Container and package
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DNP HIGH-PERFORMANCE MATERIALS HIKONE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-27
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to containers and packages.
[0002] In this specification, the term "aluminum" includes aluminum alloys as well as pure aluminum. [Background technology]
[0003] For example, as a package for hermetically packaging contents consisting of liquids such as syrup, liqueur, and soup, condiments such as cream, mayonnaise and ketchup, semi-solid foods such as liquid foods and pet foods, and medicines, a package that is widely used is one that has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall, and has an outward flange that protrudes outward from the upper end of the peripheral wall, and is made up of a cup-shaped container in which the contents are placed in a storage section surrounded by the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, and a lid material whose outer periphery is heat-sealed to the flange of the container so as to cover the opening of the container.
[0004] The outer surface of the lid of the above-mentioned package has a marking including a design such as letters and patterns showing various information about the contents, and when displaying the package, it is required to display the marking so that consumers can see it. However, a large display space is required to display the package with the outer surface of the lid facing straight up. Therefore, a plastic or paper base that can hold the outer surface of the lid facing diagonally upward is separately prepared, and the package is displayed using the base. However, the need to prepare a base causes a problem of high cost.
[0005] Therefore, a packaging body has been proposed in which a slit is formed which penetrates the flange portion and the lid material and extends along part of the periphery of the storage portion, the flange portion has an outer periphery which is positioned on the outer periphery of the slit, and the outer periphery of the flange portion is designed to support the storage portion in an upright position when folded from one end of the slit in the depth direction of the storage portion (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-68966 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0007] However, in the case of the packaging body described in Patent Document 1, after placing the contents in the storage section of the container and heat-sealing the outer edge of the lid material to the flange section, it is necessary to form a slit that penetrates the flange section and the lid material and extends along part of the periphery of the storage section, which increases the number of steps and makes the manufacturing process more complicated.
[0008] Furthermore, the container of this type of packaging body is formed by bulging and deep drawing processes using a press molding device, and then transported to the next process by a conveying device.However, in order to inspect the container for the presence of foreign objects in the storage section and for defects on the inner surface of the storage section, the container is required to be in a position where the opening faces straight up during transport.
[0009] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, this invention aims to provide a container and packaging body which can stand on its own in an inclined position with the opening facing straight up when the container is in the storage section before the contents are placed in the storage section, and with the opening closed with a lid after the contents are placed in the container, so that the outer surface of the lid faces diagonally upward. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following aspects.
[0011] 1) A cup-shaped container having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending obliquely upward from the periphery of the bottom wall, and an outward flange protruding outward is provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall, and contents are filled in a storage section surrounded by the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, When the storage section is empty, the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, so that the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the empty container onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the center of the bottom wall than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane, and when the storage section is filled with contents at 30 to 100% of its internal volume, in the inclined position, the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the content-filled container onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the contact portion of the flange with the imaginary horizontal plane than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane.
[0012] 2) On a vertical cross section taken along a vertical plane passing through the connecting portion between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall in the inclined position and the contact portion of the outer end of the flange with the imaginary horizontal plane and perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane, the inclined dimension of the opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall is a mm, the inclined dimension of the bottom wall is b mm, the inclined dimension of the flange is cmm, and the depth of the storage portion in the direction perpendicular to the bottom wall is d mm, 4a(d+1)+2b(d+1)-3a 2 -6ac+3b 2 -6bc × (a / 38.8) > 0 (1) (c+d+1)b(2c+ab)-(4(d+1) 2 +(2c+ab) 2 ) × c × (a / 38.8) > 0 (2) The container according to 1) above, which satisfies the above formulas (1) and (2).
[0013] 3) The container according to 1) above, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall, the peripheral wall and the flange is 0.1 to 2.5 mm.
[0014] 4) The container according to 1) above, wherein the flange portion has a protruding width of 2 to 10 mm.
[0015] 5) A container as described in 1) above, wherein a straight portion having a certain length is provided on at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion, and the connection portion between the straight portion and the peripheral wall portion is configured to contact the imaginary horizontal plane in the inclined state.
[0016] 6) The container according to 5) above, wherein the shape of the bottom wall is a flattened decagon having orthogonal long and short axes, with two vertices located on the long axis and the centers of length of a pair of opposing sides located on the short axis, and the shape of the opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall is an ellipse whose longitudinal directions of the long and short axes coincide with those of the bottom wall, and the connection portion between one side located on the short axis of the bottom wall and the peripheral wall is configured to contact the imaginary horizontal plane in the inclined state.
[0017] 7) The container according to 1) above, wherein a roundness is formed at the connecting portion between the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion, and the radius of curvature on the inner side of the roundness is 1 to 6 mm.
[0018] 8) The container according to 1) above, which is formed from a laminate having a base layer, a barrier layer and a heat-sealable resin layer.
[0019] 9) A package in which the contents are placed in the storage section of a container described in any one of 1) to 8) above, with 30 to 100% of the internal volume of the storage section, the opening of the container is closed by a lid material whose outer peripheral edge is heat-sealed to the flange section of the container, and in which the junction between the bottom wall section and the peripheral wall section of the container and the outer end section of the flange section are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall section is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the contact section of the flange section with the imaginary horizontal plane than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall section and the peripheral wall section and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane.
[0020] 10) The contents placed in the container have a density of 0.8 g / cm 3 The package described in 9) above, which is made of a liquid or semi-solid fluid having a temperature of 15°C or higher. Effect of the Invention
[0021] According to the containers 1) to 8) above, when the container is empty before the contents are placed in the storage section, the opening automatically assumes a position facing straight up. Therefore, after being formed by bulging or deep drawing using a press molding device, when the container is transported to the next process by a transport device, it is easy to inspect for the presence of foreign objects in the storage section and the presence of defects on the inner surface of the storage section.
