Cup container and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a cup container capable of extending a time allowing an eater to grasp a cup container without unpleasantness even when it is hot by heating, and a manufacturing method thereof.SOLUTION: In an embossing step, a first vertically long embossment 31 is formed so as to be extended from an upper end 51 side to a lower end 52 of a belt-like paper base material 5. Also, the first vertically long embossments 31 are formed to be aligned in plurality along a circumferential direction of the cup container 1. Moreover, in this embossing step, a second vertically long embossment 32 is formed so as to be extended to the upper end of the belt-like paper base material 5 with a position separated for a predetermined distance from an upper end 31b of the first vertically long embossment 31 as a starting end. Also, the second vertically long embossments 32 are formed to be aligned in plurality along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1. In a curling step, the upper end 51 of the belt-like paper base material 5 is pushed and the belt-like paper base material 5 is folded between the first vertically long embossment 31 and the second vertically long embossment 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cup container for containing food or beverage and heated in a microwave oven before eating or drinking, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Prepared foods or beverages such as cooked foods and beverages intended to be heated in a microwave oven are displayed and sold at convenience stores and the like. These foods and beverages are contained in disposable cup containers compatible with heating by a microwave oven, and are contained and heated in the microwave oven without being taken out of the container.

[0003] This cup container has a container body with one end bottomed and the other end open. The container body has a body portion rising endlessly from the periphery of the bottom. The upper end portion of the body portion has a curl portion formed along the periphery. The curl portion is formed by rounding the upper end portion of the body portion outward (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The curl portion is formed to increase the strength of the opening edge surrounding the opening, making it difficult for the opening to be distorted. Further, the curl portion may be formed as a fitting portion with an outer fitting lid covering the container body.

[0004] When taken out of the microwave oven or the like, in order to prevent the eater from being burned, heat insulation treatment is performed so that the heat of the food or beverage is difficult to be transmitted to the eater even when the eater holds the cup container. As a heat insulation treatment method, there is a method of coating the outer surface of a paper cup container having moisture with a foamed layer of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene resin, and foaming the foamed layer by the vapor pressure of the moisture contained in the paper of the cup container (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The foamed layer is interposed between the cup container and the eater's hand or finger. This foamed layer serves as a heat insulation layer, suppressing heat transfer from the food or beverage to the eater.

[0005] The degree of foaming and uniformity of the foam layer may vary depending on conditions such as the resin temperature during extrusion of the thermoplastic resin, the surface properties of the paper, and the nip pressure during lamination. Therefore, there is a risk of local areas with a thin foam thickness occurring, and there is a risk that a locally useful heat insulation effect cannot be obtained. However, even if the foam layer can be formed well, a heat treatment method that can avoid giving discomfort to the eater is still under development.

[0006] Therefore, even if the eater is coated with the foam layer, they will hesitate to grip the body. Instead, the eater will often grip the curled part empirically. The curled part is located at the periphery of the container opening and is the farthest from the food or drink. Also, since the curled part is formed by rolling up the paper base material of the body, it is thick and has lower heat conductivity than the body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] However, conventionally, the curled part is provided for strengthening the opening edge and external fitting, and is not provided for gripping. In particular, from the viewpoint of ease of external fitting, the curled part is short, and most of the eater's fingers protrude from the curled part and touch the body. Therefore, even if the curled part is used as a handle, the time during which the eater can grip the cup container without discomfort does not last very long.

[0009] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems of the prior art, and its object is to provide a cup container and a manufacturing method thereof that extend the time during which an eater can grip the cup container without discomfort even when the cup container is hot due to heating.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0010] To achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a cup container according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a cup container, including an embossing step of forming an emboss on a strip-shaped paper base material that becomes the body portion of the cup container, a bending step of bending the strip-shaped paper base material to form the body portion, and a curling step of forming a curled portion of the cup container on the strip-shaped paper base material after the embossing step. The embossing step forms a plurality of first longitudinally long embosses extending from the upper end side to the lower end of the strip-shaped paper base material along the circumferential direction of the cup container on the strip-shaped paper base material, and forms a plurality of second longitudinally long embosses extending toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material along the circumferential direction of the cup container, starting from a position spaced a predetermined distance from the upper end of the first longitudinally long emboss. The curling step pushes in the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material and bends a range including the space between the first longitudinally long emboss and the second longitudinally long emboss.

[0011] The first longitudinally long emboss may extend from the inner peripheral edge of the opening edge of the cup container toward the lower end of the strip-shaped paper base material, and the second longitudinally long emboss may extend from the outer peripheral edge of the opening edge of the cup container toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material.

