Vessel with fitting cover

Abstract

To provide a vessel with a fitting cover in which a release piece for exposing a lower end edge of the fitting cover which is covered by a part of a vessel main body under a sealed condition is easy to pinch more than before and facilitates separation.SOLUTION: A fitting cover (30) is fitted and sealed to a vessel main body (10). A peripheral edge rim (31) which overlaps with an upper area by a step groove (12) formed in a peripheral edge flange of the vessel main body is extended to an outer periphery. A lower end edge (32) of the peripheral edge rim is fitted in the step groove (12), and is covered by an outside groove wall (13). In a cutout portion (15) provided in the peripheral edge flange (11), a release piece (20) protruding outwardly in a horizontal direction is extended. In the release piece (20), two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) are formed continuously in a circumferential direction. In a groove part (22), the lower end edge (32) of the fitting cover is fitted over the cutout portion (15) in the vessel main body side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a fitting that has a peel-off piece that can be pulled away from the container body to expose the lower edge of the fitting lid, which is covered by part of the container body in the fitted state, when the fitting lid, which is fitted to and sealed around the container body containing food or the like, is removed. [Background technology]

[0002] Pre-cooked prepared foods and various food ingredients are generally packaged in sealed plastic containers to prevent spillage of the contents and to prevent outside air from getting in for hygienic reasons. Many of these sealed containers have a resin sheet heat-sealed to the edge of the opening of the container.

[0003] However, removing a heat-sealed lid from a container requires a relatively strong force to grasp the gripping part of the lid with the fingertips and pull it off the container, making it difficult for users with weak strength, such as the elderly or disabled, to open the lid.

[0004] Therefore, containers with snap-fit ​​lids have become popular, which can be sealed more easily and opened without requiring a lot of force. These containers consist of a container body with a flange having an uneven cross-sectional shape around the periphery of the opening of the container, and a snap-fit ​​lid with a peripheral rim that fits onto the flange of the container body (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0005] In this case, when the peripheral rim of the fitting lid is fitted to the flange of the container body, a portion of the flange completely covers the lower end of the peripheral rim, completing the sealing of the container. The flange also has a peel-away portion that can be partially separated from the container body, and when this peel-away portion is separated, the outer peripheral edge of the lid is exposed. Therefore, the lid can be easily removed by simply lifting the exposed outer peripheral edge with your fingertips. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3108820 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3080877 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in conventional containers with interlocking lids, the peel-off portion is made up of part of the flange and is integrated with the surrounding flange surface, with a surface that is almost continuous, so it is inconspicuous and narrow, making it difficult for elderly and disabled people to find a grip on the peel-off portion or to pick it up with their fingertips, making it difficult to separate the peel-off portion.

[0008] In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a container with a fitting lid in which the peel-off piece that is pulled away from the container body to expose the lower edge of the fitting lid, which is covered by part of the container body when in a sealed state, is easier to grasp and separate than conventional pieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the container with a fitting lid according to the invention described in claim 1 comprises, for example, a substantially bowl-shaped container body and a fitting lid that fits onto the container body to close and seal the opening of the container body, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, The container body has a peripheral flange that extends downward and outward from the opening edge of the container body, and a stepped groove having a concave cross section is formed along the circumferential direction at a substantially central height position of the peripheral flange, the fitting lid includes a peripheral rim extending around its periphery; the peripheral rim has a shape that is superimposed on an area above the stepped groove of the peripheral flange in a predetermined sealed state with respect to the container body, and the lower edge of the peripheral rim is fitted into the stepped groove and is covered by a groove wall that rises outward from the stepped groove, The peripheral flange has a portion cut out in a region below the stepped groove at at least one location in the circumferential direction, and a peel piece extends from this cutout portion and protrudes horizontally outward, and is separated from the peripheral flange to expose the lower edge of the peripheral rib of the fitting lid, The peel-off piece has two arc-shaped portions formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and is characterized in that a groove portion is further formed on the container body side over the cutout portion into which the lower edge of the peripheral rib is fitted.

[0010] According to the container with a fitting lid described in claim 1 of the present invention, when the fitting lid is fitted to the container body, the lower edge of the peripheral rim of the fitting lid, which overlaps the peripheral flange of the container body, is fitted into the stepped groove and covered by the outer groove wall, resulting in a good seal. Furthermore, a peelable piece, which is separated from the peripheral flange to expose the lower edge of the peripheral rim, which serves as a handhold for lifting the fitting lid when opening the container, extends horizontally outward from one or more cutouts provided around the peripheral flange. This makes the peelable piece easier for users to recognize and grasp with their fingertips than a conventional piece that is integrally provided as part of the peripheral flange.

[0011] Furthermore, because the release strip has two arcuate portions formed continuously in the circumferential direction, the surfaces of the arcuate portions can easily come into contact with the pads of the thumb and index finger, for example. Therefore, simply pinching the release strip in a direction that brings the pads of the fingers closer together applies a force that bends the two arcuate portions in a direction that overlaps each other, and this force easily tears and separates the release strip from the peripheral flange.

[0012] Furthermore, a groove is formed on the container body side of the peel-off piece, extending over the cutout portion, into which the lower edge of the peripheral rib of the fitting lid is fitted.Therefore, until the opening operation is performed, the lower edge of the fitting lid is covered by the groove even in this cutout portion, and the sealed state provided by the fitting lid is maintained.