[0022] In addition, when the container is filled and the opening is closed with the lid, the container can stand upright in an inclined position with the outer surface of the lid facing diagonally upward, so that the container can be displayed at a relatively low cost in a relatively small display space so that the markings on the outer surface of the lid can be seen by consumers.
[0023] According to the container of 2), the container of 1) can be designed relatively easily.
[0024] According to the container of 3) above, the thickness of the bottom wall, the peripheral wall and the flange is 0.1 mm or more, so that the strength of the container is increased and deformation can be suppressed, and since the thickness is 2.5 mm or less, weight increase can be suppressed.
[0025] According to the container 4) above, the overhang width of the flange portion is 2 mm or more, so that the sealing strength of the lid material to the flange portion can be sufficiently ensured, and similarly, the overhang width is 10 mm or less, so that it does not get in the way when removing the contents.
[0026] The containers of 5) and 6) above have improved stability when they are allowed to stand on their own in an inclined position.
[0027] According to the container of 7) above, the roundness of the connecting portion between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall is 1 mm or more, so that the amount of contents remaining when the container is removed can be reduced, and similarly, the roundness is 6 mm or less, so that the container becomes more stable in an inclined state.
[0028] The packaging bodies of 9) and 10) above can stand upright in an inclined position with the outer surface of the lid facing diagonally upwards, so that they can be displayed at relatively low cost in a relatively small display space so that the markings on the outer surface of the lid are visible to consumers. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0029] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of (a). [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an inclined posture in which a connecting portion between a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion and an outer end portion of a flange portion of the container in FIG. 1 are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane. [Diagram 3] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a package in which contents are placed in the storage section of the container in FIG. 1 and the opening of the storage section is closed with a lid. [Figure 4] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an inclined posture in which the connecting portion between the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion and the outer end portion of the flange portion are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane in the package shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B show a modified example of the container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (a). [Figure 6] 10A and 10B show another modified example of the container according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (a). [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 1, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of (a). [Figure 8] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 2, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of (a). [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 3, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF of (a). [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 4, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in (a). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a container used in Comparative Example 5. [Figure 12]FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 6, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH of (a). [Figure 13] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 8, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in (a). [Figure 14] FIG. 1 shows a container used in Comparative Example 9, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line JJ in (a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0031] FIG. 1 shows a container according to the present invention, FIG. 2 shows the container of FIG. 1 in which the joint between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, FIG. 3 shows a package in which contents are placed in the storage section of the container and the opening of the storage section is closed with a lid, and FIG. 4 shows the package of FIG. 3 in which the joint between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane.
[0032] In FIG. 1, container (1) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (2), a peripheral wall portion (3) extending diagonally upward outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (2), and an outward flange portion (4) provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (3) in an outward protruding manner. The contents are filled into a storage portion (5) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (2) and the peripheral wall portion (3) and having an upward opening (6).
[0033] The shape of the bottom wall (2) of the container (1) is a flattened decagon with orthogonal major and minor axes (L and S), with two vertices (P1) and (P2) located on the major axis (L) and the centers (O1) and (O2) of the lengths of a pair of opposing sides located on the minor axis (S). The peripheral wall (3) of the container (1) has an annular step (301) at its upper part, and the portion above the annular step (301) is slightly larger than the portion below the annular step (301). The shape of the opening (6) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (3) of the container (1) is an ellipse whose longitudinal directions of the major and minor axes coincide with the longitudinal directions of the major and minor axes (L) and (S) of the bottom wall (2). The shape of the outer periphery of the flange portion (4) is similar to the shape of the opening (6).
[0034] The thickness of the bottom wall (2), peripheral wall (3) and flange (4) of the container (1) is preferably 0.1 to 2.5 mm, and more preferably 0.12 to 0.7 mm. If the thickness is less than 0.1 mm, the container (1) will lack strength and will be prone to deformation, while if it exceeds 2.5 mm, the weight of the container (1) will increase.
[0035] The overhang width of the flange portion (4) is preferably 2 to 10 mm. If the overhang width is less than 2 mm, the sealing strength of the lid material to the flange portion (4) may be insufficient, and if it exceeds 10 mm, it may be an obstacle when removing the contents.
[0036] A roundness (7) is formed around the entire periphery of the joint between the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3), and it is preferable that the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the roundness (7) is 1 to 6 mm. If the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the roundness (7) is less than 1 mm, it becomes difficult to remove the contents remaining inside the joint between the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) when removing the contents, and the amount of remaining contents increases, while if it exceeds 6 mm, when the package (10) described below is made, it becomes difficult to stabilize the inclined posture in which the joint between one side located on the minor axis (S) of the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and the outer end of the flange contact the imaginary horizontal plane (H).
[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, when the storage section (5) is empty, the joint between one side located on the short axis (S) of the bottom wall section (2) and the peripheral wall section (3) and the outer end of the flange section (4) are in contact with the imaginary horizontal plane (H) and the bottom wall section (2) is inclined relative to the horizontal imaginary plane (H), the vertical projection point of the center of gravity (X) of the container (1) onto the imaginary horizontal plane (H) is located closer to the center of the bottom wall section (2) than the vertical line (V) that passes through the joint between the bottom wall section (2) and the peripheral wall section (3) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane (H). Therefore, the container (1) rotates clockwise in Fig. 2, and the opening (6) automatically faces straight up.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, when the dimension of the opening (6) in the inclined position (the dimension in the short axis (S) direction of the bottom wall portion (2)) on a vertical cross section taken along a vertical plane passing through the contact portion of the connecting portion between the bottom wall portion (2) and the peripheral wall portion (3) and the outer end portion of the flange portion (4) with the imaginary horizontal plane (H) and perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane (H) is a mm, the dimension of the bottom wall portion (2) in the inclined direction (the dimension in the short axis (S) direction) is b mm, the dimension of the flange portion in the inclined direction (the protruding width of the flange portion (4)) is cmm, and the depth of the storage portion (5) (the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the bottom wall portion (2)) is d mm, 4a(d+1)+2b(d+1)-3a 2 -6ac+3b 2 -6bc × (a / 38.8) > 0 (1) Equation (1) is satisfied.
