JP7137919B2 - container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to containers.

In a container such as a food product consisting of a container body and a lid, it is not easy to achieve both sealing performance and unsealability, i.e., making it possible to easily peel off the lid from the container body when the container is opened. This is because if the bonding strength between the container body and the lid is strengthened, the sealing property is improved but the opening property is lowered, and conversely, if the bonding strength is weakened, the opening property is improved but the sealing property is deteriorated. . Various techniques for solving such problems have been proposed so far.

For example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in a container consisting of a container body and a lid joined to a flange portion of the container body, the interlayer adhesion between the inner and outer layers of the container body formed of a multilayer sheet is measured as follows: A technique has been proposed in which a notch is formed in the inner layer of the flange portion on the side of the opening of the container, while the adhesive force between the flange portion and the lid is smaller than that between the flange portion and the lid. By delaminating the container body in the joint region between the container body and the lid formed outside the notch, it is possible to improve the unsealability without weakening the bonding strength between the container body and the lid. .

JP-A-62-251363 JP-A-63-78

On the other hand, there is also known a container that can be placed in a microwave oven to heat contents such as food without being opened. In such a container, it is common to provide a lid with an opening for venting steam so that the container does not burst when the internal pressure rises due to steam generated from the heated contents. Since the sealability of the container is lost due to the provision of the openings, techniques such as the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 are not employed in such containers.

Originally, in the container as described above, the heating efficiency can be improved by minimizing the size and number of the openings and filling the container with water vapor. However, heating with a microwave oven varies greatly depending on the model and individual, and it is difficult to accurately predict the internal pressure generated during heating. In practice, therefore, larger or more openings are often provided to ensure that the container does not burst, while the heating efficiency remains low.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved container capable of heating the contents without being unsealed, which is capable of preventing rupture of the container and improving heating efficiency. is one of the purposes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the first container body is composed of a laminate including at least a first layer and a second layer, and includes a recess and a flange formed along the periphery of the recess and extending outward from the periphery. and a second container body that forms an internal space between the concave portion and the second layer by being joined to the second layer at a joining region formed in the flange portion, the second container body and the second layer The bonding strength between the second layer and the first layer is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between the second layer and the first layer. A container is provided in which a vaporization section is formed that allows the internal space to communicate with the external space when the internal pressure rises.
According to the above configuration, the container is opened by delaminating the layers of the laminate constituting the first container body. Bonding strength can be increased. By forming a steam passage in such a container, when the contents are heated, water vapor is discharged to the outside to prevent the container from exploding, while limiting the amount of water vapor released from the steam passage to prevent the inside of the container from rupturing. It is possible to fill the space with water vapor and raise the internal pressure to a certain extent, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the contents.

In the container described above, the vapor passage portion is an unbonded region where the second container body and the first container body are not bonded, or a relatively weak bond strength per unit area between the second container body and the first container body. It may also include weakly bonded regions that are bonded.

In the containers described above, the unbonded or weakly bonded areas may cross the bonded area in the width direction.

In the container described above, the unbonded region or weakly bonded region may be one or more slit-shaped regions.

In the container described above, the unbonded region or the weakly bonded region may be formed in a region including the tip of the portion where the bonded region protrudes in the width direction, or in a region including the top of the portion where the bonded region bulges in the width direction. good.

In the container described above, the vaporizing portion includes an unbonded area and a weakly bonded area that are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the bonded area, and the unbonded area forms a communication path that is smaller than the weakly bonded area. good too. In this case, the weak bond region may be formed around the entire circumference of the flange. Moreover, the unbonded region and the weakly bonded region may be in close contact with each other in the width direction of the bonded region, or may be separated from each other.

In the container described above, at least the second layer may be cut, the second layer may be partially thinned, or the second layer may be partially interrupted at the missing portion.

In the container described above, the first container body includes a skirt portion formed on the periphery of the flange portion, and a stepped portion in which a part of the periphery of the skirt portion further extends in parallel with the flange portion, and the second container body includes , in addition to the bonding area, may be bonded to the second layer at an additional bonding area located at the step.

Further, in the container described above, the first container body may include a skirt portion formed around the periphery of the flange portion, and an additional missing portion of the second layer may be formed near the periphery of the joint region.

In the container described above, the joint region may include an annular portion formed with a width relatively narrower than the width of the flange portion, and a projecting portion projecting from the annular portion toward the peripheral edge of the flange portion.

In the container described above, at the end of the laminate located on the periphery of the flange, the edge of the second layer may be formed with a hanging portion covering the edge of the second layer.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, in a container whose contents can be heated without being unsealed, it is possible to prevent the container from bursting and improve the heating efficiency.

1 is a perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vaporizing portion formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vaporizing portion formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vaporizing portion formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vaporizing portion formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a vaporizing portion formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of weakly bonded regions formed in the container shown in FIG. 1; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in Figure 8; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a container according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in Figure 11; It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of embodiment of this invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

(First embodiment)
1 is a perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 1(A) shows the state before opening, and FIG. 1(B) shows the state during opening. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2A and 2B correspond to the states of FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively.

