JP2003231540A - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container excellent in tight sealing, reliability, and safety, which securely fixes a lid body to a container body, prevents the lid body from being opened during transport, and can be easily distinguished even in case the lid body is opened. <P>SOLUTION: The container comprises the container body 2, the lid body 5 which is put over the container body 2, and a sealing layer 7 which is provided on at least the container body 2 or the lid body 5, joins the container body 2 and the lid body 5 in order to tightly close the container, and can easily unjoin the container body 2 and the lid body 5. Preferably, the sealing layer is heat welded, thereby joining the container body 2 and the lid body 5 and tightly closing the container. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container having a container body and a lid for containing an item such as food, and in particular, after heating with a microwave oven or the like, the lid is opened to
The present invention relates to a container for taking out the heated contents.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the so-called “meal food industry” has developed remarkably due to the diversification of people's eating habits, and consumers can purchase their favorite foods at convenience stores, supermarkets, side dishes stores (hereinafter referred to as convenience stores, etc.) It is becoming more common to eat food by heating the food together with the container in the microwave oven of the store or home. At a convenience store or the like, at least the lid is made of a transparent resin container and the food is displayed on a shelf or the like so that the consumer can visually check the food in the container.

An example of a container used in such a convenience store is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a container that stores food to be cooked. The container 20 is formed as a separate body from the container main body 22 having a concave-shaped storage portion 23 for storing food such as bento and side dishes, and the transparent lid 2 that covers the container main body 22.
It is composed of 5 and 5.

A flange 24 is formed on the periphery of the opening of the container body 22 so as to project to the outside of the container body 22.
A stepped engagement portion 24a is provided on the inner side of the base portion along the entire circumference thereof. On the other hand, on the periphery of the lid 25,
A projection-shaped engaged portion 25a that can engage with the engaging portion 24a is formed over the entire circumference. Then, by covering the container body 22 with the lid 25, inserting the engaged portion 25a into the engaging portion 24a, and pressing the lid 25 lightly from above, the lid 25 is fitted to the container body 22.

As described above, in the conventional container 20, the lid 25 is firmly fitted to the container body 22, but when it is transported from the factory to a convenience store or a shelf at a convenience store or the like. When the container 20 is displayed on the screen, when the consumer 20 takes the container 20 out of the shelf or the like, it is relatively easy to apply the lid 25 by the external force applied to the container 20.
May come off from the container body 22. Further, the lid 25 may be intentionally removed for mischief or the like while being displayed at a convenience store or the like, but if the removed lid 25 is attached to the container body 22 again,
There is a problem that the fact that the lid 25 has been removed cannot be understood. Therefore, in the container 20 described above, in order to prevent the lid 25 from being easily detached from the container body 22, and to prevent the lid 25 from being easily removed while being displayed, It is generally wrapped in wrap before shipment from the factory.

However, when the container 20 is placed in the microwave oven and the food is heated for a predetermined time, there is a problem that the container main body 22 and the lid 25 may be deformed due to thermal contraction of the wrap during heating. Further, in the container 20 described above, since the lid body 25 is simply fitted to the container body 22, the container 20 may be displayed during transportation, displayed on a shelf, or purchased by a consumer. There is a problem in that the liquid content contained in the food may leak out from the gap between the lid 25 and the container body 22 and may contaminate the inside of the wrap by tilting. The liquid contents leaking into the wrap not only stain the outside of the container 20 but also stain the table and the clothes of the consumer when the wrap is removed.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is not necessary to wrap the container with a wrap, and the container body or lid is transformed even when heated in a microwave oven or the like. The lid can be firmly fixed to the container body without causing the lid to open during transportation, storage or display, and immediately after the lid opens. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container having excellent sealability, safety and reliability that can be distinguished.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 has a container main body and a lid for covering the container main body, and the container is housed in the container main body. An object, in a container to be heated in a state of covering the lid body, at least one of the container body and the lid body, while adhering and sealing the container body and the lid body,
The seal layer is formed so that the adhesion between the container body and the lid can be easily peeled off.

