Can container

Abstract

To provide structure capable of easily transferring contents of opened canned food to a can container in a store or the like as a selling site of canned food, and thus easily carrying the same.SOLUTION: A can container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has: an inlet portion 2 having an opening portion 2A; a lid 4 detachably attached to the inlet portion 2 to close the opening portion 2A; a projection 2C which is a canned food holding auxiliary part inside of the inlet portion 2; and a projection 4B which is the canned food holding auxiliary part inside of the lid 4. These canned food holding auxiliary parts have a shape corresponding to a predetermined canned food shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for transferring the contents of a can. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, canned foods have been sold by packing foods with a high moisture content into metal cans, subjecting them to a preservation treatment, and then sealing them. There are various types of canned foods, such as full open-end cans and spiral-wrap cans. Various can openers and other devices for opening these cans have been proposed (e.g., Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-94237 A [Patent Document 2] Utility model registration No. 3065146 [Patent Document 3] Utility model registration No. 3096724 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Canned foods are an excellent form of food distribution, offering the following advantages: The first is that it can be stored for a long period of time. The second advantage is that no additives are required for food preservation, making it suitable for growing health consciousness. The third reason is that canning can be carried out relatively easily in locations close to the production site, since it does not require large-scale facilities or advanced technology. Fourth, it reduces the need to transport bulky and heavy materials, reducing costs and allowing the ingredients to be processed in a fresh state. The fifth advantage is that they do not require refrigeration or freezing, are easy to package, and are resistant to vibration, making them easy to transport, making it possible to deliver good quality products to consumers at low cost. The sixth benefit is that it can be stored for long periods in stores, helping to reduce food waste. The seventh reason is that empty cans are advantageous for recycling as a resource and have great advantages in terms of environmental protection. The eighth point is that as consumption of canned food increases, the amount of canned food in circulation will naturally increase, thereby strengthening society's overall resilience to disasters.

[0005] However, due to the danger and hassle of opening cans at home, and the trouble of storing and disposing of empty cans, it is difficult to say that canned foods have been widely adopted or used to a sufficient extent compared to their advantages. Also, there is a large demand for prepared foods and bento lunches purchased from convenience stores and other stores to eat on the go, but canned foods are not able to fully meet this demand. In response to this situation, it is conceivable that at a store or the like where canned foods are sold, the can be opened and the contents transferred to a container for taking home. However, when transferring the contents of an opened can to a container for storing foodstuffs or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 3), the contents are likely to spill. In other words, conventional containers are not designed to allow the contents of the can to be transferred easily.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a configuration that allows the contents of an opened can to be easily transferred to a container at a store or the like that sells the canned food, thereby making it easier to carry the can. In turn, the present invention aims to open the canned food at a store or the like, making it easier for the store or the like to take back the empty cans, expanding food consumption through canned food, and realizing food distribution with less environmental impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to A container portion having an opening; a lid that is removably attached to the container so as to close the opening; Equipped with A canned food holding assistant part is provided on the inside of the container part or the lid, The canned food holding auxiliary portion has a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape. container to provide.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the container of the above configuration has a canned food-holding assistant part on the inside of the container part or the lid, and the canned food-holding assistant part has a shape corresponding to a predetermined canned food shape, so that the canned food-holding assistant part can assist in holding the canned food in the container. Therefore, with the canned food held in the container, the contents of the opened can can be easily transferred to the container at a store or the like where the canned food is sold, by turning the container upside down, and thus the container can be more easily carried.

[0009] Preferably, the container and the lid each include a can contact portion configured to contact the can in the container, and the can holding assistant portion is formed on the can contact portion. With this configuration, the can can be sandwiched and held between the container and the lid, and the holding of the can can be assisted by the can holding assistant portion. Therefore, when the container is turned upside down with the can held in the container, the position of the can in the container can be substantially fixed.

[0010] Preferably, the canned food-holding auxiliary part is formed to extend in the axial direction of the container. With this configuration, the canned food can come into contact with the canned food-holding auxiliary part by moving the canned food in the axial direction of the container, i.e., in the axial direction of the container part or the lid.

[0011] Preferably, the canned food-holding auxiliary part has a groove or a protrusion having a shape corresponding to the predetermined shape of the can. With this configuration, the canned food-holding auxiliary part can more suitably contact, for example, the edge of the can.

[0012] Preferably, the groove or the protrusion extends endlessly around the axis of the container, and this configuration allows the canned food-holding auxiliary part to contact the entire periphery of the edge of a specific type of can, for example, and thus contributes to favorably holding the canned food.

