JP2024080520A - Beverage containers - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a beverage container that can suppress the occurrence of condensation and can suppress the transfer of heat from a beverage poured into the container to the outer surface of the container.
[Solution] The beverage container 1 is a cylindrical beverage container with a bottom and a double structure capable of containing a beverage, which forms an inner surface 15 that comes into contact with the poured beverage and is equipped with an impermeable layer 20 that does not allow liquid to pass through, and a porous water-absorbing layer 30 that is arranged on the outside of the impermeable layer 20 and has an outer surface 31 exposed to the outside, and a space is formed between the impermeable layer 20 and the water-absorbing layer 30.
[Selected figure] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage container.

Conventionally, beverage containers capable of holding beverages are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes tableware having a vessel portion made of unglazed ceramics and a resin coating layer that covers a portion of the vessel portion.

JP 2017-143966 A

From the standpoint of ease of use, it is desirable for beverage containers such as cups to be configured in such a way that condensation is unlikely to form on their outer surface even when the surrounding temperature is high and the beverage being poured is cold, and that heat is unlikely to be transferred to the outer surface even when a hot beverage is poured. With the beverage container in Patent Document 1, although any condensation that does occur can be absorbed by the lower part of the container body, there is still room for improvement in terms of insulation.

The present invention aims to provide a beverage container that can suppress the occurrence of condensation and also suppress the transfer of heat from a beverage poured into the container to the outer surface of the container.

The present invention relates to a beverage container that is cylindrical with a bottom and has a double structure capable of containing a beverage, and that comprises an impermeable layer that forms the inner surface that comes into contact with the poured beverage and prevents liquid from passing through, and a porous water-absorbent layer that is disposed on the outside of the impermeable layer and has an outer surface that is exposed to the outside, and in which a space is formed between the impermeable layer and the water-absorbent layer.

The impermeable layer has a porous base layer and a glassy inner coating film that covers the surface of the base layer opposite the space.

The water absorption layer is covered with a glassy outer coating on the surface opposite the space on the opening side where the beverage is poured.

The water absorption layer is made of ceramic with a porosity of 11% to 48% and a median pore diameter of 0.7 μm to 13.2 μm.

The present invention can suppress the occurrence of condensation and also suppress the transfer of heat from the beverage poured into the container to the outer surface of the container.

1 is a perspective view showing a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a side view showing a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a plan view showing a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage container shown in FIG. 3 taken along line VV. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a first plaster mold used in manufacturing a beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a second plaster mold used in manufacturing a beverage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first plaster mold after the slip has been poured into the first plaster mold and the excess slip has been drained. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the second plaster mold after the slip has been poured into the second plaster mold and the excess slip has been drained. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a molded product removed from a plaster mold.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

The beverage container 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the beverage container 1. Fig. 2 is a side view of the beverage container 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the beverage container 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the beverage container 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage container 1 shown in Fig. 4 taken along line V-V.

The beverage container 1 is a container capable of holding a beverage. The beverage container 1 is cylindrical with a bottom and has a bottom 11, a side 12, and an opening 13 facing the bottom 11 and through which the beverage is poured.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom 11 has a circular shape in a planar view, but the shape is not particularly limited. For example, the bottom 11 may have an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape in a planar view.

As shown in FIG. 2, the side portion 12 is a portion that rises from the peripheral portion of the bottom portion 11. The beverage poured from the opening 13 is contained in the container portion 14, which is a space surrounded by the bottom portion 11 and the side portion 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom 11 and side 12 are configured with a double structure having an impermeable layer 20 and a water-absorbing layer 30. In other words, the beverage container 1 is a double-structure container capable of holding a beverage, and includes an impermeable layer 20 and a water-absorbing layer 30.

The impermeable layer 20 forms the inner surface 15 that comes into contact with the beverage poured from the opening 13, and is a layer that does not allow liquid to pass through. The impermeable layer 20 has a base layer 21 and an inner coating film 22. The thickness of the impermeable layer 20 is preferably 4 mm to 5 mm.

