JP7142418B2 - squeeze container - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a squeeze container used by squeezing out contained contents.

For example, as a container for containing paste-like or paste-like contents such as grated wasabi (kneaded wasabi), grated garlic, grated ginger, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc., it has a bottle shape with a mouth, a body and a bottom, Squeeze containers are known that are used by squeezing out the contents from the mouth by pressing the barrel.

Such a squeeze container is generally made mainly of relatively soft low-density polyethylene so that the body can be easily crushed and the contents can be easily squeezed out. (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-19562 A

Contents contained in various containers include those that require heat sterilization after the container is filled and the opening is sealed with a sealing material such as an aluminum seal. Such a heat sterilization treatment of the contents is performed, for example, by holding a container filled with the contents and having a sealed mouth at a predetermined temperature (for example, 80 ° C.) for a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes). After heat sterilization, the container is quenched by pouring cold water or the like over it. There is a demand for using the squeeze container as described above as a container for storing contents that require such heat sterilization.

However, since the squeeze container formed in the shape of a bottle mainly made of low-density polyethylene has relatively low heat resistance, when the above-described heat sterilization treatment is performed after filling the contents, the internal pressure of the container increases due to heating. There is a problem in that the barrel expands and deforms, and then the container undergoes decompression deformation during quenching, resulting in permanent deformation of the barrel.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the weight per 1 ml of the content of the container by, for example, increasing the wall thickness of the body to give the body the rigidity to withstand the deformation. However, in the case of such a structure, the body becomes hard and does not easily collapse, which makes it difficult to squeeze out the contents.

An object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to store contents that require heat sterilization and to easily squeeze out the contents. To provide a squeeze container.

The squeeze container of the present invention is mainly made of low-density polyethylene and is formed in a bottle shape having a mouth, body and bottom, and is used by squeezing out the contents from the mouth by pressing the body. A container for squeezing, wherein the body has a flat shape having a front wall portion and a rear wall portion facing each other and a pair of side wall portions narrower than the front wall portion and the rear wall portion. , in a front view from the front wall portion side, the bottom portion side is wider than the mouth portion side and has a bulging shape, and the front wall portion and the back wall portion are each provided with the mouth portion A plurality of horizontal ribs extending along the circumferential direction of the body are provided side by side in the axial direction of the body at intervals only in the portion closer to the bottom than the middle between the base and the bottom. It is characterized by

The squeeze container of the present invention preferably has a barrier layer between the inner layer and the outer layer made of low-density polyethylene in the above configuration.

The squeezing container of the present invention can be used for containing contents in the form of dough or paste.

The squeeze container of the present invention can have a content of 150 ml to 300 ml and a weight of 0.1 g or less per 1 ml of content.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the squeeze container which can accommodate the content which needs a heat sterilization process, and can squeeze out the said content easily can be provided.

1 is a front view of a squeeze container that is an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Figure 2 is a side view of the squeeze container shown in Figure 1; Figure 2 is a bottom view of the squeeze container shown in Figure 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1;

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of example with reference to the drawings.

The squeezing container 1, which is one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. It can be used for containing contents that require heat sterilization after being filled.

The squeeze container 1 is made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as a main material and has a bottle shape, and includes a mouth portion 11 , a body portion 12 and a bottom portion 13 . More specifically, the squeeze container 1 has a laminated structure in which an EVOH layer (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin layer) is provided as a barrier layer between an inner layer and an outer layer formed of low-density polyethylene as a main material. have. An adhesive layer is provided between the inner layer and the EVOH layer and between the outer layer and the EVOH layer to prevent delamination.

In the present embodiment, the squeeze container 1 is formed by EBM (Extrusion Blow Molding) of a parison having a laminated structure formed of low-density polyethylene and EVOH.

The squeeze container 1 is not limited to a laminated structure of low-density polyethylene and an EVOH layer, and may be a single-layer structure of low-density polyethylene as long as it is formed in a bottle shape using low-density polyethylene as a main material. , the configuration of which can be changed in various ways. In addition, the squeeze container 1 is not limited to one formed by the extrusion blow molding described above, and if it is formed in a bottle shape using low-density polyethylene as a main material, for example, it is formed in advance into a cylindrical shape with a bottom from low-density polyethylene. It can also be formed by other methods, such as by blow molding a molded preform.

The mouth portion 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the tip thereof serves as a spout 11a for the content. The opening end of the mouth portion 11 is formed flat, and after filling the contents, the spout 11a can be sealed by applying a film-like sealing material such as an aluminum seal to the opening end. Furthermore, a male screw 11b is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 11, and a cap (not shown) is screwed onto the male screw 11b to close the spout 11a with the cap.