[0013] Preferably, the canned food-holding auxiliary part is provided on an elastic body that is exposed to the inside of the container part or the lid. With this configuration, when the canned food comes into contact with the canned food-holding auxiliary part, the canned food can be pressed against the elastic body and held therein. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the above-mentioned aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned configuration makes it possible to easily transfer the contents of an opened can into the container at a store or other place where the cans are sold, and therefore the can can be easily carried around as is. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention having a basic configuration example. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a container portion of a container according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIB-IIB in (a). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a lid of a container according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA in (b), and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the lid of FIG. 3 is turned upside down, a can is placed on it, and the container portion of FIG. 2 is advanced toward the lid. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the lid of FIG. 3 is turned upside down, a can is placed on it, and the container part of FIG. 2 is screwed onto the lid. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the container with the can in FIG. 5 placed inside turned upside down. FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the state in which another can is applied to the container according to the first embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are views showing a container according to a second embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lid, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the container part. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a can is applied to the container of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a container according to a third embodiment, showing a state in which a can is applied thereto. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are views showing a container according to a fourth embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lid, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the container part. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are views showing a container according to a fifth embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lid, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the container part. [Figure 13] FIG. 12(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the lid of FIG. [Figure 14] 12(b) are cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the container part in FIG. 12(b), with (a) to (e) each showing a different modified example. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a container according to a sixth embodiment, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view of the lid, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the container part, and (c) is a diagram showing a modified example of the container part of (b). [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a container according to a seventh embodiment, illustrating the state in which the lid is turned upside down, a can is placed on top of it, and the container portion is advanced toward the lid. [Figure 17] 17 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 16 with the lid turned upside down, a can placed on it, and the container portion screwed onto the lid. FIG. [Figure 18] 17 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 16, illustrating the container with the canned food placed inside turned upside down. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] First, a container 1 will be described as an embodiment having a basic configuration example of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the container 1. In Fig. 1, the can C1 is shown by a dashed line when the can C1 is placed in the container 1 with the opening C0 of the can C1 facing downward.

[0017] The container 1 includes a container portion 2 having an opening 2A, and a lid 4 detachably attached to the container portion 2 so as to close the opening 2A. A can can be placed inside the container 1, and the container 1 with the can inside can be placed with the container portion 2 facing down and the lid 4 positioned on top of it, or with the lid 4 facing down and the container portion 2 positioned on top of it. When a can is placed inside the container 1, the bottom 2B of the container portion 2, i.e., its inner surface, becomes a can abutment portion 6A configured to be abutted by the can in the container 1. When a can is placed inside the container 1, the lid main portion 4A of the lid 4, i.e., its inner surface, faces the inner surface of the bottom 2B of the container portion 2, and becomes a can abutment portion 6B configured to be abutted by the can in the container 1.

[0018] Canned food holding assistant parts 8A, 8B are formed on the inside of container 1, particularly on the inside of bottom part 2B of container part 2 and lid main body part 4A of lid 4, which form canned food contact parts 6A, 6B.

[0019] In the container 1, the canned food holding auxiliary part 8A is a protrusion 2C formed on the bottom part 2B of the container part 2. The protrusion 2C is formed to extend in the direction of the axis 1A of the container 1 (axial direction). That is, the protrusion 2C is formed to extend toward the lid main body part 4A of the lid 4 facing the bottom part 2B of the container part 2 in the closed container 1. The protrusion 2C extends in an endless shape around the axis 1A of the container 1. Specifically, the protrusion 2C is an annular protrusion. This protrusion 2C has a slight protruding height with respect to the depth of the container part 2. Such a protrusion 2C has a shape according to the corresponding predetermined can shape. In the case shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 2C is formed to have an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the can C1 of the corresponding predetermined can shape.

[0020] In the container 1, the canned food holding auxiliary part 8B is a protrusion 4B formed on the lid body part 4A of the lid 4. The protrusion 4B is formed to extend in the direction of the axis 1A of the container 1 (axial direction). That is, the protrusion 4B is formed to extend toward the bottom part 2B of the container part 2 facing the lid body part 4A of the lid 4 in the closed container 1. The protrusion 4B extends in an endless shape around the axis 1A of the container 1. Specifically, the protrusion 4B is an annular protrusion. This protrusion 4B has a slight protruding height with respect to the depth of the lid 4. Such a protrusion 4B has a shape according to the corresponding predetermined can shape. In the case shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 4B can be fitted into the inside of the recess CR of the bottom of the can C1 of the corresponding predetermined can shape without a large play. The protrusion 4B is formed to have an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the recess CR of the can C1, but may be formed to have an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the can C1, for example.

[0021] Therefore, the contents of the opened can C1 can be easily transferred into the container 1 at a store or the like where the can C1 is sold by turning the container 1 upside down while the can C1 is held in the container 1 between the container portion 2 and the lid 4. This makes it easier to carry the contents of the can C1. On the other hand, the empty can remains at the store or the like and can be easily and efficiently collected.

[0022] Both or either one of the projections 2C and 4B may be recessed, i.e., grooves. The grooves may have a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape, similar to the projections 2C and 4B. The grooves may be formed to extend in the axial direction of the container. The grooves may extend endlessly around the axis of the container.

[0023] The canned food holding auxiliary parts 8A, 8B such as the projections 2C and 4B can also be provided on an elastic body provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container part 2 or the lid 4. The number of projections 2C and / or grooves formed on the container part 2 may be one or more. Similarly, the number of projections 4B and / or grooves formed on the lid 4 may be one or more. The container part 2 and the lid 4 of the container 1 may be made of various materials. Either or both of the container part 2 and the lid 4 can be made of any one of elastic materials or rubber materials such as silicone, synthetic resins such as polypropylene, and paper. Either or both of the container part 2 and the lid 4 can be made of paper, and the container 1 may be a disposable container in whole or in part.

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] 2 to 7 disclose a container 10 according to a first embodiment. The container 10 includes a container portion 12 and a lid 14. The container portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 is a vessel having an opening 16, and includes a bottom portion 18 and a side wall portion 20 connected to the bottom portion 18. The lid 14 shown in FIG. 3 is detachably attached to the container portion 12 so as to close the opening 16. The container portion 12 has a male thread 22 on the outer surface of its side wall portion 20. In contrast, the lid 14 has a female thread 24 that can be screwed into the male thread 22. By screwing the female thread 24 of the lid 14 into the male thread 22 of the container portion 12, the opening 16 of the container portion 12 is closed, and the inside of the container 10 is substantially sealed.

