Powdered food container

Abstract

To provide a powdered food container with improved powder discharge performance.SOLUTION: A container 1 for storing powdered food comprises a bottom outlet 23 and side walls 11, 24 to define the storage space for the powdered food. An inner surface of the side wall 11 comprises a downwardly inclined plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to containers for powdered food. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various containers for powdered foods are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a container used in a dispenser for providing beverages such as tea or coffee. The container is configured to contain powdered ingredients for the beverage. The powdered ingredients sink inside the container by gravity. A member for stirring the powdered ingredients is provided inside the container. A screw for pushing the powdered ingredients out of an outlet is provided at the bottom of the container. The powdered ingredients released from the outlet are mixed with hot or cold water and provided as a beverage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-226254 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned container, the powdered raw material at the bottom of the container is pressed against the inner surface of the container by the pressure from the powdered raw material above. As a result, some of the powdered raw material at the bottom of the container may be fixed by friction between the powdered raw material and the inner surface and may not be released (also called the bridge phenomenon). In order to prevent such a phenomenon, for example, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a member for stirring the powdered material is provided. In this case, an additional member is required, and cleaning is also troublesome.

[0005] In consideration of the above problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a container for powdered food with improved release properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a container for containing powdered food, the container comprising a lower outlet and a sidewall defining a storage space for the powdered food, the inner surface of the sidewall including a downwardly sloping surface.

[0007] In a container for powdered food according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the side wall includes a downward inclined surface. In this portion, the powder is pressed against the inclined surface by the pressure from the powder above. Since the inclined surface faces downward, the powder receives an inward and downward reaction force from the inclined surface. This downward reaction force and the gravity acting on the powder counteract the friction force between the powder and the inner surface, so the reaction force and the gravity act in a direction that pushes the powder downward toward the outlet. Therefore, the release of the powder is improved.

[0008] The inclined surface may be formed across the upper and lower halves of the container. The powder contained in the lower half of the container receives a higher pressure from above. Therefore, when the inclined surface is formed across the upper and lower halves of the container, a downward reaction force can be reliably applied from the inclined surface to the powder contained in the lower half.

[0009] The remaining part of the inner surface of the side wall other than the inclined surface may be formed as a vertical surface. In this case, no upward reaction force is applied to the powder from the inner surface of the side wall, thereby improving the release of the powder.

[0010] The container may be configured to be attached to a device for mixing powdered food and liquid. In such a device, water vapor may be generated from the liquid and may enter the container. Therefore, a part of the powder may solidify due to the water vapor. In the container according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the powder receives a downward reaction force from the inclined surface, so that the solidified powder is also pushed out to the outlet. Therefore, the release of the powder is improved. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a container for powdered food with enhanced release properties. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser in which a powdered food container according to an embodiment is used. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the dispenser of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a container for powdered food. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the powder container in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the powder container in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the powder container in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, a powdered food container according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. The scale of the drawings may be changed to facilitate understanding.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser 100 in which a container 1 for powdered food according to an embodiment is used, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the dispenser 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the container 1 is configured to be attached to the dispenser 100 for providing a beverage, and the powdered food (which may also be simply referred to as "powder" in this disclosure) P contained in the container 1 is a powdered beverage. In the dispenser 100, the powder P contained in the container 1 is mixed with a liquid (e.g., cold water, room temperature water, or hot water) and provided as a beverage. The dispenser 100 can be fitted with multiple containers 1 and can mix multiple types of powder P. In other embodiments, the dispenser 100 may be fitted with only a single container 1.

[0015] In the dispenser 100, a cup C is set on the stand 110, and multiple types of powders P or a single powder P is poured into the cup C. Then, liquid is directly supplied from the tube 120 to the cup C, and the powder P and the liquid are mixed in the cup C by the water flow generated in the cup C. The tube 120 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the water flow is generated in the cup C. In this way, in the dispenser 100, the powder P and the liquid are mixed in the cup C without being mixed in the components of the dispenser 100. Therefore, the dispenser 100 is kept clean. In another embodiment, the dispenser 100 may be provided with, for example, a mixing bowl for mixing the powder P and the liquid.

