JP3172918B2 - Lid member for sealing food containers - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lid member for sealing a container for storing foods and the like, and more particularly to a container for storing foods and the like, which is mounted on a container for storing foods and the like to reduce the pressure inside the container. The present invention relates to a lid member for sealing a storage container for foods and the like that can extend the storage period.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As nuclear families and declining birthrates increase, there are many methods of buying fresh foods and the like and eating them over a period of time. In addition, in the case of foods that are difficult to cook little by little, there are cases in which several portions are cooked at a time and then divided and eaten over a period of time. In handling such foods, it is preferable that the foods and the like can be stored for a long period of time without substantially altering the quality. Therefore, how to store the foods and the like for a long period of time is an important issue.

[0003] In addition, foods such as dried products such as laver, medicinal herbs, and confectionery have a property of being deteriorated by absorbing moisture when left for a long period of time. Therefore, in this case as well, how to be able to store for a long time without impairing the original flavor is an important issue.

[0004] In addition, prepared foods and the like served at hotels, restaurants, school meals, and the like are generally cooked during eating. However, if a large order is received in advance and the menu is already decided, cooking it just before eating will slow down the serving. In many cases, a method of opening and using at the time of serving is often adopted. Even in such a case, the longer the period from cooking to serving the meal, the easier it is to manage, but if it is too long, the deterioration and corrosion of the food proceeds, so that there is a problem that a long period cannot be set.

[0005] In addition, as a case that has become a hot topic in recent years, toxic substances and the like have been mixed during storage of cooked food, and many casualties have occurred.
There was a problem that it was difficult to prevent such an accident.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide a lid member for sealing a container for storing foods and the like, which can stably store foods and the like for a long period of time without deteriorating. Is to provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sealing lid member for a storage container for foods and the like, which can be easily confirmed when the food or the like is opened during storage without notice, thereby preventing an accident. To provide.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sealing lid member for a storage container for foods and the like, which can be applied to a plurality of types of container bodies with a set of lid members.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a lid member for sealing a container for storing foods and the like according to the present invention comprises a lid detachably attached to an opening of a container body, and a non-breathable air-permeable member mounted on an outer surface of the lid. The lid is provided with an opening penetrating in and out at a location covered by the sheet, and the sheet is provided with a vent hole at a location offset from the opening,
When the inside of the container body is depressurized, a portion corresponding to the opening of the sheet is curved and deformed inward, and a peripheral portion of the opening is sucked and held on an outer surface of the lid. Is what you do.

According to the sealing lid member of the present invention, when food or the like is stored in the container body and the pressure is reduced, the container body and the lid are completely sealed, and active oxygen inside the container body is reduced. Oxidative decay of food etc. is delayed,
In addition, it is possible to prevent the growth of bacteria and the like.

Further, when the sealing lid member of the present invention is mounted on the container body and the inside is decompressed, the sheet is bent inward at the opening of the lid. Depending on the presence or absence, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the container has been opened without permission during storage. Also, if the inside of the container is sealed in a reduced pressure (negative pressure state), the lid cannot be opened with a small force and receives a considerable resistance,
The fact of opening without permission can be easily known from the magnitude of the resistance at the time of opening.

Further, since the sealing lid member of the present invention is independent as a lid member, various types of containers having different volumes and shapes as long as the opening has the same size as the container body to be mounted. Can be selectively applied.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the present invention, foods and the like include fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits, prepared dishes, dried products such as laver, herbs and confectionery, powders such as yellow flour and flour, desserts, and the like.
In addition to drinks, the target is to include medicines for medical use.

In the present invention, the sealing lid member is composed of a combination of a lid and a non-breathable sheet (sealing sheet).

The lid is detachably attached to the opening of the container body. As a mechanism for attaching the lid, a mechanism may be used in which only suction is performed using negative pressure when the inside of the container is depressurized by interposing a seal packing, or between the lid and the opening of the container body. A spiral groove (screw) to be engaged may be provided and screwed.