[0012] The curling step may fold back the strip-shaped paper base material to the outside of the cup container to form a folded-back portion, the embossing step may form the first longitudinally long emboss having a length covering the entire surface of the facing portion facing the folded-back portion, and may form the second longitudinally long emboss having a length covering the entire surface of the folded-back portion on the folded-back portion.

[0013] In the embossing step, at least two or more rows of small embossings arranged in series from the end of the second longitudinally extending embossing toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material are formed on the strip-shaped paper base material so as to be arranged in a plurality of rows along the circumferential direction of the cup container. In the curling step, before pushing in the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material and bending the strip-shaped paper base material between the first longitudinally extending embossing and the second longitudinally extending embossing, the small embossings may be bent to form an indented portion that is indented inside the curled portion.

[0014] In the embossing step, the small embossings may be formed in the indented portion.

[0015] In the embossing step, both the first longitudinally extending embossing and the second longitudinally extending embossing may be formed so as to bulge inside the curled portion.

[0016] In the embossing step, both the first longitudinally extending embossing and the second longitudinally extending embossing may be formed so as to bulge inside the curled portion, and the small embossings may be formed so as to bulge on the surface opposite to the first longitudinally extending embossing and the second longitudinally extending embossing.

[0017] A base material cutting step of forming a wavy edge continuous along the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material may be included.

[0018] In addition, in order to achieve the above object, a cup container according to an embodiment of the present invention is a paper-made cup container having a bottom at one end and an opening at the other end, and includes a body portion surrounding the opening and a curled portion extending along the edge of the opening. The curled portion includes a folded-back portion folded back to the outside of the container, a facing portion facing the folded-back portion, an opening edge sandwiched between the folded-back portion and the facing portion, and a first longitudinally extending embossing formed across the opening edge and extending along the entire length of the facing portion in the container height direction.

[0019] The curling portion may be formed across the folding portion or partially across the opening edge, and may have a second longitudinally long embossment that extends along the container height direction and has a length covering the entire area of the folding portion.

[0020] The curling portion may include a fitting portion that extends from the folding portion and is fitted between the facing portion and the folding portion, and at least two or more small embossments formed in the fitting portion and arranged along the direction from the folding portion toward the tip of the fitting portion.

[0021] The tip of the fitting portion may be a wavy edge that is continuous along the circumferential direction of the container.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to form a vertically wide curling portion that can accommodate a wide range of the eater's fingers, and the curling portion serves as a handle, allowing the eater who handles the cup container to hold it for a longer time without discomfort.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] The cup container and manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for ease of understanding, the thickness, dimensions, positional relationship, ratio, shape, etc. may be emphasized and shown, and the present invention is not limited to those emphasized. Hereinafter, the bottom side of the cup container is referred to as the lower side or the bottom side, the opening side is referred to as the upper side or the top side, and the direction in which the cup container expands is referred to as the radial direction.

[0025] FIG. 1 is an overall view of the cup container 1. The cup container 1 houses food and drink to be heated in, for example, a microwave oven such as a drier. The food and drink are placed in the microwave oven and heated while being contained in the cup container 1. This cup container 1 is a paper container. The inner peripheral side in contact with the food and drink may be coated with a resin or the like that prevents the penetration of moisture.

[0026] The cup container 1 is a deep plate having a cylindrical shape with one end open and the other end bottomed. Examples of this cylindrical shape include a cylindrical shape that rises vertically upward and an inverted frustum shape that gradually expands in diameter upward. The annular shape of the cylinder includes various circular shapes including, for example, a perfect circle, an ellipse, a rounded rectangle, an oval, and other oval shapes, as well as polygonal shapes. This cup container 1 has a bottom 11 and a body 12. The bottom 11 is a thick surface that closes the bottom of the cup container 1. This bottom 11 is a flat surface or is curved in a dome shape toward the inside of the cup container 1.

[0027] The body portion 12 extends endlessly along the entire circumference of the periphery of the bottom portion 11. The body portion 12 rises upward from the periphery of the bottom portion 11. The lower end side of the body portion 12 may extend below the bottom portion 11 and bear the raised platform of the cup container 1. The annular shape of the body portion 12 may be the same shape following the bottom portion 11, or may be a different shape from the bottom portion 11. Also, the body portion 12 may have the same shape from the lower end to the upper end, or may have different shapes depending on the height.

