Starch foamed meal box
By using staggered vents and a labyrinthine ventilation channel design along the circumference, combined with starch foam material, the problem of poor ventilation of hot and humid gases in existing lunch boxes is solved, achieving efficient ventilation, dust prevention, and theft prevention while maintaining the taste of food.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TAIZHOU JIANMIN SCI & TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
When food is fried or baked at high temperatures, the sealed structure of existing disposable plastic food containers prevents the effective release of hot and humid gases, resulting in a decrease in the crispness and texture of the food. At the same time, improvements to the design to improve breathability pose food safety risks.
The staggered arrangement of the first and second vents forms a labyrinthine ventilation channel, with a ring-shaped structure at the vents. Combined with a box body, lid, and cap made of starch foam material, an anti-theft structure is formed by water bonding, achieving efficient discharge of humid and hot gases and dust prevention.
It achieves efficient emission of hot and humid gases, maintains the crisp texture of food, prevents dust and debris from entering, ensures the food container's anti-fouling function, and has a certain degree of anti-theft capability.
Smart Images
Figure CN224466505U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of packaging containers and relates to a starch foam lunch box. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of the food delivery industry, disposable plastic lunch boxes have become the mainstream product in the food packaging field due to their lightweight, low cost, and good sealing performance. Currently, most disposable lunch boxes on the market adopt a snap-fit sealing structure, consisting of a box body and lid molded from plastics such as polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS), achieving a sealed cavity through edge snaps or groove designs. While this structure effectively prevents liquid leakage and external contamination during transportation, the inherent airtightness of the material results in a severe deficiency in its ability to regulate the internal microenvironment.
[0003] When packaging deep-fried foods (such as fried chicken and fried dough sticks) or freshly baked foods (such as roast duck and pan-fried dumplings), the surface temperature of the food typically reaches over 70°C. The large amount of water vapor carried by the food quickly saturates the sealed cavity. Because the food container lacks an active heat dissipation mechanism, the steam condenses upon encountering the cooler surfaces of the container walls and lid, forming liquid water droplets. These condensed droplets fall back onto the food surface due to gravity, causing the originally crispy surface to reabsorb moisture, resulting in a significant decrease in crispness, a soft texture, and severely diminishing the consumer experience.
[0004] Existing technologies attempt to improve breathability by creating micro-ventilation holes on the top of the lid, but such designs have fundamental flaws: on the one hand, the micro-pore size is limited by surface tension and vapor pressure difference, resulting in insufficient moisture permeability per unit time; on the other hand, while increasing the pore size can increase the amount of moisture permeability, it will damage the dustproof and sealing functions of the food container, allowing dust, microorganisms and foreign objects to enter through the holes during transportation and storage, causing food safety hazards.
[0005] Therefore, current disposable food containers face a contradiction between the requirements for high airtightness and the need for efficient removal of hot and humid gases. There is an urgent need to develop an innovative structure that can achieve efficient removal of hot and humid gases while maintaining the container's anti-fouling function, thereby overcoming the technical bottleneck in preserving crispy foods. Utility Model Content
[0006] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a starch-foamed lunchbox with excellent breathability, enabling efficient discharge of hot and humid gases, maintaining the crisp texture of food, and ensuring the lunchbox's anti-fouling function.
[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0008] A starch-foamed lunch box includes a box body, a box lid, and a sealing lid. The box lid is fastened to the box body to form a closed cavity, and the sealing lid is connected to the box lid to form a ventilated cavity. The box lid is provided with a first vent, and the sealing lid is provided with a second vent. The first vent and the second vent are staggered on the vertical projection plane. The first vent, the ventilated cavity, and the second vent form a labyrinthine ventilated channel. The edge of the first vent is surrounded by an upwardly extending first rim, and the edge of the second vent is surrounded by an upwardly extending second rim. The first rim and the second rim form a dustproof structure for the ventilated channel.
[0009] In the aforementioned starch foam lunch box, the staggered arrangement on the vertical projection plane means that the vertical projections of the two boxes have no overlapping areas.
[0010] In the aforementioned starch foamed lunch box, the vertical projection of the first vent is within the range of the vertical projection of the lid.
[0011] In the aforementioned starch foamed lunch box, the lid is fastened to the top or bottom of the box lid.
[0012] In the aforementioned starch foamed lunch box, the top or bottom of the lid is provided with an annular mounting flange, and the lid is fastened to the annular mounting flange. After fastening, the inner wall of the lid contacts the outer wall of the annular mounting flange and forms a fastened connection structure. When the first vent is located at the edge, the first circumference can also be integrated with the annular mounting flange.