[0026] The container 10 has an axis 10A. When the lid 14 is attached to the container part 12, the axis 10A passes through the approximate center of the bottom 18 of the container part 12, extends to pass through the inside of the side wall part 20, and intersects with the lid 14, here approximately perpendicularly. In the container 10, the bottom 18 is circular, the side wall part 20 is approximately cylindrical, and the container part 12 is formed approximately rotationally symmetrical around the axis 10A. In the following, for ease of explanation, in the direction of the axis 10A (axial direction), the bottom 18 side of the container 10 is referred to as "bottom" or "lower side", and the lid 14 side of the container 10 is referred to as "upper" or "upper side" based on the posture when the container 10 with the lid 14 attached to the container part 12 is placed on a table or the like with the lid 14 facing up.

[0027] The side wall portion 20 includes a base end portion 26 having a shape narrowing toward the bottom portion 18, and a tip end portion 28 that is connected to the base end portion 26 and defines the opening 16. The base end portion 26 extends to the bottom portion 18 and has an inverted truncated cone shape. The tip end portion 28 has a generally cylindrical shape and has a male thread 22 formed thereon.

[0028] The lid 14 has a lid main body 30 that faces the opening 16 when the lid 14 is attached to the container part 12, and a lid tubular part 32 that extends perpendicular to the lid main body 30. The lid tubular part 32 is formed with an internal thread 24. The lid main body 30 is circular.

[0029] The container part 12 is made of synthetic resin, and is made of polypropylene (PP) here. However, the container part 12 may be made of various materials, for example, synthetic resin other than polypropylene, or may be made of metal or paper. The lid 14 is also made of synthetic resin, and is made of polypropylene here. However, the lid 14 may also be made of various materials, for example, synthetic resin other than polypropylene, or may be made of metal or paper. The container part 12 and the lid 14 may be made of different materials. The explanations about the materials of the container part 12 and the lid 14 are the same for those materials in the other embodiments described below.

[0030] An annular member 34 is provided as an elastic body EB inside the container part 12. The annular member 34 is made of silicone, which is a material softer than the materials of the container part 12 and the lid 14. Therefore, the annular member 34 as the elastic body EB is softer than the side wall part 20 that defines the opening 16 of the container part 12. In this specification, the elastic body EB is made of silicone, but it may be made of a material other than silicone, for example, various resin materials or natural rubber. This is also true for the elastic bodies EB in the other embodiments described below.

[0031] The annular member 34 is provided at the bottom 18 and the side wall 20 of the container 12 so as to be exposed to the inside of the container 12. In particular, the annular member 34 is attached along the inner surfaces of the bottom 18 and the side wall 20 from the continuous portion between them to the middle of the side wall 20, and is therefore positioned away from the opening 16 of the container 12 and extends inside the bottom 18 and the side wall 20. The annular member 34 has a substantially constant thickness, is shaped to fit the inner surface 20i of the side wall 20, and has a shape tapering toward the bottom 18. In this way, the annular member 34 extends endlessly around the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10, inside the bottom 18 and the side wall 20. In addition, the annular member 34 has a shape tapered toward the bottom 18 side, and therefore has an inner surface 34i that is inclined with respect to the axis of the container portion 12, that is, the axis 10A of the vessel 10.

[0032] Furthermore, the male thread 22 of the container part 12 is formed over the entire tip part 28 that defines the opening 16. In the axis of the container part 12, that is, in the direction of the axis 10A of the container 10 (axial direction), the tip part 28 has a length of 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 of the container part 12. Therefore, the male thread 22 is formed at least in the range from the opening 16 side of the side wall part 20 to 1 / 4 of the side wall part 20 in the direction of the axis 10A of the container 10. The lid cylindrical part 32 of the lid 14 has a length that is approximately the same as the male thread 22 of the container part 12 in the direction of the axis 10A (axial direction), that is, a length that is 1 / 4 or more of the total length of the side wall part 20, and the female thread 24 is formed over approximately the entire length. Note that, in the direction of the axis 10A, the length of the male thread 22 and the length of the female thread 24 are not limited to being approximately the same, and may be significantly different. For example, the length of the male thread 22 of the container portion 12 may be less than half the above length. Even in this case, since the female thread 24 is relatively long, the position of the female thread 24 screwed into the male thread 22 can be flexibly adjusted, and therefore, the container 10 can accommodate canned goods of various sizes, as described below.

[0033] In addition, protrusions 36, 38 are provided on the inside of the lid body 30 of the lid 14. The protrusions 36, 38 are annular protrusions, each having a different diameter, and are arranged concentrically around the axis of the lid 14, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10. The protrusions 36, 38 are formed to extend in the direction of the axis of the lid 14, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10 (axial direction). In other words, the protrusions 36, 38 are formed to extend toward the bottom 18 of the container 12 that faces the lid body 30 of the lid 14 in the closed container 1. The protrusions 36, 38 are formed to have a certain height. Here, the protrusions 36, 38 have a height of about 5 mm, but the height is not limited to this. However, it is preferable that the height does not exceed the depth of the recess in the bottom of the can in which the container 10 is used. The width of the protrusions 36, 38 is about 3 mm, but the width is not limited to this. The number of protrusions 36, 38 may be other than two, and may be one, three or more. However, protrusions 36, 38 are formed at positions corresponding to the size of the recess in the bottom of the corresponding can. In other words, protrusion 36 has a shape corresponding to a first predetermined can shape, and protrusion 38 has a shape corresponding to a second predetermined can shape. These protrusions 36, 38 each correspond to a can holding auxiliary portion.