The material of the lid is not particularly limited, but is preferably made of a transparent material. When the lid is made of a transparent material, the inside of the container can be seen through, and the state of the food and the like stored inside can be easily checked from the outside. As the material of the transparent material, glass and plastic are preferable, and particularly, heat-resistant glass and plastic are preferable.

The shape of the lid is formed in accordance with the shape of the opening of the container body. For example, the shape in plan view can be circular, square, or the like. The size of the lid may be equal to or greater than that according to the size of the opening of the container body. As the container body of the other party, any of a small size for home use and a large size for business use can be applied. For example, a small-sized container can be applied to a container for storing a sample sample, and a large-sized container can be applied to a size of a hotel bread. In the case of a lid for a large container, it is important to prevent bending or the like due to its own weight in order to secure the sealing property, and it is necessary to select a material having high rigidity or to increase the thickness.

It is necessary to provide an opening penetrating on the front and back sides of the lid, and the opening may be such that when covered with a sealing sheet, the sheet can be sucked and held by internal pressure reduction (negative pressure). For example, the shape, number, size, and the like are not particularly limited. The shape of the opening is preferably circular,
Polygons such as ellipses, triangles, and squares, stars, and slits can also be used.

The number of openings provided for one lid may be only one or plural. When only one opening is provided, the productivity of the lid can be improved. When a plurality of openings are provided, suction is applied to apply a tension that pulls the sealing sheets between adjacent openings. Retention can be improved. When a plurality of openings are provided, their sizes and shapes may be the same or different.

The size of the opening is preferably such that the maximum distance (diameter in the case of a circle) across the opening is 3 mm to 15 mm. If the maximum distance is less than 3mm,
Since the curving deformation of the sealing sheet is reduced, visual confirmation becomes difficult. Of course, such a small opening does not lead to the bending deformation of the sheet, but generates an attraction force, so that it can be used as an auxiliary together with the opening that allows the sheet to be bent.

Further, the maximum distance may be larger than 15 mm, but the required area of the sealing sheet becomes excessively large, so that the cost becomes uneconomical. Also, if the sheet becomes too large, it becomes difficult to handle because a large suction tool must be used as a result. Also, as the sheet becomes too large, wrinkles etc. occur at the tightly contacted parts and the sheet is pulled strongly toward the opening, so the end part comes up and peels off, or comes in contact with other things while transporting the container and peels off Accidents are likely to occur.

The position where the opening is provided in the lid is preferably on the outer surface (upper surface) in order to improve the holdability of the sealing sheet, and it is particularly preferable to provide the opening in the center of the lid. Further, it is preferable to form a concave portion depressed inward in a portion where the opening is provided. By forming such a concave portion and storing and holding the sealing sheet therein, it is possible to improve the suction holding property of the sheet.

The sheet constituting the sealing lid member of the present invention serves as a part for sealing the opening on the lid side, and is made of a non-breathable and flexible material. Also,
In order to alternately repeat the flat state and the bent state, an elastic material having elastic recovery properties is used. More preferably, the elastic material has heat resistance enough to withstand the high temperature even if high-temperature prepared foods immediately after cooking are enclosed.

Examples of such a sheet material include silicone rubber, thermoplastic polymer elastomer, synthetic or natural rubber, and among them, silicone rubber is particularly preferable. Examples of the thermoplastic polymer elastomer include a polyamide elastomer, a polyurethane elastomer, a polyester elastomer, a polyolefin elastomer, and a styrene block elastomer.

The shape of the sealing sheet is not particularly limited as long as it covers the opening of the lid. For example, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, and the like can be adopted, and a circle is particularly preferable. The area of the sheet must be larger than the area of the opening so as to cover the entire opening on the lid side. When a plurality of openings are provided in the lid, the cover has an area that covers all the openings at the same time.

