JP7385102B2 - Storage container and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container capable of containing contents.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a laminated and peelable container is known that suppresses air from entering the inside of the container by shrinking the inner bag as the contents decrease (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-163531

Although the laminated and peelable container of Patent Document 1 is constructed by covering the outer peripheral surface of a container formed by blow molding with a shrink film, an appearance that gives off a more luxurious appearance may be required.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container with an excellent appearance.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage container including a container main body in which a mantle is integrally molded so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the blow-molded container, and the mantle is an injection molded body.

Blow molding has the advantage of being easy to manufacture containers with a multilayer structure, but the appearance of containers formed by blow molding (blow molded containers) is inferior to containers formed by injection molding (injection molded containers). There are cases. In the storage container of the present invention, a jacket made of an injection molded body is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the blow-molded container, so that a multilayer structure can be easily formed and the container has an excellent appearance.

Various embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated below. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the mantle is integrally molded so as to cover the outer peripheral surface and bottom surface of the blow-molded container.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the blow-molded container has an outer shell and an inner bag, and is configured such that the inner bag contracts as the contents decrease. be.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the mantle includes a ventilation section that communicates the outside space of the storage container with the outside air introduction section.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the outside air introduction part is provided in a cutout part of the outer shell.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the outer shell of the blow-molded container is provided with an outside air introduction portion in a portion of the blow-molded container that is not covered with the mantle.
Preferably, in the storage container described above, the outside air introduction part is provided in a region covered by a cylindrical part of a pump attached to the mouth of the blow-molded container.
Preferably, the container described above is provided with a protective cover that covers the cut-out portion of the blow-molded container.
Preferably, the storage container described above is a storage container in which a cut-out portion of the blow-molded container is provided with a protrusion that projects from the bottom surface of the blow-molded container.
Preferably, the method for manufacturing a storage container includes an integral molding step of integrally molding a blow molded container and a jacket, wherein in the integral molding step, the outer peripheral surface of the blow molded container is placed in a mold, In this method, a space outside the blow-molded container in a mold cavity is filled with resin to form the mantle.
Preferably, the method described above is a method in which the inside of the blow-molded container is pressurized during the integral molding step.
Preferably, in the method described above, in the integral molding step, the blow-molded container is placed in the mold with a protective cover covering a cutout portion of the blow-molded container attached. be.
Preferably, in the method described above, in the integral molding step, filling with the resin is performed while pressing the inner surface of the bottom surface of the blow-molded container with a support rod inserted into the blow-molded container. , is the method.
Preferably, in the method described above, the cut-out portion of the blow-molded container is provided with a protrusion that protrudes from the bottom surface of the blow-molded container.

1A and 1B are perspective views of the storage container 1 of the first embodiment viewed from different directions. 2A and 2B are perspective views of the container body 2 viewed from different directions. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container body 2. FIG. 4A and 4B are perspective views of the blow-molded container 4 viewed from different directions. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container 4. FIG. It is a sectional view for explaining an integral molding process. 7 is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pump 3. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding to the vicinity of the bottom surface 4b of FIG. 5, showing a state in which the protective cover 15 is attached to the container 4 in the second embodiment. FIG. 10A is an enlarged view corresponding to the vicinity of the bottom surface 4b of FIG. 3. FIG. 10A shows a state in which a mantle 5 covering the container 4 and protective cover 15 in the state of FIG. 9 is formed, and FIG. 5 shows the state after forming the ventilation portion 5c. 6 is an enlarged view corresponding to the vicinity of the bottom surface 4b of FIG. 5, showing a configuration in which a protrusion 7e is provided in the cutout 7d of the container 4 in the third embodiment. FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the opening 9 of FIG. 4A, showing a state in which the opening 9 of the container 4 is provided with an outside air introduction part 4c in the third embodiment. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Various features shown in the embodiments described below can be combined with each other. Further, the invention can be realized independently for each feature.

1. First Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, a storage container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 2 and a pump 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the container body 2 includes a blow-molded container 4 and a jacket 5 integrated therewith. Each configuration will be explained below.

<Blow molded container 4>
The blow-molded container 4 shown in FIGS. 4-5 can be formed by blow-molding a parison. Blow molding may be direct blow molding or injection blow molding. In direct blow molding, a container is manufactured by sandwiching a molten parison extruded from an extruder between a pair of split molds and blowing air into the inside of the parison. The parison may be cylindrical or sheet-like. In injection blow molding, a test tube-shaped parison with a bottom called a preform is formed by injection molding, and a container is manufactured by performing blow molding using this parison.

