JP7142439B2 - Containers and container assemblies - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to containers and container assemblies.

Conventionally, various containers are known as containers for storing arbitrary articles, and these containers are sometimes stored and transported in a state in which a plurality of containers are arranged and stacked. In such cases, the container has (1) ease of handling for arranging and stacking multiple containers, and (2) storage and transportation in which the multiple containers are arranged and stacked. stability, etc. are required.

At present, many containers have been proposed for achieving such purposes.

For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a packing container formed into a box with a plurality of wall members, in which at least two groove-shaped recesses are formed in the bottom wall member, and the lid member corresponds to and engages with the groove-shaped recesses. A packaging container is disclosed which is characterized by forming matable projections.

Further, in Patent Document 2, when sliding the upper cool container in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower cool container in order to stack the upper cool container on the lower cool container, An insulated container is disclosed that includes guide means for guiding the insulated container.

Utility Model No. 1983-151535 Utility Model Registration No. 3191069

However, the conventional techniques as described above are not sufficient from the viewpoint of ease of handling for arranging and stacking a plurality of containers, and there is room for further improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a novel container and container assembly that facilitates stacking of a plurality of containers and that can be stably stored and transported in a stacked state. and

As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is possible to easily stack a plurality of containers as long as they are containers having a specific shape. The inventors have found that it can be stored and transported, and have completed the present invention.

That is, one embodiment of the present invention includes the following configurations.
[1] A container body having a rectangular shape in a plan view and made of foamed resin having a product storage chamber formed therein, the container body having a side surface and an upper surface having a convex elongated portion. and a lower surface portion having a groove having a shape that fits with the elongated portion, and the elongated portion and the groove are both continuous between first and second sides of the rectangular shape that are opposed to each other. wherein said groove has at least one end formed with a widened portion in which opposite side walls are spaced wider than the inner portion in the direction of extension thereof.
[2] Two sides other than the first and second sides of the rectangular shape are defined as third and fourth sides, respectively, and both the extension and the groove are parallel to the third and fourth sides. The container according to [1], which is provided so as to avoid rough edges.
[3] The upper surface portion has a convex stopper on at least one end in the direction from the first side to the second side, and the lower surface portion extends from the first side to the second side. The container according to [1] or [2], which has a concave stopper having a shape that fits with the convex stopper on at least one end in the direction toward the side of the container.
[4] The container according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein at least one connecting portion of (a) and (b) below is formed with an inclined surface. (a) a connection portion between at least one of the two side surfaces parallel to the first and second sides and the lower surface portion; and (b) a connection portion between the wide portion and the lower surface portion.
[5] The side surface portions include a set of side surfaces facing each other on which protrusions are formed, and another set of side surfaces facing each other on which at least one recess having a shape that fits with the protrusions is formed. and, the container according to any one of [1] to [4].
[6] A plurality of containers according to [5] and a pallet that is a substrate on which the containers are loaded, wherein at least one two said protrusions and at least one said recess are arranged in a fitted state, and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the containers on the pallet, the said extensions and said grooves fit into each other. Container assemblies loaded together.
[7] In the in-plane direction, the containers are arranged to circle along the perimeter of the pallet, the dimension of the perimeter of the pallet being greater than the perimeter dimension of the containers, [6] A container assembly as described in .

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily stack a plurality of containers, and to stably store and transport the containers in a stacked state.

(a) is a perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from one direction, (b) is a perspective view of the container according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from another direction, (c ) is a partially enlarged view of (b), and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of (a). (a), (c), (e), (g) and (i) are perspective views of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from one direction, and (b), (d) and (f). , (h) and (j) are BB cross-sectional views of (a), (c), (e), (g) and (i), respectively. (a) is a perspective view of a container body according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from one direction, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (a). (a) is a plan view of a container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from above, and (b) and (c) are perspective views of the container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from one direction. and (d) is a plan view of the container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from vertically above. 3A and 3B illustrate a method of forming a container assembly according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG.

An embodiment of the invention will be described below, but the invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is not limited to each configuration described below, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The present invention also includes embodiments and examples obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments and examples, respectively, within the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, all the scientific literatures and patent documents described in this specification are used as references in this specification. In addition, unless otherwise specified in this specification, "A to B" representing a numerical range means "A or more (including A and greater than A) and B or less (including B and less than B)".

[First embodiment]
A container according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

Further, the configuration of the container will be described with reference to FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d). FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from one direction, specifically, a perspective view from the upper surface portion 10 side. FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view of the container according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from another direction, specifically, a perspective view as seen from the lower surface portion 30 side. As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the container includes a container body 100 consisting of a lid 1 and a bottom 3, and the container body 100 has a rectangular shape in plan view. In this specification, the lid 1 side is defined as the upper side, and the bottom body 3 side is defined as the lower side. Here, "planar view" means a plan view when the container body 100 is viewed from above or below.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the container is composed of the container main body 100, but the container is not limited to this, and the container may include members other than the container main body 100. FIG.

(Container body 100)
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the container body 100 has an upper surface portion 10, side surface portions 20 to 23, and a lower surface portion 30 in order from the top. Lid 1 forms part of each of side surfaces 20 to 23 and upper surface 10 , and bottom 3 forms part of each of side surfaces 20 to 23 and lower surface 30 . That is, each of the side parts 20 to 23 is composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 .

The container body 100 has a rectangular top surface 10, side surfaces 20 to 23, and bottom surface 30, but is not limited thereto as long as it has a rectangular shape in plan view. The top surface portion 10 and the bottom surface portion 30 may be square, and the top surface portion 10, the side portions 20 to 23, and the bottom surface portion 30 may be square.

(d) of FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). As shown in (d) of FIG. 1, the container body 100 has a product storage chamber 40 inside (inside). The product storage room 40 is divided into two rooms by a partition wall. Each room is designed to store commodities. Note that the configuration of the product storage chamber 40 is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set depending on the articles (products) to be stored. The container body 100 is stored or transported with the lid 1 facing upward, in other words, with the upper surface 10 facing upward when articles are stored in the product storage chamber 40 .

The configurations of the upper surface portion 10, the side surface portions 20 to 23, and the lower surface portion 30 will be described in further detail below.

(Upper surface part 10)
The upper surface portion 10 has a rectangular shape with a first side 11 , a second side 12 , a third side 13 and a fourth side 14 . The first side 11 and the second side 12 face each other, and the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 face each other.

Here, the direction perpendicular to the upper surface portion 10 is defined as the X direction. In other words, the X direction can be said to be a direction that is 180° inverted with respect to the direction of gravity. Also, the extending direction of the extending portion 15 is defined as the Y direction. The Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction and perpendicular to the first side 11 and the second side 12 . A direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction is defined as the Z direction. The Y direction is parallel to both the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 . Also, the Z direction is parallel to both the first side 11 and the second side 12, and can be said to be the direction of line AA in FIG. 1(a). The Z direction of the container body 100 is also referred to as the width direction of the container body 100 .

A convex elongated portion 15 is formed on the upper surface portion 10 . The elongated portion 15 extends continuously between the first side 11 and the second side 12 of the rectangular shape that are opposed to each other when viewed from the upper surface portion 10 side.

The extending portion 15 is not particularly limited, but as shown in FIG. preferable. Both the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 are also sides parallel to the Y direction. In other words, it is preferable that the extending portions 15 are provided inside both ends of the upper surface portion 10 in the Z direction.

Further, the upper surface portion 10 has a convex stopper 16 at at least one end in the direction from the first side 11 to the second side 12 (in other words, the Y direction). In the configuration shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d), the convex stoppers 16 are provided at both ends of the elongated portion 15 in the Y direction. It extends from the Y-direction end of the elongated portion 15 in the Z-direction perpendicular to the Y-direction in which the elongated portion 15 extends. A wall surface 16a perpendicular to the Y direction is formed at the end of the extending portion 15 by providing such a convex stopper 16 at the end of the extending portion 15. As shown in FIG. The convex stopper 16 has a wall surface 16a perpendicular to the Y direction. It should be noted that the convex stopper 16 is not limited to having a wall surface 16a perpendicular to the Y direction in which the elongated portion 15 extends, and may have a wall surface that intersects the Y direction.

In container body 100 , lid 1 has upper surface portion 10 , so lid 1 has first side 11 , second side 12 , elongated portion 15 , and convex stopper 16 .

(Side parts 20 to 23)
The side portion 20 is a side along the third side 13 . Moreover, the side surface portion 21 is a side surface along the first side 11 . The side surface portion 22 is a side surface along the fourth side 14 . Moreover, the side surface portion 23 is a side surface along the second side 12 . Moreover, the side portion 20 and the side portion 22 face each other, and the side portion 21 and the side portion 23 face each other.