According to this structure, since the container body and the lid can be adhered and sealed by the seal layer, it is not necessary to wrap the container with wrap, and the lid is firmly fixed to the container body. can do. Therefore, the lid does not come off during transportation, storage, or display. In addition, the liquid content contained in the stored contents does not leak out. Further, since it is not necessary to wrap the container with wrap, the container body and the lid are not deformed even when heated in a microwave oven or the like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a hinge for connecting the container body and the lid body in an openable and closable manner is formed integrally with the container body and the lid body. By doing so, when the container body and the lid are made of the same material, they can be easily collected and the material can be easily recycled.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the sealing layer adheres and seals the container body and the lid by heat welding. According to the present invention, for example, when the lid of the container displayed on the shelf of the convenience store is opened, it becomes difficult to re-bond it, and the lid cannot be closed. It's very easy to see if that is the case. In addition, when a material such as polypropylene-polyethylene resin is used for the seal layer, the part of the seal layer is whitened due to peeling of the adhesive, which also makes it possible to easily confirm the fact that the lid is opened. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the container body and the lid body is provided with a clue for peeling off the adhesion between the container body and the lid body adhered by the sealing layer. It is as a configuration. Examples of the clue include a protrusion formed by projecting from the container body or the lid, a portion where the seal layer is not formed, and the like. By providing such a portion, it becomes easy to peel off the adhesion between the container body and the lid.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the lid body or the container body is formed with a predetermined shape by forming the sealing layer on a part or all of the surface of the sheet-shaped resin material and then performing heat molding. It is as a configuration. By doing so, the seal layer and the lid or the container body can be integrally formed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a vapor escape hole for escaping vapor generated when the contained material is heated is formed in one of the lid body and the container body. With such a configuration, it is possible to allow the steam generated when a contained item such as food is heated to escape to the outside of the container through the steam escape hole, and prevent expansion of the container due to heating.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the vapor escape hole is provided so as to be hermetically sealed. According to this configuration, the steam escape hole can be closed again after heating, and it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the liquid content contained in the container such as food leaks from the steam escape hole. The vapor escape hole can be sealed using, for example, an adhesive seal.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the container body and the lid are formed of at least a resin material having oil resistance. With this configuration, the container of the present invention can be used for foods containing a large amount of oil, such as yakisoba.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the container body and the lid is transparent. By doing so, the contents stored in the container can be visually confirmed from the outside of the container.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the container body is made of expanded polypropylene, and the lid is made of transparent polypropylene. Polypropylene has excellent heat resistance and oil resistance, can be formed transparently, is inexpensive, and is easy to process, and is therefore advantageous as a material for containers.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the transparent cover or the container body is subjected to an antifogging treatment. According to this configuration, since the transparent lid and the container body are not fogged by the steam generated during heating, the contents to be heated can be easily visually recognized from the outside of the container.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state before sealing and (b) shows a state after sealing. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG.

The container 1 comprises a container body 2 and the container body 2
And a lid 5 that covers the cover. Container 1 shown in FIG.
The container body 2 and the lid 5 are integrally formed via a hinge 8. Such an integrated container 1
Has the advantage that the container body 2 can be easily formed and transported, and the used container body 2 can be easily collected and recycled. The container body 2 has a recessed housing portion 3 in which food as a heated article is housed, and a collar 4 that is formed on the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing portion 3 and projects to the outside of the container 1. . As the material of the container body 2, for example, foamed polypropylene or polypropylene containing a filler can be used, and may be transparent, semitransparent, or opaque.

The lid 5 has a trapezoidal cross section. A flange 6 is formed on the periphery of the opening of the lid 5 so as to overlap the flange 4 of the container main body 2 when the lid 5 is closed so as to project to the outside of the container 1. A part of the lid 5 is provided with a steam escape port 5a for discharging steam generated inside the container 1 when the contained food is cooked by cutting a claw 5b. Therefore, when cooking
By erecting the claw 5b, the steam escape port 5a can be opened. The vapor escape port 5a may be sealed with a sealing seal 9 such as an adhesive seal. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the liquid content contained in the food contained in the container 1 leaks out of the container 1 through the gap between the portions where the claws 5b are formed. At the time of heating and cooking, it is advisable to peel off the hermetic seal 9 to erect the claws 5b. Then, after the heating and cooking are finished, the vapor seal port 9 is sealed by the vapor seal port 5a by reattaching the vapor seal 5 to the surface of the lid body 5.

As the material of the lid 5, for example, polypropylene can be used. The lid 5 may be either transparent or translucent, but is preferably transparent in order to make the food in the container 1 easy to visually recognize. Since polypropylene is excellent in heat resistance and oil resistance, can be formed transparently, is inexpensive, and is easy to process,
It is the most suitable material for the container body 2 and the lid 5. In addition, when the container body 2 or the lid 5 is formed transparent, an antifogging treatment is performed to prevent the inside of the transparent container body 2 or the lid 5 from being fogged by steam generated during heating and cooking. Good. For example, an antifogging agent may be applied by applying an antifogging agent containing sucrose or a fatty acid ester as a main component to the inside of the transparent container body 2 or the lid 5.