The body portion 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a front wall portion 12a and a rear wall portion 12b facing each other and a pair of side wall portions 12c, and is integrally connected to the lower end of the mouth portion 11. As shown in FIG. The inside of the body part 12 is a storage space, and contents can be stored in this storage space. The trunk portion 12 has flexibility and can be easily crushed by pressing with a hand or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the space between the front wall portion 12a and the rear wall portion 12b is narrower than the space between the pair of side wall portions 12c. That is, in the present embodiment, the trunk portion 12 has a flat shape in which the width of the pair of side wall portions 12c is narrower than the width of the front wall portion 12a and the rear wall portion 12b.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the trunk portion 12 has a bulging lower portion that is wider on the bottom portion 13 side than on the mouth portion 11 side when viewed from the front wall portion 12a side. It has a shape.

Four horizontal ribs 20 are provided on the front wall portion 12a and the rear wall portion 12b of the body portion 12, respectively, on the bottom portion 13 side of the middle portion between the mouth portion 11 and the bottom portion 13. As shown in FIG. That is, four horizontal ribs 20 are provided on both sides of the body portion 12 across the axis so as to be positioned below the central position of the body portion 12 in the vertical direction in FIG.

These lateral ribs 20 extend along the circumferential direction of the body portion 12 (horizontal direction in FIG. 1), and have substantially the same length. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each of these lateral ribs 20 is formed in the shape of a recessed groove that is recessed toward the inner side of the trunk portion 12 in a semicircular shape. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the four horizontal ribs 20 provided on the front wall portion 12a are arranged side by side at intervals in the axial direction of the body portion 12, that is, in the vertical direction, and the rear wall portion 12b. The four horizontal ribs 20 provided in the body 12 are arranged side by side at intervals in the axial direction of the body portion 12, that is, in the vertical direction. In the illustrated case, the interval between adjacent lateral ribs 20 is about twice the groove width of the lateral rib 20, that is, the width in the vertical direction. The four horizontal ribs 20 provided on the front wall portion 12a and the four horizontal ribs 20 provided on the rear wall portion 12b are arranged symmetrically across the axis of the trunk portion 12. As shown in FIG.

These lateral ribs 20 increase the rigidity of the trunk portion 12 and can deform in response to changes in the internal pressure of the trunk portion 12 so as to absorb changes in the internal pressure.

The bottom portion 13 is integrally connected to the lower end of the body portion 12 and closes the lower end of the body portion 12 . The center side portion of the bottom portion 13 forms a concave portion 13a that is recessed upward in a dome shape, and the concave portion 13a is provided with a cutout portion 14 of the parison in the extrusion blow molding. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutout portion 14 includes a rib-like cutout body portion 14a extending straight from one side wall portion 12c side toward the other side wall portion 12c side, and cutout body portions 14a. two rib-like cut branch portions 14b extending straight toward the side of the front wall portion 12a so as to be perpendicular to the cut body portion 14a and arranged at intervals from each other; and three rib-like cut branch portions 14c extending straight from the cut body portion 14a toward the rear wall portion 12b and arranged at intervals from each other. The rigidity of the bottom portion 13 can be increased by forming the cutout portion 14 provided in the concave portion 13a of the bottom portion 13 into the shape described above.

In the squeeze container 1 having such a configuration, the content stored in the storage space of the body portion 12 is squeezed by pressing the body portion 12 with a hand or the like, so that the content is discharged from the spout 11a of the mouth portion 11. It can be squeezed out.

Since the squeezing container 1 is mainly made of low-density polyethylene, which is a relatively soft material, the body 12 can be easily crushed, thereby squeezing out the contents easily.

Further, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, since the squeeze container 1 is formed in a laminated structure having a low-density polyethylene and an EVOH layer (barrier layer), the body portion 12 is appropriately flexible. It is possible to improve the barrier property against oxygen permeation of the trunk portion 12 while making it flexible and soft, thereby suppressing the oxidation of the contents.

Here, the EVOH layer used as the barrier layer is preferably made of EVOH having an ethylene content of 29 to 44 mol %. By forming the EVOH layer with EVOH having an ethylene content of 29 to 44 mol%, it is possible to prevent cracks or the like from occurring in the EVOH layer when squeezing out the contents while ensuring appropriate oxygen barrier performance. . On the other hand, if the EVOH layer is made of EVOH with an ethylene content of less than 29 mol %, cracks or the like may occur in the EVOH layer when the contents are squeezed out. In addition, if the EVOH layer is composed of EVOH with an ethylene content exceeding 44 mol %, the oxygen barrier performance will be insufficient.

Furthermore, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the body portion 12 is flattened, so that the body portion 12 can be easily pressed when squeezing out the contents, thereby facilitating the work of squeezing out the contents. can be done.

