Storage container, manufacturing method of storage container, and recycling method of storage container

Abstract

To provide a storage container with which the number of recycling of the container can be recorded, a manufacturing method of the storage container, and a recycling method of the storage container, which can contribute to achievement of sustainable society such as decarbonization / recycling-oriented society.SOLUTION: A storage container includes: a container body including a storage part including a space for storing a liquid cartridge and an opening peripheral edge part forming an opening for storing the liquid cartridge in the storage part; and a lid member covering the opening. The opening peripheral edge part includes: a welding part welded with the lid member, on a surface facing the lid member; and a structure including a first layer bonded with the surface and a second layer stacked on the first layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage container, a method for manufacturing a storage container, and a method for reusing a storage container. [Background technology]

[0002] When products are distributed in the market, they are often housed in a storage container. For example, liquid ejection heads that eject ink are also housed in a storage container. Storage containers for such liquid ejection heads are required to be durable enough to protect the product from vibrations during transportation and impacts from drops during handling. Furthermore, in configurations in which the liquid ejection head and ink storage unit are integrated, it is necessary to suppress evaporation of ink from the liquid ejection head during distribution in the market. A known storage container for a liquid ejection head that meets these requirements is one in which a film-like lid is welded to the opening of the storage container to seal it.

[0003] In recent years, there has been a demand for the reuse of resources in consideration of the environment, and so the reuse of storage containers has been promoted. When a storage container is reused, there is generally a limit to the number of times it can be reused from the viewpoint of maintaining the durability of the storage container and the reliability of protecting the contents. Therefore, it is required that the number of times a storage container has been used can be determined.

[0004] One possible method for determining the number of times a collected storage container has been used is to use a contactless ID chip that stores the storage container's serial number and management information related to the contents. However, there are issues such as increased costs for introducing an ID chip and the need for a process to rewrite the ID chip, which increases costs and requires additional equipment compared to when the storage container is not reused. As a method for determining the number of times a storage container has been reused other than using an ID chip, Patent Document 1 discloses a storage container that can determine the number of times it has been used by breaking a protrusion provided on the storage container. With the storage container described in Patent Document 1, storage containers that have not yet reached their limit of number of uses can be reused, and storage containers that have reached their limit can be discarded. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-145870 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, in order to determine the number of times the storage container has been used, it is necessary to break the provided protrusion, which increases the number of steps in the manufacturing process of the storage container.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage container that allows easy determination of the number of times the storage container has been used, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A storage container that solves the above problem comprises a container body having a storage section with a space for storing a liquid cartridge, and an opening periphery that forms an opening in the storage section for storing the liquid cartridge, and a lid member that covers the opening, wherein the opening periphery has, on the surface facing the lid member, a welding portion that is welded to the lid member, and a structure having a first layer adhered to the surface and a second layer stacked on the first layer.

[0009] A method for manufacturing a storage container that solves the above problem is a method for manufacturing a storage container that includes an opening, a container body having an opening periphery that forms the opening, and a lid member that covers the opening, and includes the steps of preparing the container body and the lid member that includes a structure having an adhesive layer, welding the lid member to the opening periphery, and transferring the structure from the lid member to the opening periphery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] It is possible to provide a storage container capable of recording the number of times the container has been reused, a method for manufacturing a storage container, and a method for reusing a storage container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a storage container to which the present invention can be applied; [Figure 2] 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a lid member before being welded to a container body in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a storage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a storage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are enlarged views illustrating a manufacturing process in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are enlarged views illustrating a manufacturing process for a reused storage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are enlarged views showing a manufacturing process of a storage container according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a storage container according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a storage container according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cover member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 5A to 5C are enlarged views showing a manufacturing process of a storage container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are perspective views of a container and an enlarged view of a transfer unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a transfer unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the subject matter of the present invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the relative arrangements, shapes, etc. of components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those. Note that the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components.

[0013] A storage container in one embodiment will be described. The storage container in this embodiment is a storage container for a liquid ejection head in which the liquid ejection head is housed when the liquid ejection head is distributed on the market. Note that, although a storage container for a liquid ejection head is described in this embodiment, the object housed in the storage container is not limited to a liquid ejection head. For example, the storage container may be a storage container that houses a liquid cartridge for refilling ink into a liquid ejection head (inkjet head) equipped in an inkjet printer, or a liquid cartridge having a liquid ejection head.

