JP3380924B2 - Foldable plastic 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 foldable plastic container such as bottles and cups, and more particularly, to a compact foldable volume when an empty container is used, which can reduce transportation and storage costs. It has a stable self-supporting property when it is filled, and it is easy to use as a container.
The present invention relates to a foldable plastic container that does not occupy a large volume when it is discarded, has a small amount of dust, and is excellent in productivity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Plastic containers for cosmetics, detergents, foods, etc. are disposed of as garbage without being reused after use, but it becomes difficult to secure a garbage disposal site year after year.
Disposal costs have risen and garbage problems have become pollution problems. In order to reduce the amount of waste and to save resources and energy, it is required to collect and recycle it, and to reduce the total amount used. In the case of food products, it is about to recycle collected PET bottles. In order to reduce the total amount of cosmetics, detergents, etc. used, some stores are refilling packs at the distribution channels to significantly reduce the amount of resin used as a container. Such a container needs to be inexpensive, have a small amount of material, and have a small volume in an empty state so that it does not occupy a space and does not cost a transportation cost. In addition, when the contents are used for filling, it is necessary that they have excellent sealing property, stable self-supporting property and excellent design. It is also preferable to refill after use so that it can be reused.

Conventionally, there is known a foldable container capable of compressing the volume until filling and minimizing the transport volume. For example, JP-A-3-14851 discloses a collapsible blow-molded plastic bottle having a main body portion having a plurality of wall portions, a bottom portion, and a top portion including a spout portion. At the apex of V, a folded portion is formed which defines an elongated inner bottom fold line and extends inwardly and has a substantially inverted Y-shaped cross section. Two folded portions are formed in the body portion by blow molding of the bottle and extend in the longitudinal direction of the bottle. A seam line or joint and two fold lines extending longitudinally over the outwardly projecting wall portion of the bottle are formed, the bottom fold line and the vertical fold line passing through the longitudinal axis of the bottle. Disclosed is a container located in a plane and having a bottom fold line continuous with the longitudinal fold line.

In the above-mentioned conventional example, the bottom fold line is provided in a substantially V shape, but even in the vicinity of the apex thereof, all project inwardly upward and at a position considerably above the bottom ground edge of the bottom of the bottle. Therefore, the bottom is considerably above the fold line, and the amount of the filling liquid in the bottom is reduced accordingly. Also, when the center of gravity is high and standing upright, it tends to fall due to light shocks, vibrations, etc., and independence is not sufficient. The design is also inferior to that of non-foldable bottles. In addition, even after folding after use, the plastic tends to restore its shape even if it is folded and discarded, and there is a drawback that the amount of dust generated at the time of disposal cannot be reduced so much.

Further, since the bottom surfaces of the pair sandwiching the folding line at the bottom form an acute angle and are substantially parallel to each other, it is difficult to perform die cutting during blow molding, and there is a problem that productivity is lowered.

[0006] Plastic cups can be folded compactly when empty, and when used as a cup, they have stable self-supporting property with contents stored therein, are easy to use, and are discarded after use. At this time, it is not known that the shape recovery property in the folded state is prevented and the dust generation amount can be greatly reduced.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is that it can be folded in an empty state to reduce the volume to a minimum and it is convenient for transportation and storage. When the contents are filled and used, the bottom filling amount is large and stable. It has self-supporting properties, is easy to use as a sealed container, is suitable for refill packs, and is convenient to carry and easy to use. It has an excellent effect of preventing shape restoration after folding and generates waste amount at the time of disposal. (EN) Provided is a foldable plastic container having a low productivity and excellent productivity.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a pair of side wall fold lines having a side wall portion and a bottom wall portion which are integrally formed and located on a surface passing through the axis of a container, and on the surface. In a foldable plastic container having a bottom wall fold line located therein, a pair of grounding lower edges are formed symmetrically with respect to the plane at a connecting portion between the side wall part and the bottom wall part, and the bottom fold line is formed. Is composed of an apex or an apex located slightly above the lower edge and a pair of sides connecting the apex or the apex and the side wall fold line in a V-shape or a U-shape. And a side wall fold line-bottom wall part fold line connection portion, and a fold line is formed between the end of the lower end edge and the bottom wall part apex or top side, respectively. Ground plane of connection part
Between the projection point to and the projection point to the ground plane of the apex or the apex.
The length of E, folding the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection
At that time, the overhanging dimension is G, before folding
The height from the bottom edge of the bottom wall to the bottom edge for grounding is F,
Bottom edge for grounding at the top or top of the bottom wall after folding
From the height of C and side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection
When the height from the bottom edge for the ground is X, each polygonal line is
1 " In the formula, α is a number from 0.8 to 1.4, which is substantially satisfied.
A foldable plastic container is provided which is configured to:

In the present invention, the grounding lower end edge
Slightly above the apex or apex parallel to the lower edge near the inside
And the end is a fold line connecting the lower edge and the apex or the top side.
Providing a fold line to connect strengthens the bottom of the container and
Improves shape retention during use, stable self-supporting property, and seals
In the container, the drop impact resistance of the container is increased and the sealability is improved.
It is suitable for the above.

Further, in the present invention, the upper end of the side wall is hermetically sealed.
A sealable container such as bottles that has a neck with a mouth
In addition, the top surface is opened again to accommodate cups and other containers.
Can be used.

In the present invention, the parting of the container is performed.
The line (R) is connected to the container axis, the pair of side wall fold lines and the bottom wall.
Diagonally intersect the surface passing through and connect the vessel axis and the ridgeline of the front wall of the side wall
Being provided on the surface through which the flat surface of the side wall of the container
Improves smoothness, improves printing accuracy on flat areas,
This is preferable because the label can be easily attached.

