JP2725167B2 - Leafy vegetable packaging container - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container used for packaging leafy vegetables such as three leaves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Consumers purchase leafy vegetables such as three-leaf vegetables in a distribution process from a producer to a consumer in order to facilitate handling, prevent product damage and enhance commercial value. It is individually packaged and distributed in relatively small units that are convenient.

Generally, leafy vegetables and the like are housed in a tray-shaped packaging container and then tray-packed using a plastic film or a plastic bag or the like, and the whole is packaged. At this time, the leafy vegetables placed on the tray have a larger volume at the leaves than at the stems, and are in a raised state. For this reason, there was a problem that the leaf portion was greatly pressed at the time of packing, and that portion was damaged. In addition, the stem portion of the leafy vegetable is small in volume and free from the pressure of the plastic film in the container, so it can play inside the container, resulting in misalignment, resulting in an uneven appearance. This impaired the commercial value.

Further, if the leaf vegetables contained in the container protrude from the opening surface of the tray-shaped container, it cannot be packaged neatly. Therefore, it is necessary to store the leaf vegetables so as not to protrude from the opening surface of the container. There is. Also, if the leafy vegetables are packaged in a state where they protrude from the container, the protruding portion is sandwiched between the upper end of the peripheral wall of the container and the packaging film, and the product is strongly damaged due to strong pressure. . For this reason, the tray pack operation needs to be performed with care so that the leafy vegetables do not protrude from the container, and there is a problem that the operation is troublesome.

[0005] One of the present applicants has already proposed, for example, a container described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-21375 as a container used for packaging leafy vegetables in order to improve the above-mentioned problems. As shown in FIG. 4, this packaging container is a packaging container 100 including a bottom surface portion 101 and a peripheral wall portion 102 rising from the bottom surface portion 101. A step portion 105 is provided on the bottom portion 101 so that a step is generated in the direction,
Forming one shallow portion 103 and one deep portion 104,
The shallow portion 103 and the deep portion 104 sequentially arranged in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 101 are formed in a substantially horizontal state, and the deep portion 104 is formed on a flat surface.

[0006]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the packaging container described in Japanese Patent No. 1375, the bulky portion of the leafy vegetables is stored at the deep bottom, so that the bulky portion of the leafy vegetables does not easily protrude, and the depth of the container is constant. The workability of the tray pack is improved to some extent as compared with the case where a container is used. However, when the bulky portion of leafy vegetables is completely housed in the container and is formed so as not to protrude from the upper surface of the container, it is necessary to form the deep bottom portion considerably deeper than the shallow bottom portion. When the deep bottom portion of the packaging container becomes deep as described above, the entire container becomes bulky, and there is a problem that handling during transportation or storage becomes very inconvenient.

In the case where the deep bottom of the container is not formed so deep that it does not hinder the transportation and storage of the container,
As described above, the problem that the workability of the tray pack is low remains. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional packaging container, although the leaf vegetables are hardly moved inside the container to some extent by the groove provided in the shallow portion, the leaf vegetables in the container move during the operation of the tray pack by itself. It is inevitable that a positional shift occurs, and there is a problem that the workability of the packaging operation is reduced.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and has good workability in tray-packing, and can prevent damage to leafy vegetables stored in a container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a leafy vegetable packaging container that is easy to handle when transporting and storing the container.

[0009]

That is, the present invention provides (1) a bottom portion having a length of 15 to 40 cm in a longitudinal direction and a width of 5 to 18 cm, and a peripheral wall portion rising from the bottom portion, and the upper surface is an opening surface. And a support plate connected to the container body, wherein the support plate covers a part of the opening surface of the container body and forms a holding portion for holding leafy vegetables. The holding portion is provided on the longitudinal end side of the container main body, and the container main body has a lateral width of the other end facing the lateral width of the longitudinal pressing end side. Is 1.2 times or more wide, the depth of the container body becomes shallower as the lateral width of the container body becomes wider, and the depth of the deepest part of the container body becomes 1 to 2.5c.
m, a container for a leafy vegetable, wherein (2) the support plate covers a part of the opening surface of the container body to form a holding portion for holding the leafy vegetable, A leaf vegetable packaging container according to the above (1), wherein a groove is formed in a portion in contact with an upper end of a peripheral wall portion of the main body.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the leafy vegetable packaging container 1 of the present invention (hereinafter abbreviated as a packaging container) includes a bottom portion 2.
And a peripheral wall portion 3 rising from the bottom portion 2, the container body 4 having an upper surface formed as an opening surface, and a support plate 5 connected to the container body 4.