[0039] 3, the container (1) is filled with contents (8) in the storage section (5) so as to fill 30 to 100% of the internal volume of the storage section (5), for example, the entire storage section (5) (100% of the internal volume), and the opening (6) of the container (1) is closed with a lid (11) whose outer periphery is heat-sealed to the flange section (4) of the container (1) to form a package (10). The amount of the contents to be filled is preferably 30 to 95% of the internal volume of the storage section (5).
[0040] As shown in Figure 4, when the package (10) is in an inclined position similar to that shown in Figure 2, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity (X) of the container (1) onto the imaginary horizontal plane (H) is located closer to the tip of the flange (4) than a vertical line (V) that passes through the junction of the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane (H). Therefore, the container (1) stands on its own in an inclined position.
[0041] At this time, (c+d+1)b(2c+ab)-(4(d+1) 2 +(2c+ab) 2 ) × c × (a / 38.8) > 0 (2) Equation (2) is satisfied.
[0042] The container (1) is made of synthetic resin such as polyolefin, polystyrene, polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, metal laminate, metal can, paper, and resin-coated paper. The container (1) made of synthetic resin is manufactured by pressure forming, vacuum forming, etc. The container (1) made of metal laminate is manufactured by deep drawing, bulging, ironing, etc. The container (1) made of paper and resin-coated paper is manufactured by cup molding.
[0043] A specific example of the metal laminate is one which comprises a barrier layer, a protective layer provided on one side of the barrier layer, and a heat-sealable resin layer provided on the other side of the barrier layer.
[0044] The barrier layer is a layer for protecting the contents of the package (10) from gas, water vapor, light, etc., and is preferably formed of a metal foil having a thickness of 50 to 200 μm. The metal foil is formed of metals such as aluminum (including aluminum alloys; the same applies below), copper, iron (stainless steel), and titanium, but it is preferable to use aluminum foil in consideration of barrier function, processability, cost, etc. As the aluminum foil, it is particularly preferable to use a foil made of 1000 series or 8000 series aluminum as specified in JIS H4160:2006. Specifically, A8021, A8079, A1N30, etc. are preferably used.
[0045] The protective layer constitutes the outermost surface of the storage portion (5) of the container (1) and the uppermost surface of the flange portion (4), and is a layer that enhances strength, durability, weather resistance, chemical resistance, etc., and is composed of various synthetic resin films or known overcoating agents.
[0046] The protective layer made of a synthetic resin film is formed, for example, by a monolayer film made of polyolefin, polyester, polyamide, or the like, or a multilayer film obtained by laminating a plurality of monolayer films, so as to have a thickness of 10 to 100 μm, preferably a thickness of 20 to 50 μm. The monolayer film is preferably used as a non-stretched film or a biaxially stretched film. Examples of polyolefin include high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), homopolypropylene (hPP), ethylene-propylene random copolymer (rPP), and ethylene-propylene block copolymer (bPP). Examples of polyester include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Examples of polyamide include nylon 6 (PA6).
[0047] The protective layer made of an overcoat agent is preferably formed to a thickness of 2 to 10 μm by, for example, epoxy resin coating, olefin resin coating, or acrylic resin coating.
[0048] The heat-sealing resin layer is a layer that forms the upper surface of the flange portion (4) of the container (1), i.e., the sealing surface with the lid material (11), and the innermost surface of the storage portion (5) of the container (1), and its thickness is preferably 20 to 500 μm. The heat-sealing resin layer is formed of a monolayer film made of a non-oriented film made of polyolefin and having a thickness of 20 to 500 μm, or a multilayer film made of a plurality of monolayer films made of polyolefin and having a thickness of 20 to 500 μm. Examples of polyolefin include high density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), homopolypropylene (hPP), ethylene-propylene random copolymer (rPP), and ethylene-propylene block copolymer (bPP).
[0049] When the protective layer and the thermally adhesive resin layer are made of a film, an adhesive layer is interposed between the protective layer and the thermally adhesive resin layer and the barrier layer. The adhesive layer is formed with, for example, a polyurethane adhesive, an epoxy adhesive, an olefin adhesive, or an acrylic adhesive so as to have a thickness of 1 to 5 μm.
[0050] As the lid material, any film containing at least a heat-sealable resin layer can seal the contents, but it is preferable to laminate a base material layer on the outside of the heat-sealable resin layer in order to provide barrier properties and design in an inclined position. The base material layer includes a protective layer exemplified as the protective layer of the container (1), an identification layer for printing, and a barrier layer from the outside. In the case of the lid material, the barrier layer can be, for example, a vapor deposition film formed by forming a vapor deposition film of a metal such as aluminum or an inorganic oxide such as silica on a biaxially stretched PET film, in addition to the metal foil exemplified as the barrier layer of the metal laminate of the container (1). Furthermore, if necessary, a reinforcing layer such as a PET film or a polyethylene film for the purpose of improving the piercing property and delamination property of the lid material may be included between the base material layer and the heat-sealable resin layer. In consideration of handling, the lid material preferably has a total thickness of 30 to 120 μm.