Further, the die cutting is good.

[0013]

The plastic container of the present invention has a side wall portion and a bottom wall portion which are integrally formed, and has a pair of side wall fold lines located on a surface passing through the axis of the container and a bottom fold line located on the surface. The container is provided with, but a pair of lower end edges for grounding are formed symmetrically with respect to the surface at a connecting portion between the side wall portion and the bottom wall portion, and the bottom wall portion folding line is the lower end portion. An apex or an apex located slightly above the edge, and a pair of sides connecting the apex or the apex and the side wall fold line in a V-shape or a U-shape; A feature is that a fold line is formed between the partial fold line and the bottom wall fold line connection portion, and that a fold line is formed between the end portion of the lower end edge and the apex or the top side. The V-shape or U-shape of the bottom wall fold line means that it comes from the apex or the apex, and the apex or the apex with a short length is the V-shape, but the length of the apex is to some extent. It means that the longer the shape becomes, the more V-shaped or U-shaped.

Since the pair of lower end edges for grounding are formed symmetrically with respect to the above-mentioned surface, stable self-supporting property with good balance is provided. Since the apex or the top side of the bottom wall fold line is located slightly above the ground contact lower edge, the bottom wall surface surrounded by the lower edge and the end-the fold line between the apex or the top edge is significantly lowered. As a result, the volume of the bottom of the bottle is increased to increase the filling liquid amount and the self-supporting property of the bottle is further stabilized.

Side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line A fold line connecting the connecting portion and the grounding lower end edge and a grounding lower end edge connected to the fold line at both ends become a fold line with the fold outward, and the bottom wall fold line faces inward. When folding, the bottom wall part fold line can be changed from outward to inward and the position of the apex or the top side can be raised upward to fold, and the outer wall part fold line can be easily extended outward. Can be folded into

In the folded state, in the side wall portion, the side wall surfaces folded along the side wall portion fold line are in contact with each other on the opposite inner surface side, and both sides thereof are turned back to one side (see FIGS. 11 and 13) to form a stable shape, which is easy. The shape cannot be restored. Also in the bottom wall part, the bottom wall part folded by the bottom wall part has a tendency to bend by pushing the apex or the top side to one side and to be turned up like the side wall part. Since they are in contact with each other and laminated, the shape becomes stable and the shape is stable, so that double shape restoration can be prevented. Therefore, when discarded, the shape is not easily restored by folding and the amount of dust generated is extremely reduced.

On the other hand, when unfolding and restoring,
When the bottom edges of the bottom wall that are in contact with each other are separated and opened, the bottom wall between the apex or the top and the bottom edge of the ground is almost horizontal due to each fold line of the bottom wall, and the fold line of the bottom wall is inserted. Since the bottom wall surface is a slope that is open to the outside, the bottom wall portion can be restored and then the side wall portion can be restored.

Further, in addition to the combination of these folding lines and surfaces, the bottom wall of the container is located in the vicinity of the inside of the lower edge for grounding, parallel to the lower edge, and slightly above the apex or the top side. The bottom of the container is strengthened by providing the fold line connecting to the fold line connecting the lower edge and the apex or the top side. In the hermetically sealed container, the container is prevented from being deformed or damaged by a drop impact or the like in a state where the contents are filled, so that the sealing performance of the container is improved.

Further, the bottom wall surface between the lower edge for grounding and the apex or top side is nearly horizontal, and the angle surrounding the fold line near the inside of the lower edge for grounding is obtuse and the fold is shallow, and the bottom is also shallow. The bottom wall surface that surrounds the wall fold line will have a tapered surface that opens to the outside by the fold line that connects the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection portion and the bottom edge edge for grounding. Since it is possible to smoothly perform die cutting at the time of forming such as vacuum forming, productivity is remarkably improved.

In the present invention, between the projection point on the ground plane of the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection portion before folding about the fold line of the bottom wall section and the projection point on the ground plane of the apex or the top side. E is the length, G is the overhanging dimension of the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection part when folded, and F is the height from the bottom wall apex or top edge of the bottom wall edge before grounding to F before folding. ,
Letting C be the height from the grounding lower edge of the bottom wall apex or top after folding, and X be the height from the grounding lower edge of the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection portion to each folding line. Is the expression "number 1" In the formula, α is set to substantially satisfy 0.8 to 1.4, preferably 0.9 to 1.3 in order to exert the above effect ( 1 to 17).

When this α is below 0.8 or above 1.4, the foldability becomes insufficient.
α is preferably 0.9 to 1.30, and particularly preferably 0.95 to 1.30. When α is larger than 0.95, after the bottom wall is folded, the opposing bottom walls that form the bottom wall fold line come into contact with each other, and the vertices or top edges are extruded to one side. Shape restoration is prevented.

In the present invention, the parting line (R) of the container is oblique to the plane passing through the container axis, the pair of side wall fold lines and the bottom wall fold line, and the container axis and the front wall of the side wall are formed. Providing on the surface that passes through the ridgeline facilitates die cutting at the time of molding, does not cause unevenness of the parting line (R) on the front wall of the side wall portion of the container, and does not adversely affect printing accuracy. It also enables the bonding of in-mold labels.

The parting line (R) that is farthest from the parting line (R) among the fold lines between the edge of the grounding lower edge of the bottom wall and the apex or top of the bottom wall is the parting line (R). The angle (y) that includes the broken line of the bottom wall within the angle is 7
If it is 0 ° or more, it becomes easy to remove the concave part,
The whole die-cutting can be improved.

