JP2008094463A - Food tray - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a food tray which suitably absorbs water exuded from food without requiring the laying work of absorbent paper and greatly improves the storage work of the food and is remarkably excellent in practicality. <P>SOLUTION: The food tray stores the food and is composed of a mixture of paper fiber, a starch-based binder, and water. Holes for allowing the water of the food to penetrate the inside of the food tray are formed on the upper surface of the food tray. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a food tray.

  As containers for storing lunch boxes and fresh meat and fish sold at convenience stores and supermarkets, for example, a tray made of polypropylene resin is often employed as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

  By the way, polypropylene has almost no water absorption, and therefore cannot absorb moisture that exudes from stored rice, pickles, vegetables, fresh meat, fish, and the like.

  Therefore, in general, when storing food that is likely to seep out of moisture as described above, the food should be stored after laying water-absorbing paper on the inner surface of the tray so that it does not deteriorate due to accumulation of the exuded water. It absorbs the moisture that oozes from food.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-18944

  However, it is troublesome to spread water absorbent paper one by one when food is stored in the tray. Further, for each tray having a different shape and size, for example, an operation such as cutting large water-absorbing paper into an appropriate size is required. Therefore, the work of laying water-absorbing paper on the tray is extremely troublesome. The work efficiency is dramatically improved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the situation as described above, and can absorb water that exudes from food well, as well as does not require water-laying paper laying work, and can dramatically improve food storage work. It provides food trays that are extremely practical.

  The gist of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A food tray for storing food, the food tray comprising a mixture of paper fiber, starch-based binder and water, the upper surface of the food tray allowing food moisture to pass inside the food tray The present invention relates to a food tray characterized in that a hole is provided.

  Moreover, the food tray of Claim 1 WHEREIN: The said food tray adds 50-200 parts of said water to 100 parts of things which mix | blended 50-90 parts of the said paper fibers and 10-50 parts of the said starch-type binder. This is a kneaded product obtained by adding 0.2 to 2.0 parts of a non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt to 100 parts of the mixture.

  The food tray according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the starch-based binder is obtained by replacing starch binder or 10-50% (weight) of the starch binder with polyvinyl alcohol. The present invention relates to a food tray characterized by that.

  The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the food tray contains a water-absorbing polymer.

  Moreover, it is a food tray which accommodates food, Comprising: This food tray has the 1st absorber 1 which consists of a mixture of a paper fiber, a starch-type binder, and water, and the water absorption provided in the upper surface of this 1st absorber 1. The present invention relates to a food tray that is formed by integrating the second absorbent body 2 made of paper by insert molding.

  Moreover, the food tray of Claim 5 WHEREIN: The hole 3 which allows passage of the water | moisture content of food to the inside of the 1st absorber 1 is provided in the upper surface of said 1st absorber 1. It is characterized by the above-mentioned. It relates to food trays.

  Further, in the food tray according to any one of claims 5 and 6, a water absorbent paper such as a filter paper, a water absorbent sheet or a water retaining paper capable of absorbing water of 70% or more of the volume is adopted as the second absorbent body 2. It is related to the food tray characterized by being made.

  Moreover, the food tray of any one of Claims 5-7 WHEREIN: Said 1st absorber 1 mixes 50-90 parts of said paper fibers, and 10 parts of said starch-type binder 10 parts. A kneaded product obtained by adding 0.2 to 2.0 parts of a non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt to 100 parts of a mixture obtained by adding 50 to 200 parts of water is heated and dried. It relates to food trays.

  Moreover, the food tray of any one of Claims 5-8 WHEREIN: As for the starch-type binder of said 1st absorber 1, starch alcohol or 10-50% (weight) of this starch binder is polyvinyl alcohol. It relates to a food tray characterized by being replaced by

  Moreover, the food tray of any one of Claims 5-10 WHEREIN: The said 1st absorber 1 concerns on the food tray characterized by including the water absorbing polymer.

  The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the food tray is used as a lunch box.

  Moreover, the food tray of any one of Claims 1-10 WHEREIN: The said food tray concerns on the food tray characterized by storing fresh meat.

  Moreover, the food tray of any one of Claims 1-10 WHEREIN: The said food tray concerns on the food tray characterized by storing fresh fish.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, it can absorb moisture exuding from food well, and it does not require water-laying paper laying work, and can be greatly improved in food storage work. Food tray.

  An embodiment of the present invention which is considered to be suitable will be briefly described with reference to the drawings showing the operation of the present invention.

