JPH04367475A - Food preservation container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preserve home-made dishes for a long term with a simple apparatus such as a microwave oven, etc., and simple operation. CONSTITUTION:A container main body 2 is made of a heat-resistant dielectric of earth, porcelain, heat-resistant glass or heat-resistant plastic, and a heat- resistant packing 4 made of heat-resistant rubber or plastic is attached on the opening of the container main body 2. A heat-resistant, thin plate like removable lid 3 that tightly covers the opening of the container main body 2 has a specified elasticity and a partly omitted annular groove 5 is formed on the lid 3 so as to form an elastic up-and-down bending part 6. A check valve 9 is constructed in such a way that a heat-resistant valve diaphragm 8 made of heat-resistant rubber or plastic and having a diameter larger than the outside diameter of the annular groove 5 is attached on at least an upper face among the upper face of the up-and-down bending part 6 and the upper face of the lid 3 adjacent to an annular-groove-omitted part 7.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a container for storing food, and in particular to a container for storing food. , relates to a food storage container that can maintain a vacuum state with a check valve.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, food storage containers have only been glass bottles with sealed lids equipped with rubber packing, or canned goods whose holes are brazed and sealed after heating with steam.
The former was unsuitable for long-term storage, and the latter required large-scale facilities and was not suitable for general household use. For this reason, there has been a desire to develop a food storage container that can be easily used at home.

[0003] As a conventional technique related to this type of food storage container, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 8795/1983. This relates to a vacuum food storage container, in which a lid with a vacuum control valve attached to the top surface is placed on the rim of the upper opening of the container via packing, and the lid is attached to the top of the container. It is used by tightening by screwing together the tightening ring. Therefore, this vacuum food storage container uses a large number of various parts and has an extremely complicated structure.

[0004] Another conventional technology related to this type of food storage container is the technology disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 58-126970. This is related to a lid with a valve for food, and it is a circular or polygonal lid with an appropriately sized air hole, a protrusion around the lid, and a valve on the surface of the air hole. It can be vacuum-sealed to preserve food inside or to prevent food, juice, moisture, etc. from leaking. In particular, this type of food storage container uses a special tool such as a suction pump to create a vacuum inside the container, and uses the suction force generated by this vacuum pressure to seal the lid and the container in vacuum.

[0005]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in recent years, with the spread of simple heating devices such as microwave ovens in general households,
There has been a demand for a simple food storage container that can be used for cooking, heating, etc. food, and can also store the food as it is for a long period of time.

[0006] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a food storage container that can preserve food such as prepared dishes and dishes at home for a long period of time using a simple device such as a microwave oven and simple operation. be.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The food storage container according to the present invention is made of a heat-resistant dielectric material such as ceramics, porcelain, heat-resistant glass, or heat-resistant synthetic resin, and can be attached to and removed from the opening of the container body. An annular groove is formed in a part of a heat-resistant thin plate-shaped lid having a predetermined elasticity that can be closed to form a vertically bent part that can be elastically bent, and a groove around this vertically bent part is formed. A heat-resistant plate-shaped valve plate having a predetermined elasticity and a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the check valve is attached to the upper surface of at least one of the upper surface of the vertically bent portion and the upper surface of the lid body near the missing ring portion. It is something.

[0008]

[Function] In the food storage container of the present invention, an annular groove is formed in a part of the heat-resistant lid body, which can be detachably attached to the opening of the container body made of a heat-resistant dielectric material. A heat-resistant check valve with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the groove surrounding the vertically bent portion is installed on the upper surface of the vertically bent portion and the lid near the missing ring portion. Since it is attached to at least one of the upper surfaces of the body, a heating device such as a microwave oven can be used, and when the container body is filled with food and the lid is closed, the check valve is in close contact with the surface of the lid, and if it is heated with the lid closed, the inside of the container will be pressurized, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container will push both the upper and lower bent parts and the check valve upward, and the air will leak from the gap between them. The heated air, water vapor, etc. inside the container are released outside the container, and when heating is finished, the check valve comes into close contact with the surface of the lid body again, and as cooling progresses, the pressure inside the container gradually becomes negative. This negative pressure state is maintained for a long period of time and the seal is maintained.

[0009]

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a food storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a valve portion of the food storage container according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, 1 is the food storage container of this embodiment, 2 is a heat-resistant container body made of earthenware, porcelain, heat-resistant glass, heat-resistant synthetic resin, etc., and 3 is a container for attaching and detaching the opening of the container body 2. A heat-resistant thin plate-shaped lid 4 that can be freely attached is a heat-resistant packing made of heat-resistant rubber or heat-resistant synthetic resin interposed between the container body 2 and the lid 3. 5 is an annular groove formed in a part of the lid body 3; 6 is an annular groove 5;
7 is a missing ring part of the vertical bending part 6, and 8 is a heat-resistant rubber or heat-resistant synthetic resin having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the annular groove 5 around the vertical bending part 6. 8a is a protruding portion of the valve plate 8 extending from the upper and lower bent portions 6, and 9 is a heat-resistant plate-shaped valve plate that extends the valve plate 8 from the upper and lower bent portions 6.
This is a check valve that is attached to the top surface of the lid body 3 near the top surface and the missing ring portion 7. Note that this check valve 9 has the valve plate 8 connected to the upper and lower bent portions 6.
It may be formed by adhering only to the upper surface, or may be formed by adhering only to the upper surface of the lid body 3 in the vicinity of the missing ring portion 7.

