JP2011255939A - Fruit container made of foamed resin and combination of the container and container conveyance tray - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fruit container made of foamed resin, the container being able to hold the required shape retention while manufactured from a foamed resin sheet with such a low bulk density that damage to soft fruits such as strawberries is prevented, and being able to have thickness substantially identical to that of a conventional food container.SOLUTION: In the fruit container 1 made of foamed resin, its opening is rectangular, and a bottom 2 and four side walls 3 are integrally formed. The four side walls 3 includes: lower side walls 4 extending outward and upward from the peripheral edges of the bottom 2; reinforcing hold side walls 5 including horizontal portions 5a extending horizontally upward from the upper ends of the lower side walls 4, and vertical portions 5b extending vertically upward from the leading ends of the horizontal portions; and upper side walls 6 formed from folded portions 6a extending outward and downward from the upper ends of the vertical portions 5b of the reinforcing hold side walls 5. Projections (locking members) 13 formed on the container accommodating pockets 11 of the container conveyance tray 10 fit into the folded portions 6a. For example, the average thickness of the container 1 is approximately 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and the bulk density is approximately 0.2 to 0.03 g/cm.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fruit foam resin container and a combination of the container and a container transport tray.

  Soft fruits such as persimmons, figs, and wrinkles are conventionally housed in containers formed by thermoforming non-foamed resin sheets or containers made of cardboard, transported, and displayed at stores. In order to prevent the surface of the container from being damaged by vibration during transportation or by its own weight, a shock absorber such as a foamed resin sheet is loaded on the inner surface of the container. Attempts have been made to alleviate the occurrence of damage on the surface of the fruit (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, a plurality of containers containing fruits are stored in trays or containers for transport and display.

  On the other hand, food containers formed from a foamed resin sheet and laminated with a resin film on the surface are also widely used as containers for storing food such as meat and fish (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Utility Model Registration No. 3130821 JP 2004-42954 A

  The work of loading the cushioning sheet in the storage container is a heavy burden at the site where the fruit is stored in the container so as not to cause pain in soft fruits such as strawberries. If a soft fruit like strawberries can be stored directly in a container made of foamed resin, the work of loading a buffer sheet into the storage container can be omitted. However, containers made of foamed resin with a resin film laminated on the surface, which are conventionally used in the sale of meat, etc., are not used as dredging containers, but can be stacked or transported while containing the contents. In order to give the required strength so that it is easy to do, it is normal to have a bulk density of about 1.05, and even if it is transferred to perishable fruits such as persimmons, it is not sufficient in softness and being transported It is not possible to avoid scratching soft fruits such as persimmons due to vibrations.

  Therefore, by manufacturing the container using a foamed resin sheet having a small bulk density, the container itself can be buffered, so that a container having sufficient softness for soft fruits can be obtained. However, in that case, with a thickness similar to that of a conventional food container, the shape retaining property (mechanical strength) of the container becomes insufficient and it has a weight like a bowl, although it depends on the bulk density. When the fruit is stored, the container may be deformed, which makes it unsuitable to store and transport a plurality of containers in a transport tray or transport container. Therefore, deformation can be prevented by increasing the thickness of the entire container. However, as the thickness increases, the actual capacity for accommodating fruits decreases, and the volume when stacking empty containers increases, which is not an effective solution in practice.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and maintains the required shape retaining property while being manufactured with a foamed resin sheet having a low bulk density to such an extent that it does not cause damage to soft fruits such as strawberries. It is a first object to provide a fruit foam resin container that can be made to have the same thickness as a conventional food container.

  In addition, the present invention accommodates a plurality of the above-mentioned foamed resin containers for fruits in a tray in a stable posture, so that the fruit accommodated in each container can be transported and stored without causing damage. It is a second object to disclose a combination of a foamed resin container for fruits and a tray for transporting containers that can be used.

  The foamed resin container for fruit according to the present invention is a foamed resin fruit container used in a tray for container transportation, and extends from the peripheral edge of the bottom surface outward and upward, from the upper end of the lower side wall. A reinforcing holding sidewall comprising a horizontal portion extending outward in the horizontal direction and a vertical portion extending vertically upward from the tip of the horizontal portion; and an outer side from an upper end portion of the vertical portion of the reinforcing holding sidewall; It has an upper side wall formed of a folded portion folded back downward, and is formed so that a locking member enters the folded portion.

