JP4875328B2 - Drip separation container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drip separation container such as a tray for holding contents that generate moisture (drip) such as fruit juice, such as cut vegetables and fruits, or contents that generate thaw water by thawing frozen foods.

  When using fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. that exude water such as cut lettuce and sliced tomatoes in the restaurant industry such as restaurants, cut them in advance so that they can be used for cooking and assortment quickly. In addition, it is desirable to separate the juice component (drip). For example, sliced tomatoes begin to soak up the vegetable juice from the cut, and leave it as it is.

  Preserving fruits and meats while dipped in the drip is undesirable in terms of hygiene because microorganisms are generated in the water and contaminated or cause spoilage. In addition, wet vegetables and fruits have an adverse effect on appearance, taste and touch. For this reason, the operation | work which wipes off a water | moisture content is needed. Conventionally, in order to reduce such wiping work and keep it hygienically, a tray in which a moisture absorbing sheet or the like is placed on the bottom surface on which cut vegetables or the like are placed has been developed. However, when the cut vegetables are placed directly on the moisture absorbing sheet, there is a problem that the moisture absorbed by the moisture absorbing sheet oozes out and wets the cut vegetables again.

In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of cells 50 are partitioned below the tray 400, the moisture absorbent 52 is held in the partitioned cells 50, and the upper surface of the cell 50 is moisture permeable. A tray 400 having a structure in which vegetables and meat are separated from the moisture absorbent 52 by being blocked by a sheet 54 has been developed (see Patent Document 1). In the tray 400 having this structure, the moisture absorbent 52 and the contents such as cut vegetables are separated by the moisture permeable sheet 54, so that the contents are not wetted by moisture contained in the moisture absorbent 52.
Special Table 2002-519252

  However, in the above structure, it is necessary to stick a moisture permeable sheet on the upper surface of each cell, and there is a problem that the manufacturing process of the tray is increased and the cost is increased. In particular, the moisture-permeable sheet is costly and must be pasted with glue or the like for each cell. Furthermore, the moisture-permeable sheet needs to be held tightly so that the moisture absorbent and the contents do not come into contact with the heavy contents such as meat placed on the top surface. There must be. In addition, it was difficult to refill the moisture absorbent and reuse the tray.

  On the other hand, in order to separate the drip from the contents, a structure in which a permeation layer having a large number of holes is provided on the bottom surface of a plastic tray in place of the moisture permeable sheet and the drip is dropped through the holes has been developed. Yes. However, in this case, since the holes are always opened, there is a problem that when the tray is vibrated during transportation or the like, the dropped drip flows backward through the holes and contaminates the contents. Furthermore, in this configuration, there is a problem that it is necessary to perforate the transmissive layer by punching or the like, which requires labor and cost for perforation.

  The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems. A main object of the present invention is to provide a drip separation container that can reliably separate the contents and the drip with an inexpensive structure.

In order to achieve the above object, a drip separation container according to the first aspect of the present invention is a drip separation container capable of separating the contents to be held and the drip generated from the contents, and one of the openings is opened. A container body in which a drip holding space is formed at the bottom of the storage space, and an elastically deformable hard cover that is sized to close the drip holding space at the bottom of the container body. The cover part forms one or more slits whose surfaces are cut in a linear shape, and the slits form a plurality of linear slits substantially parallel along the longitudinal direction of the cover part. As a result, when contents such as cut vegetables are placed in the storage space of the container main body in which the cover is set, the cover is elastically deformed by the weight of the contents, the slit is opened, and the drip is in the lower drip holding space. Since it can flow down or can be dripped, the content can be separated from the liquid drip and impregnation of the content can be prevented. Even if the drip separation container is subjected to upward stress due to vibration or the like, the elastically deformed cover part returns to its original state and the slit is closed, so that the drip is prevented from returning to the storage space through the slit, and the contents are drip. It can be separated and kept clean.

  The drip separation container according to the second aspect of the present invention further includes a water absorbing member disposed in the drip holding space. Thereby, since the drip held in the drip holding space is absorbed by the water absorbing member, the liquid drip can be reliably separated from the contents and kept clean.

  Furthermore, in the drip separation container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the water absorbing member is any one of paper, non-woven fabric, sponge, cotton, or polymer absorbent. Thereby, water absorption is exhibited and a drip can be efficiently absorbed in a drip holding space. In addition, it is preferable that the water-absorbing member is formed in a thin sheet shape because it can be easily arranged in the drip holding space. In particular, the polymer absorbent has a high absorption rate and is suitable as a water absorbing member. The use of a sheet-like water-absorbing member containing a polymer absorbent in the bag-like interior is particularly preferable because the water-absorbing member can be thinned while increasing its water absorption.