The substrate layer 21 is a layer made of porous ceramic having water absorption properties. The substrate layer 21 preferably has a porosity of 11% to 48% and a median pore diameter of 0.7 μm to 13.2 μm. The substrate layer 21 preferably has a thickness of 4 mm to 5 mm.

The inner coating film 22 is a film that does not allow liquid to pass through. The inner coating film 22 covers the surface 211 of the base layer 21 on the side of the storage section 14. In this embodiment, the entire surface 211 of the base layer 21 on the side of the storage section 14 is covered by the inner coating film 22. In other words, the entire inner surface 15 of the beverage container 1 is formed by the inner coating film 22.

The inner coating film 22 is made of, for example, glass. Examples of glass materials include glazes. In this embodiment, the inner coating film 22 is formed by applying a glaze to the surface 211 of the base layer 21. The fine pores in the surface 211 of the base layer 21 are sealed by the glaze. The inner coating film 22 of the beverage container 1 prevents the beverage contained in the container section 14 of the beverage container 1 from passing through the inner surface 15 to the base layer 21.

The water absorption layer 30 is disposed on the outside of the impermeable layer 20 and is a layer made of porous ceramic. The water absorption layer 30 has an outer surface 31 that is exposed to the outside. Because the water absorption layer 30 is porous, its fine pores are exposed to the outside. With this configuration, for example, even when a cold beverage is poured into the beverage container 1 and the surrounding temperature is high, causing a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the container and making it easy for condensation to form on the bottom 11 or side 12, the liquid is absorbed through the fine pores in the outer surface 31, so condensation can be suppressed.

The water absorption layer 30 preferably has a porosity of 11% to 48% and a median pore diameter of 0.7 μm to 13.2 μm. This improves the liquid absorption capacity of the micropores, and more reliably prevents condensation. The thickness of the water absorption layer 30 is preferably 4 mm to 5 mm.

The water-absorption layer 30 is connected to the base layer 21 at the upper edge 121 of the side portion 12 of the beverage container 1. In this embodiment, the water-absorption layer 30 and the base layer 21 are integrally molded.

In this embodiment, the outer surface 31 of the water-absorbing layer 30 has micropores that can prevent condensation, and is formed in a scale-like shape, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This makes the outer surface 31 less slippery, making it easier for the user to grip. In addition, each of the scales that form the scale-like outer surface 31 may have an uneven surface. This makes the outer surface 31 even less slippery.

A space (hollow portion) 40 is formed between the impermeable layer 20 and the water-absorbing layer 30. The space 40 is formed continuously from the bottom 11 to the upper edge 121 side by the center of the side 12 in the axial direction of the beverage container 1. This prevents heat from the beverage poured into the container 14 from being transferred to the water-absorbing layer 30 side via the impermeable layer 20. The space 40 may be formed continuously from the bottom 11 to the vicinity of the upper edge 121 of the side 12. The thickness of the space 40, i.e., the distance between the impermeable layer 20 and the water-absorbing layer 30, is preferably 1 mm to 15 mm, except for the opening 13 side of the side 12.

2 and 4, the water-absorbing layer 30 of this embodiment is exposed to the outside at the side 12 except for the opening 13 side. That is, the outer surface 31 of the water-absorbing layer 30 exposed to the outside is the area of the side 12 except for the opening 13 side and the entire bottom 11. The area of the water-absorbing layer 30 on the opening 13 side, including the upper edge 121, is covered by an outer coating film 50 that does not allow liquid to pass through. Specifically, the outer coating film 50 covers the surface of the water-absorbing layer 30 on the opening 13 side opposite the space 40.

The outer coating film 50 is made of, for example, glass. In this embodiment, the outer coating film 50 is made of the same material as the inner coating film 22. The surface 51 of the outer coating film 50 in this embodiment is made of glass and has a smooth surface. This covers the area on the opening 13 side of the side portion 12 that the user's lips come into contact with when drinking a beverage, making it comfortable to the mouth. In this embodiment, the outer coating film 50 is connected to the inner coating film 22 at the upper edge 121.