The sealing sheet is provided with a vent hole at a position offset from a portion corresponding to the opening on the lid side. As will be described later, this vent hole is used as a means for evacuating the gas inside the container main body when performing an operation of adsorbing and holding the sealing sheet on the lid. The shape and size of the ventilation hole are not particularly limited, but the shape is preferably circular, and the size may be sufficiently smaller than the opening on the lid side. For example, the diameter may be about 0.3 to 2.0 mm. Further, the thickness is preferably about 0.5 to 3 mm.

The mating surface where the outer surface (upper surface) of the lid and the sealing sheet are in close contact with each other is to improve the tight sealing property.
Preferably they are mirror surfaces of each other. More specifically, both the outer surface of the lid and the sheet are preferably mirror surfaces having a surface roughness of 0.2 S or less.

It is preferable that the opening of the lid is subjected to chamfering of a curved surface at its edge, and the curved surface is subjected to stress concentration or damage when the sealing sheet is curved and deformed. Can be prevented.

The sealing lid member having the above-mentioned structure is attached to the opening of the container body by interposing a sealing packing. The sealing gasket may be integrally bonded to either the lid or the container body in advance, or may have a configuration independent of both the lid and the container body. Preferably, the seal packing is previously bonded to the outer peripheral portion of the back surface of the lid as in the former case.If the seal packing is bonded in advance in this manner, the radial width of the seal packing should be increased. By forming, a set of sealing lid members can be universally applied to a plurality of container bodies having variously different opening dimensions.

As a method of using the sealing lid member of the present invention to reduce the pressure inside the container body (negative pressure state), first, the container is attached to the opening of the container body, and then the outer surface of the opening of the lid is opened. The suction port of the suction tool is brought into contact with the outer surface of the sealing sheet covering the side. At this time, the opening of the lid and the intake hole of the sealing sheet are located inside the intake port,
What is necessary is just to suction in that state.

By the suction operation of the suction device, the sealing sheet is sucked up in a state in which it expands inside the air inlet, and the air in the container body is sucked out from the opening of the lid through the ventilation hole of the sealing sheet. Inside is decompressed. Next, when the suction operation is stopped, the sealing sheet is curved and deformed inwardly of the container at the opening portion of the lid, in contrast to the above,
The inside of the container body is kept in a reduced pressure state by being in close contact with the outer surface of the lid and the chamfered curved surface of the opening.

As described above, since the sealing lid member of the present invention holds the inside of the container body under reduced pressure, the excellent sealing property prevents invasion of various bacteria and the like into the inside of the container body,
In addition, bacterial growth and the like can be prevented. In addition, since the active oxygen remaining in the food or the like stored in the inside becomes weak due to the forced decompression, the oxidation reaction is delayed, and the initial freshness can be maintained for a long time. Also,
When storing foods that easily change due to moisture absorption, such as dried seaweed, herbs, dried foods, dried foods such as sweets, and powders such as yellow flour, moisture absorption is suppressed for a long period of time and the taste of the foods can be maintained. it can.

Further, since the sheets are flat, even if the containers are stacked, they can be stacked without obstruction, and the sheets can be hardly peeled off by stacking the containers.

When the inside of the container body is depressurized by using the sealing lid member, the sheet is bent and deformed at the opening of the lid. Can tell whether the container has been opened without permission. In addition, when the inside of the container is in a reduced pressure state (negative pressure state), the lid is difficult to open with a small force, so that the presence or absence of unauthorized opening can also be known.

The sealing lid member of the present invention can be put in a decompressed state by being mounted regardless of the shape and volume of the container body as long as the openings have the same dimensions, so that various container bodies can be used. Can be selectively applied.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example of a sealing lid member of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a container in which the inside of a container main body is depressurized and sealed using the sealing lid member.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sealing lid member 10 is constituted by a combination of the lid 3 and the sealing sheet 6. In the illustrated example, the lid 3 is formed in a disc shape from a transparent plastic material, and has an opening 5 communicating vertically in the center of the disc. The edge of the opening 5 is chamfered 8 in a curved shape.