The support plate 5 is a part of the opening at the upper surface of the container body 4 for preventing leafy vegetables housed inside the container body 4 from protruding outside from the opening surface of the container body 4. Formed so as to cover Further, the portion of the packaging container 1 covered by the support plate 5 of the container body 4 can be formed as a holding portion 10 for holding leafy vegetables, as shown in FIG. The holding portion 10 is provided on one end side of the container body 4 in the longitudinal direction, and the support plate 5 is connected to the container body 4 so that the holding portion 10 is provided on the end side. Further, the support plate 5 can be locked to the container main body 4, covers the opening surface of the portion forming the pressing part 10 of the container main body 4, and can maintain the state in which the pressing part 10 is formed by the locking means.

In order to connect the support plate 5 to the container main body 4 and form the support plate 10 so as to cover the opening surface,
For example, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), a support plate 5 is continuously provided on the upper end of one peripheral wall 3 at one end in the longitudinal direction of the container main body 4, and the peripheral wall 3 of the container main body and the support plate 5 are connected to each other. The boundary part is formed as a hinge part 6. With the above configuration, the support plate 5 can be folded back from the hinge 6 to the container main body 4 side, and the opening surface on the longitudinal end side of the container main body 4 can be easily covered with the support plate 5. Support plate 5
Is formed so as to cover an opening surface of a certain length from the end in the longitudinal direction of the container body 4 to the other end, and the length of the support plate 5 is 1 of length
It is preferably formed in a ratio of / 9 to 1/3.

Further, in order to enable the support plate 5 to be locked to the container body while the support plate 5 covers a part of the opening surface, the support plate 5 is locked to the container body 4. Is used. Specifically, as shown in FIG.
At the portion in contact with the peripheral wall 3 when covering the opening surface, locking pieces 8a and 8b protruding outward from the horizontal plane of the support plate 5 are provided, and a flange 7 is provided on the upper surface of the peripheral wall of the container body 4. Forming [Fig.
(See (c)]), and at the positions corresponding to the locking pieces 8a and 8b of the support plate 5, locking recesses 9a and 9b, which are formed by cutting the flange 7 into the container body, are provided. Locking piece 8
a, 8b and the locking recesses 9a, 9b form locking pieces 8a, 8b.
Are pressed into the locking recesses 9a and 9b, respectively, so that they are engaged with each other. Further, locking pieces 8a,
8b is formed in the shape of a convex portion having an outwardly widened portion, while the locking recesses 9a and 9b are formed in the shape of a concave portion having a narrowed outside, so that the locking pieces are fitted and locked in the locking recesses. You.

The support plate 5 is connected to the longitudinal peripheral wall 32 of the container body 4 as shown in FIG. 3 in addition to the peripheral wall at the longitudinal end of the container body 4. You may.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, as the locking means, for example, a locking portion composed of a locking piece 8 and a locking recess 9 is fitted on a peripheral wall portion of the container body 4 facing the hinge portion 6. It can be formed so that it can be combined and locked. Although not particularly shown, one set of a locking portion including a locking piece and a locking recess may be provided so as to be located on the peripheral wall portion 31 on the end side in the longitudinal direction. You may provide in combination with the locking part shown in FIG. In the packaging container of the present invention, the type of the locking means, the position where the hinge is provided, and the like are not particularly limited. The locking means may be provided on either the support plate or the container body, or may be provided on both the support plate and the container body. It suffices that the pressing portion formed by the plate and the container body is provided so as to be able to maintain the state formed at the longitudinal end side of the container body.

