JP2008044635A - Crushable container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a crushable container which is crushable in a bellows manner by applying a compression load axially when it is empty and which is not easily crushed securing an axial strength. <P>SOLUTION: This relates to a crushable container whose cross section seen at a right angle relative to an axis O is octagonal. A pair of mutually parallel side walls 20a, 20b represented by the two sides of the cross section is formed axially with receding grooves 30a, 30b whose depth d is in the range of 0.1D-0.3D relative to the distance D between the walls 20a and 20b. Because of the existence of the grooves 30a, 30b, an axial strength is improved and for example, even if steel bottles 10 are stacked with a content therein, they are not easily crushed. Also, the bottles 10 formed only axially with the grooves 30a, 30b are surely and stably crushed axially in a small pitch in a bellows manner when a predetermined compression load is applied axially when the content is used up and the bottles are empty for decreasing volume and increasing volume efficiency in collection. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container such as a plastic bottle or a steel can, and more particularly to a crushable container that can be crushed in a bellows shape by applying a compressive load in an axial direction in an empty state.

Plastic containers such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, steel as containers with a bottomed shape filled with liquids and fluids such as beverages, or predetermined contents such as powders and granules Cans are widely used. Such containers are usually collected for recycling, reuse, incineration, etc. after their contents are used up. Various measures have been proposed to reduce the size. Patent document 1 is an example, and the cylindrical container itself is formed into a bellows shape, and the volume is reduced by being crushed from the axial direction after the contents are used up.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-167243

  However, if the container itself is made into a bellows shape in this way, the strength in the axial direction is reduced. For example, when the container is stacked upward with the contents filled, the lower container may be crushed by weight. Handling is troublesome.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is that it can be crushed in a bellows shape by applying a compressive load from the axial direction in an empty state, while the strength in the axial direction is increased. It is to ensure that it is not easily crushed.

  In order to achieve this object, the present inventors have conducted various experiments and studies. As a result, a predetermined axial groove is provided on the cylindrical side wall as in the crash box described in WO-2005 / 010398. It was found that the axial strength could be secured to some extent, but when the axial compressive load applied a predetermined value, it was buckled finely at a small pitch and crushed into a bellows shape.

  The present invention has been made based on such knowledge, and the first invention is a container having a bottomed cylindrical shape and filled with a predetermined content, wherein (a) the cylindrical shape is In the two or more side wall portions located at equal angular intervals around the axis and at equal distances from the axis, concave grooves recessed inward are provided only in the axial direction parallel to the axis, respectively. (b) When the container is empty, a compressive load is applied from the axial direction, and the container is crushed in a bellows shape in the axial direction.

  The second invention is a container having a bottomed cylindrical shape and filled with a predetermined content, and (a) a cross section perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is at least one pair of parallel. (B) a pair of side walls represented by two sides parallel to each other in the polygonal cross section, each having a concave groove recessed inward. (C) The container is crushed in the axial direction when a compressive load is applied from the axial direction while the container is empty.

  A third invention is a crushable container according to the second invention, wherein (a) a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is a flat polygonal shape of a hexagon or more, and the flat shape (B) a pair of side walls represented by the long sides in the polygonal cross section, and the concave grooves substantially equally divide the long sides. And provided at a position symmetrical with respect to the axis.

  A fourth invention is a crushable container according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the groove is rectangular, a trapezoid whose width dimension is narrower toward the groove bottom side, a curved shape such as an arc, or the like. The shape is a combination of these.

  In the crushable container according to the first aspect of the present invention, concave grooves recessed inward are respectively provided at two or more side wall portions located at equal angular intervals around the cylindrical shaft center and at equal distances from the shaft center. Due to the presence of the concave groove, the strength in the axial direction is improved. For example, even if the containers are stacked in a state where the contents are filled, they are not easily crushed. Become. Since the strength in the axial direction depends on the thickness of the side wall, the weight of the container can be reduced and the cost can be reduced by setting the thickness as thin as possible within a range where a predetermined strength can be obtained.

