JP4211916B2 - Packaging container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a container for packaging foodstuffs, in particular fresh foodstuffs such as chicken eggs.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a container obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin sheet is used for packaging chicken eggs (hereinafter simply referred to as eggs) that are fresh foods. As is well known, such a packaging container is composed of a main body portion provided with a plurality of recesses for storing eggs, a lid portion having the same shape as this, and a hinge portion integrally connecting the two.
[0003]
By the way, eggs and other perishable food products continue their life-sustaining activities for a certain period of time, so they release gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia through biochemical reactions. However, it will be appreciated that the gas concentration in the packaging container should not exceed a certain value and the oxygen concentration is preferably kept at an optimal level. Therefore, a packaging container having air permeability has been proposed in order to suppress deterioration of the environment in the container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-15591 [0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the packaging container, the required air permeability is secured by providing radial cuts, that is, vent holes on the bottom surface of the main body. In addition to this, a packaging container in which a vent hole is provided on the top surface of the lid, the side wall surface of the main body, or the like is known. By the way, if such a ventilation hole is provided in the packaging container, the freshness of the foodstuff can be maintained for a long time. However, on the other hand, the following problems arise.
[0005]
In other words, if a packaging container is provided with a vent hole, foodstuffs are stored in the container and stored in the warehouse, or during transportation, foreign matter such as microscopic insects or dust can enter the inner space of the container from the vent hole. May invade. This is not preferable in terms of food hygiene, and even if it is harmless, it causes a significant decline in consumers' willingness to purchase.
[0006]
Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a packaging container that has appropriate air permeability and does not allow foreign matters such as insects and dust to enter the internal space.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The above issues
A packaging container having a structure including a lid, a main body, and a hinge, wherein the lid and the main body are integrally connected via the hinge;
In the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge part at the opening side edge of the main body part and / or the lid part, a recess is formed,
In the closed state due to the presence of this concave portion, the long gap surrounded by the bent hinge portion and the both ends opened and the package accommodation space surrounded by the lid portion and the main body portion are in communication with each other. It is solved by the packaging container characterized by being comprised.
[0008]
That is, as described above, a concave portion is formed in the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge portion at the opening side edge portion of the container main body portion (or the lid portion or both), and in the closed state, the gap in the hinge portion and the space to be packaged are accommodated. Are configured to communicate with each other, the recess functions as a vent hole. Therefore, the gas generated in the packaged article accommodation space flows from here into the gap in the hinge portion and is released from the open end to the outside of the container. On the other hand, the air outside the container flows into the gap from the open end of the hinge portion, and is guided to the packaged object accommodation space through the concave portion that also functions as a vent hole. Since the packaging container according to the present invention ensures adequate air permeability in this way, the freshness of the food product can be maintained for a longer period of time compared to a container having no air holes.
[0009]
Further, in the packaging container according to the present invention, the concave portion functioning as a vent hole does not directly face the outside, and the opening is completely covered by the bent hinge portion. In other words, it has a structure that effectively blocks other than the flow of gas and air, so there is a possibility that foreign matters such as insects and dust will enter the packaged article storage space through this recess for ventilation. Very low. In general, the packaging container according to the present invention exhibits an excellent effect that foreign matters such as insects and dust do not enter the internal space while having appropriate air permeability.
[0010]
In the packaging container according to the present invention, two perforations are provided in the hinge portion along the longitudinal direction, and the band-shaped portion sandwiched between the two perforations is separated from the remaining portion. It is preferable that it can be opened by (that is, tearing). In this way, the opening operation of the sealed container can be performed very easily. In addition, when the perforation penetrates the sheet material constituting the hinge portion, the ventilation function is also exhibited at this perforation portion. As a result, the inflow of air from the outside to the gap in the hinge portion is promoted, and the retention of the gas discharged from the container internal space is less likely to occur.
[0011]
Further, the packaging container according to the present invention is formed with a convex portion protruding into the gap in the hinge portion between the open end and the concave position, and in the closed state due to the presence of the convex portion, It is preferable that a narrow portion is formed in the gap. By doing so, it becomes possible to more effectively prevent the entry of foreign matters such as insects and dusts without significantly reducing the air permeability.
