JPH10167242A - Easily foldable and disposable hollow container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily fold a container into two small pieces and dispose it, after a vacant container from which the contents are discharged has been squashed flatly, when disposing the unnecessary hollow container, which contained a liquid before. SOLUTION: A thermoplastic synthetic resin is formed by blow molding to form a hollow container 1 body which is constituted of subsequent opening neck 2, shoulder 3, body 4 and bottom 5 and formed to have a nearly eliptic sectional shape and which can be easily squashed. A fitting recess 5a is formed at the bottom 5 of the container and a fitting protrusion 6a fitted to the fitting recess 5a is formed in the cover body 6 screwed on the opening neck 2. Folding recesses 4b, 4c are formed at the center of one side of the body 4 and at a position near the bottom. The body 4 wall of the hollow and vacant container 1 is pressed to make it flat and the cover body 6 is screwed on the flat opening neck 2 and fixed flatly. The body of the container is folded into two and the fitting protrusion 6a of the cover body 6 is fitted in the fitting recess 5a to fix the hollow container for liquid.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hollow container for storing a liquid material obtained by blow molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin, and more particularly, to a method for removing a hollow container after the stored contents have been used. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hollow container having a structure in which an empty container can be easily crushed into a flat shape when discarded, and the crushed container can be folded in two and discarded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventionally used hollow container made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin containing a liquid material has a hard mouth and neck portion to which a lid is screwed, and a torso portion continuous downward through a shoulder portion. And a bottom formed at the lower end of the body, which is formed by blow molding integrally. In order to provide strength that can withstand the impact, pressure, and other external forces generated during filling, transporting, and use, various ribs with various shapes are provided on the body wall to provide rigidity. Various measures have been taken to make the bottom part curved or other slightly thicker to make it self-supporting and to prevent cracks.However, consideration has been given to discarding used containers. Not.

On the other hand, disposable containers containing various liquid materials have come to be used due to recent changes in lifestyle and convenience in life, and as a result, they are lightweight, hard to break, and have a physical distribution surface. As a container that is convenient for transfer at a time and is easy to mold, a hollow container formed by blow molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin has come to be used frequently.

[0004] When these synthetic resin containers are discarded because they are no longer needed, the containers may be discarded without being bulky from the viewpoint of efficiently collecting a large amount of discarded containers. Although it is necessary, as a container having a structure suitable for such recovery, a foldable bellows-like groove is provided in a cylindrical wall portion of a hollow container as described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 30054585. The used empty container can be reduced in volume by compressing it in the axial direction, or the side wall and bottom portion of the hollow container as described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-46717. A folding line portion is provided, and the empty container is folded flat along the folding line so that the volume can be easily reduced.

[0005] However, in the case of the former, in which an empty container is compressed in a bellows shape, the body of the container is simply contracted in the vertical direction, so that a space portion remains in the central portion and waste material is left. It is impossible to significantly reduce the volume of the container, and the shrunk container may easily return to its original shape immediately. And, in the case of the latter, the empty container is folded flat, the air can easily enter the container with the elastic return force of the folded container, so the folded state should be stably maintained as it is However, there is a drawback that it is necessary to close the lid with a lid and that there is little reinforcing rib on the body wall, so that there is a problem in strength.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application has improved the drawback of the flat folded structure of the container, and as shown in FIG. 6, the screw portion 16 and the neck ring 17 formed on the mouth and neck portion 11 of the hollow container. A discontinuous portion 18 is formed and the bottom 1
4, a concave groove 19 which is depressed inward by the pressing force is formed, and a concave portion 20 and a convex portion 21 are formed on one wall surface of the opposing side walls 13a and 13b on the body of the container, and the other wall surface facing the concave portion is formed. Are provided with a convex portion 23 and a concave portion 22 in the form of ribs respectively. When the container is folded flat, the concave portion 20 has the convex portion 23 and the convex portion 21 has the concave portion 22. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-101442 proposes a structure in which the members are fitted to each other so that they can be stably held in a flat shape.

[0007] The container having the above structure is provided with uneven reinforcing ribs 21 and 23 over a wide area of the body side wall.
Is formed, it has sufficient rigidity to withstand shocks and other external forces at the time of filling, transferring and using the contents, and flatten empty containers after use. Since the container can be easily crushed, there is almost no space inside the container and the container does not bulk up, so that the collection operation is more efficient than the conventional container. However, the container discarded in this manner has a large surface area because it has only been crushed flat, so it takes time to store a large amount of large amount in the collection container. There is a disadvantage. Also, to provide the above structure, a large container such as a beverage container is suitable,
A small container containing an inner solution such as a detergent or a cosmetic is not suitable.