  Furthermore, the drip separation container according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a holding structure for holding the container body and the cover part in a state where the cover part closes the drip holding space at the bottom part of the container body. Thereby, the cover part can be positioned and held at a fixed position on the bottom of the container body, and the drip and the contents can be stably separated by preventing the backflow of the drip.

Furthermore, in the drip separation container according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, holding structures for holding the container main body and the cover part are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cover part. As a result, the cover portion fixed at both ends in the longitudinal direction has a larger amount of deflection that is elastically deformed by the weight of the contents placed on the upper surface, and can open a larger slit.

  The drip separation container of the present invention has a structure in which a slit is provided in a hard cover portion, and when the contents are placed on the cover portion and applied with a load, the cover portion bends and deforms, so that the slit opens. Is held in the lower drip holding space. On the other hand, when stress is applied from below due to vibration or the like, the weight applied to the cover portion is weakened, the deformation is returned, the slit is closed, and the drip is prevented from returning to the upper storage space through the slit. In this way, the opening of the slit can be minimized, and when the reverse force is applied, the slit can be closed to prevent the drip from returning, and an ideal function as a drip separation container can be exhibited. In particular, in this drip separation container, the members constituting the container are the container main body and the cover part, and these can be made of the same material, and the slit processing is also easy, so that the manufacturing cost can be kept extremely low. In addition, the assembly work itself is easy. Even when another water-absorbing member is used, when discarding the water-absorbing member, the cover part can be removed from the container body and the water-absorbing member can be easily taken out.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a drip separation container for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the drip separation container as follows. Further, the present specification by no means specifies the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified, and are merely explanations. It is just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing.

1 to 8 show a drip separation container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of the drip separation container 100, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drip separation container 100 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a state in which the cover 20 is removed from the bottom of the container body 10 of the drip separation container 100 of FIG. 4 is a plan view of the cover part 20, FIG. 5 is a front view of the drip separation container 100 of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a side view, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the water absorbing member 30, and FIG. Cross-sectional views showing a state where the contents N are stored in the drip separation container 100 are respectively shown. The drip separation container 100 shown in these drawings includes a bottomed container body 10 that opens upward, and a cover portion 20 that closes the drip holding space 12 formed on the bottom surface of the container body 10. A water absorbing member 30 is placed in the drip holding space 12.
(Container body 10)

  The container body 10 forms a storage space 14 for storing contents as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, and further, a drip holding space 12 is formed by dividing the bottom surface by a cover portion 20. The shape and size of the container body 10 are designed according to the contents to be stored, and are typically box-shaped. The strength of the container body 10 is designed to be strong enough to store and protect the contents. In particular, it is desirable to provide water resistance since the contents are premised on causing drip. For example, the container body 10 is made of a synthetic resin and is typically formed of a plastic such as styrene. Polystyrene, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, copolyester, etc. can be used as the material. Biodegradable plastics can also be used as necessary. These materials are formed into a box shape by injection using a mold, vacuum or pressure forming. Moreover, in order to maintain the freshness of the contents, the container body may be provided with a gas barrier property. For example, the air permeability of the container body is set appropriately according to the contents.

On the other hand, the container body 10 may have some translucency such as being translucent or transparent so that the contents can be easily confirmed from the outside. Or conversely, in the case of storing contents that need to be shielded from light, the light shielding material is used. Moreover, in the example of FIG. 1, the surface is formed in a wave shape, and sliced tomatoes etc. can be made difficult to adhere to a wall surface by an air layer. Further, a frame-like flat surface 16 is formed at the edge of the opening of the storage space 14, and a wrap or a seal can be easily attached using the flat surface 16 in a state where the contents are stored.
(Cover 20)

  As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the cover 20 is formed to have a size that is substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the bottom of the container body 10 so that the bottom of the container body 10 can be closed. As shown in the side view of FIG. 5 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, a protruding portion 18 that becomes the drip holding space 12 is protruded from the bottom of the container body 10. The cover portion 20 closes the projecting portion 18 to define the drip holding space 12. The protruding portion 18 is projected with a length and / or width that is slightly smaller than the bottom surface of the container body 10, thereby providing a stepped portion 19 between the bottom surface and the protruding portion 18. The part 20 is locked and held. In the example of FIGS. 5 and 8, a step portion 19 is formed in the longitudinal direction of the container body 10, and is latched and held at both ends of the cover portion 20 in the longitudinal direction. By holding the cover portion 20 at both ends in the longitudinal direction in this way, the amount of deformation that the cover portion 20 bends and elastically deforms due to the weight of the contents placed on the upper surface is increased. The opening can be enlarged. However, the stepped portion 19 that can be locked is not limited to the positions of both ends of the cover portion 20, and can be provided along the longitudinal direction according to the degree of deflection or along the entire circumference of the cover portion.