[0016] The powdered beverage may be, for example, powdered tea, powdered coffee, powdered cocoa, powdered juice, powdered milk, or powdered soup. For example, if the powder P is powdered tea, the dispenser 100 can provide tea by blending multiple powdered teas (e.g., green tea and roasted green tea, etc.). Also, for example, if the powder P is coffee, the dispenser 100 can provide coffee by blending multiple powdered coffees or powdered milk. Such powdered beverages may be produced, for example, by a spray-drying method or a freeze-drying method. In other embodiments, the powdered food may be other foods that are intended or not intended to be mixed with liquid. In the present disclosure, "food" may mean all foods and beverages (excluding drugs, quasi-drugs, and regenerative medicine products, etc., as defined in the Law on Ensuring Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety of Drugs, Medical Devices, etc.). For example, the food may be a powdered food for specified health uses, a nutritionally functional food, or a general food (e.g., a powdered vitamin supplement, etc.).

[0017] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a container 1 for powdered food. The container 1 includes a powder storage section 10, a lid 15, and a screw holding section 20. The storage space for powder P is defined by the lid 15 as a ceiling wall, a side wall 11 of the powder storage section 10, and a side wall 24 and a bottom wall 25 of a body 21 of the screw holding section 20. The powder storage section 10 will be described in detail later. Referring to Fig. 2, the lid 15 is rotatably attached to the top of the powder storage section 10, and can open and close the entrance 12 of the powder storage section 10.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, the screw holder 20 has a main body 21, a screw (not shown) for pushing out the powder P, and a connector 22 connected to the screw. The main body 21 has a generally hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape with an upper surface that is entirely or almost entirely open, and houses the screw inside. A side wall 24 of the main body 21 is formed as a vertical surface. In another embodiment, the side wall 24 may be formed as a downwardly inclined surface. The main body 21 has the connector 22 on a wall on one end side of the screw, and has an opening on a wall on the other end side of the screw. This opening defines an outlet 23 for the powder P. The container 1 is configured so that the powder P that sinks inside the container 1 is pushed out from the outlet 23 by the screw.

[0019] 2, the connector 22 is configured to be removably connected to a motor M, and the connector 22 and the screw are driven by the motor M. The motor M is attached to a panel 160 rotatably connected to the container holding part 150. The container 1 can be removed from the container holding part 150 by rotating the panel 160 to release the connection between the motor M and the connector 22. The dispenser 100 includes a shutter mechanism 200 capable of opening and closing an outlet 23 (not shown in FIG. 2) of the container 1.

[0020] The dispenser 100 can be fitted with a plurality of containers 1 (four in FIG. 2). The plurality of containers may be arranged in a matrix of, for example, two rows by n columns (n=1, 2, 3, . . ., two columns in FIG. 2). The plurality of containers arranged in two rows may be arranged symmetrically with the shutter mechanism 200 at the center. Specifically, each container 1 is arranged so that the outlet 23 faces the shutter mechanism 200, and each screw is arranged so as to push the powder P toward the shutter mechanism 200. Therefore, the outlets 23 of all the containers 1 can be opened and closed by one shutter mechanism 200, and the powder P from the plurality of containers 1 can be discharged below the shutter mechanism 200. For this reason, for example, it is not necessary to provide an additional component such as a tube for guiding the powder P to the cup C for each of the plurality of containers 1.

[0021] Next, the powder container 10 will be described in detail.

[0022] 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a front view, a side view and a top view of the powder storage part 10 in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the powder storage part 10 has a side wall 11 that defines a storage space for the powder P. The upper and lower surfaces of the side wall 11 are open entirely or almost entirely. The opening on the upper surface defines an inlet 12 for the powder P. The lower part of the side wall 11 is configured to be attached to the screw holding part 20, and the opening on the lower part directly communicates with the interior of the screw holding part 20. The lower part of the side wall 11 has a protrusion 14 that engages with an opening provided in the main body 21 of the screw holding part 20.

[0023] The inner surface of the side wall 11 includes a downward inclined surface. Specifically, in this embodiment, the side wall 11 has a generally hollow truncated quadrangular pyramid shape with the top and bottom surfaces open. In other embodiments, the side wall 11 may have another hollow truncated polygonal pyramid shape or truncated cone shape. In this embodiment, a part of the inner surface of the side wall 11 (most of it (e.g., more than half) in Figs. 4 to 6) is formed as a downward inclined surface. The remaining part of the inner surface of the side wall 11 (the part below the protrusion 14) is formed as a vertical surface. From another perspective, the inclined surface is formed across the upper half (e.g., the upper end) to the lower half of the container 1. In other embodiments, the entire part of the inner surface of the side wall 11 may be formed as a downward inclined surface.

