METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A GOODS STORAGE CONTAINER AND GOODS STORAGE CONTAINER MANUFACTURED THEREBY

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an item storage container and an item storage container manufactured thereby, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing an item storage container with a highly refined surface texture formed from metal to enhance its aesthetic appeal, and an item storage container manufactured thereby.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, polishing is a process that physically or chemically removes material to reduce surface roughness or achieve a desired shape and size.

This process can be applied to various materials such as metals, ceramics, glass, semiconductors, and even plastics, and plays a crucial role in industries requiring precision machining.

In particular, an item storage container for high-value items is often formed from durable metals. Polishing the metal surface can reveal the inherent luster of the metal, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Therefore, a conventional item storage container formed from metal are polished using either dry or wet methods.

However, applying wet polishing to a conventional item storage container is time-consuming, so dry polishing has primarily been used for their surfaces.

However, applying the dry polishing method to a conventional item storage container presents the problem that it is difficult to achieve a highly polished, mirror-like surface (e.g., meeting surface gloss standards of N3 grade or lower).

For reference, the surface gloss standards are summarized in the table below.

ISO			Surface
1302:2002(E)	Level	K Grade	Roughness (μm)	Specification
N6	Lv. 8	2K	0.4~0.8	Basic polishing, slight gloss
				(industrial use)
N5	Lv. 9	4K	0.2~0.4	Finer polishing, medium gloss
				(building materials)
N4	Lv. 10	6K	0.1~0.2	Premium polishing, high gloss
				(decorative)
N3	Lv. 11	8K	0.05~0.1	Mirror-like surface, very high gloss
				(high-end interior)
N2	Lv. 12	10K	0.025~0.05	Extremely high reflectivity/nearly perfect
				reflective surface
				(high-end decorative)
N1	Lv. 13	12K	0.01~0.025	Nearly perfect mirror-like surface
				(special purpose)
—	Lv. 14	14K	0.005~0.01	Completely mirror-like surface
				(special purpose)

<Surface Gloss Standard Table>

Technical Problem

The present invention is devised to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above. The technical problem of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a storage container for goods that can reduce the surface roughness of the surface of the storage container formed of metal to a surface gloss standard of grade N3 or lower, and a storage container for goods manufactured according to this method.

However, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by a skilled person in the art from the following description.

Solution to Problem

A method for manufacturing a storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned objectives comprises: a first unit for fixing items; a second unit covering the first unit, and a connecting unit connecting the first unit and the second unit so that the second unit can rotate relative to the first unit. the second unit, and the connecting unit; a surface polishing step of polishing the surfaces of the formed first unit, second unit, and connecting unit; and an assembly step for assembling the surface-polished first unit, second unit, and connecting unit; wherein the surface polishing step may use wet polishing or may use wet polishing after dry polishing.

Here, the wet polishing may use a mixture of silicon carbide (SiC) or an aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) and an aqueous nitric acid solution as the wet polishing material.

Furthermore, the wet polishing material may be formed with silicon carbide (SiC) of 300 μm to 50 μm size, the nitric acid aqueous solution of 4.5% concentration, and the wool of 2 mm to 10 mm size in a weight ratio of 2:6:2.

Furthermore, the wet polishing material may be formed with aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) particles of 0.05 μm size, the nitric acid aqueous solution of 4.5% concentration, and the wool of 2 mm to 10 mm size in a weight ratio of 2:6:2.

Meanwhile, the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the aforementioned purpose is an item storage container manufactured according to the aforementioned item storage container manufacturing method, comprising: a first unit for fixing items within an internal space; a second unit covering the first unit; and a connecting unit connecting the first unit and the second unit to allow the second unit to rotate relative to the first unit.

Here, the surface of the first unit, the second unit, and the connecting unit may have a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less.

In this case, the first unit may comprise a body part forming an internal space; and a fixing part fixed inside the body part, forming an internal surface and fixing an item.

Furthermore, the second unit may comprise a cover part covering the body part; and a protective part connected inside the cover part, forming an internal surface, and enclosing an item.

Moreover, the connecting unit may comprise: a first guide part that is unidirectionally open and forms a path guiding the second unit to open or close as it pivots relative to the first unit; a second guide part connected to the open side of the first guide part, arranged to contact one side of the second unit during rotation in the opening or closing direction of the second unit, and guiding the rotation corresponding to the path; and a cover part arranged to face the item, forming an internal surface, and fixed to the first guide part.