That is, in the food storage container of this embodiment, an annular groove 5 is formed approximately in the center of the lid 3 which is tightly closed to the container body 2 through the packing 4. A vertically bent portion 6 that can be easily and elastically bent is formed inside the annular groove 5, and a portion far larger than the vertically bent portion 6 is formed on the upper surface of this vertically bent portion 6 and on the upper surface of the lid body 3 near the missing ring portion 7. A check valve 9 is formed by pasting a thin valve plate 8 with a large diameter. Moreover, since the container body 2, lid 3, and check valve 9 are all made of heat-resistant materials, the food F can be placed in the food storage container 1 and used in a heating device such as a household microwave oven. It can be easily heated using

Next, the operation of heating food and preserving the heated food using this food storage container will be explained.

FIG. 3 is a first sectional view for explaining the function of the food storage container of this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a second sectional view for explaining the function of the food storage container of this embodiment. FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, when food F is put into the container body 2 and the lid 3 is covered with the packing 4, the opening portion 8a of the valve plate 8 is brought into close contact with the surface of the lid 3. are doing. If the container is heated with a heating device such as a microwave oven with the lid closed, the pressure inside the container will increase, and due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container, the upper and lower bent portions 6 surrounded by the annular groove 5 in the lid 3 will be cut off at the base. Using the ring portion 7 as a fulcrum, it is pushed upward together with the valve plate 8 (see Fig. 4). At this time, the gap k as shown in FIG.
The heated air, water vapor, etc. inside the container are released from the gap k to the outside of the container. In addition, after releasing steam etc.
Immediately, the vertically bent portion 6 returns to its original position, and the protruding portion 8a of the valve plate 8 comes into close contact with the surface of the lid body 3. Due to the function of the check valve 9, the steam inside the container can be released relatively smoothly, but the inflow of outside air is suppressed. For this reason, the release of heated air, water vapor, etc. inside the container to the outside is an extremely short, almost instantaneous release, and although the pressure inside the container once drops after the release of steam, it rises again due to heating. As the steam rises and steam etc. are released again, this process is repeated one after another, resulting in intermittent release.

When the food storage container 1 is removed from the heating device after heating, the inside of the container body 2 changes to negative pressure, so the valve plate 8 comes into close contact with the surface of the lid 3 again as shown in FIG. . As the food F in the container body 2 cools, the container body 2
The negative pressure inside gradually increases, and this negative pressure state is maintained, maintaining the seal for a long time.

In this way, the food storage container 1 of this embodiment
The container body 2 is made of a heat-resistant dielectric material such as ceramics, porcelain, heat-resistant glass, or heat-resistant synthetic resin, and the opening of the container body 2 is interposed with a heat-resistant packing 4 made of heat-resistant rubber or heat-resistant synthetic resin. A heat-resistant thin plate-like lid 3 having a predetermined elasticity that can be attached to and detached from the opening of the container body 2; A heat-resistant member made of an elastic material such as a heat-resistant rubber or a heat-resistant synthetic resin having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the annular groove 5 surrounding the vertically bent portion 6 and formed by an annular groove 5 that can be elastically bent. A check valve 9 is provided, in which a valve plate 8 in the form of a flexible plate is adhered to at least one of the upper surface of the vertically bent portion 6 and the upper surface of the lid body 3 in the vicinity of the missing ring portion 7.

Therefore, since the container body 2, the lid 3, and the check valve 9 are made of heat-resistant materials, the food F can be placed in the food storage container 1 and heated in a household microwave oven or the like. It can be easily heated using a device. When food F, etc. is placed in the container body 2 and the lid 3 is closed, the feeding portion 8a of the check valve 9 is in close contact with the surface of the lid 3, and the lid remains in this closed state. When heated, the inside of the container is pressurized, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container causes the vertical bending part 6 and the check valve 9 to close.
are pushed upward together, and heated air, water vapor, etc. inside the container are released from the gap k to the outside of the container. In this way, air, steam, etc. within the container are released to the outside almost instantaneously and intermittently due to heating. When the heating is finished, the check valve 9 comes into close contact with the surface of the lid body 3 again, and as cooling progresses, the pressure inside the container gradually becomes negative pressure, and this negative pressure state is maintained for a long period of time to maintain the seal. . As a result, it becomes a food storage container that can preserve foods such as prepared dishes and dishes at home for a long period of time using a simple device and simple operation. Furthermore, if the lid 3 is removed, the container body 2 can be placed on a dining table and used as a food container.