[0012]
Note that the size, shape, number, and position of the recesses that form the vent holes take into consideration the properties of the foodstuffs stored in the container and the environmental conditions in which the containers containing the foodstuffs are placed. Determined. In addition, various methods can be used for manufacturing the packaging container according to the present invention, and an example thereof includes a method of thermoforming a synthetic resin sheet. More specifically, general vacuum forming, pressure forming, vacuum / pressure forming and the like are particularly suitable. In addition, when a perforation is given to the hinge portion, for example, a commercially available perforation device can be used.
[0013]
As a raw material of the synthetic resin sheet used as the material of the packaging container according to the present invention, for example, a polystyrene resin called “OPS” is biaxially stretched, or a rubber component such as polybutadiene is copolymerized or dispersed and blended with the polystyrene resin. Examples thereof include polystyrene resins with improved impact resistance, polypropylene and polyethylene, polyolefin resins in which both are mixed, and polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate. In addition to these, polylactic acid, polyethylene succinate, polybutylene succinate, starch fatty acid ester, cellulose acetate, poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid, polyvinyl alcohol, and other so-called biodegradable resins have the required chemical properties. In addition, a laminate or a mixture may be used so that physical characteristics can be obtained. On the other hand, the thickness of the synthetic resin sheet is appropriately selected in consideration of various conditions such as the size and shape of the container. Usually, a synthetic resin sheet having a thickness of about 0.15 to 1.0 mm is used.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is an external view of a packaging container according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as a “main container”) in a closed state, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container in an unfolded state, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the container showing a state in which a part of the hinge part is separated from the remaining part, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the main part of the container in the opened state. 6 is a side view of the main part of the container in the closed state, FIG. 7 is a side view of the main part showing another aspect of the narrow part in the gap, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the main part of the container showing the ventilation path. is there.
[0015]
This container is used for packaging eggs, which are foodstuffs, in particular fresh foodstuffs (for convenience, eggs are not shown). In other words, a predetermined number of eggs to be packaged are stored in the container at the factory. Then, after the closing and sealing process, the product is transported to the retail store and displayed on the merchandise shelf.
[0016]
Now, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the container is generally composed of a lid portion 1, a main body portion 2 and a hinge portion 3. This container is obtained by thermoforming a single synthetic resin sheet, and therefore, each of these parts is continuous. That is, this container has a structure in which the lid portion 1 and the main body portion 2 are integrally connected via the hinge portion 3. The synthetic resin sheet used here is made from polyethylene terephthalate. Hereinafter, the schematic structure of the container will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0017]
The cover part 1 which comprises this container has a substantially flat top surface as a whole. However, a pyramid-shaped recess 11 is formed on the center line, in other words, a plurality of projections 12 for stabilizing the posture of the egg that is the package. Since this container is a type that accommodates a total of 10 eggs, there are four posture stabilization projections 12 in total. Further, a flange 13 having a slightly wider width is provided on the side of the lid 1 opposite to the hinge 3 side. The flange 13 is joined to the flange 21 having the same shape provided in the main body 2 by a technique such as heat fusion or ultrasonic fusion, and as a result, a closed state as shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.
[0018]
The main body 2 has a total of ten substantially octagonal pyramid-shaped recesses 22 for accommodating the lower half of the egg. However, when the egg is accommodated, the shape is devised so that a gap of about several mm is formed between the bottom surface of the recess 22 and the lower end of the egg. Needless to say, this is to prevent the egg from being damaged. A total of four protrusions 23 are formed between the recesses 22 for accommodating the eggs. The protrusion 23 comes into contact with each of the protrusions 12 of the lid portion 1 mentioned above. That is, both function as a reinforcing material, and thereby excessive deformation of the lid 1 is suppressed.
[0019]
More specifically, two ridges 24 having a height of about several millimeters are provided on each short side portion of the opening side edge of the main body 2, and the depth between the ridges 24 is between them. There is a recess 25 of about several mm. On the other hand, the lid 1 is provided with a concave strip 14 in which the convex strip 24 can be accommodated and a convex portion 15 in which the concave portion 25 can be accommodated. In this container, due to the presence of these concavities and convexities that fit together, even if there is a gap between flanges (short-side flanges) that are not fused, entry of foreign matters such as insects and dust from there is prevented. .
