Container

Abstract

To provide a paper container having a luxurious feel, strength, and functionality similar to that of a wooden or resin container.SOLUTION: There is provided a container formed by folding and fixing each part of a paper base material, in which a side wall of the container has a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall being formed in a tapered shape by bending upward a member that is continuous with a bottom surface of the container, the inner wall being formed by folding inward a member that is continuous with an upper end of the outer wall, an upper end of the container is formed horizontally at the folded portion between the outer wall and the inner wall, and a protruding portion formed by cutting out a member in a convex shape is provided at a lower end of the inner wall, the protruding portion having a predetermined length in a protruding direction, and legs of the container are formed by being inserted into slits formed along an outer edge of the bottom surface and protruding below the bottom surface, and when containers are stacked together, the legs of an upper container fit into the upper end of the inner wall of a lower container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container that is formed by folding and troweling each part of a paper substrate and can contain food or the like inside. [Background technology]

[0002] The paper containers are used to contain various items and to hold, store, or carry the items. When used with food, as mentioned above, they are used, for example, in fast food restaurants to contain cooked food and serve it to customers. The cooked food is taken home in the paper container, or used as tableware in stores or at home.

[0003] Such paper containers are formed three-dimensionally by folding a single substrate. The substrate generally mainly consists of a bottom surface of the container and multiple side walls that are connected to the bottom surface and surround the bottom surface on all four sides. The substrate is assembled into a container by folding the boundary between the bottom surface and the side walls to make the side walls stand upright and connecting adjacent side walls. Adjacent side walls are connected, for example, by attaching or inserting a flap extending from one side wall into the other side wall.

[0004] The side walls may be folded back at the top to form a double structure of inner and outer walls. Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 1, the upper edge may be formed by folding back the wall in two stages. By forming such an upper edge, the side walls have thickness, creating a luxurious feel like a wooden box.

[0005] As shown in Patent Document 1, a plug is formed at the lower end of the inner wall, and the inner wall is fixed in a folded state by inserting the plug into a plug hole formed in the bottom surface. This suppresses the force that causes the fold to return to its original shape, and prevents the inner wall from bulging inward.

[0006] As shown in Patent Document 2, the lower end of the inner wall may be formed with a bottom pressing piece that is folded back inward. The bottom pressing piece is bent inward by 90 degrees at the position where the inner wall contacts the bottom surface. The bent bottom pressing piece adheres to the bottom surface and presses the inner wall against the outer wall in the same way as the insertion piece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2015-063325 [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-132467 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The aforementioned insert valve and bottom retainer both have the effect of fixing the inner wall in a pressed state against the outer wall, and it is thought that the effect would be enhanced if both could be installed at the same time. However, since both of these components are installed at the bottom end of the inner wall, it is difficult to combine the features of both.

[0009] When the upper edge is formed by folding back the inner and outer walls in two stages as described above, gaps occur at the boundary between adjacent walls in the upper edge. Also, if the boundary is made to overlap to prevent gaps, as in the patent document, the boundary line will be positioned far away from the corner, which will result in a poor appearance.

[0010] If the containers are made of wood or resin, it is easy to create a structure where the top and bottom of the containers fit together when stacked, but this is difficult with paper containers, and therefore, stacked paper containers tend to slide sideways.

[0011] As shown in the patent document, the bottom pressing pieces overlap each other at the lateral end portions, causing one of them to float, thereby weakening the force pressing the inner wall against the outer wall. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention has the following configuration to solve the above-mentioned problems. First, the container of the present invention is a container formed by folding and fixing various parts of a paper base material, and the side walls of the container have a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall is formed in a tapered shape by bending upward a member that is continuous with the bottom surface of the container, the inner wall is formed by folding inward a member that is continuous from the upper end of the outer wall, the upper edge of the container is formed horizontally at the folded portion between the outer wall and inner wall, and the lower end of the inner wall is provided with a protruding portion formed by cutting out a member in a convex shape, the protruding portion has a predetermined length in the protruding direction and is inserted into a slit formed along the outer edge of the bottom surface and protrudes below the bottom surface to form legs of the container, and when the containers are stacked on top of each other, the legs of the upper container fit into the upper end of the inner wall of the lower container.

[0013] Secondly, the container of the present invention is characterized in that at the lower end of the inner wall, the parts other than the protrusion that have been cut out from the protrusion are left as a bottom flap without being cut off from the lower end, and the bottom flap is formed by folding inward from the lower end of the inner wall and pressing it against the bottom surface.

[0014] Thirdly, the container according to the present invention is characterized in that the left and right ends of the bottom flap are formed in a shape that allows the ends to interlock with each other at the boundary with adjacent bottom flaps without overlapping.

[0015] Fourth, the container of the present invention is a container formed by folding and fixing each part of a paper base material, and the side walls of the container have a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, and the inner wall is formed by folding inward a member that continues from the upper end of the outer wall, and the upper edge of the container is formed horizontally at the folded portion between the outer wall and the inner wall, and at the corner where adjacent upper edges meet, the end of one upper edge overlaps the end of the other upper edge so that the ends have an arc-shaped protrusion toward each other.