Furthermore, the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a support unit that supports the bottom to prevent the first unit from tipping over.

In this case, the surface of the support unit may have a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The method for manufacturing an item storage container according to the present invention and the item storage container manufactured thereby can reduce the surface roughness of the item storage container formed of metal to a surface gloss standard of grade N3 or lower, thereby having the effect of improving aesthetic appeal.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The summary described above, as well as the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present application described below, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments for the purpose of exemplifying the invention.

However, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the specific arrangements and means shown.

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a method for manufacturing an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the surface polishing step in the method for manufacturing an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an appearance of an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are drawings illustrating the configuration of the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the inner surface of the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the support unit of the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 10: Item storage container
  • 100: First unit
    • 110: Body part
    • 120: Fixing part
    • 130: Landing part
  • 200: Second unit
    • 210: Cover part
    • 220: Protective part
    • 230: Protrusion part
  • 300: Connecting unit
    • 310: First guide part
    • 311: Second guide part
    • 312: Elastic part
    • 320: Cover part
  • 400: Support unit
    • 410: Base part
    • 420: Support part
    • 430: Coupling part

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so as to facilitate practice by one having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. However, since the description of the present invention is only an example for structural or functional illustration, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by the embodiments described herein. In other words, since the embodiments are subject to various modifications and can have various forms, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing the technical idea. Furthermore, any object or effect set forth in the invention does not imply that a particular embodiment must include all of them or only those effects, and the scope of the invention is not to be understood as limited thereby.

On the other hand, the meaning of the terms described in the present application should be understood as follows.

Terms such as “first” and “second” are intended to distinguish one component from another component, and the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by these terms. For example, a first component may be named a second component and the second component may also be similarly named the first component. It is to be understood that when one element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be connected directly to or coupled directly to another element or be connected to another element, having the other element intervening therebetween. On the other hand, it is to be understood that when one element is referred to as being “connected directly to” another element, it may be connected to or coupled to another element without the other element intervening therebetween. Meanwhile, other expressions describing a relationship between components, that is, “between,” “directly between,” “neighboring to,” “directly neighboring to,” and the like, should be similarly interpreted.

It should be understood that the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and it will be further understood that the terms “comprises” or “have” used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof.

All terms used herein shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by a skilled person in the field to which the present invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used dictionary-defined terms are to be interpreted as consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be construed as having an idealized or unduly formal meaning unless expressly defined in the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which the objects of the present invention may be specifically realized, are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In describing the embodiments, identical designations and identical symbols are used for identical configurations, and further description is hereby omitted.

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a method for manufacturing an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the surface polishing step in the method for manufacturing an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating the appearance of an item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings illustrating the configuration of the storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating the inner surface of the storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the support unit of the item storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the method for manufacturing the item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may broadly include a forming step (S100), a surface polishing step (S200), and an assembly step (S300).

A first unit (100) for fixing goods, a second unit (200) covering the aforementioned first unit (100), and a connecting unit that allows the second unit (200) to pivot relative to the first unit (100). The method for manufacturing the item storage container (10) will be described in more detail after explaining the manufacturing method, the second unit (200), and the connection unit will be described in more detail after explaining the manufacturing method.

In the forming step (S100), the aforementioned first unit (100), the aforementioned second unit (200), and the aforementioned connecting unit can each be formed.

At this time, each molded part can be formed by processing a metal material, more specifically, it can be formed from stainless steel material, and may include a process of thoroughly cleaning the material's surface and removing oxide layers or contaminants.

The stainless-steel plate can then be cut into the desired shape using methods such as laser cutting, waterjet cutting, or shearing and so on.

After undergoing the aforementioned processes, sharp edges or irregular parts of the material can be mechanically trimmed, followed by forming processes to create the desired shape.

Here, the shape of the item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be diverse, and it goes without saying that the material is not limited to stainless steel as long as it facilitates the storage of items.

However, for the sake of a more detailed explanation, as an example, the shape of the item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided in an oval egg shape that enhances overall resistance to external forces as claimed.

Particularly, when pressure is applied in the longitudinal direction, the oval egg shape can exhibit very high resistance.