The beverage container 1 can also be said to be a double-structure container that includes a cylindrical inner container with a bottom and a cylindrical outer container with a bottom that is slightly larger than the inner container. The inner container is placed inside the outer container. The inner container and the outer container are connected to each other at their peripheries on the opening 13 side, and the other parts are placed with a space 40 between them. That is, the inner container is formed by the impermeable layer 20, and the outer container is formed by the water-absorbing layer 30.

[Method of manufacturing beverage containers]
Next, a method for manufacturing the beverage container 1 of this embodiment will be described.
The manufacturing method of the beverage container 1 of this embodiment includes (1) a slip preparation step, (2) a molding step, (3) a drying step, (4) a bisque firing step, (5) a glazing step, and (6) a firing step.

In the slip preparation process, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, alkali metal oxides, silicon dioxide, water, etc. are mixed on an oxide basis to obtain a fluid slip.

In the molding process, a molded product is obtained from the slip by waste mud casting using a plaster mold. Specifically, in the molding process, the slip obtained in the slip preparation process is poured into a plaster mold and left for a certain period of time (e.g., about 40 minutes). After the slip has adhered to the wall of the plaster mold until it has the desired thickness, the remaining unadhered excess slip is expelled from the plaster mold. The product is then dried for a certain period of time (e.g., about 1 hour), and the hardened base material is removed.

The plaster molds used in the molding process and the details of the molding process will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first plaster mold 60, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the second plaster mold 70. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the excess slip has been drained after the slip has been poured into the first plaster mold 60, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the excess slip has been drained after the slip has been poured into the second plaster mold 70. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the molded products 1a and 1b removed from the first plaster mold 60 and the second plaster mold 70.

The first plaster mold 60 includes a lower mold 61 that forms the side 12 on the upper edge 121 side of the beverage container 1, and an upper mold 62 that forms the side 12 other than the part formed by the impermeable layer 20 and the lower mold 61 in the bottom 11. Specifically, the lower mold 61 has a curved convex portion 612 that protrudes from the bottom 611, and a side wall 613 that rises from the bottom 611 so as to surround the outside of the convex portion 612. The upper mold 62 is a cylindrical mold as a whole and has an opening 621. In the molding process, as shown in FIG. 6, the first plaster mold 60 is closed and a slip is poured from the opening 621 of the upper mold 62. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the surface of the convex portion 612 and the inner peripheral surface of the upper mold 62 form a molded product 1a that becomes the impermeable layer 20 and the side portion 12 in the bottom 11 of the beverage container 1.

The second plaster mold 70 comprises a lower mold 71 having a groove 711 and an upper mold 72 having an opening 721. As shown in FIG. 7, with the second plaster mold 70 closed, slip is poured into the upper mold 72 through the opening 721. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the inner surface of the groove 711 and the surface of the upper mold 72 facing the bottom surface of the groove 711 form a molded product 1b that will become the water absorption layer 30 in the bottom 11 of the beverage container 1.

As shown in FIG. 10, after drying for a certain period of time (e.g., about 1 hour), the hardened base materials 1a and 1b are removed from the plaster mold and fused together to obtain the molded product 1c that will become the beverage container 1.

In the drying process, the molded product 1c formed in the molding process is dried for about 1 hour, removed from the filter mold, and dried for about 1 day. The drying time in the drying process can be set appropriately depending on the temperature, humidity, etc. Drying in the drying process is performed in an environment of, for example, 25°C and 60% humidity.

In the bisque firing process, the molded product 1c dried in the drying process is fired. More specifically, the molded product 1c dried in the drying process is first subjected to a burr finishing process. In the burr finishing process, burrs that are unnecessary for the product are removed from the molded product 1c. After that, the molded product 1c that has been subjected to the burr finishing process is fired in a bisque firing kiln at approximately 930°C for approximately 8 hours.