[0014] 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views showing a storage container 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view before a lid member 30 is welded to a container body 10. The container body 10 has a storage section 19 (see FIG. 3), and a liquid ejection head 8 is stored in the storage section 19 as a stored item. The container body 10 further has a flange 11 as an opening periphery that forms an opening 111 for putting the stored item in and taking it out of the storage section 19. Note that the configuration in FIG. 1(a) is an example, and the storage section 19 does not have to be substantially rectangular, and the opening 111 does not have to be substantially rectangular.

[0015] 1(b) is a perspective view showing the state in which the lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10 of this embodiment. When the liquid ejection head 8 is a liquid ejection head integrated with an ink storage section that stores ink, the lid member 30 is preferably in the form of a film that has high sealing properties in order to suppress evaporation of ink from the liquid ejection head 8.

[0016] The flange 11 is a portion facing the lid member 30 that covers the opening 111. In this embodiment, the flange 11 is the portion to which the lid member 30 is attached. A protrusion 113 is provided on the surface 30a of the flange 11 that faces the lid member 30. The protrusion 113 is preferably formed continuously around the circumferential direction of the opening 111 so as to surround the opening 111. This improves the airtightness when the lid member 30 is welded to the protrusion 113. Like the flange 11, the opening periphery that forms the opening 111 in the container body 10 preferably has a flange shape that protrudes from the wall surface that constitutes the storage section 19. This increases the area of the opening periphery (flange 11) facing the lid member 30, making it possible to increase the area of the region facing the protrusion 113 and the transfer section 31, which will be described later.

[0017] 2(a) is a view of the lid member 30 before welding to the container body 10, viewed from the surface 30a on the side to be welded to the container body 10. One surface 30a of the lid member 30 is welded to a protrusion 113 of the container body 10. In other words, the protrusion 113 is a protrusion-shaped welding portion where the container body 10 is welded to the lid member 30. FIG. 2(a) shows a welding region 35, which is the region of the surface 30a that is welded to the protrusion 113.

[0018] A transfer section 31 is provided outside the welding area 35 on the surface 30a. As described below, the transfer section 31 is a structure for recording the number of times the container body 10 has been used. A method for determining the number of times the container body 10 has been used will be described later. FIG. 2(b) is a cross-section taken along line IIb-IIb in FIG. 2(a). The transfer section 31 provided outside the welding area 35 on the surface 30a has a structure in which a release layer 311, a fixing layer 312, and an adhesive layer 313 are laminated in this order from the surface 30a side. The release layer 311 can be made of a material whose adhesive strength decreases when heated, such as an acrylic resin. The fixing layer 312 can be made of a material that is less susceptible to thermal deformation, such as metal, paper, or resin. The adhesive layer 313 can be made of a material that melts when heated and adheres when cooled, such as a hot melt. From the viewpoint of adhesion between the flange 11 and the adhesive layer 313, for example, if the container body 10 is made of polypropylene (PP), it is desirable that the adhesive layer 313 be made of PP as well. Furthermore, if the container body is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), it is desirable that the material of adhesive layer 313 is also PET.

[0019] Furthermore, if the lid member 30 is transparent, the state of the transfer unit 31, which will be described later, can be read even when the lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10. Furthermore, the lid member 30 may have a tab for peeling it off from the flange 11 so that the user can easily remove the liquid ejection head 8 from the storage container 1.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a cross section taken along line III-III in FIG. 1(a). The container body 10 has a bottom 17 and a sidewall 18 extending from the bottom 17. The sidewall 18 may extend perpendicular to the bottom 17 or may extend at an angle relative to the bottom 17. The space enclosed by the bottom 17 and the sidewall 18 is a storage section 19. The storage section 19 stores items such as the liquid ejection head 8 shown in FIG. 1(a), but the items are not shown in FIG. 3. As described above, the container body 10 has an opening 111 above the storage section 19, and the opening 111 is closed by a lid member 30. The flange 11 protrudes outward from the sidewall 18. A portion of a protrusion 113 on the flange 11 is welded to and comes into contact with the lid member 30, thereby welding the lid member 30 to the flange 11. In an area of the flange 11 farther from the opening 111 than the protrusion 113, a transfer portion 31 transferred from the cover member 30 is present.