A container 100 according to this embodiment includes a container body 110 and a lid 130 . The container body 110 has a substantially rectangular planar shape and includes a recess 111 and a flange portion 112 formed along the periphery of the recess 111 . Flange portion 112 extends outward from the periphery of recess 111 . The lid 130 is a film-like member that covers the opening of the recess 111 , and is joined to the container body 110 using heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like at a joining region 140 formed in the flange portion 112 to close the recess 111 . to form an internal space SP.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container body 110 is formed by forming a laminate 114 including a base layer 114A and a surface layer 114B into a shape including a concave portion 111 and a flange portion 112 by vacuum forming or pressure forming. . The base material layer 114A is positioned outside the container body 110 and exerts rigidity required to retain the shape of the container body 110 . The surface layer 114B is positioned inside the container body 110, that is, on the side facing the internal space SP. Lid 130 is bonded to surface layer 114B of laminate 114 in bonding region 140 . As will be described later, the bonding strength between lid 130 and surface layer 114B in bonding region 140 is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between base layer 114A and surface layer 114B in laminate 114 .

Here, the base material layer 114A of the laminate 114 is made of resin containing at least one of the group consisting of, for example, olefin resin, polystyrene resin, and polyester resin. Examples of olefinic resins include polypropylene and polyethylene. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is exemplified as the polyester resin. An inorganic filler such as talc may be added to the base material layer 114A to improve rigidity.

On the other hand, the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114 is made of, for example, polyolefin resin. Polyolefin-based resins include polypropylene-based resins such as homopolypropylene (HPP), random polypropylene (RPP), and block polypropylene, polyethylene-based resins such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and Examples include linear ethylene-α-olefin copolymers.

It is noted that in the illustrated example laminate 114 includes two layers, base layer 114A and surface layer 114B, but in other examples laminate 114 may include additional layers. For example, the laminate 114 may include multiple substrate layers and adhesive layers that bond the substrate layers together when high stiffness is required. The adhesive layer is made of, for example, urethane-based elastomer, styrene-based elastomer, maleic anhydride-modified polyethylene, maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene, or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Moreover, the laminate 114 may include a gas barrier layer that blocks oxygen and the like. The gas barrier layer is made of, for example, saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVOH), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), or the like.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flange portion 112 of the container body 110 is formed with a notch 115 along the joint region 140 . The notch 115 is formed at least in the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114 at the flange portion 112 closer to the recess 111 than the joint region 140 is. As will be described later, the cut 115 is an example of a missing portion of the surface layer 114B. In the illustrated example, the cut 115 just penetrates only the surface layer 114B and does not reach the base layer 114A, but the cut 115 may reach a part of the base layer 114A. Alternatively, the incision 115 may not penetrate the surface layer 114B, and the thickness of the surface layer 114B may be left such that the surface layer 114B can be easily broken when the container 100 is opened. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the notch 115 is V-shaped in the illustrated example, but may be other shapes such as U-shaped or I-shaped.

Lid 130 is composed of film laminate 131 including outer layer 131A and sealing layer 131B. The outer layer 131A is located on the front side of the lid 130, that is, on the side not facing the container body 110, and exhibits flexibility and tensile strength required for the lid 130. As shown in FIG. The sealing layer 131B is located on the back side of the lid 130, that is, on the side facing the container body 110, and is bonded to the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114 forming the container body 110 at the bonding region 140. FIG. Here, the outer layer 131A of the laminate 131 is made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film or biaxially oriented nylon film (O—Ny). Also, the seal layer 131B of the laminate 131 is formed of a resin composition such as random polypropylene (RPP), block polypropylene (BPP), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), or polyethylene.

In another example, the laminate 131 forming the lid 130 may not necessarily be film-like, and may be a sheet-like laminate molded into a predetermined shape like the laminate 114 forming the container body 110. may be In this case, container 100 can be said to include interchangeable first container bodies and second container bodies. The laminated body constituting the first container body includes the first layer and the second layer, and the second layer is formed with the missing portion, so that the container 100 can be separated by delamination between the first layer and the second layer. can be opened. In the above example, the first container body is the container body 110 and the second container body is the lid 130. However, the first container body is the lid 130 and the second container body is the container body 110 to form the lid 130. It is also possible to form the missing portion in the second layer of the laminate. A similar configuration is possible in other embodiments described later.

(Container opening operation)
Next, the opening operation of the container 100 as described above will be described. In the container 100, the cover 130 extends largely from the periphery of the flange portion 112 of the container body 110, for example, at the corners of the substantially rectangular planar shape, as shown in FIG. 2(A). A user can easily grasp the end of the extended lid 130 and begin to open the container 100 by peeling off the lid 130 therefrom.

Here, as described above, the bonding strength between lid 130 and surface layer 114B in bonding region 140 is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between base layer 114A and surface layer 114B of laminate 114 . Therefore, when the user peels off the lid 130 as described above, the surface layer 114B bonded to the lid 130 at the bonding region 140 near the end of the laminate 114 is peeled off together with the lid 130, while the laminate A delamination occurs between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B of the body 114 .

When the user further peels off the lid 130, as shown in FIG. 2B, the surface layer 114B is separated from the lid 130 at the notch 115, and only the lid 130 is peeled off from there. This is because the cut 115 is formed through the surface layer 114B, or the cut 115 is thick enough to easily break the surface layer 114B, as described above.