[0016] Fifth, the container according to the present invention is a container formed by folding and fixing various parts of a paper base material, and is characterized in that it comprises an outer container and an inner container placed inside the outer container, the side walls of the outer container have a double structure of outer and inner walls, the inner walls are formed by folding inward a member that continues from the upper end of the outer wall, a notch is provided at the end of one of the inner walls at the boundary between adjacent inner walls, the side walls of the inner container are joined to each other by a joining piece, and the joining piece is folded onto the outside of one of the two side walls to which the joining piece joins, and when the inner container is placed inside the outer container, the joining piece fits into the notch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] By providing the above-mentioned features, the container of the present invention overcomes the cheapness and fragility inherent in paper containers and achieves the luxury, strength, and functionality of wooden or resin containers.

[0018] The container of the present invention has a tapered outer wall, which allows the containers to be stacked without any gaps above or below (Figures 8 and 9) before the inner wall is folded over (Figures 6 and 7).

[0019] The container of the present invention has legs that fit into the openings, allowing the containers to be stacked while being locked to prevent sliding (Figs. 10 and 11). At the same time, the legs can be inserted into slits in the bottom, locking the inner wall in a state where it is pressed against the outer wall. The legs, combined with the tapered shape of the outer wall, also create a luxurious appearance.

[0020] The container according to the present invention has bottom flaps at the lower ends of the inner wall in addition to the aforementioned legs, thereby increasing the force with which the inner wall is pressed against the outer wall. Also, by shaping the left and right ends of the bottom flap so that they fit with the corresponding ends of the adjacent bottom flap (Fig. 3b), the bottom flaps come into close contact without overlapping, thereby increasing the force with which the bottom flaps press the inner wall against the outer wall.

[0021] In the container of the present invention, at the corners of the upper edges where the ends of the upper edges meet, one edge overhangs the other edge in an arc shape, allowing the ends to join in a slightly overlapping state (Fig. 13). This prevents gaps from occurring at the joint while maintaining the alignment of the diagonal lines of the rectangle of the upper edges.

[0022] The container of the present invention has notches on both the left and right ends of the inner wall of the outer container (Figs. 14 and 15), so that when the outer container contains the inner container, the joining pieces that are folded onto the outside of the side walls of the inner container and join the side walls together (Fig. 17) fit into the notches, thereby locking the inner container in place so that it does not come off the outer container (Figs. 18 and 19). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a base material of a container according to Example 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a front view of the container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a container according to Example 1, and an enlarged view of a portion thereof. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the container according to the first embodiment is in use. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a base material of a container according to Example 2. [Figure 13] 10 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a container according to Example 2. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a base material of an outer container according to Example 3. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a base material of an outer container according to Example 3. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a base material of an inner container according to Example 3. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a base material of an inner container according to Example 3. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container according to Example 3 is in use. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container according to Example 3 is in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The following embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of the following multiple examples to realize the above-mentioned features of the invention. In the explanatory diagrams of each embodiment, components that can be considered to be the same in relation to the features of the present invention are given the same numbers. [Example]

[0025] 1 is a plan view of the base material of the container 1 according to Example 1. To assemble the container 1 from the base material, first, the boundary between the bottom surface 11 and the outer wall 12 is folded to make the outer wall 12 stand upright against the bottom surface 11, and then the flaps provided on both the left and right ends of the outer wall 12 are attached to the corresponding ends of the outer wall 12, thereby fixing the outer walls 12 in a joined state.

[0026] At this time, because the outer wall 12 is formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape, the outer wall 12 and the members connected thereto are fixed in a tapered shape, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Due to this shape, multiple containers 1 can be stacked without gaps when the inner wall 14 is folded back, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0027] Next, the outer edge 13 is folded inward so that it becomes horizontal, and then the inner wall 14 is folded downward. Next, while leaving the legs 15 at the lower end of the inner wall 14 in their original state, the bottom flap 16 at the lower end of the inner wall 14 is similarly folded inward so that it becomes horizontal. Finally, the legs 15 are inserted into the corresponding slits 17 at the outer edge of the bottom surface 11, thereby completing the container 1.

[0028] In the completed state of the container 1, the legs 15 are continuous with the lower ends of the inner walls 14, and the shapes of the upper and lower ends of the prismatic body surrounded by the inner walls 14 are approximately the same, so that the frame formed by being surrounded horizontally by the legs 15 can fit into the frame surrounded by the upper ends of the inner walls 14. Therefore, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, multiple containers 1 can be stacked while being locked by the legs 15 to prevent lateral movement. [Example]

[0029] 12 is a plan view of the base material of the container 2 according to Example 2. The method of assembling the container 2 is the same as in Example 1, and therefore will not be described here. Only the differences from Example 1 will be described.