[0021] 4(a) to 4(c) are cross-sectional views showing a manufacturing process of the storage container 1, in which the lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10 to close the opening 111. Similar to FIG. 3, the contents are not shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c). First, as shown in FIG. 4(a), a welding jig 900 is placed in a position facing the flange 11 of the container body 10. The welding jig 900 has a welding horn 901 and a transfer horn 902 fixed via a spring 903. Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the welding jig 900 is lowered from the state shown in FIG. 4(a) to bring the lid member 30 into contact with the container body 10. At this time, the welding horn 901 melts a portion of the protrusion 113 through the lid member 30, welding it to the lid member 30. At the same time, the transfer horn 902 pressed by the spring 903 applies heat to the transfer part 31 via the lid member 30, and the transfer part 31 is transferred from the lid member 30 to the flange 11. Next, as shown in FIG. 4(c), by raising the welding jig 900 after welding, the lid member 30 is welded so as to close the opening 111 of the container body 10. At this timing, the transfer part 31 is also transferred to the flange 11.

[0022] 5(a) and 5(b) are enlarged views of the vicinity of the protrusion 113 and the transfer portion 31 during the welding process of the lid member 30. FIG. 5(a) is an enlarged view of portion Va in FIG. 4(b), and FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged view of portion Vb in FIG. 4(c). As shown in FIG. 5(a), first, the load of the welding horn 901 causes the lid member 30 to come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 113. Then, the tip of the protrusion 113 melts and is welded to the lid member 30. Then, the load of the transfer horn 902, which is pressed by the spring 903, presses the transfer portion 31 against the flange 11. At this time, the adhesive layer 313 melts due to the heat, and the adhesive strength of the release layer 311 to the lid member 30 decreases due to the heat.

[0023] Next, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the transfer horn 902 is separated from the lid member 30, the adhesive layer 313 is cooled and solidified, and is adhered to the flange 11. At this time, the adhesive strength of the release layer 311 is reduced by heating, so the fixing layer 312 is peeled off from the lid member 30 and transferred to the flange 11 on the adhesive layer 313 side. Note that although the release layer 311 is attached to the fixing layer 312 side in Figure 5(b), the release layer 311 may be separated from the fixing layer 312 and remain on the lid member 30 side.

[0024] When the stored liquid ejection head 8 is taken out and used, the lid member 30 is peeled off from the container body 10. When recovering the liquid ejection head 8 after use, it can be recovered while still inside the container body 10 to prevent the liquid ejection head 8 from being scratched. It is also possible to recover only the container body 10. After recovery, the liquid ejection head 8 is stored again in the container body 10, and a new lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10, so that the container body 10 can be used again to store and transport the liquid ejection head.

[0025] Figure 6 is a diagram showing part of the process of welding the lid member 30 to the collected and reused container body 10, and corresponds to Figure 5(a) which shows part of the process of welding the lid member 30 to the container body 10 at the time of the first use of the container body 10. Figure 6(a) shows the process of welding the lid member 30 to the container body 10 for the first reuse, and Figure 6(b) shows the process of welding the lid member 30 to the container body 10 for the second reuse.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6( a), the welding horn 901 melts a portion of the protrusion 113 through the lid member 30, welding it to the lid member 30. At the same time, the transfer horn 902 applies heat to the transfer portion 31 through the lid member 30, and the transfer portion 31 (31b) is transferred from the lid member 30 onto the transfer portion 31 (31a) already transferred to the flange 11, stacked on top of the transfer portion 31 (31a) from the lid member 30. At this time, the height of the protrusion 113 is lower than at the time of the initial welding, so the distance between the welding horn 901 and the flange 11 (the distance perpendicular to the flange surface 11a) is shorter, while the distance between the transfer horn 902 and the flange 11 is longer than at the time of the initial welding. Therefore, in this embodiment, the transfer horn 902 is connected to the welding jig 900 via the spring 903, so that the reused container body 10 and the lid member 30 can be welded using the same welding jig 900 as at the time of the initial welding.

[0027] For the second reuse of the container body 10, a new lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10 as shown in Figure 6(b). At this time, the height of the protrusion 113 is lower than in the first reuse shown in Figure 6(a), and the distance between the welding horn 901 and the flange 11 is shorter, while the distance between the transfer horn 902 and the flange 11 is longer. However, as described above, in this embodiment, the transfer horn 902 is connected to the welding jig 900 via the spring 903, so the second reuse of the container body 10 and the lid member 30 can be welded using the same welding jig 900 as used for the initial welding.