[0034] A method of using the container 10 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, first, a worker such as a store clerk places the lid 14 upside down on a table 40 placed approximately horizontally, that is, so that the lid body 30 is in direct contact with the table 40. In this state, a can C1, which has been opened using a can opener or the like as necessary, is placed on the lid body 30 of the lid 14 with its opening CO facing up. At this time, the protrusion 38, which is an example of a can holding auxiliary part, has a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined can shape of the can C1 of a certain standard size, so that it can fit inside the recess CR at the bottom of the can C1 without much play. Therefore, the can C1 can be placed approximately in the center of the lid 14. With the can C1 placed on the lid 14 in this way, the container part 12 is turned upside down and the container part 12 is advanced relative to the lid 14 (see the arrow in FIG. 4).

[0036] The container 10 is formed so that the can C1 cannot pass through the inside of the annular member 34 with respect to the size of the can C1, and so that when the can C1 is placed on the lid 14 and the container part 12 is advanced toward the lid 14 so as to screw the container part 12 and the lid 14 together, the can C1 can be securely sandwiched between the container part 12 and the lid 14. Therefore, by advancing the container part 12 toward the lid 14 as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the male thread 22 of the container part 12 is screwed into the female thread 24 of the lid 14 as shown in FIG. 5, and the opening CO of the can C1 comes into contact with the annular member 34, and the annular member 34 is elastically deformed so as to be securely sealed by the annular member 34 of the container part 12. Here, the annular member 34 extends endlessly around the axis of the container part 12, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10, at the bottom 18 and the side wall part 20, particularly on the inside thereof. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening CO of the can C1 is firmly in contact with the annular member 34 over its entire circumference, and the annular member 34 is elastically deformed to be tightly sealed by the annular member 34 of the container 12. The annular member 34 has an inner surface 34i that is inclined with respect to the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening CO of the can C1 is firmly in contact with the annular member 34 over its entire circumference, and the annular member 34 is elastically deformed to be tightly sealed by the annular member 34 of the container 12. As a result, the can C1 is sandwiched between the lid 14 and the container 12 and held by them. At this time, the projection 38 having a predetermined can shape fits into and contacts the inside of the recess CR at the bottom of the can C1 as described above, which can help hold the can C1 in the container 10.

[0037] Then, by turning the container 10 upside down as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5, the bottom 18 of the container section 12 comes into contact with the table 40 as shown in Fig. 6. In the state shown in Fig. 6, by removing the lid 14 and taking out the can C1, the worker can transfer the contents of the can C1 into the container section 12 of the container 10 without getting his / her hands dirty.

[0038] Fig. 7 shows a state in which a can C2 of a different size from the can C1 is placed in the container 10. In Fig. 7, the protrusion 36, which is an example of a can holding auxiliary part, has a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape (including dimensions) of the can C2 of a certain standard size, so that the inner protrusion 36 fits into and contacts the inside of the recess CR of the can C2, and the opening CO of the can C2 contacts the annular member 34, which is an elastic body EB, at a location different from the opening CO of the can C1 shown in Fig. 6. In this way, in the container 10, the annular member 34 has an inner surface 34i that is inclined with respect to the axis of the receptacle part 12, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 10, so that the container 10 can be used to transfer the contents of cans of a plurality of sizes, i.e., a plurality of standards.

[0039] Regarding the container 10 described above, some characteristic configurations and the resulting functions and effects will be described below.

[0040] The container 10 comprises a container portion 12 having an opening 16, and a lid 14 removably attached to the container portion 12 so as to close the opening 16. The inside of the lid 14 is provided with protrusions 36, 38 that serve as canned food holding aids. Each of the protrusions 36, 38 has a shape corresponding to a corresponding predetermined can shape. Therefore, the protrusions 36, 38 can help hold the canned food within the container 10, for example by assisting in the positioning of the canned food.

[0041] The container 12 includes an annular member 34 extending inside the bottom 18 and the side wall 20, which serves as a can abutment portion configured to abut against the cans C1, C2 in the container 10. The lid 14 includes a lid main body 30, which serves as a can abutment portion configured to abut against the cans C1, C2 in the container 10. The lid main body 30, which corresponds to the can abutment portion, has protrusions 36, 38, which correspond to the can holding assistance portion. With this configuration, the cans C1, C2 can be sandwiched and held between the container 12 and the lid 14, and the holding of the cans C1, C2 can be assisted by the protrusions 36, 38. Therefore, when the container 10 is turned upside down with the cans C1, C2 held in it, the positions of the cans 36, 38 in the container 10 can be substantially fixed.

[0042] The protrusions 36, 38, which serve as the canned food-holding auxiliary parts, are each formed to extend in the axial direction of the container 10. With this configuration, by moving the cans C1, C2 in the axial direction of the container 10, i.e., in the axial direction of the receptacle part 12 or the lid 14, the cans C1, C2 can come into contact with the protrusions 36, 38, which serve as the canned food-holding auxiliary parts.

[0043] The protrusions 36, 38, which are canned food holding assistance parts, each have a shape corresponding to the corresponding predetermined can shape. With this configuration, the protrusions 36, 38 can more appropriately contact the edges of the corresponding cans C1, C2, and therefore more appropriately assist in holding the cans C1, C2.