[0051] Figures 5 and 6 show modified examples of the container. Figures 5 and 6 also show the portions a, b, c, and d in the above formulas (1) and (2) for each modified container.
[0052] The container (20) shown in FIG. 5 is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (21), a peripheral wall portion (22) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (21), and an outward flange portion (23) provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (22) in an outward protruding manner. The container (20) is configured to be filled with contents within a storage portion (24) that is surrounded by the bottom wall portion (21) and the peripheral wall portion (22) and has an upward opening (25).
[0053] The bottom wall (21) of the container (20) is circular in shape and has an annular step (211) at its radially middle position, with the portion inside the annular step (211) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step (211). The peripheral wall (22) has an annular step (221) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (221) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step (221). The opening (25) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (22) of the container (20) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (23) is also circular in shape.
[0054] A roundness (26) is formed around the entire periphery of the joint between the bottom wall portion (21) and the peripheral wall portion (22), and the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the roundness (26) is preferably 1 to 6 mm.
[0055] In the container (20) shown in FIG. 5, as shown, a (mm) substituted into equations (1) and (2) is the diameter of the opening (25) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (22), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall portion (21), c (mm) is the protruding width of the flange portion (23), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion.
[0056] When the above formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied, when the storage section (24) is empty, a circumferential portion of the junction between the bottom wall section (21) and the peripheral wall section (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end section of the flange section (23) come into contact with an imaginary horizontal plane, and the bottom wall section (21) is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity of the container (20) onto the imaginary horizontal plane will be located closer to the center of the bottom wall section (21) than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall section (21) and the peripheral wall section (22) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane. As a result, the container (20) will automatically be in a state in which the opening (25) faces straight up.
[0057] The container (20) is placed in the storage section (24) so that the contents fill 30 to 100% of the internal volume of the storage section (24), for example, the entire storage section (24), and the outer peripheral edge of the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange section to close the opening, thereby forming a package.
[0058] In the inclined position in which a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall portion (21) and the peripheral wall portion (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end portion of the flange portion (23) are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion (21) is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity of the package onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the tip of the flange portion (23) than a vertical line that passes through the joint between the bottom wall portion (2) and the peripheral wall portion (3) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane. Therefore, the package stands on its own in the inclined position.
[0059] The container (30) shown in FIG. 6 is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (31), a peripheral wall portion (32) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (31), and an outward flange portion (33) provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (32) in an outward protruding manner. The container (30) is configured to be filled with contents within a storage portion (34) that is surrounded by the bottom wall portion (31) and the peripheral wall portion (32) and has an upward opening (35).
[0060] The bottom wall portion (31) of the container (30) has a generally rectangular shape with its four corners formed in an arc shape, and has four generally angular annular steps (311) aligned with the dimensions of the long axis (L) and short axis (S) of the bottom wall portion (31), with the inner portion of the annular steps (311) being slightly higher than the outer portion of the annular steps (311). The peripheral walls (32) and (33) have an annular step (321) in their upper portions, with the portion above the annular step (321) being slightly larger than the portion below the annular step (321). The shape of the opening (35) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (32) of the container (30) and the shape of the outer periphery of the flange portion (33) are similar to the shape of the bottom wall portion (31).
[0061] A roundness (36) is formed around the entire periphery of the joint between the bottom wall portion (31) and the peripheral wall portion (32), and the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the roundness (36) is preferably 1 to 6 mm.
[0062] In the container (30) shown in FIG. 6, as shown, a (mm) substituted into equations (1) and (2) is the dimension in the short axis (S) direction of the opening (35) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (32), b (mm) is the dimension in the short axis (S) direction of the bottom wall portion (31), c (mm) is the protruding width of the flange portion (33), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion.
[0063] When the storage section (34) of the container (30) is empty, the junction between one side of the bottom wall section (31) located on the minor axis (S) and the peripheral wall section (32) and the outer end of the flange section (33) are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane, and the bottom wall section (31) is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity of the container (30) onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the center of the bottom wall section (31) than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall section (31) and the peripheral wall section (32) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane. Therefore, the container (30) automatically assumes a state in which the opening (35) faces directly upward.
[0064] The container (30) is placed in the storage section (33) so that the contents fill 30 to 100% of the internal volume of the storage section, for example, the entire storage section, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange section to close the opening, thereby forming a package.
[0065] In the inclined position in which the joint between one side of the bottom wall (31) located on the minor axis (S) and the peripheral wall (32) and the outer end of the flange (33) are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall (31) is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity of the package onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the tip of the flange than a vertical line that passes through the joint between the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane. Therefore, the package stands on its own in the inclined position.
[0066] In the containers 20, 30 of Figures 5 and 6, the thicknesses of the bottom walls 21, 31, peripheral walls 22, 32 and flanges 23, 33 are preferably 0.1 to 2.5 mm, and more preferably 0.12 to 0.7 mm. The protruding width of the flanges 23, 33 is preferably 2 to 10 mm. EXAMPLES
[0067] Next, examples of the present invention will be described together with comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. [Example 1] A container (1) having the shape shown in Fig. 1, with dimensions a: 64 mm, b: 55.4 mm, c: 4.5 mm, d: 25.3 mm, and weight: 5.1 g was prepared. In this case, both formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied.
[0068] Then, as shown in FIG. 2, with the storage section (5) empty, the container (1) was placed in an inclined position in which the connection portion between one side located on the short axis (S) of the bottom wall section (2) and the peripheral wall section (3) and the outer end portion of the flange section (4) were in contact with a horizontal plane and the bottom wall section (2) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane.
[0069] As a result, the container (1) rotated clockwise in FIG. 2, and the opening (6) automatically came to face directly upward.