  On the other hand, a container in which the concave groove is provided in the axial direction as described above is finely buckled at a small pitch in the axial direction when a predetermined compressive load is applied from the axial direction in an empty state after the contents are used up. And crushed into a bellows shape. Thereby, the volume is reduced and the volumetric efficiency at the time of recovery is improved. In particular, since the groove is provided only in the axial direction and there is no other groove in the direction intersecting or intersecting the groove, it is ensured by applying a predetermined compressive load from the axial direction in an empty state. And can be crushed in a bellows shape with a small pitch in the axial direction.

  The crushable container of the second invention is a pair of side walls represented by two sides parallel to each other in the polygonal cross section, wherein the cross section perpendicular to the axis forms a quadrilateral or more polygonal shape. Since the concave grooves recessed inward are provided only in the axial direction, the presence of the concave grooves improves the strength in the axial direction, and it is reliable if a predetermined compressive load is applied from the axial direction in an empty state. In addition, the same effect as the first invention can be obtained, for example, the volume can be reduced by squeezing the bellows in the axial direction stably.

  The third invention is a case where the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis forms a flat polygonal shape of hexagon or more, and even in that case, a pair of long sides parallel to the longitudinal direction in the flat polygonal cross-section If a compressive load is applied from the axial direction in the empty state, a pair of side walls represented by It can be reliably and stably crushed into a bellows shape without bending.

  The present invention can be applied to a synthetic resin container such as a plastic bottle filled with a predetermined content such as a liquid or fluid such as a beverage, or a powdery product or a granular material, or a cross-sectional shape is constant over the entire length in the axial direction. It can be applied to containers of various shapes and materials, such as metal cans such as pull-top steel cans and aluminum cans, or screw cap-type metal bottles provided with screws at the mouths.

  In the first invention, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis may be not only a polygon such as a square or a hexagon, but also a circle, an oval, an ellipse, etc. In the case of a polygon having an even number of sides, only two concave grooves may be provided at two positions symmetrical to the axis. If the cross-sectional shape is a circle, equilateral triangle, or regular hexagon, three concave grooves can be provided around the axis at 120 ° intervals. If the cross-sectional shape is a circle, square, or regular octagon, Four concave grooves can be provided around at 90 ° intervals. In addition to the concave groove of the present invention, an axial concave groove may be additionally provided at a position where the distance from the axial center is different.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is not always necessary to provide concave grooves in the side wall portions that are equiangularly spaced and equidistant from the axis. For example, two concave portions are formed on each pair of side walls represented by two parallel sides in the polygonal cross section. Grooves can also be provided. The corners of the polygonal cross section do not necessarily need to be pin angles, and two straight sides may be smoothly connected by an arc or the like, or may be formed into a shape that is linearly chamfered. The corners and openings at the bottom of the concave grooves are not necessarily pin angles, and can be smoothly connected by a circular arc or the like, or can be linearly chamfered.

The groove depth d of the groove is preferably set so as to satisfy the relationship of the following formula (1) with respect to the distance D between the pair of side walls where the groove is provided. When d ≦ 0.1D, the effect of forming a groove is not obtained, and a large pitch buckling occurs at a low load, while when 0.3D ≦ d, the fluctuation of the side wall provided with the groove increases. The buckling of the side wall where the concave groove is not provided becomes unstable.
0.1D <d <0.3D (1)

Further, when the number of concave grooves provided on one side wall is i, the groove width of each concave groove is Wi, and the total groove width of the concave grooves is ΣWi, the following equation (2 ) It is desirable to set the number of grooves i and the groove width Wi so as to satisfy the relationship. In the case of ΣWi ≦ 0.1L, the side wall portion of L−ΣWi, that is, the remaining side wall portion excluding the concave groove, and in the case of 0.3L ≦ ΣWi, the groove bottom portion of the concave groove is initially buckled. Stable buckling will be hindered by deformation.
0.1L <ΣWi <0.3L (2)