Convex portions 24 are formed on the side surfaces 20 and 22 of the container body 100, which are a pair of side surfaces facing each other. In addition, concave portions 25 are provided in side surface portions 21 and 23, which are another set of side surfaces facing each other. The concave portion 25 has a shape that fits with at least one convex portion 24 .

Specifically, a case where at least one concave portion 25 and at least one convex portion 24 are fitted will be described. Consider the case where the side surface portion 20 and the side surface portion 21 or the side surface portion 23 are brought into contact with each other so that the plurality of container bodies 100 are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. At this time, at least one convex portion 24 provided on the side portion 20 and at least one concave portion 25 provided on the side portion 21 or at least one concave portion 25 provided on the side portion 23 are fitted to each other. That is, not all the projections 24 provided on the container body 100 may be fitted with the recesses 25 , and not all the recesses 25 may be fitted with the projections 24 . In this specification, the arrangement of a plurality of container bodies adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction is also referred to as "arrangement."

Further, in the container body 100 , notch portions 37 are provided in each of the side portions 21 and 23 . The notch 37 functions as a handle for the user when the user moves the container such as carrying it.

In the container body 100, each of the side parts 20 to 23 is composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3. As shown in FIG. However, in the container according to one embodiment of the present invention, the configurations of the four side portions 20 to 23 can be changed as appropriate according to the configurations of the lid 1 and the bottom 3 of the container body 100. FIG. Each of the four side parts 20 to 23 may be composed only of the lid or may be composed of only the bottom.

In the container body 100 shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d), the projections 24 and the recesses 25 are formed in both the lid 1 and the bottom 3, respectively. However, in the container according to one embodiment of the present invention, it can be changed as appropriate according to the configurations of the lid 1 and the bottom 3 of the container body 100 . Each of the projections and recesses may be formed only on the lid or may be formed only on the bottom.

Further, in the container body 100 shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d), the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are continuously extended over both ends of the side portions 20 to 23 in the X direction, respectively. there is However, in the container according to one embodiment of the present invention, the protrusions 24 and the recesses 25 are not particularly limited as long as they are configured to fit each other as described above. may be formed in a part of the region of

(Lower surface portion 30)
As shown in FIG. 1B, the lower surface portion 30 has a rectangular shape including a first side 11a, a second side 12a, a third side 13a, and a fourth side 14a. The first side 11a and the second side 12a face each other, and the third side 13a and the fourth side 14a face each other. The first side 11a, the second side 12a, the third side 13a, and the fourth side 14a are the first side 11, the second side 12, and the third side of the upper surface portion 10, respectively. 13, and the fourth side 14.

A groove portion 33 is formed in the lower surface portion 30 . The groove portion 33 extends continuously between the first side 11a and the second side 12a of the rectangular shape facing each other when viewed from the lower surface portion 30 side. The groove portion 33 has a shape that fits with the elongated portion 15 .

More specifically, when a plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked vertically so that the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction of the container bodies 100 are aligned, the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are formed. are mated with each other. When a plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked in the vertical direction, the groove 33 does not have to be fitted with the elongated portion 15 over the entire length of the groove 33 . In this specification, stacking a plurality of container bodies 100 in the vertical direction as described above is also referred to as “stacking”.

The groove portion 33 has side walls 33a facing each other in the Z direction, and the groove portion 33 has a wide portion 34 in which the space between the side walls 33a facing each other is wider than that of the inner portion in the extending direction (that is, the Y direction). It has at least one edge formed. In the configuration shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D, the wide width portions 34 are provided at both ends of the groove portion 33 in the Y direction. It extends from the Y-direction end of the groove 33 in the Z-direction perpendicular to the Y-direction in which the groove 33 extends. By providing such a wide portion 34 at the end portion of the groove portion 33 , a wall surface 35 a perpendicular to the Y direction is formed at the end portion of the groove portion 33 . In addition, the width of the groove 33 at the end in the Y direction is widened.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the groove 33 is preferably provided so as to avoid edges parallel to the third side 13a and the fourth side 14a. In other words, the grooves 33 are preferably provided inside both ends of the lower surface portion 30 in the Z direction.

The lower surface portion 30 has a concave stopper 35 having a shape that fits with the convex stopper 16 at least one end in the Y direction from the first side 11a to the second side 12a. More specifically, when a plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked so that the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction of the container bodies 100 are aligned, the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 , wall surface 16a and wall surface 35a. The recessed stopper 35 has a wall surface 35a formed in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction in the wide portion 34 described above. The recessed stopper 35 is not limited to having a wall surface 35a perpendicular to the Y direction in which the groove 33 extends, and may have a wall surface that intersects the Y direction.

In the configurations shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(d), the wide portion 34 has a recessed stopper 35. As shown in FIG. However, the recessed stopper 35 is not limited to this configuration, and may be disposed at least one end of the lower surface portion 30 in the Y direction, and may be appropriately disposed according to the position of the projected stopper 16 to be fitted. . For example, the recessed stopper 35 may be provided at a position other than the end of the groove 33 in the Y direction.

Further, the lower surface portion 30 is formed with an inclined surface 36 at the connecting portion of at least one of the following (a) and (b): (a) parallel to the first side 11a and the second side 12a; (b) a connection portion (also referred to as connection portion a) between at least one of the two side surfaces (side surface portions 21 and 23) and the lower surface portion 30; (b) a connection portion (also referred to as connection portion b) between the wide portion 34 and the lower surface portion 30; . Here, the inclined surface 36 provided at the connecting portion a is referred to as an inclined surface 36a, and the inclined surface 36 provided at the connecting portion b is referred to as an inclined surface 36b. As shown in (b) of FIG. 1, the inclined surface 36b may be further provided at a connecting portion (also referred to as a connecting portion c) between the notch portion 37 and the lower surface portion 30 . Specifically, the connection portion b is a connection portion between the wall surface 35 a of the wide portion 34 and the lower surface portion 30 , and the connection portion c is a connection portion between the wall surface 37 a of the notch portion 37 and the lower surface portion 30 .

In the container body 100 , since the bottom body 3 has the lower surface part 30 , the groove part 33 , the wide part 34 and the recessed stopper 35 are provided in the bottom body 3 .

Although the shape of the lower surface portion 30 is not particularly limited, it is preferably a plane parallel to the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 1(a).

According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the container body 100 has the above-described upper surface portion 10, side surfaces 20 to 23, and lower surface portion 30, when the plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked, the plurality of container bodies 100 can be stacked. Arrangement and stacking can be easily performed, and workability is improved. An overview of the stacking and arranging operations of the container bodies 100 and the effects of the configuration of the container bodies 100 in these operations will be described below.

(stacking work)
Here, the stacking operation will be briefly described by taking as an example the case of stacking the upper container body 100 on the lower container body 100 . As a result, the lower surface portion 30 of the upper container body 100 and the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 are in contact with each other. In addition, in the upper and lower two container bodies 100, the side portions 20 to 23 are positioned substantially flush with each other in the X direction. Such a stacking operation can be achieved by the following steps a to c in order. (Step a) Place the upper container body 100 on the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 . At this time, the side surface portion 23 of the upper container body 100 is separated from the side surface portion 23 of the lower container body 100, and the side surface portions 20 and 22 of the upper container body 100 are separated from the side portions 20 and 22 of the lower container body 100. The end portion of the lower surface portion 30 of the upper container body 100 on the side of the side surface portion 23 is positioned with respect to the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 so as to be substantially flush with the upper container body 100 . (Step b) Slide the end of the lower surface portion 30 of the upper container body 100 on the side surface portion 23 side to the end portion of the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 on the side surface portion 23 side. (Step c) After step b, when the positions of the side portions 23 of the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 are aligned, the sliding is stopped, and the upper container body 100 is moved to the lower position. is arranged vertically above the container main body 100 of . Here, step a is also a step of positioning the upper container body 100 with respect to the lower container body 100, and is also simply referred to as "positioning". Moreover, the process b is also a sliding process. Stacking will be described later in detail.

(Effect of extension part 15 and groove part 33 in stacking work)
The container body 100 has the advantage of facilitating the positioning of the upper container body 100 with respect to the lower container body 100 during stacking work by providing the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 . The extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 have shapes that fit together. By fitting the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 together, movement of the upper container body 100 in the Z direction (width direction) with respect to the lower container body 100 is restricted. As a result, the positions in the Z direction are fixed between the lower container body 100 and the upper container body 100 . More specifically, both ends of the lower container body 100 and the upper container body 100 are at approximately the same position in the Z direction. Therefore, in the above step (a), positioning in the Z direction is facilitated by arranging the extending portion 15 of the lower container body 100 and the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 so as to fit each other.

