder  50  separately formed may be joined together. The specific shape of the holder  50  is not limited to the double-disk structure of the foregoing embodiments, either. An optimal shape conforming to the prepared article C such as a bucket-shape, a bar-shape or a disk-shape may be suitably selected. In the foregoing embodiments, the partition wall  42  functions to retain the holder  50  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 6B , thereby preventing the holder  50  from coming (coming down in  FIG. 6B ) out of the support section of the inner frame member  22 . For example, a special retainer may be provided if there is a possibility of the holder  50  coming out of the support section of the inner frame member  22  due to a relationship between the holder  50  and the through hole  42   a . Of course, there is no problem in functions even if the retainer is not provided. However, operability in assembling the container  10 ,  10 ′ is better if the operative member  24  can be folded with the holder  50  held in abutment against the partition wall  42  by pulling the operative member  24  inserted into the inner frame member  22  and the inner frame member  22  can be inserted into the housing  20  while being held together with the knob mounting portion  56  of the operative member  24  in this state. In this respect, it is preferable to provide the retainer to prevent the holder  50  from coming out of the support section of the inner frame member  22 . 
   (5) As a mechanism for fixing the inner frame member  22  to the housing  20 , instead of providing the locking piece  46  and the like, a hook may be provided near the lower side of the jaw portion  41  on the outer circumferential surface of the inner frame member  22  and an engaging portion corresponding to this hook may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the housing  20 , so that the hook and the engaging portion are engaged with each other as the inner frame member  22  is inserted in the housing  20 . Alternatively, a projection may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner frame member  22  and an L-shaped guide groove comprised of a vertical groove section extending straight down from the upper end of the housing  20  and a lock groove section circumferentially extending at the bottom end of the vertical groove section may be formed in the inner circumferential surface of the housing  20 . The housing  20  and the inner frame member  22  may be fixed to each other by relatively rotating the inner frame member  22  and the housing  20  to fit the projection into the lock groove section after the inner frame member  22  is inserted into the housing  20  while guiding the projection along the vertical groove. In other words, the fixing mechanism may take any construction provided that the inner frame member  22  and the housing  20  can be satisfactorily and easily fixed. However, if the jaw portion  41  is engaged with the edge of the leading-end opening of the housing  20  and the locking piece  46  provided on the inner frame member  22  is engaged with the bottom portion  32  as in the container  10 , the inner frame member  22  can be quite easily fixed to the housing  20  only by inserting the inner frame member  22  into the housing  20  in assembling the container  10  and the inner frame member  22  can remain fixed while a tensile stress is acting in longitudinal direction after being fixed. Thus, there is an advantage that the inner frame member  22  can be more stably fixed. 
   (6) In the foregoing embodiment, the bar-shaped prepared article container for containing the bar-shaped prepared article C, for example, represented by a lipstick, a medical lip balm and a paste is described as the inventive container provided with the operating knob. However, the invention is also applicable to containers for containing a cosmetic brush, a seal, a food or something other than the prepared articles. In such a case, the holder  50  may take an optimal shape to hold an article to be contained. 
   As described above, the novel container is provided with the tubular housing having the opening, and the inner frame member which is an element separate from the housing, placed in the housing and formed with the support section for supporting the article and the guiding projection. The container is also provided with the operative member folded along and movable along the guiding projection. The holder located in the support section for holding the article is provided on one end of the operative member, whereas the operating knob exposed to the outside of the housing is provided at the other end thereof. The holder is made movable along the longitudinal direction of the housing by moving the operating knob along this direction. 
   With this construction, since the inner frame member separate from the housing is provided with the guiding projection for guiding the operative member, the inner frame member can be incorporated into the housing with the holder accommodated in the inner frame member and the operative member guided along the guiding projection at the time of assembling the container. Thus, time and labor required to assemble the container are saved to improve an assembling operability as compared to conventional containers of this type which require the holder to be incorporated into the housing while the operative member is fitted into the guide groove. 
   In this container, the inner frame member and the holder are incorporated into the housing preferably by inserting the inner frame member into the housing through the leading-end opening together with the holder with the holder accommodated in the inner frame member and the operative member folded in U-shape along the guiding projection. 
   With this construction, in assembling the container, the holder and the like are incorporated into the housing by folding the operative member in U-shape along the guiding projection of the inner frame member and inserting the inner frame member and the like into the housing through the leading-end opening while the leading end of the operative member and the inner frame member are held together. Thus, the operative member can be securely prevented from experiencing a springback, and the operative member can be easily incorporated into the housing while being folded in U-shape. 
   In such a case, it is more preferable to form the tubular guiding recess inside the housing which recess is open toward the leading-end opening of the housing and guides the guiding projection and the operative member as the inner frame member is inserted into the housing. 