[0028] The cup container 1 has an opening 13. The opening 13 is the outlet for taking out food and drink during eating and drinking. A curled portion 2 is formed around the opening 13. The curled portion 2 is formed by bending the paper-made body portion 12 radially outward, and bulges radially outward from the body portion 12. This curled portion 2 surrounds the opening 13 throughout the circumference, enhancing the strength of the opening 13. Also, this curled portion 2 is wide in the vertical direction so that even when gripped by the fingertips of the eater, a wide range of the eater's fingers can fit within the curled portion 2. The width of the curled portion 2 along the vertical direction is preferably 8 mm or more and 13 mm or less. For example, when the height of the cup container 1 is about 40 mm, the area ratio occupied by the curled portion 2 with respect to the cup container 1 is about 19% or more.

[0029] The cup container 1 is covered with a lid 6 and sealed. The lid 6 seats on the curled portion 2 and fits internally with the cup container 1 to close the opening 13 of the cup container 1. That is, the curled portion 2 not only enhances the strength of the opening 13 and functions for gripping by the eater, but also functions to seat the lid 6. However, the cup container 1 and the lid 6 are not heat-sealed or the like and are not adhered. This lid 6 is produced by sheet molding using a plastic sheet such as polypropylene. The lid 6 includes a top surface 61, an internal fitting portion 62, and a lid-side flange 63 from the center toward the outer periphery. The top surface 61, the internal fitting portion 62, and the lid-side flange 63 are integrally formed by being continuously connected without joints by sheet molding.

[0030] The top surface 61 is located in the innermost shell including the center of the lid 6. The top surface 61 extends radially from the center of the lid 6 over the entire circumference. The inner fitting portion 62 extends endlessly along the peripheral edge of the top surface 61 for one round. The inner fitting portion 62 is an annular body that bulges convexly below the lid 6. The inner fitting portion 62 has the same diameter or slightly larger diameter as the inner peripheral surface of the cup container 1. When the lid 6 is placed on the cup container 1, the inner fitting portion 62 enters the inside of the cup container 1 and is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cup container 1.

[0031] The lid-side flange 63 is provided to extend endlessly along the upper end of the outer peripheral wall of the inner fitting portion 62 for one round and expands radially outward. The lid-side flange 63 is located at the outermost periphery of the lid 6. The lid-side flange 63 is seated on the curled portion 2 of the cup container 1. Therefore, the outermost diameter of the lid-side flange 63 is at least longer than the innermost diameter of the curled portion 2 of the cup container 1. The lid-side flange 63 may be a horizontal plane that extends horizontally in the radial direction as long as it can be seated on the curled portion 2, or may be curved along the curled portion 2 so as to wrap the upper part of the curled portion 2.

[0032] Figure 2 is a development view of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 of the body portion 12. The body portion 12 is a cylinder formed by bonding both side end portions 54 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. As shown in Figure 2, the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is an annular sector sheet or a rectangular strip sheet. The side end portion 54 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is the short side on a straight line along the height direction of the cup container 1. The strip-shaped paper base material 5 further has a lower end 52 that is a short arc along the bottom 11 of the cup container 1 and an upper end 51 that is a long arc along the opening 13, in the case of an annular sector. The upper end 51 side is formed into the curled portion 2.

[0033] In this strip-shaped paper base material 5, the upper end 51 is a wavy end 53. The wavy end 53 is formed by cutting the upper end 51 into a waveform arranged continuously during the base material cutting process of punching the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The wavy end 53 preferably has an arc shape in which the pressing force is dispersed and the upper end 51 is difficult to collapse when the upper end 51 is pressed along the paper surface of the strip-shaped paper base material 5.

[0034] The area used for forming the curled portion 2 is divided into an indented portion area 58, a folded-back portion area 57, a flat portion 56 for the opening edge, and a facing portion area 55. The indented portion area 58 extends from the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 toward the lower end 52 side. The folded-back portion area 57 is adjacent to the indented portion area 58 and extends from the boundary with the indented portion area 58 toward the lower end 52 side. The flat portion 56 for the opening edge is adjacent to the folded-back portion area 57 and extends from the boundary with the folded-back portion area 57 toward the lower end 52 side. The facing portion area 55 is adjacent to the flat portion 56 for the opening edge and extends from the boundary with the flat portion 56 for the opening edge toward the lower end 52 side.

[0035] In other words, with the flat portion 56 for the opening edge in between, the folded-back portion area 57 extends toward the upper end 51 side and the facing portion area 55 extends toward the lower end 52 side. If the boundary line between the flat portion 56 for the opening edge and the folded-back portion area 57 is called the outer peripheral edge line 56b, the folded-back portion area 57 extends from the outer peripheral edge line 56b. If the boundary line between the flat portion 56 for the opening edge and the facing portion area 55 is called the inner peripheral edge line 56a, the facing portion area 55 extends from the inner peripheral edge line 56a. And the indented portion area 58 extends from the tip of the folded-back portion area 57.