The container 100 according to this embodiment is opened according to the procedure described above. If the interlayer bonding strength between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114 is weakened, the force required by the user to peel off the lid body 130 at the time of unsealing is reduced, facilitating unsealing. On the other hand, when the container main body 110 and the lid body 130 are joined to each other before unsealing, the internal pressure of the internal space SP is applied to the joint region 140, more specifically, to the edge of the joint region 140 on the recess 111 side. concentrate. Because the cut 115 is spaced from the edge of the bond region 140 , concentrated internal pressure is prevented from starting at the cut 115 and acting to delaminate the laminate 114 . Therefore, even if opening is facilitated by weakening the interlayer bonding strength as described above, the high internal pressure can be resisted by increasing the bonding strength between lid 130 and surface layer 114B. can. Thus, in the container 100 according to this embodiment, it is possible to achieve both unsealability and resistance to internal pressure.

(Structure of Vaporizing Part)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a vapor passage portion 141 is formed in the joint region 140 of the container 100 . Here, the vapor passage part 141 is a part that allows the internal space SP to communicate with the external space when the internal pressure of the internal space SP of the container 100 is increased. More specifically, vapor passage portion 141 is a non-bonded region where lid 130 and container body 110 are not bonded, or lid 130 and container body 110 are bonded with relatively weak bonding strength per unit area. contains weakly bonded regions. Specifically, as will be described later, the weak bonding region may be a region having the same bonding area as the other regions and a weaker bonding strength than the other regions. Also, the weak bonding region may be a region in which the bonding strength is the same as that of the other regions and the bonding area within the region is smaller than that of the other regions. Alternatively, the weak bonding region may be a region having a smaller bonding area and a weaker bonding strength than other regions. In the illustrated example, vapor passage portions 141 are formed near the centers of both long sides of a substantially rectangular bonding region 140 . A specific example of the arrangement of the unbonded regions or the weakly bonded regions in the vapor passage portion 141 will be described later.

By forming the vapor passage part 141 as described above, when the container 100 is placed in a microwave oven without being opened and the contents such as food are heated, part of the steam generated from the heated contents is is discharged through the vaporizing portion 141 . For example, in the vapor passage portion 141, an unbonded region crossing the bonding region 140 in the width direction is formed, and the internal space SP communicates with the external space. Further, for example, in the vapor passage portion 141, a weakly bonded region crossing the bonded region 140 in the width direction is formed, or an unbonded region or a weakly bonded region is arranged so as to form an internal pressure concentrated portion, The inner space SP communicates with the outer space by destroying the joint between the lid 130 and the container body 110 due to the increased internal pressure of the inner space SP due to the generation of water vapor.

Here, regarding the steam venting function itself, it can be said that the steam passage part 141 has the same function as the opening for steam venting provided in the conventional container. However, in the container 100 according to the present embodiment, due to the configuration as described above, the bonding strength between the container body 110 and the lid 130 can be increased without impairing the unsealability, and high internal pressure can be resisted. . Accordingly, in this embodiment, the size and number of unbonded or weakly bonded regions located in the vaporization section 141 are reduced or increased compared to, for example, similar vapor venting in conventional vessels. can be reduced.

As already mentioned, heating with a microwave oven varies greatly depending on the model and individual, but since the container 100 has a high internal pressure resistance as described above, the unbonded region or the Explosion of the container 100 can be reliably prevented without increasing or increasing the number of weakly bonded regions more than necessary. By minimizing the size and number of the steam passages 141 in this manner, the container can be filled with more steam during heating, and the heating efficiency can be improved. Moreover, by increasing the internal pressure of the container 100, the contents can be cooked under pressure in the same manner as in a pressure cooker.

FIGS. 3 to 7 are diagrams showing examples of vapor passage portions formed in the container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example in which the vapor passage portion 141 includes three slit-shaped unbonded regions 141A or weakly bonded regions 141B crossing the bonded region 140 in the width direction. . On the other hand, FIGS. 4A and 4B show an example in which the vapor passage portion 141 includes two slit-shaped unbonded regions 141A or weakly bonded regions 141B that cross the bonded region 140 obliquely. It is As shown in these examples, one or a plurality of slit-shaped unbonded regions 141A and weakly bonded regions 141B that cross the bonded region 140 in the width direction (or may be oblique) are arranged in the vapor passage portion 141. can be done.

5(A) and 5(B) show an example in which the weak bonding region 141B is formed in a region including the tip of the portion where the bonding region 140 protrudes in the width direction in the vapor passage portion 141. FIG. there is More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 5A, the weak bonding region 141B formed in the vapor passage portion 141 is V-shaped in the bonding region 140 from the inner space SP side toward the outer space. It is formed in a region including the tip of the projecting portion. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, the weak bonding region 141B is formed in a region including the tip of the V-shaped portion of the bonding region 140 protruding from the external space toward the internal space SP. . By forming the V-shape as shown in FIG. 5A or 5B, it is possible to control the internal pressure resistance required to break the junction. As a result, the breakage of the joint between the lid 130 and the container body 110 in the weak joint region 141B and the subsequent release of water vapor to the external space through the steam vent 141 stably occur. Incidentally, even when the non-bonded region 141A is formed instead of the weakly bonded region 141B in the above example, vapor is stably released to the external space via the vaporizing portion 141 by the same principle. Also, in the illustrated example, the weak bonding region 141B is formed only near the tip of the portion where the bonding region 140 protrudes, but the weak bonding region 141B may be formed over the entire portion where the bonding region 140 protrudes. . The same is true when the unbonded region 141A is formed.