In particular, in this embodiment, since the vertically bent portion 6 formed by boring the annular groove 5 and the valve plate 8 together constitute the check valve 9, the inside of the container is If the pressure is still not that high, the vertical bending part 6 will not push up,
Only the protruding portion 8a of the valve plate 8 is pushed up from the annular groove 5, and only a small amount of the air inside the container comes out of the container. Then, as the heating progresses and the pressure inside the container increases, the vertically bent portion 6 is also pushed up by the steam, etc., and a large amount of heated air and steam inside the container exit the container. In this way, the amount of air, steam, etc. released within the container is automatically adjusted depending on the pressure state within the container. Furthermore, when the vertically bent portion 6 is pushed up, a substantially half-moon-shaped gap k is created along the annular groove 5, so heated air and steam inside the container are released around the center of the gap k. Furthermore, since the protruding portion 8a of the valve plate 8 extends outside the gap k, exhaust is smoothly exhausted along the protruding portion 8a, and the direction of release of steam etc. is naturally regulated and rectified. When the inside of the container becomes negative pressure, the protruding portion 8a of the valve plate 8 reliably comes into close contact with the top surface of the lid 3 outside the annular groove 5 due to the suction force, and the annular groove 5 is completely sealed. Highly airtight. Moreover, unlike conventional methods, there is no need to create a vacuum inside the container using a special tool such as a suction pump, and use the suction force generated by this vacuum pressure to bring the lid and container into vacuum contact. You can easily cook and heat food by simply putting food F in the container, closing the lid, and heating it with a heating device such as a microwave oven.You can also keep the food for a long time by simply cooling it in that state. Can be saved.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the packing 4 made of heat-resistant rubber or heat-resistant synthetic resin was interposed to tightly fit the lid 3 to the opening of the container body 2, but the packing 4 made of heat-resistant rubber or heat-resistant synthetic resin was inserted directly into the opening of the container body 2. If the lid body 3 is made of a material that can be closed,
It is not necessarily necessary to insert the packing 4. In addition, in the above embodiment, a substantially circular annular groove 5 is formed in the center of the lid body 3, and a substantially circular vertically bent portion 6 is formed inside this annular groove 5. The position of the groove 5 is not necessarily limited to the center of the lid 3, and the shape of the annular groove 5 and the vertically bent portion 6 is not limited to a substantially circular shape either. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where a microwave oven is used as a heating device for heating the food storage container 1 has been described, but the container body 2 may be directly heated by a stove etc. In such a case, the container body 2 may be heated directly. 2 need not be made of dielectric material.

[0021]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the food storage container of the present invention includes a container body made of a heat-resistant dielectric material, a heat-resistant thin plate-shaped lid having elasticity, and a lid formed on the lid. It is equipped with an upper and lower bent portion and a check valve formed by adhering an elastic, heat-resistant plate-shaped valve plate to the upper surface of the upper and lower bent portions, and the lid is removably attached to the opening of the container body. An annular groove is formed in a part of the lid body that can be bent elastically to form a vertical bent part, and a check valve with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the groove surrounding this vertical bent part is inserted into the upper and lower parts. By pasting the top surface of at least one of the top surface of the bent part and the top surface of the lid near the missing ring part, a heating device such as a microwave oven can be used. When the lid is closed, the check valve is in close contact with the surface of the lid, and if the container is heated with the lid closed, the inside of the container will be pressurized, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container will cause both the upper and lower bent portions and the check valve to close together. It pushes upward, and the heated air and water vapor inside the container are released from the gap outside the container.
When heating is finished, the check valve comes into close contact with the surface of the lid body again, and as cooling progresses, the pressure inside the container gradually becomes negative, and this negative pressure state is maintained for a long period of time, maintaining the seal. To preserve foods such as prepared dishes and dishes at home for a long period of time using a simple device and simple operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a food storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a valve portion of a food storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a first sectional view illustrating the operation of a food storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a second sectional view illustrating the operation of the food storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Food storage container 2
Container body 3 Lid 4 Packing 5 Annular groove 6 Vertical bending part 7 Annular part 8 Valve plate 8a Ejection part 9 Check valve F Food k Gap

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A container body made of a heat-resistant dielectric;
A heat-resistant thin plate-like lid body having a predetermined elasticity that is tightly attached to the opening of the container body and can be freely attached and detached; and an elastically bendable lid body formed by an annular groove bored in a part of the lid body. A heat-resistant plate-shaped valve plate having a predetermined elasticity and a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the groove around the vertical bending portion is attached to the upper surface of the lid body near the upper surface of the vertical bending portion and the missing ring portion. A food storage container characterized by comprising a check valve attached to at least one top surface.