Furthermore, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the barrel portion 12 is formed in a bulging shape, so that the barrel portion 12 can be easily pressed on the side of the bottom portion 13, and the liquid accumulated on the side of the bottom portion 13 during use. The contents can be efficiently pushed out to the outlet 11a side and squeezed out.

As described above, the squeeze container 1 can be used for containing contents that require heat sterilization after filling into the body 12 .

For heat sterilization of the contents, for example, a predetermined amount of contents is filled into the housing space of the body part 12 through the mouth part 11, and a sealing material is stuck to the opening end of the mouth part 11 to seal the spout 11a. After that, the contents are sterilized by holding the sealed squeeze container 1 containing the contents for a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes) at a predetermined temperature (for example, 80° C.), and then the squeeze container 1 is filled with cold water. It is carried out by quenching by applying etc.

Here, in a bottle-shaped squeeze container mainly made of low-density polyethylene, which does not have horizontal ribs on the body, if the spout of the mouth is sealed after the content is filled and heat sterilization is performed, the Since the heat resistance of density polyethylene is relatively low, the body expands and deforms when the internal pressure of the container rises due to heating, and then the interior of the container depressurizes and deforms during rapid cooling, resulting in permanent deformation of the body. become. On the other hand, in order to prevent the permanent deformation, if the weight per 1 ml of the content of the container is increased by, for example, increasing the wall thickness of the body, the body is configured to have the rigidity to withstand the above deformation. , the body becomes hard and does not easily collapse, making it difficult to squeeze out the contents.

On the other hand, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, on both sides of the body 12 sandwiching the axis of the body 12, on the bottom 13 side of the middle between the mouth 11 and the bottom 13, each body has Since four lateral ribs 20 extending along the circumferential direction of the body 12 are provided side by side at intervals in the axial direction of the body 12, the thickness of the body 12 is increased to increase the rigidity of the body 12. The horizontal ribs 20 increase the rigidity of the desired portion of the body 12 while maintaining the proper flexibility of the body 12 so that the contents can be easily squeezed out without taking measures such as increasing the The deformation of the horizontal ribs 20 absorbs the increase and decrease in the internal pressure of the body 12 that occurs during the heat sterilization treatment, thereby preventing permanent deformation of the body 12 due to heat sterilization. can do.

As described above, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the body 12 is permanently sterilized by heat while the body 12 is configured to have an appropriate degree of flexibility so that the contents can be easily squeezed out. Since deformation can be prevented, the contents requiring heat sterilization can be accommodated and the contents can be easily squeezed out.

In addition, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, four horizontal ribs 20 are provided on both sides of the body portion 12 across the axis, so that the internal pressure of the body portion 12 generated during the heat sterilization process is reduced. can be effectively absorbed on both sides across the axial center of the trunk portion 12 . As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent permanent deformation of the trunk portion 12 due to heat sterilization.

Furthermore, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the body portion 12 has a flat shape, and the front wall portion 12a and the rear wall portion 12b are provided with four horizontal ribs 20, respectively, so that heating is possible. Increases and decreases in the internal pressure of the body portion 12 that occur during sterilization can be effectively absorbed on both sides of the flat body portion 12 across the axis. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent permanent deformation of the trunk portion 12 due to heat sterilization.

Further, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the body portion 12 is flat and wider on the bottom portion 13 side than on the mouth portion 11 side when viewed from the front wall portion 12a side. Because of the shape, it is possible to effectively absorb changes in internal pressure on the side of the bottom portion 13 of the body portion 12 where the horizontal ribs 20 are provided during heat sterilization. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent permanent deformation of the trunk portion 12 due to heat sterilization.

Further, in the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment, the cutout portion 14 provided in the bottom portion 13 is a rib-like cutout extending straight from one side wall portion 12c side toward the other side wall portion 12c side. a main body portion 14a, and two rib-like cutoffs extending straight from the main body portion 14a toward the side of the front wall portion 12a so as to be perpendicular to the main body portion 14a and arranged at intervals from each other. Branch portions 14b, and three rib-shaped cutouts extending straight from the cutout body portion 14a toward the rear wall portion 12b so as to be perpendicular to the cutout body portion 14a and arranged at intervals. Since the rigidity of the bottom portion 13 is increased by the structure having the branch portions 14c, the concave portion 13a is prevented from being deformed downward when the internal pressure of the body portion 12 increases due to heat sterilization. can do. As a result, the shape of the squeeze container 1 can be reliably maintained in combination with the effect of preventing permanent deformation of the body portion 12 by the horizontal ribs 20 described above.

The squeeze container 1 having the above configuration can have a content of 150 ml to 300 ml and a weight of 0.1 g or less per 1 ml of content. The content of the squeeze container 1 of the present embodiment described above is 175 ml and the weight is 14 g, and the weight per 1 ml of the content is 0.08 g.