In the container 1 shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a sealing layer 7 is formed on the entire inner peripheral surface of the lid 5. The seal layer 7 is for adhering and sealing the collar 6 and the collar 4 when the collar 4 of the container body 2 and the collar 6 of the lid 5 are overlapped with each other. In addition, this seal layer 7
Since it suffices that the liquid content does not leak out at the time of sealing, it suffices that it is formed at least in the overlapping portion of the collar 4 and the collar 6, and either the container body 2 or the lid 5 is formed. It may be formed on one side.

The seal layer 7 adheres the collar 4 and the collar 6 to each other,
The lid 5 should not be opened during transportation or during cooking, and the adhesive strength should be such that the adhesive between the collar 4 and the collar 6 can be easily removed when taking out the cooked food. I have. As shown in FIG. 1B, one or a plurality of non-adhesive portions 4a may be provided at a corner portion or the like of the container 1 to serve as a clue for removing the adhesion between the collar 4 and the collar 6. Instead of the non-adhesive portion 4a, a tongue-shaped protrusion protruding from the container body 2 and the lid 5 may be provided.

As the sealing layer 7, a so-called heat-sealing type in which the collar 4 and the collar 6 are adhered by heating at a predetermined temperature may be used. In such a seal layer 7, once the adhesion between the collar 4 and the collar 6 is peeled off, they cannot be easily re-adhered, or depending on the material, the seal layer 7 becomes white due to the peeling of the adhesion. Therefore, there is an advantage that the history that the lid 5 is opened can be easily confirmed. Therefore, it is possible to give the consumer a high degree of security at the time of purchase.

As the material of the above-mentioned seal layer 7, those known in JP-A-56-64970, JP-A-5-178365 and JP-B-54-5356 can be used. For example, rubber-added polypropylene / medium density polyethylene, rubber-added high-density polypropylene / polyethylene, polypropylene / ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene, ethylene-acetic acid copolymer / high-density polyethylene, nylon / ionomer resin Combinations can be used.

The container 1 having the above structure can be integrally formed by heat molding such as vacuum pressure molding. The sealing layer 7 may be attached to the surface of the resin sheet for forming the container 1 before the thermoforming, but it is preferable to use a coextrusion method capable of laminating a plurality of thin films of about several μ.

[Example] The inventor of the present invention made a container 1 under the following conditions, heat-sealed the sealing member, and conducted an experiment. As a result, suitable results were obtained in each example. The above description is based on the premise that the container body and the lid are integrally formed via a hinge as shown in FIG. 1, but the present invention is not limited to the container body 2 as shown in FIG. It is also applicable to the container 1'in which the ′ and the lid 3 ′ are separately configured. In the container 1'shown in FIG. 3, the container body 2 '
Although the seal layer 7'is provided on the side, the seal layer 7'may of course be provided on the lid 5'side. In the following experiments, a container 2'having a container body 2'and a lid 3'as shown in FIG.
/ By applying 3 seconds pressurized under the conditions of cm ^2, and then sealed and 'lid 5 and' container body 2. [Example 1] A container sheet 2'was formed by thermoforming a resin sheet. Further, after forming the sealing layer 7'on the entire surface of the transparent resin sheet, it is heat-molded to form the lid 5 '.・ Container body material: expanded polypropylene wall thickness: 300 μm ・ Lid material: homopolypropylene wall thickness: 270 μm ・ Seal layer material: homopolypropylene (trade name: Idemitsu Polypro E-304 GP) 70% by mass and low density polyethylene (trade name: Idemitsu) Moretec 0358CN) Mixture with 30 mass% Wall thickness 30 μm

[Embodiment 2] The sealing layer 7'is pre-extruded over the entire surface of the resin sheet used as the material of the container body 2 '.
After forming, the container body 2'was formed by heat molding.
Further, a transparent resin sheet was thermoformed to form a lid 5 '.・ Container body material: Polypropylene sheet with filler, wall thickness: 300 μm ・ Lid material: Transparent polypropylene sheet, wall thickness: 270 μm ・ Seal layer material: Random polypropylene (trade name: Idemitsu Polypro F744 NP) 70% by mass and high density polyethylene (trade name: Idemitsu HD440M) Mixture with 30 mass% Wall thickness 30 μm

Example 3 A resin sheet was thermoformed to form a container body 2 '. After forming the sealing layer 7'on the entire surface of the transparent resin sheet by coextrusion,
The lid 5'was formed without heat molding ・ Container body material: Polypropylene sheet with filler, wall thickness: 300 μm ・ Lid body material: Homopolypropylene sheet (trade name: Idemitsu Polypro E-304GP) wall thickness: 270 μm ・ Seal layer material: Random A mixture of 70% by mass of polypropylene (trade name: Idemitsu Polypro F744 NP) and 30% by mass of linear low-density polyethylene (trade name: Idemitsu Moatech 0358CN), wall thickness: 30 μm