The shape of the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 is not particularly limited as long as the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are fitted. In other words, the shape of the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 does not have to be such that the mating surfaces of the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are entirely in contact with each other when the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are fitted. Even if at least a part of the fitting surfaces of the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are in contact with each other, or even if the fitting surfaces do not all come into contact with each other when they are fitted together, in the stacking operation of the plurality of container bodies 100 , the plurality of container bodies 100 , the container bodies 100 can be positioned to a certain extent. In the stacking operation of a plurality of container bodies 100, the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are designed so that when the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are fitted to each other, the mating surfaces of the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are more easily positioned. It is preferable that at least a portion of the contact is made, and since the positioning can be performed substantially completely, the extension portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are arranged such that when the extension portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are fitted, all of the mating surfaces are in contact with each other. It is more preferable to have a similar shape. The clearance between the mating surfaces when the mating surfaces are partially out of contact or completely out of contact is not particularly limited, but may be 0.2 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and 0.5 mm or more and 2 mm or less. preferable.

From the standpoint of preventing deterioration of workability due to friction, it is most preferable that only a portion of the fitting surface is brought into contact.

Furthermore, considering the load resistance when stacking, the surface that only partially contacts the fitting surface is the upper and lower contact surface (upper and lower fitting surface) between the end surface of the extension portion 15 in the X direction and the bottom surface of the groove portion 33. ) is preferred.

In the above step (b), the extending portion 15 of the lower container body 100 and the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 are fitted to each other, and the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 is fitted to the lower container body 100. It can be slid along the extension 15 . Therefore, in the above step (b), the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 extend from the end of the upper container body 100 on the side of the side surface 23 to the end of the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 on the side of the side surface 23 . It has the function of guiding. Therefore, the extension part 15 can also be expressed as a guide rail for facilitating the stacking operation. The groove portion 33 can also be expressed as a sliding concave portion that slides on the extension portion 15 during the stacking operation. In step (b) above, the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100 and the lower surface portion 30 of the upper container body 100 slide. Furthermore, at least a portion of the Z-direction end surface of the extended portion 15 of the lower container body 100 and at least a portion of the Z-direction end surface (side wall 33a) of the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 slide. Further, depending on the structures of the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33, at least a portion of the X-direction end surface of the extending portion 15 and at least a portion of the bottom surface of the groove portion 33 may slide.

Furthermore, the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are engaged with each other after being stacked, thereby suppressing movement of the upper container body 100 with respect to the lower container body 100 in the Z direction. Therefore, the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 enable stable storage and transportation of the plurality of stacked container bodies 100 .

In the container body 100, the elongated portion 15 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and as shown in FIG. 1(d), the shape of the elongated portion 15 ( cross-sectional shape) is rectangular. However, the shape of the extending portion 15 is not particularly limited as long as it can be internally fitted with the groove portion 33 . The cross-sectional shape of the extending portion 15 may be, for example, a square shape, a triangle shape with the tip in the X direction, or a dome shape without corners. Here, consider a case where container assemblies according to another embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked vertically. In this case, a plate-like member is placed on top of the container body loaded on the uppermost level of the container assembly, and another container assembly is placed on top of this plate-like member. Here, the plate-like member is supported by an extension provided on the upper surface of the container body. Therefore, in order to stably support the container assembly loaded on the plate member, the cross-sectional shape of the elongated portion 15 is preferably rectangular or square. In other words, the YZ plane of the extending portion 15 is preferably a plane parallel to the horizontal direction. A more detailed description of the container assembly is provided below.

It is preferable that the Y-direction shape of each of the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 is linear, as shown in FIG. 1(a). As a result, the sliding in the step (b) of the stacking operation becomes smooth, so there is an advantage that stacking can be easily performed.

The length of the elongated portion 15 in the X direction is also referred to as the height of the elongated portion 15 , and the length of the elongated portion 15 in the Z direction is also referred to as the width of the elongated portion 15 . The length of the groove 33 in the X direction is also called the depth of the groove 33 , and the length of the groove 33 in the Z direction is also called the width of the groove 33 .

From the viewpoint of stabilizing the plurality of stacked container bodies 100, it is preferable that the height of the extension part 15 is high. On the other hand, as described above, when a plurality of container assemblies each having a plurality of container bodies 100 are vertically stacked, the vertically stacked container assemblies are plate-shaped and arranged on the extension portion 15 . placed on the member. Therefore, in order to stably support the container assembly loaded on the plate member, it is preferable that the height of the elongated portion 15 is low. Moreover, the depth of the groove portion 33 increases as the height of the extension portion 15 increases. As the height of the elongated portion 15 increases and the depth of the groove portion 33 increases, the sliding friction between the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 increases in the step (b) of the stacking operation. Resistance tends to increase and workability tends to decrease. Therefore, in the step (b) of the stacking operation, from the viewpoint of smooth sliding of the upper container body 100 along the extending portion 15, the height of the extending portion 15 is preferably low. From these points, the height of the elongated portion 15 is preferably 3 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 5 mm to 20 mm, and particularly preferably 10 mm to 15 mm. The depth of the groove portion 33 can be appropriately set depending on the height of the elongated portion 15 .

The width of the elongated portion 15 is not particularly limited, and can be set as appropriate depending on the number of elongated portions provided. When the width of the extension part 15 is large, the strength of the extension part 15 is increased. It has the advantage of being superior to Further, when the container body 100 is manufactured by in-mold foam molding, which will be described later, the wide width of the elongated portion 15 improves the filling property of the expanded particles, and the surface properties and durability of the elongated portion 15 are improved. has the advantage of being superior. When the width of the elongated portion 15 is small, frictional resistance in sliding in the step (b) is small, so that the sliding becomes smooth and there is an advantage that the workability is excellent. However, when the container body 100 is manufactured by in-mold foam molding, which will be described later, and when the width of the elongated portion 15 is small, there is a tendency that the filling property of the expanded particles is lowered. From this point of view, the width of the extension part 15 is preferably 1/18 to 1/4, more preferably 1/16 to 1/6, of the length of the container body in the Z direction (width direction). 1/14 to 1/8 is more preferable, and 1/12 to 1/10 is particularly preferable. When the container body 100 is manufactured by in-mold foam molding, the width of the elongated portion 15 is preferably 20 to 100 mm, more preferably 30 to 80 mm, and further preferably 40 to 60 mm. preferable. Such a configuration has the advantage of facilitating the arrangement of the filling hole and the release pin in the in-mold foam molding of the container body 100 .

Preferably, the height of extension 15 is the same as the depth of groove 33 or the height of extension 15 is less than the depth of groove 33 . Moreover, it is preferable that the width of the extending portion 15 is the same as the width of the groove portion 33 or the width of the extending portion 15 is shorter than the width of the groove portion 33 . When the height of the extending portion 15 and the depth of the groove portion 33 are the same, or when the width of the extending portion 15 and the width of the groove portion 33 are the same, the extending portion 15 and the groove portion 33 abut after being stacked. . Therefore, when a plurality of container bodies 100 are stacked, there is an advantage that the stacked plurality of container bodies 100 are more stable. When the height of the extending portion 15 and the depth of the groove portion 33 are the same, and the width of the extending portion 15 and the width of the groove portion 33 are the same, the plurality of stacked container bodies 100 are further stabilized.

In addition, when the height of the extending portion 15 is lower than the depth of the groove portion 33, or when the width of the extending portion 15 is shorter than the width of the groove portion 33, when stacking, the upper container body 100 and the floor are separated from each other. A contact area with the container body 100 is reduced. Therefore, as described above, the upper container body 100 slides smoothly along the elongated portion 15, so that stacking can be facilitated. When the height of the elongated portion 15 is lower than the depth of the groove portion 33 and the width of the elongated portion 15 is shorter than the width of the groove portion 33, stacking is easier.

