Packaging container

Abstract

To provide a packaging container that locks a lid in a closed state from above while reducing the possibility of damage to the lid due to the locking when it is opened.SOLUTION: In a container body (20) of a packaging container, the protrusion of a first lid-locking portion (27A) toward the inside of the container body is gradually decreasing from a predetermined position toward a bulging recess portion (28) of the first lid-locking portion in a plan view. The protrusion of a second lid-locking portion (27B) toward the inside of the container body is also gradually decreasing from a predetermined position toward the bulging recess portion of the second lid-locking portion in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a packaging container capable of containing food or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In department stores, supermarkets, etc., plastic packaging containers are used to store food items so that the food items can be displayed on shelves for sale, and the packaging containers with the food items stored therein are displayed on the shelves. An example of such a packaging container is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The packaging container of Patent Document 1 has a plurality of engaging protrusions into which the upper ends of the raised pieces of the lid are fitted to the upper ends of the raised surfaces of the container body. This allows the lid to be securely and firmly fitted to the container body. When the lid is fitted to the container body, the raised pieces of the lid come into contact with the engaging protrusions and move inward, making it easy to insert the lid into the container body. Furthermore, the user can easily remove the lid from the container body, for example, by gripping and lifting the knob pieces of the lid with their hands. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-302150 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the packaging container of Patent Document 1, when a user lifts the tab of the lid, the lid may bend too much and be damaged. For example, the lid may crack due to lifting the tab of the lid. One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a packaging container that can lock the lid from above in a closed state while reducing the possibility of the lid being damaged by the lock when the lid is opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A packaging container according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a packaging container comprising a container body and a lid body that closes the container body, wherein the container body has an inner peripheral step that can support the outer edge of the lid body, which is the outer edge of the lid body, from below, a lid locking portion that is located above the inner peripheral step and can engage the outer edge of the lid body from above, and a lid opening area for opening the container body, wherein the lid locking portion is located on at least one of the two sides of the lid opening area in a planar view, and the amount of protrusion of the lid locking portion toward the inside of the container body gradually decreases from a predetermined position of the lid locking portion toward the lid opening area in a planar view.

[0007] According to the above configuration, even if an unintended external force acts on the lid body causing the lid body to inadvertently come off the container body, the lid locking portion locks the outer edge of the lid body from above, making it difficult for the lid body to come off the container body.

[0008] In addition, the amount of protrusion of the lid locking portion gradually decreases from a predetermined position of the lid locking portion toward the lid opening area in a plan view. This reduces the force acting on the outer edge of the lid when removing the lid from the container body (the force with which the lid locking portion locks the outer edge of the lid (referred to as locking force)). This reduces the possibility of the lid being damaged due to excessive bending when removing the lid from the container body.

[0009] In this manner, with the above-described configuration, the lid body in the closed state can be locked from above, while reducing the possibility of the lid body being damaged by the locking when the lid is opened.

[0010] A packaging container according to aspect 2 of the present invention is similar to aspect 1, in that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases from a predetermined position in a region extending from the center of the lid engaging portion toward the lid opening region in a plan view.

[0011] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the contact area between the lid locking portion and the outer edge of the lid can be made smaller in an area where a locking force is more likely to act on the outer edge of the lid when the lid is removed from the container body, thereby further reducing the possibility that the lid will be damaged when the lid is removed from the container body.

[0012] A packaging container according to a third aspect of the present invention is in accordance with the first or second aspect, wherein the protruding amounts are different at both ends of the lid locking portion.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the protrusion amount of the lid locking portion gradually decreases from the predetermined position toward the open-lid region, so that the protrusion amount at the end on the open-lid region side is smaller than the protrusion amount at the end opposite to this end. Therefore, the locking force acting on the outer edge of the lid body when removing the lid body from the container body can be reduced. In addition, the operation for opening the lid on the open-lid region, i.e., the action related to the operation, can be reduced, and the possibility of the lid body being damaged due to excessive bending when removing the lid body from the container body can be reduced.

[0014] In other words, the amount of protrusion at the opposite end is greater than the amount of protrusion at the end on the open lid region side. Therefore, the lid locking portion is more likely to restrict the upward movement of the outer edge of the lid in the closed state in the opposite end region. This reduces the possibility that the lid will inadvertently come off the container body in the closed state.

[0015] A packaging container according to aspect 4 of the present invention is any of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the lid engagement portions are located on both sides of the opening area, and the amount of protrusion gradually decreases toward the opening area in each of the lid engagement portions.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the possibility of the lid body being inadvertently detached from the container body in the closed state can be further reduced. Also, since the protrusion amount of each lid locking portion gradually decreases toward the open lid region, the possibility of the lid body being damaged when the lid body is removed from the container body can be reduced even when the lid locking portions are located on both sides of the open lid region in a plan view.

[0017] A packaging container according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the shape of the region of the lid locking portion where the protruding amount is gradually reduced is a pointed shape.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the locking force acting on the outer edge of the lid when the lid is removed from the container body can be made smaller, thereby further reducing the possibility that the lid will be damaged when the lid is removed from the container body.

[0019] A packaging container according to aspect 6 of the present invention is any of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the lid locking portion is located on the container body at at least one location other than both sides of the openable area, and the amount of protrusion of the lid locking portion located at the at least one location gradually decreases from a predetermined position of the lid locking portion toward at least one of the two ends of the lid locking portion in a plan view.

[0020] According to the above configuration, the lid locking portion can lock the outer edge of the lid from above even at locations other than both sides of the openable area in a plan view. This further reduces the possibility of the lid being inadvertently removed from the container body. In addition, the lid locking portion provided at the location also has a gradually smaller protrusion amount toward at least one of the two ends of the lid locking portion. Therefore, even if the lid locking portion is located at the location, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the lid being damaged due to excessive bending when removing the lid from the container body.

[0021] A packaging container according to aspect 7 of the present invention is any of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the container body has a downwardly recessed bulging recess in the opening area for opening the container body by bringing a contact body into contact with the underside of the outer edge of the lid, the outer edge of the lid includes an outer edge step that is placed on the inner step, and a portion of the outer edge step protrudes outward from the inner step and is positioned above the bulging recess when the outer edge step is placed on the inner step.

[0022] According to the above configuration, when the outer edge step is placed on the inner peripheral step, a part of the outer edge step protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step, so that the contact body can easily contact the underside of the part of the outer edge step when the lid is opened. Also, when the outer edge step is placed on the inner peripheral step, the part of the outer edge step protruding outward from the inner peripheral step is located above the bulging recess, so that the outermost edge of the part of the outer edge step is located at least inside the outer edge of the bulging recess. This serves to reduce the part of the outer edge step protruding outward from the inner peripheral step from unintentionally contacting an object such as clothing. As a result, a packaging container that can be easily opened and is unlikely to be inadvertently released from the closed state can be realized.

[0023] A packaging container according to aspect 8 of the present invention is, in aspect 7, wherein the container body has a flange portion located outside and above the inner peripheral step portion, the bulging recess bulges outward from the flange portion, and at least a portion of the inner surface of the bulging recess is a curved surface capable of guiding the contact body to the underside.

[0024] According to the above configuration, since the bulging recess bulges outward from the flange, the bulging recess reduces the possibility that a part of the outer edge step protruding outward from the inner peripheral step will unintentionally come into contact with an object such as clothing. In addition, when the contact body is brought into contact with the underside of the part of the outer edge step during opening, the contact body can be guided to the underside by at least a part of the inner surface of the bulging recess, allowing the lid to be opened more smoothly. As a result, a packaging container that can be opened more easily and is less likely to be accidentally released from the closed state can be realized.

[0025] A packaging container according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is in accordance with the seventh or eighth aspect, in which the outer edge of the protruding recess is recessed downward.

[0026] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the contact body can be easily inserted into the bulging recess from the lower recessed portion of the outer edge of the bulging recess. In turn, the contact body can be easily guided to the lower surface of the part of the outer edge step that protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step. This makes it possible to realize a packaging container that can be opened more easily and is less likely to be accidentally released when closed. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to one aspect of the present invention, the lid body in the closed state can be locked from above, and the possibility of the lid body being damaged when opened due to this locking can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaging container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the packaging container shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of a container body provided in the packaging container shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the container body shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a side view of the container body shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view of a lid provided for the packaging container shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of the lid shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the outer edge of the lid and the periphery of the inner peripheral step in the closed state. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the state around the bulging recess when the lid is open. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another example of the periphery of the lid locking portion. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a container body provided in a packaging container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a lid provided on a packaging container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 14. In this embodiment, a packaging container according to one aspect of the present invention will be described as a packaging container that contains food (foodstuffs) as a contained object and that includes a lid and a container body. Examples of food include pizza, okonomiyaki, and assorted side dishes (e.g., a party platter of fried chicken, potatoes, etc.), but the contained object that the packaging container according to one aspect of the present invention contains is not limited to food.