[0036] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 where the curled portion 2 is formed. As shown in FIG. 3, on the strip-shaped paper base material 5, a first vertically long emboss 31, a second vertically long emboss 32, and a small emboss 41 are formed by an embossing process for forming an emboss. The first vertically long emboss 31, the second vertically long emboss 32, and the small emboss 41 are convex portions formed by locally pressing a mold against the strip-shaped paper base material 5 and applying pressure to locally raise the strip-shaped paper base material 5.

[0037] The first longitudinally extending embossment 31 is an elongated convex portion extending along the direction from the opening 13 to the bottom 11 of the cup container 1, that is, along the direction from the upper end 51 to the lower end 52 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The first longitudinally extending embossment 31 extends throughout the range of the facing portion region 55 from one end to the other end of the facing portion region 55. In other words, the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 starts from the inner peripheral edge line 56a of the flat portion 56 for the opening edge and extends to the end of the facing portion region 55 toward the lower end 52 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. A plurality of the first longitudinally extending embossments 31 are arranged in parallel at circumferentially equidistant positions along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1.

[0038] The second longitudinally extending embossment 32 is also an elongated convex portion, and a plurality of them are arranged in parallel at circumferentially equidistant positions along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1. The extending direction of the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 is the same as that of the first longitudinally extending embossment 31, which is the direction from the opening 13 to the bottom 11 of the cup container 1, that is, the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 extends along the direction from the upper end 51 to the lower end 52 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. This second longitudinally extending embossment 32 extends throughout the range of the folded-back portion region 57 from one end to the other end of the folded-back portion region 57. In other words, the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 extends from a position spaced a predetermined distance from the upper end 31b of the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 of the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 toward the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. Also, the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 starts from a position corresponding to the outer peripheral edge line 56b of the flat portion 56 for the opening edge and extends to the end of the folded-back portion region 57 toward the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5.

[0039] Thus, the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 belongs to the facing portion region 55, and the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 belongs to the folded-back portion region 57. In other words, the extending range of the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 is the facing portion region 55, and the extending range of the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 is the folded-back portion region 57. And similar to the facing portion region 55 and the folded-back portion region 57, the first longitudinally extending embossment 31 and the second longitudinally extending embossment 32 are formed so as to face each other with the flat portion 56 for the opening edge interposed therebetween and extend in the direction of separation from each other.

[0040] The small embossments 41 are arranged linearly in at least two or more in the direction from the opening 13 to the bottom 11 of the cup container 1, that is, in the direction from the upper end 51 to the lower end 52 of the strip paper base material 5. A group of linearly arranged small embossments 41 are formed in multiple rows, and each row is arranged in parallel at equal circumferential positions along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1. Each row of the small embossments 41 extends between the second longitudinally long embossment 32 and the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 and is within the range of the rounding portion area 58. A gap is provided between the small embossment 41 formed on the lowermost end 52 side and the second longitudinally long embossment 32.

[0041] This small embossment 41 is a convex portion shorter than the first longitudinally long embossment 31 and the second longitudinally long embossment 32, and has a size in which a plurality are arranged between the upper end 51 and the second longitudinally long embossment within the range of the rounding portion area 58. The small embossment 41 has various circular shapes including, for example, a perfect circle, an ellipse, a rounded rectangle, an oval, and other oval shapes, and polygonal shapes such as a triangle and a quadrilateral.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the area of the strip paper base material 5 where the curled portion 2 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, the first longitudinally long embossment 31 and the second longitudinally long embossment 32 are pushed out from one surface including the inner peripheral surface 12a of the body portion 12 and bulge out to the other surface including the outer peripheral surface 12b of the body portion 12. The small embossment 41 is pushed out from the surface including the outer peripheral surface 12b of the body portion 12 and bulges out from the surface including the inner peripheral surface 12a of the body portion 12. Incidentally, the inner peripheral surface 12a is a surface that surrounds the inside of the container and contacts the contained food or drink. The outer peripheral surface 12b is the outer surface of the cup container 1.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the curling process for forming the curled portion 2 using this strip paper base material 5. The curling process is executed after the bending process of bending the strip paper base material 5 to form the body portion 12. In the bending process, the strip paper base material 5 is processed so that the upper end 51 and the lower end 52 are bent in the circumferential direction, and both side ends 54 are overlapped and pasted.