[0030] Container 2 differs from container 1 only in the shape of the left and right ends of upper edge 13. While the shape of container 1 is straight, the shape of end 181 of container 2 is an outward arc. Due to this shape, adjacent upper edges 13 slightly overlap when container 2 is completed, as shown in Figure 13.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5 and elsewhere, the shape of the outer edge 13 looks best and has an excellent appearance when lines run along the diagonal of the frame, i.e., toward the center of the frame, at the corners of the frame formed by the outer edge 13. However, when such a shape, i.e., the shape of container 1, is adopted, gaps inevitably occur at the corners, i.e., at the joints between the outer edge portions 13, due to the characteristics of paper. Container 2 can prevent this gap from occurring by overlapping the components at the joints. Furthermore, because this overlap is minimized, it has the effect of not significantly impairing the aesthetic appearance. [Example]

[0032] The outer container 3 according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which an inner container 4 is housed inside. By housing the inner container 4 with no gaps other than the upper opening, it is possible to prevent small contents from leaking out. Furthermore, by making the inside of the inner container 4 water-resistant, it is possible to house items containing moisture.

[0033] Fig. 14 is a plan view of the base material of outer container 3. The difference from the base material of container 1 is that there is a notch 19 provided on both the left and right ends of inner wall 14. As shown in Fig. 15, outer container 3 assembled from this base material has a recess in the corresponding part due to the notch 19.

[0034] 15 is a plan view of the base material of the inner container 4. The inner container 4 is made up of a bottom surface 41, side walls 42, and joining pieces 43 that join the side walls 42 together. The joining pieces 43 are of a watertight type.

[0035] To assemble the inner container 4, after the side wall 42 is set upright, the center of the left-right direction of the joining piece 43 is folded in a valley when viewed from inside the container, and the joining piece 43, with the left and right sides joined by the valley fold, is folded from the outside of the container toward the side wall 42 that corresponds to the side wall 12 with the cutout 19 when the inner container 4 is placed inside the outer container 3, to complete the assembly as shown in Figure 17.

[0036] The joining piece 43 does not have to be of the watertight type. A watertight joining valve has no gaps, and therefore the inner container 4 is more airtight than a normal joining valve. In the case of a watertight type, when the inner container 4 is placed in the outer container 3, the joining piece 43 is held to some extent toward the side wall 42 by the side wall of the outer container 3, so the joining piece 43 does not necessarily have to be glued to the side wall 42.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 18, the inner container 3 is inserted from above into the outer container 4. The joining piece 43 folded onto the side wall 42 and the notch 19 are formed so that their outer edge shapes and their relative positions match when the inner container 3 is housed in the outer container 4. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 19, when the inner container 3 is housed in the outer container 4, the joining piece 43 folded onto the side wall 42 fits into the recess in the inner wall 14 formed by the notch 19. This prevents the inner container 4 from coming out of the outer container 3.

[0038] Furthermore, by fitting the joint piece 43 into the recess in the inner wall 14 formed by the notch 19, no gap is created between the side wall 42 and the inner wall 14, and the two walls can be tightly attached to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1, 2...container, 3...outer container, 4...inner container, 11...bottom, 12...outer wall, 13...upper edge, 14...inner wall, 15...leg, 16...bottom flap, 17...slit, 18...edge, 181...edge, 19...notch, 41...bottom, 42...side wall, 43...connecting piece

Claims

1. A container formed by folding and fixing each part of a paper substrate, The side wall of the container has a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, The outer wall is formed in a tapered shape by bending upward a member that is continuous with the bottom surface of the container, the inner wall is formed by folding back inward a member that is continuous from the upper end of the outer wall, The upper edge of the container is formed horizontally at the folded portion between the outer wall and the inner wall, a protruding portion formed by cutting out a member in a convex shape is provided at the lower end of the inner wall, the protruding portion having a predetermined length in the protruding direction, and the protruding portion is inserted into a slit formed along the outer edge of the bottom surface and protrudes below the bottom surface, thereby forming a leg of the container; When the containers are stacked on top of each other, the legs of the upper container fit into the upper end of the inner wall of the lower container. A container characterized by:

2. At the lower end of the inner wall, the member other than the protruding portion is left as a bottom flap without being cut off from the lower end, The bottom flap is formed by folding inward from the lower end of the inner wall and pressing against the bottom surface.

2. The container of claim 1.

3. 3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the left and right ends of the bottom flap are formed in a shape such that the ends interlock with each other at the boundary between adjacent bottom flaps without overlapping.

4. A container formed by folding and fixing each part of a paper substrate, The side wall of the container has a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall is formed by folding back inward a member that is continuous from the upper end of the outer wall, The upper edge of the container is formed horizontally at the folded portion between the outer wall and the inner wall, At a corner where the adjacent upper edge portions meet, the end portions of one upper edge portion are formed to overlap with the end portion of the other upper edge portion in an arc-like shape. A container characterized by:

5. A container formed by folding and fixing each part of a paper substrate, The container comprises an outer container and an inner container housed inside the outer container, The side wall of the outer container has a double structure of an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall is formed by folding back inward a member that is continuous from the upper end of the outer wall, At a boundary between the adjacent inner walls, a notch is provided at an end of one of the inner walls, Adjacent side walls of the inner container are joined together by joining pieces, The joining piece is folded outward from one of the two side walls to which the joining piece is joined, When the inner container is housed in the outer container, the joining piece fits into the notch. A container characterized by:

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