[0030] In this specification, "horizontal" and "vertical (perpendicular)" are defined based on the case where the packaging container is placed on a horizontal surface so that the storage and placement part of the container body, i.e., the bottom of the container body, abuts on the horizontal surface. In addition, in this specification, "upper side" refers to the direction from the container body toward the lid body (+Z axis direction) when the lid body is fitted to the container body, and "lower side" refers to the opposite direction (-Z axis direction).

[0031] [Embodiment 1] The packaging container 1 of the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figs.

[0032] [Packaging container] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a packaging container 1, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the packaging container 1. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the packaging container 1 is a container capable of accommodating food or other objects to be contained therein, and includes a lid body 10 and a container body 20. The lid body 10 and the container body 20 are configured such that the lid body 10 closes the container body 20.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lid body 10 and the container body 20 are each formed by thermoforming a resin sheet having a predetermined sheet thickness. The lid body 10 and the container body 20 may have the same sheet thickness or different sheet thicknesses.

[0034] The resin sheets forming the lid 10 and the container body 20 may be, for example, thermoplastic resin sheets such as polyolefin resin sheets, polystyrene resin sheets, and polyester resin sheets. These resin sheets may be foamed or non-foamed sheets. A laminated sheet may also be used as the resin sheet. Examples of the laminated sheet include a film-laminated foamed sheet obtained by laminating a film on a foamed sheet, a co-extrusion laminate sheet, and an extrusion laminate sheet. Examples of the thermoforming method include vacuum forming, thick air forming, vacuum / pressure forming, and hot plate forming.

[0035] In this embodiment, the lid 10 is colorless and transparent, and the container body 20 is black. However, the colors of the lid 10 and the container body 20 are not particularly limited. The lid 10 is preferably made of a transparent material, and more preferably is colorless and transparent. If the lid 10 is made of a transparent material, the contents placed in the container body 20 can be easily seen through the lid 10. The color of the container body 20 may be a single color or may include multiple colors. In addition, the container body 20 may have a pattern. For example, the container body 20 may have a base color of black, and at least a part of the container body 20 may have a pattern of gold or red.

[0036] [Container body] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container body 20. Fig. 4 is a plan view (top view) of the container body 20. Fig. 5 is a side view of the container body 20. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the container body 20 has a storage mounting portion 21, a storage peripheral wall portion 22, an upper peripheral wall portion 23, a flange portion 24, a main body outer edge portion 25, an inner peripheral step portion 26, a lid locking portion 27, and a bulging recess 28.

[0037] In this embodiment, the container body 20 has a circular outer shape in a plan view. Here, "circular" means a shape that can be regarded as a circle when the container body 20 is viewed as a whole, that is, a substantially circular shape. Therefore, for example, a protruding portion may be formed on a part of the outer edge of the container body 20, and at least one corner may be formed as a right angle or polygon. In this embodiment, a bulging recess 28 is formed as a protruding portion on a part of the outer edge of the container body 20. The above also applies to the shapes, positions, etc. of each part (described later) constituting the packaging container 1 when viewed from every direction.

[0038] The outer shape of the container body 20 in a plan view is not limited to a shape without clear corners such as the circular shape in this embodiment, but may be a polygonal shape such as a square, rectangular, triangular, or pentagonal shape.

[0039] The accommodating and mounting portion 21 is a portion that constitutes the bottom of the container body 20 and is used to place the objects to be accommodated. In this embodiment, the accommodating and mounting portion 21 has a circular outer shape in a planar view. However, the outer shape of the accommodating and mounting portion 21 in a planar view is not limited to a circular shape and may be a polygonal shape.

[0040] The storage and placement section 21 has a central portion 211, a first convex portion 212, and a second convex portion 213. The central portion 211 is a portion that protrudes upward from the central region on the upper surface of the storage and placement section 21. The central portion 211 does not have to protrude upward, but from the viewpoint of improving the strength of the center of the storage and placement section 21, it is preferable that the central portion 211 protrudes upward. The center of the central portion 211 in a plan view coincides with the center of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the center of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view is the center of a circle that forms the outer shape of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view. If the outer shape of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view is polygonal, the center of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view is the center of gravity of the polygon that forms the outer shape of the storage and placement section 21 in a plan view.

[0041] The first convex portion 212 is a portion that protrudes upward from the top surface of the accommodating / mounting portion 21, extends radially from the central portion 211, and is connected to the peripheral wall portion. The peripheral wall portion is a side wall of the container body 20 that extends upward from the peripheral edge portion of the accommodating / mounting portion 21. In this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion is composed of the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 and an upper peripheral wall portion 23.

[0042] In this embodiment, the eight first convex portions 212 extend radially and linearly from the sidewall of the central portion 211 and are connected to the storage peripheral wall portion 22. The upper surfaces of the eight first convex portions 212 are all flush with each other and serve as a mounting surface on which the contents to be stored are placed. The presence of such first convex portions 212 improves the strength of the container body 20 and reduces bending of the container body 20 in the direction of the central portion 211. The direction of the central portion 211 is the direction from the peripheral portion of the storage and mounting portion 21 toward the central portion 211.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first convex portion 212 becomes wider from the central portion 211 toward the storage circumferential wall portion 22. This increases the strength of the portion of the storage mounting portion 21 closer to the storage circumferential wall portion 22, which is more likely to bend, and therefore reduces the overall bending of the container body 20 toward the central portion 211.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the end 214 of the first convex portion 212 on the housing peripheral wall portion 22 side is recessed downward. Also, a groove 216 is formed at the end of the first convex main body portion 215 on the housing peripheral wall portion 22 side. The first convex main body portion 215 is a portion of the first convex portion 212 other than the end 214. The groove 216 is a groove that extends along the extension direction of the first convex portion 212 and is connected to the end 214. Also, the depth of the groove 216 increases toward the end 214.

[0045] Due to the presence of the end 214 and the groove 216 as described above, for example, when an object large enough to cover almost the entirety of the storage and placement section 21 is placed on the upper surface of the eight first convex sections 212, the oil and moisture of the object smoothly flows through the groove 216 and into the end 214. Furthermore, the oil, etc. that flows into the end 214 smoothly flows along the side wall of the end 214 and flows into the liquid reservoir 29. Therefore, since the oil, etc. can be smoothly stored in the liquid reservoir 29, it is possible to effectively reduce the oil, etc. remaining on the upper surface of the first convex section 212 and adhering to the object. The liquid reservoir 29 is a groove formed on the periphery of the storage and placement section 21, inside the portion where the storage peripheral wall section 22 extends, and serves to store the oil, etc. of the object.

[0046] The second convex portion 213 is a portion that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the storage placement portion 21 and is connected to each of the two adjacent first convex portions 212. In this embodiment, the second convex portion 213 extends linearly in a plan view. The second convex portions 213 are formed in two rows along the extension direction of the first convex portion 212, and each row is composed of eight groups of second convex portions 213. The first row of second convex portions 213 formed on the center portion 211 side and the second row of second convex portions 213 formed on the storage peripheral wall portion 22 side are positioned in a regular octagonal shape in a plan view. Furthermore, the upper surfaces of all the second convex portions 213 constituting these two groups are flush with each other and also flush with the upper surfaces of the eight first convex portions 212. That is, the upper surfaces of all the second convex portions 213 constituting these two groups also serve as placement surfaces, similar to the upper surfaces of the eight first convex portions 212 .

[0047] The presence of such second convex portion 213 improves the strength of container body 20 and reduces circumferential deflection of container body 20. The circumferential direction is a direction along the outer shape of the peripheral edge of accommodating and placing portion .