6(A) and 6(B) show an example in which the weak bonding region 141B is formed in a region including the top of the portion where the bonding region 140 bulges in the width direction. ing. More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 6(A), the weak bonding region 141B formed in the vapor passage portion 141 is formed so that the bonding region 140 is arc-shaped from the inner space SP side toward the outer space. formed in a region including the top of the bulging portion. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 6B, the weak bonding region 141B is formed in a region including the apex of the arc-shaped portion of the bonding region 140 protruding from the external space toward the internal space SP. be done. The arc shape as shown in FIG. 6(A) or FIG. 6(B) makes it possible to control the internal pressure resistance required to break the joint. As a result, the breakage of the joint between the lid 130 and the container body 110 in the weak joint region 141B and the subsequent release of water vapor to the external space through the steam vent 141 stably occur. Incidentally, even when the non-bonded region 141A is formed instead of the weakly bonded region 141B in the above example, vapor is stably released to the external space via the vaporizing portion 141 by the same principle. In the illustrated example, the weak bonding region 141B is formed only near the top of the bulging portion of the bonding region 140, but the weak bonding region 141B is formed over the entire bulged portion of the bonding region 140. good too. The same is true when the unbonded region 141A is formed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the weakly bonded region 141B or the unbonded region 141A is formed in the region including the tip or top of the portion where the bonded region 140 protrudes or bulges in the width direction in the vapor passage portion 141, thereby reducing the internal pressure. is formed, and when the internal pressure of the internal space SP rises, breakage of the joint between the lid 130 and the container body 110 and release of water vapor through the steam passage 141 are stably generated. can be done. Breaking of the bond between the lid 130 and the container body 110 that occurs at this time is, for example, interfacial peeling between the surface layer 114B of the container body 110 and the seal layer 131B of the lid 130, or surface layer 114B. and the sealing layer 131B. That is, the failure of the bond in the weak bond region 141B in the above example is different from the delamination between the surface layer 114B of the container body 110 and the base layer 114A.

7(A) and 7(B) show an example in which the vapor-permeable portion 141 includes an unbonded region 141A and a weakly bonded region 141B that are arranged side by side in the width direction of the bonded region 140. FIG. there is In these examples, after the bond between the lid body 130 and the container body 110 in the weakly bonded region 141B is destroyed by the internal pressure of the internal space SP that rises when the contents are heated, water vapor passes through the unbonded region 141A. is emitted. In the example shown in FIG. 7A, the weakly bonded region 141B is arranged on the inner space SP side, and the unbonded region 141A is arranged on the outer space side. The unbonded region 141A is slit-shaped and forms a communication path that is smaller than the weakly bonded region 141B. In the example of FIG. 7A, the weakly bonded region 141B widely faces the internal space SP, so that the bonding of the weakly bonded region 141B is easily destroyed when the internal pressure rises, while the slit-shaped unbonded region 141A is released. By restricting the flow rate of water vapor, the heating efficiency of the contents is improved. Note that the weak bonding region 141B may be formed only in the vapor passage portion 141, or may be formed on the inner space SP side of the bonding region 140 along the entire circumference of the flange portion 112 including the portion other than the vapor passage portion 141. In the illustrated example, the bonding region 140 and the weak bonding region 141B are in close contact with each other in the width direction of the bonding region 140, but the bonding region 140 and the weak bonding region 141B are separated in the width direction of the bonding region 140. may

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 7B, the unbonded region 141A is arranged on the inner space SP side, and the weakly bonded region 141B is arranged on the outer space side. In this example as well, the unbonded region 141A is slit-shaped and forms a communication path that is smaller than the weakly bonded region 141B. In the example of FIG. 7B, since the slit-shaped unbonded region 141A functions as an orifice, the internal pressure applied to the weakly bonded region 141B is reduced. The internal pressure of the internal space SP can be made higher. If such an arrangement of the vaporizing section 141 is appropriately combined with the resistance to internal pressure of the container 100, the heating efficiency of the contents can be further improved. Also in this case, the weak bonding region 141B may be formed only in the vapor passage portion 141, or may be formed on the outer space side of the bonding region 140 along the entire circumference of the flange portion 112 including the portions other than the vapor passage portion 141. . In the illustrated example, the bonding region 140 and the weak bonding region 141B are in close contact with each other in the width direction of the bonding region 140, but the bonding region 140 and the weak bonding region 141B are separated in the width direction of the bonding region 140. may

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of a weakly bonded region formed in the container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. The weak bonding region 141B in the above example has the same bonding area as the other regions and a weaker bonding strength than the other regions. Additionally, a region having a bonding area smaller than that of the other bonding regions 140 may function as the weak bonding region 141B. FIG. 8A shows an example in which the bonding region 140 is formed in a mesh shape in the weak bonding region 141B. In this case, since the lid 130 and the container body 110 are not joined in the portion between the meshes, the joint area is relatively small compared to other portions. FIG. 8B shows an example in which the bonding region 140 is formed with a narrow width in the weak bonding region 141B. Also in this case, the bonding area in the narrow width portion is relatively small compared to other portions. FIG. 8C shows an example in which the bonding regions 140 are formed in dots in the weak bonding region 141B. The dots overlap each other and block the internal space SP and the external space as a whole. Also in this case, since the lid 130 and the container body 110 are not joined in the portion between the dots, the joint area is relatively small compared to other portions.