If the top surface 10 is rectangular, the extensions 15 and grooves 33 may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the top surface 10 as shown in FIG. preferable. In FIG. 1, the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the upper surface portion 10 . Therefore, when stacking a plurality of container bodies 100 in the vertical direction, an operator holds the side surfaces 20 and 22 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the upper container body 100 to stack the upper container body 100 on the lower level. It can be arranged (positioned) above the container body 100 . The distance between side portions 20 and 22 parallel to the longitudinal direction of container body 100 is shorter than the distance between side portions 21 and 23 parallel to the lateral direction of container body 100 . Therefore, by holding the side portions 20 and 22, the operator can hold the container body 100 more easily and stably than when holding the side portions 21 and 23. can. Therefore, when the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the upper surface portion 10, there is an advantage that stacking is facilitated. Further, in the case where the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the upper surface portion 10, when a plurality of container assemblies each including a plurality of container bodies 100 are vertically stacked, the plate-like member may It also has the advantage of being able to stably support the loaded container assembly.

Although the container body 100 has two extending portions 15, the number of extending portions 15 is not particularly limited as long as it is one or more. When stacking a plurality of container assemblies each having a plurality of container bodies 100 in the vertical direction, two container bodies 100 are required to stably support the container assemblies loaded on the plate-shaped member. It is preferable to have the extension part 15 as described above.

The position of the extending portion 15 on the upper surface portion 10 can be appropriately set according to the inner surface of the container body, that is, the shape of the product storage chamber. Note that the position of the groove 33 can also be determined according to the position of the elongated portion 15 . Therefore, for example, the position of the extending portion 15 may be set from the viewpoint of ensuring the thickness of the bottom surface of the container body 100 .

As shown in (d) of FIG. 1 , in the container body 100 , there are portions where the thickness of the bottom surface is thin due to the shape of the product storage chamber 40 . The thickness of the bottom surface of the container body 100 can be set within a desired range by providing the groove portion 33 and the elongated portion 15 while avoiding portions where the thickness of the bottom surface is thin.

Further, when the container body 100 includes a plurality of extension portions 15, the plurality of extension portions 15 are arranged so that the distances from the Z-direction center line C2 of the upper surface portion 10 of the container body 100 to the extension portions 15 are equal. It is preferable that they are provided so as to be line-symmetrical with respect to C2. For example, when the container body 100 includes three elongated portions 15, one elongated portion 15 is provided along the Z-direction centerline C2 of the upper surface portion 10, and the remaining two elongated portions 15 are provided along the upper surface portion 10. It is preferable that they are provided line-symmetrically with respect to the center line C2 so that the distances from the center line C2 in the Z direction to the extending portion 15 are equal.

(Effect of wide portion 34 in stacking work)
The wide portion 34 of the container body 100 has the advantage that the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 can be easily positioned with respect to the extending portion 15 of the lower container body 100 during the stacking operation. When the wide portion 34 is not provided and the width of the groove portion 33 is the same in the Y direction, the groove portion 33 of the upper container body 100 is fitted into the elongated portion 15 of the lower container body 100 during the stacking operation. In order to do so, a strict positioning operation between the groove portion 33 and the extending portion 15 is required. More specifically, in a configuration in which the wide portion 34 is not provided, the groove portion 33 at the end of the upper container body 100 on the side of the side surface portion 23 is extended to the extended portion 15 of the upper surface portion 10 of the lower container body 100. It is difficult to fit. On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment in which the wide portion 34 is provided, the elongated portion 15 of the lower container body 100 is placed in the wide portion 34 at the end of the upper container body 100 on the side portion 23 side. Then, the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 can be easily fitted together by moving the upper container body 100 in the Z direction after arrangement.

Further, although the details will be described later, depending on the work situation, positioning may be performed while the center lines C2 in the Z direction of the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 are shifted. In such a case, when the width of the groove portion 33 and the width of the elongated portion 15 are substantially the same, positioning cannot be performed unless the center lines C2 in the Z direction of the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 are aligned. Therefore, positioning becomes difficult. On the other hand, since the container body 100 has the wide portion 34, it has an advantage that it can be easily positioned without depending on the working conditions.

The length of the wide portion 34 in the X direction (also referred to as the depth of the wide portion 34 ) is preferably the same as the depth of the groove portion 33 . The length of the wide portion 34 in the Z direction (also referred to as the width of the wide portion 34) and the length of the wide portion 34 in the Y direction are not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate.

In the container body 100, the number of the wide portions 34 is four, and the wide portions 34 are formed at both ends of each of the two groove portions 33 in the Y direction. Not limited.

From the viewpoint of stacking regardless of the direction of the container body 100, it is preferable that the wide portions 34 are formed at both ends of the groove portion 33. As shown in FIG.

(Effect of convex stopper 16 and concave stopper 35 in stacking work)
Since the container body 100 includes the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35, it is possible to determine the sliding stop position in the above step (c) of stacking, thereby facilitating stacking. have advantages.

In step (c) above, when the positions of the side portions 23 of the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 are aligned, the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 are fitted. More specifically, the wall surface 16a of the convex stopper 16 of the lower container body 100 comes into contact with the wall surface 35a of the concave stopper 35 of the upper container body 100. As shown in FIG. This prevents the end of the upper container body 100 on the side of the side surface 23 from sliding over the end of the upper surface 10 of the lower container body 100 on the side of the side surface 23 . As a result, the sliding stop position can be easily determined. The wall surface 16a and the wall surface 35a of the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 are not limited to being formed perpendicular to the Y direction. It is sufficient that the sliding is stopped. The wall surface 16a and the wall surface 35a may be formed in a direction intersecting the Y direction along which the groove 33 slides.

As shown in FIG. 1(d), the shape (also referred to as cross-sectional shape) of the convex stopper 16 shown in the cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1(a) is rectangular. Similar to the extended portion 15, the shape of the convex stopper 16 is not particularly limited, but is preferably rectangular or square, and the YZ plane of the convex stopper 16 is a plane parallel to the horizontal direction. is preferred.

Each of the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 preferably has a linear shape in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 1(a). As a result, sliding in the step (b) of stacking becomes smooth, so there is an advantage that stacking can be easily performed.

The length of the convex stopper 16 in the Y direction is preferably the same as the length of the concave stopper 35 in the Y direction or shorter than the length of the concave stopper 35 in the Y direction. is more preferably the same as When the length of the convex stopper 16 in the Y direction is the same as the length of the concave stopper 35 in the Y direction, in the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100, the positions of the side portions 23 of the upper container body 100 and the lower container body 100 are aligned. motion can be stopped. This can be easily accomplished by sliding the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 until they abut in step (c).

In the container body 100, each of the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 has a linear shape in the Z direction, but is not particularly limited as long as the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 can be fitted. do not have. For example, it may have a curved shape and a corrugated shape.

Four convex stoppers 16 are formed in the container body 100 and are connected to the elongated portion 15, but the number of the convex stoppers 16 is not particularly limited as long as it is one or more. Also, the convex stopper 16 may be formed without being connected to the elongated portion 15 .

Four recessed stoppers 35 are formed in the container body 100 and connected to the groove portion 33, but the number of recessed stoppers 35 is not particularly limited as long as it is one or more. Also, the recessed stopper 35 may be formed without being connected to the groove portion 33 . In the container body 100, the concave stopper 35 also serves as the wide portion 34, but the concave stopper 35 and the wide portion 34 may be formed separately.

From the viewpoint of stacking regardless of the direction of the container body 100, the convex stopper 16 and the concave stopper 35 are formed at both ends in the direction from the first side 11 to the second side 12. is preferred.

(Effect of convex portion 24 and concave portion 25 in arranging work)
The container body 100 has the protrusions 24 and the recesses 25, thereby enabling stable storage and transportation of the plurality of arranged container bodies 100. As shown in FIG. This is because at least one convex portion 24 and at least one concave portion 25 are engaged with each other after being arranged, so that movement of the plurality of arranged container bodies 100 in the Y direction (or Z direction) is prevented. This is because it can be suppressed. In addition, since the container body 100 has the projections 24 and the recesses 25 , it also has the effect of facilitating the positioning of the plurality of container bodies 100 in the arrangement of the plurality of container bodies 100 . Arrays will be described in detail later.

The shapes of the projections 24 and the recesses 25 are not particularly limited as long as the projections 24 and the recesses 25 are fitted. That is, it is not necessary for the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 to have a shape in which the mating surfaces are entirely in contact with each other when the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are fitted to each other. Even if at least a part of the fitting surfaces of the protrusions 24 and the recesses 25 are in contact with each other, or even if the fitting surfaces do not all come into contact with each other when the protrusions 24 and the recesses 25 are fitted, the plurality of containers may The main bodies 100 can be positioned to a certain degree. In order to facilitate positioning of the plurality of container bodies 100 in the arrangement of the plurality of container bodies 100, when the projection 24 and the recess 25 are fitted, at least one of the fitting surfaces of the projection 24 and the recess 25 is Since it is preferable that the portions contact each other and the positioning can be performed substantially completely, the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 have a shape such that when the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are fitted, all of the fitting surfaces are in contact with each other. It is more preferable to have The clearance between the mating surfaces when the mating surfaces are partially out of contact or completely out of contact is not particularly limited, but may be 0.2 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and 0.5 mm or more and 2 mm or less. preferable.