  In the third invention, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is a hexagonal flat polygonal shape. However, when the second invention is implemented, the cross-sectional shape may be a quadrangle. It may be a hexagonal or more regular polygonal cross-sectional shape. In carrying out the third invention, for example, in a pair of side walls represented by a pair of long sides parallel to the longitudinal direction in the cross section, the cross section perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is a flat octagon. One concave groove is provided in the central portion in the width direction (long side longitudinal direction). It is also possible to provide a plurality of concave grooves so that one side wall is equally divided in the width direction.

  The concave groove is desirably provided over the entire length of the cylindrical container, but may be provided only in an intermediate portion excluding the upper and lower portions of the cylindrical shape.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a screw cap type steel bottle 10 to which the present invention is applied, in which (a) is a perspective view seen obliquely from above, and (b) is equivalent to a BB cross section in (a). It is sectional drawing orthogonal to the axial center O to do. This steel bottle 10 smoothly connects a cylindrical main body portion 12 having an octagonal cross section, a small-diameter cylindrical mouth portion 14 provided with a male screw, and the mouth portion 14 and the main body portion 12. A truncated pyramid-shaped neck portion 16 and a bottom portion 18 that seals the opening at the lower end of the main body portion 12 are integrally formed of a thin steel plate. And while predetermined contents, such as a drink, are filled in the main-body part 12 from the opening part 14, while the cap which is not illustrated is screwed together in the opening part 14, the leakage of the contents is prevented, The contents can be taken out from the mouth portion 14 by removing the cap.

  The main body portion 12 has a basic cross-sectional shape of a square having substantially the same vertical and horizontal dimensions in FIG. 1 (b), and linear octagons at the four corners, thereby forming an octagon as a whole. 4 side walls 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b, 26a, and 26b that are cross-sectioned and are parallel to each other and have the same distance from the axis O are provided. In the octagonal cross section, the corners located on both sides of the side walls 24a and 24b are substantially pin angles, but the corners located on both sides of the side walls 20a and 20b are both arc-shaped and adjacent to each other. It is smoothly connected to the side walls 22a and 26b or 22b and 26a.

  A pair of side walls 20a and 20b represented by two sides located on the left and right sides in FIG. 1 (b) has an equiangular interval (specifically, 180 around the central portion in the width direction, that is, around the axis O). At the same distance from the axis O, and recessed grooves 30a and 30b recessed inwardly of the main body 12 extend over substantially the entire length of the main body 12 in parallel with the axis O. Is provided. The cross-sectional shapes of the concave grooves 30a and 30b are the same symmetrical with respect to the axis O. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes are rectangular, and both the corners of the groove bottom and the corners of the opening are both. It has an arc shape.

  The groove depth d of the concave grooves 30a and 30b is within a range of 0.1D to 0.3D with respect to the distance D between the pair of side walls 20a and 20b, and is about 0.17D in this embodiment. Since the distance D between the pair of side walls 20a and 20b is twice the distance from the axis O to the side wall 20a or 20b, the groove depth is determined based on the distance from the axis O to the side wall 20a or 20b. d becomes the above numerical range or 1/2 of the numerical value. Further, the groove width W of the concave grooves 30a and 30b is within a range of 0.1L to 0.3L with respect to the width dimension L of the side walls 20a and 20b, and is about 0.3L in this embodiment. The main body 12 is provided with only the pair of concave grooves 30a and 30b, and no other grooves are provided.