If the fold line formed between the end of the lower edge for grounding and the top of the bottom wall forms an angle of 45 ° or more with respect to the plane passing through the fold line of the side wall, it is said that The top of the bottom wall tends to be long, but bead lines (protruding lines) with small intervals in the axial direction are provided on the top of the bottom wall to facilitate folding of the top of the bottom wall. can do.

Further, a polygonal line between the end of the lower edge for grounding and the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line grounding section, and between the end of the lower edge for grounding and the apex or top side of the bottom wall. If a bead line is provided symmetrically with respect to the bottom wall part fold line on the concave surface defined by the fold line, the folded state during folding is stable and restoration to the original shape can be prevented. .

The container of the present invention can be made thin and has a small amount of use, and can easily be greatly reduced in folding volume in an empty state. Therefore, when it is discarded after use, the amount of waste of material and the amount of dust generated are reduced. It can be greatly reduced. Also, it is easy to transport and store, easy to handle, and cost can be reduced. It can also be reused.

[0027]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of the container of the present invention, FIGS. 1 to 8 show a state before folding, and FIGS. 9 to 14 show a state when folded. The container 1 is a plastic bottle having a cross-section of a body having a substantially hexagonal shape and having a slightly long length in the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, and has a side wall 2, a bottom wall 3 and a mouth 4 which are integrally formed. It consists of a neck 5 having.

The side wall portion 2 is composed of a shoulder side wall portion 6 connected to the neck portion 5 and a body portion side wall portion 7 following the shoulder portion side wall portion 6. The body portion side wall portion 7 has two substantially rectangular body portion wide surfaces 8 facing each other. It is formed by four narrow substantially rectangular body narrow surfaces 9 whose lower sides are slanted, on which shoulder side walls 6 are formed and two substantially triangular wide shoulder surfaces 10 and 4. Narrow triangular shoulders 11
Is formed by. The ridge lines of the narrow body surface 9 and the narrow shoulder surface 11 are connected to the ridge lines of the wide body surface 8 and the narrow shoulder surface 10 at their ends, but are slightly elevated at an angle. Further, the lower end of the wide body portion surface 8 and the lower end of the narrow body portion surface 9 curl in the vicinity of the ground contact portion to form a curved surface. The ridgeline formed by the adjacent narrow shoulder surfaces 11 and 11 and the ridge line formed by the adjacent adjacent narrow body surfaces 9 and 9 form an outward side wall fold line (folding line) 12. That is, the side wall part 2 is provided with a pair of side wall part fold lines 12, 12 that communicate from the shoulder part to the body part, and these are on the same plane passing through the container axis and at positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the container axis. . Also, when folding, it can be bulged outward and folded.

A mouth 4 is formed in the center of the neck 5 connected to the shoulder side wall 7, and a male screw 13 is formed on the outer periphery of the neck 5, and a cap 14 is attached to the male screw 13. You can Regarding the neck portion 5 having the mouth portion 4, other known sealing means can be provided between the neck portion 5 and the cap.

The bottom wall portion 3 following the side wall portion 2 is provided with a bottom wall portion folding line 15 which is located on the same plane as the side wall portion folding line 12 and which is connected to the side wall portion folding line 12 and folds inward. Further, at the connecting portion between the side wall portion 2 (the lower end of the wide body portion surface 8 and the lowermost end of the narrow body portion surface 9) and the bottom wall portion 3, they are horizontally symmetrically parallel to a plane passing through the side wall folding line 12. A pair of grounding lower end edges 16 extending in the direction is formed. Also, the bottom wall fold line 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes a pair of sides which form a V-shape by connecting the apex or the top side 17 located slightly above the grounding lower edge 16 and the pair of side wall portion folding line 12-bottom wall portion folding line 15 connecting portions 18 and 18. 1
It consists of 9,19. Further, an inclined fold line 21 is formed between the connecting portion 18 and the end portion 20 of the lower end edge 16 in the bottom wall portion 3 to connect the side wall portion 2 and the bottom wall portion 3 with an outward fold line. Although the apex to the apex 17 is a short apex, the apex is shown in the figure. Of course, it may be the literal top.

A fold line 22 is formed between the end portion 20 of the lower edge 16 and the apex to the top side 17. A polygonal line 2 that is located in the vicinity of the inside of the lower edge 16 and is parallel to the lower edge 16 and slightly above the apex or the top side 17 and intersects both ends.
A polygonal line 23 is provided for connecting to 2, 2 and 22. The fold line 22 has its tip end expanded outward at the intersection with the fold line 23.

Thus, the bottom wall portion 3 has a grounding lower end edge 16
A pair of bottom wall surfaces 24, 24 surrounded by the end portion 20 and the apex to the top side 17 and the bent line 22 and four sides 3 surrounded by the inclined side broken line 21, the side 19 and the broken line 22 between the paired side walls 19 and 19. A rectangular bottom wall surface 25 is formed. The container can be erected in a well-balanced and stable state by the pair of grounding lower edges 16 in the unfolded state, that is, in the state where the container is filled with the contents. In this state, the apex or the top edge 17 of the bottom wall portion is located slightly above the ground contact lower edge 16, so that the bottom wall surface surrounded by the lower edge 16 and its end 20-vertex or apex edge 17 fold line 22. Although 24 does not touch the ground, it will drop significantly downward, increasing the volume of the bottom of the container,
Increasing the content filling amount and making the container more self-supporting.

The bottom wall portion 3 of the container is reinforced so that the folding line 23 near the inner side of the grounding lower edge 16 is located slightly above the apex or the top side 17 and the fold is inward, so that the contents of the bottom wall portion 3 are reinforced. It has a structure that does not easily deform or break when the container is subjected to drop impact while it is filled. Before folding, this container has an angle θ between a plane passing through the side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connecting portion 18 and the apex or top side 17 and the projecting line 26 of the inclined fold line 21 to the ground plane. There is.