If such a shape can be created, it can be formed using at least one of the following processes: press forming, which uses a die to press stainless steel sheet into the desired shape; extrusion forming, which uses a die to extrude stainless steel rod into shapes with various cross-sections; or bending forming, which uses a bending machine to bend sheet or rod to a specific angle.

Furthermore, to remove internal stresses generated during welding or forming processes, a heat treatment step can be included to improve the product's mechanical properties and minimize residual internal stresses, thereby extending the product's lifespan.

Next, in the surface polishing step (S200), at least a portion of the surface of each first unit (100), second unit (200), and connecting unit formed through the forming step (S100) can be polished.

For example, when the user has the second unit (200) open on the first unit (100), the internal surface of the first unit (100) visible to the user, the internal surface of the second unit (200), and the internal surface of the connecting unit can also be formed with a highly polished, mirror-like surface (e.g., a surface gloss level of N3 grade or lower).

Furthermore, when the second unit (200) is closed in the first unit (100), the external surface of the first unit (100) visible to the user, the external surface of the second unit (200), and the external surface of the support unit described later can be formed with a highly polished, mirror-like surface (e.g., a surface gloss level of N3 grade or lower).

Specifically, the surface polishing step may use wet polishing, dry polishing, or a combination of dry and wet polishing.

For example, while hybrid polishing is described, which involves performing a wet polishing process (S220) after a dry polishing process (S210), it is also acceptable to perform only wet polishing. Furthermore, it is acceptable to perform the dry polishing process (S210) on a small scale or intermittently after first performing the wet polishing process (S220).

That is, the surface polishing step (S200), which includes the dry polishing process (S210) and the wet polishing process (S220), may vary in sequence and repetition depending on conditions, and the scope of rights is not limited by this.

For further clarification, the dry polishing process (S210) is described first. Dry polishing offers the advantage of minimal residue after work, making cleanup easy, as it does not require drying the surface afterward or wastewater treatment, and no liquid is used.

This dry polishing process, with such advantages, may be performed in multiple stages for precise surface finishing of hard woods or specific metal surfaces (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel).

That is, dry polishing may involve, for example, polishing in one to three stages. It is understood that it is not necessary to proceed up to the third stage, and performing only the first stage or only the second and third stages does not limit the scope of the invention.

The dry abrasives used in the dry polishing described above may be as follows:

• • Primary plastic resin: #2,000
  • Secondary walnut shell: Natural material with no standard mesh or particle size specification, but particles approximately 2-5 mm in diameter
  • Third walnut shell: A natural material with no mesh or particle size standard, but with particles under 1 mm in diameter

Next, regarding the wet polishing process (S220), wet polishing is a method that uses liquids such as water or lubricants during the polishing process. This can be advantageous for reducing frictional heat, improving surface quality, and effectively removing dust and foreign matter.

In other words, wet polishing is advantageous for polishing metal surfaces such as stainless steel and aluminum to create smooth, uniform surfaces. It minimizes surface defects and enables even polishing, providing high-quality finishing and excellent gloss while reducing material damage caused by excessive heat generation or impact.

Therefore, it may be suitable for tasks requiring delicate finishing, such as the item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Specifically, the aforementioned wet polishing can be performed using a mixture of silicon carbide (SiC) or an aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) and nitric acid aqueous solution as the wet polishing material.

Silicon carbide possesses excellent strength and wear resistance, making it effective for polishing various metals as well as non-metallic materials, thus offering versatility in material application.

Furthermore, the nitric acid aqueous solution acts as a strong oxidizing agent, capable of removing surface oxide layers during the polishing process or inducing specific chemical reactions to activate the surface.

It can be used specifically to clean metal material surfaces, remove corrosive contaminants, and create uniform surfaces. It can be applied to the surfaces of various metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and iron.

The polishing process using silicon carbide and nitric acid solution together can be carried out in the following sequence:

First, silicon carbide abrasives can be used to remove large defects, scratches, and irregularities from the surface. During this process, adding nitric acid solution can remove surface oxides or contaminants while enhancing the efficiency of the polishing process.

Then, a silicon carbide abrasive with finer particles can be used to remove fine surface defects and make the surface smoother.

By reducing the abrasive particle size and adjusting the concentration of the nitric acid solution, the surface is finely refined and polished. This process continuously removes the fine oxide layer from the surface, creating an extremely uniform and smooth finish.