With respect to the container 1'obtained in each of the above-mentioned Examples 1, 2 and 3, the lid 5'is opened and closed, and the food contained therein is cooked, and the state of the container 1'after opening and closing and the contents thereof are examined. The leakage was checked. As a result, even if the collar 4'and the collar 6'are superposed on each other after the lid 5'is opened and peeled off, the collar 4'and the collar 6'are easily re-bonded at the seal layer 7 '. Without it, the lid 5'cannot be closed. Further, the seal layer 7'of the collar 6'becomes white, and the history of opening and closing of the lid 5'can be confirmed at a glance. Furthermore, even if the shock, shake, and tilt that are normally expected during transportation from a factory to a convenience store or the like, during storage, display, and after purchase by a consumer are added to the closed container 1 ', the lid 5 ′ Did not open, and no leakage of the contents could be confirmed. Further, in the sealed state of the container 1 ', neither the liquid contents leaked out nor the lid 5'opened before and after heating and cooking.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, in the above description, a container having heat resistance, oil resistance and transparency using polypropylene has been described as an example, but a container having at least the same properties as polypropylene can be used, such as copolymerized polyethylene terephthalate. The present invention can also be applied to containers using other resins. Further, in the above description, the food is described as an example of the contained item, but the container of the present invention can be used for other uses such as medical instruments. For example, surgical scalpels, syringes, needles, etc. used in hospitals are sterilized by the manufacturer and discarded after being used in hospitals, etc., but using the container of the present invention makes it easy to open at the time of use. Moreover, after opening, the lid cannot be closed again, and it can be seen at a glance that the seal layer has been whitened and has already been opened, so that the safety and reliability of the medical device or the like can be improved.

[0034]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION Since the present invention is configured as described above, the lid can be firmly fixed to the container body without packaging the container with wrap, and during transportation or storage, There is no inconvenience that the lid will come off during display or during heating with a microwave oven or the like. Further, even if the lid is removed during transportation or during display in a convenience store or the like, it is difficult to close the lid again, and the history of opening and closing can be easily confirmed due to whitening, etc. It is possible to improve the safety and reliability of the contents such as medical equipment and medical equipment.
Furthermore, since the lid body and the container body are tightly sealed by the seal layer, the liquid contents contained in the contained items do not leak out, and even if heated in a microwave oven or the like, the wrap The container body and the lid are not deformed by heat shrinkage.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container of the present invention,
FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid is opened, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid is closed and adhered by a seal member and hermetically sealed.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the container of the present invention in which the container body and the lid are separate bodies.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a container conventionally used in convenience stores and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,1 'container 2,2 'container body 3,3 'accommodation 4,4 'Tsuba 5,5 'lid 5a Steam escape hole 5b nail 6,6 'Tsuba 7,7 'sealing layer 9 Hermetic seal

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 3E033 AA10 BA16 DA01 DA08 DD01                       FA04                 3E067 AB01 BA02A BB16A BB17A                       BC06A BC07A CA11 CA17                       CA24 EA06 EB27 EE48 FA01                       FC01 GB02 GD07 GD09 GD10                 3E084 AA05 AA14 AA26 BA01 CA03                       CC05 DA03 DC05 FA02 FD13                       GA06 GB06 KA04

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A container having a container main body and a lid for covering the container main body, wherein the container contained in the container main body is heated in a state in which the cover is covered. A sealing layer is formed on at least one of the lids so that the container body and the lid are adhered and hermetically sealed, and the adhesion between the container body and the lid is easily peeled off. And a container. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein a hinge that connects the container body and the lid body in an openable and closable manner is integrally formed with the container body and the lid body. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing layer adheres and seals the container body and the lid by heat welding. 4. At least one of the container body and the lid body is provided with a clue for peeling off the adhesion between the container body and the lid body adhered by the seal layer. The container according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The lid or the container body is formed by forming the seal layer on a part or all of the surface of a sheet-shaped resin material and then forming the seal layer into a predetermined shape. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. A vapor escape hole for escaping vapor generated when the contained material is heated is formed in any one of the lid body and the container body. The container according to any one. 7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the vapor escape hole is provided so as to be hermetically sealed. 8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container body and the lid are made of at least a resin material having oil resistance. 9. The container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the container body and the lid is transparent. 10. The container according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the container body is made of expanded polypropylene, and the lid is made of transparent polypropylene. 11. The container according to claim 9, wherein an inner surface of the transparent cover or the container body is subjected to an antifogging treatment.