From the standpoint of preventing deterioration of workability due to friction, it is most preferable that only a portion of the fitting surface is brought into contact.

In the case where the top surface portion 10 is rectangular, but not limited to, as shown in FIG. It is preferably formed on the side surface portion 23). For example, consider a case where two or more recesses 25 are formed on one side surface. In this case, since the concave portion 25 is formed on the side surface parallel to the short direction of the upper surface portion 10, when a plurality of container bodies 100 are arranged, the contact area between adjacent container bodies 100 can be reduced. have advantages. For example, when arranging a plurality of container bodies 100 so that the side surface portion 20 and the side surface portion 21 or the side surface portion 23 are in contact with each other, at least two recesses 25 are arranged in parallel with the lateral direction of the upper surface portion 10. When formed on the side surface (side surface portion 21 or side surface portion 23), one of the concave portions 25 is fitted with the convex portion 24, thereby facilitating positioning. In addition, since the other concave portion 25 does not contact the side surface portion 21 or the side surface portion 23, the contact area is reduced. In this case, since the friction between the container bodies 100 is reduced and the workability is improved, there is an advantage that the containers can be easily arranged.

In the container body 100, two protrusions 24 are formed on each of the side surfaces 20 and 22, or four in total. The number of protrusions 24 to be formed is not particularly limited.

In the container body 100, two concave portions 25 are formed in each of the side surface portions 21 and the side surface portions 23, and a total of four concave portions 25 are formed. The number of recesses 25 formed is not particularly limited.

(Effect of Inclined Surface 36 in Stacking Work)
The container body 100 has the advantage of facilitating the arrangement and stacking of a plurality of container bodies 100 by providing the inclined surface 36 . This advantage becomes remarkable, for example, when the container main body 100 containing articles is heavy. This is because when arranging and stacking a plurality of heavy container bodies 100 containing articles, it is difficult to work with the entire container body 100 floating in the air. is caused to slide with a part of another container body 100 more often. The effect of the inclined surface 36 will be described later in detail.

(Method of Engaging Lid 1 and Bottom 3)
Lid 1 and bottom 3 are engaged so as to form side portions 20 to 23, respectively, and the XY plane of side portions 20 and 22 and the XZ plane of side portions 21 and 23 are aligned vertically and are parallel planes. In other words, the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are engaged so that the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction are aligned with each other. It is preferable that the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are engaged by a method that can prevent the Y-direction centerline C1 and the Z-direction centerline C2 from being shifted after being engaged. In the container body 100, although not shown, the Y-direction centerline C1 and the Z-direction centerline C2 of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are aligned with each other, and after being engaged, the Y-direction centerlines are aligned with each other. Centerline C1 and Z-direction centerline C2 are engaged in a manner that prevents them from shifting. Specifically, although not shown, the lid 1 has a lid-side projection in at least a portion of the contact portion with the bottom 3, and the bottom 3 has at least a portion of the contact with the lid 1. has a bottom-side concave portion having a shape that fits with the lid-side convex portion. The lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are engaged with each other in a state where the lid-side protrusion and the bottom-side recess are fitted. In addition, the lid-side convex portion and the bottom-side concave portion each have a plane perpendicular to the Y direction and a plane perpendicular to the Z direction, and these planes allow the mutual contact after being engaged. This has the advantage of preventing the centerline C1 in the Y direction and the centerline C2 in the Z direction from being shifted. As a method of engaging the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3, which can prevent the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction from being deviated from each other after being engaged, (i) the lid body 1 and (ii) a method of providing a stepped portion in at least a part of the contact portion between the lid 1 and the bottom 3 in each of the bottoms 3 so that the stepped portions are engaged with each other; and (ii) the lid 1 and the bottom 3 3, at least part of the contact portion between the lid 1 and the bottom 3 is provided with a convex structure, and on the other hand, at least part of the contact portion between the lid 1 and the bottom 3 is A method of providing a concave structure having a shape that fits with the convex structure, and fitting the convex structure and the concave structure, and the like can be mentioned. Here, the step portion, the convex structure, and the concave structure have planes that intersect the Y direction and planes that intersect the Z direction, so that the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are engaged with each other. It is possible to prevent the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction from being shifted from each other.

The material and manufacturing method of the container body 100 are not particularly limited as long as the container body 100 is made of foamed resin. The top surface 10 and side surfaces 20 to 23 of the lid 1, as well as the elongated portion 15, the convex stopper 16 and the convex portion 24 may be integrally molded, or may be molded separately and then combined. More preferably, the lid 1 is an integrally molded product. The lower surface portion 30, the side surface portions 20 to 23, and the convex portion 24 of the bottom body 3 may be integrally molded, or may be molded separately and then combined. More preferably, the bottom body 3 is a one-piece molding. Moreover, the dimensions of the container body 100 are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set from the viewpoint of the dimensions of the products to be accommodated, the handleability of the container body 100, and the like.

There are no particular restrictions on the type of the thermoplastic resin expanded beads and the method for producing the expanded beads, and conventionally known expanded beads and production methods can be used. As an example of the production method, when the expanded particles of the thermoplastic resin are polyolefin-based resin expanded particles, the production disclosed in International Patent Publication No. WO2009/075208 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-117842, etc. In the case of polystyrene-based resin expanded beads, the production methods disclosed in JP-A-2003-201360 and JP-A-2014-118474 can be mentioned (in the patent documents, The expanded particles of the thermoplastic resin are described as "pre-expanded particles"), and in the case of expanded particles of styrene-modified polyolefin resin, the manufacturing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-239794 can be used. Examples include, but are not limited to.

The expanded beads obtained by the above-described manufacturing method may contain or be coated with additives such as flame retardants, antistatic agents, colorants, and lubricants by conventionally known methods. The particle diameter of the expanded particles is not particularly limited, and for example, it is preferably 1 mm to 10 mm, but from the viewpoint of mold filling properties, it is more preferably 1 mm to 5 mm, and 1 mm to 3 mm. is more preferable.

The expansion ratio of the expanded beads is not particularly limited, and for example, it is preferably 3 to 90 times, and more preferably 5 to 60 times from the viewpoint of mechanical strength and moldability. , more preferably 5 to 30 times.

Such expanded particles are commercially available as Eperan-PP and Eperan-XL manufactured by Kaneka Corporation, and are readily available.

As a method for manufacturing the container body 100 as a foam molded body using the above-described expanded thermoplastic resin particles, an in-mold foam molding method can be employed, which is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-79870. A conventionally known molding method can be employed. For example, (1) first, a pair of concave and convex molds are closed to form a molding space, (2) foamed particles are fed from a raw material tank through a filler into the molding space and filled, (3) Next, by heating the foamed particles in the molding space with steam, the foamed particles are fused and integrated, followed by cooling, and (4) Opening the pair of molds and foaming in the molds. A method of taking out the molded body can be mentioned.

Here, the concave mold used for in-mold foam molding preferably has a steam hole (also called a vent) for discharging steam at a position corresponding to the inclined surface 36 of the container body 100 . The concave-shaped container body 100 having the above configuration has an advantage that the inclined surface 36 has excellent impact resistance. From another point of view, the in-mold foam molding of the container body 100 is performed using a concave mold having steam holes at positions (also referred to as connecting positions) corresponding to the connecting portions a, connecting portions b, and connecting portions c. is preferred. In addition, since the container body 100 is formed using a concave mold having a steam hole at the connection position, it is preferable to have the inclined surface 36 having a width larger than the width of the steam hole. The width of the inclined surface 36 can also be said to be the length of the inclined surface 36 perpendicular to the Z direction.

In the prior art, the connection position of the container body is a right angle or a curved surface, and the prior art container body does not have a flat surface like the inclined surface 36 of the container body 100 . Therefore, in the conventional technology, in the in-mold foam molding of the container body, it is not possible to use a concave mold having steam holes at the connection position, and a minute hole (also a conical hole) for discharging water vapor is provided at the connection position. ) is used. In this case, in the molded container body, minute protrusions due to minute holes are formed at the connecting positions. As will be described later, when the container bodies are slid to arrange and/or stack a plurality of container bodies, the container bodies are slid while their connecting positions are brought into contact with other members. When the container body having the minute projections is slid at the connection position, the minute projections are peeled off from the container body, and the fragments of the container body caused by the minute projections are scattered. On the other hand, since the container body 100 is provided with the inclined surface 36, it is molded by a concave mold having steam holes, and therefore does not have minute protrusions. Therefore, as the container body 100 slides, fragments of the container body caused by minute protrusions are not scattered.