The locking means for locking the support plate 5 and the container body 4 is not limited to using a locking piece or a locking recess having the above-mentioned shape. Various known means used for locking can be used. For example, a locking means (not shown) for inserting a piece into a cut may be used.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a method of packaging leafy vegetables using the packaging container shown in FIG. 1. In the packaging container 1 of the present invention, the support plate 5 is folded back to form the container body 4. When a part of the opening surface is covered, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the container main body 4 of the support plate 5 does not protrude greatly from the upper end of the peripheral wall 3 of the container main body 4. It is preferable that the surface 51 to be the surface after covering the surface is formed flat. When the support plate 5 covers the upper surface of the container body 4 and the surface 51 serving as the surface of the support plate 5 is formed substantially flat, when the leaf vegetable is stored in the container body, the leaf vegetable Roots and the like located at the lower end of the container can be strongly pressed and held. Further, when the packaging container is tray-packed with a plastic film or the like, packaging can be easily performed.

In the packaging container of the present invention, the supporting plate 5 has a groove as shown in FIG. 1 (a) at a portion which contacts the upper end of the peripheral wall 3 when a part of the opening surface of the container body 4 is covered. 13
Preferably, a and 13b are provided. Groove 13 in support plate 5
When a and 13b are provided, when the support plate 5 covers the opening of the container main body 4, the contact state between the support plate 5 and the peripheral wall 3 is good, and both are in close contact with each other. In the case where moisture is held in the holding portion 10 for holding, it is difficult for the moisture to come out. As a result, the freshness retention of leafy vegetables can be further improved. The adhesion between the container body and the support plate is further improved by using a synthetic resin foam as the packaging container material.

In order to improve water retention, a water retention material can be inserted, adhered, or laminated inside the holding portion 10. As the water retention material, a porous material such as urethane foam, a natural fiber material, or the like is used.

In the packaging container 1 of the present invention, the shape of the container main body 4 is such that the bottom surface 2 and the peripheral wall 3 are provided, and the upper surface is formed as an opening surface . The container body 4 has the shape of the bottom part 2 ,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the container body 4 is configured such that the lateral width e of the other opposite end is larger than the lateral width d of the end of the container body 4 on the side of the holding portion 10 in the longitudinal direction. the ratio of the width of 4 (e / d) is, the bottom portion is shaped such that 1.2 or more
Has been established.

The shape of the bottom portion 2 of the container main body 4 is such that the width e of the opposite end is wider than the width d of the longitudinal end of the container main body on the holding portion 10 side. As shown in FIG. 1A, the width from one end in the longitudinal direction on the side of the holding portion 10 to the middle portion is formed to have the same width , and the width of the bottom portion is increased from the middle portion to the other end facing the middle portion. Even if it is formed as shown in FIG. 3, the width of the container body 4 is linearly widened from the end on the side of the holding portion 10 in the longitudinal direction to the other end facing the container main body 4.
In any case, the shape of such a bottom portion can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the leafy vegetables to be packaged.

When the leafy vegetable has a long stem such as three leaves, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the same width is formed up to the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the container body, and the width is formed so as to spread from the middle portion. When the stem of the leafy vegetable is short and the leaf is attached near the root, it is preferable to use the shape of the bottom portion shown in FIG.

The peripheral wall portion 3 of the container body 4 may be formed so as to rise vertically from the bottom surface portion 2, or may rise from the bottom surface portion 2 so that the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 3 extends outside the container body 4. Or any of them. Also, the peripheral wall 3 is
As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), it may not be provided on the entire periphery of the bottom surface of the container body 4.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the depth of the container main body 4 is different from the depth of the container main body 4 on the side of the holding portion 10 in the longitudinal direction. is formed to be shallower, as the width of the container body is widened, it is formed such that the depth of the container body becomes shallow.