Although not limited, in the foamed resin container for fruit according to the present invention, preferably, the horizontal portion is formed thicker than the vertical portion. Preferably, the vertical portion is formed longer than the horizontal portion. Preferably, the average thickness is about 1.0 to 4.0 mm, and the bulk density is about 0.2 to 0.03 g / cm ³ .

  In the foamed resin container for fruit according to the present invention, a horizontal portion that connects the upper end of the lower side wall and the lower end of the upper side wall is provided, and a folded portion that is folded outward is formed on the upper end of the upper side wall. This greatly improves the mechanical strength, that is, the shape retention of the container. Therefore, a foamed resin sheet having a low bulk density can be used as a container having a low bulk density and having a thickness comparable to that of a conventional foamed resin sheet. Therefore, it is possible to alleviate the damage of the fruit surface due to the fruit colliding with the side wall or the bottom surface during transportation.

  The combination of the foam resin container for fruits and the container transport tray according to the present invention is for container transport capable of accommodating a plurality of the above-mentioned fruit foam resin containers and the fruit foam resin containers in a plane. The container transport tray has a plurality of container storage pockets for storing the fruit foam resin containers in a plane, and each container storage pocket has a vertical inner wall. A protrusion formed into the folded portion formed at the upper end of the upper side wall of the fruit foam resin container is formed on the upper surface of the inner wall, and the fruit foam resin container enters the projection into the folded portion. The container is stored in the container storage pocket in a laid state.

  In the combination according to the present invention, each of the plurality of fruit foam resin containers is stored in each pocket of the container transport tray, and each fruit foam resin container is caused by vibration during transport. There is no collision between them. Therefore, the fruit accommodated in the container during conveyance can maintain a stable state, and it is avoided that the fruit collides with each other and the surface is damaged.

More specifically, the foamed resin container for fruits is in a state of being accommodated in the pocket, in a state where the upper side wall thereof and the inner surface wall of the pocket are in contact with each other or in close proximity to each other, and at least in the pocket Since the protrusions formed on the upper surface of the inner wall in the short direction are in the folded part formed on the upper end of the upper side wall of the fruit foam resin container, the container transport tray is irregularly formed. When moved, the fruit foam resin container can move with the tray, and the fruit foam resin container does not come off the tray pocket. In particular, when the fruit foam resin container is formed of a foam resin sheet having a small bulk density of about 0.05 g / cm ³ , the fine vibration of the tray is absorbed and accommodated by the fruit foam resin container. Does not affect the fruit that is.

  Depending on the weight of the contained fruit, deformation may occur in the fruit foam resin container, but it is formed on the upper surface of the inner wall of the pocket in the folded part formed at the upper end of the upper side wall of the fruit foam resin container. As the protrusions enter, the foamed resin container for fruits does not drop from the pocket.

  Even when a container containing fruit or a container that does not contain fruit is stored in the pocket, the rising angle from the bottom surface of the lower side wall of the container side wall is smaller than the upper side wall, and the horizontal part from the upper side wall. Therefore, the container can be stored easily.

  According to the present invention, the required shape-retaining property can be maintained while using a foamed resin sheet having a low bulk density so as not to cause damage to soft fruits such as strawberries, and the conventional food container has a thickness. A foamed resin container for fruits that can be of the same level as the above is obtained.

  In addition, by storing a plurality of the above-mentioned foamed resin containers for fruit in a stable posture in the tray, it can be used for transportation and storage without causing damage to the fruit stored in each container. A combination of the foamed resin container for fruit and the container transport tray is obtained.

The perspective view which shows an example of the foamed resin containers for fruits by this invention. Sectional drawing which follows the aa line of the foamed resin containers for fruits shown in FIG. The perspective view for demonstrating an example of the combined body of the foam resin container for fruits by this invention, and the tray for container conveyance.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 1, a fruit foam resin container (hereinafter simply referred to as “container”) 1 according to the present invention has a rectangular upper opening and a rectangular shape having four corners as a whole. I am doing. The container 1 is formed by thermoforming a foamed resin sheet, and the bottom surface 2 and the four side walls 3 are integrally formed.

Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the foamed resin sheet used for shaping | molding, As a resin material, a polystyrene-type resin, a polyethylene-type resin, etc. can be illustrated. The bulk density, to obtain the required softness, preferably about 0.2~0.03g / cm ^3, more preferably about 0.07~0.04g / cm ^3. The thickness of the sheet after molding is 1.0 to 4.0 mm, preferably 1.8 to 3.5 mm, more preferably about 2.0 to 3.0 mm. It is preferable from the viewpoint of reduction.