[0020]
The hinge portion 3 that connects the lid portion 1 and the main body portion 2 has a perforation, which will be described in detail later, as a broken line, and bends in a U shape in the closed state. However, the edge part of the main body part 2 on the boundary side with the hinge part 3, that is, the flange 26 having a width of several millimeters is bent to the bottom side, as can be seen from FIG. On the other hand, the edge part of the lid part 1 on the boundary side with the hinge part 3, that is, the flange 16 having a width of about several millimeters is also bent to the top surface side as can be seen from FIG. 3. Therefore, the hinge part 3 (to be exact, near the hinge part) in the closed state can be regarded as substantially bent into a substantially C shape.
[0021]
In the flange 26, a horizontal portion 26a that is not bent toward the bottom surface side and a horizontal portion 16a that is not bent toward the top surface side in the flange 16 are in contact with each other over the entire length thereof. As a result, in the closed state, a long gap B that is open at both ends and surrounded by the hinge portion 3 bent in a substantially C shape is formed (see FIG. 4). In addition, as a matter of course, in the closed state, a package accommodation space C is created by being surrounded by the lid portion 1 and the main body portion 2. The flange horizontal portions 16a and 26a are both arcuate so that the center side slightly protrudes in the vertical direction. Therefore, the center part side which is most easily separated from each other comes to come into strong contact with each other, and there is no gap between them.
[0022]
The perforation 31a, 31b is provided in the hinge part 3 along the longitudinal direction. The container can be opened by forcibly separating the elongated strip-like portion 32 sandwiched between the two perforations 31a and 31b from the remaining portion as shown in FIG. 4, that is, by tearing it off. (The state before separation of the belt-like portion 32 is as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line). Incidentally, the perforations 31a and 31b penetrate the sheet material constituting the hinge portion 3, and thus have a ventilation function. For this reason, the inflow of the outside air into the gap B is promoted, and the retention of the gas discharged from the inside of the container is less likely to occur. In addition, when sufficient air permeability is obtained only by the perforated part, the open end of the hinge part 3 may be closed.
[0023]
Now, in the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge portion 3 at the opening side edge portion of the main body portion 2, as shown in FIG. The concave portion 41 extends over the flange horizontal portion 26a, and in the closed state, one of the openings faces the gap B as shown in FIG. 4, and the other opening faces the packaged article accommodation space C. ing. In addition, it is comprised so that it may cross | intersect so that the direction of the opening which faces the space | gap B of the recessed part 41 and the direction of the opening in the both ends of the space | gap B at the time of a lid may be different, for example, an insect may be packaged It is comprised so that it cannot be easily penetrated into the accommodation space C. 5 shows only one recess 41, the recess 41 not shown is also the same as this. Incidentally, the width (indicated by W in FIG. 5) and the depth (indicated by D in FIG. 5) of the recess 41 are both 2 to 3 mm, and are formed at a position about 15 to 20 mm away from the end of the hinge portion 3. Has been.
[0024]
As another embodiment of the present container, the ventilation recess is not formed in the main body 2 but in the lid 1, more precisely, in the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge 3 at the opening side edge of the lid 1. Are formed. Further, as another embodiment, there may be mentioned one in which a recess for ventilation is formed in both the lid portion 1 and the main body portion 2. In this case, the recesses may be in the same position so as to overlap each other and be connected to each other, or may be in positions shifted from each other. That is, the size, shape, number, formation position, etc. of the recesses for ventilation are arbitrary. The reason why two recesses for ventilation are provided in the present embodiment is that, by doing so, it can be expected that one side plays a role of letting in the outside air and the other side plays a role of releasing the gas inside the container. is there. Therefore, when the air permeability is not so required, only one recess for ventilation may be provided.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, in the closed state due to the presence of the recess 41 functioning as a vent hole, the space B surrounded by the hinge portion 3 bent in a substantially C shape, and the packaged portion surrounded by the lid portion 1 and the main body portion 2. The object storage space C is in a communication state. In addition to this, at the portion between the open end of the hinge portion 3 and the position where the concave portion 41 exists, a convex portion 51 protruding into the gap B is formed as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. ing. In the closed state due to the presence of the convex portion 51, a narrow portion is formed in the gap B that more effectively suppresses the entry of foreign matters such as insects and dust. Here, the convex portion 51 is formed only on the surface (the band-shaped portion 32) on the side facing the opening of the concave portion 41 in the hinge portion 3. However, it may replace with this and may provide small convex part 51 'in each of the two horizontal surfaces which face the upper and lower sides of the hinge part 3 (refer FIG. 7). Needless to say, the two convex portions 51 ′ are present at the same position so as to face each other, and a narrow portion is also formed in the gap B.