[0008]

In order to reuse a commonly used synthetic resin container, a large amount of the container must be efficiently collected. This requires emptying the container during disposal. When discarded as garbage in the as it is shape, the volume is large and very bulky, so that efficient collection cannot be expected. Therefore, the emergence of a container having a structure in which an unused empty container can be discarded without being bulky is desired. The present invention has strength enough to withstand external force when the content liquid is filled and usable, but the used empty container can be easily crushed into a flat shape, resulting in a flattened shape. Provided is a synthetic resin hollow container having a structure in which the container can be discarded in a state of being folded into two small parts and can be disposed of efficiently and easily.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a self-supporting hollow container having a circular or elliptical cross section is crushed into a flat shape after the content liquid is almost completely discharged. The flattened container can be formed by blow molding of a thermoplastic synthetic resin that can be folded in two at a central portion, and a container opening is formed on a bottom front wall or a bottom wall of the container body. A concave portion is formed for fitting and fixing the engaging projection provided on the lid screwed to the neck, so that the flattened hollow container can be held in a bent state. Furthermore, in order to be able to easily flatten and bend an empty container, even if the hollow container is formed from a somewhat hard material, or even if the body wall is formed to be slightly thicker, A structure in which a concave groove for facilitating bending is provided on the body wall surface of the hollow container.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A thermoplastic synthetic resin is blow-molded to form a body 4 of a hollow container having a substantially elliptical cross section, and an engaging recess 5a is formed on an outer surface of a bottom portion 5 of the container. The container body is formed, and the side of the lid 6 screwed to the mouth-and-neck portion 2 of the hollow container body is provided on the side of the engagement recess 5a at the bottom.
Is formed, and the lid 6 is screwed onto the mouth and neck portion 2 of the hollow container main body containing the liquid material to constitute the liquid container 1. Then, the hollow container in which the used liquid has been used up or is no longer used, after completely discharging the contents of the container 1, pressing the wall of the body 4 of the container to make it flat, and then closing the lid. After the body 6 is screwed into the mouth and neck portion 2 of the container and fixed in a flat shape, the body 6 of the flattened container is bent in half at the middle portion of the body portion, and the engaging projection 6a of the lid 6 is engaged. Bottom 5
Is pressed into the engaging recess 5a, and is discarded.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A container according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment with reference to the drawings. In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the cross-section of the hollow container has a substantially elliptical shape through the mouth-and-neck portion 2 formed with a screw groove for screwing the lid 6, and the following shoulder portion 3. The main body of the liquid containing hollow container 1 composed of the body portion 4 and the bottom portion 5 formed to be self-supporting is formed by blow molding of a thermoplastic synthetic resin, and at the same time, the engagement protrusion provided on the lid portion 6 on the bottom portion 5. 6a is formed with an engagement recess 5a that can be fitted, and the container body is formed into a structure that can be crushed flat. Further, the lid 6 screwed to the mouth and neck portion 2 of the container has an engagement protrusion 6a formed by protruding in a nail shape on the outer surface thereof, with a head having a slightly larger diameter than the trunk. It is integrally formed by injection molding of a thermoplastic synthetic resin.

As described above, the body 4 of the hollow container body is
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, simply forming a structure that can be crushed into a flat shape having an elliptical cross section, the size of the container, the difference in the thickness of the container wall, the hardness of the material, etc. May not be sufficient to easily crush or bend the torso. Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a concave groove 4b for bending in a single-letter shape over the half side of the container is provided near the bottom 5 of the front wall of the body 4 of the hollow container 1. Even when the bottom wall 5 is formed of a thick wall or a container formed of a somewhat hard material, the lower wall of the body is grasped by grasping the bottom 5 of the emptied container so that the concave groove 4b is depressed inward. By bending, the body can be easily made flat.

If it is not easy to bend the flattened container into two just by adopting the structure as shown in FIG. 1, furthermore, as shown in FIGS. In addition to the groove 4b, by providing a concave groove 4c for bending at the center of one side of the body 4 of the hollow container 1, the body wall of the container is made of a thick or hard material. In addition, it becomes easier to bend the body of the flattened container. If the concave groove 4c is formed to be short on both sides on one side as shown in the figure,
The groove 4c is not so noticeable and does not hinder the sticking of the label. However, the concave groove 4c may be formed in the shape of a horizontal single character on the wall surface of the container like the lower concave groove 4b.