When the container is folded, the side wall fold line 12,
The inclined fold line 21 and the lower edge for grounding subsequent thereto have the folds outwardly and the bottom wall fold line 15 folds inward, so that the side wall fold line 12 and the bottom wall fold line 15 are centered. 12 can be projected outward and the bottom wall fold line 15 can be projected inward for easy folding (FIGS. 9 to 14).

As shown in the figure, the top portion 5 having the mouth portion 4 is formed so as not to be easily deformed. Therefore, the upper portion of the side wall portion cannot be sufficiently folded in order to maintain the same shape as before folding, but the side wall portion body The part or the bottom wall can be sufficiently folded. The front apex to the top edge 17 for folding is the lower edge 16 for grounding.
Located slightly above, side wall fold line 12 and bottom wall fold line 1
5, there was a distance C between the lower edge 16 and the plane passing through the apex 5 and the apex 17 but after folding, the pair of lower edges 1
6 and 16 are close to each other, and the apex 17 is located at a position approximately above the lower edge 16 by a length C.

The form of this container after folding is shown in FIGS. 10 side view, FIG. 11 (G- in FIG. 9
As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 13, the opposing side wall surfaces, that is, the upper portions of the wide body surfaces 8 and 8 and the narrow body surfaces 9 and 9 are in close contact with each other. On the other hand, the narrow width surface of the body part has turned into a stable shape and cannot be easily restored. Further, in FIG. 14, the apex or the top side 17 is illustrated as being located at the center of the body wide surfaces 8 and 8, but there is a tendency to extrude to one side, and the same effect appears in the bottom wall portion, and the shape restoration is performed. Is prevented.

The container can be restored to its shape by the folded line group and the surface configuration by opening the space between the lower end edges 16 for grounding and opening it and returning the side wall from the back.

In the present invention, the broken line of the container, especially the bottom wall 3
It is preferable that the folding line group is set so that the following equation is substantially satisfied. That is, in FIGS. 15 to 17, the projection point 27 of the connecting portion 18 of the side wall folding line 12 to the bottom wall folding line 15 on the ground plane before folding is shown.
And the projection point 28 of the vertex 18 is E, and the connecting portion 1 is
8 is G, the length that extends outward when folded, F is the height from the grounding lower edge 16 of the apex or top side 17 before folding, and F is the height from the apex or top side 17 of the grounding side after folding. Is C, the length between the projecting point 27 and the end 20 of the grounding lower edge 16 before folding is D, and the height of the connecting portion 18 from the grounding lower edge is X, Each broken line is the following formula In the formula, α is set to substantially satisfy 0.8 to 1.4, preferably 0.9 to 1.3.

The equation "Equation 1" is derived as follows. 15 to 17 of the explanatory views, the lengths C, D, E, F and the angle θ are preset as constants. The overhang length G after folding is

[0040]

## EQU2 ## G = D (1-cos .theta.), Which is the connection part 18 before and after folding and the apex to the apex 17 (in the case of the apex, the end part closer to the connection part 18).
If the lengths between are A and B, respectively, these A and B are the same before folding and after folding.

[0041]

## EQU3 ## A ² = B ² FIG. 16 and FIG. 1 based on FIG. 15 (A) and FIG. 15 (B).
From the relationship of 7 right triangles

[0042]

(X−F) ² + E ² = (X−C) ² + (E + G) ² Therefore,

[0043]

[Equation 5] Is guided. The values of A and B can be derived from X.

However, regarding the actual molded product,
Since the thickness of the wall body, the curve of the fold line portion, and the ridge line portion, the ground contact lower end portion, and the like may be curved surfaces, “Equation 5” requires a correction term. By inserting this correction term, the following equation is obtained. "Number 1" Where α is a number from 0.8 to 1.4, preferably 0.9 to 1.3,

The container is made from a tube-shaped parison by blow molding by a conventional method. As for the container, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the parting line (R) obliquely intersects the surface passing through the container axis, the pair of side wall part fold lines 12 and the bottom wall part fold line 15 (19), In addition, it is provided on the ridge line of the container shaft and the front wall of the side wall, that is, the ridge line of the wide body portion surface 8 and the narrow body portion surface 9 and the ridge line of the wide shoulder portion surface 10 and the narrow shoulder portion surface 11. So, the wall surface of the container (especially the wide body surface 8 of the front wall surface)
In addition, a smooth wall surface can be obtained without the unevenness of the parting line (R). Therefore, printing on the wall surface is not hindered and accurate printing can be performed, and in-mold labels can be adhered during molding. In addition, it is easy to remove the mold.

As shown in FIG. 4, the container has an end portion 20 of the grounding lower edge 16 of the bottom wall portion and an apex or top side 17 of the bottom wall portion.
The angle (y) that includes the bottom wall portion broken line 15 (19) within the angle formed by the parting line (R) that is farthest from the parting line (R) that connects the and 70 is 70 °.
By providing the above, die cutting can be easily performed.
When the angle (y) is 90 ° or more, the mold release becomes good, which is particularly advantageous in productivity. The container has a structure in which the structure of the bottom wall portion 3 is folded along a fold line, but since the apex 17 is projected outward (downward) and is located slightly above the ground contact lower edge 16, the fold line 23 is Even if it is provided, there is no place to squeeze (recess) the fold line deeply, and since the surface surrounding the fold line has a tapered surface that expands outward, it facilitates die cutting after blow molding. In addition, it has a structure that does not easily break due to folding lines even after repeated folding and restoration.