[0026]
The convex portion is a barrier that prevents the intrusion of foreign matter such as insects and dust into the gap B by bending the front end of the band-like portion 32 of about several mm between the perforations 31a and 31b to the gap B side. It may be configured by forming. Or when not giving perforation to hinge part 3, what was constituted by forming a tongue piece about several mm in length by providing a cut in the both ends may be sufficient. The tongue pieces thus obtained are also bent toward the gap B, thereby forming a barrier that prevents the entry of foreign matters such as insects and dust into the gap B.
[0027]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the concave portion 41 is formed in the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge portion 3 at the opening side edge portion of the container body portion 2, and in the closed state, the gap B and the packaged item in the hinge portion 3. The housing space C is configured to be in a communication state. Here, since the concave portion 41 functions as a vent hole, the gas generated in the packaged article accommodation space C flows into the gap B in the hinge portion 3 from the concave portion 41 as shown by an arrow in FIG. It is discharged out of the container from the open end. On the other hand, as shown by arrows in FIG. 8, outside air mainly flows into the gap B from the open end of the hinge portion 3, passes through the concave portion 41 functioning as a vent hole, and enters the packaged article accommodation space C. Led. In this container, since moderate air permeability is ensured in this way, the freshness of the stored foodstuff can be maintained for a longer time than that having no air hole.
[0028]
Furthermore, in this container, the recessed part 41 which functions as a vent hole does not directly face the outside, and the opening is completely covered by the bent hinge part 3. In other words, since the structure is such that gas flow and air flow are effectively blocked, there is a possibility that foreign matter such as insects and dust may enter the packaged article accommodation space C through the recess 41 for ventilation. Is extremely low. As a result, this container exhibits an excellent effect that foreign matters such as insects and dust do not enter the internal space while having appropriate air permeability.
[0029]
Although this embodiment demonstrated the case where an egg was made into a packaging object, this container may be used for packaging of what. In addition to eggs, for example, when used for packaging vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables, this container exhibits a great effect. That is, if this container is used, since the optimal air permeability is obtained for leafy vegetables, water vapor released from the vegetables does not leak out rapidly. Therefore, drying in the container is suppressed and a good wet state is maintained. That is, the stored vegetables are hard to wilt and can maintain freshness over a long period of time. However, in this case, the shapes of the main body portion and the lid portion are changed according to the properties and the outer shape of the article to be packaged without changing the structure of the main part.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
The packaging container of the present invention has moderate air permeability and does not allow foreign matters such as insects and dust to enter the internal space.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a packaging container according to an embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a packaging container according to an embodiment of the present invention in an expanded state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the packaging container according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a part of the hinge part is separated from the remaining part. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of the packaging container according to the embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. FIG. 6 is a side view of the main part of the packaging container according to the embodiment of the present invention in the closed state. FIG. 8 is a side view of the main part showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the main part of the packaging container according to the embodiment of the present invention showing the ventilation path
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cover part 2 Main-body part 3 Hinge part 31a, 31b Perforation 32 The belt-like part 41 of a hinge part Recessed part 51 Convex part B The space | gap C in a hinge part Packaging object accommodation space

Claims (3)

A packaging container having a structure including a lid, a main body, and a hinge, wherein the lid and the main body are integrally connected via the hinge;
A concave portion is formed in the vicinity of the boundary with the hinge portion at the opening side edge of the main body portion and / or the lid portion, and both ends surrounded by the bent hinge portion in the closed state due to the presence of the concave portion. There Rutotomoni configured to the opened long gap, and the package item accommodating space enclosed by the lid portion and the body portion is in the communicating state,
A convex portion protruding into the gap is formed in a portion between the open end of the hinge portion and the position of the concave portion. Due to the presence of the convex portion, a narrow portion is formed in the gap in the closed state. A packaging container configured to be formed .   The hinge part is provided with two perforations along its longitudinal direction, and the belt-like part sandwiched between the two perforations can be opened by separating it from the remaining part. The packaging container according to claim 1. The packaging container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the convex portion is provided on a surface facing the opening of the concave portion in the hinge portion or a surface facing the upper and lower sides of the hinge portion .

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