[0048] In this embodiment, the end 217 of the second convex portion 213 becomes wider toward the first convex portion 212, improving the strength of the connection between the first convex portion 212 and the second convex portion 213. The end 217 is the end of the second convex portion 213 in the extension direction of the second convex portion 213, and its tip is connected to the side wall of the first convex portion 212. In addition, the end 217 is recessed downward, so that oil and moisture of the stored object smoothly flow along the end 217 and flow onto the upper surface of the storage and placement portion 21. This effectively reduces the oil and the like remaining on the upper surface of the second convex portion 213 and adhering to the stored object.

[0049] The number of first convex portions 212 is not limited to eight, and may be more than one. The second convex portions 213 do not have to be formed in two rows as described above, and the number per row is not limited to eight. The upper surfaces of all the first convex portions 212 and all the second convex portions 213 do not have to be flush. However, considering that an object to be contained may be placed on the upper surfaces of the first convex portions 212 and the second convex portions 213, it is preferable that all the aforementioned surfaces are flush, taking into consideration the stability when the object to be contained is placed.

[0050] Furthermore, the accommodating and placing section 21 may not have at least one of the first convex portion 212 and the second convex portion 213. For example, when the accommodating and placing section 21 has only the second convex portion 213, the groups of the second convex portions 213 constituting each of the two rows are connected to each other so that two adjacent second convex portions 213 are connected to each other to form a regular octagonal shape in a plan view. Also, for example, when the accommodating and placing section 21 does not have both the first convex portion 212 and the second convex portion 213, the upper surface of the accommodating and placing section 21 becomes the placing surface.

[0051] The storage peripheral wall portion 22 extends upward from the peripheral portion of the storage mounting portion 21, and constitutes the lower portion of the side wall of the container body 20. The storage peripheral wall portion 22 and the storage mounting portion 21 form a storage space in which the object to be stored is stored. In this embodiment, the storage peripheral wall portion 22 is inclined outward from the peripheral portion of the storage mounting portion 21 toward the upper side. However, the storage peripheral wall portion 22 may be formed perpendicular to the storage mounting portion 21 from the peripheral portion of the storage mounting portion 21.

[0052] The upper peripheral wall portion 23 is formed on the upper side of the housing peripheral wall portion 22, and constitutes an upper portion of the side wall of the container body 20. In this embodiment, the upper peripheral wall portion 23 is a portion that protrudes upward from the outer end of the inner peripheral step portion 26 that is continuous with the upper end portion of the housing peripheral wall portion 22. In other words, the upper peripheral wall portion 23 is located outward from the upper end portion of the housing peripheral wall portion 22 by the width of the inner peripheral step portion 26 in the horizontal direction. Also, in this embodiment, the upper peripheral wall portion 23 is formed perpendicular to the inner peripheral step portion 26 from the outer end portion of the inner peripheral step portion 26.

[0053] The flange portion 24 is a portion located outside and above the inner circumferential step portion 26. Specifically, the flange portion 24 is a portion including the upper surface of the container body 20, which is connected to the upper end portion of the upper peripheral wall portion 23. The outer shape of the container body 20 in a plan view is determined by the flange portion 24. In this embodiment, the flange portion 24 has a circular outer shape in a plan view, but the shape, position, etc. of the flange portion 24 can be arbitrarily modified in design as long as the flange portion 24 is located outside and above the inner circumferential step portion 26.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of each of the storage and placement portion 21 and the flange portion 24 is partially uneven. Similarly, the inner surface of the storage peripheral wall portion 22 is also intermittently uneven. This allows the necessary strength to be secured even if the sheet thickness of the container body 20 is relatively thin. However, as long as the necessary strength can be secured, the storage and placement portion 21, the storage peripheral wall portion 22, and the flange portion 24 do not need to have uneven parts, and may be composed of only planar parts. The "plane" may be a surface that can be regarded as a plane, and may include some unevenness on the surface. For example, when the flange portion 24 is composed of only planar parts, the upper surface of the flange portion 24 may be a plane extending along a horizontal plane, or may be an inclined surface inclined from the horizontal plane.

[0055] The main body outer edge portion 25 is an outer peripheral wall of the container body 20 that is continuous with the outer peripheral end portion of the flange portion 24. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the main body outer edge portion 25 extends downward from the outer peripheral end portion of the flange portion 24 and is slightly inclined outward as it extends downward. However, the main body outer edge portion 25 may be formed perpendicular to the flange portion 24 from the outer peripheral end portion of the flange portion 24.

[0056] The inner peripheral step 26 is a portion capable of supporting the lid outer edge 13 described below from below. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner peripheral step 26 is a flat plate portion whose inner end is connected to the upper end of the housing peripheral wall 22 and whose outer end is connected to the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 23. The upper surface of the inner peripheral step 26 is a plane parallel to the horizontal plane. Since the inner peripheral step 26 is such a flat plate portion, the lid outer edge 13 is stably supported by the inner peripheral step 26. However, the inner peripheral step 26 does not have to be a flat plate portion and can be arbitrarily modified in design as long as it is capable of supporting the lid outer edge 13 from below.

[0057] The lid locking portion 27 is located above the inner peripheral step 26 and is capable of locking the lid outer edge 13 from above. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the lid locking portion 27 is provided at a position spaced above the inner peripheral step 26, and a space capable of accommodating the lid overhanging portion 133 described below is formed between the inner peripheral step 26 and the lid locking portion 27 (see reference numeral 801 in Fig. 8). As a result, even if an unintended external force acts on the lid 10 and the lid 10 is about to come off inadvertently from the container body 20, the lid locking portion 27 locks the lid outer edge 13 from above, so that the lid 10 is less likely to come off from the container body 20.

[0058] In this embodiment, the lid locking portion 27 is a flat plate portion that is located inside the flange portion 24 and protrudes inward from the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall portion 23. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, eight lid locking portions 27 are provided. Specifically, the eight lid locking portions 27 are positioned so that, when two adjacent lid locking portions 27 are viewed in plan, an angle formed by a first imaginary line (not shown) and a second imaginary line (not shown) is 45°. The first imaginary line is a line that virtually connects a center point (not shown) of one of the two adjacent lid locking portions 27 and a center point (not shown) of the center portion 211. The second imaginary line is a line that virtually connects a center point (not shown) of the other of the two adjacent lid locking portions 27 and a center point of the center portion 211.

[0059] Each of the eight lid locking portions 27 is located between a first connection point and a second connection point in a plan view. The first connection point is a connection point between the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 and one of the two adjacent first convex portions 212. The second connection point is a connection point between the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 and the other of the two adjacent first convex portions 212.

[0060] The portion between the first and second connection points on the peripheral wall of the container body 20 is more flexible than the portion including the first connection point on the peripheral wall and the portion including the second connection point on the peripheral wall. Therefore, by providing each of the eight lid locking portions 27 at the positions described above, ease of closing and opening the lid is ensured.

[0061] Furthermore, the two lid locking portions 27 located on both sides of the bulging recess 28 in plan view are shorter in length than the other six lid locking portions 27. This makes it easier for the lid 10 to be removed from the container body 20 when the contact body is inserted into the bulging recess 28 from the bulging outer edge portion 283 (outer edge portion; described in detail later) and brought into contact with the underside of a portion of the outer edge step portion 131 (described in detail later) to open the lid. However, the length of the two lid locking portions 27 may be approximately the same as the length of the other six lid locking portions 27.

[0062] The lid locking portions 27 are required to be located above the inner peripheral step 26 and capable of locking the lid outer edge 13 from above, and the number, shape, position, etc. of the lid locking portions 27 can be arbitrarily modified in design while taking into consideration the ease of closing and opening the lid. An example of a specific shape of the lid locking portions 27 will be described later. The lid locking portions 27 may be located on at least one of both sides of the bulging recess 28 in a plan view. In other words, it is not necessarily required that the lid locking portions 27 are formed in any position other than at least one of both sides of the bulging recess 28 in the upper peripheral wall portion 23.

[0063] The two sides of the bulging recess 28 in the plan view refer to two regions (positions) adjacent to the bulging recess 28 in the direction along the outer edge of the container body 20. When the container body 20 is substantially circular, the two sides of the bulging recess 28 in the plan view refer to two regions adjacent to the bulging recess 28 in the circumferential direction of the container body 20. These regions may include, for example, partial regions of the upper peripheral wall portion 23, the flange portion 24, the main body outer edge portion 25, and the inner peripheral step portion 26. One side of the bulging recess 28 in the plan view refers to one of the two regions.