Further, a circular concave portion 9 including the opening 5 is formed on the upper surface side of the disc-shaped lid 3, and the concave portion 9 has a sealing sheet 6 made of a non-breathable elastic material. Is placed so as to close the opening 5. The sealing sheet 6 is formed in an area larger than the opening 5 and
Six vent holes 7 are provided so as to surround the opening 5 at positions offset radially outward from the position corresponding to.

When the sealing lid member 10 is used as a decompression sealing means for a container for storing food etc., as shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface side on which the sealing sheet 6 is placed is an outer surface, and the lower surface side is a lower surface. The container 1 is assembled by placing it on the inner surface and placing it on the opening of the container body 2 with the sealing packing 4 interposed on the outer peripheral edge.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, a stainless steel ball is used as the container body 2. Further, it is advantageous that the sealing gasket 4 has a structure preferably adhered to the lid 3 in advance. Of course, it may be configured to be separated from both the container body 2 and the lid 3 or may be configured to be bonded to the opening of the container body 2 in advance.

After assembling the sealing lid member 10 to the container body 2 as described above, the inside of the container body 2 is depressurized (negative pressure state) by a suction operation.
The sealing sheet 6 is curved inwardly and concavely at a position corresponding to the opening 5, and is held in close contact with the outer surface (upper surface) of the lid 3 not corresponding to the opening 5. Sealing sheet 6
Is smoothly curved and deformed along the chamfer 8 of the curved surface at the edge of the opening 5 so as to prevent local stress concentration and damage on the surface.

When the concave portion 9 is formed on the outer surface (upper surface) of the lid 3 so as to include the opening 5 and the sealing sheet 6 is accommodated in the concave portion 9, the decompression inside the container is released. Even after this, the sealing sheet 6 can be held on the upper surface of the lid 3 to prevent peeling, so that invasion of various bacteria can be prevented.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show the sealing lid member 1.
This is an example of a case where the inside of the container 1 is decompressed after assembling 0.

First, the suction port Km of the suction tool K is pressed against the outer surface of the sealing sheet 6 placed on the upper surface of the lid 3 so as to cover the opening 5. At this time, the intake port Km is set so that the opening 5 and the ventilation hole 7 are both inside the intake port Km. Next, when the suction tool K is operated, FIG.
As shown in (A), the sealing sheet 6 is bent and deformed so as to float toward the inside of the intake port Km, and the air inside the container body is sucked out from the opening 5 through the ventilation hole 7 as shown by the arrow. Therefore, the inside of the container is reduced to a negative pressure.

When the suction operation is stopped when the inside of the container has a sufficient negative pressure, the sealing sheet 6 is pulled back to the container side, and as shown in FIG. And the portion corresponding to the opening 5 is curved and deformed concavely toward the inside of the container.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the case of the sealing lid member 10 of FIG. 1, the lid 3 is detached simply by placing the lid 3 on the opening of the container body 2, so that the assembling operation is easy, but On the other hand, the position may be shifted (centered). In the embodiment of FIG. 4, in order to solve such a problem, an annular step 3a is formed on the outer periphery of the lower surface (inner surface) of the lid 3, and this step 3
It is fitted into the opening of the container body 2 via a to prevent misalignment. The sealing gasket 4 is bonded to the lid 3 in advance so as to cover the surface of the step 3a.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show still another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a case where a rectangular 1/4 hotel pan made of stainless steel is used as the container body 2 as the container 1. The lid 3 of the sealing lid member 10 is
The same rectangular shape is formed so as to correspond to the rectangular container body 2. The sealing sheet 6 provided to cover the central opening 5 and the like are the same as those in FIG. Further, the seal packing 4 may be bonded to the outer peripheral portion of the back surface of the lid 3 in advance or may be independent.

FIG. 6 shows still another embodiment of the sealing lid member of the present invention. In this embodiment, the lid 3 of the sealing lid member 10 is flat in plan view, but the central portion is three-dimensionally curved upward and the top is flattened. 5 is provided with a sealing sheet 6. The lid 3 is made of heat-resistant glass together with the container body 2. On the inside of the outer periphery of the lid 3,
Non-slip annular projection 3 having the same function as the above-mentioned step 3a.
b is formed.