  When a mixture of paper fiber, starch-based binder and water is put into, for example, a heated mold and dried by heating, a skin layer having very few pores is formed on the surface (surface), and the water absorption decreases. And since a space | gap is formed in an internal paper fiber layer (because it becomes porous), favorable water absorption is exhibited.

  Therefore, moisture that has entered the inside through holes formed in the upper surface on the side where food is stored (placed) is absorbed by the paper fibers having good water absorption, and the surface (side surface and lower surface) having low water absorption. ) Does not penetrate.

  On the other hand, a first absorbent body 1 made of a mixture of fiber, starch-based binder and water and a second absorbent body 2 made of water-absorbing paper provided on the upper surface of the first absorbent body 1 are formed by insert molding. When integrated, moisture can be diffused over a wide range in the plane direction while absorbing moisture with water-absorbing paper, so that the absorbability can be further improved and the evaporation of moisture can be accelerated.

  Therefore, not only can water be absorbed well, but the water once absorbed by the inner fiber body is prevented from leaking to the outside, and there is no need to lay water-absorbing paper on the tray, dramatically improving work efficiency. improves.

  Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  This example is a food tray for storing food, and this food tray is composed of 50 to 90 parts of paper fiber and 10 to 50 parts of a starch-based binder in which 10 to 50% (weight) is replaced with polyvinyl alcohol. To 100 parts of a mixture obtained by adding 50 to 200 parts of water to 100 parts of the mixture, a kneaded product obtained by adding 0.2 to 2.0 parts of a non-alkali metal long chain fatty acid salt is dried by heating. The first absorbent body 1 and the second absorbent body 2 made of water absorbent paper provided on the upper surface of the first absorbent body are integrated by insert molding. Is provided with a hole 3 that allows passage of water into the first absorber 1.

  Each part will be specifically described.

  The first absorbent body 1 is a commercially available extrusion molding machine, for example, a hopper for introducing the material into the molding machine, a screw for agitating the injected material to plasticize it, and a screw for extruding the leading end of the molding machine. , Put into a mold provided at the tip of the molding machine, dry the kneaded product extruded in the heated mold by heating and evaporating the moisture, take out from the mold and cool -It has been formed into a desired shape by cutting. In addition, you may shape | mold using not only an extrusion molding machine but an injection molding machine.

  Therefore, the kneaded material first extruded into the mold (cavity) and directly in contact with the mold is rapidly heated and dried by the mold to form the skin layer 4. This skin layer 4 has almost no pores and therefore hardly exhibits water absorption.

  Further, at the time of molding, a large number of holes 3 are formed side by side (for example, a lattice shape or a zigzag shape) on the upper surface (the surface on which food is placed) of the first absorbent body 1. The passage of moisture (for example, gravy oozed from fresh meat) into the interior 5 of the first absorbent body 1 through the holes 3 is allowed, and the moisture is absorbed by the fiber body in the interior 5. In the case where the water absorbent paper (second absorbent body 2) is provided on the first absorbent body 1 as described above, the hole 3 may not be formed.

  Moreover, the 1st absorber 1 is good also as a structure containing a water absorbing polymer in addition to the said material. In this case, the water absorption is further improved.

  The 1st absorber 1 is formed in the shape of a saucer similar to the general tray in which fresh meat and fresh fish are stored, and the 2nd absorber 2 is thermocompression-bonded by insert molding on this 1st absorber 1. Tightly integrate. In addition, since both the 1st absorber 1 and the 2nd absorber 2 have a paper fiber (pulp) as a main component, it adhere | attaches very favorable and it becomes possible to reduce in thickness so much. In addition, it can be disposed of without disposal.

  Specifically, the second absorbent body 2 is provided so as to substantially cover at least the entire inner surface of the tray-shaped first absorbent body 1. Note that the second absorbent body is not limited to the entire inner surface of the first absorbent body, and may be provided in a part. Accordingly, it is possible to satisfactorily absorb the moisture that exudes from the stored food and the like and to maintain a good appearance.

  For example, when used as a lunch box, a partition portion 7 that partitions the inside of the tray into several storage portions 6 as shown in FIG. 2 may be provided. In this case, the second storage unit 2 is provided at an arbitrary location, such as the storage unit 6 for storing rice is not provided with the second absorber 2 and the storage unit 6 for storing pickles is provided with the second absorber 2. Good.