(Summary of the first embodiment)
In the container 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention as described above, the bonding strength is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B forming the laminate 114 in the bonding region 140. By joining the lid 130 to the surface layer 114B and forming the notch 115 along the inner circumference of the joining region 140, the bonding strength between the container body 110 and the lid 130 can be increased without impairing the unsealability. and can withstand higher internal pressures than conventional containers. By forming the vapor passage portion 141 in the container 100, the amount of vapor released from the vapor passage portion 141 is restricted while preventing the container 100 from exploding by discharging water vapor to the outside when the contents are heated. By doing so, it is possible to fill the internal space SP with water vapor and increase the internal pressure to a certain extent, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the contents.

As in the present embodiment, provision of the vapor passage portion 141 including the unbonded region 141A or the weakly bonded region 141B as a means for discharging the water vapor generated in the internal space SP during heating of the contents to the outside will be described below. Moreover, it is effective for preventing deformation of the container 100 . When the internal pressure of the internal space SP rises due to the generation of water vapor, the lid 130 swells, and stress is applied to the inner peripheral edge of the joint region 140 between the container body 110 and the lid 130, causing the flange portion 112 to lift. do. Since the vapor passage portion 141 of the present embodiment is formed between the container main body 110 and the lid 130, the reaction force of the resistance received by the steam passing through the vapor passage portion 141 is the same as that of the lid as described above. 130 and flange 112 in a different direction, specifically in the horizontal direction (if the container 100 is held horizontally). Therefore, in the container 100 provided with the vapor passage portion 141 in the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively suppress deformation when the internal pressure increases.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9(A) shows the state before opening, and FIG. 9(B) shows the state during opening. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 9; FIG. 10(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 9(A), and FIG. 10(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 9(A). FIG. 10(C) is a cross-sectional view of the container according to the modification along line BB.

A container 200 according to this embodiment includes a container body 210 and a lid 230 . The container body 210 has a substantially circular planar shape and includes a recess 211 and a flange 212 formed along the periphery of the recess 211 . Flange portion 212 extends outward from the periphery of recess 211 . The lid 230 is a film-like member that covers the opening of the recess 211 , and is joined to the container body 210 using heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like at a joining region 240 formed on the flange portion 212 to close the recess 211 . to form an internal space SP. In the container 200 as well, the vapor passage portion 141 is formed in the joint region 240 . In addition, since the configuration of the vaporizing section 141 is the same as that of the above-described first embodiment, redundant description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the container body 210 is formed by forming a laminate 114 similar to that of the first embodiment into a shape including a concave portion 211 and a flange portion 212 by vacuum forming or pressure forming. . The lid 230 is also made of a film-like laminate 131 similar to that of the first embodiment. Lid 230 is bonded to surface layer 114B at bonding region 240 using heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, an adhesive, or the like. As in the first embodiment, the bonding strength between lid 230 and surface layer 114B in bonding region 240 is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between base layer 114A and surface layer 114B in laminate 114 .

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a cut 215 is formed in the flange portion 212 of the container body 210 along the joint region 240 . The notch 215 is formed at least in the surface layer 114</b>B of the laminate 114 at the flange portion 212 closer to the concave portion 211 than the bonding region 240 . As in the first embodiment, the depth and cross-sectional shape of the incision 215 are not limited to the illustrated example and may vary.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the container body 210 includes a skirt portion 216 formed along the periphery of the flange portion 212 and a stepped portion 217 formed along a portion of the periphery of the skirt portion 216 . 9 and 10, the flange portion 212 extends substantially horizontally from the periphery of the recess 211, and the skirt portion 216 further extends from the periphery of the flange portion 212 while being inclined downward. The step portion 217 is a portion of the peripheral edge of the skirt portion 216 that is positioned one step lower than the flange portion 212 and extends parallel to the flange portion 212, that is, substantially horizontally. An additional bonding area 218 is formed in the step portion 217 where the lid 230 is bonded to the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114 . It should be noted that although the bonding region 240 and the additional bonding region 218 are separated in the illustrated example, they may be formed continuously.