   With this construction, since the operative member is fixedly held to a certain degree, an unnecessary deflection of the operative member due to a compression load when the operating knob is operated at the time of using the article can be prevented. Thus, the article can be more satisfactorily taken in and out. Further, relative displacements of the guiding projection and the operative member during the insertion of the inner frame member and the like into the housing can be effectively prevented when the container is to be assembled. Therefore, assembling operability can be further improved. 
   In this container, it is preferable to provide the fixing mechanism for automatically fixing the housing and the inner frame member so as not to disengage from each other when the inner frame member is inserted up to the specified insertion position in the housing. 
   With this construction, since the inner frame member and the housing are automatically fixed only by inserting the inner frame member and the like into the housing, assembling operability can be even further improved by obviating the need for a special operation of fixing the inner frame member. 
   The fixing mechanism may, for example, take such a construction that the jaw portion is provided at the leading end of the inner frame member, the locking piece extending in longitudinal direction is provided on the partition wall, and the locking piece is engaged with the engaging portion provided at the bottom of the housing when the inner frame member is inserted into the housing up to the position where the jaw portion comes into contact with the edge of the leading-end opening of the housing. 
   With this construction, since a tensile stress acts on the inner frame member in longitudinal direction when the inner frame member is fixed to the housing, the inner frame member can be more stably fixed to the housing. 
   The inner frame member is preferably provided with the retainer engageable with the holder to prevent the holder from coming out. 
   With this construction, operability can be further improved since the holder is prevented from coming out of the inner frame member during the assembling of the container. 
   Further preferably, the guiding path for guiding the operative member while folding it in U-shape may be formed by the housing and the guiding projection of the inner frame member; the step-shaped claw portion may be provided on the guide surface of the housing defining the guiding path and the engaging teeth engageable with the claw portion are formed on the surface of the operative member facing the guide surface of the housing; the claw portion and the engaging teeth are so formed as to hinder the movement of the operative member in the accommodating direction of the article when being engaged with each other; the clearance of the guiding path is set such that the operative member comes into contact with the guide surface of the housing to engage the engaging tooth and the claw portion when a load acts on the article in the accommodating direction with the article pushed out toward the leading end of the container, whereas the operative member departs from the guide surface of the housing to disengage the engaging tooth and the claw portion when a tensile load is exerted on the operative member by operating the operating knob to accommodate the article. 
   With this construction, the article can be smoothly pushed out without the engaging tooth and the claw portion being engaged as the operating knob is operated. Further, at the time of using the article, the engaging tooth and the claw portion are engaged to hinder the movement of the operative member (movement of the article in the accommodating direction). As a result, the article is prevented from being pushed back. At this time, the article is prevented from being pushed back regardless of the pushed-out state (position) of the article by the engagement of the engaging tooth and the claw portion at a desired position according to an pushed-out amount of the article. When the operating knob is operated to accommodate the article, the operative member departs from the outer guide surface, whereby the engaging tooth and the claw portion are disengaged and the article is smoothly accommodated as the operating knob is operated. 
   In this case, the engaging teeth of the operative member and the claw portion can be satisfactorily engaged with and disengaged from each other, for example, if the clearance of the guiding path is set such that the clearance at the turned portion and the clearance at the portion of the guiding path opposite from the holder side with respect to the turned portion are set larger than the clearance at the other portions of the guiding path in the case that the claw portion is provided at a position corresponding to the turned portion of the operative member, whereas the clearance at a portion of the guiding path extending near the claw portion to the turned portion is larger than the clearance at the other portions of the guiding path in the case that the claw portion is provided at a position more toward the holder than the turned portion of the operative member. 
   The guiding path is preferably formed to have a U-shaped cross section. 
   Such a guiding path enables the operative member to be smoothly guided and is useful in engaging and disengaging the engaging teeth of the operative member and the claw portion with and from each other as above. 
   In this container, the lid is preferably coupled to the operating knob so as to open and close the leading-end opening as the operating knob is operated. 
   With this construction, the operation of taking the article in and out including the opening and closing of the lid can be performed only by operating the operating knob. Thus, the operation of taking the article in and out can be completely performed by one hand and a loss of the lid can be prevented. 
   In this construction, it is preferable to directly couple the lid to the operating knob, to make the lid movable toward the lateral side of the main body while opening the leading-end opening when the operating knob is moved to push the article out, and to mount the operating knob on the operative member so that the article is pushed out as or after the lid is moved toward the lateral side of the main body. 
   With this construction, the lid is unlikely to stand as an obstacle when the article is taken in and out or used. 
   In the case of this construction, the lid may be rotatably coupled to the operating knob and the cam portion for closing the lid may be provided at the leading end of the main body, so that part of the lid comes into contact with the cam portion and the lid is rotated with respect to the operating knob to close the leading-end opening when the operating knob is moved to accommodate the article in a state where the leading-end opening is opened. 
   With the above construction, the closing of the leading-end opening by the lid as the operating knob is operated can be realized by a fairly simple mechanism. 
   This application is based on patent application Nos. 2001-189968 and 2001-189969 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by references. 
   As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to embraced by the claims.