[0013] In the aforementioned starch-foamed lunch box, the lid is centrally located at the top of the lid, and the top of the lid is molded to form a downward-facing groove structure. The lid is fitted into the groove structure. Preferably, the lid is flush with the top plane of the lid after installation. Alternatively, the lid is centrally located at the bottom of the lid, and the bottom of the lid is molded to form an upward-facing groove structure. The lid is fitted into the groove structure. Preferably, the lid is flush with the bottom plane of the lid after installation.
[0014] In the aforementioned starch foam lunch box, both the first vent and the second vent are provided with multiple vents.
[0015] In the aforementioned starch foamed lunch box, when the lid is fastened to the top of the box, the total opening area of the first vent is greater than the total opening area of the second vent; when the lid is fastened to the bottom of the box, the total opening area of the second vent is greater than the total opening area of the first vent.
[0016] In the aforementioned starch foamed lunch box, the total opening area of the first vent and the second vent is designed to enable efficient discharge of hot and humid gases. For example, the total opening area of the first vent and the second vent is 5%-20% of the lid area and the sealing area, respectively.
[0017] In the aforementioned starch foam lunch box, the top outer edge of the box body is provided with a flange, and the bottom outer edge of the box lid is provided with a groove that engages with the flange. The flange and the groove are glued together with water to form an anti-theft structure.
[0018] In the aforementioned starch foam lunch box, the annular mounting flange is located on the top of the lid, and the inner wall of the lid and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange are bonded together with water to form an anti-theft structure.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages:
[0020] 1. This utility model provides a starch-foamed lunch box, which employs staggered first and second vents and a vent cavity to form a labyrinthine ventilation channel. This ventilation channel allows for efficient exhaust of hot and humid gases while preventing the entry of dust and debris. Therefore, this utility model maintains the crisp texture of food and ensures the lunch box's anti-fouling function. Furthermore, this utility model also incorporates a first and second circumferential edge at the first and second vents, further preventing the entry of external dust and debris.
[0021] 2. The box body, lid, and sealing cap of this utility model are all made of foamed starch, which has a certain degree of water absorption. It can absorb moisture from the food to a limited extent, maintain the crisp texture, and also has the function of heat preservation and insulation. By using water to glue the box body and lid together, and the lid and sealing cap together, the bonding strength between the box body and lid, and between the lid and sealing cap can be increased, and this utility model can also have an anti-theft function. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image;
[0025] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of this utility model;
[0026] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Box body; 2. Box lid; 3. Cover; 4. Closed cavity; 5. Ventilated cavity; 6. First vent; 7. Second vent; 8. First circumferential edge; 9. Second circumferential edge; 10. Annular mounting flange; 11. Groove structure; 12. Flanged edge; 13. Groove edge. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. See also: Figure 1-4 :
[0028] A starch-foamed lunch box includes a box body 1, a box lid 2, and a sealing lid 3. The box lid 2 is fastened to the box body 1 to form a closed cavity 4. The sealing lid 3 is connected to the box lid 2 to form a breathable cavity 5. The box lid 2 is provided with a first vent 6, and the sealing lid 3 is provided with a second vent 7. The first vent 6 and the second vent 7 are staggered on the vertical projection plane. The first vent 6, the breathable cavity 5, and the second vent 7 form a labyrinthine breathable channel. The edge of the first vent 6 is surrounded by an upwardly extending first circumference 8, and the edge of the second vent 7 is surrounded by an upwardly extending second circumference 9. The first circumference 8 and the second circumference 9 form a dustproof structure for the breathable channel.
[0029] In this embodiment, food is placed inside the closed cavity 4. The hot and humid gas generated by the food enters the ventilated cavity 5 through the first vent 6 from the closed cavity 4, and then exits to the outside through the second vent 7. The ventilated channel in this embodiment is a tortuous channel formed by "closed cavity 4 - first vent 6 - ventilated cavity 5 - second vent 7 - outside". The hot and humid gas is discharged through this tortuous channel, but external dust and debris cannot enter the closed cavity 4 and come into contact with the food through this tortuous channel. This embodiment further provides a first ring edge 8 and a second ring edge 9 to form a physical dust barrier. External dust and debris need to cross two vertical ring walls to enter the closed cavity 4, making the probability close to zero.
[0030] The staggered arrangement on the vertical projection plane mentioned above means that the vertical projections of the two do not overlap. The staggered arrangement of the vents can prevent external dust and debris from falling directly into the closed cavity 4.
[0031] The vertical projection of the first vent 6 is within the range of the vertical projection of the cover 3.
[0032] In this embodiment, the cover 3 is fastened to the top of the box cover 2. Of course, the cover 3 can also be fastened to the bottom of the box cover 2.
[0033] To facilitate and securely fix the cover 3, in this embodiment, the top of the box cover 2 is provided with an annular mounting flange 10, and the cover 3 is fastened to the annular mounting flange 10. After fastening, the inner wall of the cover 3 contacts the outer wall of the annular mounting flange 10 and forms a tight connection structure. When the first vent 6 is located at the edge, the first circumference 8 can also be integrated with the annular mounting flange 10. When the cover 3 is fastened to the bottom of the box cover 2, the annular mounting flange 10 is located at the bottom of the box cover 2.