In the present embodiment, the formation of the skirt portion 216 improves the rigidity of the rim portion of the container body 210 that consists of the flange portion 212 and the skirt portion 216 . As a result, the container main body 210 can maintain its shape against load and impact, and in addition, even when the internal space SP becomes negative pressure and the lid body 230 is pulled toward the concave portion 111, for example, , the warping of the flange portion 212 due to the tension of the lid 230 can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the skirt portion 216 is formed, as shown in FIG. 10A, the joint region 240 formed on the flange portion 212 is far from the edge of the laminate 114 located on the periphery of the skirt portion 216. Therefore, when the lid 230 is peeled off to open the container 200, it becomes difficult to cause the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B to delaminate at the bonding region 240. FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, in the portion where the step portion 217 is formed, an additional bonding region 218 is formed near the end of the laminate 114, so that the additional bonding region At 218, delamination between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B can be facilitated. Therefore, the container 200 can also be easily opened by the operation described with reference to FIG. 2 in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10C shows a cross-sectional view of a container according to a modification of this embodiment. In the container according to the modification, an additional notch 215B is formed instead of the additional joint region 218 formed in the step portion 217 in the example shown in FIG. 10(B). In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 10(C), the cut 215A is formed in the same manner as the cut 215 in the examples such as FIG. 10(B). The additional cut 215B is a missing portion of the surface layer 114B formed closer to the outer periphery of the flange portion 212 than the cut 215A. Incisions 215B, like incisions 215A, can also be formed with varying depths and cross-sectional shapes. It should be noted that the additional cut 215B can be formed at any position near the outer periphery of the bonding region 240. FIG. Specifically, the additional cut 215B may be formed at a position substantially matching the outer periphery of the bonding region 240 as in the illustrated example, or may be formed from the outer periphery of the bonding region 240 toward the outer periphery of the flange portion 212. It may be formed at a position spaced apart from the joint region 240 , or may be formed at a position overlapping the joint region 240 on the inner peripheral side of the flange portion 212 relative to the outer peripheral edge of the joint region 240 .

In the example of FIG. 10C, when the user peels off the lid 230 to open the container 200, the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B can be easily delaminated starting from the cut 215B. can be done. After that, the container according to this modification can also be opened by the operation described with reference to FIG. 2 in the first embodiment.

(Summary of the second embodiment)
In the container 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention as described above, the bonding strength is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B that constitute the laminate 114 in the bonding region 240. By bonding the lid 230 to the surface layer 114B and forming the notch 215 along the inner circumference of the bonding area 240, the bonding strength between the container body 210 and the lid 230 can be increased without impairing the unsealability. and can withstand higher internal pressures than conventional containers. By forming the vapor passage portion 141 in the container 200, the amount of vapor released from the vapor passage portion 141 is restricted while preventing the container 200 from exploding by discharging water vapor to the outside when the contents are heated. By doing so, it is possible to fill the internal space SP with water vapor and increase the internal pressure to a certain extent, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the contents.

In addition, in this embodiment, by forming the skirt portion 216, the rigidity of the rim portion of the container body 210 can be improved. Furthermore, by forming the stepped portion 217 together with the skirt portion 216 and forming the additional joining region 218 in the stepped portion 217, even if the skirt portion 216 is formed, the unsealability is not impaired as described above. Therefore, the joint strength between the container body 210 and the lid 230 can be increased.

Further, in the case of the modification shown in FIG. 10C, by forming additional cuts 215B, the above effects of the present embodiment can be obtained without providing additional bonding regions 218. FIG. In addition, as described above, the outer peripheral edge of the joint region 240 may extend beyond the notch 215B and be located on the outer peripheral side of the flange portion 212, so that the lid body 230 is joined to the container body 210 with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the joint region 240. A certain amount of misalignment is allowed for alignment when

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a container according to a third embodiment of the invention. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG. 11;

A container 300 according to this embodiment includes a container body 310 and a lid 230 . The container body 310 has a substantially circular planar shape as in the second embodiment, and includes a concave portion 211 and a flange portion 312 extending outward from the peripheral edge of the concave portion 211 . The container body 310 differs from the container body 210 of the second embodiment in that the skirt portion 216 and the step portion 217 are not formed, but is otherwise configured in the same manner as the container body 210 including the cut 215 . The lid body 230 is configured in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and is joined to the container body 310 at a joint region 340 formed on the flange portion 312 . Bonding region 340 includes an annular portion 341 and an outwardly extending portion 342 . A part of the annular portion 341 is formed with an unbonded region 341A. Furthermore, the lid body 230 is also joined to the container body 310 at an annular weak joint region 341B formed in the flange portion 312 . As will be described later, in this embodiment, when the internal pressure of the internal space SP rises, the ventilation portions that connect the internal space SP to the external space are non-bonded portions that are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the bonding region 340. It includes region 341A and weak junction region 341B. Here, the unbonded region 341A formed only in part of the annular portion 341 forms a communication path smaller than the weakly bonded region 341B formed around the entire periphery of the flange portion 312. FIG.

Of the joint region 340, the annular portion 341 is formed with a relatively narrow width with respect to the width of the flange portion 312, as shown in FIG. 12(A). This causes the joint region 340 to be farther from the edge of the laminate 114 located at the periphery of the flange portion 312 in the annular portion 341, while the lid is attached using heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, adhesive, or the like. A certain amount of misalignment is allowed for alignment when joining 230 to container body 310 .

On the other hand, in the joint region 340, the outward projecting portion 342 projects outward from the annular portion 341, that is, toward the periphery of the flange portion, as shown in FIG. 12(B). The planar shape of the outward projecting portion 342 is not limited to the trapezoidal shape shown in the figure, and may be other shapes such as a triangular shape, a semicircular shape, and a U shape. Also, in the illustrated example, the outwardly extending portion 342 reaches the periphery of the flange portion 212, but initiates delamination between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B of the laminate 114, as described below. As long as it is as close to the periphery of the flange portion 312 as possible, it does not necessarily have to reach the periphery of the flange portion 312 .