  As the second absorbent body 2, a water absorbent paper made of a sheet-like pulp material capable of absorbing moisture of 70% or more of the volume is employed. Specifically, a water-absorbing sheet that has been subjected to surface treatment and provided with an appropriate gap on the surface is employed. The water absorbent paper is not limited to the water absorbent sheet, and filter paper or water retaining paper may be employed.

  Therefore, the water is well absorbed by the second absorbent body 2 having good water absorption, and this water is diffused evenly in the horizontal direction, and the first absorbent body passes through the numerous holes 3 formed on the upper surface of the first absorbent body 1. 1 is also absorbed by the paper fiber. At this time, since the skin layer 4 is formed on the surface of the first absorbent body 1, moisture absorbed in the first absorbent body 1 does not penetrate into the surface (lower surface and side surface) and leaks to the outside. Is blocked.

  Therefore, there is no need to lay water-absorbing paper on the tray or to cut the water-absorbing paper into an appropriate size as in the prior art, and the entire surface of the first absorbent body 1 and the second absorbent body 2 can absorb moisture evenly. In addition, since no useless portion is generated, even if the size is reduced (the area is reduced) and the thickness is reduced, a moisture absorption capacity equal to or higher than that of the conventional one can be secured.

  In addition, although the present Example is set as the structure which integrated the 2nd absorber on the 1st absorber as mentioned above, you may comprise a food tray only with the said 1st absorber. In this case, it is desirable to include a water-absorbing polymer or set the volume slightly larger to increase the water absorption as much as possible.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be further described in detail.

  Paper fiber is produced in the state of paper pulp materials obtained from wood, cotton, flax, hemp, cocoons, etc., or used newspapers, magazines, cardboard and other papers, paperboard, cut waste paper, and papermaking processes. Waste paper such as broken paper, waste paper, dropped paper, used waste paper, etc. can be used, and those finely pulverized can be easily dispersed even when blended as a molding material, and the surface of the molded body is It has excellent smoothness and is effective.

  The starch-based binding material (or starch binding material) as a binding material has a molecular structure that is very similar to paper fibers, and therefore can firmly bond and bond the paper fibers, and also the meat of the molded body. Even when the thickness is small, it exhibits high strength and high rigidity and is less likely to warp.

  In addition, the molecular structure of polyvinyl alcohol is different from that of paper fiber and starch, but it has the same level of hydrophilic groups as starch, so it has the function of being compatible with starch and binding paper fiber. Furthermore, since it is a long-chain polymer and does not have a branched structure like starch, it has high toughness, and when mixed with starch and used as a binder, toughness can be imparted to the molded product. Therefore, when a starch-based binder obtained by substituting 10 to 50% of starch with polyvinyl alcohol and composited with polyvinyl alcohol is used, a molded article exhibiting excellent toughness and free of cracks can be obtained.

  Since the paper fiber and starch-based binder, which are the main components of the material, are water-soluble, biodegradable and non-chargeable as described above, the molded body is also biodegradable and non-chargeable.

  Non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salts include calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate, aluminum stearate, strontium stearate, zinc laurate, aluminum laurate, strontium laurate, or a mixture of them. Can easily be mixed with paper fibers and starch homogeneously, exhibits excellent lubricity in the powder state, and can improve workability by lubrication and mold release due to the lubrication effect at the interface From the effective.

  By adding this non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt, the metal salt of this long-chain fatty acid acts as an internal release agent, so that in the step of kneading the material, the material sticks to the wall surface of the kneader. Can be prevented and workability can be improved. This non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt has a surface-active function by a non-polar part based on a fatty acid chain part and a polar part based on a non-alkali metal part, and is insoluble in water and has water repellency, In addition, it is considered that it is caused by having slipperiness in both the molten state and the powder state.

  Moreover, the thing which mix | blended 50-90 parts of paper fibers and 10-50 parts of starch type binders (or starch binder) which substituted 10-50% (weight) of the starch binder with polyvinyl alcohol is used. However, when the amount of the paper fiber is 50 parts or less and the amount of the binder such as starch-based binder is 50 parts or more, the reinforcing effect of the paper fiber is weakened, and a molded product with high mechanical strength cannot be obtained. Absent. On the other hand, when the paper fiber is 90 parts or more and the blending amount of the binder is 10 parts or less, it becomes difficult to sufficiently bond the paper fibers, so that the surface state of the molded body becomes rough and at the same time the mechanical strength of the molded body decreases. It is not preferable.