The cover part 20 can also be comprised with a synthetic resin etc. like the container main body 10. FIG. By constituting the cover part 20 with the same member as the container body 10, these can be manufactured at low cost, and disposal can be easily performed without the need for separation. Further, the strength of the cover portion 20 is required to be sufficient to maintain the drip holding space 12 with the contents placed on the upper surface. In particular, since the cover portion 20 is provided with a slit 22 as will be described later, the slit portion 22 is provided with sufficient strength even if the slit 22 is provided, and the cover portion 20 is elastically deformed and bent by its own weight. It is also elastic enough to open. For this reason, the material of the cover part 20 can use a hard plastic suitably. Further, the cover part 20 is fixed to the container body 10 in a state where the edge of the cover part 20 is bent and protrudes downward in order to prevent the drip held in the drip holding space 12 from rebounding.
(Holding structure 40)

  The cover 20 is inserted from the opening of the container body 10 and is positioned and held on the bottom surface. As described above, both the cover unit 20 and the container body 10 are provided with the holding structure 40 in order to position, hold, and fix the cover unit 20 on the container body 10. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a cylindrical boss 42 is provided on one side, and a cylindrical recess 44 into which the boss 42 can be fitted is provided on the other side. As a result, the boss 42 can be fitted into the recess 44 so that both can be easily fitted. In the illustrated example, the cover portion 20 is provided with the boss 42 and the container body 10 is provided with the concave portion 44. However, it goes without saying that the reverse is also possible. In addition, the holding structure 40 is not limited to the boss structure described above, and a structure capable of connecting two members, such as locking with a hook or key, a fitting structure, a hook-and-loop fastener, or a screw type, can be used as appropriate.

The holding structure 40 is preferably not configured to permanently fix the cover 20 to the container body 10 but to be detachably connected. Thereby, when the water absorbing member 30 is replaced, the drip separation container can be reused, or when the drip separation container is discarded, the water absorbing member 30 can be separated to facilitate separation and collection. As described above, the drip separation container according to the present embodiment considers the environment as a structure that can be easily reused and recycled.
(Slit 22)

  A slit 22 is formed in the cover part 20. The slit 22 is formed in a cut shape. That is, the slit 22 is closed in a state where no stress is applied to the cover portion 20, and when the cover portion 20 is bent by the stress, the slit 22 portion is distorted and opened. In this way, the cover portion 20 is not opened from the beginning, but is configured to be opened for the first time in a distorted state, that is, with the content placed on the upper surface, so that the drip of the content is transmitted and the cover portion 20 is transmitted. It can flow down or drop into the lower drip holding space 12.

  On the other hand, it is necessary to prevent the drip from flowing back from the drip holding space 12 to the content storage space 14. In general, when a drip separation container is transported or the like, when a stress from the bottom to the top is applied by impact, a drip backflow occurs. In this case, when a force upward from the bottom is applied to the contents, the contents are lifted from the upper surface of the cover part 20, and the deflection of the cover part 20 due to the weight of the contents is temporarily reduced. It becomes a state. In other words, as a result of the cover 20 being less curved, the opening of the slit 22 becomes narrower or closed. By acting in the direction of narrowing the opening of the slit 22 in this way, the backflow of the drip is suppressed, and the state in which the content gets wet by the drip can be reduced or prevented. As described above, the present invention has a very simple configuration in which the mechanical slit 22 is provided, but can effectively prevent the drip from flowing down and separating and further preventing the reverse flow.

