JP2001002073A - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable easy alteration of the bulk of a container and to facilitate disposal, recycling recovery, storage, and transportation of the container by forming the container out of a shape-memory resin, also by keeping the original shape of the container at a temperature in the range of use environment, and by returning it to a crushed shape when heating it to a temperature higher than that of the use environment. SOLUTION: A bottle, for example PET bottle 1, is formed out of a shape- memory alloy. The PET bottle 1 is set so as to return to a crushed shape at, for example, approximately the temperature of remaining bath-water (approximately 40 deg.C), and it is crushed in a vertical direction or horizontal direction by being heated with remaining bath-water. Therefore, when returning the PET bottle 1 to the crushed shape it makes it possible to make the bulk of the PET bottle 1 small and facilitate disposal, recycling recovery, storage, and transportation thereof. In reuse of the PET bottle 1, it is heated and kept at a temperature in the range of use environment and thereby the bulk of the PET bottle 1 can be made large again and drink or the like can be stored therein.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container such as a plastic bottle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, plastic bottles used as containers for drinking water have become widely available on the market, and disposal and recycling of used PET bottles have become a problem. In particular, PET bottles are bulky if used for disposal or recycled collection as they are. For this reason, the bulk has been reduced by stepping on the foot or crushing it with a knife. However, even if you step on your feet or cut with a knife,
There is a limit to reducing the bulk of the container, and even if the user steps on the container, the container may swell, and above all, these operations for reducing the volume are laborious and troublesome.

[0003] In addition, after storing, transporting, or carrying empty containers that do not contain contents, the containers are used or reused in ordinary daily life and various industrial fields. In addition, there is also a problem that the container is bulky in storage and transportation, which hinders securing of the storage space and transportation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container whose bulk can be easily reduced or increased in such a background.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a container made of a shape memory resin, which retains the original shape of the container in the operating temperature range and is heated or heated to a predetermined temperature higher than the operating temperature range. Thus, the problem is solved by a container characterized by being restored to a collapsed shape.

That is, the container of the present invention has solved the above-mentioned problem by utilizing the shape memory characteristics of the shape memory resin. The shape memory resin is made of, for example, a polyurethane polymer material. In this container made of a shape memory resin, it is restored to a collapsed shape having a small bulk by simply heating or heating the container to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature higher than the operating environment temperature range. In addition, the crushed container is heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature higher than the operating environment temperature range, or heated, and then deformed by sending gas or liquid into the container in that state to increase the bulk. , And just cool it into a bulky container.

Therefore, when the used container is to be discarded or recycled, the container can be easily formed into a small and crushed shape without applying force. In addition, when storing or transporting an empty container that does not contain contents, the bulk of the container can be similarly easily reduced, and storage,
After transport, the bulk of the container can easily be increased to accommodate objects.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shape memory resin which is softened by being heated or heated to a predetermined temperature higher than the temperature range of the use environment, deformed into a crushed shape in the softened state, and then cooled. Thus, the problem is solved by a container characterized in that the container retains its collapsed shape.

In other words, the container has a small bulk simply by warming or heating the container to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature higher than the operating environment temperature range, deforming it into a crushed shape in that state, and cooling. It is kept in its collapsed shape. It is only necessary to deform the softened container into a crushed shape, and does not require much force. In addition, the collapsed container becomes a bulky container that can restore its shape by simply heating or heating to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature higher than the use environment temperature range, and can store objects.

Therefore, the used container can be easily formed into a crushed shape having a small bulk when the container is used for disposal or recycling. By cooling after being deformed into the collapsed shape, the container retains the collapsed shape and does not swell. In addition, when storing or transporting an empty container that does not contain contents, the bulk of the container can be easily reduced similarly, and after storage and transportation, the volume of the container can be reduced.
It can be easily enlarged without force to accommodate objects.

[0011]

Next, an embodiment in which the container of the present invention is applied to a plastic bottle will be described with reference to the drawings.

The container 1 shown in FIG. 1 (a) is a so-called plastic bottle containing drinking water, and FIG. 1 (b) shows the container after use after the contents are gone. This PET bottle 1 is made of a so-called shape memory resin. This plastic bottle 1
Is set to restore to a collapsed shape at a temperature of about the remaining hot water in the bath (for example, about 40 ° C.). As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the shape itself is restored to a crushed shape with a small bulk in the vertical direction. The shape may be restored to a horizontally crushed shape as shown in FIG. (D), or may be restored to various crushed shapes.
The plastic bottle 1 restored to the collapsed shape may be used for disposal or collection. There is no need to reduce the bulk by applying force, such as crushing with a foot or cutting with a knife, and the used PET bottle 1 can be formed into a crushed shape very easily with little effort.

Further, the plastic bottle 1 may be constituted as follows using a shape memory resin. That is, the used PET bottle 1 is warmed and softened with the remaining hot water in the bath, and in the softened state, is deformed into a collapsed shape as shown in FIGS. While cooling, cool naturally or with water. Thereby, the container 1 retains its collapsed shape. Thereafter, the plastic bottle 1 thus held in the crushed shape is sent to disposal or collection.

If the glass transition temperature is too high, energy is required. If the glass transition temperature is too low, the glass transition temperature may be restored or softened in an undesired manner. It may be set to an appropriate temperature.

[0015] The container of the present invention is not limited to application to a plastic bottle for drinking water, but may be soy sauce, detergent, or the like.
It goes without saying that the present invention may be widely applied to other PET bottle containers for storing oil, cereals, and the like, and also to various other containers. In addition, the container of the present invention can be reduced in bulk during storage or transportation, and can accommodate an object during use or reuse, in addition to the method of using a small crushed shape in disposal or recycling as described above. It may be used to increase the bulk.

[0016]

As described above, since the container of the present invention has the above-described structure, it can be easily formed into a crushed shape having a small bulk, and the bulk can be easily increased. Can be made to accommodate the contents.

[Brief description of the drawings]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment, wherein FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of a plastic bottle containing contents, FIG. 1 (b) is a perspective view of the used plastic bottle after use, and FIG. FIG. 5D is a side view showing another embodiment of the collapsed shape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: PET bottle (container)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A container made of a shape memory resin, which retains an original container shape in a use environment temperature range and is heated or heated to a predetermined temperature higher than the use environment temperature range,
A container characterized by being restored to a collapsed shape. 2. It is made of a shape memory resin, is softened by being heated or heated to a predetermined temperature higher than a use environment temperature range, is deformed into a crushed shape in the softened state, and is then cooled. And a container that retains the collapsed shape.