[0024] The angle of the inclined surface of the side wall 11 may vary depending on various factors such as the type of powder P. For example, the angle α1 of the inclined surface of the opposing walls 11a and 11b of the side wall 11 relative to the vertical line Lv may be about 2 to 4 degrees. Note that in this embodiment, the thickness of the side wall 11 is constant, so the angle of the outer surface and the angle of the inner surface are the same. In FIG. 4, the angles α1 of the inclined surfaces of the walls 11a and 11b are equal to each other. In other embodiments, the angles of the inclined surfaces of the walls 11a and 11b may be different from each other. With reference to FIG. 5, the angle α2 of the inclined surfaces of the opposing walls 11c and 11d relative to the vertical line Lv may be, for example, about 1 to 3 degrees. In FIG. 5, the angles α2 of the inclined surfaces of the walls 11c and 11d are equal to each other. In other embodiments, the angles of the inclined surfaces of the walls 11c and 11d may be different from each other. Also, in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, the walls 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are flat surfaces. In other embodiments, at least one of the walls 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d may be curved (eg, inwardly concave or outwardly convex).

[0025] The container 1 can be made of various materials. For example, the powder storage section 10, the lid 15, and the main body 21 of the screw holding section 20 may be made of polycarbonate, ABS resin, polypropylene, fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, or synthetic resin such as polyacetal. At least one of the powder storage section 10, the lid 15, and the main body 21 of the screw holding section 20 may be made of a transparent material. In this case, it is easy to visually check how much powder P remains inside the container 1. The size of the container 1 can be appropriately set depending on various factors such as the type of powder P to be stored.

[0026] In the container 1 as described above, the inner surface of the side wall 11 that defines the storage space for the powder P includes a downward inclined surface. In this portion, the powder P is pressed against the inclined surface by the pressure from the powder P above. Because the inclined surface faces downward, the powder P receives an inward and downward reaction force from the inclined surface. This downward reaction force and the gravity acting on the powder P counteract the frictional force between the powder P and the inner surface, so the reaction force and gravity act in a direction that pushes the powder P downward toward the outlet 23. Therefore, the release property of the powder P is improved.

[0027] Furthermore, in the container 1, an inclined surface is formed across the upper and lower halves of the container 1. The powder P contained in the lower half of the container 1 receives a higher pressure from above. Therefore, when an inclined surface is formed across the upper and lower halves of the container 1, a downward reaction force can be reliably applied from the inclined surface to the powder P contained in the lower half.

[0028] In addition, in the container 1, the remaining part of the inner surface of the side wall 11 other than the inclined surface is formed as a vertical surface. Therefore, no upward reaction force is applied to the powder P from the inner surface of the side wall 11, and the release property of the powder P is improved.

[0029] The container 1 is also configured to be attached to a dispenser 100 that mixes a powdered drink P with a liquid. In the dispenser 100, water vapor may be generated from the liquid, and the water vapor may enter the container 1. Therefore, a part of the powder P may solidify due to the water vapor. In the container 1, the powder P receives a downward reaction force from the inclined surface, so that the solidified powder P is also pushed downward. Therefore, even when the container 1 is used in the dispenser 100 as described above, the release property of the powder P is improved.

[0030] In particular, the container 1 is configured to be attached to a dispenser 100 that mixes a powdered beverage P with hot water. When the dispenser 100 dispenses hot water, more water vapor is generated, which may further penetrate into the container 1. In this case, the powder P also receives a downward reaction force from the inclined surface, so that the solidified powder P is also pushed downward. Therefore, the release property of the powder P is improved.

[0031] Although the embodiment of the container for powdered food has been described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications of the above embodiment are possible.

[0032] For example, in the above embodiment, all of the walls 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d of the side wall 11 include a downwardly inclined surface. In other embodiments, at least one of the walls 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d may not include a downwardly inclined surface as long as the release of the powder P is improved.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the container 1 has a screw. In other embodiments, the container 1 may not have a screw. For example, the container 1 may have seals (e.g., aluminum seals) attached to the upper and lower parts of the side wall 11 of the powder storage part 10, instead of the lid 15 and the screw holding part 20. In this case, the powder P may be enclosed in the container 1 before it is sealed, and the container 1 may be distributed on the market as a replaceable cartridge. Also, for example, the container 1 may have a discharge mechanism, instead of the screw holding part 20, that can discharge the powder P from the lower part of the powder storage part 10 as necessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Powdered food container 11 Side wall 23 Exit 24 Side wall 100 Dispenser (device for mixing powdered food and liquid) P powder food

Claims

1. A container for containing powdered food, The lower exit and A side wall defining a space for containing the powdered food; Equipped with The container, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall includes a downwardly sloping surface.

2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface is formed across the upper and lower halves of the container.

3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the remaining portion of the inner surface of the side wall other than the inclined surface is formed as a vertical surface.

4. 3. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is adapted to be attached to a device for mixing the powdered food and a liquid.

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