  And in the steel bottle 10 comprised in this way, the cross section perpendicular | vertical to the axial center O is an octagon, The center of a pair of side wall 20a, 20b represented by two sides mutually parallel in the cross-sectional shape In the two side wall portions located at equal angular intervals around the axis O and at the same distance from the axis O, the groove depth d is 0. 0 relative to the distance D between the pair of side walls 20a and 20b. Since the concave grooves 30a and 30b within the range of 1D to 0.3D are provided in the axial direction, the presence of the concave grooves 30a and 30b improves the axial strength, for example, in a state where the contents are filled. Even if the steel bottles 10 are stacked in multiple stages, the handling becomes easy, for example, the steel bottles 10 are not easily crushed. Since the strength in the axial direction depends on the thickness of the side walls 20a, 20b,... 26b, the thickness of the steel bottle 10 can be reduced and the cost can be reduced by setting the thickness as thin as possible within a range where a predetermined strength can be obtained. Can also be planned.

  On the other hand, in the steel bottle 10 provided with the concave grooves 30a and 30b as described above, when a predetermined compressive load is applied from the axial direction in an empty state after the contents are used up, (a ) As shown in the figure, it is buckled finely at a small pitch in the axial direction and crushed into a bellows shape. Thereby, the volume is reduced and the volumetric efficiency at the time of recovery is improved. In particular, the concave grooves 30a and 30b are provided only in the axial direction, and there are no other grooves in the direction intersecting or intersecting the concave grooves 30a and 30b. Can be reliably and stably crushed in a bellows shape with a small pitch in the axial direction.

  Further, in this embodiment, since the grooves 30a and 30b are provided at two positions symmetrical to the axis O, the lateral direction perpendicular to the axis O so as to be bent along the grooves 30a and 30b. That is, by applying a compressive load from the vertical direction in FIG. 1 (b), it can be easily flattened as shown in FIG. 2 (b). FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG.

  Further, since the circumferential length of the cross section shown in FIG. 1 (b) is increased by providing the concave grooves 30a and 30b, the internal pressure applied to the unit length of the cross section is reduced, and when the same material is used, The thickness can be reduced, and the weight can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis O are equal, and the grooves 30a and 30b having a rectangular cross section are provided in the central part of the pair of side walls 20a and 20b. However, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis O can be changed as appropriate. FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (f) are examples, and all are sectional views corresponding to FIG. 1 (b).

  FIGS. 3A and 3B show a case where the present invention is applied to a large-sized PET bottle 40, which has a flat octagonal cross-sectional shape and a long axis in the octagonal cross-section. A pair of side walls 42a, 42b represented by two long sides parallel to the direction (the vertical direction in the figure) are respectively provided with concave grooves 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b in the axial direction. The concave grooves 44a and 44b in (a) are provided one by one in the central portion of the pair of side walls 42a and 42b in the width direction (longitudinal direction of the flat octagonal cross section), whereas the concave grooves (b) in FIG. Two grooves 46a and 46b are provided symmetrically so that the pair of side walls 42a and 42b are approximately equally divided in the width direction, in other words, so that the long sides of the flat octagonal cross section are approximately equally divided. ing. The groove depths of these concave grooves 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b are all within a range of 10% to 30% of the distance between the pair of side walls 42a, 42b, and in this embodiment, 15% to 25%. The groove widths of the concave grooves 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b provided in the side walls 42a, 42b are within the range so that the total dimension is within the range of 10% to 30% of the width dimension of the side walls 42a, 42b. It is stipulated in. That is, when two concave grooves 46a, 46b are provided in each side wall 42a, 42b as shown in (b), twice the groove width of the concave groove 46a is 10% to 30% of the width dimension of the side wall 42a. The groove widths of the concave grooves 46a and 46b are determined so that twice the groove width of the concave groove 46b falls within the range of 10% to 30% of the width dimension of the side wall 42b. .