  The four side walls 3 of the bottom surface 2 of the container 1 are composed of a lower side wall 4, a reinforcing holding side wall 5 and an upper side wall 6. That is, the peripheral edge of the bottom surface 2 is integrally formed with a lower side wall 4 rising upward and outward, a reinforcing holding side wall 5 at an upper end portion of the lower side wall 4, and an upper side wall 6 at an upper end portion of the reinforcing holding side wall 5. It is formed continuously.

  The rising angle of the lower side wall 4 is not limited, but is preferably an angle between 45 degrees and 70 degrees. An appropriate angle may be selected in consideration of volumetric efficiency.

  The reinforcing holding side wall 5 is composed of a horizontal portion 5a extending outward from the upper end of the lower side wall 4 in the horizontal direction (direction parallel to the bottom surface) and a vertical portion 5b extending vertically upward from the tip thereof.

  The rising angle of the vertical portion 5b is desirably 90 degrees or an angle between 90 degrees and 80 degrees. It is desirable that the horizontal portion 5a extends about 5 mm or more from the viewpoint of ensuring shape retention. The horizontal portion 5a is formed shorter and thicker than the vertical portion 5b. Thereby, even if a load is applied to the bottom surface 2, it is possible to prevent the entire container from being greatly deformed.

  The upper side wall 6 includes a folded portion 6a and a tip portion 6b that extend from the upper end portion of the vertical portion 5b of the reinforcing holding side wall 5 and are folded outward and downward.

  An accommodation holding groove 8 is formed by a part of the vertical portion 5b, the folded portion 6a, and the tip portion 6b. A projection 13 of the tray 10 described later is accommodated in the accommodation holding groove 8. Moreover, the front-end | tip part 6b should just be extended to such an extent that the processus | protrusion 13 can be accommodated. Moreover, since the front-end | tip part 6b is extended below and outward rather than the folding | turning part 6a, the accommodation holding groove 8 is formed in the state opened outward from the perpendicular | vertical part 5b.

  Thereby, the protrusion 13 of the tray 10 mentioned later is formed easily. Further, the holding and holding groove 8 is formed to be slightly larger than the protrusion 13 of the tray 10. Thereby, when the container 1 is mounted on the tray 10, the protrusion 13 is formed so as to be easily stored in the accommodation holding groove 8. Further, when a load is applied to the bottom surface 2 of the container 1, the folded portion 6 a and the reinforcing holding side wall 5 of the container 1 are deformed and are in close contact with the protruding portion 13. Thereby, the container 1 is firmly fixed to the tray 10.

  The depth of the container 1, that is, the distance from the upper end of the upper side wall 6 of the side wall 3 to the bottom surface 2 is arbitrary and is not limited. It is set appropriately in consideration of the type and size of the fruit to be accommodated.

  Next, the combination 20 of the container 1 and the container transport tray (hereinafter simply referred to as “tray”) 10 according to the present invention will be described. In this example, the tray 10 is rectangular as a whole, and has four container storage pockets 11 having the same rectangular shape in the plane. The tray 10 can be made of any material and any method provided that it has the required mechanical strength. An example is a resin injection molded product.

  Each container storage pocket 11 is a hole penetrating vertically in this example, and is formed by four vertical inner walls 12. The inner dimension of the container storage pocket 11 formed by the four inner walls 12 is equal to or slightly larger than the outer dimension of the four peripheral upper side walls 6 in the container 1 described above. The height of the inner wall surface 12 is substantially equal to or greater than the depth of the container 1. Although not shown, the tray 10 may have legs around it, and in this case, the height of the inner wall surface 12 may be smaller than the depth of the container 1.

  A protrusion 13 is formed on the inner wall surface 12 on the upper surface of the inner wall surface 12a in the short direction. The height of the protrusion 13 may be a height that can enter the folded portion 6 a formed at the upper end of the upper side wall 6 when the container 1 is dropped into the container storage pocket 11.

  In the example shown in the figure, the protrusion 13 is formed only on the inner wall surface 12a in the short direction. However, for example, when the container 1 accommodates the bag, it is along the side wall in the longitudinal direction. It is usually stored in the container storage pocket 11 in a state where a transparent wrapping film is hung, and if a protrusion is formed on the inner wall surface in the short direction, the wrapping film may be damaged. by. In the case of a tray that is used exclusively for storing the container 1 containing the fruit that does not need to be wrapped, a protrusion 13 may be formed on the inner wall surface 12 side in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 13 may be a protrusion. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 14 denotes a handle for facilitating carrying and handling of the tray 10.