The capacity of this container is usually about 100 milliliters to 3 liters, and the thickness of the wall is 0.
It is about 03 to 1.2 mm. Of course, it is possible to manufacture one with a smaller capacity and one with a larger capacity. If the capacity is large, the thickness of the wall body can be increased if necessary.

As the plastic used for the container,
Examples of the plastic include polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene / propylene copolymer, ethylene / α-olefin copolymer, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, and vinyl chloride / vinylidene chloride copolymer.

[Embodiment 2] FIGS. 18 to 27 show another example of the container of the present invention, FIGS. 18 to 23 show before folding, and FIGS. 24 to 27 show after folding. Reference numerals in the figure are the same as those in the first embodiment. Example 2 is the same as Example 1.
It is a longer and narrower bottle, and the cross section of the side wall body is almost hexagonal. Further, the connecting portion between the shoulder portion of the side wall portion 3 and the body portion has a smooth curved surface so that the heights thereof are at the same position.

Also in this embodiment, the expression "Equation 1" is set to be established between the respective folding lines of the bottom wall portion. The container has an excellent anti-restoration effect in the folded state, and does not easily restore its shape when left standing naturally. However, the shape can be easily restored by opening the space between the lower edges for grounding.

The container has a parting line (R) as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 20, FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, the front surface of the container shaft and the side wall part is oblique to the plane passing through the container shaft, the pair of side wall part fold lines 12 and the bottom wall part fold line 15 (19). It is provided on a ridgeline of the wall, that is, on a surface passing through the ridgeline of the wide body surface 8 of the body, the wide surface 10 of the shoulder portion and the narrow surface 9 of the body portion, and the narrow surface 11 of the shoulder portion. The container also includes the bottom wall fold line 15 (19) within the angle, and the parting line (R) and the bottom edge 1 of the bottom wall 1
The angle (y) formed by the fold line 22 connecting the end 20 of 6 and the apex or top side point 17 of the bottom wall is 90 ° or more, and the die cutting is very good.

[Embodiment 3] FIGS. 28 to 32 show another example of the container of the present invention, FIGS. 28 to 30 show before folding, and FIGS. 31 to 32 show after folding. Unlike the experimental examples 1 and 2, this container is a bottle whose lower part is extremely expanded and which has a triangular shape when viewed from the side.

This container comprises a neck portion 5 having a side wall portion 2, a bottom wall portion 3 and a mouth portion 4 which are integrally formed.

The side wall 2 is composed of a pair of 2 symmetrical about the container axis.
Side walls 31 each having a substantially rectangular shape (longitudinal length) and extending outwardly from the upper side to the lower side, and four side wall surfaces 33 having a curved shoulder portion 32 with the upper end portion curved. The upper end of the shoulder portion 32 of the side wall surface 33 is connected to the neck portion 5 at a position higher than the side wall surface 31. Side wall surface 3
The ridgeline at which 1 and the side wall surface 33 intersect reaches the joint between the lower side wall portion 2 and the bottom wall portion 3, but the adjacent side wall surfaces 33, 3 are adjacent to each other.
The ridgeline where 3 intersects expands from the upper part to the lower part,
It is located above the bottom edge 16 for grounding of the container by a height X.
The ridgeline where the adjacent side wall surfaces 33, 33 intersect forms the side wall fold line 12 with an outward fold.

Similar to the first and second embodiments, the bottom wall portion 3 is formed with a bottom wall portion folding line 15 which is on the same plane as the side wall portion folding line 12 and which is connected to the side wall portion folding line 12 by the connecting portion 18. Further, at the lower end of the side wall surface 31 and the lower end of the side wall surface 33 of the side wall portion and the connection portion between the bottom wall portion 3, a pair of grounding lower ends extending in a horizontal direction symmetrically in parallel to a plane passing through the side wall folding line 12. Edge 1
6 is formed. The bottom wall portion fold line 15 has a top or a top edge 1 located slightly above the ground contact lower edge 16.
7 and a pair of side wall part fold line 12-bottom wall part fold line 15 connection part 18,
It is composed of a pair of sides 19 and 19 which are connected to each other to form a V-shape. Further, an inclined fold line 21 is formed between the connecting portion 18 and the end portion 20 of the lower end edge 16 in the bottom wall portion 3 to connect the side wall portion 2 and the bottom wall portion 3 with an outward fold line. Further, the end portion 20 of the lower end edge 16 and the apex to the top side 17
A folding line 22 is formed between the two. Also, the lower edge 16
Parallel to the lower edge 16 near the inside of the
A fold line 23 is provided which is located slightly above and is connected to the fold lines 22 and 22 intersecting at both ends. The fold line 22 has its tip end expanded outward at the intersection with the fold line 23.

Thus, the bottom wall portion 3 has a grounding lower end edge 16
A pair of bottom wall surfaces 24, 24 surrounded by the end portion 20 and the apex to the top side 17 and the bent line 22 and four sides 3 surrounded by the inclined side broken line 21, the side 19 and the broken line 22 between the paired side walls 19 and 19. A rectangular bottom wall surface 25 is formed. The other structure of the bottom wall portion 3 is similar to that of the first embodiment, and the reference numerals are the same. Also in the third embodiment, the equation "Equation 1" is set to be established between the respective folding lines of the bottom wall portion.

The parting line (R) of this container is
This is shown in FIGS. 28 and 30. The angle (y) between the parting line (R) and the fold line 22 on the bottom wall is 90 °.
As described above, the die cutting is extremely good.