The opening of the container body 2 is formed on a surface whose upper edge is tapered inward toward the inside, and the sealing gasket 4 is also formed so as to be inclined such that the center side is lowered. Has become. With such a tapered shape, the lid 3 can be stabilized only by fitting the annular projection 3b. As the seal packing 4,
For example, a doughnut-shaped seat valve made of silicone rubber is used.

FIG. 7 shows still another embodiment of the sealing lid member of the present invention. As in the case of FIG. 6, as the lid 3 used for the sealing lid member 10, a lid made of heat-resistant glass curved three-dimensionally upward is used, and a concave portion 9 for accommodating the sealing sheet 6 is provided at the center. And the concave portion 9 is formed.
The opening 5 is provided in the center part of. The depth of the concave portion 9 is slightly larger than the thickness of the sheet 6. An annular projection 3b similar to that of FIG. 6 is formed inside the outer peripheral portion of the lid 3, and an annular protective body 3c is mounted on the edge. The annular protective body 3c is formed, for example, by bending and processing a stainless steel plate.

When these are used as sealing means for storage containers for foods, etc., the sealing lid members 10 shown in FIGS.
The depressurizing operation may be performed by the same operation as described with reference to FIG. Either a manual or electric suction pump can be used to suck the internal air.

[0052]

EXAMPLES Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 Sealing lid members were produced by combining a lid having the following specifications and a sealing sheet. Using a stainless steel ball as a storage container, the sealing lid member was attached to the opening with a silicone rubber packing interposed therebetween, and the inside of the ball was decompressed to 650 mm ² Hg. Storage tests were performed under the temperature conditions described in Table 1 (Examples 1 to 5).

For comparison, the same food sample was stored in the same stainless steel bowl, and a polyethylene film was wrapped around the opening without decompression, and a storage test was performed under the same temperature conditions shown in Table 1. (Comparative Examples 1 to 5).

Each storage test was carried out by observing a change in the storage state of the food every 8 hours from the start of the test. The results are shown in Table 1. From the results in Table 1, Examples 1 to 5
It can be seen that each of the foods has a longer freshness than the corresponding foods of Comparative Examples 1 to 5.

Lid: Structure Figure 1 Material Transparent Acrylic Resin Disc Dimension of Lid Thickness x Diameter = 8mm x 100mm Surface Roughness 0.2S or less (mirror finish) Concave Part 9 Diameter x Depth = 60mm x 1 .6mm opening 5 diameter 5mm Sealing sheet: Material Silicone rubber Diameter 50mm Thickness 1.5mm Ventilation hole 7 Diameter 1mm (six concentrically at 10mm from the sheet center)

[0056]

[Table 1]

Examples 6 to 9 and Comparative Examples 6 to 9 A sealing lid member was prepared by combining a lid having the following specifications and a sealing sheet, and a silicone rubber was further provided on the inner periphery of the sealing lid member. The packing made was fixed. This sealing lid member was attached to the opening of a 150 mm deep stainless steel half hotel pan,
The internal pressure was reduced to 700 mm ² Hg, and the four types of food samples described in Table 2 were subjected to a storage test at room temperature (Example 6).
9).

For comparison, the same food sample was stored in the same hotel pan, and the storage test was carried out at the same room temperature without decompression by simply closing the lid attached to the same hotel pan (Comparative Examples 6 to 9). .

In each of the preservation tests, a change in the preservation state of the food was observed every 24 hours from the start of the test, and the results are shown in Table 2. From the results in Table 2, the foods of Examples 6 to 9 did not have moisture for a long period of time, were kept in a dry state for a long time, and did not deteriorate, as compared with the corresponding Comparative Examples 6 to 9, respectively.