Although the container 4 may have a single layer structure, it is preferably a multilayer structure. Since injection molded containers with a multilayer structure are not easy to manufacture, the present invention is particularly meaningful when the container 4 has a multilayer structure. When forming the container 4 with a multilayer structure, the parison also has a multilayer structure. A multilayer parison can be formed by coextrusion.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the container 4 is a so-called delaminated container that has an outer shell 12 and an inner bag 14, and the inner bag 14 contracts as the contents decrease. As the inner bag 14 separates from the outer shell 12 as the contents decrease, the inner bag 14 separates from the outer shell 12 and contracts. In such a container, it is difficult for outside air to enter the inner bag 14, so deterioration of the contents is suppressed.

The outer shell 12 is made of, for example, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, and mixtures thereof. The outer shell 12 may have a multi-layer configuration. It is preferable that the inner bag 14 is composed of a plurality of layers. For example, an EVOH layer made of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) resin is used as the layer in contact with the outer shell 12, and an EVOH layer made of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) resin is used as the layer in contact with the contents, for example, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, high An inner layer of polyolefins such as density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymers and mixtures thereof can be used. It is preferable to use an adhesive layer between the EVOH layer and the inner surface layer.

The container 4 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and includes an accommodating portion 7 for accommodating the contents, and a mouth portion 9 for discharging the contents from the accommodating portion 7. The housing portion 7 includes a body portion 7a, a bottom portion 7b, and a flange portion 7c. The flange portion 7c is provided at the upper end of the body portion 7a. The flange portion 7c is provided so as to protrude radially outward from the body portion 7a. The mouth portion 9 is provided with an engaging portion (male thread portion) 9d, and the pump 3 can be attached thereto.

By the way, when the container 4 is formed by direct blow molding, the container 4 has a cut-out portion 7d formed by crushing the parison with a pair of split molds. The cutout part 7d is provided on the bottom part 7b of the container 4, and the bottom of the container 4 is closed by welding the opposing surfaces of the parison to the cutout part 7d. The cut-out portion 7d closes the bottoms of the outer shell 12 and the inner bag 14, but since the strength of the cut-out portion 7d is particularly weak in the outer shell 12, applying an impact to the outer shell 12 causes damage to the outer shell 12. The outside air introducing portion 4c can be formed by opening the cutout portion 7d. Outside air can be introduced between the outer shell 12 and the inner bag 14 through the outside air introducing portion 4c. The outside air introduction portion 4c may be formed by perforating the outer shell 12. The outside air introducing portion 4c may be provided in the housing portion 7 or may be provided in the mouth portion 9.

<Cloak 5>
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mantle 5 is integrally molded so as to cover the outer circumferential surface 4a (preferably the outer circumferential surface 4a and the bottom surface 4b) of the container 4, and is an injection molded product. The mantle 5 includes a cylindrical portion 5a and a bottom portion 5b. The cylindrical portion 5a and the bottom portion 5b cover the outer circumferential surface 4a and the bottom surface 4b, respectively.

If the outside air introduction part 4c of the container 4 is covered with the mantle 5, outside air will no longer be introduced through the outside air introduction part 4c. For this reason, the jacket 5 is provided with a ventilation section 5c that communicates the space outside the storage container 1 with the outside air introduction section 4c. The ventilation portion 5c may be a through hole or a groove. The ventilation portion 5c may be formed during injection molding, or may be formed by post-processing after injection molding.

The mantle 5 at least covers the housing part 7, and the mouth part 9 may or may not be covered. When the mantle 5 does not cover the mouth 9, providing the outside air introduction part 4c in the mouth 9 eliminates the need for the ventilation part 5c.

The container body 2 can be manufactured by a method that includes an integral molding process in which the container 4 and the jacket 5 are integrally molded. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the integral molding process, the opening 9 is fixed to the fixing part 11 having the opening 11a, and the outer circumferential surface 4a (preferably the outer circumferential surface 4a and the bottom surface 4b) of the container 4 is injection molded. The support rod 13 is inserted into the container 4 while the support rod 13 is placed in the mold 8 for use, and the support rod 13 is pressed against the inner surface of the bottom surface 4b. This suppresses displacement of the accommodating portion 7 of the container 4 during injection molding.

In this state, the space outside the container 4 in the cavity 8a of the mold 8 is filled with resin to form the mantle 5. At this time, it is preferable to pressurize the inside of the container 4 so that the container 4 is not deformed by the resin pressure. Pressurization can be performed by blowing water or air. The resin is filled into the cavity 8a through the gate 8b. The gate 8b is preferably disposed at a position facing the bottom surface 4b (preferably the cutout 7d) of the container 4. This is because in this case, the entire circumference of the container 4 is easily filled with the resin uniformly.

