JP2011126583A - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a food container which is capable of discharging gases and securing air-tightness. <P>SOLUTION: The container has a body and a lid portion so constituted as to cover the opening of the body. The body includes a bottom part and a side wall extending circumferentially. The uppermost edge of the side wall of the body is formed with a flange portion that extends circumferentially while projecting outward. The flange portion of the body has an engaging portion formed to extend circumferentially while project in a direction opposite to the side wall. The inner surface of the engaging portion of the body is formed with an engaging protrusive portion that extends circumferentially, and furthermore, the inner surface of the engaging portion of the body is provided with inside gas discharge ribs adjacent to the engaging protrusive portion. The gas discharge ribs are intermittently disposed circumferentially at a predetermined interval. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a resin container for storing food, and particularly to a container for storing fermented food such as cheese.

  Fermented foods such as cheese are distributed under chilled conditions until they are actually consumed after being stored in a container. Meanwhile, fermentation proceeds by live lactic acid bacteria and produces carbon dioxide with whey or whey. Therefore, the container for storing fermented food needs to have a function of releasing carbon dioxide while preventing leakage of liquid whey.

JP-A-9-95347

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-95347 discloses an example of a food container having a function of allowing gas to escape while preventing liquid from leaking to the engaging portion between the lid and the container. In the container described in this publication, gas discharge ribs are provided on the protruding ribs of the lid. However, in the container described in this publication, it is difficult to ensure the hermeticity of the container while discharging the gas.

  The objective of this invention is providing the container which can discharge | emit gas and can ensure airtightness.

  According to the present invention, the gas discharge rib is provided on the inner surface of the engaging portion of the main body of the container. A plurality of gas discharge ribs are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the container which can discharge gas and can ensure airtightness can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the main body and lid part of the container by this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the main body of the container by this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cover part of the container by this invention. It is a figure which shows the state by which the cover part of the container by this invention was engaged with the main body, and the inside was sealed. It is a figure which shows a state when engaging the cover part of the container by this invention with a main body. It is a figure which shows the state from which the cover part of the container of this invention floated up from the main body, and gas was discharged | emitted from the inside. It is a figure which shows the detail of the engaging part of the main body of the container by this invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of the engaging part of the main body of a container by this invention, and a cover part. It is a figure which shows the detail of the engaging part of the main body of a container by this invention, and a cover part.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a container according to the invention. The container of this example has a main body 1 and a lid (lid) part 2. The main body 1 has a circular bottom 10 and a frustoconical side wall 11, and has a circular opening 3. The lid 2 is circular. Although FIG. 1 shows a case where the main body 1 of the container has a truncated cone shape and the lid portion 2 is circular, in the present invention, the container and the lid portion may have other shapes.

  The main body and the lid of the container of the present invention are made of resin. As the resin used for the main body of the container of the present invention, a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, or ethylene / vinyl / acetate is used.

  The structure of the edge of the main body of the container will be described with reference to FIG. On the outer peripheral edge of the upper end of the side wall 11 of the main body 1 of the container, a collar portion 12 that projects outward in the radial direction is formed. The flange portion 12 is formed in a flange shape along the entire circumference at the upper end of the side wall 11. A claw portion 121 having a wedge-shaped cross section is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the collar portion 12 along the entire circumference. An upper engaging portion 14 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the collar portion 12 is provided along the entire circumference. The dimension of the inner diameter of the upper engaging portion 14 is larger than the dimension of the inner diameter of the side wall 11 at the upper end of the container. Therefore, the step 122 is formed by the flange between the upper end of the inner surface of the side wall of the container and the upper engaging portion. A lower engagement portion 16 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the collar portion 12 is provided along the entire circumference.

  On the inner surface of the upper end of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body, an engagement convex portion 141 extending along the entire circumference is formed. A protruding gas discharge rib 142 is provided on the inner surface of the upper engagement portion 14. The gas discharge rib 142 is provided below the engagement convex portion 141 and above the step 122. As illustrated, the gas discharge ribs 142 are intermittently disposed on the inner surface of the upper engagement portion 14 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. The gas discharge rib 142 extends in the axial direction. 8 to 16 gas discharge ribs 142 may be provided. On the outer surface of the upper end of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body, an outer edge protrusion 143 is formed along the entire circumference. The outer edge protrusion 143 is formed with gas discharge grooves or notches intermittently at predetermined intervals.

  The structure of the edge of the lid 2 of the container will be described with reference to FIG. A side wall 21 extending downward is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the lid portion 2. On the outer surface of the lower end of the side wall 21, an engaging convex portion 211 extending along the entire circumference is formed. On the outer surface of the side wall 21, a flange portion (head portion) 22 that protrudes outward in the radial direction is further formed. The flange portion 22 is formed in a flange shape along the entire circumference on the upper side of the engaging convex portion 211. An engaging portion 24 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the flange portion 22 is provided along the entire circumference.