In the glazing process, glaze is applied only to the inner surface and side openings of the molded object 1c that was fired in the bisque firing process.

In the firing process, the glaze-coated molded product is fired. The glaze-coated molded product is fired at approximately 1250°C for 12 hours. In this firing process, the water-insoluble organic fine particles contained in the molded product are decomposed to form numerous micropores. Micropores are also formed by the evaporation of moisture remaining in the molded product. In addition, since the product is fired at a high temperature, a beverage container 1 with excellent water absorption, heat retention, and cold retention properties can be manufactured. The beverage container 1 is manufactured through each of the above processes.

The beverage container 1 according to this embodiment has the following advantages:

(1) The beverage container 1 is cylindrical with a bottom, has a double structure capable of containing a beverage, forms an inner surface 15 in contact with the poured beverage, and is provided with an impermeable layer 20 that does not allow liquid to pass through, and a porous water-absorbing layer 30 that is arranged on the outside of the impermeable layer 20 and has an outer surface 31 exposed to the outside, and is configured to form a space 40 between the impermeable layer 20 and the water-absorbing layer 30. As a result, since the porous water-absorbing layer 30 is exposed to the outside, the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed even when a cold beverage is poured into the container. In addition, even when a hot beverage is poured, since there is a space 40 between the impermeable layer 20 that contacts the beverage and the water-absorbing layer 30 that is exposed to the outside and held by the user, the transfer of heat from the impermeable layer 20 to the water-absorbing layer 30 is suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed and the transfer of heat from the beverage poured into the container to the outside can be suppressed.

(2) The impermeable layer 20 of the beverage container 1 may be configured to have a porous base layer 21 and a glassy inner coating film 22 that covers the surface 211 of the base layer 21 on the side opposite the space 40. This results in two porous layers being formed on either side of the space 40, which can further enhance the effect of suppressing condensation on the outer surface 31 of the beverage container 1 and the effect of insulating the container from the inside to the outside.

(3) The water absorption layer 30 of the beverage container 1 may be configured so that the surface opposite the space 40 on the opening 13 side through which the beverage is poured is covered with a vitreous outer coating film 50. This allows the area on the opening 13 side that comes into contact with the lips when the user drinks the beverage to be covered with vitreous material, making the beverage feel pleasant to the mouth.

(4) The water absorption layer 30 of the beverage container 1 may be made of ceramic with a porosity of 11 to 48% and a median pore diameter of 0.7 to 13.2 μm. This can further increase the water absorption of the water absorption layer 30.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the water-absorbing layer 30 is covered on the opening 13 side with the outer coating film 50, but it may be configured so that the entire surface of the water-absorbing layer 30 opposite the space 40 is exposed to the outside without being covered with the outer coating film 50. This can reliably prevent condensation.

In the above embodiment, the impermeable layer 20 is formed by the porous base layer 21 and the inner coating film 22, but it may be composed of only the inner coating film 22.

In this embodiment, the outer surface 31 of the water-absorbing layer 30 is formed in a scale shape, but it does not have to be formed in a scale shape.

Reference Signs List 1 beverage container 15 inner surface 20 impermeable layer 30 water absorbing layer 31 outer surface

Claims (4)

A beverage container having a double structure and a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of containing a beverage,
an impermeable layer that forms an inner surface in contact with a poured beverage and does not allow liquid to pass through;
a porous water-absorbing layer disposed outside the impermeable layer and having an outer surface exposed to the outside;
A beverage container in which a space is formed between the impermeable layer and the water-absorbent layer. The beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the impermeable layer comprises a porous base layer and a glassy inner coating film that covers the surface of the base layer opposite the space. The beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the water-absorbing layer opposite the space on the opening side through which the beverage is poured is covered with a glassy outer coating film. The beverage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water absorption layer is made of ceramic with a porosity of 11% to 48% and a median pore diameter of 0.7 μm to 13.2 μm.

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