In this embodiment, by forming the outward projecting portion 342 close to the peripheral edge of the flange portion 312, when the lid 230 is peeled off and the container 300 is opened, the substrate layer 114A and the surface of the laminate 114 are separated from each other. It can be easily delaminated from layer 114B. In other words, in the present embodiment, the width of the joint region 340 is narrowed in the annular portion 341 other than the outwardly projecting portion 342, thereby permitting misalignment, and forming the outwardly projecting portion 342, thereby reducing the container 300. maintains a high degree of openability.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12C, the unbonded region 341A is a region where the container body 310 and the lid body 230 are not partially bonded due to the annular portion 341 of the bonded region 340 being cut off. be. However, since the annular weakly bonded region 341B is also formed in the portion where the unbonded region 341A is formed, the flange portion between the container main body 310 and the lid 230 is formed when the internal pressure of the internal space SP is not increased. 312 are bonded over the entire circumference. Here, in the state where the container main body 310 and the lid 230 are joined to each other, the internal pressure of the internal space SP is concentrated on the edge portion of the annular weak joint region 341B on the side of the recess 211, so that the internal pressure of the internal space SP increases. As it rises, the joint between the container body 310 and the lid body 230 is broken at a certain portion of the annular weak joint region 341B. When the unbonded region 341A and the weakly bonded region 341B are separated in the width direction of the bonded region 340 as in the illustrated example, the water vapor moves from the portion where the bond of the weakly bonded region 341B is broken to the annular portion 341 and the weak bond region 341B. It reaches the unbonded area 341A through the bonding area 341B, and is discharged from the unbonded area 341A to the external space. Alternatively, if the unbonded region 341A and the weakly bonded region 341B are in close contact with each other in the width direction of the bonded region 340, the bond failure progresses in the circumferential direction of the weakly bonded region 341B, and the portion adjacent to the unbonded region 341A When the bonding of the weak bonding region 341B is broken, water vapor is discharged to the external space.

As already described, the breakage of the bond between the lid 230 and the container body 310 that occurs in the weak bond region 341B is caused by interfacial delamination between the surface layer 114B of the container body 310 and the seal layer 131B of the lid 230. or cohesive delamination in the bonding layer formed between the surface layer 114B and the sealing layer 131B, which is different from the delamination between the surface layer 114B and the base layer 114A. If the edge of the weak bond region 341B and the notch 215 are separated from each other as in the illustrated example, the internal pressure does not act to cause delamination between the base layer 114A and the surface layer 114B. The internal space SP does not communicate with the external space except for the unbonded region 341A.

As a result, in this embodiment, the bond between the lid 230 and the container body 310 is broken in a part of the weak bonding region 341B due to the internal pressure of the internal space SP, which is increased by the generation of water vapor. The internal space SP communicates with the external space when the portion not joined to the main body 310 reaches the unjoined region 341A. That is, in the present embodiment, the combination of the non-bonded region 341A formed in the annular portion 341 of the bonded region 340 and the annular weakly bonded region 341B formed inside the annular portion 341 causes the internal pressure of the internal space SP to increase. It functions as a vaporization part that can communicate the internal space SP with the external space when it rises.

The configurations of the first to third embodiments described above are interchangeable. For example, the skirt portion 216 and the step portion 217 as in the second embodiment may be formed on the container body 110 having a substantially rectangular planar shape as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the flange portion 112 of the container body 110 having a substantially rectangular planar shape may be formed with a bonded region 340 including an annular portion 341 and an outward projecting portion 342, an unbonded region 341A, and a weakly bonded region 341B. Various modifications described below can be similarly applied to the first to third embodiments.

(Modification)
13 and 14 are diagrams showing a first modification of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13A, in this modification, the edge of the base layer 114A is attached to the edge of the surface layer 114B at the edge of the laminate 114 located on the periphery of the flange portion 112 of the container body 110. A hanging portion 114P is formed to cover the . When the container 100 is opened, as shown in FIG. 13B, the surface layer 114B is delaminated from the base material layer 114A together with the hanging portion 114P, and the lid 130 is peeled off. Alternatively, the surface layer 114B may be broken at the hanging portion 114P and the tip of the hanging portion 114P may remain on the base layer 114A side. As shown in FIG. 14, such a shape of the end portion of the laminate 114 is formed by using guides 601A and 601B when punching the laminate 114 at a position corresponding to the periphery of the flange portion 112 in the manufacturing process of the container 100. With the outside of the portion 112 sandwiched, the laminate 114 can be punched out with a punching die 602 from the back side of the flange portion 112, that is, the side where the base layer 114A of the laminate 114 is located.