When the in-mold foam molding of the container body 100 is performed using a concave mold having steam holes at the connecting positions, the inclined surface 36 of the container body 100 is formed with vent traces originating from the steam holes. Here, it is preferable that the vent marks have convex streaks parallel to the elongated portion 15 . From another point of view, in the concave mold used for the in-mold foam molding of the container body 100, it is preferable that the steam holes formed at the connecting positions have concave grooves parallel to the elongated portions 15. When the inclined surface 36 of the container body 100 has a vent trace, there is an advantage that the container body 100 can be slid more easily when the container body 100 is arranged and stacked.

(Modification 1)
In the container body 100 shown in (a) to (d) of FIG. 1, the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 are engaged at substantially the center of the container body 100 in the X direction to form the commodity storage chamber 40. ing. However, in the container body according to one embodiment of the present invention, the manner of engagement and/or the position of engagement are particularly limited, as long as the product storage portion is formed by engaging the lid and the bottom. not.

Modifications of the manner of engagement between the lid and the bottom and the positions of the engagement surfaces between the lid and the bottom in the container body according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. (a), (c), (e), (g), and (i) of FIG. 2 respectively show a container main body 200A, a container main body 200B, a container main body 200C, a container main body 200D, and a container main body 200D according to an embodiment of the present invention. and a container body 200E viewed from one direction, and (b), (d), (f), (h) and (j) of FIG. 2 are respectively (a) and (c) of FIG. , (e), (g) and (i) taken along line BB. However, in the container bodies 200A to 200E shown in (a) to (j) of FIG. 2, only the lid 1, the bottom 3, the upper surface 10, the side surfaces 20 to 23, and the lower surface 30 are shown, and the others are shown. configuration is not shown.

The container body 200A shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 3 form a product storage chamber 40 by engaging with each other at substantially the center of the container body 100 in the X direction. That is, it is the same as the container body 100 in terms of the manner of engagement between the lid 1 and the bottom 3 and the position of the engagement surface between the lid 1 and the bottom 3 . Therefore, the configurations of the upper surface portion 10, the side surface portions 20 to 23, and the lower surface portion 30 are the same as those of the container body 100. FIG.

In the container main body 200B shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. 2, the lid body 1, which is planar in the cross-sectional view along the BB line, is replaced by the bottom, which is rectangular in the cross-sectional view along the BB line. A product storage chamber 40 is formed by fitting it inside the body 3 .

In the container main body 200B, the upper surface portion 10 is composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3. As shown in FIG. Also, the bottom body 3 has a first side 11 and a second side 12 . Therefore, the extension part 15 extends across the bottom body 3 and the lid body 1 . Although not shown, in the container body 200B, the convex stopper 16 may be provided only on the top surface portion 10 on the side of the bottom body 3, and the top surface portion 10 on the side of the bottom body 3 and the top surface portion 10 on the side of the lid body 1 may be provided. may be provided across the Although the shape of the upper surface portion 10 is not particularly limited, it is preferably flat, and preferably horizontal, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b). Therefore, it is preferable that the upper surface portion 10 on the side of the lid 1 and the upper surface portion 10 on the side of the bottom 3 are on the same plane.

In the container main body 200B, each of the side portions 20 to 23 is composed of the bottom body 3, and each of the projections 24 and the recesses 25 is formed in the bottom body 3. As shown in FIG.

In the container body 200</b>B, the lower surface portion 30 is provided on the bottom body 3 as in the case of the container body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the lower surface portion 30 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container body 200C shown in (e) and (f) of FIG. 3 above the container body 100 in the X direction, a product storage chamber 40 is formed.

In the container main body 200</b>C, the upper surface portion 10 is provided on the lid 1 as in the case of the container main body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the upper surface portion 10 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container body 200C, the side parts 20 to 23 are composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 as in the case of the container body 100. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the configuration of the side portions 20 to 23 is the same as that of the container body 100. As shown in FIG.

In the container main body 200</b>C, the lower surface portion 30 is provided on the bottom body 3 as in the case of the container main body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the lower surface portion 30 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container body 200D shown in (g) and (h) of FIG. 2, the lid body 1, which is rectangular in the cross-sectional view along the BB line, is replaced by the bottom, which is flat in the cross-sectional view along the BB line. A product storage chamber 40 is formed by external fitting to the body 3 .

In the container body 200</b>D, the upper surface portion 10 is provided on the lid body 1 as in the case of the container body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the upper surface portion 10 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container main body 200D, each of the side parts 20 to 23 is composed of the lid body 1. As shown in FIG. Therefore, each of the convex portion 24 and the concave portion 25 is formed in the lid body 1 .

In the container main body 200D, the lower surface portion 30 is composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the groove portion 33 extends across the bottom body 3 and the lid body 1 . Although not shown, in the container main body 200D, the recessed stopper 35 may be provided only on the lower surface portion 30 on the side of the bottom body 3, and on the lower surface portion 30 on the side of the bottom body 3 and the lower surface portion 30 on the side of the lid body 1. It may be provided straddling. Although the shape of the lower surface portion 30 is not particularly limited, it is preferably flat, and preferably horizontal, as shown in (g) and (h) of FIG. 2 . Therefore, it is preferable that the lower surface portion 30 on the side of the lid 1 and the lower surface portion 30 on the side of the bottom 3 are on the same plane.

In the container body 200E shown in (i) and (j) of FIG. By engaging with the body 3 below the container body 100 in the X direction, a commodity storage chamber 40 is formed.

In the container main body 200</b>E, the upper surface portion 10 is provided on the lid body 1 as in the case of the container main body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the upper surface portion 10 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container body 200</b>E, the side surface portion 20 is composed of the lid body 1 and the bottom body 3 as in the case of the container body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the side surface portion 20 is the same as that of the container body 100 .

In the container main body 200</b>E, the lower surface portion 30 is provided on the bottom body 3 similarly to the container main body 100 . Therefore, the configuration of the lower surface portion 30 is the same as that of the container main body 100 .

In the container bodies 200A, 200C and 200E, the method of engaging the lid 1 and the bottom 3 is such that the center line C1 in the Y direction and the center line C2 in the Z direction of the lid 1 and the bottom 3 are aligned. It is also possible to adopt a method that can prevent the Y-direction centerline C1 and the Z-direction centerline C2 from shifting after being aligned and engaged.

(Modification 2)
In the container body 100 shown in (a) to (d) of FIG. 1, the side surface portion 20 is parallel to the vertical direction. However, in the container body according to one embodiment of the present invention, the side surface portion 20 may not be parallel to the vertical direction.

A modified example of the side surface portion 20 in the container body according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of a container body 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from one direction, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (a). In the container body 300 shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. (2) a portion parallel to the vertical direction (also referred to as a vertical portion); ), and (3) a pair of opposing side surfaces (side surfaces 20 and 22 or side surfaces 21 and 23) are inclined so that the interval between them increases from the lower surface portion 30 toward the upper surface portion 10. portion (also referred to as a taper portion). Specifically, the lid 1 has a conical portion and a vertical portion, and the bottom 3 has a vertical portion and a tapered portion.

The container main body 300 is made of foamed resin. For example, consider a case where the container body 300 (specifically, each of the lid 1 and the bottom 3) is manufactured by in-mold foam molding. In this case, molding using a mold having a slope called a draft angle has the advantage of facilitating release of the molded body (cover 1 or bottom 3) from the mold after molding. . The conical portion provided in the lid 1 and the tapered portion provided in the bottom 3 have shapes derived from the draft angle of the mold.

Furthermore, the side portions 20-23 have vertical portions. As a result, when arranging a plurality of container bodies 300, there is an advantage that the positioning of the container bodies 300 is facilitated by arranging the adjacent container bodies 300 so that their vertical portions are in contact with each other.

That is, the container body 300 can be easily released from a mold during manufacturing, and a plurality of container bodies 300 can be easily arranged.

The acute angle formed by the vertical portion and the conical portion and the acute angle formed by the vertical portion and the tapered portion (also having the inclination angle of the side surface portion) are preferably greater than 0° and 10° or less, It is more preferably 0.5° to 5°, still more preferably 0.6° to 3°, and particularly preferably 0.6° to 1°.