[0044] The projections 36, 38 extend endlessly around the axis 10A of the container 10, i.e., the axis of the lid 14. With this configuration, the projections 36, 38 can contact the entire periphery of the corresponding predetermined type of cans C1, C2, thereby contributing to favorably holding the cans C1, C2.

[0045] As described above, at a store or the like, a worker or a purchaser of the can C1 can easily transfer the contents of the can C1 into the container 10, so that the purchaser can easily carry or take home the container 10 containing the contents of the can C1, while the worker can collect the empty can of the can C1 that he sold. In recent years, a can opener that cuts the outside of the rolled-up part of a can has been developed, so that the opening of the can has a neater cut. Therefore, the container 10 is more easily suited to cans that have been opened in this way.

[0046] The male thread 22 is formed at least in a range from the opening 16 side of the side wall 20 to 1 / 4 of the side wall 20 in the direction of the axis 10A of the container 10, and the length in the direction of the axis 10A is long compared to the size of the container 10. The female thread 24 has approximately the same length in the direction of the axis 10A as the male thread 22. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the container 10 can flexibly accommodate cans C1 and C2 of different sizes.

[0047] In addition, since the annular member 34 is detachably attached to the inside of the container portion 12, when the container 10 is washed, the annular member 34 is removed from the container portion 12 and washed. Therefore, the container 10 can be used in a cleaner state. The annular member 34 is provided in the container portion 12 away from the opening 16 of the container portion 12. Therefore, the annular member 34 can be easily provided in the container portion 12 without considering the sealing between the container portion 12 and the lid 14.

[0048] The canned food-holding assistant portion is not limited to the projections 36, 38, and may be a groove. In this case, the groove may have a shape (including dimensions) of a predetermined can shape, and may extend endlessly around the axis 10A of the container 10. This can achieve the same effect for the same reason as above. The canned food-holding assistant portion may be provided on the container portion 12 instead of or in addition to the lid 14. The canned food-holding assistant portion such as the projections 36, 38 may be provided on an elastic body, such as the annular member 34, that is provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container portion or the lid 14. In this case, the canned food-holding assistant portion may also be made of an elastic body, but is not limited to this.

[0049] Next, a container 110 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. As shown in Fig. 8, the container 110 is characterized in that, compared to the container 10, it has an additional protrusion 102 on the inside of the lid 14, and a bottom support member 104 is provided so as to contact the bottom 18 inside the annular member 34 of the container portion 12. That is, the container 110 substantially has all the components of the container 10, and further has the protrusion 102 and the bottom support member 104. In the following, the container 110 according to the second embodiment will be mainly described with respect to these differences from the container 10, and the components corresponding to those already described will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description thereof will be omitted. However, the container 110 has various differences in size from the container 10, which is for the purpose of being more flexible in dealing with various canned foods.

[0050] The protrusion 102 is an example of a canned food holding assisting part, and has a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined canned food shape of a certain standard size can. The protrusion 102 is provided on the inner surface of the lid main body 30, radially inward of the protrusions 36, 38, and is annular in shape, configured to extend about the axis of the lid 14, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 110. The protrusion 102 and the protrusions 36, 38 are provided concentrically.

[0051] The bottom laying member 104 is a circular member and is provided so as to extend along the inner surface 18i of the bottom 18 so as to intersect with the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A of the container 110. Therefore, the bottom laying member 104 is provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container 12 at the bottom 18 of the container 12. The bottom laying member 104 also extends in an endless shape around the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A. The bottom laying member 104 is not of a constant thickness, but is configured so as to be thicker toward the center, i.e., the axis 10A side, and thinner toward the outside, i.e., the side wall 20 side. Therefore, the bottom laying member 104 has an inner surface 104i that is inclined with respect to the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A. The outer edge of the bottom laying member 104 contacts the annular member 34 with substantially no gap. The bottom lining member 104 is also an elastic body EB like the annular member 34, and is made of the same material as the annular member 34. Note that only the bottom lining member 104 may be provided inside the container portion 12, and the annular member 34 may be omitted.

[0052] The bottom support member 104 is manufactured separately from the annular member 34 and is removably attached, specifically fitted, to the inside of the container section 12 together with the annular member 34; however, it is better if the bottom support member 104 and the annular member 34 are manufactured as an integral member from the beginning. In terms of strength, that is, the strength against deformation of the annular member 34 when pressure is applied from above to the annular member 34 extending to the side surface, can be improved by integrally molding the bottom support member 104 and the annular member 34. Also, in the technology disclosed herein, the bottom support member 104 can be manufactured with a constant thickness.

[0053] The container 110 having the above configuration can be used in the same manner as the container 10 as described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Furthermore, the container 110 can be used as shown in Figure 9.

[0054] 9, the container 110 is used for a can C3 of a certain standard size, which has a diameter relatively smaller than the cans C1 and C2. The protrusion 102 fits into and contacts the recess CR in the bottom of the can C3, and the opening C3 of the can C3 contacts the bottom lining member 104 inside the annular member 34. In this way, since the container 110 has the protrusion 102 and the bottom lining member 104, it can be used for a variety of cans of different sizes.