  The lower end of the side wall 21 and the engaging portion 24 extend substantially in parallel, and a gap is formed between them. A recess 241 extending along the entire circumference is formed on the inner surface of the engaging portion 24. The recess 241 has a wedge-shaped cross section and has a lower inclined surface 241A. A convex part 242 is formed on the upper side of the concave part 241. A concave portion 243 is further formed above the convex portion 242.

  FIG. 4 shows a state where the lid 2 is engaged with the main body 1. The lower end 21A of the side wall 21 on the outer peripheral edge of the lid 2 is in contact with the step 122 of the main body, and the upper end 14A of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body is in contact with the lower surface of the flange portion 22 of the lid. Therefore, the dimension of the portion of the side wall 21 of the lid that extends downward from the lower surface of the flange 22 is exactly equal to the height of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body.

  As shown in the figure, the engaging convex portion 211 at the lower end of the side wall 21 of the lid portion is in contact with the inner surface of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. The engaging convex portion 141 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body is in contact with the outer surface of the side wall 21 of the lid portion. The gas discharge rib 142 is disposed between the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion and the engagement convex portion 141 of the main body. The internal space of the container formed by the main body and the lid portion is sealed by the engagement by the two engagement convex portions 211 and 141.

  The outer edge projection 143 of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body is engaged with the recess 243 of the engagement portion 24 of the lid. Engagement by the outer edge protrusion 143 further ensures the sealing of the internal space of the container formed by the main body and the lid. The claw portion 121 of the collar portion 12 is engaged with the concave portion 241 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion.

  With reference to FIG. 5, the function which discharges air from the inside of the container of this invention in a foodstuff manufacturing process is demonstrated. In the food manufacturing process, fermented foods such as cheese are loaded into the main body 1, and the lid portion 2 is covered from above, and the lid portion 2 is pushed in along the arrow A. The claw portion 121 on the outer edge of the collar portion 12 of the main body abuts on the lower end of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion. The rigidity of the wall portion 11 of the container body is sufficiently larger than the rigidity of the engaging portion 24 of the lid. Therefore, when the lid portion 2 is pushed in, the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion is elastically deformed and opens outward. When the lid portion 2 is further pushed in, the claw portion 121 engages with the concave portion 241 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion. FIG. 5 shows a state immediately before the claw portion 121 of the main body is housed in the concave portion 241 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion.

  On the other hand, the engaging convex portion 211 of the side wall 21 of the lid portion 2 rides on the engaging convex portion 141 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. When the lid portion 2 is pushed in, the engaging convex portion 211 of the side wall 21 of the lid portion 2 gets over the engaging convex portion 141 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body and rides on the gas discharge rib 142. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the main body.

  As shown in the drawing, a space 23 is formed above the engaging portion 14 of the main body. The space 23 is surrounded by the side wall 21, the flange portion 22, the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion, and the upper end portion of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. Further, a space 25 is formed by the concave portion 241 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion. The space 25 is surrounded by the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion and the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body.

  As described above, the gas discharge ribs 142 formed in the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body extend in the axial direction, and are provided intermittently at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the main body, a passage through which air passes is formed between the adjacent gas discharge ribs. Therefore, the air inside the container is discharged to the upper space 23 through the passage between the adjacent gas discharge ribs. As described above, the outer edge protrusion 143 is formed with a gas discharge groove or notch. Accordingly, the space 23 is connected to the outer space 25. Accordingly, the air discharged into the space 23 is further discharged into the outer space 25.

  If the gas discharge rib 142 is not provided, when the lid portion 2 is pushed in, the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 comes into contact with the inner surface of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body, and the inside of the container is sealed. Therefore, air is confined in the container and the lid 2 cannot be pushed in.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the function which discharges | emits gas in the container of this invention in a distribution | circulation process is demonstrated. In the food manufacturing process, when fermented food such as cheese is loaded into the main body 1 and the lid 2 is closed from above, the inside of the container is sealed as shown in FIG. In the distribution process, carbon dioxide gas is generated when the fermentation of the fermented food stored in the container proceeds. Thereby, the internal pressure of the container rises, and the lid 2 receives a force in a direction away from the main body 1. As a result, the lid 2 is lifted with respect to the main body 1 as indicated by an arrow B. FIG. 6 shows a state where the lid 2 is slightly lifted with respect to the main body 1.