[0064] The bulging recess 28 is a recessed portion on the lower side for opening the container body 20 by contacting a contact body with the lower surface of the lid outer edge portion 13. The region of the container body 20 in which the bulging recess 28 is formed functions as an opening region for opening the container body 20. The opening region is an example of a region that allows a user to access and open the container body 20. In this embodiment, the container body 20 can be opened by contacting a contact body with the lid outer edge portion 13 through the bulging recess 28. Hereinafter, a finger F (see FIG. 9) will be used as an example of the contact body, but the contact body may be the tip of a spoon or fork, the end of the handle, or the like. In this embodiment, the bulging recess 28 is a portion that bulges outward from the flange portion 24 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, and one bulging recess 28 is provided for the container body 20.

[0065] In this embodiment, in the closed state, finger hook 134 (described in detail later) of outer edge step 131 protrudes outward from inner peripheral step 26, and a finger F comes into contact with the underside of finger hook 134 when opening the lid (see reference numeral 901 in FIG. 9). In the closed state in this embodiment, outer edge step 131 is placed on inner peripheral step 26 over the entire circumference, and lid body overhang 133 (described later) is positioned lower than eight lid locking portions 27 (see FIGS. 1 and 8). At least a part of the inner surface of bulging recess 28 is curved so that finger F can be guided to the underside of finger hook 134.

[0066] In this embodiment, in the closed state, the outer edge step 131 is placed on the inner peripheral step 26 over the entire circumference, and the lid body overhanging portion 133 described below is located below the eight lid locking portions 27. However, in the closed state, it is sufficient that the lid body outer edge 13 is located between the inner peripheral step 26 and the lid locking portions 27. For example, the closed state may include a state in which a part of the outer edge step 131 is not placed on the inner peripheral step 26, or a state in which the outer edge step 131 is not placed on the inner peripheral step 26 over the entire circumference. Also, for example, the closed state may include a state in which a part of the lid body overhanging portion 133 is in contact with the lid locking portion 27, or a state in which the lid body overhanging portion 133 is in contact with the lid locking portion 27 over the entire circumference.

[0067] In this way, because the bulging recess 28 bulges outward from the flange portion 24, a portion of the outer edge step 131 protruding outward from the inner circumferential step 26 is always located inside the bulging outer edge 283 (described in detail later). This makes it possible for the bulging recess 28 to reduce the possibility that the portion of the outer edge step 131 protruding outward from the inner circumferential step 26 will unintentionally come into contact with an object such as clothing. Furthermore, when a finger F is brought into contact with the underside of the portion of the outer edge step 131 when opening the lid, at least a portion of the inner surface of the bulging recess 28 can guide the finger F to the underside, allowing the lid to be opened more smoothly.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the bulging recess 28 has a bulging main body 281, a bulging peripheral wall 282, and a bulging outer edge 283. The bulging main body 281 is a concave portion that opens upward and bulges outward and downward from the outer end of the inner peripheral step 26. The inner space of the bulging main body 281 is surrounded by the side wall of the bulging main body 281 all around, and the space portion on the center 211 side of the space extends to the inner peripheral step 26. The bulging peripheral wall 282 is a side wall of the bulging recess 28 that extends upward from the upper end of the bulging main body 281. Both ends of the bulging peripheral wall 282 in the horizontal direction are connected to the upper peripheral wall 23.

[0069] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the bulging main body portion 281 and the inner side surface of the bulging peripheral wall portion 282 connected to the inner surface correspond to "at least a part of the inner surface of the bulging recess 28," which is a "curved surface that can guide finger F to the underside when finger F is brought into contact with the underside of the outer edge step portion 131."

[0070] The bulging outer edge 283 is a portion that protrudes outward from the upper end of the bulging peripheral wall portion 282, and the outer peripheral end of the bulging outer edge 283 forms the outer peripheral wall of the bulging recess 28 extending downward. Both horizontal ends of the bulging outer edge 283 are connected to the flange portion 24 and the main body outer edge portion 25, respectively. In addition, the bulging outer edge 283 is recessed downward except for both ends. This allows the finger F to be easily inserted into the space inside the bulging main body portion 281 from the portion recessed downward of the bulging outer edge 283. As a result, the finger F can be easily guided to the underside of a portion of the outer edge step 131 that protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26.

[0071] 3 and 4, in a plan view, the bulging recess 28 is located on a center line (not shown) of the first convex portion 212 in the extension direction of the first convex portion 212. In other words, the center line of the first convex portion 212 in the extension direction of the first convex portion 212 is the center line of the first convex portion 212 in the radial direction of the accommodating and mounting portion 21.

[0072] Providing the bulging recess 28 at such a position makes it easier for the bulging recess 28 to bend slightly downward from the connection point between the first convex portion 212 and the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 in the container body 20 as the base point when the finger F is guided by the bulging recess 28. When the bulging recess 28 bends downward, the connection point between the first convex portion 212 and the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 in the container body 20 serves as the base point because the rigidity of the connection point is higher than the rigidity of the portion of the accommodating peripheral wall portion 22 other than the connection point. This makes it easier for the finger F to come into contact with the underside of the part of the outer edge step 131 that protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26.

[0073] However, although not shown, the bulging recess 28 may be provided at a position facing the second convex portion 213 in a plan view. When the bulging recess 28 is provided at such a position, the portion of the container body 20 near the bulging recess 28 becomes more flexible than the portion of the container body 20 near the connection between the first convex portion 212 and the accommodation peripheral wall portion 22. This makes it easier for the bulging recess 28 to locally sink slightly when the finger F is guided by the bulging recess 28, making it easier for the finger F to come into contact with the underside of a portion of the outer edge step 131 protruding outward from the inner peripheral step 26.

[0074] In addition, the bulging recess 28 only needs to be recessed downward to the extent that the container body 20 can be opened by contacting a contact body with the underside of the lid outer edge portion 13, and the number, shape, position, etc. of the bulging recess 28 can be arbitrarily modified in design while taking into consideration the ease of opening the lid based on the use of the bulging recess 28.

[0075] [Cover body] Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lid 10. Fig. 7 is a side view of the lid 10. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lid outer edge 13 and the inner peripheral step 26 in the closed state. Reference numeral 801 in Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lid outer edge 13 and the inner peripheral step 26 in the closed state at a location where the lid locking portion 27 is formed. Reference numeral 802 in Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lid outer edge 13 and the inner peripheral step 26 in the closed state at a location where the lid locking portion 27 is not formed.

[0076] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lid body 10 has a top plate portion 11, a lid body side wall portion 12, and a lid body outer edge portion 13. In this embodiment, the lid body 10 has a circular outer shape in a plan view. In this manner, the lid body 10 is preferably shaped to have an outer shape similar to the outer shape of the container body 20 in a plan view. The outer shape of the lid body 10 in a plan view may be, for example, an octagonal shape.

[0077] The top plate portion 11 is a plate-like member that is composed of one surface and has a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the lid body 10 in a plan view. In this way, the shape of the top plate portion 11 conforms to the outer shapes of the lid body 10 and the container body 20 in a plan view, so that when the top plate portion 11 is composed of a transparent material, the contents can be clearly seen through the top plate portion 11 from above the lid body 10. The number of surfaces that constitute the upper surface of the top plate portion 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably one. This not only ensures good visibility of the contents, but also makes it easy to place the container body 20 on the top plate portion 11 when stacking the packaging containers 1 on top of each other.

[0078] The lid side wall 12 is a portion that extends downward from the outer end of the top plate 11, and forms a side wall of the lid 10. In this embodiment, the lid side wall 12 is inclined outward as it extends downward from the top plate 11. However, the lid side wall 12 may also extend vertically downward from the outer end of the top plate 11.

[0079] The lid outer edge 13 is a portion that extends outward from the lower end of the lid side wall 12, and forms the outer edge of the lid 10. The lid outer edge 13 is formed in a position on the lid 10 that pairs with the positions at which the inner peripheral step 26 and the upper peripheral wall 23 of the container body 20 are formed. The lid outer edge 13 has an outer edge step 131, a lid peripheral wall 132, and a lid eaves 133.

[0080] The outer edge step 131 is an annular flat plate portion that is connected to the lower end of the lid side wall 12 and constitutes the bottom of the lid 10, and its outer end is connected to the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 23. The lower surface of the outer edge step 131 is a flat surface parallel to the horizontal plane, and is placed on the inner peripheral step 26 in the closed state. Because the outer edge step 131 is such a flat plate portion, the lid outer edge 13 is stably supported by the inner peripheral step 26. However, the outer edge step 131 does not have to be a flat plate portion, and the design can be changed as desired as long as it can be placed on the inner peripheral step 26.