Here, as described above, in the conventional squeeze container mainly made of low-density polyethylene in which the body is not provided with horizontal ribs, permanent deformation of the body caused by heat sterilization is prevented and the body is moderately deformed. Although it is difficult to maintain flexibility while maintaining ease of squeezing the contents, the applicant found that the permanent deformation of the body is remarkable, especially when the contents are 150 ml to 300 ml. In addition, when trying to prevent permanent deformation of the body caused by heat sterilization by increasing the thickness of the body in order to prevent the permanent deformation, the body becomes too hard. . That is, when the content is 150 ml to 300 ml, the applicant has found that it is possible to prevent permanent deformation of the body caused by heat sterilization, and to make the content easy to squeeze out by making the body have appropriate flexibility. We found a new problem that it becomes difficult to achieve both the maintenance of the sturdiness.

Then, in order to study means for solving the problem, a squeeze container of an embodiment having the same shape as the squeeze container 1 shown in FIG. The squeeze container of Comparative Example 1 having a shape but no horizontal ribs, and the squeeze container having the same basic shape as the squeeze container 1 shown in FIG. 160 g of ginger paste was filled in each of these squeeze containers, and the openings were sealed with an aluminum seal, and then kept at 80°C for 30 minutes. An experiment was conducted to confirm whether or not permanent deformation occurred in the body by sterilizing the contents by showering the contents with cooling water and then quenching with cooling water.

As a result, in the squeezed container of Comparative Example 1, in which the body portion was not provided with horizontal ribs, and the squeezed container of Comparative Example 2, in which the body portion was provided with vertical ribs, permanent deformation occurred in the body portion after the heat sterilization treatment. However, it was confirmed that the squeeze container of the example in which the body portion was provided with horizontal ribs did not cause permanent deformation in the body portion after the heat sterilization treatment.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, if the low-density polyethylene, which is the main material of the squeeze container 1, is formed of a resin material containing low-density polyethylene as a main component, for example, low-density polyethylene and other types of resins It can also be made of a resin material mixed with other materials or additives.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the body portion 12 is flattened, and the horizontal ribs 20 are provided on the front wall portion 12a and the rear wall portion 12b of the body portion 12. However, the invention is not limited to this. Depending on the shape of the body portion 12, the lateral ribs 20 can be provided in various portions as long as they are closer to the bottom portion 13 than the middle portion between the mouth portion 11 and the bottom portion 13.

Furthermore, the trunk portion 12 is not limited to the flat shape described above, and may have other shapes such as a circular cross-sectional shape or an elliptical cross-sectional shape. Moreover, the trunk portion 12 is not limited to the above-described bulging shape, and other shapes such as a shape in which the mouth portion 11 side and the bottom portion 13 side have the same width may be employed.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, four horizontal ribs 20 are provided on each side of the body portion 12 across the axis. If 20 are provided, the number can be changed arbitrarily.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lateral ribs 20 are recessed in a semicircular shape toward the inside of the body portion 12, but the lateral ribs 20 protrude in a semicircular shape toward the outside of the body portion 12. It can also be formed in a convex shape. In either case, the cross-sectional shape of the lateral ribs 20 can be a shape other than a semicircular shape.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the squeeze container 1 is used for storing paste-like contents such as grated wasabi (kneaded wasabi), grated garlic, grated ginger, etc. However, this is not the case. However, it can also be used to store other contents such as mayonnaise, ketchup, or other paste-like contents, or non-paste-like contents. The squeeze container 1 can also be used for containing contents that do not require heat sterilization.

1 Squeezing container 11 Mouth part 11a Spout 11b Male screw 12 Body part 12a Front wall part 12b Rear wall part 12c Side wall part 13 Bottom part 14 Cutting part 14a Cutting body part 14b Cutting branch part 14c Cutting branch part 20 Horizontal rib

Claims (4)

A squeeze container made mainly of low-density polyethylene and formed in a bottle shape having a mouth, a body and a bottom, and used by squeezing out the contents from the mouth by pressing the body,
The trunk portion has a flat shape having a front wall portion and a rear wall portion facing each other, and a pair of side wall portions narrower than the front wall portion and the rear wall portion. When viewed from the front, it has a swollen shape in which the bottom side is wider than the mouth side,
A plurality of horizontal ribs extending along the circumferential direction of the trunk portion are provided on the front wall portion and the rear wall portion, respectively, only on the portion closer to the bottom portion than the middle between the mouth portion and the bottom portion. Squeeze containers, characterized in that they are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the body with a gap therebetween . 2. The squeeze container of claim 1 , comprising a barrier layer between inner and outer layers formed from low density polyethylene. 3. The squeeze container according to claim 1 or 2 , which is used for containing contents in the form of dough or paste. The squeeze container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the content is 150ml to 300ml and the weight per 1ml of the content is 0.1g or less.

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