Further, the packaging container 1 of the present invention has a structure shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), it is preferable to provide support protrusions 11a and 11b projecting inward in the container at a longitudinally middle portion of the peripheral wall portion 3 provided in the longitudinal direction of the container body 4. Although only one support protrusion may be provided on one side of the peripheral wall in the longitudinal direction, it is preferably provided on both peripheral walls on the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. In addition, not only one set but also two or more sets of support projections may be provided on the peripheral wall portions on both sides of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction. The amount of protrusion of the support protrusion can be appropriately determined according to the ratio of the thickness of the stem to the leaves and roots of leafy vegetables. The supporting projection prevents the position of the leafy vegetable from being displaced in the container even when the stem portion of the leafy vegetable is long and thin and the difference in volume between the leaf and the root is considerably large. By providing the portion at which the stem of the vegetable is located, and narrowing the width of the portion of the container body by the convex portion, the stem portion is reliably supported. By providing the support protrusion, the leaf vegetables can be prevented from being displaced and biased in the container in combination with the holding portion of the container main body, more favorably.

The packaging container of the present invention can be formed from plastics such as polystyrene resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, vinyl chloride resin, polycarbonate resin and polyethylene terephthalate resin. Any of them may be used, but a polystyrene-based resin foam sheet excellent in cushioning property, cold-holding property, rigidity, and workability is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining freshness. The packaging container of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by molding the above-mentioned plastic into a predetermined shape using various molding methods. In molding foamed or non-foamed plastic, it is easy to integrally manufacture the container body and the support plate.

In order to manufacture the packaging container of the present invention, for example, using a foamed or non-foamed synthetic resin sheet, in addition to vacuum forming and pressure forming, plug assist molding, matched mold molding, etc. Means are used.
Further, the packaging container of the present invention can also be formed from a material obtained by laminating a plastic film on paper, pulp, or the like, or a material subjected to a water-repellent treatment.

The size, depth and the like of the container body of the present invention can be appropriately selected according to the shape and storage amount of leafy vegetables.
The length in the longitudinal direction is 15-40cm, the width is 5-18
cm, and the depth of the deepest part is 1 to 2.5 cm. When a polystyrene resin foam sheet is used as the packaging container material, for example, the sheet thickness is 0.5 to 4.0 mm and the density is 0.04 to 0.2 g / cm ^3.
Are preferred because they are excellent in the moldability of the packaging container of the present invention by thermoforming, particularly in the appropriateness of hinge processing, the processing dimensional accuracy in the locking means, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a packaging state when three leaves are packaged as leafy vegetables using the packaging container shown in FIG. Hereinafter, a method of using the packaging container of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2A, the number of three leaves is smaller than the actually stored amount. FIG. 2
In (b), the description of the three leaves is omitted.

First, as shown in FIG.
The three leaves 12 are stored in a predetermined amount such that the roots of the three leaves come to the portion where the holding portion 10 is formed. And FIG.
As shown in (b), the support plate 5 is bent from the hinge portion 6 so that the support plate 5 is brought into contact with the flange 7 at the upper end of the peripheral wall 3 of the container body 4, and the locking pieces 8a, 8b of the support plate 5 2 (c) by pushing each into the locking recesses 9a, 9b of the container body 4. In this state, the roots of the three leaves stored in the packaging container 1 are pressed by the support plate 5, and the surface of the holding portion 10 becomes flat as shown in FIG. The three-leaf stems and leaves are securely stored in the container body 4 and do not protrude from the container body 4.

The above-mentioned three leaves are housed in the packaging container 1, and in the holding part 10, the root part of the three leaves is securely fixed by the holding part. In particular, when the above-described locking means is provided, it can be used for distribution, sales, and the like as it is without performing a tray pack. In this case, even if the tray pack is not performed, the holding portion is covered with the support plate, so that the moisture at the root portion is appropriately held and the freshness is maintained. When no locking means is provided, a tray pack is applied to the package.

The tray pack is prepared by further wrapping a packaging container containing three leaves and having a holding portion formed by a support plate and a container body with a plastic film or a plastic bag. The packed packages are arranged, distributed, and sold in stores with the three-leaf roots facing down and the leaves upright. That is, in this state, the holding portion of the packaging container is located below.