The resin for injection molding preferably has fluidity necessary for injection molding at a temperature lower than the melting point of the resin constituting the outer shell 12 of the container 4. It is preferable that the inner bag 14 of the container 4 is preliminarily peeled off before the integral molding process. This is because preliminary peeling is easier before the jacket 5 is integrally molded onto the container 4.

When forming the ventilation part 5c during injection molding, for example, a pin is placed at a location corresponding to the ventilation part 5c, and when the container body 2 is taken out from the mold 8, the pin is removed from the mantle 5. method can be adopted.

<Pump 3>
Pump 3 is configured to drain the contents from container 4. When the container 4 is a laminated container, the pump 3 is preferably configured so as not to introduce outside air into the container 4.

As shown in FIG. 8, the pump 3 includes a main body portion 3a, a piston portion 3b, a nozzle 3c, and a tube 3d. The main body portion 3a includes a cylindrical portion 3a1, a cylinder portion 3a2, and an upper wall portion 3a3. An engaging portion (female threaded portion) (not shown) that is engaged with the engaging portion (male threaded portion) 9d is provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion three a1. The cylinder portion 3a2 is inserted into the mouth portion 9. The outer diameter of the cylinder portion 3a2 substantially matches the inner diameter of the mouth portion 9. The cylinder portion 3a2 has a cylindrical shape, and the piston portion 3b is slidable within the cylinder portion 3a2. The internal space of the cylinder portion 3a2 is communicated with the nozzle 3c and the tube 3d. A pump mechanism composed of an elastic member and a valve is built into the internal space of the cylinder portion 3a2. By sliding the piston portion 3b and operating the pump mechanism, the contents sucked up through the tube 3d can be discharged from the nozzle 3c.

2. Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, with the main difference being that a protective cover 15 is used. The differences will be mainly explained below.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the gate 8b is disposed at a position facing the cut-out part 7d of the container 4, the high temperature resin injected from the gate 8b comes into contact with the inner bag 14 at the cut-out part 7d, and the inner bag 14 is easily damaged by heat. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a protective cover 15 is provided to cover the cut-out portion 7d in order to suppress damage to the inner bag 14 due to heat. In FIG. 9, the protective cover 15 covers the entire bottom surface 4b, but the protective cover 15 may cover only a portion of the bottom surface 4b, including the cutout portion 7d.

The thickness and material of the protective cover 15 are not particularly limited as long as the inner bag 14 can be protected at the cut-out portion 7d, and the protective cover 15 is made of the same resin as the outer shell 12, for example. In this case, the protective cover 15 is less noticeable and has an excellent appearance. On the other hand, it may be made of a material that is more heat resistant than the outer shell 12, placing emphasis on heat resistance.

The protective cover 15 can be attached to the container 4 by fitting, welding, adhesion, or the like. In FIG. 9, there is a level difference between the end of the protective cover 15 and the outer shell 12, but the protective cover 15 may be attached so that there is no level difference between the end of the protective cover 15 and the outer shell 12. In this case, the protective cover 15 is less noticeable. A gap 15g is provided between the protective cover 15 and the container 4.

By placing the container 4 with the protective cover 15 attached in the mold 8 shown in FIG. 6 and performing the integral molding process in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the container 4 is made into a container as shown in FIG. 10A. A mantle 5 can be formed that covers 4. Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, a ventilation portion 5c can be formed in the mantle 5 by drilling with a drilling tool such as a drill. In this embodiment, since the gap 15g is provided between the protective cover 15 and the container 4, when forming the ventilation portion 5c in the mantle 5, the drilling is stopped when the tip of the drilling tool reaches the gap 15g. This prevents the inner bag 14 from being damaged by the punching tool.

Note that the gap 15g can be omitted if unnecessary, and the protective cover 15 can be brought into close contact with the bottom surface 4b. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the outside air introduction part 4c is provided in a part of the container 4 that is not covered by the mantle 5 (e.g., the mouth part 9), the ventilation part 5c is unnecessary and the gap 15g is also unnecessary. .

3. Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 11 and 12. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the main difference is that the cutout 7d of the container 4 is provided with a protrusion 7e. The differences will be mainly explained below.

As described in the first embodiment, in the integral molding process, the support rod 13 is pressed against the inner surface of the bottom surface 4b, but in this case, the inner bag 14 is opened at the cutout portion 7d due to the pressing force of the support rod 13. There is a risk of it getting lost. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to suppress the inner bag 14 from opening, a protrusion 7e is provided on the cutout 7d of the container 4, as shown in FIG.