The body of the hollow container 1 of the present invention formed into the above-described structure is filled with a cosmetic, detergent, or other liquid internal solution, and then the mouth and neck of the container as shown in the figure. Since the lid 6 having the above-mentioned structure was screwed into 2 and hermetically sealed,
They are packaged in various forms and shipped as products. When the product that has been delivered to the consumer in this way is used and becomes used or discarded because it is no longer needed, in the case of a container with a screw cap, the inner solution is used. After discharging, the bottom 5 of the container is grasped and bent inward along the concave groove 4b to flatten it, and then the lid 6 is screwed to the mouth and neck of the container, and when a hinge lid is used, The inner solution may be discharged and the opening of the flattened container may be closed.
Next, the body 4 of the container is bent into a concave groove 4 at the center.
After being bent in two along c, an engagement protrusion 6a provided on the side wall of the lid 6 made of a screw lid or a hinge lid is fitted into the engagement recess 5a provided on the bottom 5;
Engagement recess 5a formed slightly wider behind the inlet
The head of the engagement protrusion 6a is tightly fitted and fixed to the
The empty container 1 is discarded in a container for collection or collection.

In the above-described embodiment, a groove 4b near the bottom and a groove 4c at the center are simultaneously formed on the wall of the body 4 of the hollow container 1 as bending grooves for bending. However, since the thickness of the body is generally thinner than that of the bottom of the container, the concave shape in the center of the body wall depends on the shape and material of the container. Although the groove 4c is not always necessary, the body is bent in the same manner even when there is no bending groove 4c in the center of the body wall so that the engagement recess 5a and the engagement protrusion 6a are fitted. It goes without saying that they can be fixed together. In addition, when a hinge lid is used as the lid 6, the engagement projection 6a also functions as a finger hook for opening and closing the lid, so that the lid can be easily opened and closed.

As described above, the empty container is flattened so as not to be bulky, folded in half, and reduced in volume to be discarded. Since it can be collected efficiently, it can be easily collected and reused as a recycled resource, or incinerated.

In the above-described embodiment, the reinforcing rib which is normally formed on the body wall of the container is not formed, but any reinforcing rib may be provided on the body of the container of the present invention. In this case, if the container is formed in a direction transverse to the axial direction of the container, there is no problem in bending the container in two. Also, when reinforcing ribs are provided in the axial direction of the container, when the container is flattened, if the vertical bent grooves are formed on the surfaces serving as both side walls of the body, the cross-sectional shape of the container is elliptical. Irrespective of shape, circular shape, etc., it becomes possible to easily flatten the container by pressing the side wall of the container from both sides.

[0018]

As described above, the biaxially stretch-blown container of the present invention has an engagement projection on the lid and an engagement recess on the bottom or the body wall. Since it is provided with bent concave grooves for flattening and bending in the part, when it is discarded after use, it is possible to easily crush it in a flat shape easily, and fold it in two and compress it Since the container can be discarded in a fixed state, the bulk of the container to be discarded is eliminated, and the collection operation becomes very easy. Therefore, the collection efficiency as a recycled resource can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a container according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a front view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 (b) is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 6 (a) in a flat state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hollow container 2 Mouth-neck part 3 Shoulder part 4 Body part 4a Engaging concave part 4b Flattening concave groove 4c Bending concave groove 5 Bottom part 5a Engaging concave part 6 Lid 6a Engaging projection 11 Neck part 14 Bottom part 19 Concave groove 17 Neck ring 20,22 Concave rib 21,23 Convex rib

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshimitsu Yamagishi 5 Kiyohakucho, Kuki-shi, Saitama Pref. Shiseido Kuki Plant Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Sanae Honey 2-3-6 Oshima, Koto-ku, Tokyo Inside Yoshino Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A hollow container body comprising a mouth and neck, a shoulder, a body, and a bottom formed by blow molding a thermoplastic synthetic resin, and a lid screwed to the mouth and neck. In the liquid container hollow container, the hollow container main body has an engaging concave portion and a bent concave groove formed on a wall surface thereof, and a body portion can be squashed flat and bendable in two. An easily foldable and disposable hollow is formed on the outer surface of the lid, further comprising an engagement projection for holding the flattened container body in a state of being folded in two. container. 2. The hollow container according to claim 1, wherein the body of the hollow container body has an elliptical cross section. 3. The flattened groove formed in the wall surface of the hollow container body is formed in a horizontal single character near the bottom of one surface of the body wall to facilitate flattening. A hollow container that can be easily folded and disposed of as described in (1). 4. On one surface of a body wall of the hollow container body,
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a bent groove for flattening the bottom is formed in a horizontal one-letter shape, and a bent groove for bending in two at the center is formed. An easily foldable and disposable hollow container as described. 5. The hollow which can be easily folded and discarded according to claim 4, wherein the bent groove for bending the body part in two is formed near both side walls of the body part. container. 6. The easily foldable and discardable hollow container according to claim 1, wherein the engagement projection provided on the outer surface of the lid has a head formed to have a slightly larger diameter than the body. . 7. The hollow container according to claim 1, wherein the engagement recess is formed in the bottom wall surface of the container main body so as to have a slightly larger diameter at the back than the inlet.