[0044] First, in step S01, the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is provided with a lower mold ML on the strip-shaped paper base material 5 in order to form the curled portion 2 (see Fig. 6). Next, in step S02, the upper mold MU is used to enclose the enclosing portion region 58 (see Figs. 7 and 8), and further, in step S03, the upper mold MU is used to fold back the folding portion region 57 to the outside of the container (see Fig. 9).

[0045] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the process of setting the strip-shaped paper base material 5 in the mold. The lower mold ML is a partition. In step S01, while bringing the surface including the outer peripheral surface 12b of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 into contact with the lower mold ML, the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is placed on this lower mold ML. When the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is set so as to be placed on the lower mold ML, the apex ML1 of the lower mold ML coincides with the lower end 31a of the first longitudinally long emboss. The lower end 31a of the first longitudinally long emboss is the end of the first longitudinally long emboss 31 on the side opposite to the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, and is the end portion facing the lower end 52 side of the strip-shaped paper base material 5.

[0046] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the state at the start of pushing in the strip-shaped paper base material 5 by the upper mold MU. In step S02, the upper mold MU is lowered and applied to the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The upper mold MU has a curved surface MU1 on the surface that contacts the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The curved surface MU1 is an arc-shaped concave portion. After the upper mold MU is brought into contact with the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5, the upper mold MU is further lowered. The upper end 51 is processed into a wavy end 53. The upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 slides inside the curved surface MU1, and the strip-shaped paper base material 5 falls outward.

[0047] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the process of enclosing the enclosing portion region 58. As shown in Fig. 8, as the upper mold MU is further lowered, the upper end 51 advances along the curved surface MU1. A plurality of small embosses 41 are arranged in the enclosing portion region 58 along the direction from the upper end 51 to the lower end 52. Further, the small embosses 41 play the same role as ribs, and the spaces between the small embosses 41 will bend first. Therefore, as the upper end 51 advances along the curved surface MU1, deflection or buckling occurs between adjacent small embosses 41, and the enclosing portion region 58 is enclosed.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the process of folding the folded portion area 57 to the outside of the container. In step S03, the upper mold MU is further lowered. The first longitudinally long emboss 31 and the second longitudinally long emboss 32 serve the same role as the ribs, and the flat portion 56 for the opening edge will bend first. Therefore, as the enclosed portion area 58 that is enclosed is pressed down, curvature or buckling occurs in the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, and the folded portion area 57 is folded to the outside of the container.

[0049] When curvature or buckling occurs in the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, the end of the folded portion area 57 abuts against the apex ML1 of the lower mold ML, and the folded portion area 57 approaches the opposing portion area 55 and becomes flush. Through steps S01 to S03, the formation of the curled portion 2 is completed.

[0050] Here, the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 is a wavy end 53. Therefore, the pressing force by the upper mold MU is dispersed. Accordingly, crushing of the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 by the upper mold MU is prevented. If the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 is crushed, it becomes difficult for the upper end 51 to slide inside the curved surface MU1. Then, the crushing of the upper end 51 becomes larger, the bending of the strip paper base material 5 cannot be controlled, and it becomes difficult to enclose the enclosed portion area 58 well. Therefore, by processing the upper end 51 into the wavy end 53, deterioration of the yield of the cup container 1 is suppressed.

[0051] Also, the width of the folded portion area 57 is set to 8 mm so that the fingers of the eater can fit into the curled portion 2. At this time, the length along the direction from the upper end 51 to the lower end 52 of the opposing portion area 55 is also 8 mm. From the lower end 31a of the first longitudinally long emboss to the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5, it is the length obtained by adding this total of 16 mm, the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, and the range of the enclosed portion area 58. Therefore, the curved surface MU1 of the upper mold MU and the apex ML1 of the lower mold ML face each other with a distance corresponding to the length obtained by adding this total of 16 mm, the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, and the range of the enclosed portion area 58.

[0052] In other words, in the separation range between the upper mold MU and the lower mold ML, there is no mold that adheres to the strip paper base material 5. Therefore, without the first longitudinally extended emboss 31 and the second longitudinally extended emboss 32, when processing the indented portion area 58 and when processing the folded-back portion area 57, the bending or curved portions cannot be controlled, and for example, there is a high risk of buckling within the range of the folded-back portion area 57 or within the range of the opposing surface area 55.