  Thus, even when the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axial center forms a flat polygonal shape of a hexagon or more, it is represented by a pair of long sides parallel to the longitudinal direction in the flat polygonal cross-section. The pair of side walls 42a and 42b are provided with concave grooves 44a, 44b, 46a and 46b at positions where the long sides are substantially equally divided and symmetric with respect to the axial center, thereby compressing from the axial direction in an empty state. If a load is applied, it can be reliably and stably crushed in a bellows shape with a small pitch without bending in the middle, and the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

  3 (c) and 3 (d) show the case where the cross-sectional shapes of the grooves provided in the pair of side walls 20a and 20b are different in the steel bottle 10, and the grooves 50a and 50b in FIG. While the trapezoidal shape in which the width dimension (groove width) becomes narrower toward the bottom, the concave grooves 52a and 52b in (d) have a U-shape in which the groove bottom portion is curved in an arc shape. is doing. The groove depths of these concave grooves 50a, 50b, 52a, 52b are all within a range of 10% to 30% of the distance between the pair of side walls 20a, 20b, and in this embodiment, 15% to 25%. The width dimension (groove width) of the opening of each concave groove 50a, 50b, 52a, 52b is within the range of 10% to 30% of the width dimension of the side walls 20a, 20b.

  3 (e) and 3 (f) show the case where the present invention is applied to a steel bottle 60 having a cylindrical side wall 62. In FIG. 3 (e), two positions symmetrical to the axis O are shown. On the other hand, a pair of concave grooves 64a and 64b are provided in FIG. 3, while three concave grooves 66a, 66b and 66c are provided at three positions located at 120 ° intervals around the axis O in (f). These concave grooves 64a, 64b, 66a, 66b, 66c all have a trapezoidal shape in which the width dimension (groove width) becomes narrower toward the groove bottom, and the groove depth extends from the axis O to the side wall. Within the range of 5% to 15% of the distance up to 62 (corresponding to the radius), in this embodiment, it is within the range of 7% to 13%.

  As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described in detail based on drawing, these are one Embodiment to the last, This invention is implemented in the aspect which added the various change and improvement based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. be able to.

It is a figure which shows the steel bottle to which this invention was applied, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a figure which shows the BB cross section in (a). FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the bottle of FIG. 1 is crushed, in which FIG. 1A is a case where the bottle is crushed from the axial direction, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, and each is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the axis corresponding to (b) of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

10, 60: Steel bottle (crushable container)
20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b, 26a, 26b, 42a, 42b, 62: Side walls 30a, 30b, 44a, 44b, 46a, 46b, 50a, 50b, 52a, 52b, 64a, 64b, 66a, 66b , 66c: concave groove 40: PET bottle (crushable container)
O: shaft center d: groove depth of the groove W: groove width of the groove D: distance between the pair of side walls L: width dimension of the side walls

Claims (4)

A container having a bottomed cylindrical shape and filled with a predetermined content,
On the two or more side wall portions located at equal angular intervals and equidistant from the shaft center around the cylindrical shaft center, concave grooves recessed inward are provided only in the axial direction parallel to the shaft center. And
A collapsible container, wherein the container is crushed in a bellows shape in the axial direction when a compressive load is applied from the axial direction in an empty state. A container having a bottomed cylindrical shape and filled with a predetermined content,
The cross section perpendicular to the cylindrical axis forms a polygonal shape of a quadrangle or more having at least one pair of two parallel sides, and
In the pair of side walls represented by two sides parallel to each other in the polygonal cross section, concave grooves recessed inward are provided only in the axial direction parallel to the axis,
A collapsible container, wherein the container is crushed in a bellows shape in the axial direction when a compressive load is applied from the axial direction while the container is empty. The cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the cylindrical axis is a hexagonal or more flat polygonal shape, and has a pair of long sides parallel to the longitudinal direction of the flat polygonal cross-section,
In the polygonal cross section, a pair of side walls represented by the long side is provided with the concave groove at a position that equally divides the long side and is symmetric with respect to the axis. The crushable container according to claim 2. The cross-sectional shape of the concave groove is a rectangle, a trapezoid whose width dimension becomes narrower toward the groove bottom side, a curved shape such as an arc, or a combination thereof. A crushable container as described in 1.

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