[0055] Next, a container 210 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Only the differences between the container 210 and the container 110 will be described below, and the same reference numerals will be used for configurations corresponding to the components already described, and duplicated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 10, the container 210 has annular recesses or grooves 34r, 104r on the inner surfaces 34i, 104i of the annular member 34 and the bottom support member 104, which are elastic bodies EB, respectively. These grooves 34r, 104r are examples of canned food holding assistance parts, and are formed to have a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined can shape of a can of a certain standard size. The annular member 34 has a plurality of annular grooves 34r, each of which is substantially centered on the axis 10A. The bottom support member 104 has a plurality of annular grooves 104r, each of which is substantially centered on the axis 10A. In FIG. 10, one of these grooves 34ra has a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined can shape of a corresponding standard size can C4, so that the edge of the opening CO of the can C4 is positioned in the groove 34ra, and the can C4 is stably supported by the annular member 34. At this time, since the groove 34ra is a circular groove formed substantially centered on the axis 10A, it becomes possible to place the approximately cylindrical can C4 in the container 210 substantially centered on the axis 10A. This makes it possible to assist in holding the can C4 in the container 210, specifically to position it in a suitable manner, and more reliably reduces the possibility of liquid leakage or the like occurring when the contents of the can C4 are transferred into the container 210.

[0057] Note that the container 210 differs from the container 110 in terms of the shape or dimensions of the container portion 12, the shape or dimensions of the lid 14, and the shapes or dimensions of the annular member 34 and the bottom liner member 104, but these may be the same.

[0058] Next, a container 310 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Only the differences between the container 310 and the container 110 will be described below, and the same reference numerals will be used for configurations corresponding to components already described, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] In the container 310, an elastic member 312 is provided as the elastic body EB so as to extend from the bottom 18 to the side wall 20 of the container part 12 to the inside thereof. Therefore, the elastic member 312 is provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container part 12 at the bottom 18 and the side wall 20 of the container part 12. The elastic member 312 also has an annular part 314 corresponding to the above-mentioned annular member 34, and a bottom base part 316 extending in a substantially circular shape extending to the bottom 18. Therefore, the elastic member 312 extends in an endless shape around the axis 10A of the container part 12 inside the bottom 18 and the side wall part 20 of the container part 12 of the container 310. Note that the elastic member 312 may be integrated by separately manufacturing a member corresponding to the annular part 314 and a member corresponding to the bottom base part 316 and providing them in the container 310. Alternatively, the present disclosure allows only one of the member corresponding to the annular portion 314 and the member corresponding to the bottom base portion 316 to be attached within the container portion 12.

[0060] The base portion 316 may be configured to be thicker toward the center, as in the base member 104, but here, the base portion 316 is configured to be thinner toward the center, i.e., toward the axis 10A. The elastic member 312 has an annular portion 314 extending inside the sidewall portion 20 and thus having a surface 314i inclined with respect to the axis 10A, and the base portion 316 of the elastic member 312 extends inside the bottom portion 18 and thus has a surface 316i inclined with respect to the axis 10A. The surface 314i smoothly continues to the surface 316i on the radially outer side of the surface 316i.

[0061] Since the elastic member 312 has the surface 314i and the surface 316i, the elastic member 312 can be used to seal the opening CO of cans of more sizes. Thus, the container 310 can be used with cans of more sizes.

[0062] It should be noted that the container 310 is provided with the above-mentioned protrusion 102, but further description of this protrusion 102 will be omitted.

[0063] Next, a container 410 according to a fifth embodiment and its modified examples will be described with reference to Fig. 12 to Fig. 14. Only the characteristic configuration of the container 410 will be described below, and only the differences from the above containers 10 and 110 will be described below. The same reference numerals will be used for configurations corresponding to the components already described, and duplicated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0064] In the container 410, the container portion 12 is formed such that the side wall portion 20 tapers from the opening 16 to the bottom portion 18. A male thread 22 is formed so as to extend radially outward from the side wall portion 20 about the axis 10A. Such a shape of the side wall portion 20 can also be adopted in the containers 1, 10, 110, 210, and 310 of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0065] An annular protrusion 412 and an annular step 414 are formed on the outer periphery of the protrusion 412 on the bottom 18 of the container part 12, and an annular member 416 is fitted between the protrusion 412 and the step 414. Therefore, the annular member 416 is provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container part 12 at the bottom 18 of the container part 12. The annular member 416, which is an elastic body EB, is made of silicone and is softer than the side wall part 20 and the bottom part 18 of the container part 12.

[0066] The lid 14 of the container 410 is provided with an annular projection 418 centered on the axis 10A. The projection 418 is an example of a canned food holding auxiliary part, and extends in the axial direction of the container 410, has an endless shape around the axis of the container, and has a shape corresponding to a predetermined canned food shape. When the lid 14 is attached to the container part 12, the annular projection 418 is formed to be located directly above the step 414. In particular, the projection 418 and the step 414 are provided so that the inner edge of the projection 418 and the inner edge of the step 414 are approximately the same distance from the axis 10A. The projection 418 is formed so that its inner diameter (inner diameter) D1 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of a canned food of a predetermined size. Therefore, a canned food of a predetermined size can be fitted inside the projection 418. Similarly, step 414 is also a protrusion having a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape, and is formed so that its inside diameter (inner diameter) is approximately the same as the outer diameter of a can of a predetermined size. Therefore, a can of a predetermined size can be fitted inside step 414.