[0028] 5 and 6 show an example in which a welding jig 900 having a welding horn 901 and a transfer horn 902 fixed via a spring 903 is used, but the present invention can also be suitably used when a welding jig having a configuration different from that of this embodiment is used.

[0029] 5 and 6, the height of the transfer portion 31 transferred to the flange 11 changes depending on the number of times the container body 10 is reused. Therefore, the number of times the container body 10 has been used at the time of collection can be determined from the state of the transfer portion 31 on the flange 11.

[0030] The state of the transfer unit 31 can be determined by measurement using a sensor or reading using a reader, or by visual inspection. For ease of visibility, it is desirable that the fixing layer 312 of the transfer unit 31 be thick. Specifically, the thickness of one layer of the fixing layer 312 is preferably 0.1 mm or more, and preferably about 0.1 to 0.3 mm, so that it can be seen with the naked eye.

[0031] The transfer part 31 may also be configured without the fixing layer 312. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the welded portion between the protrusion 113 and the lid member 30 when a transfer part 31 having a release layer 311 and an adhesive layer 313 without the fixing layer 312 is used. It shows the state in which the protrusion 113 of the lid member 30 is welded. FIG. 7(a) shows the state immediately before the lid member 30 is welded to the protrusion 113 of a new container body 10, and FIG. 7(b) shows the state in which a new lid member 30 is welded to the second reused container body 10. As shown in FIG. 7(b), a configuration may be used in which the adhesive layer 313 of the transfer part 31 maintains a height sufficient to visually check the number of reuses even after being attached to the flange 11. Specifically, the thickness of one transfer part 31 is preferably 0.1 mm or more, and preferably approximately 0.1 to 0.3 mm, so that it can be discerned with the naked eye.

[0032] When reusing the container body 10, an upper limit is often set on the number of times it can be reused. In a blister pack such as the present embodiment, which requires low cost and in which a film-like lid member is welded to seal the content storage compartment, if the lid member is repeatedly welded, it may become difficult to peel off the lid member when removing the content. This is because multiple welding of the lid member can cause deformation of the welded surface of the flange or a decrease in the height of the protrusion 113 (welded protrusion), which can cause the film-like lid member to come into contact with areas other than the welded portion (protrusion), expanding the welded area.

[0033] For these reasons, in order to reduce costs and reuse blister packs as storage containers, it is important to maintain the reliability of the packaging by setting an upper limit on the number of times the lid member can be welded, for example, to about three times. Consideration of packaging reliability also includes ensuring that the packaging is not less reliable in sealing, and that the film lid is not difficult to peel off, so as not to cause stress to customers.

[0034] Furthermore, when the liquid ejection head, which is the content of the liquid ejection head, is refilled with ink and reused, there is an upper limit to the number of times it can be reused in terms of the durability of the liquid ejection head. Therefore, it is necessary to know the number of times the liquid ejection head can be reused. If the number of times the liquid ejection head can be reused is written on the packaging container that protects and stores the liquid ejection head, as in the present invention, it is possible to know the number of times the liquid ejection head can be reused when it is collected together with the storage container.

[0035] For the reasons stated above, in order to maintain the packaging reliability of collected containers, it is desirable to have an inexpensive means for determining the number of times collected containers can be reused, since collected containers come in a variety of states, including containers that have never been reused, containers that have been reused once, containers that have been reused twice, and containers that cannot be reused.

[0036] The transfer portion 31 is preferably provided outside the welding area 35 on the surface 30a of the lid member 30 (on the side opposite the opening 111). The protrusion 113 is often tall, typically about 0.2 to 0.8 mm. In this case, when welding the lid member 30, the transfer portion 31 must be pressed down below the welding area 35 to bring the adhesive layer 313 into contact with the flange 11. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a case in which the transfer portion 31 is provided closer to the opening 111 (inside) than the protrusion 113. Because the lid member 30 is constrained by welding to the protrusion 113 inside the welding area 35, attempting to bring the transfer portion 31 into contact with the flange 11 could result in the lid member 30 stretching and breaking. Therefore, the transfer portion 31 is preferably provided outside the protrusion 113 on the surface 30a of the lid member 30, farther from the opening 111 than the protrusion 113. However, if the cover member 30 is made of a flexible material, there is little risk of the cover member 30 breaking even if the transfer part 31 is provided closer to the opening 111 than the protrusion 113.