[Second embodiment]
(container assembly 500)
A container assembly 500 according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

First, the configuration of the container assembly 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d). FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of a container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed vertically from above, and FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c) show the container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view seen from one direction, and FIG. 4(d) is a plan view seen from vertically above the container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. The container assembly 500 includes a plurality of container bodies 100 and a pallet 400 that is a substrate on which the container bodies 100 are loaded. The number of container bodies 100 included in the container assembly 500 is not particularly limited as long as it is one or more for one pallet 400 . For example, in (a) of FIG. 4, four container bodies (100A to 100D) are provided, and in (b) of FIG. 4, five container bodies (100A to 100E) are provided.

In the container assembly 500 shown in FIG. 4(a), four container bodies 100A to 100D are horizontally stacked (arranged) on a pallet 400. As shown in FIG. Here, in the in-plane direction parallel to the loading surface of the container bodies 100 on the pallet 400, the container bodies 100 are arranged in a state in which at least one convex portion 24 and at least one concave portion 25 are fitted. Specifically, at least one concave portion 25 of the container main body 100A and at least one convex portion 24 of the container main body 100B are fitted, and at least one concave portion 25 of the container main body 100B and at least one convex portion 24 of the container main body 100C are fitted. At least one recess 25 of the container body 100C and at least one protrusion 24 of the container body 100D are fitted, and at least one recess 25 of the container body 100D and the container At least one protrusion 24 of the main body 100A is fitted. Further, the container bodies 100A to 100D are arranged so as to go around along the periphery of the pallet 400. As shown in FIG. From another point of view, it can be said that the container bodies 100A to 100D are arranged so that the elongated portions 15 are arranged in a circle, and the container bodies 100A to 100D have the elongated portions 15 provided on adjacent container bodies perpendicular to each other. It can be said that they are arranged so that Moreover, in the container bodies 100A to 100D, there are convex portions 24 that are not fitted with the concave portions 25 and concave portions 25 that are not fitted with the convex portions 24 . In the container assembly 500' shown in FIG. 4(d), four container bodies 100' are horizontally stacked (arranged) on a pallet 400. As shown in FIG. The container body 100' has one protrusion 24 and one recess 25 on each side. Such container body 100' and container assembly 500' are also an embodiment of the present invention.

The pallet 400 has a dimension capable of horizontally loading four container bodies 100A to 100D. When loading a fifth container body 100E, any one of the container bodies 100A to 100D must be placed vertically above the In FIG. 4B, the container body 100E is arranged vertically above the container body 100D (that is, stacked). Here, in the vertical direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the container bodies 100 on the pallet 400, the container bodies 100 are loaded with the elongated portions 15 and the groove portions 33 fitted together. In this specification, when the container bodies 100 are stacked in the vertical direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the container bodies 100 on the pallet 400, the plurality of container bodies 100 are arranged in order from the closest to the pallet 400, the first tier. , second stage, and so on. In the container assembly 500 shown in FIG. 4B, the container bodies 100A to 100D are on the first stage, and the container body 100E is on the second stage. The container assembly 500 may have two or more stages of container bodies 100 , and the container assembly shown in FIG. 4C has five stages of container bodies 100 per pallet 400 .

Moreover, it is preferable that the dimension of the peripheral portion of the pallet 400 is larger than the circumferential dimension of the container body 100 . With the above configuration, due to the material (material) and manufacturing method of the container body 100, even if the container body 100 with a larger size is obtained although it is within the allowable range (tolerance range), the pallet 400 It has the advantage that four container bodies 100 can be accommodated in each. Further, with the above configuration, when a plurality of container bodies 100 are vertically stacked, all the container bodies 100 are loaded inside the pallet 400 . Therefore, there is an advantage that the container body 100 is less likely to collide directly with other articles during transportation, packing work, and the like of the container assembly. From these points of view, the peripheral dimension of the pallet 400 is preferably 80 to 240 mm larger than the circumferential dimension of the container body 100 . The dimensions of the container body 100 may be, for example, 653 mm in the Y direction, 437 mm in the Z direction (width direction), and 170 mm in the X direction (height direction). is 4360 mm. When the container body 100 has the above dimensions, the dimensions of the peripheral portion of the pallet 400 are preferably 4440 mm to 4600 mm.

The container assembly 500 may comprise multiple pallet 400 and container body 100 combinations. The container assembly 500 shown in (c) of FIG. 4 has three combinations in the vertical direction, each of which consists of one pallet 400 and five stages of container bodies 100 . When a plurality of combinations of pallets 400 and container bodies 100 are provided in the vertical direction, a plate member 600 may be provided between the lower combination and the upper combination. With the above configuration, there is an advantage that a plurality of combinations of the pallet 400 and the container body 100 can be easily provided in the vertical direction regardless of the structure of the lower surface of the pallet 400 .

(Method of Forming Container Assembly 500)
Figures 5a and 5b illustrate a method of forming a container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. The method of forming the container assembly 500 can be summarized as a method of arranging and/or stacking a plurality of container bodies 100 on the pallet 400 .

FIG. 5(a) is also a diagram showing a method of arranging a plurality of container bodies 100 on a pallet 400. FIG. The pallet 400 has a pedestal 410 and walls 420 . The container main body 100</b>F is arranged on the pedestal 410 on the pallet 400 and within a range surrounded by the wall 420 . In (a) of FIG. 5 , the container body 100G is about to be placed on the pallet 400 . The container main body 100G is finally arranged in a state in which at least one concave portion 25 of the container main body 100G and at least one convex portion 24 of the container main body 100F are fitted.

When the container body 100G is arranged adjacent to the container body 100F so that at least one concave portion 25 of the container body 100G and at least one convex portion 24 of the container body 100F are fitted, the container body 100G is lifted. You don't have to work in a state. For example, when the container body 100G is heavy, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the container body 100G is arranged, one end of the extending portion 15 in the extending direction is vertically above the other end. It is preferred that the work is carried out in a state of being lifted up, in other words in a cantilevered state. At this time, the operator lifts one end portion of the extending portion 15 in the extending direction through the notch portion 37 of the container body 100G.

In (a) of FIG. 5 , the container body 100G is adjacent to the container body 100F while sliding the other end of the container body 100G on the pedestal 410 of the pallet 400 . At this time, the pedestal 410 and the inclined surface 36 of the container body 100G, more specifically, the inclined surface 36a slide. The container body of the prior art does not have an inclined surface, and portions corresponding to connecting portions a, connecting portions b, and connecting portions c of the container body 100G are right angles or curved surfaces. Therefore, when the container body of the prior art is in a cantilevered state and slid on the pallet as shown in FIG. The pressure on the container body increases, which can result in damage to the container body. On the other hand, since the container body 100G has the inclined surface 36a, damage to the container body 100G can be suppressed when the container body 100G is slid on the pallet 400. FIG. In addition, the inclined surface 36a can make the sliding of the container body 100G on the pallet 400 smooth.

(b) of FIG. 5 is also a diagram showing a stacking method of a plurality of container bodies 100 on the pallet 400 . On the pallet 400, four container bodies 100H to 100K are loaded on the pedestal 410 and within a range surrounded by the wall 420, and the container body 100L is loaded on the container body 100J. there is In (b) of FIG. 5, the container body 100M is about to be placed on the container body 100K. The container body 100M is finally fitted with the groove 33 of the container body 100M and the elongated portion 15 of the container body 100K, as well as the concave stopper 35 of the container body 100M and the convex stopper 16 of the container body 100K. , are placed.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 5, the container body 100M is in a cantilever state. In addition, the container body 100M is about to be arranged obliquely from behind with respect to the container body 100K, in other words, obliquely with respect to the extending portion 15 . This is because when the container main body 100M is arranged with the widthwise center of the container main body 100M aligned with the widthwise center of the container main body 100K, the protrusions 24 of the container main body 100M are not aligned with the container main body 100L. This is because the container main body 100M cannot be placed due to collision with the side surface.

The container body 100M has a wide portion 34. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even when the container body 100M is stacked obliquely behind the container body 100K, the wide portion 34 of the container body 100M and the elongated portion 15 of the container body 100K can be fitted. Positioning becomes easier. Thereafter, the container main body 100M is arranged by sliding the container main body 100M along the elongated portion 15 of the container main body 100K obliquely behind the container main body 100K. At this time, the inclined surface 36b of the container body 100M slides on the elongated portion 15 of the container body 100K. That is, since the container body 100M has the inclined surface 36b, damage to the container body 100M can be suppressed when the container body 100M is slid along the elongated portion 15 on the container body 100K. In addition, the inclined surface 36a can make the sliding of the container body 100G on the pallet 400 smooth.