[0053] On the other hand, in this cup container 1, since the first longitudinally extended emboss 31 and the second longitudinally extended emboss 32 extend in the planned ranges of the folded-back portion area 57 and the opposing surface area 55, the strength of the folded-back portion area 57 and the opposing surface area 55 covered by the first longitudinally extended emboss 31 and the second longitudinally extended emboss 32 becomes high, and the strength of the flat portion 56 for the opening edge becomes relatively weak. Therefore, even when forming a wide curl portion 2 such that the fingers of the eater fit into the curl portion 2, it can be bent or flexed at the flat portion 56 for the opening edge. That is, the deterioration of the yield of the cup container 1 is suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, when the entire range of the indented portion area 58 is flat, the indented portion area 58 must be processed by sandwiching it between the upper mold MU and the lower mold ML. However, when widening the folded-back portion area 57, the upper mold MU and the lower mold ML cannot be brought closer together. Even if the indented portion area 58 is processed with the upper mold MU, without the small emboss 41, the curvature of the indented portion 24 becomes small, and there is a risk of protruding outside the lower mold ML.

[0055] However, in this cup container 1, since the small embosses 41 are arranged in the range of the indented portion area 58, the indented portion area 58 can be processed with the upper mold MU, and the processed indented portion area 58 can be made to abut well against the apex ML1 of the lower mold ML. Therefore, the curl portion 2 does not bulge excessively outward, and the opposing surface area 55 and the folded-back portion area 57 can be brought closer together. When the opposing surface area 55 and the folded-back portion area 57 are brought closer together, the risk of snagging problems during stacking of the cup container 1 and the like is reduced, and the risk of the indented portion area 58 popping out from between the opposing surface area 55 and the folded-back portion area 57 is also reduced.

[0056] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the curled portion 2 after this curling process. As shown in Figure 10, after the bending process, the curled portion 2 includes an opening edge portion 21, a folded-back portion 22, a facing portion 23, and an indented portion 24.

[0057] The folded-back portion 22 is a piece of paper that is folded back from the outer peripheral edge line 56b to the outside of the cup container 1 with the opening edge portion 21 as the base end, and is folded back until the boundary with the indented portion 24 faces the bottom portion 11. The facing portion 23 rises up to the inner peripheral edge line 56a of the opening edge portion 21 and becomes the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the body portion 12, and is a region that faces the folded-back portion 22. The opening edge portion 21 is a peripheral edge that surrounds the opening 13, is connected to the folded-back portion 22 at the outer peripheral edge line 56b on the outer side in the container radius direction, and is connected to the facing portion 23 at the inner peripheral edge line 56a on the inner side in the container radius direction. The indented portion 24 is the tip region of the folded-back portion 22 and is indented between the folded-back portion 22 and the facing portion 23.

[0058] The folded-back portion 22 is the folded-back portion region 57 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The facing portion region 55 is the facing portion region 55 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The opening edge portion 21 is the flat ground 56 for the opening edge of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. The indented portion 24 is the indented portion region 58 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5. By the first longitudinal emboss 31 and the second longitudinal emboss 32, while suppressing the deterioration of the yield, the folded-back portion 22 can be expanded to a width of 8 mm or more so that the fingers of the eater can fit.

[0059] The first longitudinal emboss 31 and the second longitudinal emboss 32 bulge into the inside 25 of the curled portion. Therefore, the inside 25 of the curled portion has a thickness that combines at least the depths of the first longitudinal emboss 31 and the second longitudinal emboss 32, and enhances the heat insulation effect from the curled portion 2 to the fingers of the eater. Also, the small emboss 41 bulges toward the facing portion 23 and the folded-back portion 22 inside the curled portion 25, increases the thickness of the curled portion 2, and creates an air layer inside the curled portion 25. Therefore, this small emboss 41 further enhances the heat insulation effect from the curled portion 2 to the fingers of the eater.

[0060] Further, even if the folded-back portion 22 of this curled portion 2 is extended so as to be wider in the vertical direction, the curled portion 2 is difficult to be crushed by the pressing force applied by the eater. Therefore, a wide range of the eater's fingers can be protected from heat by the curled portion 2 without reducing the heat insulation effect of the curled portion 2. After heating this cup container 1 by a microwave oven, even if the cup container 1 is handled with the curled portion 2 as a handle, the time during which the eater can hold it without discomfort can be extended.