In the above-described packaging state, water accumulates in the holding portion, which is the root portion of the three leaves inside the packaging container 1, and the holding portion is covered with the support plate 5, so that water is appropriately maintained. Thus, the freshness of the three leaves is maintained. Further, when the grooves 13a and 13b are provided in the support plate 5 or when a water retention material is located in the holding portion 10, the water retention is further improved, and the freshness retention is further improved.

According to the packaging container shown in FIG.
The three-leaf stem portions are the supporting protrusions 11a and 11b of the container body.
In combination with the holding of the root by the holding part 10, the three leaves are prevented from being displaced inside the packaging container during the operation of the tray pack or during the storage or transportation. it can.

[0034]

As described above, in the packaging container of the present invention, the support plate is connected to the container main body, is formed integrally with the container main body, and the holding portion is formed by the support plate and the container main body. The bulky roots of the leafy vegetables are held down by the support plate, and the bulky portion is securely fixed without protruding outward from the opening on the upper surface of the container body. In doing so, the packaging operation can be performed extremely efficiently. In addition, since leafy vegetables are unlikely to protrude from the upper part of the peripheral wall of the container body, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged by being sandwiched between a plastic film or the like for packaging.

Further, the leafy vegetables can retain moisture in the holding portion, so that the freshness of the leafy vegetables can be maintained. Further, when the water retaining material is positioned on the holding portion, the effect of maintaining freshness is further improved.

In the packaging container of the present invention, the bulky portion of the leafy vegetables is held down by the support plate, even if the container is not formed so deep as compared with the conventional packaging container without the support plate. It can be securely stored inside the container. Also, with respect to the width of the end of the container body on the side of the holding portion in the longitudinal direction,
By forming the packaging container so that the lateral width of the other opposite end is 1.2 times or more, the depth of the container can be made shallower, so that it is less bulky. As described above, the packaging container itself can be formed so as not to be bulky, and the packaging container is excellent in handling at the time of transportation and storage.

Further, the provision of the locking means between the support plate and the container main body eliminates the need for the operation of the tray pack, and the workability can be further improved even when the tray pack operation is performed. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a leafy vegetable packaging container of the present invention,
(A) is an external perspective view, (b) is a vertical sectional view taken along line BB of (a), and (c) is a vertical sectional view taken along line CC of (a).

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining a case where three leaves are packaged using the packaging container of FIG. 1; FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a state where three leaves are stored in a packaging container; FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which fixed the support plate of a) with the container main body, and formed the holding | maintenance part, (c) is a side view of the holding | maintenance part 10 of (b). Are simplified, and the description of three leaves is omitted in (b). ].

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing another example of the leafy vegetable packaging container of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing a conventional leafy vegetable packaging container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Leaf vegetable packaging container 2 Bottom part 3 Peripheral wall part 4 Container main body 5 Support plate 6 Hinge part 7 Flange part 8, 8a, 8b Locking piece 9, 9a, 9b Locking recessed part 10 Press part 12 Three leaf

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. The length in the longitudinal direction is 15 to 40 cm, and the width is
Is a packaging container comprising a container body having a bottom surface portion of 5 to 18 cm and a peripheral wall portion rising from the bottom surface portion, the upper surface being formed as an opening surface, and a support plate connected to the container body. the support plate is configured to form a pressing portion for pressing the leafy vegetables covers part of the opening surface of the container body, the pressing portion is provided on the longitudinal end side of the container body
And the container body is located beside the end on the side of the holding portion in the longitudinal direction.
The width of the other end facing the width is 1.2 times or more the width
Container body as the width of the container body becomes wider
The depth of the container and the depth of the deepest part of the container body
Is formed in a width of 1 to 2.5 cm . 2. A supporting plate covers a part of an opening surface of a container body.
When forming the holding part to hold leafy vegetables,
2. The leafy vegetable packaging container according to claim 1 , wherein a groove is formed at a portion in contact with the upper end of the peripheral wall of the container body .