  When the lid portion 2 moves in a direction away from the main body 1, first, the engaging convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the main body. FIG. 6 shows a state where the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the main body. Further, the outer edge protrusion 143 of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body abuts on the inclined surface of the recess 243 of the engagement portion 24 of the lid. The claw portion 121 of the main body abuts on the inclined surface 241A of the concave portion 241 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion. Therefore, the lid part 2 cannot move further away from the main body 1. At this time, each part of the engaging part 24 of the lid part is elastically deformed. For example, the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion is elastically deformed in the opening direction by a pressing force from the outer edge protrusion portion 143 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. Further, due to the pressing force from the claw portion 121 of the main body, the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion is elastically deformed in the opening direction.

  As described above, when the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the main body, the gas inside the container passes through the space between the adjacent gas discharge ribs on the upper side. It is discharged into the space 23. On the other hand, the outer edge protrusion 143 is also formed with a groove or notch. Therefore, the gas that has flowed into the space 23 is discharged to the outside. Thereby, the pressure inside the container is reduced. When the internal pressure of the container decreases, the force that separates the lid 2 from the main body 1 decreases.

  Therefore, the restoring force resulting from the elastic deformation of the engaging part 24 of the collar part 12 acts on the claw part 121 and the outer edge protrusion part 143 of the main body. Therefore, the lid portion moves in a direction approaching the main body while the inclined surface 241A of the concave portion 241 slides on the claw portion 121. Similarly, the lid portion moves in a direction approaching the main body while the inclined surface of the concave portion 243 slides on the outer edge projection portion 143. Thereby, the lid portion returns to the original position, and as shown in FIG. 4, the lid portion 2 engages with the main body 1 and the inside becomes a sealed space.

  If the gas discharge rib 142 is not provided, even when the lid 2 is lifted from the main body 1, the engaging convex portion 211 of the lid 2 is in contact with the inner surface of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. Therefore, the container continues to be sealed, and gas cannot be discharged from the inside of the container.

  Thus, according to the present invention, normally, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid covers the main body, thereby sealing the inside and preventing the liquid from leaking. When carbon dioxide gas is generated from the fermented food stored in the container and the internal pressure increases, the lid part floats from the main body and the carbon dioxide gas is discharged as shown in FIG. When the carbon dioxide gas is discharged, the lid portion seals the main body again.

  With reference to FIG. 7, the dimension of the engaging convex part 141 provided in the engaging part 14 of the container main body, the gas discharge rib 142, and the outer edge protrusion part 143 is demonstrated. The height D1 of the engaging convex portion 141 is 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and preferably 0.15 mm. The cross section of the engaging convex portion 141 may be a shape having a gentle slope such as a semicircular shape or a semielliptical shape. The height d1 of the gas discharge rib 142 is 0.05 to 0.15 mm, preferably 0.10 mm. The height D1 of the engagement convex portion 141 is larger than the height d1 of the gas discharge rib 142. That is, D1> d1. The dimension H1 of the gas discharge rib 142 in the axial direction is 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and preferably 0.65 mm. The height D2 of the outer edge protrusion 143 is 0.2 to 0.4 mm, preferably 0.3 mm. The axial dimension H2 of the outer edge protrusion 143 is 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and preferably 0.65 mm.

  The inclination angle θ1 of the lower inclined surface of the gas discharge rib 142 is 40 to 60 °, and preferably 50 °. The inclination angle θ2 of the upper inclined surface of the claw portion 121 is 35 to 60 °, and preferably 45 °. The inclination angle θ3 of the lower inclined surface is 30 to 60 °, and preferably 35 °.

  FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4 and shows a state in which the engaging portion of the lid portion 2 is engaged with the engaging portion of the main body, and the inside of the container is sealed. A distance H3 between the lower end of the gas discharge rib 142 and the engagement convex portion 211 of the lid is 0.05 to 0.20 mm, preferably 0.15 mm. The height D3 of the engaging convex portion 211 is 0.1 to 0.3 mm, and preferably 0.2 mm. The cross section of the engaging convex portion 211 may be a shape having a gentle slope such as a semicircular shape or a semielliptical shape.

  FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 6, and shows a state where the engaging convex portion 211 of the side wall 21 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body. When the engaging convex portion 211 of the side wall 21 of the lid portion 2 rides on the gas discharge rib 142 of the upper engaging portion 14 of the main body, the engaging convex portion 141 of the engaging portion 14 of the main body 1 It does not contact the inner surface of the side wall 21. At this time, the dimension G1 of the gap between the engagement convex portion 141 and the inner surface of the side wall 21 of the lid portion 2 is 0.03 to 0.10 mm, and preferably 0.05 mm. An outer edge protrusion 143 provided on the outer surface of the upper end of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body is in contact with the inclined surface of the recess 143 of the engagement portion 24 of the lid portion 2. An angle θ4 formed by a tangential surface at both contact points with the outer surface of the upper engagement portion 14 of the main body is 35 to 55 °, and preferably 45 °.