[0061] In terms of manufacturing accuracy, the upper end 31b of the first longitudinally long embossment does not necessarily need to coincide with the inner peripheral edge 21a of the opening edge portion 21 of the cup container 1. It is only necessary to be able to control the bending portion in the curling process so that the opening edge portion 21 is formed including the flat portion 56 for the opening edge between the first longitudinally long embossment 31 and the second longitudinally long embossment 32. That is, buckling does not occur in the middle of the first longitudinally long embossment 31 and it does not bend at the flat portion 56 for the opening edge, or buckling does not occur in the middle of the second longitudinally long embossment 32 and it does not bend at the flat portion 56 for the opening edge. In other words, even if the upper end 31b of the first longitudinally long embossment extends beyond the inner peripheral edge 21a of the opening edge portion 21 and the upper end 31a of the first longitudinally long embossment is included in the opening edge portion 21, it is only necessary to be able to form the opening edge portion 21 including the flat portion 56 for the opening edge. Further, even if the second longitudinally long embossment extends beyond the outer peripheral edge 21b of the opening edge portion 21 and the second longitudinally long embossment 32 is included in the opening edge portion 21, it is only necessary to be able to form the opening edge portion 21 including the flat portion 56 for the opening edge.

[0062] Thus, the manufacturing method of this cup container 1 includes an embossing process, a bending process, and a curling process. In the embossing process, an embossment is formed on the strip-shaped paper base material 5 that becomes the body portion 12 of the cup container 1. The bending process bends the strip-shaped paper base material 5 to form the body portion 12. In the curling process, after the embossing process, the curled portion 2 of the cup container 1 is formed on the strip-shaped paper base material 5.

[0063] In this embossing process, the first vertically long emboss 31 was formed on the strip paper base material 5 so as to extend from the upper end 51 side of the strip paper base material 5 toward the lower end 52. Also, a plurality of the first vertically long embosses 31 were formed so as to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1. For example, the first vertically long emboss 31 was formed on the strip paper base material 5 so as to extend from the inner peripheral edge 21a of the opening edge portion 21 of the cup container 1 toward the lower end 52 of the strip paper base material 5. Also, a plurality of the first vertically long embosses 31 were formed so as to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embossing process, the second vertically long emboss 32 was formed on the strip paper base material 5 so as to extend toward the upper end of the strip paper base material 5 with a position spaced apart from the upper end 31b of the first vertically long emboss by a predetermined interval as a starting end. Also, a plurality of the second vertically long embosses 32 were formed so as to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1. For example, the second vertically long emboss 32 was formed on the strip paper base material 5 so as to extend from the outer peripheral edge 21b of the opening edge portion 21 of the cup container 1 toward the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5. Also, a plurality of the second vertically long embosses 32 were formed so as to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1.

[0065] In the curling process, the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 was pushed in so as to bend the strip paper base material 5 between the first vertically long emboss 31 and the second vertically long emboss 32.

[0066] As a result, a wide folding portion 22 in which the fingers of the eater fit can be produced without deteriorating the yield, and the time during which the eater who handles the cup container 1 with the curled portion 2 as a handle can grip it without discomfort can be extended.

[0067] Also, in the embossing process, at least two or more rows of small embosses 41 were formed on the strip paper base material 5 between the end of the second vertically long emboss 32 and the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5 so as to be arranged in series from the end of the second vertically long emboss 32 toward the upper end 51 of the strip paper base material 5. Also, a plurality of rows of the small embosses 41 were formed so as to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the cup container 1.

[0068] Furthermore, in the curling step, before pushing in the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 and bending the strip-shaped paper base material 5 between the first longitudinally long embossment 31 and the second longitudinally long embossment 32, the portions between the small embossments 41 are bent to form an enclosing portion 24 that is enclosed inside the curled portion 2.

[0069] As a result, even in the curled portion 2 having the folded-back portion 22 in which the fingers of the eater fit, the enclosing portion 24 that is folded inside the curled portion 2 can be formed. Therefore, the curled portion 2 having a better heat insulation effect can be produced without deteriorating the yield of the cup container 1.

[0070] Also, a base material cutting step of forming a continuous wavy edge 53 along the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5 is included. Thereby, when pushing in the upper end 51 of the strip-shaped paper base material 5, the upper end 51 is less likely to be crushed, and the folded-back portion 22 can be created while further suppressing the deterioration of the yield.

[0071] In addition, embossments may be formed in the range of the body portion 12 other than for creating this curled portion 2 so as to reduce the discomfort of the eater even when the eater grips the body portion 12.