[0070] In addition, the container (1) contains 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (5) so that it reached 100% (94 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid (11) was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (4) to obtain the package (10). Next, as shown in Fig. 4, the package (10) was placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side located on the minor axis (S) of the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (2) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane.
[0071] As a result, the package (10) stood upright in the inclined position. [Example 2] A container (20) having the shape shown in Fig. 5, with dimensions a: 62.5 mm, b: 55 mm, c: 4.5 mm, d: 24.5 mm, and weight: 4.8 g was prepared. In this case, both formula (1) and formula (2) are satisfied.
[0072] Then, with the container (20) empty, a circumferential portion of the connecting portion between the bottom wall (21) and the peripheral wall (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (20) automatically assumed a state in which the opening (25) faced directly upward.
[0073] In addition, the container (20) contains 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (24) so that it was 100% (64 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (23) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (21) and the peripheral wall (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position. [Example 3] A container (20) having the shape shown in Fig. 5, with dimensions a: 66 mm, b: 57 mm, c: 7 mm, d: 26 mm, and weight: 5.8 g was prepared. In this case, both formula (1) and formula (2) are satisfied.
[0074] Then, with the container (20) empty, a circumferential portion of the connecting portion between the bottom wall (21) and the peripheral wall (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (20) automatically assumed a state in which the opening (25) faced directly upward.
[0075] In addition, the container (20) contains 3 Water having a temperature of 15°C (15°C) was poured into the container section (24) so that the volume was 100% (75 g), and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange section (23) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall section (21) and the peripheral wall section (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end section of the flange section (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall section (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position. [Example 4] A container (20) having the shape shown in Fig. 5, with dimensions a: 64 mm, b: 55 mm, c: 4.8 mm, d: 24 mm, and weight: 4.8 g was prepared. In this case, both formula (1) and formula (2) are satisfied.
[0076] Then, with the container (20) empty, a circumferential portion of the connecting portion between the bottom wall (21) and the peripheral wall (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (20) automatically assumed a state in which the opening (25) faced directly upward.
[0077] In addition, the container (20) contains 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (24) so that it was 100% (65 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (23) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (21) and the peripheral wall (22) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (23) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position. [Example 5] A container (30) having the shape shown in Fig. 6, with dimensions a: 60 mm, b: 50 mm, c: 6 mm, d: 28 mm, and weight: 9 g was prepared. In this case, both formula (1) and formula (2) are satisfied.
[0078] Then, with the storage section (24) empty, the container (20) was placed in an inclined position in which the connecting portion between one side of the bottom wall section (31) located on the minor axis (S) and the peripheral wall section (32) and the outer end of the flange section (33) were in contact with a horizontal surface and the bottom wall section (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the container (30) automatically assumed a state in which the opening (35) was facing directly upward.
[0079] In addition, the container (30) contains a material having a density of 1 g / cm 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (34) so that it was 100% (142 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (33) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side of the bottom wall (31) located on the minor axis (S) and the peripheral wall (32) and the outer end of the flange (33) were in contact with a horizontal surface, and the bottom wall (21) was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position. [Example 6] In the container (1) of Example 1, 1 g / cm 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (5) so that it was 32% (30 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid (11) was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (4) to obtain the package (10). Next, as shown in Figure 4, the package (10) was placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side located on the minor axis (S) of the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (2) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane.
[0080] As a result, the package (10) stood upright in the inclined position. [Example 7] In the container (1) of Example 1, instead of water, 3 Refined palm oil at 15°C (15°C) was poured into the container (5) so that it accounted for 100% (85 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid (11) was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (4) to obtain a package (10). Next, as shown in Figure 4, the package (10) was placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side located on the minor axis (S) of the bottom wall (2) and the peripheral wall (3) and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (2) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane.
[0081] As a result, the package (10) stood upright in the inclined position. [Comparative Example 1] A container as shown in Fig. 7 was prepared. The container (40) is cup-shaped and has a circular bottom wall portion (41), a peripheral wall portion (42) extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (41), and an outward flange portion (43) provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (42) in an outward protruding manner, and is designed so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (44) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (41) and the peripheral wall portion (42) and having an upward opening (45).
[0082] The peripheral wall portion (42) of the container (40) is composed of a vertical rising portion (421) extending straight upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (41) and an inclined rising portion (422) extending diagonally upward and outward from the upper end of the vertical rising portion (421). The opening (45) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (42) of the container (40) is circular in shape, and the outer periphery of the flange portion (43) is also circular in shape.
[0083] In the container (40) shown in Fig. 7, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (45) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (42), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall (41), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange (43), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage section. The container (40) with dimensions a: 62.5 mm, b: 50 mm, c: 6.5 mm, d: 40 mm, and weight: 6.9 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage section (44) empty, in which a circumferential part of the joint between the bottom wall (41) and the peripheral wall (42) and a circumferential part of the outer end of the flange (43) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (41) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (40) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0084] In addition, the container (40) contains 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (44) so that it was 100% (97 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (43) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (41) and the peripheral wall (42) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (43) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (41) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (40) was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0085] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 2] A container as shown in Fig. 8 was prepared. The container (50) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (51), a peripheral wall portion (52) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (51), and an outward flange portion (53) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (52) in an outward protruding manner, and is configured so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (54) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (51) and the peripheral wall portion (52) and having an upward opening (55).
[0086] The bottom wall (51) of the container (50) is circular in shape and has an annular step (511) at its radially intermediate position, with the portion inside the annular step (511) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step (511). The peripheral wall (52) has an annular step (521) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (521) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step (521). The opening (55) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (52) of the container (50) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (53) is also circular in shape.