[0067] As described above, when the lid 14 is placed upside down on the table, the can is placed on the lid 14 so that its bottom fits into the projection 418. Then, the container 12 is advanced relative to the lid. Here, the lid 14 and the container 12 are designed so that when there is a can in the container 410, the lid 14 will not close to the extent that the male thread 22 of the container 12 and the female thread 24 of the lid 14 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the operator can press the container 12 against the can until the opening of the can abuts against the annular member 416 and the annular member 416 is further deformed. In this state, the opening CO of the can is substantially sealed, so that by turning the container 410 upside down in this state, the can is positioned in the container 12 of the container 410 so that the opening CO of the can is downward. Then, the can is removed and the lid 14 is closed, and the contents of the can can be transferred into the container 410.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 13, an elastic member 420, that is, a member that functions as a cushion for the pressed canned food, may be disposed within an annular projection 418 of the lid 14 of the container 410.

[0069] 14 shows a modified example of the container part 12 of the container 410. As shown in FIG. 14(a), the annular projection 412 may be omitted, and a flat elastic member 422 may be provided inside an annular step 414. The elastic member 422 is an elastic body EB. As shown in FIG. 14(b), the step 414 may also be configured as a part of an elastic member 423. The elastic member 423 is an elastic body EB in which the step 414 is integrally provided around the elastic member 422. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the entire container part 12 in the container part of FIG. 14(b), that is, the entire side wall part 20 and the entire bottom part 18 may be made of an elastic member, and the entire container part 12 may be configured as an elastic member 424. 14(d), the step 414 in the container part 12 in Fig. 14(a) may be omitted, and a substantially circular, flat elastic member 426 may be fitted over the entire bottom 18 of the container part 12. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 14(e), the entire container part 12 in Fig. 14(d) may be made of an elastic member, and the entire container part 12 may be configured as an elastic member 428.

[0070] Next, a container 510 according to a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Only the characteristic configuration of the container 510 will be described, and only the differences from the above-mentioned container 410 will be described below. The same reference numerals will be used for configurations corresponding to the components already described, and duplicated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 15(a), the lid 14 of the container 510 has an annular protrusion 512. The protrusion 512 is formed so that its inner diameter (inner diameter) D2 corresponds to the outer diameter of the first can, and a diameter D3 exceeding the outer shape of the protrusion 512 corresponds to the outer diameter of the second can, which is larger than the diameter of the first can. In other words, the protrusion 512 has a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape. The protrusion 512 extends endlessly around the axis of the container 510.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 15(b), the container 12 of the container 510 has an annular projection 514 on its bottom 18, the projection 514 being centered on the axis of the container 12, i.e., the axis 10A, and is formed so that an annular elastic member 516 is fitted between the outside of the projection 514 and the side wall 20. The elastic member 516 is an elastic body EB, and extends from the connection part of the side wall 20 with the bottom 18 to a position exceeding half of the side wall 20. Therefore, the elastic member 516 is provided so as to be exposed to the inside of the container 12 at the bottom 18 and the side wall 20 of the container 12. The elastic member 516 is provided with two recesses 518, 520. The recess 518 is formed to have a shape corresponding to a corresponding predetermined can shape so that the opening of the first can is fitted therein. The other recess 520 is formed to have a shape corresponding to a corresponding predetermined can shape so that the opening of the second can is fitted therein. It should be noted that the container 510 is dimensioned such that when the first can or the second can is sandwiched between the lid 14 and the container portion 12, the lid 14 will not close.

[0073] 15(c), the container part 12 and the elastic member 516 of the container 510 may be entirely made of the elastic member 522. Even in this case, a part of the elastic member 522 functions as an elastic body EB exposed to the inside of the container part 12 at the bottom part 18 and the side wall part 20 of the container part 12.

[0074] Next, a container 610 according to a seventh embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 18. Only the characteristic configuration of the container 610 will be described, and mainly differences from the container 10 of the first embodiment will be described below. Configurations corresponding to components already described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0075] In the container 610, the side wall 20 of the container part 12, which extends from the opening 16 to which the lid 14 is detachably attached to the bottom 18, is perpendicular to the bottom 18 and is cylindrical. An elastic member 611, which is an elastic body EB, is provided with a certain thickness on the inner surface of the lid body 30 of the lid 14, i.e., on the can abutment part. Then, protrusions 612, 614 are provided on the exposed inner surface of the elastic member 611. The protrusions 612, 614 are each an example of a can holding auxiliary part, and have the same configuration as the protrusions 36, 38 described above. For example, the protrusions 612, 614 each extend in the axial direction of the container 610. In other words, the protrusions 612, 614 are formed so as to extend toward the bottom 18 of the container part 12 facing the lid body 30 of the lid 14 in the closed container 610. Moreover, each of the protrusions 612, 614 has a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined can shape of a corresponding standard size can. Here, each of the protrusions 612, 614 is formed so that its outer diameter (outer diameter) is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the recess of the can of the predetermined size. Each of these protrusions 612, 614 is further configured as an elastic body EB, similar to the elastic member 611.

[0076] An elastic member 616, which is an elastic body EB, is also provided with a certain thickness on the inner surface of the bottom 18 of the container 12, which is the can abutment portion, and protrusions 618, 620 are provided on the exposed inner surface. The protrusions 618, 620 each have a shape (including dimensions) corresponding to a predetermined can shape of a corresponding standard size can. Here, the protrusions 618, 620 are each formed so that the inner diameter (inner diameter) is approximately the same as the outer diameter of a can of the predetermined size. Therefore, a can of the predetermined size can be fitted inside the protrusions 618, 620. This is the same as the protrusion 418. Note that the protrusions 618, 620 each extend in the axial direction of the container 610. In other words, the protrusions 618, 620 are formed so as to extend toward the lid body portion 30 of the lid 14 that faces the bottom 18 of the container 12 in the closed container 610. The projections 618, 620 extend in an annular shape around the axis 10A of the container 610. The projections 618, 620 are an example of a canned food holding assistance portion, and are formed as an elastic body EB similar to the elastic member 616.