[0034] In this embodiment, the cover 3 is centrally located at the top of the lid 2. The top of the lid 2 is molded to form a downward-facing groove structure 11, and the cover 3 is fitted into the groove structure 11. Preferably, the cover 3 is flush with the top plane of the lid 2 after installation. When the cover 3 is fastened to the bottom of the lid 2, the cover 3 is centrally located at the bottom of the lid 2. The bottom of the lid 2 is molded to form an upward-facing groove structure 11, and the cover 3 is fitted into the groove structure 11. Preferably, the cover 3 is flush with the bottom plane of the lid 2 after installation.
[0035] To facilitate ventilation, multiple first vents 6 and second vents 7 are provided. In this embodiment, a total of four first vents 6 and two second vents 7 are provided. The first vents 6 are evenly distributed on the lid 2, and the second vents 7 are evenly distributed on the cover 3.
[0036] In this embodiment, the cover 3 is fastened to the top of the lid 2, and the total opening area of the first vent 6 is greater than the total opening area of the second vent 7, which allows for smoother discharge of hot and humid gas; when the cover 3 is fastened to the bottom of the lid 2, the total opening area of the second vent 7 is greater than the total opening area of the first vent 6.
[0037] The total opening area of the first vent 6 and the second vent 7 is designed to achieve efficient discharge of hot and humid gases. For example, the total opening area of the first vent 6 and the second vent 7 is 5%-20% of the area of the lid 2 and the area of the cover 3, respectively.
[0038] The top outer edge of the box body 1 is provided with a flange 12, and the bottom outer edge of the box cover 2 is provided with a groove edge 13 that engages with the flange 12. The flange 12 and the groove edge 13 are glued together with water to form an anti-theft structure. Taking advantage of the easy stickiness of starch foam products (after absorbing water and swelling, the structure of the starch foam will be changed, making the surface relatively wet, soft and sticky, and this process is irreversible. Since only a small amount of water is on the surface, it will not affect the strength of the product), when the flange 12 and the groove edge 13 are glued together, when the box cover 2 is opened, the connection between the box cover 2 and the box body 1 will be damaged and cannot be restored to its original state, thus indicating whether the packaging has been opened.
[0039] Based on the same principle, this embodiment can also add an anti-theft structure between the lid and the cover. When the annular mounting flange 10 is set on the top of the lid 2, the inner wall of the cover 3 and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange 10 are bonded together with water to form an anti-theft structure.
[0040] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of the present utility model should be covered within the scope of protection of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A starch-foamed lunch box, characterized in that, The box includes a box body (1), a box lid (2), and a sealing lid (3). The box lid (2) is fastened to the box body (1) to form a closed cavity (4). The sealing lid (3) is connected to the box lid (2) to form a breathable cavity (5). The box lid (2) is provided with a first vent (6), and the sealing lid (3) is provided with a second vent (7). The first vent (6) and the second vent (7) are staggered on the vertical projection plane. The first vent (6), the breathable cavity (5), and the second vent (7) form a labyrinthine breathable channel. The edge of the first vent (6) is surrounded by an upwardly extending first rim (8), and the edge of the second vent (7) is surrounded by an upwardly extending second rim (9). The first rim (8) and the second rim (9) form the dustproof structure of the breathable channel.
2. The starch foam lunch box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cover (3) is fastened to the top or bottom of the lid (2).
3. A starch-foamed lunch box according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top or bottom of the cover (2) is provided with an annular mounting flange (10), and the cover (3) is fastened to the annular mounting flange (10). After fastening, the inner wall of the cover (3) contacts the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) and forms a fastening connection structure.
4. A starch-foamed lunch box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cover (3) is centrally located at the top of the lid (2), and the top of the lid (2) is molded to form a downward groove structure, with the cover (3) fitting into the groove structure (11); or, the cover (3) is centrally located at the bottom of the lid (2), and the bottom of the lid (2) is molded to form an upward groove structure (11), with the cover (3) fitting into the groove structure (11).
5. A starch-foamed lunch box according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first vent (6) and the second vent (7) are provided with multiple vents.
6. A starch-foamed lunch box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top outer edge of the box body (1) is provided with a flange (12), and the bottom outer edge of the box cover (2) is provided with a groove edge (13) that fastens to the flange (12). The flange (12) and the groove edge (13) are glued together with water to form an anti-theft structure.
7. A starch-foamed lunch box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The annular mounting flange (10) is set on the top of the cover (2), and the inner wall of the cover (3) and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) are bonded together with water to form an anti-theft structure.