[0081] The lid peripheral wall 132 is a portion that extends upward from the outer end of the outer edge step 131, and forms a side wall of the lid peripheral portion 13. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, the lid peripheral wall 132 is inclined outward as it moves upward from the outer end of the outer edge step 131, and the inclination angle of the lid peripheral wall 132 corresponds to the inclination angle of the upper peripheral wall 23. However, the lid peripheral wall 132 may also extend vertically downward from the outer end of the outer edge step 131.

[0082] The lid overhanging portion 133 is a portion that extends horizontally from the outer end of the lid peripheral wall portion 132. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the lid overhanging portion 133 is a flat surface that extends along the horizontal plane. The outer end of the lid overhanging portion 133 is a portion that can abut against the upper peripheral wall portion 23 in the closed state. In the closed state, the entire outer end of the lid overhanging portion 133 may abut against the upper peripheral wall portion 23, or only a portion of the outer end may abut.

[0083] In this embodiment, the finger F contacts the underside of the outer edge step 131 when opening the lid, but the contact is not limited to this manner. For example, depending on the shape, size, and relative position of the lid peripheral wall 132 and the lid overhang 133 with respect to the bulging recess 28, the finger F may contact the outer side surface of the lid peripheral wall 132 or the underside of the lid overhang 133 when opening the lid. In other words, the packaging container 1 only needs to be capable of being contacted by a contact body such as the finger F at any point on the underside of the lid outer edge 13.

[0084] Here, the lid body 10 and the container body 20 are designed so that the size of the lid body outer edge portion 13 in a plan view is approximately the same as the size of the upper peripheral wall portion 23 in a plan view. "Approximately the same" is a concept including "same" and differences that can be considered to be the same. That is, the lid body 10 and the container body 20 are designed so that the outer end of the lid body overhang portion 133 and the upper peripheral wall portion 23 are in point contact on a cut surface parallel to a substantially vertical plane of the packaging container 1, as shown in FIG. 8. In addition, the vertical length of the lid body peripheral wall portion 132 is shorter than the length between the lid locking portion 27 and the inner peripheral step portion 26 of the container body 20.

[0085] 8, in the closed state, the outer edge step 131 abuts against the inner peripheral step 26 at both the formed and non-formed portions of the lid locking portion 27. This causes the inner peripheral step 26 to restrict movement of the lid 10 downward beyond the inner peripheral step 26.

[0086] When the lid body 10 moves upward in the closed state, at the location where the lid locking portion 27 is formed, as shown by reference numeral 801 in Fig. 8, the upper surface of the lid body overhanging portion 133 comes into contact with the lid locking portion 27 (see the dashed line in the figure), and the lid body overhanging portion 133 is locked to the lid locking portion 27. As a result, unless a force is applied to the lid body 10 that causes the lid body overhanging portion 133 to move upward beyond the lid locking portion 27, the lid locking portion 27 restricts the lid body 10 from moving upward. Due to this restriction, the lid locking portion 27 also restricts the lid body 10 from moving upward at the location where the lid locking portion 27 is not formed, as shown by reference numeral 802 in Fig. 8.

[0087] [Opening the lid using the expansion recess] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state around the bulging recess when the cover is open. Reference numeral 901 in Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the finger hook 134 and a finger F when the cover is open. Reference numeral 902 in Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of an area R in the drawing indicated by reference numeral 901 in Fig. 9.

[0088] <Relationship between outer peripheral step and inner peripheral step> In the packaging container 1, in the closed state, a part of the outer edge step 131 protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26 and is located above the bulging recess 28. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, the outer part of the outer edge step 131 protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26 over the entire circumference. Then, as shown by reference numeral 901 in Fig. 9, a part of the outer part of the outer edge step 131 that is arranged at a position corresponding to the formation position of the bulging recess 28 in a plan view is located above the inner end of the bulging main body 281. A part of the outer part of the outer edge step 131 that is arranged at a position corresponding to the formation position of the bulging recess 28 in a plan view becomes a finger hook 134 for hooking a finger F on the underside of that part when the lid is opened.

[0089] The situation in which a part of the outer edge step 131, such as the finger hook 134, protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26 is not limited to the closed lid state. For example, even in the case where the lid 10 is temporarily placed on the container body 20 without engaging the lid eaves 133 with some of the eight lid engaging portions 27, a part or all of the finger hook 134 may protrude outward from the inner peripheral step 26 and be located above the bulging recess 28. In other words, the packaging container 1 may be in any state, not limited to the closed lid state, as long as a part of the outer edge step 131 protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26 and is located above the bulging recess 28 when the outer edge step 131 is placed on the inner peripheral step 26.

[0090] Thus, in this embodiment, finger hook 134 is located above bulging main body 281. Therefore, the outer end of lid eaves 133, in other words the outermost edge of lid 10, is always located inside bulging outer edge 283. This makes it possible for bulging recess 28 to reduce the possibility that the outer portion of outer edge step 131 protruding outward from inner circumferential step 26 will unintentionally come into contact with clothing or other objects, thereby reducing the possibility of inadvertently releasing the closed state.

[0091] In this embodiment, as shown by reference numeral 902 in Fig. 9, the width L1 of the outer peripheral step 131 is narrower than the width L2 of the inner peripheral step 26. As a result, even if an external force is suddenly applied to the outer end of the lid eaves portion 133 from the horizontal direction, the closed state can be maintained by the inner peripheral step 26, which is wider than the outer peripheral step 131, unless the external force is strong enough to move the lid 10 horizontally by a distance equivalent to or greater than the width L1. Therefore, even when the action of an unexpected external force is taken into consideration, there is no need to design the finger hook 134 to be located near the center of the bulging recess 28, and the finger hook 134 can protrude to an appropriate extent.

[0092] <How to open packaging containers> The method of opening the packaging container 1 is as follows. First, the finger F is inserted into the space in the bulging main body 281 from the recessed portion on the lower side of the bulging outer edge portion 283. Next, the fingertip of the finger F is brought into contact with either the inner surface of the bulging main body 281 or the inner side surface of the bulging peripheral wall portion 282. Next, as shown by reference numeral 901 in FIG. 9, the fingertip of the finger F is placed along at least the inner surface of the bulging main body 281 toward the lower surface of the finger hook portion 134 (see the arrow and the dashed line portion in the figure). Next, the pad of the fingertip of the finger F is brought into contact with the lower surface of the finger hook portion 134, and the fingertip of the finger F is hooked on the upper side of the finger hook portion 134. Then, for example, the lid 10 is opened by lifting it upward while pinching the lid eaves portion 133 with the thumb and finger F (not shown).

[0093] In this manner, when the outer peripheral step 131 of the packaging container 1 is placed on the inner peripheral step 26, a part of the outer peripheral step 131, such as the finger hook 134, protrudes outward from the inner peripheral step 26. This makes it easier for a contact body, such as a finger F, to come into contact with the underside of the part of the outer peripheral step 131 when opening the lid, making it easier to open the lid.

[0094] [Specific shape of the cover locking portion] <Shape of the lid locking portion located around the bulging recess> Fig. 10 is a plan view of the bulging recess 28 and its surroundings. Specifically, Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of region R1 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, two lid locking portions 27 are located on both sides of the bulging recess 28 in a plan view. Here, these two lid locking portions 27 are referred to as a first lid locking portion 27A and a second lid locking portion 27B.

[0095] Figure 11 is a plan view of the periphery of the cover locking portion 27. Reference numeral 1101 in Figure 11 is a plan view of the periphery of the first cover locking portion 27A. Reference numeral 1102 in Figure 11 is a plan view of the periphery of the second cover locking portion 27B.

[0096] As indicated by reference numeral 1101 in Fig. 11, the amount by which the first lid locking portion 27A protrudes inwardly of the container body 20 (thickness T in the drawing) gradually decreases in plan view from a predetermined position of the first lid locking portion 27A toward the bulging recess 28. Also, as indicated by reference numeral 1102 in Fig. 11, the amount by which the second lid locking portion 27B protrudes inwardly of the container body 20 (thickness T in the drawing) gradually decreases in plan view from a predetermined position of the second lid locking portion 27B toward the bulging recess 28.