However, the wet polishing in the present invention is performed by centrally fixing at least one of the first unit (100), a second unit (200), or a connecting unit (300), and rotating it. In this rotational polishing process, centrifugal force tends to move the silicon carbide particles away from the first unit (100), second unit (200), or connecting unit (300) fixed to the central axis, making it difficult to achieve the desired polishing quality.

To solve this, the wet abrasive of the present invention may further include a wool fiber in a cubic or rectangular shape.

Thus, the wool fiber is complexly entangled, causing the silicon carbide particles to adhere to the wool. This resolves the centrifugal force or inertia issue, evenly distributes the pressure applied to the surface of the item storage container (10), and performs a fine polishing action. Consequently, it removes fine scratches and defects from the surface while achieving a smooth and even finish.

Furthermore, when combined with wet polishing, the use of water and abrasives reduces frictional heat, enabling more uniform surface treatment.

Additionally, wool possesses the ability to absorb and dissipate the friction heat generated during the polishing process. This prevents the polished surface from overheating, discoloration, or deformation, making it safe for use on heat-sensitive materials.

In other words, wool effectively absorbs moisture and silicon carbide, distributing them evenly, which maximizes the lubricating effect during the polishing process.

Moreover, wool can effectively adsorb residues or contaminants generated during polishing to maintain a clean surface. Its soft and flexible nature minimizes damage even when excessive pressure is applied to the surface.

Specifically, the wet abrasive material can be formed with the aforementioned silicon carbide (SIC) particles sized 300 μm to 50 μm, the aforementioned nitric acid aqueous solution at a 4.5% concentration, and the aforementioned wool sized 2 mm to 10 mm in a weight ratio of 2:6:2.

Furthermore, the wet abrasive may fall within the scope of the invention even if the silicon carbide (SiC) particles of 300 μm to 50 μm size are replaced with aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) particles of 0.05 μm size.

When performing the wet polishing process (S220) using such a wet abrasive, the polishing conditions may be set as follows. Under these polishing conditions, wet polishing can achieve a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less.

• • Polishing speed: Typically, product rotation is around 320 rpm, and tool rotation is around 20 rpm
  • Polishing temperature: Performed at room temperature. Contact surface temperature ranges between 20˜60° C.
  • Polishing pressure: Apply pressure using the material's own weight by loading the polishing material at approximately 150 to 350 kg

Through this surface polishing stage (S200), achieving a surface roughness below 0.1 μm results in a surface finish that, when measured, can be classified as Grade N3 according to the surface gloss standard chart.

Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, the sequence of the surface polishing stage (S200) can be changed between the dry polishing process (S210) and the wet polishing process (S220). The table below shows the results obtained by first performing the wet polishing process (S220) followed by the dry polishing process (S210).

Subsequently, the assembly step (S300) can assemble the components of the first unit (100), the second unit (200), and the connecting unit.

Specifically, examining the item storage container (10) manufactured via the aforementioned item storage container (10) manufacturing method in detail reveals the following.

Specifically, the item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may broadly include a first unit (100), a second unit (200), and a connecting unit (300).

The first unit (100) can secure items within its internal space.

Specifically, the first unit (100) may include a body part (110) forming an internal space. The body part (110) may be configured as an elliptical hemispherical shape, as described above, to provide the entire item storage container (10) with an egg-shaped form.

Furthermore, it may include a landing part (130) fixed within the body part (110), forming an inner surface and securing items.

The method and shape of securing items may vary depending on the item, and it goes without saying that this does not limit the scope of the invention.

However, for the sake of a more detailed explanation, as an example, if the item is jewelry (J) such as a ring, the landing part (130) may be formed with a protruding block capable of gripping the ring's band portion.

The first unit (100) may further include a fixing part (120) connecting the body part (110) and the landing part (130) described above.

Next, regarding the second unit (200) covering the first unit (100), the following applies.

When the first unit (100) is positioned below, the second unit (200) is formed above, facing the first unit (100). It covers the first unit (100), thereby sealing the entire item storage container (10). and it can be separated from the first unit (100) to open the item storage container (10).

The second unit (200) may also be of the same shape as the first unit (100), and may be provided as an elliptical hemispherical shape facing the first unit (100) to form the entire item storage container (10) into an egg shape.