[0037] Also, when the height of the protrusion 113 is lower than the height of the transfer portion 31, after the transfer portion 31 contacts the flange, it is necessary to further push down the lid member 30 in the welding region 35, which may lead to breakage of the lid member 30. Therefore, it is desirable that the protrusion 113 be higher than the transfer portion 31 in height. In this case, even when a plurality of container bodies 10 having the transfer portion 31 are stacked during the manufacturing process, the transfer portion 31 does not get in the way.

[0038] Next, the desirable dimensions of the transfer portion 31 will be described using FIG. 9. Here, as shown in FIG. 9(a), in a state where the lid member 30 is welded to the container body 10 (flange 11), let the height of the protrusion 113 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the flange 11 be R, the height of the transfer portion 31 (release layer 311, fixing layer 312, and adhesive layer 313) be H, and the horizontal distance between the protrusion 113 and the transfer portion 31 be L. Note that the horizontal direction is the direction horizontal to the surface 11a of the flange 11.

[0039] When welding the lid member 30, it is necessary to push down the portion of the lid member 30 having the transfer portion 31 more than the welding region 35 to bring the adhesive layer 313 into contact with the flange 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9(b), if the distance L between the protrusion 113 and the transfer portion 31 is too small, it may be difficult to bring the transfer portion 31 into contact with the flange 11. For example, when R-(H - h)=L, during welding of the lid member 30, the heat of the transfer horn 902 melts the adhesive layer 313 and the height of the adhesive layer 313 decreases. Then, due to the decrease in the height H accompanying the melting of the adhesive layer 313, the pressing of the transfer portion 31 against the flange 11 by the transfer horn 902 becomes insufficient and sufficient adhesive strength may not be obtained. From the above, it is desirable to set R-(H - h)<L using the height (H - h) excluding the height h of the adhesive layer 313 in the transfer portion 31. Note that h may be considered as either the height of the transfer portion 31 before transfer or after transfer.

[0040] The shape and number of transfer units 31 can be selected as appropriate. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of transfer units 31 on the cover member 30. For example, as shown in Figure 10(a), two or more transfer units 31 may be provided. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(b), transfer units 31 may be provided so as to surround the outside of the welded area 35.

[0041] The size of the transfer portion 31 is desirably set so that even if a shift in the transfer position occurs, it will still overlap with the previously transferred position. When welding the lid member 30 to the container body 10 to be reused, the newly transferred transfer portion 31 may be transferred to a position away from the protrusion 113 due to the influence of the height of the transfer portion 31 already transferred to the flange 11. In the example of the first reused container body 10 shown in Figure 11(a), the transfer portion 31 (31b) transferred from the new lid member 30 is transferred at a position farther away from the protrusion 113 than the already transferred transfer portion 31 (31a). Furthermore, in the example of the second reused container body shown in Figure 11(b), the transfer portion 31 (31c) transferred from the new lid member 30 is transferred at a position farther away from the protrusion 113. Furthermore, due to variations in the relative positions when welding the container body 10 and the lid member 30, and variations in the dimensions of the container body 10 and the lid member 30, the transfer position of the transfer part 31 onto the flange 11 when the container body 10 is reused may deviate from the position of the transfer part 31 on the flange 11. For this reason, it is desirable to determine the size of the transfer part 31 taking into account the tolerances of manufacturing equipment such as the transfer horn, so that even if the transfer position is shifted, it will overlap with the previous transferred position.