[0097] When a contact body such as a finger F is inserted into the bulging recess 28 to lift the lid outer edge 13 upward in order to remove the lid 10 from the container body 20, a locking force is applied to the lid outer edge 13 by the lid locking portion 27 to lock the lid outer edge 13. Meanwhile, the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B located on both sides of the bulging recess 28 have the above-mentioned shapes. Therefore, when the lid outer edge 13 is lifted upward, the areas of the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B that come into contact with the lid outer edge 13 can be reduced.

[0098] Therefore, it is possible to reduce the locking force acting on the outer edge 13 of the lid body when removing the lid body 10 from the container body 20. This reduces the possibility that the lid body 10 will be damaged due to excessive bending when removing the lid body 10 from the container body 20. In other words, it is possible to remove the lid body 10 from the container body 20 smoothly.

[0099] As described above, the formation of the lid locking portion 27 on the container body 20 reduces the possibility that the lid body 10 will inadvertently come off from the container body 20. Therefore, the formation of the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B on the container body 20 locks the lid body 10 in the closed state from above, reducing the possibility that the lid body 10 will inadvertently come off from the container body 20. In addition to reducing this possibility, it also reduces the possibility that the lid body 10 will be damaged by the locking when the lid is opened.

[0100] In this way, the packaging container 1 that can reduce the possibility of the lid body 10 being damaged when opened can reduce the amount of packaging container 1 that is discarded due to damage to the lid body 10. This can contribute to the achievement of Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production" and Goal 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0101] Furthermore, as described above, the packaging container 1 in which the container body 20 is provided with the bulging recess 28 can reduce the possibility that a part of the outer edge step 131 will come into unintentional contact with an object such as clothing. This reduces the possibility that the lid 10 will be inadvertently removed when the lid is closed. This reduces the possibility that the contained items will be discarded due to the lid 10 being inadvertently removed. In this way, the packaging container 1 can reduce the amount of contained items that are discarded, and from this perspective, it can contribute to the achievement of Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production" and Goal 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans and seas" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0102] In the present embodiment, when the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B are located on both sides of the bulging recess 28, the possibility that the lid 10 will inadvertently come off from the container body 20 can be further reduced compared to when the lid locking portion 27 is located on one side of the bulging recess 28. Furthermore, even when the lid locking portions 27 are located on both sides of the bulging recess 28, the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B have the above-mentioned shapes, so that the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20 can be reduced.

[0103] However, the lid locking portion 27 may be located on only one side of the bulging recess 28 in a plan view. That is, only either the first lid locking portion 27A or the second lid locking portion 27B may be formed on the container body 20. Even in this case, the lid body 10 in the closed state can be locked from above to reduce the possibility of the lid body 10 being inadvertently removed from the container body 20, and the possibility of the lid body 10 being damaged by the lock when the lid is opened can be reduced.

[0104] In the following, the first cover locking portion 27A will be described as an example of the first cover locking portion 27A and the second cover locking portion 27B. The second cover locking portion 27B can be described in the same manner as the first cover locking portion 27A, and in the description of the first cover locking portion 27A, the first cover locking portion 27A should be read as the second cover locking portion 27B. Therefore, the description of the second cover locking portion 27B will be omitted.

[0105] In this embodiment, as shown by reference numeral 1101 in FIG. 11, the amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A gradually decreases from a predetermined position in a region from the center of the first lid locking portion 27A toward the bulging recess 28 in a plan view. The predetermined position may be any position in the lid locking portion 27 in a direction along the outer edge of the container body 20 (any position between both ends of the lid locking portion 27). The end of the lid locking portion 27 refers to an end in a direction along the outer edge of the container body 20. In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A gradually decreases from a start position P2, which is a distance L11 away from the first center position P1 toward the first end P4, toward the first end P4 in a plan view.

[0106] The first central position P1 indicates a central position between the first end P4 and the second end P5 of the first lid locking portion 27A in the circumferential direction of the container body 20. The first end P4 indicates an end of the first lid locking portion 27A on the bulging recess 28 side. The second end P5 indicates an end of the first lid locking portion 27A located opposite to the first end P4. The starting point position P2 is a position where the reduced area 271 starts in the direction from the first central position P1 toward the bulging recess 28. In other words, the reduced area 271 is an area within the first lid locking portion 27A (in the circumferential direction of the container body 20) in a plan view, and indicates an area between the starting point position P2 and the first end P4.

[0107] Reference numeral 1101 in Fig. 11 shows, including a dashed line, the shape of the first lid locking portion when it does not gradually become smaller from the starting position P2 toward the bulging recess 28. In this case, the amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion at each position along the circumferential direction of the container body 20 is substantially constant, except for the first end P4 and the second end P5, which are substantially arc-shaped. As shown by the solid line in reference numeral 1101 in Fig. 11, the amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A is gradually smaller in the reduced region 271 toward the bulging recess 28 than the outer shape of the first lid locking portion shown by the dashed line.

[0108] As a result, in the first lid locking portion 27A, the contact area with the lid outer edge portion 13 can be made smaller in an area where a locking force is more likely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20. Therefore, the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20 can be made smaller. Therefore, the possibility that the lid body 10 will be damaged when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20 can be further reduced.

[0109] Furthermore, in the first lid locking portion 27A, at least in the region between the first central position P1 and the starting position P2, the amount of protrusion is greater than the reduced region 271 where the amount of protrusion is gradually reduced. Therefore, in the first lid locking portion 27A, in the region where the locking force is relatively unlikely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13 when removing the lid body 10 from the container body 20, the upward movement of the lid body 10 is easily restricted. Therefore, even if the first lid locking portion 27A has a shape in which the amount of protrusion is gradually reduced to reduce the possibility of the lid body 10 being damaged, the possibility of the lid body 10 being inadvertently removed from the container body 20 in the closed state can be reduced.

[0110] In this embodiment, as shown by reference numeral 1101 in FIG. 11, the shape of the reduced area 271 of the first lid locking portion 27A where the protruding amount is gradually reduced is a pointed shape. That is, the reduced area 271 has a shape that is tapered toward the bulging recess 28. This allows the shape of the area where the locking force is likely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20 to be closer to the shape of the lid outer edge portion 13 (the outer shape of the lid body 10). Therefore, the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20 can be made smaller. Therefore, the possibility that the lid body 10 will be damaged when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20 can be further reduced.

[0111] The protruding amount of the first lid locking portion 27A may be set as follows, for example. The protruding amount at the first central position P1 may be 1.75 mm, for example, 1.70 mm to 2.00 mm. The protruding amount at the start position P2 may be 1.67 mm, for example, 1.60 mm to 1.90 mm. The protruding amount at the second central position P3 may be 1.21 mm, for example, 1.00 mm to 1.60 mm. The protruding amount at the first end P4 may be, for example, 0.00 mm to 0.99 mm. The second central position P3 is the central position of the reduced region 271 in the circumferential direction of the container body 20. In other words, the second central position P3 is the central position between the start position P2 and the first end P4 in the circumferential direction of the container body 20. The distance L11 between the first central position P1 and the start position P2 may be, for example, 1.00 mm to 10.00 mm. The amount of protrusion of any position PN among these positions P may be varied appropriately in accordance with the ratio of the above protrusion amounts in relation to the size of the diameter of the container body 20.

[0112] The amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A at each position along the circumferential direction of the container body 20 may be set to a value large enough to lock the lid outer edge portion 13 in the closed state and restrict the upward movement of the lid outer edge portion 13. In addition, the amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A at each of the above positions may be set to a value large enough to prevent the lid body 10 from being damaged when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20. The amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A at each of the above positions may be set, for example, through experiments or the like.

[0113] In this embodiment, the protruding amount of the first lid locking portion 27A is different at both ends of the first lid locking portion 27A. As shown by reference numeral 1101 in Fig. 11, the protruding amount at the first end P4 is smaller than the protruding amount at the second end P5. Therefore, when removing the lid 10 from the container body 20, the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 can be smaller on the first end P4 side where the locking force is likely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13 than on the second end P5 side where the locking force is unlikely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13.

[0114] It can also be said that the amount of protrusion at the second end P5 is greater than the amount of protrusion at the first end P4. Therefore, in the region on the second end P5 side where the locking force is less likely to act, it is easy to restrict the upward movement of the lid outer edge portion 13 in the closed state. In this embodiment, as shown by reference numeral 1101 in FIG. 11, in the first lid locking portion 27A, the amount of protrusion in the region other than the reduced region 271 is substantially constant except for the second end P5 which is substantially arc-shaped, and is greater than the reduced region 271. Therefore, in the region other than the reduced region 271, it is easy to restrict the upward movement of the lid outer edge portion 13 in the closed state.