This container is similar to those in Examples 1 and 2 and is shown in FIG.
Also, as shown in FIG. 32, it can be folded compactly, and it has an excellent shape restoration preventing effect in the folded state, and when the folded state is released and restored, it can be easily restored by opening the space between the lower edges for grounding. . Next, an example of cups having an open upper surface will be described.

[Embodiment 4] FIGS. 33 to 36 show a cup-shaped container before folding. FIG. 33 is a plan view and FIG.
4 is a front view, FIG. 35 is a side view, and FIG. 36 is a back view. Although illustration after the folding is omitted, the first to the first embodiments
You can understand from 3.

The container 41 has a side wall portion 42 and a bottom wall portion 43 which are formed integrally with each other, the upper surface of which is open, and the side wall portion 42.
Is a cup-shaped container in which the planar shape of the container is slightly hexagonal and spreads upward. The side wall portion 42 includes two substantially rectangular side wall surfaces 44 that are symmetrically opposed to each other about the container axis.
And four side wall surfaces 45 having a substantially ladder shape, and the side wall surface 44
The upper end of the side wall surface 45 is connected to the flange-shaped opening edge 46. The side wall surface 4 is provided with notches 47 at the hexagonal corners of the opening edge 46 to facilitate folding.
The lower end of 4 is curved and connected to the grounding lower end edge 50. The ridgeline where the side wall surface 44 and the side wall surface 45 intersect is curved at the lower end. The ridgeline where the adjacent side wall surfaces 45 and 45 intersect is
An outwardly foldd side wall fold line 48 is formed, and its lower end is located at a height X above a grounding lower end edge 50, which will be described later, and is connected to a bottom wall fold line 49.

The bottom wall portion 43 is provided with a bottom wall portion fold line 49 which is located in the same plane as the side wall portion fold line 48 and which is connected to the side wall portion fold line 48 and folds inward. Also, the side wall portion 42
A pair of lower end edges 50 for grounding are formed at a connection portion between the (side wall surface 44) and the bottom wall portion 43, and extend in a horizontal direction in parallel and symmetrically with respect to a plane passing through the side wall portion folding line 48 and the bottom wall portion folding line 49. Has been done. Further, the bottom wall portion broken line 49 is a pair of sides 53, 53 connecting the top side 51 located slightly above the grounding lower end edge 50 and the pair of side wall portion broken line 48-bottom wall portion cut line 49 connecting portion 52. And a substantially V-shape (or U-shape). Further, the bottom portion 43 includes a side wall portion 42 and a bottom wall portion 43 between the connecting portion 52 and the end portion 54 of the lower end edge 50.
A slanted fold line 55 is formed to make a fold line outwardly connecting the two.

Further, the end portion 54 of the lower end edge 50 and the top side 5 are
A broken line 56 is formed between the two. Also, the bottom edge 50
A fold line 57 is provided in the vicinity of the inside of, parallel to the lower edge 50 and slightly above the top side 51, and has both ends connected to the fold lines 56, 56. Further, the fold line 56 has its tip end expanded outward at the intersection with the fold line 57.

Like the first to third embodiments, this container has a stable shape and self-supporting property before folding, and the containers can be compactly stacked in multiple stages. The bottom wall portion is the grounding lower edge 50 and the fold line 56 between the end portion 54 and the top edge 51, and the bottom wall surface 58 surrounded by the top edge 51 is downwardly downward and becomes closer to horizontal, and further near the inside of the grounding lower edge 50. Since the fold line 57 is located slightly above the top side 51 and the folds are directed inward, the bottom wall portion is reinforced and the structure is hard to be deformed. Furthermore, the fold line and surface structure prevent the bottom wall portion from being deformed. Then
Furthermore, since a flange is provided at the opening edge, it is easy to use, as it does not deform when used, like a non-folding cup.

The relational expression of "Equation 1" holds for the broken line group on the bottom wall of the cup-shaped container. When folding the container, as in the first to third embodiments, the side edge folding line 48 and the inclined folding line 55 face outward, the bottom wall folding line 49 faces inward, and the top edge 51 is pushed upward to fold. be able to.
When folded, the bottom wall surfaces 58 continuing to the bottom edges 50 for both grounding contact each other, and further the bottom wall surfaces 59 contacting the side 53 contact each other, and in that state, the top edge 51 is extruded to one side instantly to form a concave surface structure and become stable. Become. In this state, the bottom wall portion broken line 49 is not a straight line, but is a bent line in which the top side 51 is pushed to one side. The folded state of this bottom wall is very stable. Therefore, the shape cannot be easily restored unless the lower edges 50, 50 for grounding are separated from each other and opened.

In the above description, the opening edge 46 has a flange shape, but a flange may be used. The flange is
Helps maintain shape when used as a container. The presence of the flange does not hinder the folding because the wall thickness of the entire wall is thin, but it is preferable to make a cut in the corner portion of the flange if necessary.

The parting line (R) of this container is
This is shown in FIGS. 34 and 36. Further, a broken line 56 between the parting line (R), the lower edge 54 for grounding, and the top side 51.
The angle (y) formed by and is set to an obtuse angle, and this container is very well die-cut. Further, the front wall 44 of the side wall portion 42 is smooth and has good printability, and the in-mold adhesion is also good.

As the plastic of this container, general-purpose plastics can be used, and among them, the above-mentioned plastics are preferably used. A plastic foam sheet can also be used in this container. For example, foamed polyethylene, foamed styrene, foamed vinyl and the like.
As a molding method, a conventional molding method for cups, for example, a vacuum molding method, a plug assist molding method, a pressure molding method or the like can be used. The volume of this kind of container varies from the same as usual cups to about 2 to 3 liters, and the wall thickness is usually about 0.03 to 1.2 mm except for foamed plastic. It is a thing.