[0087] In the container (50) shown in Fig. 8, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (55) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (52), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall (51), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange (53), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage section. The container (50) with dimensions a: 66 mm, b: 59 mm, c: 7 mm, d: 36 mm, and weight: 7.1 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage section (54) empty, in which a circumferential part of the joint between the bottom wall (51) and the peripheral wall (52) and a circumferential part of the outer end of the flange (53) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (51) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (50) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0088] In addition, the container (50) contains 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (54) so that the volume was 100% (110 g), and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (53) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (51) and the peripheral wall (52) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (53) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (51) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (50) was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0089] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 3] A container as shown in Fig. 9 was prepared. The container (60) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (61), a peripheral wall portion (62) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (61), and an outward flange portion (63) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (62) in an outward protruding manner, and is configured so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (64) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (61) and the peripheral wall portion (62) and having an upward opening (65).
[0090] The bottom wall (61) of the container (60) is circular in shape and has an annular step (611) at its radially intermediate position, with the portion inside the annular step (611) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step (611). The peripheral wall (62) has an annular step (621) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (621) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step (621). The opening (65) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (62) of the container (60) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (63) is also circular in shape.
[0091] In the container (60) shown in Fig. 9, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (65) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (62), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall portion (61), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange portion (63), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion. The container (60) having dimensions a: 66 mm, b: 56 mm, c: 7 mm, d: 29.8 mm, and weight: 6.2 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage portion (64) empty, in which a circumferential part of the joint between the bottom wall portion (61) and the peripheral wall portion (62) and a circumferential part of the outer end of the flange portion (63) contact a horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion (61) is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (60) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0092] In addition, the container (60) contains 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (64) so that it was 100% (84 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (63) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (61) and the peripheral wall (62) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (63) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (61) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (60) was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0093] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 4] A container as shown in Fig. 10 was prepared. The container (70) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (71), a peripheral wall portion (72) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (71), and an outward flange portion (73) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (72) in an outward protruding manner, and is configured so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (74) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (71) and the peripheral wall portion (72) and having an upward opening (75).
[0094] The bottom wall (71) of the container (70) is circular in shape and has an annular step (711) at its radially intermediate position, with the portion inside the annular step (711) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step (711). The peripheral wall (72) has an annular step (721) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (721) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step (721). The opening (75) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (72) of the container (70) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (73) is also circular in shape.
[0095] In the container (70) shown in Fig. 10, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (75) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (72), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall portion (71), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange portion (73), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion. The container (70) has dimensions a: 66 mm, b: 58 mm, c: 7 mm, d: 22.3 mm, and weighs 5.4 g. With the storage portion (74) empty, the container (70) is placed in an inclined position in which a part of the circumferential direction of the joint between the bottom wall portion (71) and the peripheral wall portion (72) and a part of the circumferential direction of the outer end portion of the flange portion (73) are in contact with a horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion (71) is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (70) automatically becomes in a state in which the opening (75) faces directly upward.
[0096] In addition, the container (70) contains 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (74) so that it reached 100% (66 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (73) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (71) and the peripheral wall (72) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (73) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (71) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the package was in a state in which the lid was facing straight up.
[0097] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (1) is satisfied but formula (2) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 5] A container as shown in Fig. 11 was prepared. The container (80) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (81), a peripheral wall portion (82) extending diagonally upward and outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (81), and an outward flange portion (83) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (82) in an outward protruding manner, and is configured so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (84) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (81) and the peripheral wall portion (82) and having an upward opening (85).
[0098] The bottom wall (81) of the container (80) is circular in shape and has an annular step (811) at its radially intermediate position, with the portion inside the annular step (811) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step (811). The peripheral wall (82) has an annular step (821) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (821) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step (821). The opening (85) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (82) of the container (80) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (83) is also circular in shape.
[0099] In the container (80) shown in Fig. 11, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (85) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (82), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall portion (81), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange portion (83), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion. The container (80) having dimensions a: 93.5 mm, b: 83 mm, c: 6.5 mm, d: 42 mm, and weight: 12.1 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage portion (84) empty, in which a circumferential part of the joint between the bottom wall portion (81) and the peripheral wall portion (82) and a circumferential part of the outer end of the flange portion (83) contact a horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion (81) is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (80) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0100] In addition, the container (80) contains a material having a density of 1 g / cm 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (84) so that it was 100% (250 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (83) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (81) and the peripheral wall (82) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (83) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (81) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (80) was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0101] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 6] A container as shown in Fig. 12 was prepared. The container (90) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (91), a peripheral wall portion (92) extending diagonally outwardly and upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (91), and an outward flange portion (93) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (92) in an outward protruding manner, and is configured so that the contents can be filled into a storage portion (94) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (91) and the peripheral wall portion (92) and having an upward opening (95).
[0102] The bottom wall (91) of the container (90) is circular in shape and has an annular step (911) at its radially intermediate position, with the portion inside the annular step (911) being slightly higher than the portion outside the annular step. The peripheral wall (92) has an annular step (921) at its upper portion, with the portion above the annular step (921) being slightly larger in diameter than the portion below the annular step. A plurality of vertical wrinkles (922) are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction in the portion of the peripheral wall (92) below the annular step (921). The opening (95) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (92) of the container (90) is circular in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flange portion (93) is also circular in shape.
[0103] In the container (90) shown in Fig. 12, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the diameter of the opening (95) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (92), b (mm) is the diameter of the bottom wall portion (91), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange portion (93), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion. The container (90) having dimensions a: 61 mm, b: 53 mm, c: 6.4 mm, d: 43 mm, and weight: 6.4 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage portion (94) empty, in which a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall portion (91) and the peripheral wall portion (92) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange portion (93) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall portion (91) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (90) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0104] In addition, the container (90) contains 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (94) so that it was 100% (103 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (93) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall (91) and the peripheral wall (92) and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange (93) were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall (91) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (90) was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0105] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 7] This comparative example was carried out using a container having a shape similar to that of the container (30) shown in Fig. 6. The dimension a in the short axis direction of the opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall of the container is 60 mm, the dimension b in the short axis direction of the bottom wall is 50.5 mm, the overhang width c of the flange is 6 mm, the depth d of the storage section is 39.5 mm, and the weight is 11.6 g.