[0115] Therefore, even if the first lid engagement portion 27A has a shape in which the amount of protrusion gradually decreases toward the bulging recess 28 in order to reduce the possibility of the lid body 10 being damaged, the possibility of the lid body 10 inadvertently coming off the container body 20 in the closed state can be reduced.

[0116] In this way, by having the protruding amount of the first lid engaging portion 27A be different at the first end P4 and the second end P5, the possibility of the lid body 10 in the closed state being inadvertently detached from the container body 20 is reduced, and the possibility of the lid body 10 being damaged when the lid is opened is also reduced.

[0117] (Other shapes of lid locking part) The amount of protrusion of the first lid locking portion 27A may be gradually reduced from a predetermined position of the first lid locking portion 27A toward the bulging recess 28 in a plan view.

[0118] For example, the shape of the portion of the outer shape of the first lid locking portion 27A in the reduced region 271 that is not in contact with the upper peripheral wall portion 23 may be a line shape (straight line or curved line) or a step shape, as shown by reference numeral 1101 in FIG. 11. Also, for example, the start position P2 of the reduced region 271 may be located in the region between the first central position P1 and the second end P5. In this case, the protruding amount of the first lid locking portion 27A becomes gradually smaller from the start position P2 between the first central position P1 and the second end P5 toward the bulging recess 28 in a plan view. Furthermore, for example, the shape of the reduced region 271 in a plan view may not be a sharp shape toward the bulging recess 28. For example, the reduced region 271 may protrude to a certain extent toward the inside of the container body 20 at the first end P4.

[0119] Also, the protruding amount of the first lid locking portion 27A may be gradually reduced from a predetermined position of the first lid locking portion 27A toward the second end P5 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 12, the protruding amount of the first lid locking portion 27A may be gradually reduced toward the bulging recess 28 in the reduced region 271, and may be gradually reduced from any position between the first central position P1 and the second end P5 toward the second end P5. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing another example of the lid locking portion 27 and its surroundings. Although FIG. 12 shows another example of the first lid locking portion 27A, another example of the second lid locking portion 27B can also be shown in the same manner.

[0120] In the example of FIG. 12, the shape of the first cover locking portion 27A is line-symmetrical with respect to a virtual line that virtually connects the first central position P1 and the center portion 211 (see FIG. 4) in a plan view. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 12, the protrusion amount of the first cover locking portion 27A on the second end P5 side is gradually reduced from a starting point that is a distance L11 away from the first central position P1 toward the second end P5 in a plan view toward the second end P5. However, the shape of the first cover locking portion 27A does not have to be line-symmetrical with respect to the virtual line. In the first cover locking portion 27A, the shape of the first end P4 side and the shape of the second end P5 side may be different from each other.

[0121] Since the protrusion amount of the first lid locking portion 27A is gradually reduced not only toward the reduced region 271 but also toward the second end P5, the contact area of ​​the lid outer edge portion 13 and the first lid locking portion 27A when removing the lid 10 from the container body 20 can be reduced. This reduces the locking force generated when removing the lid 10 from the container body 20. This further reduces the possibility that the lid 10 will be damaged when removed from the container body 20.

[0122] 10 and 11, in this embodiment, the shapes of first lid locking portion 27A and second lid locking portion 27B are line symmetrical in plan view with respect to a virtual line (center line in the extension direction of first convex portion 212) that virtually connects the center of bulging recess 28 and center portion 211. However, the shapes of first lid locking portion 27A and second lid locking portion 27B do not have to be line symmetrical with respect to the virtual line and may be different from each other.

[0123] <Lid locking portion located other than around the bulging recess> As described above, in this embodiment, the container body 20 includes the lid locking portion 27 in addition to the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B located on both sides of the bulging recess 28. In the container body 20, the lid locking portion 27 located at a location other than both sides of the bulging recess 28 is shown as the third lid locking portion 27C in FIG.

[0124] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the protruding amount of the third lid locking portion 27C in plan view is substantially constant in the area other than both ends of the third lid locking portion 27C. The shapes of both ends of the third lid locking portion 27C may be substantially arc-shaped. However, the protruding amount does not have to be substantially constant in the area other than both ends of the third lid locking portion 27C. For example, the protruding amount of the third lid locking portion 27C may gradually decrease from a predetermined position of the third lid locking portion 27C toward at least one of both ends of the third lid locking portion 27C in plan view.

[0125] The protruding amount of the third lid locking portion 27C may be gradually reduced from a predetermined position of the third lid locking portion 27C toward one end of the third lid locking portion 27C, for example, as in the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B shown in Fig. 11. For example, the third lid locking portion 27C may be gradually reduced from a position a predetermined distance away from the center position (corresponding to the first center position P1) of the third lid locking portion 27C toward one end. The shapes of both ends of the third lid locking portion 27C may be different from each other.

[0126] Also, for example, the shape of the gradually decreasing region (corresponding to the reduced region 271) in the third lid locking portion 27C may be a pointed shape. However, the shape of the region may not be a pointed shape, and may have a certain degree of protrusion at one end of the third lid locking portion 27C.

[0127] Furthermore, the protrusion amount of third lid locking portion 27C may not only be gradually reduced toward one end like first lid locking portion 27A and second lid locking portion 27B shown in Fig. 12, but may also be gradually reduced from a predetermined position of third lid locking portion 27C toward the other end. For example, the protrusion amount of third lid locking portion 27C may also be gradually reduced toward the other end from a position a predetermined distance away from the center position of third lid locking portion 27C toward the other end, even on the other end side.

[0128] In this case, the shape of the third lid locking portion 27C may be line-symmetrical with respect to a virtual line that virtually connects the center position of the third lid locking portion 27C and the center portion 211 in a plan view. However, the shape of the third lid locking portion 27C does not have to be line-symmetrical with respect to the virtual line. The shape of one end side and the shape of the other end side of the third lid locking portion 27C may be different from each other.

[0129] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the container body 20 has six third lid locking portions 27C. However, the number of the third lid locking portions 27C is not limited to this. When the container body 20 has a third lid locking portion 27C at least in one location other than both sides of the bulging recess 28, the protruding amount of the third lid locking portion 27C may be gradually reduced toward at least one end, as described above.

[0130] This reduces the contact area between the third lid locking portion 27C and the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20. This reduces the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20. This reduces the possibility that the lid 10 will be damaged when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20, even when the container body 20 includes the third lid locking portion 27C.

[0131] For example, in the third lid locking portion 27C, the amount of protrusion of the region on the end side close to the bulging recess 28 may be gradually reduced toward the end. This reduces the contact area between the third lid locking portion 27C and the lid outer edge portion 13 in the region where a locking force is likely to act on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20. Therefore, the locking force acting on the lid outer edge portion 13 when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20 tends to be small. This makes it easier to reduce the possibility of the lid 10 being damaged when the lid 10 is removed from the container body 20.

[0132] The amount of protrusion of the third lid locking portion 27C at each position along the circumferential direction of the container body 20 may be set to a value large enough to lock the lid outer edge portion 13 in the closed state and restrict the upward movement of the lid outer edge portion 13. In addition, the amount of protrusion of the third lid locking portion 27C at each of the above positions may be set to a value large enough to prevent the lid body 10 from being damaged when the lid body 10 is removed from the container body 20. The amount of protrusion of the third lid locking portion 27C at each of the above positions may be set, for example, through experiments or the like.

[0133] [Embodiment 2] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the explanations thereof will not be repeated. In the second embodiment, the packaging container 1A will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 13 and 14.

[0134] [Another form of packaging container] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a container body 20A included in the packaging container 1A. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a lid body 10A included in the packaging container 1A. As shown in Fig. 13, the packaging container 1A differs from the container body 20 of the packaging container 1 in that the container body 20A includes a gripping piece accommodating portion 31 instead of the bulging recess 28. In addition, the packaging container 1A differs from the lid body 10 of the packaging container 1 in that the lid body 10 includes a lid body gripping piece 14, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0135] The gripping piece accommodating section 31 shown in FIG. 13 is a section that accommodates the lid body gripping piece 14 in the closed state. In this embodiment, the gripping piece accommodating section 31 is a section that accommodates the lid body gripping piece 14 while inclining it upward toward the outside. The area of ​​the container body 20A where the gripping piece accommodating section 31 is formed functions as an opening area for opening the container body 20. When the packaging container 1A is in the closed state, the lid body gripping piece 14 is accommodated in the gripping piece accommodating section 31. In this state, the user can remove the lid body 10A from the container body 20A by gripping and lifting the lid body gripping piece 14. Therefore, in this embodiment, the gripping piece accommodating section 31 functions as a receiving section for the lid body gripping piece 14 that the user accesses to open the container body 20A.