[Embodiment 5] In this embodiment, the fold line 22 formed between the end portion 20 of the grounding lower edge 16 of the bottom wall portion and the top side 17 of the bottom wall portion is the side wall fold line 12. 37 shows an example of a container that forms an angle of 45 ° or more with respect to the passing plane in the projected state and has bead lines (projection lines) with small intervals in the axial direction on the bottom wall fold line. Is a front view, FIG. 38 is a side view, and FIGS. 39 and 40 are AA sectional views and back views of FIG. Reference numerals are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The side wall portion 2 is composed of a wide side wall 61 forming a front wall and four narrow side walls 62 forming side wall surfaces symmetrically with respect to the container axis. The ridgeline of the side wall 62 forms the side wall fold line 12 with an outward fold line. The ridgeline of the side wall 61 and the side wall 62 is a parting line (R).

The bottom wall portion 3 is formed with a bottom wall portion folding line 15 which is on the same plane as the side wall portion folding line 12 and which is connected to the side wall portion folding line 12 by the connecting portion 18. Further, a pair of grounding lower end edges 16 extending horizontally symmetrically in parallel to a plane passing through the side wall folding line 12 is formed at the lower end of the side wall 61 and the connecting part between the lower end of the side wall 62 and the bottom wall part 3. There is. Bottom wall fold line 15
Is composed of a pair of sides 19 that connect the top side 17 of the bottom wall portion located slightly above the grounding lower edge 16 and the connecting portion 18 and form a substantially U-shape. Further, the bottom wall portion 3 has a sidewall portion 2 between the connection portion 18 and the end portion 20 of the lower edge 16.
And the bottom wall part 3 are connected to each other.
1 is formed. A folding line 22 is formed between the end portion 20 of the lower edge 16 and the top side 17. Further, a folding line 23 is provided in the vicinity of the inner side of the lower edge 16 in parallel with the lower edge 16 and is connected to the folding lines 22, 22 of which both ends intersect. The fold line 22 has its tip end expanded outward at the intersection with the fold line 23. Thus, the bottom wall portion 3 has a bottom edge 1 for grounding.
6, a pair of bottom wall surfaces 24 and 24 surrounded by the end portion 20 and the top side 17 and the bent line 22, and four substantially triangular shapes surrounded by the inclined side broken line 21, the side 19 and the broken line 22 by sandwiching the paired side walls 19 and 19. Bottom wall surface (concave surface) 25 is formed. Also in the fifth embodiment, the equation "Equation 1" is set to be established between the respective folding lines of the bottom wall portion.

This container has an end portion 20 of the lower edge 16 for grounding.
The fold line 22 between the top edge 17 of the bottom wall and the bottom wall is in the projected state.
As shown in 0, the angle (z) with respect to the bottom wall part fold line 15 (the surface passing through the side wall part fold line 12) is set to 45 ° or more, and the bead line (V-shaped protrusion is formed on the top side of the bottom wall part). (Line) 63 is provided to facilitate folding even though the top side 17 is long. When the angle (z) is 45 ° or more (the angle (y) of the bottom wall surface (concave surface) 25 with respect to the parting line (R) is 90 ° or more), the bottom wall top 17 tends to be long. is there. If the bead wire 63 is provided in such a case, it can be easily folded at the time of folding.

[Embodiment 6] This embodiment is an example of a container in which a concave surface of the bottom wall is provided with a V-shaped concave line crossing the bottom wall fold line, FIG. 41 is a front view, and FIG. It is a side view,
43 is a rear view, and FIG. 44 (A) is A- of FIG. 42.
It is an A sectional view, and (B) of FIG. 44 is a partially enlarged view of (A) of FIG. FIG. 45 is a front view after folding.

This container has a shape similar to that of the third embodiment, and the reference numerals are the same as those of the third embodiment. A bottom wall portion (concave surface) 25 that sandwiches the bottom wall portion folding line 15 is traversed by the bottom wall portion folding line 15, and a bead line (small V-shaped protruding line) 64 is provided symmetrically with respect to this. The bead line 64 is a ridgeline of the front wall when folded. The wide body surface 8 and the wide shoulder surface 10 and the narrow body surface 9 and the narrow shoulder surface 1 that follow.
It is provided at a position overlapping the ridge line 65 with 1. If this bead line 64 is provided, the folded container can be easily held in the folded state and cannot be easily restored to its original state. The angle (y) between the parting line (R) of this container and the fold line 22 of the bottom wall portion is set to 90 ° or more, and die cutting is good.

[0074]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The foldable plastic container of the present invention can be applied to bottles that can be sealed and cups having an open upper surface, and the foldable volume can be greatly reduced in an empty state, so that transportation and storage costs are low. It does not take and is easy to handle.
When the contents are filled and used, the filling amount to the bottom is increased to have stable self-supporting property, the appearance is excellent in design, and the appearance and stability are given. In terms of manufacturing, this container can save material, is easy to mold, and has excellent productivity.

Since this container has excellent advantages as described above, it can be used as an ordinary container, but it is particularly suitable for bottles as a refill pack. In addition, cups are suitable for carrying. In addition, it can be reused, and when it is discarded after use, the amount used and volume are small, and the amount of waste can be greatly reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an example of the container of the present invention before folding.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of the container of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the container of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG.

9 is a front view of the container of FIG. 1 after folding.

FIG. 10 is a side view of FIG. 9.

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG.

12 is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG.

13 is a sectional view taken along line GG of FIG.

14 is a sectional view taken along line HH of FIG.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view for explaining the relationship of each folding line on the bottom wall of the container, (A) is a front view (half) showing the relationship before and after folding, and (B) is a rear view before folding ( (C) shows a side view (half) before folding.