[0042] In addition to the height of the transfer portion 31, the color of the transfer portion 31 on the flange 11 can also be used to determine the number of times the container body 10 has been reused. Figures 12 and 13 show examples of container bodies 10 for which the color of the transfer portion 31 can be used to determine the number of times the container body 10 has been reused. Figure 12 is an overall perspective view of the container body 10 to which the transfer portion 31 has been transferred. Figures 13(a) to 13(c) are enlarged views of the transfer portion 31 at part XIII in Figure 12, showing the transfer portion 31 transferred onto the flange 11. Figure 12(a) shows a new container body 10 to which the lid member 30 has been welded and then peeled off. Figure 12(b) shows a container body 10 to which the lid member 30 has been welded and then peeled off. Figure 12(c) shows a container body 10 to which the lid member 30 has been welded and then peeled off. The transfer portion 31 is colored translucently in a color different from that of the flange 11. 12(a) to 12(c), each time the transfer portion 31 is transferred onto the flange 11, the transparency of the transfer portion 31 on the flange 11 decreases and the color deepens, making it possible to determine the number of times the container body 10 can be reused by using the color. The colored portion of the transfer portion 31 may be the fixing layer 312, the adhesive layer 313, or the release layer 311, as long as it is the portion that is transferred onto the flange 11.

[0043] In the present invention described above, by reading the height and color of the transfer portion 31 transferred onto the container body 10, the number of uses of the container body 10 can be easily determined through the welding process of the lid member 30 and the container body 10. This makes it possible to distinguish between reusable containers and containers that have reached their reuse limit. Therefore, it becomes possible to re-introduce only reusable container bodies 10 into a production line for storage containers 1, such as a liquid ejection head production line, and to reuse storage containers (container bodies 10) while maintaining packaging reliability.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present invention, since the transfer portion 31 is transferred from the lid member 30 that will not be reused to the container body 10, it can also be applied when container bodies that are already in circulation are collected for reproduction.

[0045] With the storage container of the present invention, new container bodies 10 and collected container bodies 10 that are within the limit of the number of uses can be randomly introduced into a conventional liquid ejection head manufacturing line. When collecting storage containers (container bodies 10), various types of containers are collected, including containers that have never been reused, and containers that can be reused once, twice, and non-reusable. Therefore, the present invention, which can package contents on the same manufacturing line regardless of the number of reuses, is advantageous in that it allows the storage container to be reused without major design changes to the manufacturing line.

[0046] Furthermore, the technology described in this specification can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, such as a carbon-free / recycling-based society.

[0047] The present disclosure includes the following embodiments.

[0048] (Configuration 1) a container body including a storage section having a space for storing a liquid cartridge, and an opening periphery that forms an opening in the storage section for storing the liquid cartridge; a cover member for covering the opening, The opening periphery of the container has a welded portion on the surface facing the lid member that is welded to the lid member, and a structure having a first layer adhered to the surface and a second layer laminated on the first layer.

[0049] (Configuration 2) 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the welded portion is formed continuously along the circumferential direction of the opening.

[0050] (Configuration 3) 3. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the welded portion has a protrusion shape.

[0051] (Configuration 4) 4. The storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the welded portion is disposed closer to the opening than the structure when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface.

[0052] (Configuration 5) 5. The storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the lid member for covering the opening is welded to the welded portion.

[0053] (Configuration 6) 6. The storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the second layer is a release layer.

[0054] (Configuration 7) 7. The container of claim 6, wherein the structure includes a third layer between the first layer and the second layer.

[0055] (Configuration 8) 8. The storage container of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer is translucently colored.

[0056] (Configuration 9) 9. The storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the liquid cartridge is a liquid ejection head that ejects ink.

[0057] (Configuration 10) 10. The storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein a plurality of the structures are stacked on the surface of the opening periphery.

[0058] (Method 1) A method for manufacturing a storage container including a container body having an opening, an opening periphery that forms the opening, and a lid member that covers the opening, comprising: preparing the container body and the lid member having a structure with an adhesive layer; welding the lid member to the opening periphery; transferring the structure from the lid member to the opening periphery; A method for manufacturing a storage container having the above structure.

[0059] (Method 2) The method for manufacturing a storage container according to method 1, wherein the opening periphery and the lid member are welded via a welded portion.

[0060] (Method 3) In the direction perpendicular to the surface of the lid member facing the peripheral edge of the opening, the height of the welded portion is R, the height of the structure is H, and the height of the adhesive layer is h. In the direction horizontal to the surface, the distance between the welded portion and the structure is L. The manufacturing method of the storage container according to Method 2, where R - (H - h) < L.

[0061] (Method 4) The adhesive layer is a layer adhered to the surface of the peripheral edge of the opening. The manufacturing method of the storage container according to any one of Methods 1 to 3, where the structure further has a release layer that contacts the lid member before the transfer step.

[0062] (Method 5) The manufacturing method of the storage container according to Method 4, where the structure further has a fixing layer between the adhesive layer and the release layer.