[0077] A brief description will be given of how the contents of the can C1, for example, are transferred into the container 610 having this configuration with reference to FIGS.

[0078] When the lid 14 of the container 610 is inverted and placed on the table 40, the can C1 is placed on the lid 14 so that the corresponding protrusion 614 fits into the bottom of the can C1. With the can C1 placed on the lid 14 in this manner, the container part 12 is inverted and advanced relative to the lid 14 (see the arrow in FIG. 16).

[0079] In the container 610, by advancing the container part 12 relative to the lid 14, the male thread 22 of the container part 12 is screwed into the female thread 24 of the lid 14 as shown in FIG. 17, and the opening CO of the can C1 comes into contact with the elastic member 616, and the elastic member 616 is elastically deformed so that the opening CO of the can C1 is tightly sealed by the elastic member 616 of the container part 12. At this time, the corresponding protrusion 620 comes into contact with the outer side of the edge of the opening CO of the can C1, and the can C1 is held and positioned, for example. Then, by turning the container 610 upside down, the bottom 18 of the container part 12 comes into contact with the table 40 as shown in FIG. 18. In the state shown in FIG. 18, by removing the lid 14 and removing the can C1, the operator can transfer the contents of the can C1 into the container part 12 of the container 610 without getting his hands dirty.

[0080] In this manner, in the container 610, the protrusions 612, 614, 618, 620 serving as the canned food holding assistant parts are provided on the elastic members 611, 616 serving as the elastic bodies provided so as to be exposed on the inside of the container part 12 and the lid 14, respectively. Therefore, when the can C1 comes into contact with the protrusions 612, 614, 618, 620 serving as the canned food holding assistant parts, the can C1 is pressed against the elastic members 611, 618 serving as the elastic bodies, so that the can C1 can be held more firmly. Note that the elastic members 611, 616 may not be provided, and the protrusions 612, 614, 618, 620 may be provided directly on the bottom of the container part 12 and the lid main body part of the lid 14, as in the container 1 described based on FIG. 1. In this case, the protrusions 612, 614, 618, 620 may be configured as elastic bodies, or may be made of the same material as the container part 12 or the lid 14 on which they are provided.

[0081] Although the embodiment and its modified examples according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various substitutions and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the claims of this application. The above-mentioned components described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0082] For example, the annular recesses or grooves 34r, 104r, 518, 520 may each be annular protrusions, or may each be replaced by a combination of a plurality of protrusions, for example.

[0083] In the containers 1, 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, and 610 of the above-mentioned embodiments, the container portion 12 and the lid 14 are made of polypropylene, and the elastic body EB such as the annular member 34 is made of silicone. However, the materials are not limited thereto, and the elastic body EB and the container portion 12 may be made of various materials, for example, such that the elastic body EB is made of a material softer than the material of the side wall portion 20 that defines the opening 16 of the container portion 12. In addition, the containers 1, 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, and 610 may each be a disposable container made of paper.

[0084] In addition, the containers 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 18 have a configuration in which the female thread 24 of the lid 14 is screwed into the male thread 22 of the container part 12 to close the containers 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610. However, the container may be closed by providing a female thread on the container part and a corresponding male thread on the lid and screwing them together. In addition, the containers 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 may be configured without male and female threads, like the container 1. Furthermore, the lid may be composed of only a lid body part of the lid that faces the bottom of the container in the closed container.

[0085] As described in the above embodiment, the technology of the present disclosure also resides in a method for transferring the contents of a can into a container having a container portion with an opening and a lid that can be removably attached to the container portion so as to close the opening, the method including a first step of placing the can on the inverted lid with the open opening facing up, a second step of inverting the container portion with the can placed on the lid and moving the container portion relative to the lid, and a third step of flipping the container after the second step. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1, 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 containers 2, 12 Container Department 4, 14 Lid 2A, 16 openings 2B, 18 bottom 2C, 4B protrusion 20 Side wall 34 Annular member 104 Bottom lining material 34r, 104r Groove (recess) 312 Elastic Members 422 Elastic Members 516 Elastic Members 611 Elastic members 612, 614 protrusion 616 Elastic Members 618, 620 protrusion EP Elastic body

Claims

1. A container portion having an opening; a lid that is removably attached to the container so as to close the opening; Equipped with A canned food holding assistant part is provided on the inside of the container part or the lid, The canned food holding auxiliary portion has a shape corresponding to a predetermined can shape. container.

2. The container portion and the lid each include a can abutment portion configured to abut against a can in the container; The canned food holding auxiliary portion is formed on the canned food contact portion.

2. The container of claim 1.

3. The canned food holding auxiliary portion is formed to extend in the axial direction of the container.

2. The container of claim 1.

4. The canned food holding auxiliary portion has a groove or a protrusion having a shape corresponding to the predetermined can shape.

2. The container of claim 1.

5. The groove or the protrusion extends endlessly around the axis of the container.

5. The container of claim 4.

6. The canned food holding auxiliary part is provided on an elastic body exposed to the inside of the container part or the lid. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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