For example, when heat sealing is used to bond the lid 130 to the surface layer 114B at the bonding region 140 formed proximate the end of the laminate 114, the temperature, pressure, and melting of the respective resins of the heat sealing may vary. Depending on conditions such as viscosity, the molten resin may flow out of the bonding area 140 . At this time, if the resin that has flowed out reaches the edge of the laminate 114, crosses the edge of the surface layer 114B, and reaches the edge of the base layer 114A, when the container 100 is unsealed, the base layer 114A and the surface layer are separated from each other. 114B becomes difficult to delaminate. In this modified example, the drooping portion 114P is formed on the surface layer 114B as described above, thereby preventing the flowing resin from reaching the edge of the base layer 114A. Therefore, in this modification, the lid 130 is joined to the surface layer 114B by, for example, high-temperature and high-pressure heat sealing, so that the internal pressure resistance of the container 100 can be further enhanced.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a second modification of the embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 15, in this modification, instead of the notch 115 formed in the flange portion 112 of the container main body 110, the boundary between the flange portion 112 and the recess portion 111 located closer to the recess portion 111 than the joint region 140 is formed. , a thin portion 120 of the surface layer 114B is formed. The thin portion 120 is formed by, for example, expanding the resin of the base layer 114A toward the surface layer 114B by pressing the flange portion 112 when the laminate 114 is formed into a shape including the concave portion 111 and the flange portion 112. be done. In the thin portion 120, the surface layer 114B may be partially thinned as in the illustrated example, or the surface layer 114B may be partially discontinued.

Even when the thin portion 120 is formed in the surface layer 114B as in this modification, the surface layer 114B is interrupted at the thin portion 120 or has a thickness that can be easily broken. When the package is opened, the surface layer 114B is separated from the lid body 130 at the thin portion 120, and only the lid body 130 is torn off from there. That is, the thin portion 120 in this modified example has the same function as the notch 115 in the first embodiment. In this specification, the portion where the surface layer 114B is interrupted or made thick enough to be easily broken is also referred to as a missing portion of the surface layer 114B. The missing portion may have any shape as long as it has the same function as the cut 115 and the thin portion 120 described above, and is not necessarily limited to the shape called a cut or a thin portion.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Container, 110... Container main body, 111... Recessed part, 112... Flange part, 114... Laminated body, 114A... Base material layer, 114B... Surface layer, 114P... Part, 115... Notch, 120... Thin part, 130... Lid Body 131 Laminated body 131A Outer layer 131B Sealing layer 140 Joining region 141 Vaporizing portion 141A Unjoined region 141B Weak joint region 200 Container 210 Container body 211 Recess 212 Flange 215 Notch 216 Skirt 217 Step 218 Additional joining area 230 Lid 240 Joining area 300 Container 310 Container main body 312 Flange Part, 340... Joining area, 341... Annular part, 342... Outer overhanging part, 343... Inner overhanging part, 344, 345... Additional cut, SP... Internal space.

Claims (12)

a first container body comprising a laminate including at least a first layer and a second layer, and including a recess and a flange formed along the periphery of the recess and extending outward from the periphery;
a second container body that forms an internal space between itself and the recess by being joined to the second layer at a joint region formed in the flange, the container comprising:
the bonding strength between the second container body and the second layer is stronger than the interlayer bonding strength between the second layer and the first layer;
A missing portion of the second layer is formed on the recessed portion side of the bonding region,
a vapor passage portion is formed in the joint region, and is capable of communicating the internal space with the external space when the internal pressure of the internal space increases ;
The vapor passage portion is a part of the flange portion in the circumferential direction, and is a non-bonded region where the second container body and the first container body are not bonded, or a region where the second container body and the first container body are bonded. A container formed by a weakly bonded area that is bonded with a relatively weak bonding strength per unit area . 2. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the unbonded or weakly bonded areas span the width of the bonded area. 3. A container according to claim 2 , wherein said unbonded or weakly bonded areas are one or more slit-shaped areas. The non-bonded region or the weakly bonded region is formed in a region including a tip of a widthwise projecting portion of the bonding region, or a region including a top of a widthwise bulging portion of the bonding region. Item 1. The container according to item 1. the vapor-permeable portion includes the unbonded region and the weakly bonded region arranged in parallel in the width direction of the bonded region;
2. The container of Claim 1 , wherein the unbonded areas form a smaller communication path than the weakly bonded areas. 6. The container according to claim 5 , wherein the weak bond region is formed around the entire circumference of the flange portion. The container according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the unbonded area and the weakly bonded area are closely or separated in the width direction of the bonded area. Claims 1 to 7 , wherein at least the second layer is cut, the second layer is partially thinned, or the second layer is partially interrupted at the missing portion. The container according to any one of . The first container body includes a skirt portion formed on the peripheral edge of the flange portion, and a step portion in which a part of the peripheral edge of the skirt portion further extends in parallel with the flange portion,
8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second container body is joined to the second layer at an additional joining area located at the step in addition to the joining area. . The first container body includes a skirt portion formed around the periphery of the flange portion,
8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an additional cut-out of the second layer is formed near the perimeter edge of the bond area. 2. From claim 1, wherein the joint region includes an annular portion formed with a width relatively narrower than the width of the flange portion, and an overhanging portion extending from the annular portion toward the periphery of the flange portion. 11. A container according to any one of claims 10 . 12. Any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein at the end portion of the laminate located on the periphery of the flange portion, a hanging portion covering the edge of the first layer is formed at the edge of the second layer. or the container according to item 1.

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