  Here, the engaging portion 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the engaging portion 24 can be divided into an upper portion 24 </ b> A of the concave portion 241 and a lower portion 24 </ b> B of the concave portion 241. The lower portion 24B of the engaging portion 24 is cut off when the user opens the container lid. A projection (not shown) is provided on the lower portion 24B of the engaging portion 24, and a notch extending in the circumferential direction along the recess 241 is formed adjacent to the projection. When the user grips and pulls the protrusion with a finger, the lower portion 24B of the engaging portion 24 is torn from the upper portion 24A. Therefore, only the upper portion 24 </ b> A of the engaging portion 24 remains in the lid portion 2.

  When the user closes the main body of the container with the lid portion, the convex portion 242 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid portion 2 gets over the outer edge protrusion portion 143 of the engaging portion 14 of the main body. When the container body is closed by the lid, the outer edge protrusion 143 is disposed in the recess 243 of the engaging portion 24 of the lid 2.

  The example of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and various modifications can be easily made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention described in the claims. It will be understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body, 2 ... Cover part, 3 ... Opening, 10 ... Bottom part, 11 ... Side wall, 12 ... Gutter part, 14 ... Upper side engagement part, 16 ... Lower side engagement part, 21 ... Side wall, 22 ... Gutter part, 24 ... engaging portion, 121 ... claw portion, 122 ... step, 141 ... engaging convex portion, 142 ... gas discharge rib, 143 ... outer edge protruding portion, 211 ... engaging convex portion, 241 ... concave portion, 242 ... convex portion, 243 ... concave portion

Claims (6)

In a container having a main body and a lid configured to cover the opening of the main body,
The main body has a bottom portion and a side wall extending in a circumferential shape, and an upper edge of the side wall of the main body is formed with a collar portion that extends circumferentially and protrudes outward, and the collar portion has a circumferential shape. And an engaging projection that extends in a direction opposite to the side wall is formed, and an engaging convex portion that extends circumferentially is formed on the inner surface of the engaging portion, and further, the inner surface of the engaging portion of the main body Is provided with an inner gas exhaust rib adjacent to the engagement convex portion, and the inner gas exhaust rib is intermittently formed at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction,
A side wall is formed on the periphery of the lid portion, and a collar portion that extends circumferentially and protrudes outward is formed on the outer surface of the side wall, and an engagement portion that extends circumferentially is formed on the collar portion. A gap is formed between the side wall of the lid portion and the engaging portion of the lid portion for engaging the engaging portion of the main body,
On the outer surface of the side wall at the peripheral edge of the lid portion, an engagement convex portion extending in a circumferential shape is further formed,
When engaging the lid with the main body, the engagement convex portion of the outer surface of the side wall of the lid portion is configured to be disposed over the engagement convex portion of the inner surface of the engagement portion of the main body,
The gas discharge rib is disposed between an engagement convex portion on the outer surface of the side wall of the lid portion and an engagement convex portion on the inner surface of the engagement portion of the main body when the lid portion is engaged with the main body. When the lid portion moves from the state in which the lid portion is engaged with the main body in a direction away from the main body, the engagement convex portion on the outer surface of the side wall of the lid portion is formed on the gas discharge rib. A container characterized by being configured to ride on. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein a claw portion is formed on an outer end of the collar portion of the main body, a concave portion is formed on an inner surface of the engaging portion of the lid portion, and the lid portion is engaged with the main body. The container is configured so that the claw portion of the main body engages with the concave portion on the inner surface of the engaging portion of the lid portion. The container of claim 1,
A container characterized in that an outer edge projection extending along a circumferential direction is provided on an outer surface of the engaging portion of the main body, and a groove or a notch is provided in the outer edge projection. The container of claim 1,
The height D1 of the engaging convex part provided in the engaging part in the main body of the said container is 0.1-0.3 mm, Preferably, it is 0.15 mm. The container of claim 1,
The height d1 of the gas exhaust rib is 0.05 to 0.15 mm, preferably 0.10 mm, and the dimension H1 in the axial direction of the gas exhaust rib is 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Preferably, the container is 0.65 mm. The container of claim 1,
The height D2 of the outer edge protrusion is 0.2 to 0.4 mm, preferably 0.3 mm, and the dimension H2 in the axial direction of the outer edge protrusion is 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Preferably, the container is 0.65 mm.

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