The protruding portion 7e is formed by making the cutout portion 7d protrude from the bottom surface 4b. This increases the welding area of the inner bag 14 at the cut-out portion 7d and increases the sealing strength of the inner bag 14, thereby suppressing the inner bag 14 from opening. As shown in FIG. 11, the outer shell 12 is preferably sealed in the protrusion 7e.

By placing the container 4 having such a shape in the mold 8 shown in FIG. 6 and performing the integral molding process in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the mantle 5 that covers the container 4 can be formed. The protrusion 7e can also prevent damage to the inner bag 14 due to the heat of the resin injected from the gate 8b.

When the outer shell 12 is sealed, the outside air introduction part 4c is not provided in the cutout part 7d, so it is preferable to provide a through hole in the outer shell 12 to configure the outside air introduction part 4c. In this case, it is preferable that the outside air introducing portion 4c is provided in a portion of the container 4 that is not covered with the jacket 5. This is because in this case, it becomes unnecessary to provide the ventilation section 5c in the mantle 5.

The outside air introducing portion 4c is preferably provided at the mouth portion 9, as shown in FIG. 12, and particularly preferably provided at a position covered by the cylindrical portion 3a1 of the pump 3 shown in FIG. In this case, when the pump 3 is attached, the outside air introduction part 4c is not visible, so the appearance is excellent. The outside air introducing portion 4c is capable of venting to the outside through a ventilation path such as a gap between the piston portion 3b and the cylindrical portion 3a1 or a gap between the lower end of the cylindrical portion 3a1 and the container 4.

Moreover, it is preferable that the outside air introduction part 4c be provided in the flat part 9a provided in the mouth part 9. This is because in this case, it is easy to form the outside air introducing portion 4c using a drilling tool such as a drill. The flat portion 9a may be provided at a position closer to the accommodating portion 7 than the engaging portion 9d, or may be provided so as to separate the engaging portion 9d. In the latter case, there is an advantage that there is no need to lengthen the mouth portion 9 in order to provide the flat portion 9a.

1 : Storage container 2 : Container body 3 : Pump 3a : Main body part 3a1 : Cylindrical part 3a2 : Cylinder part 3a3 : Upper wall part 3b : Piston part 3c : Nozzle 3d : Tube 4 : Blow molded container 4a : Outer surface 4b : Bottom surface 4c : Outside air introduction part 5 : Mantle 5a : Cylinder part 5b : Bottom part 5c : Ventilation part 7 : Accommodation part 7a : Body part 7b : Bottom part 7c : Flange part 7d : Cutout part 7e : Projection part 8 : Mold 8a : Cavity 8b : Gate 9 : Mouth part 9d : Engagement part 11 : Fixed part 11a : Opening part 12 : Outer shell 13 : Support rod 14 : Inner bag 15 : Protective cover 15g : Gap

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing a storage container, comprising an integral molding step of integrally molding a blow-molded container and a jacket,
In the integral molding step, the outer peripheral surface of the blow-molded container is placed in a mold, and a space outside the blow-molded container in a cavity of the mold is filled with resin to form the mantle. forming the container body;
The mantle is formed to cover the outer peripheral surface and bottom surface of the blow-molded container,
The blow-molded container has an outer shell and an inner bag, and is configured such that the inner bag contracts as the contents decrease,
An outside air introduction part for introducing outside air between the outer shell and the inner bag is provided in the cutout part of the outer shell,
The mantle includes a ventilation part that communicates the outside air introduction part with the space outside the storage container,
In the integral molding step, the resin is filled with a pin placed in a portion that will become the ventilation portion, and when the container body is taken out from the mold, the pin is removed from the mantle to form the ventilation portion. How to form. A method for manufacturing a storage container, comprising an integral molding step of integrally molding a blow-molded container and a jacket,
In the integral molding step, the outer peripheral surface of the blow-molded container is placed in a mold, and a space outside the blow-molded container in a cavity of the mold is filled with resin to form the mantle,
The mantle is formed to cover the outer peripheral surface and bottom surface of the blow-molded container,
The blow-molded container has an outer shell and an inner bag, and is configured such that the inner bag contracts as the contents decrease,
In the integral molding step, the blow-molded container is placed in the mold with a protective cover covering a cutout portion of the blow-molded container ,
An outside air introduction part for introducing outside air between the outer shell and the inner bag is provided in the cutout part of the outer shell,
The mantle includes a ventilation part that communicates the outside air introduction part with the space outside the storage container,
A gap is provided between the protective cover and the blow molded container,
A method of forming the vent in the mantle by drilling with a drilling tool . The method according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
A method of pressurizing the inside of the blow-molded container during the integral molding step. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
In the integral molding step, filling with the resin is performed while pressing the inner surface of the bottom of the blow-molded container with a support rod inserted into the blow-molded container.