16 is an explanatory diagram of a right triangle having A as one side based on FIG.

17 is an explanatory diagram of a right triangle having B as one side based on FIG.

FIG. 18 is a front view of another container of the present invention before folding.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the container of FIG.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of the container of FIG.

21 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 18. FIG.

22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 18 after folding.

FIG. 25 is a side view of the container of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a back view of the container of FIG. 24.

27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

FIG. 28 is a front view of another example of the container of the present invention before folding.

29 is a side view of the container of FIG. 28. FIG.

30 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 28. FIG.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 28 after folding.

32 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 31. FIG.

FIG. 33 is a folded plan view of an example of the cup-shaped container of the present invention.

34 is a front view of the container of FIG. 33. FIG.

35 is a side view of the container of FIG. 33. FIG.

FIG. 36 is a back view of the container of FIG. 33.

FIG. 37 is a front view of another container of the present invention.

38 is a side view of the container of FIG. 37. FIG.

39 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 38.

40 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 37. FIG.

FIG. 41 is a side view of another container of the present invention.

42 is a front view of the container of FIG. 41. FIG.

43 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 41. FIG.

FIG. 44 (A) is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 42,
(B) is a partially enlarged view of (A).

FIG. 45 is a front view of the container of FIG. 41 after being folded.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Container of the present invention 2 Side wall 3 Bottom wall 4 mouth 5 neck 6 shoulder side wall 7 Body side wall 8 Wide body 9 Body narrow surface 10 Wide shoulder 11 Shoulder narrow surface 12 Side wall fold line 13 Male screw 14 cap 15 Bottom wall fold line 16 Grounding bottom edge 17 vertices and apex 18 Side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection 19 sides 20 End of bottom edge 16 21 Inclined polygonal line 22, 23 fold line 24,25 bottom wall 26 Projection line of inclined polygonal line 21 27 Projection point before folding of connecting portion 18 31, 33 Side wall surface 32 shoulder 41 Container of the present invention 42 Side wall 43 Bottom wall 44,45 Side wall surface 46 Flange-shaped opening edge 47 notches 48 Side wall fold line 49 Bottom wall fold line 50 Bottom edge for grounding 51 top 52 Side wall fold line-bottom wall fold line connection 53 sides 54 End of bottom edge 50 55 Inclined polygonal line 56,57 fold line 58,59 bottom wall 61,62 Side wall 63, 64 bead wire R parting line

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65D 1/02 B65D 21/08 B65D 37/00

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of side wall part fold lines which have a side wall part and a bottom wall part which are integrally formed, and are located on a plane passing through the container axis,
In a foldable plastic container having a bottom wall fold line located on the surface, a pair of grounding lower end edges are formed symmetrically with respect to the surface at a connecting portion between the side wall portion and the bottom wall portion. The bottom wall part fold line is composed of an apex or a top side located slightly above the lower end edge, and a pair of sides connecting the apex or top side and the side wall part fold line in a V-shape or a U-shape. , Between the end portion of the lower end edge and the side wall fold line-bottom wall portion fold line connection portion and between the end portion of the lower end edge and the apex or top side of the bottom wall portion , respectively , and Side wall fold line −
The projection point of the bottom wall part broken line connection part to the ground plane and the apex or apex
The length between the projection points of the side to the ground contact surface is E, the side wall fold line-bottom
Wall fold line Extending outward when the connection part is folded
The method is G, and the apex or bottom of the bottom wall is grounded before folding.
The height from the bottom edge is F, and the top of the bottom wall after folding
The height from the bottom edge for grounding of the point or the top side is C, and the side wall
Fold line-bottom wall X
Then, each polygonal line is expressed by the formula [ Formula 1] In the formula, α is a number of 0.8 to 1.4, and the foldable plastic container is set to satisfy substantially . 2. A polygonal line located in the vicinity of the inside of the grounding lower edge and in parallel with the lower edge and slightly above the apex or apex, and connecting the end to a polygonal line connecting the lower edge and the apex or apex. The plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the plastic container is provided. 3. The plastic container according to claim 1, wherein a neck portion having a mouth portion is provided at an upper end portion of the side wall portion so as to be hermetically sealed. 4. The plastic container according to claim 1, which has an open upper surface. 5. The container obliquely intersects a parting line (R) of the container with a surface passing through the container axis, a pair of side wall fold lines and a bottom wall fold line, and the container axis and the front wall of the side wall. The plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the plastic container is provided on a surface that passes through the ridgeline. 6. A parting line (R) that is farthest from the parting line (R) among the fold lines between the edge of the grounding lower end edge of the bottom wall of the container and the apex or top side of the bottom wall. The plastic container according to claim 5 , wherein an angle (y) formed by the angle R and the bottom wall portion fold line within the angle is 70 ° or more. 7. The fold line formed between the edge of the bottom edge of the bottom wall portion for grounding and the top side of the bottom wall portion forms an angle of 45 ° or more in a projected state with respect to a plane passing through the sidewall fold line. And a bead line (protruding line) with a small interval in the axial direction on the top side of the bottom wall.
The plastic container according to claim 6, further comprising: 8. An end portion of the lower edge for grounding and a side wall fold line-
The bottom wall portion fold line passes through the bottom wall portion fold line to the concave surface defined by the fold line between the ground portion and the fold line between the edge of the grounding lower edge and the bottom wall apex or top side, and The plastic container according to claim 1, wherein a bead line is provided symmetrically with respect to. 9. The plastic container according to claim 8, wherein the bead line is a fold line that is convex from the top of the bottom wall to the top side.