As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the linear slit 22 is provided with a linear cut. By providing a plurality of these notches substantially in parallel, the amount of drip passing can be increased. In this example, three slits 22 are provided at substantially equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the cover portion 20. The configuration in which the slits 22 are provided in the longitudinal direction is advantageous in that the number of slits 22 is reduced to increase the distance, and the drip permeation amount can be secured with a small amount of processing. However, the slit pattern is not limited to this example. For example, the slit pattern may be provided so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a cross shape, or a cross shape that crosses diagonally.
(Water Absorbing Member 30)

  Furthermore, it is preferable to arrange a water absorbing member 30 that absorbs the drip in the drip holding space 12. An example of the water absorbing member 30 is shown in the perspective view of FIG. The water absorbing member 30 shown in this figure contains a polymer absorbent 34 as a moisture absorbent in a sheet-like bag 32. By using the sheet-like bag 32 in this way, a fixed amount of the polymer absorbent 34 can be held and the amount of absorption can be made constant, and it can be placed in the drip holding space 12 to provide a uniform and homogeneous moisture absorption capacity. Can demonstrate. In particular, it is not necessary to fill each of the particulate water-absorbing members one by one, and since it can be easily set by fitting the cover portion 20 in advance on the protruding portion 18 of the container body 10, the manufacturing process can be simplified. There is an advantage that the water absorbing member 30 can be easily separated from the container body 10 at the time of replacement or disposal. Further, only one water absorbing member 30 may be disposed in the drip holding space 12, or a plurality of water absorbing members 30 may be disposed. Further, in addition to arranging the water absorbing member 30 so as to be completely accommodated at the time of arrangement, a part of the water absorbing member 30 is partially sandwiched between the holding structure 40 of the cover portion 20 and the container body 10 to absorb the water. The member 30 can be fixed so as not to move in the drip holding space 12.

As described above, according to the drip separation container 100 according to the present embodiment, the contents N such as sliced tomatoes can be stored and the drip can be separated and sanitized as shown in FIG. Moreover, it is not restricted to cut vegetables, For example, by holding in a drip separation container in order to thaw frozen foods such as a lever, the thawed water, blood, gravy, etc. are absorbed by the water absorbent member 30 to the surface of the contents. Hygiene can be maintained without leaving moisture.
(Modified Example)

  In the above example, the cover portion is formed in a flat plate shape that closes the bottom surface of the container body. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the drip holding space 12 for arranging the drip and the water absorbing member is formed on the bottom portion of the container body. Other configurations can be employed as long as they are possible. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the cover portion 20B of the drip separation container 200 is formed in a box shape with a bottom that opens upward so as to coincide with the inner surface of the container body 10B. By forming the cover portion 20B at a shallower bottom than the container body 10B, the drip holding space 12 can be formed between the cover portion 20B and the container body 10B in a double bottom shape. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the leg portion protrudes from the bottom surface of the cover portion 20C of the drip separation container 300, the bottom surface of the cover portion 20C and the bottom surface of the container body 10C are separated, and this space is used as the drip holding space 12. You can also As described above, any shape that can form the drip holding space 12 can be adopted as the shape of the cover portion and the container body.

  The drip separation container of the present invention can be suitably used as a container for storing cut food in a refrigerator as a food storage container for a restaurant chain.

It is a perspective view which shows the drip separation container which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the drip separation container of FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which removed the cover part from the container main body bottom part of the drip separation container of FIG. It is a top view which shows a cover part. It is a front view which shows the drip separation container of FIG. It is a side view which shows the drip separation container of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a water absorbing member. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which accommodated the content in the drip separation container. It is sectional drawing which shows the drip separation container which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a drip separation container according to still another embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional drip separation container.

100, 200, 300 ... Drip separation container 400 ... Tray 10, 10B, 10C ... Container body 12 ... Drip holding space 14 ... Storage space 16 ... Flat surface 18 ... Projection part 19 ... Step part 20, 20B, 20C ... Cover part 22 ... slit 30 ... moisture absorbent 32 ... bag 34 ... polymer absorbent 40 ... holding structure 42 ... boss 44 ... recess 50 ... cell 52 ... moisture absorbent 54 ... moisture permeable sheet N ... contents

Claims (5)

A drip separation container capable of separating the contents to be held and the drip generated from the contents,
  Forming a storage space that is open on one side, and a container body having a drip holding space at the bottom of the storage space;
  An elastically deformable hard cover portion formed in a size that closes the drip holding space at the bottom of the container body;
  And the cover part forms at least one slit whose surface is cut into a linear shape,
  The drip separation container, wherein the slit is formed by forming a plurality of linear slits substantially in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the cover portion. The drip separation container according to claim 1, further comprising:
A drip separation container comprising a water absorbing member disposed in the drip holding space. The drip separation container according to claim 2,
The drip separation container, wherein the water absorbing member is any one of paper, non-woven fabric, sponge, cotton, or polymer absorbent. A drip separation container according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The drip separation container, wherein the container main body and the cover portion include a holding structure that holds the drip holding space of the bottom of the container main body in a closed state. A drip separation container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A drip separation container, wherein holding structures for holding the container main body and the cover part are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cover part.

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