  In addition, 50 to 200 parts of water is added and kneaded to 100 parts of the mixture of the paper fiber and the binder. When the amount of water added is 50 parts or less, kneading is performed smoothly. It is difficult to break and a load is applied to the kneading, and it is difficult to form a homogeneous kneaded product due to heat generation of the molding material, and it becomes difficult to maintain the shape when the kneaded molding material is formed into a pellet or tablet. Absent. On the other hand, when 200 parts or more of water is added and kneaded, it becomes an extremely low-viscosity and muddy kneaded material, which is not preferable for use in molding.

  Further, 0.2 to 2.0 parts of non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt is added to 100 parts of the mixture of paper fiber, binder and water. Addition of 2 parts or less is not preferable because the lubricity effect is small, and in the material kneading process, it easily sticks to the wall surface of the kneader, resulting in poor workability and cracking. On the other hand, when 2.0 parts or more of the non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt is added, the friction resistance with the wall of the kneading machine is reduced in the material kneading step, so that it is difficult to knead uniformly in a short time. Therefore, it is not preferable.

  Since this embodiment is configured as described above, when a mixture of paper fiber, starch-based binder and water is put into a heated mold or the like and dried by heating, for example, the skin (surface) has very few pores. While the skin layer is formed and the water absorption is lowered, a good water absorption is exhibited by forming voids in the inner paper fiber layer (becomes porous).

  Therefore, moisture that has entered the inside through holes formed in the upper surface on the side where food is stored (placed) is absorbed by the paper fibers having good water absorption, and the surface (side surface and lower surface) having low water absorption. ) Does not penetrate.

  On the other hand, the first absorbent body made of a mixture of fiber, starch-based binder and water and the second absorbent body made of water absorbent paper provided on the upper surface of the first absorbent body are integrated by insert molding. In this case, the moisture can be diffused in a wide range in the plane direction while absorbing the moisture by the water absorbent paper, so that the absorbability is further improved and the evaporation of the moisture can be accelerated.

  Therefore, this embodiment can absorb moisture exuding from food well, and does not require water-laying paper laying work, and is a highly practical food tray that can dramatically improve food storage work. It becomes.

It is a schematic explanatory perspective view in which a part of the present embodiment is cut out. It is a schematic explanatory perspective view which cut off a part of another example. It is an expansion outline explanatory sectional view of the important section of this example.

Explanation of symbols

1 1st absorber 2 2nd absorber 3 hole

Claims (13)

  A food tray for storing food, the food tray comprising a mixture of paper fiber, starch-based binder and water, the upper surface of the food tray allowing food moisture to pass inside the food tray A food tray characterized in that a hole is provided.   2. The food tray according to claim 1, wherein the food tray is obtained by adding 50 to 200 parts of water to 100 parts of a mixture of 50 to 90 parts of the paper fibers and 10 to 50 parts of the starch-based binder. A food tray, which is a kneaded product obtained by adding 0.2 to 2.0 parts of a non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt to 100 parts of a mixture.   The food tray according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the starch-based binder is obtained by replacing starch binder or 10-50% (weight) of the starch binder with polyvinyl alcohol. Feature food tray.   The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the food tray contains a water-absorbing polymer.   A food tray for storing food, the food tray comprising a first absorbent body comprising a mixture of paper fiber, starch-based binder and water, and a water absorbent paper provided on the upper surface of the first absorbent body. A food tray, wherein the two absorbent bodies are integrated by insert molding.   6. The food tray according to claim 5, wherein a hole is provided on the upper surface of the first absorbent body to allow passage of moisture of food into the first absorbent body.   The food tray according to any one of claims 5 and 6, wherein the second absorbent body is a water absorbent paper such as a filter paper, a water absorbent sheet, or a water retaining paper capable of absorbing 70% or more of water by volume. A food tray characterized by that.   The food tray according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first absorbent is mixed with 100 parts of the mixture of 50 to 90 parts of the paper fibers and 10 to 50 parts of the starch-based binder. A food tray obtained by heating and drying a kneaded product obtained by adding 0.2 to 2.0 parts of a non-alkali metal long-chain fatty acid salt to 100 parts of a mixture obtained by adding 50 to 200 parts .   The food tray according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the starch-based binder of the first absorber is a starch binder or 10 to 50% (by weight) of the starch binder is replaced with polyvinyl alcohol. A food tray characterized by being.   The food tray according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the first absorbent body contains a water-absorbing polymer.   The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the food tray is used as a lunch box.   The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the food tray stores fresh meat.   The food tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the food tray stores fresh fish.

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