[0063] (Method 6) The manufacturing method of the storage container according to any one of Methods 1 to 5, where the welding step and the transfer step are performed simultaneously.

[0064] (Method 7) The manufacturing method of the storage container according to any one of Methods 1 to 6, having a step of determining the number of times of reuse of the container body from the state of the structure on the surface of the peripheral edge of the opening facing the lid member.

[0065] (Method 8) The manufacturing method of the storage container according to any one of Methods 1 to 7, where the container body has a liquid discharge head for discharging liquid.

[0066] (Method 9) A method for reusing a storage container containing a liquid cartridge, where the storage container has a storage portion having a space for storing the liquid cartridge and a peripheral edge of the opening that forms an opening for storing the liquid cartridge in the storage portion, and a container body. a cover member for covering the opening, the opening periphery has, on a surface facing the lid member, a welded portion welded to the lid member, and a structure having a first layer adhered to the surface and a second layer laminated on the first layer; a recovery step of recovering the container body from which the lid member has been peeled off; and determining the number of times the container body can be reused based on the state of the structure.

[0067] (Method 10) The method for reusing a storage container according to Method 9, wherein in the recovery step, the container body is recovered in a state in which a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid is housed as the liquid cartridge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Storage container 10 Container body 11 Flange 113 Protrusion 30 Lid member 30a Surface of the cover member 31 Transcription section 311 Release layer 312 Fixed layer 313 Adhesive layer 8 Liquid ejection head 900 Welding Jig 901 Welded Horn 902 Transfer Horn

Claims

1. a container body including a storage section having a space for storing a liquid cartridge, and an opening periphery that forms an opening in the storage section for storing the liquid cartridge; a cover member for covering the opening, The opening periphery of the container has a welded portion on the surface facing the lid member that is welded to the lid member, and a structure having a first layer adhered to the surface and a second layer laminated on the first layer.

2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion is formed continuously along a circumferential direction of the opening.

3. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion has a protruding shape.

4. The storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion is disposed closer to the opening than the structure when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface.

5. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the lid member covering the opening is welded to the welded portion.

6. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer is a release layer.

7. The containment vessel of claim 6 , wherein the structure includes a third layer between the first layer and the second layer.

8. The storage container according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer is translucently colored.

9. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid cartridge has a liquid ejection head that ejects ink.

10. The storage container according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the structures are stacked on the surface of the opening periphery.

11. A method for manufacturing a storage container including a container body having an opening, an opening periphery that forms the opening, and a lid member that covers the opening, comprising: preparing the container body and the lid member having a structure with an adhesive layer; welding the lid member to the opening periphery; transferring the structure from the lid member to the opening periphery; A method for manufacturing a storage container having the above structure.

12. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 11 , wherein the opening periphery and the lid member are welded together via a welded portion.

13. The height of the welded portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the opening peripheral portion facing the lid member is R, the height of the structure is H, and the height of the adhesive layer is h. The distance between the welded portion and the structure in a direction horizontal to the surface is L, The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 12, wherein R-(H-h)<L.

14. the adhesive layer is a layer adhered to a surface of the opening periphery, The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 11 , wherein the structure further comprises a release layer that is in contact with the lid member before the transferring step.

15. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 14 , wherein the structure further comprises a fixing layer between the adhesive layer and the release layer.

16. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 11 , wherein the welding step and the transferring step are carried out simultaneously.

17. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 11 , further comprising a step of determining the number of times the container body can be reused based on the state of the structure on the surface of the opening periphery facing the lid member.

18. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 11 , wherein a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid is housed in the container body.

19. A method for reusing a container that contains a liquid cartridge, comprising: The storage container is a container body including a storage section having a space for storing the liquid cartridge, and an opening periphery that forms an opening in the storage section for storing the liquid cartridge; a cover member for covering the opening, the opening periphery has, on a surface facing the lid member, a welded portion welded to the lid member, and a structure having a first layer adhered to the surface and a second layer laminated on the first layer; a recovery step of recovering the container body from which the lid member has been peeled off; and determining the number of times the container body can be reused based on the state of the structure.

20. 20. The method for reusing a storage container according to claim 19, wherein in the recovery step, the container body is recovered in a state in which a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid is accommodated as the liquid cartridge.

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