[0072] (Other Embodiments) In addition, the embodiments and examples of the present invention are presented as examples and are not limited to the above embodiments and examples. The above embodiments and examples can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. And the embodiments, examples, and their modifications are included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0073] 1 Cup container 11 Bottom 12 Body portion 12a Inner peripheral surface 12b Outer peripheral surface 13 Opening 2 Curled portion 21 Opening edge portion Inner peripheral edge of 21a Outer peripheral edge of 21b Folded-back portion of 22 Opposing portion of 23 Indentation portion of 24 Inside of the curl of 25 First longitudinally long emboss of 31 Lower end of the first longitudinally long emboss of 31a Upper end of the first longitudinally long emboss of 31b Second longitudinally long emboss of 32 Small emboss of 41 Strip-shaped paper base material of 5 Upper end of 51 Lower end of 52 Wavy end of 53 Side end of 54 Opposing portion area of 55 Flat portion for the opening edge of 56 Inner peripheral edge line of 56a Outer peripheral edge line of 56b Folded-back portion area of 57 Indentation portion area of 58 Cover of 6 Top surface of 61 Inner fitting portion of 62 Cover-side flange of 63 Upper mold of MU Curved surface of MU1 Lower mold of ML Vertex of ML1

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a cup container, comprising: an embossing step of forming an emboss on a strip-shaped paper base material that will form the body portion of the cup container; a bending step of bending the strip-shaped paper base material to form the body portion; a curling step of forming a curled portion of the cup container on the strip-shaped paper base material after the embossing step; wherein the embossing step includes: forming a plurality of first longitudinally extending embosses extending from the upper end side to the lower end of the strip-shaped paper base material along the circumferential direction of the cup container; forming a plurality of second longitudinally extending embosses extending toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material along the circumferential direction of the cup container, starting from a position spaced a predetermined distance from the upper end of the first longitudinally extending emboss; the curling step includes: pushing in the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material and bending a range including the space between the first longitudinally extending emboss and the second longitudinally extending emboss; A method for manufacturing a cup container, characterized by the above.

2. The first longitudinally extending emboss extends from the inner peripheral edge of the opening edge of the cup container toward the lower end of the strip-shaped paper base material, The second longitudinally extending emboss extends from the outer peripheral edge of the opening edge of the cup container toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material, The method for manufacturing a cup container according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The curling step includes folding back the strip-shaped paper base material to the outside of the cup container to form a folded-back portion, The embossing step includes forming the first longitudinally extending emboss with a length covering the entire area of the facing portion facing the folded-back portion, and forming the second longitudinally extending emboss with a length covering the entire area of the folded-back portion on the folded-back portion, The method for manufacturing a cup container according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The embossing step includes: forming at least two or more rows of small embosses arranged in series from the end of the second longitudinally extending emboss toward the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material between the end of the second longitudinally extending emboss and the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material along the circumferential direction of the cup container; The curling step includes: pushing in the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material and bending between the small embosses before bending the strip-shaped paper base material between the first longitudinally extending emboss and the second longitudinally extending emboss to form an enclosing portion that is enclosed inside the curled portion, The method for manufacturing a cup container according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The embossing step forms the small emboss on the rounding portion. The method for manufacturing a cup container according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. In the embossing step, both the first longitudinally extending emboss and the second longitudinally extending emboss are formed so as to bulge inside the curled portion. The method for manufacturing a cup container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

7. The embossing step forms both the first longitudinally extending emboss and the second longitudinally extending emboss so as to bulge inside the curled portion, and forms the small emboss so as to bulge on the surface opposite to the first longitudinally extending emboss and the second longitudinally extending emboss. The method for manufacturing a cup container according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that.

8. including a base material cutting step of forming a continuous wavy edge along the upper end of the strip-shaped paper base material. The method for manufacturing a cup container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

9. A paper cup container having a bottom at one end and an opening at the other end, a body portion surrounding the opening, and a curled portion extending along the edge of the opening, comprising: The curled portion has a folded-back portion folded back to the outside of the container, a facing portion facing the folded-back portion, an opening edge sandwiched between the folded-back portion and the facing portion, and a first longitudinally extending emboss formed on the facing portion or partly crossing the opening edge and extending along the height direction of the container over the entire area of the facing portion. having A cup container characterized by that.

10. The curled portion has a second longitudinally extending emboss formed on the folded-back portion or partly crossing the opening edge and extending along the height direction of the container over the entire area of the folded-back portion. The cup container according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. The curled portion has a rounding portion extending from the folded-back portion and rounded between the facing portion and the folded-back portion, and at least two or more small embosses formed on the rounding portion and arranged along the direction from the folded-back portion to the tip of the rounding portion. having The cup container according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that.

12. The tip of the rounding portion is a continuous wavy edge along the circumferential direction of the container. The cup container according to claim 11, characterized in that.

Images