Lid: Structure Figure 5 Material Transparent Acrylic Resin Disc Dimension of Lid Thickness x Length x Width = 8mm x 32.2mm x
26.2mm Surface roughness 0.2S or less (mirror finish) Concave part 9 Diameter × Depth = 60mm × 1.6mm Opening 5 Diameter 5mm Sealing sheet: Material Silicone rubber Direct diameter 50mm Thickness 1.5mm Vent hole 7 1mm diameter (6 concentrically spaced at 10mm from the center of the sheet)

[0061]

[Table 2]

Examples 10 to 15 and Comparative Examples 10 to 15 Six types of food samples shown in Table 3 were prepared using the same storage lids and hotel pans as used in Examples 6 to 9. Was subjected to a storage test at a temperature of 4 ° C. and a reduced pressure of 650 mm ² Hg (Examples 10 to 15), and a lid attached to a hotel pan was attached in place of the sealing lid member,
A storage test was performed on the six food samples described in Table 3 at a temperature of 4 ° C. and under atmospheric pressure (Comparative Examples 10 to 15). Table 3 shows the results of these storage tests.

[0063]

[Table 3]

[0064]

As described above, according to the sealing lid member of the present invention, when food or the like is stored in the container main body and the pressure is reduced, the container main body and the lid are completely sealed, and the inside of the container main body is closed. Since active oxygen decreases, oxidative decay of foods and the like can be delayed, and bacterial growth and the like can be prevented.

Further, when the sealing lid member of the present invention is mounted on the container main body and the inside is decompressed, the sheet is bent inward at the opening of the lid. Depending on the presence or absence, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the container has been opened without permission during storage. Also, if the inside of the container is sealed in a reduced pressure (negative pressure state), the lid cannot be opened with a small force and receives a considerable resistance,
The fact of opening without permission can be easily known from the magnitude of the resistance at the time of opening.

Further, since the sealing lid member of the present invention is independent as a lid member, various kinds of containers having different volumes and shapes as long as the opening has the same size as the container body to be mounted. Can be selectively applied.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a sealing lid member of the present invention, and (A)
Is a longitudinal sectional view, and (B) is a plan view.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container using the sealing lid member of FIG. 1 for sealing a container body.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views when a container to which the sealing lid member of the present invention is attached is decompressed, (A) is a longitudinal sectional view of a sealing sheet portion during a suction operation, and (B) is after a suction operation; 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sealing sheet portion of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container using a sealing lid member according to another embodiment of the present invention for sealing.

5A and 5B show a container using a sealing lid member for sealing according to still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A is a plan view and FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container using a sealing lid member according to still another embodiment of the present invention for sealing.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a container using a sealing lid member for sealing according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Container main body 3 Lid 4 Seal packing 5 Opening 6 Sealing sheet 7 Vent hole 8 (Curved) chamfer 9 Concave part 10 Sealing lid member K Suction tool Km Inlet

Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47J 36/06

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A combination of a lid detachably attached to an opening of a container body and a non-breathable sheet placed on an outer surface of the lid, wherein the lid covers a portion covered by the sheet. An opening that penetrates the inside and outside of the container, a vent hole is provided in the sheet at a location offset from the opening, and a portion corresponding to the opening of the sheet curves inward when the inside of the container body is depressurized. And a sealing lid member for a storage container for food etc., wherein a peripheral portion of the opening is adsorbed and held on an outer surface of the lid. 2. The sealing lid member for a food or other storage container according to claim 1, wherein the lid is formed of a transparent material. 3. The seal for a food or other storage container according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion is formed on the outer surface of the lid so as to include the opening, and the sheet is stored in the concave portion. Lid member. 4. The sealing lid member for a food or other storage container according to claim 1, wherein the lid is selectively detachable from a plurality of types of container bodies having openings of the same size. 5. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein said sheet is formed of silicone rubber having a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm, and a surface roughness of at least a surface in contact with an outer surface of said lid is set to 0.2S or less.
5. A sealing lid member for a food or other storage container according to 2, 3, or 4.