[0106] When the container was empty, the container was placed in a tilted position with the connecting portion between the peripheral wall and one side of the bottom wall located on the minor axis and the outer end of the flange contacting a horizontal surface, and the container remained in the tilted position.
[0107] In addition, the density of the container is 1g / cm 3 Water at 15°C (15°C) was poured into the container so that the volume was 100% (200g), and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange to obtain a package. The package was then placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side of the bottom wall located on the short axis and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal surface, and the bottom wall was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0108] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 8] A container (100) as shown in Fig. 13 was prepared. This container (100) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (101), a peripheral wall portion (102) extending diagonally outwardly and upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (101), and an outward flange portion (103) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (102) in an outward protruding manner, and is designed to be filled with contents in a storage portion (104) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (101) and the peripheral wall portion (102) and having an upward opening (105).
[0109] The bottom wall (101) of the container (100) is shaped like a square with its four corners formed into an arc shape, and has a substantially rectangular annular step (1011) with the inner portion of the annular step (1011) being slightly higher than the outer portion. The peripheral wall (102) has an annular step (1021) at its upper portion with the upper portion of the annular step (1021) being slightly larger than the lower portion. The shape of the opening (105) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (102) of the container (100) and the shape of the outer periphery of the flange portion (103) are similar to the shape of the bottom wall (101).
[0110] In the container (100) shown in Fig. 13, as shown in the figure, a (mm) substituted into formulas (1) and (2) is the dimension of one side of the opening (105) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (102), b (mm) is the dimension of one side of the bottom wall (101), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange (103), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage section. The container (100) with dimensions a: 76 mm, b: 67 mm, c: 7 mm, d: 24.5 mm and weight: 7.5 g was placed in a position in which the connection between one side of the bottom wall (101) and the peripheral wall (102) and the outer end of the flange (103) were in contact with a horizontal surface and the entire container was in an inclined position. As a result, the container (100) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0111] In addition, the density of the container (100) is 1 g / cm 3Water (15°C) was poured into the container (104) so that it was 100% (110 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (103) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that the joint between one side of the bottom wall (101) and the peripheral wall (102) and the outer end of the flange (103) were in contact with a horizontal surface, and the bottom wall (101) was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0112] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (2) is satisfied but formula (1) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 9] A container (110) as shown in Fig. 14 was prepared. This container (110) is cup-shaped and has a bottom wall portion (111), a peripheral wall portion (112) extending diagonally upward outward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion (111), and an outward flange portion (113) provided at the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion (112) in an outward protruding manner, and is designed so that contents can be filled into a storage portion (114) surrounded by the bottom wall portion (111) and the peripheral wall portion (112) and having an upward opening (115).
[0113] The bottom wall (111) of the container (110) is shaped like a rectangle with its four corners formed into an arc shape, and has a substantially circular step (1111) with the inner portion of the step (1111) being slightly higher than the outer portion. The peripheral wall (112) has a circular step (1121) at its upper portion with the upper portion of the step (1121) being slightly larger than the lower portion. The opening (115) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall (112) of the container (110) and the outer peripheral edge of the flange (113) are shaped like an ellipse that is long in the long axis direction of the bottom wall (111).
[0114] In the container (110) shown in Fig. 14, as shown in the figure, a (mm) is the dimension in the minor axis direction of the opening (115) surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion (112), b (mm) is the dimension in the minor axis direction of the bottom wall portion (111), c (mm) is the overhang width of the flange portion (113), and d (mm) is the depth of the storage portion. The container (110) having dimensions a: 48 mm, b: 39 mm, c: 6 mm, d: 36 mm, and weight: 6.8 g was placed in an inclined position with the storage portion (114) empty, in which the connection portion between one side of the bottom wall portion (111) and the peripheral wall portion (112) and the outer end of the flange portion (113) contacted a horizontal plane and the bottom wall portion (111) was inclined relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container (110) remained freestanding in the inclined position.
[0115] In addition, the container (110) contains a substance having a density of 1 g / cm 3 Water (15°C) was poured into the container (114) so that it was 100% (88 g) of the internal volume, and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange (113) to obtain a package. Next, the package was placed in an inclined position such that the connecting portion between one side of the bottom wall (111) and the peripheral wall (112) and the outer end of the flange (113) were in contact with a horizontal surface, and the bottom wall (111) was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the package was able to stand on its own in the inclined position.
[0116] Furthermore, substituting the above a, b, and c into formulas (1) and (2) satisfies formula (2) but not formula (1). [Comparative Example 10] This comparative example was carried out using a container having a shape similar to that of the container (70) shown in Fig. 10 of Comparative Example 4. The diameter a of the opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall of the container is 66 mm, the diameter b of the bottom wall is 59 mm, the overhang width c of the flange is 7 mm, the depth d of the storage section is 17 mm, and the weight is 4.9 g.
[0117] With the container empty, a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall was tilted relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the container automatically became in a state where the opening was facing straight up.
[0118] In addition, the density of the container is 1g / cm 3 Water at 15°C (15°C) was poured into the container so that the volume was 100% (50g), and the outer peripheral edge of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange to obtain a package. Next, a circumferential portion of the joint between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and a circumferential portion of the outer end of the flange were brought into contact with a horizontal plane, and the bottom wall was tilted relative to the horizontal plane. As a result, the package was in a position where the lid faced upward.