  In the above combination 20, as described above, the container 1 that contains soft fruits such as strawberries and the transparent wrapping film is stretched along the side wall in the longitudinal direction is the container storage pocket of the tray 1. 11 is housed. At this time, the rising angle of the side wall 3 of the container 1 from the bottom surface of the lower side wall 4 is smaller than the angle of the vertical portion 5b of the reinforcing holding side wall 5, and further, the horizontal portion 5a is more than the vertical portion 5b. Since it is located on the inner side, it is easy to store the container 1 in the container storage pocket 11.

  The container 1 after storage is in a state where the four vertical portions 5b and the inner wall 12 of the four circumferences of the container storage pocket 11 are in contact (of course, the holding power of the container 1 may be increased by contact) or in close proximity. The protrusion 13 formed on the upper surface of the inner wall 12a in the short side direction of the container storage pocket 11 is in the stored state, and the storage holding groove 8 on the lower surface side of the folded portion 6a formed on the upper end of the vertical portion 5b of the container 1 It will be in the state where it entered.

  Therefore, when the tray 10 moves irregularly, the container 1 can move together with the tray 10, and the container 1 does not detach from the container storage pocket 11 of the tray 10. Further, the fine vibration of the tray 10 is absorbed by the container 1 and does not significantly affect the contained fruit.

  Further, even when the container 1 is deformed depending on the weight of the stored fruit, the container is stored in the storage and holding groove 8 on the back surface side of the folded portion 6a formed at the upper end of the vertical portion 5b of the container 1 as described above. Since the protrusion 13 formed on the upper surface of the inner wall 12 of the pocket 11 is inserted, the container 1 is not dropped from the pocket.

  Further, as described above, since the reinforcing holding side wall 5 is formed in the container 1, even if a load is applied to the bottom surface 2, the horizontal portion 5 a of the reinforcing holding side wall 5 is formed short and thick, so that it is difficult to deform. . Therefore, a large deformation of the entire container 1 can be avoided. Further, since the vertical portion 5b is formed to be long and thin, when the load is applied to the bottom surface 2, the vertical portion 5 and the upper side wall 6 are deformed, and the adhesiveness with the protruding portion 18 is improved. Thus, even when a foamed resin sheet having a thickness of 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm and a bulk specific gravity as small as about 0.05 is used, the mechanical strength, that is, the shape retention of the container can be greatly improved. It is possible to prevent the contained fruit from colliding with the bottom surface 2 or the side wall 3 of the container 1 and causing damage to the fruit surface during transportation of the fruit.

1 ... Container made of foam resin for fruit,
2 ... Bottom,
3 ... 4 lap side walls,
4 ... Lower side wall,
5: Reinforcement holding side wall,
5a ... horizontal part,
5b ... vertical part,
6 ... upper side wall,
6a ... turn-up part,
6b ... the tip,
8: Housing holding groove,
10 ... Container transport tray,
11 ... Container storage pocket,
12 ... vertical inner wall of the container storage pocket,
12a ... Inner wall surface in the short direction,
13 ... protrusions,
20 ... Combination.

Claims (5)

It is a container for fruit made of foamed resin used for trays for container transportation,
A lower side wall extending outward and upward from the periphery of the bottom surface,
A reinforcing holding side wall comprising a horizontal part extending outward from the upper end of the lower side wall in the horizontal direction and a vertical part extending vertically upward from the tip of the horizontal part; and
An upper side wall comprising a folded portion folded back outward and downward from the upper end of the vertical portion of the reinforcing holding side wall;
A container made of foamed resin for fruits, wherein a locking member is formed to enter the folded portion.   2. The fruit foamed resin container according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal portion is formed thicker than the vertical portion.   The said vertical part is formed longer than this horizontal part, The foamed resin container for fruits of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The average thickness is about 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and the bulk density is about 0.2 to 0.03 g / cm ³ , for fruits according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Foamed resin container. A combination of a fruit foamed resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a container transport tray capable of storing a plurality of the fruit foamed resin containers in a plane,
The container transport tray has a plurality of container storage pockets for storing the fruit foam resin containers in a plane, each container storage pocket has a vertical inner wall, A protrusion is formed that enters into the folded portion formed at the upper end of the upper side wall of the fruit foam resin container,
The fruit foam resin container is stored in the container storage pocket in a state where the protrusion is inserted into the folded portion, and is a combination of a fruit foam resin container and a container transport tray .

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