Further, the container body 100K has a convex stopper 16, and the container body 100M has a concave stopper 35. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the sliding stop position of the container body 100M can be determined, so stacking can be easily performed. In other words, it is possible to prevent the container body 100M from sliding over the container body 100K and onto the container body 100H.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the pallet 400 has walls 420, it is necessary to load a plurality of container bodies without interference between the walls 420 and the container bodies. The dimension of the peripheral portion of the pallet 400 is preferably larger than the circumferential dimension of the container body 100 . This is because the container body 100 has a projection 24 and a recess 25, and the plurality of container bodies 100 are arranged in a state in which at least one projection 24 and at least one recess 25 are fitted. to cause. For example, in (b) of FIG. 5, consider the case where the container body 100I is loaded on the pallet 400 after the container body 100H is loaded. When the dimension of the peripheral portion of the pallet 400 is the same as the circumferential dimension of the container body 100, after the container body 100I is lifted above the container body 100H, at least one concave portion 25 of the container body 100H and at least one of the container body 100I. It is necessary to arrange so that the two protrusions 24 are fitted. If the container body 100I is heavy, it is difficult to lift the container body 100I. Therefore, it is preferable to place the container body 100I adjacent to the container body 100H while sliding the container body 100I on the pallet 400. When the dimension of the peripheral portion of the pallet 400 is the same as the circumferential dimension of the container body 100, the protrusions 24 of the container body 100I interfere with the side walls of the container body 100B, and slide the container body 100I to adjoin the container body 100A. I can't let you. On the other hand, when the peripheral dimension of the pallet 400 is larger than the circumferential dimension of the container body 100, the projections 24 of the container body 100I do not interfere with the side walls of the container body 100H. Therefore, by sliding the container body 100I adjacent to the container body 100H and then fitting at least one concave portion 25 of the container body 100H with at least one convex portion 24 of the container body 100I, the container body 100I can be placed in place. It should be noted that when the upper surface portion 10 is rectangular, although not limited thereto, as shown in FIG. 20 and side portions 22). In this case, for example, as described above, when the container bodies 100H are loaded on the pallet 400 and then the container bodies 100I are loaded, there is an advantage that workability is good and arrangement is easy. This is because the frictional resistance between the container body 100I and the wall 420 is reduced when the container body 100I is slid in contact with the wall 420 and arranged at a predetermined position.

〔summary〕
The container according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 100 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and made of foamed resin and having a product storage chamber 40 formed therein. , an upper surface portion 10 having a convex elongated portion 15 formed thereon, and a lower surface portion 30 having a groove portion 33 having a shape to fit the elongated portion 15, wherein the elongated portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are formed. are continuously extended between the first and second sides 11 and 12 facing each other in the rectangular shape. It has at least one end with a widened portion 34 formed therein.

According to the above configuration, the groove portion 33 has at least one end portion formed with the wide portion 34 in which the interval between the opposing side walls is wider than that of the inner portion in the Y direction in which the groove portion 33 extends. When stacking, the groove 33 of the upper container body 100 can be easily fitted into the elongated portion 15 of the lower container body 100 . Therefore, a plurality of container bodies 100 can be easily stacked, and can be stably stored and transported in a stacked state.

In the container according to the embodiment of the present invention, two sides of the rectangular shape other than the first and second sides 11 and 12 are respectively defined as third and fourth sides 13 and 14, and the elongated portion 15 and the Both grooves 33 may be provided to avoid edge portions parallel to the third and fourth sides 13 and 14 .

In the container according to the embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface portion 10 has a convex stopper 16 at at least one end in the Y direction from the first side 11 to the second side 12, and the lower surface The portion 30 has a concave stopper 35 having a shape to fit the convex stopper 16 on at least one end in the Y direction from the first side 11 to the second side 12 . is preferred.

According to the above configuration, during the stacking operation, the engagement between the convex stopper 16 of the lower container body 100 and the concave stopper 35 of the upper container body 100 causes the lower container body 100 and the upper container body 100 to , Y-direction side portions 21 and 23 can be positioned. Therefore, workability is improved.

The container according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably has a configuration in which inclined surfaces 36a and 36b are formed in at least one connecting portion of (a) and (b) below.

(a) a connecting portion between at least one of the two side surfaces (side surface portions 21 and 23) parallel to the first and second sides 11 and 12 and the lower surface portion 30; and (b) the wide portion 34 and the A connecting portion with the lower surface portion 30 .

As a result, during the stacking or arranging work, if the container bodies 100 are transported and moved so that the inclined surfaces 36a and 36b are in contact with the ground, the container bodies 100 can be moved smoothly.

In the container according to the embodiment of the present invention, the side portions 20 to 23 are
A pair of mutually facing side surfaces (side surface portions 20 and 22) formed with convex portions 24 and another pair of mutually facing concave portions 25 having a shape that fits at least one of the convex portions 24 is formed. It is preferable to have a side surface (side surface portions 21 and 23).

According to the above configuration, the positions of adjacent container bodies 100 are determined by arranging so that at least one convex portion 24 and at least one concave portion 25 are fitted during the arrangement work. This facilitates positioning in arranging work.

A container assembly 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of containers and a pallet 400 that is a substrate on which the containers are loaded. The containers are arranged with at least one of the projections 24 and at least one of the recesses 25 fitted therein, and in the vertical direction perpendicular to the loading surface of the containers on the pallet 400, the containers are: It is a configuration in which the extension portion 15 and the groove portion 33 are stacked in a state of being fitted.

The container assembly 500 loaded with a plurality of containers having the configuration described above can be stably stored and transported in a loaded state.

In the container assembly 500 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the in-plane direction, the containers are arranged to circle along the periphery of the pallet 400, and the dimension of the periphery of the pallet 400 is The configuration may be larger than the circumferential dimension of the container.

A container according to one embodiment of the present invention accommodates articles such as semiconductor wafers, display substrates, integrated circuit substrates or glass substrates, lithium batteries or automotive parts (power control units, etc.), and is used for transportation, storage, etc. of the articles. can be suitably used.

1 Lid 3 Bottom 10 Upper surface 15 Extended portion 16 Convex stoppers 20, 21, 22, 23 Side surface 24 Convex 25 Concave 30 Lower surface 33 Groove 34 Wide portion 35 Concave stoppers 36, 36a, 36b Inclined surface 37 Cut Notch 40 Product storage chamber 100 Container main body 400 Pallet 410 Pedestal 420 Wall 500 Container assembly 600 Plate-shaped member

Claims (7)

Equipped with a foamed resin container body having a rectangular shape in a plan view and having a product storage room inside,
The container body is
a side portion;
a top surface portion having a convex extension formed thereon;
a lower surface portion in which a groove portion having a shape that fits with the extension portion is formed,
both the extension and the groove extend continuously between first and second opposing sides of the rectangular shape;
The groove has at least one end formed with a widened portion in which the distance between opposing side walls is wider than that of the inner portion in the direction in which the groove extends,
The elongated portion and the groove portion reach both ends in the direction from the first side to the second side,
the upper surface portion has a convex stopper on at least one end in a direction from the first side toward the second side;
The container, wherein the lower surface portion has a concave stopper having a shape that fits with the convex stopper on at least one end in a direction from the first side to the second side. Two sides other than the first and second sides of the rectangular shape are defined as third and fourth sides, respectively,
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein both said extension and said groove are provided avoiding edges parallel to said third and fourth sides. The convex stopper is provided at the end of the elongated portion,
3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said concave stopper is provided at said wide portion. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inclined surface is formed in at least one connecting portion of (a) and (b) below:
(a) a connecting portion between at least one of the two side surfaces parallel to the first and second sides and the lower surface portion; and (b) a connecting portion between the wide portion and the lower surface portion. The side portion is
a pair of side surfaces facing each other on which protrusions are formed;
5. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a pair of opposite sides formed with a concave portion having a shape that mates with at least one of said convex portions. a plurality of containers according to claim 5;
A pallet that is a substrate for loading the container,
In the in-plane direction parallel to the loading surface of the container on the pallet, the container is arranged in a state in which at least one convex portion and at least one concave portion are fitted,
A container assembly according to claim 1, wherein in a vertical direction perpendicular to a loading surface of the containers on the pallet, the containers are loaded with the extensions and the grooves interlocking. In the in-plane direction,
The containers are arranged to circle along the periphery of the pallet,
7. The container assembly of claim 6, wherein the pallet perimeter dimension is greater than the container perimeter dimension.

Images