[0119] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (1) is satisfied but formula (2) is not satisfied. [Comparative Example 11] This comparative example was carried out using a container having a shape similar to that of the container (100) shown in FIG. 13 of Comparative Example 8. The dimension of one side of the opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall was a: 62 mm, the dimension of one side of the bottom wall was b: 54 mm, the overhang width of the flange was c: 7 mm, and the depth of the storage section was d: 22 mm. Then, with the storage section empty, the container (00) was placed in an inclined position in which the connecting portion between one side of the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal surface and the bottom wall was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the container automatically became in a state in which the opening faced straight up. In addition, when a liquid having a density of 1 g / cm3 was added to the container, the container was placed in an inclined position so that the opening faced directly upward. 3 Water at 15°C (15°C) was poured into the container so that the volume was 100% (70g), and the outer periphery of the lid was heat-sealed to the upper surface of the flange to obtain a package. The package was then placed in an inclined position so that the joint between one side of the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange were in contact with a horizontal surface and the bottom wall was inclined relative to the horizontal surface. As a result, the package was placed in an orientation with the lid facing upward.
[0120] Furthermore, when the above a, b, and c are substituted into formulas (1) and (2), formula (1) is satisfied but formula (2) is not satisfied.
[0121] These results are summarized in Table 1.
[0122] [Table 1] The blank columns in Table 1 indicate the state of a container with no contents when it is placed on a horizontal surface in an inclined position, with ○ indicating that the opening automatically changes to a position facing straight up, and × indicating that the position remains in an inclined position. The "Filled" column indicates the state of a package made of a container with a lid heat-sealed to it when it is placed on a horizontal surface in an inclined position, with ○ indicating that the package stands on its own in an inclined position, and × indicating that the lid changes to a position facing straight up. Furthermore, in the columns for formula (1) and formula (2), ○ indicates that the formula is satisfied, and × indicates that the formula is not satisfied. [Industrial Applicability]
[0123] The container according to the present invention is suitably used as a container for a package that seals and packages liquid contents having a density close to 1, such as liquid pet food. [Explanation of symbols]
[0124] (1)(20)(30): container, (2)(21)(31): bottom wall portion, (3)(22)(32): peripheral wall portion, (4)(13)(23): flange portion, (5)(24)(34): storage portion, (6)(25)(35): opening, (7)(26)(36): roundness, (10): package, (11): lid material, (H): horizontal imaginary plane, (V): vertical line, (X): center of gravity
Claims
1. A cup-shaped container having a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending obliquely upward outward from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall, and an outward flange portion projecting outward is provided at an upper end of the peripheral wall, and a content is filled in a storage portion surrounded by the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, When the storage section is empty, the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and the outer end of the flange are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, so that the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the empty container onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the center of the bottom wall than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane; and when the storage section is filled with contents at 30 to 100% of its internal volume, in the inclined position, the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the content-filled container onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the contact portion of the flange with the imaginary horizontal plane than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane.
2. On a vertical cross section taken along a vertical plane passing through the connecting portion between the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion and the contact portion of the outer end portion of the flange portion with respect to the imaginary horizontal plane in the inclined posture and perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane, if the inclined dimension of the opening surrounded by the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion is a mm, the inclined dimension of the bottom wall portion is b mm, the inclined dimension of the flange portion is cm mm, and the depth of the storage portion in the direction perpendicular to the bottom wall portion is d mm, 4a(d+1)+2b(d+1)-3a ２ -6ac+3b ２ -6bc×(a / 38.8)>0・・・(1) (c+d+1)b(2c+a-b)-(4(d+1) ２ +(2c+a-b) ２ )×c×(a / 38.8)>0・・・(2) 2. The container according to claim 1, which satisfies the above formulas (1) and (2).
3. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall, the peripheral wall and the flange is 0.1 to 2.5 mm.
4. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a protruding width of 2 to 10 mm.
5. 2. A container as described in claim 1, wherein a straight portion having a certain length is provided on at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion, and the connection portion between the straight portion and the peripheral wall portion is configured to contact the imaginary horizontal plane in the inclined state.
6. 6. The container according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the bottom wall portion is a flattened decagon having orthogonal major and minor axes, with two vertices located on the major axis and the centers of length of a pair of opposing sides located on the minor axis, and the shape of the opening surrounded by the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion is an ellipse whose longitudinal directions of the major and minor axes coincide with those of the bottom wall portion, and the connection portion between one side located on the minor axis of the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion is configured to contact the imaginary horizontal plane in the inclined state.
7. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein a rounded portion is formed at the junction between the bottom wall portion and the peripheral wall portion, and the radius of curvature of the inner surface of the rounded portion is 1 to 6 mm.
8. 2. The container according to claim 1, which is formed from a laminate having a base layer, a barrier layer, and a heat-sealable resin layer.
9. A package according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the contents are placed in the storage section of the container in 30 to 100% of the internal volume of the storage section, the opening of the container is closed by a lid material whose outer peripheral edge is heat-sealed to the flange section of the container, and in which a junction between the bottom wall section and the peripheral wall section of the container and an outer end of the flange section are in contact with an imaginary horizontal plane and the bottom wall section is inclined relative to the imaginary horizontal plane, the vertical projection point of the center of gravity onto the imaginary horizontal plane is located closer to the contact point of the flange section with the imaginary horizontal plane than a vertical line that passes through the junction between the bottom wall section and the peripheral wall section and is perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane.
10. The contents placed in the container have a density of 0.8 g / cm ３ 10. The package according to claim 9, which is made of a liquid or semi-solid fluid having a temperature of 15°C or higher.