[0136] 13, the tab accommodating portion 31 is a cutout portion formed in a part of the upper peripheral wall portion 23 and the flange portion 24. The tab accommodating portion 31 includes an inclined surface 311 that slopes upward outward, and accommodating side walls 312 formed on both ends along the inclination direction of the inclined surface 311. The inclination angle and size of the inclined surface 311 may be determined taking into consideration the size of the lid tab 14. The inclined surface 311 allows the lid tab 14 to be inclined upward in the closed state.

[0137] In this embodiment, only one gripping piece accommodating portion 31 is formed in the container body 20A, but the present invention is not limited to this and the container body 20A may have a plurality of gripping piece accommodating portions 31. In this case, even if the position of the lid body gripping piece 14 is misaligned with respect to the position of the gripping piece accommodating portion 31 when the lid body 10A is fitted to the container body 20A, the alignment can be easily performed. Therefore, even if the position of the lid body gripping piece 14 is misaligned with respect to the position of the gripping piece accommodating portion 31, the lid body gripping piece 14 can be easily accommodated in the gripping piece accommodating portion 31.

[0138] Consider a case where the position of the lid body tab 14 is misaligned with the position of the tab accommodating portion 31, and the lid body tab 14 is rotated in the circumferential direction to accommodate the lid body tab 14 in the tab accommodating portion 31. When a plurality of tab accommodating portions 31 are formed, the lid body tab 14 can be accommodated in the tab accommodating portion 31 with a smaller amount of rotation.

[0139] In this embodiment, the tab accommodating portion 31 is formed so as to bulge outward in the radial direction, but it may be formed so as not to bulge outward in the radial direction. That is, the container body 20A may be substantially circular in plan view. The tab accommodating portion 31 may be formed in the container body 20A so as to be able to pinch the lid tab 14 in the closed state. The tab accommodating portion 31 may be formed in the container body 20A so as to reduce the possibility that the lid tab 14 accommodated in the tab accommodating portion 31 will unintentionally come into contact with an object such as clothing.

[0140] The lid gripping piece 14 shown in Fig. 14 is a part that protrudes from a part of the lid outer edge 13. The lid gripping piece 14 is a part that is gripped by a user who is performing an operation to remove the lid 10A from the container body 20A. The lid gripping piece 14 is designed taking into consideration, for example, the ease of gripping the lid gripping piece 14 in the closed state and the likelihood of unintended contact (collision) of the lid gripping piece 14 with an object such as clothing in the closed state.

[0141] In this embodiment, only one lid gripping piece 14 is formed on the lid outer edge 13, but multiple pieces may be formed. When multiple lid gripping pieces 14 are formed, multiple gripping piece accommodating portions 31 are formed in the container body 20A at positions capable of accommodating each lid gripping piece 14. The container body 20A may have gripping piece accommodating portions 31 formed in the number equal to or greater than the number of lid gripping pieces 14.

[0142] Also, consider a case where the lid body 10A and the container body 20A are not circular in plan view but, for example, polygonal or elliptical in shape. In this case, the positions of the lid body knob 14 and knob housing 31 are specified so that the lid body knob 14 can be housed in the knob housing 31 in the closed state.

[0143] In the packaging container 1A as well, the container body 20A has the above-mentioned first lid locking portion 27A and second lid locking portion 27B formed on both sides of the tab accommodation portion 31 that functions as a receiving portion for the lid body tab 14. In this embodiment, the protruding amount of each of the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B gradually decreases toward the tab accommodation portion 31.

[0144] Therefore, the area of ​​contact with the lid outer edge 13 when the lid outer edge 13 is lifted upward can be reduced in each of the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B. Therefore, the locking force acting on the lid outer edge 13 when the lid tab 14 housed in the tab housing 31 is lifted upward to remove the lid 10A from the container body 20A can be reduced. This reduces the possibility that the lid 10A will be damaged due to excessive bending when the lid 10A is removed from the container body 20A.

[0145] Therefore, in the packaging container 1A, the lid body 10A in the closed state is locked from above, reducing the possibility of the lid body 10A accidentally coming off the container body 20A, and the possibility of the lid body 10A being damaged by the lock when the lid is opened is also reduced. Also, like the packaging container 1, the amount of packaging container 1A discarded due to damage to the lid body 10A can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the achievement of Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production" and Goal 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans and seas" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0146] Furthermore, when the lid body tab 14 and tab housing 31 are formed so as to reduce the possibility of unintentional contact of clothing or other objects with the lid body tab 14 housed in the tab housing 31, the possibility of the lid body 10A being inadvertently removed in the closed state can be reduced. In this case, as with the packaging container 1, the amount of waste of the contained items can be reduced. Therefore, from this perspective as well, the packaging container 1A can contribute to the achievement of Goal 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production" and Goal 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the water and its ecosystems" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[0147] In the packaging container 1A, the lid locking portion 27 may be located on only one side of the tab accommodation portion 31 in a plan view. That is, the container body 20A may be configured to include only one of the first lid locking portion 27A and the second lid locking portion 27B. Even in this case, the lid body 10A in the closed state can be locked from above to reduce the possibility of the lid body 10A being inadvertently removed from the container body 20A, and the possibility of the lid body 10A being damaged by the locking when the lid is opened can be reduced.

[0148] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 1,1A packaging container 10,10A lid body 13 Outer edge of lid 131 Outer edge step 20,20A Container body 24 Flange 26 Inner step 27 Lid locking part 27A 1st lid locking part (lid locking part) 27B 2nd lid locking part (lid locking part) 27C 3rd lid locking part (lid locking part) 28 Swelling recess (lid opening area) F refers to (contact body) P1 1st center position (center of cover stop) P4 1st end (end) P5 2nd end (end) T Thickness (amount of protrusion)

Claims

1. A packaging container comprising a container body and a lid body for closing the container body, The container body includes: An inner peripheral step portion capable of supporting an outer edge portion of the lid body from below; a lid locking portion located above the inner peripheral step portion and capable of locking the lid outer edge portion from above; and an opening area for opening the container body, The cover locking portion is located on at least one of both sides of the cover opening area in a plan view, A packaging container, wherein the amount of protrusion of the lid locking portion toward the inside of the container body becomes gradually smaller from a predetermined position of the lid locking portion toward the lid opening area in a plan view.

2. The packaging container according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of protrusion, in a plan view, gradually decreases from a predetermined position in a region extending from the center of the lid engaging portion toward the lid opening region.

3. The packaging container according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding amounts are different at both ends of the lid engaging portion.

4. The cover locking portion is located on both sides of the cover opening area, The packaging container according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of protrusion in each of the lid engaging portions is gradually reduced toward the lid opening region.

5. The packaging container according to claim 1 , wherein the shape of the region of the lid engaging portion where the protruding amount is gradually reduced is a pointed shape.

6. The lid locking portion is located in at least one location on the container body other than both sides of the lid opening area, 2. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the amount of protrusion of the lid locking portion located at the at least one location gradually decreases from a predetermined position of the lid locking portion toward at least one of both end portions of the lid locking portion in a plan view.

7. The container body has a protruding recess recessed downward in the lid opening region for opening the container body by bringing a contact body into contact with a lower surface of the outer edge of the lid, the lid outer edge portion includes an outer edge step portion placed on the inner peripheral step portion, 7. A packaging container according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the outer edge step extends outward from the inner peripheral step and is positioned above the bulging recess when the outer edge step is placed on the inner peripheral step.

8. The container body has a flange portion located outside and above the inner peripheral step portion, The packaging container according to claim 7 , wherein the bulging recess bulges outward from the flange portion, and at least a portion of the inner surface of the bulging recess is a curved surface capable of guiding the contact body to the lower surface.

9. The packaging container according to claim 7 , wherein an outer edge of the bulging recess is recessed downward.

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