The second unit (200) may include, for example, a cover part (210) covering the body part (110), and a protective part (220) connected to the inner surface part within the cover part (210) to form an inner surface and to wrap the item.

Furthermore, to form an opening or closing direction of movement along a curved or straight path, a protrusion part (230) may be formed at one end of the protective part (220).

The protrusion part (230) may contact the first guide part (310) described later and slide according to the rotation.

A connecting unit (300) for connecting the first unit (100) and the second unit (200) described above may be fixed to the first unit (100) so that the second unit (200) can be rotated to open or close relative to the first unit (100).

The connecting unit (300) may include a first guide part (310), a second guide part (311), and a cover part (320).

The first guide part (310) is unidirectionally open and may form a path for guiding the second unit (200) to open or close as it pivots from the first unit (100).

The second guide part (311) is coupled to the open side of the first guide part (310) and is arranged to contact one side of the second unit (200) during rotation in the opening or closing direction of the second unit (200), thereby guiding rotation corresponding to the aforementioned path.

At this time, the second unit (200) can be pushed upward via the elastic part (312).

The cover part (320) is fixed to the first guide part (310) and is arranged to face the item, forming an inner surface that can be visible to the user when the item storage container (10) is opened and exposed.

At this time, the inner surfaces of the first unit (100), the second unit (200), and the connecting unit (300) may be polished to achieve a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less.

For example, as described earlier, when the item storage container (10) is open, the internal surface (P12) of the landing part (130) of the first unit (100), the internal surface (P22) of the protective part (220), and the internal surface (P31) of the cover part (320) of the item storage container (10) described above can be polished to achieve a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less, thereby providing an internal surface with a highly polished, mirror-like finish (e.g., meeting a surface gloss standard of N3 grade or lower).

The item storage container (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration may further include a support unit (400) that supports the lower portion of the first unit (100) to prevent the first unit (100) or the entire item storage container (10) from tipping over.

If the support unit (400) prevents the entire item storage container (10) or the first unit (100) from tipping over, the method of connecting the first unit (100) and the support unit may vary, and it goes without saying that this does not limit the scope of the invention.

In other words, the first unit (100) can be secured to the support unit (400) using at least one method from among a magnet, a threaded connection, a bayonet mount, and a quick-release mechanism using a fixing pin or clip.

However, for a more detailed explanation, an example will describe the configuration of the bayonet mount method, which allows the first unit (100) to be detached from the support unit (400) by sweeping it. As shown in FIG. 7, the support unit (400) may include a base part (410), a support part (420), and a coupling part (430).

The base part (410) may be provided as a wide circular or rectangular flat plate shape to ensure stable contact with the ground.

The support part (420) is coupled to the upper surface of the base part (410) and may have a cutout area formed with curvature for the sweep path.

Accordingly, the support part (420) and the first unit (100) can be introduced into the cutout area, rotated, and fixed to the support unit.

For more secure fixation, a coupling part (430) is included. The coupling part (430) is positioned to face the first unit (100) introduced into the cutout area, utilizing elastic force to push the first unit (100) upward toward the inner surface of the support unit (420) for close contact.

As described above, the outer surfaces of the first unit (100), second unit (200), and support unit (400) may also be provided with a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less.

For example, as described earlier, when the item storage container (10) is closed, the external surface (P11) of the body part (110) of the first unit (100) visible to the user, the external surface (P21) of the cover part (210) of the second unit (200), and the outer surface (P41) on the upper side of the support unit's support part (420) can also be polished to achieve a surface roughness of 0.1 μm or less. This results in an internal surface with a highly polished, mirror-like finish (e.g., meeting a surface gloss standard of N3 grade or lower).

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, and it will be apparent to those having ordinary knowledge in the art that the invention may be embodied in other particular forms without departing from its spirit or scope.

Accordingly, the embodiments described above should be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and the invention is not limited to the above description, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

In other words, embodiments of the present invention are not only implemented through the above-described apparatus and/or operating methods, but may also be implemented through programs for realizing functions corresponding to the configurations of embodiments of the present invention, recording media on which the programs are recorded, and the like, such implementation being readily apparent to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the foregoing description of the embodiments. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art utilizing the basic concepts of the present invention as defined in the following claims are also within the scope of the present invention.