[0013] Therefore, as described above, by simply pinching and folding the release piece with two fingers, the release piece is immediately pulled away from the peripheral flange together with the groove, exposing the lower edge of the peripheral rib of the fitting lid that was fitted into the groove, and by lifting the exposed lower edge with the fingertips, the fitting lid can be removed from the container body. In this way, with the fitting lid container of the present invention, the process from starting the opening operation by pinching the two arc-shaped portions of the release piece to lifting and removing the fitting lid can be completed much more quickly and easily than with conventional methods.

[0014] The container with a fitting lid of the invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the peel-off piece has a through hole formed in the center of each of the two arc-shaped portions, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, for example.

[0015] According to the container with a fitting lid of claim 2 of the present invention, when the two arc-shaped portions are, for example, semicircular or larger in size and have a relatively large surface area, a through-hole can be formed in the center of each of the two arc-shaped portions of the release piece. This through-hole allows the curved surfaces of the pads of the fingers to fit better on the surface of each arc-shaped portion when pinching and folding with the tips of two fingers, making it less likely to slip, and the force of the fingertips can be more reliably applied to the release piece, making it easier to pull it apart.

[0016] Furthermore, this through-hole can be used to insert the tip of chopsticks or a fork and tear it off. Therefore, even users who have difficulty performing delicate movements such as pinching with their fingertips or who have difficulty applying force to their fingertips can easily separate the peel-off piece by gripping chopsticks or a fork, inserting the tip of the chopsticks or fork into the through-hole and pulling it, making it possible to open sealed containers that could not be opened with conventional peel-off pieces.

[0017] A container with a fitting lid according to the invention described in claim 3 is a container with a fitting lid described in claim 1, characterized in that the release piece has an integral columnar portion extending horizontally outward between the two arc-shaped portions, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, for example.

[0018] According to the container with a fitting lid of the present invention, even if the release strip itself is thin and easily bent, the columnar portion extending horizontally outward between the two arcuate portions mechanically reinforces the release strip, so that the release strip maintains a good protruding state during transportation and display as a product until it is opened. In addition, because the arcuate portions on both sides can be easily folded around the columnar portion, the release strip can be more easily picked up with the fingertips.

[0019] The container with a fitting lid according to the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, for example, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the peel piece has a thickness h of 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm and an outermost protruding distance L horizontally outward from the outermost surface of the peripheral flange of 2 mm to 10 mm.

[0020] According to the container with a fitting lid described in claim 4 of the present invention, by appropriately setting the thickness h and the horizontal outward protrusion distance L of the peel-off piece, it is possible to make the peel-off piece large enough to be easily grasped when opening, and strong enough to be easily pulled away from the peripheral flange without requiring strong force, but not to be torn off by the action of a weak external force.

[0021] That is, if the thickness h is too thin, even if the columnar portion is reinforced, both ends will bend, making it difficult to grip. Furthermore, there is a risk that the peel-off strip may tear off due to a slight external force, such as when it is accidentally rubbed against something other than when opening the package. However, by setting the thickness h to 1.5 mm or more, sufficient strength can be ensured to avoid this risk. On the other hand, if the thickness h is too large, a very strong force is required to pinch and pull the peel-off strip away from the peripheral flange when opening the package, making it difficult for users with weak strength, such as elderly people. Therefore, by setting the thickness h to 3.5 mm or less, the peel-off strip can be easily pulled away.

[0022] Furthermore, the two arc-shaped portions that make up the release piece in the present invention can be set to anything from smaller than a semicircle to larger than a semicircle, but if the protruding distance L horizontally outward from the outermost surface of the peripheral flange is too small, the contact area will be too small for the size of an average adult's fingertip, making it difficult to grip, and if the protruding distance L is too large, the protruding area of ​​the release piece will be unnecessarily large, making it heavy and the tip prone to bending downward. In the present invention, by setting the protruding distance L within the range of 2 mm to 10 mm, an appropriate area for the release piece that is easy to grip and difficult to bend can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] As described above, with the container with a fitting lid according to the present invention, when opening a container in which the fitting lid is fitted into the container body and sealed, the user can immediately recognize the peel-off piece that protrudes horizontally outward from the peripheral flange of the container body, and can easily pinch it with the pads of his or her fingers on the two cylindrical parts that make up the peel-off piece.By simply pinching and pulling lightly, the peel-off piece can be easily pulled away from the container body to expose the lower edge of the lid, thereby having the effect that even a user with weak strength can complete the container opening operation in a short time with a simple action. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing the overall structure of a container with a fitting lid according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic oblique view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrow AA in (a). [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the fitting lid and the container body that constitute the fitting lid-equipped container shown in FIG. 1 in an unfitted state. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view showing the fitting lid and the container body in the unfitted state shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front view showing the container body of the fitting-lidded container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the container body shown in FIG. 4 as seen from above. [Figure 6]1 from a sealed state, the release piece is pinched and pulled apart with the fingertips. (a) is an oblique view showing the state at the point when pinching the release piece is started, and (b) is an oblique view showing the process of pinching and pulling the release piece apart. [Figure 7] 1 from a sealed state, the through-hole in the arc-shaped portion is used to pull off the release piece with chopsticks. FIG. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the case where the through-hole in the arc-shaped portion is used to pull off the peelable piece with a fork when opening the container with the fitting lid of FIG. 1 from a sealed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] <Embodiment> Figures 1 to 5 show one embodiment of a container with a fitting lid according to the present invention. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the container with a fitting lid 1 in this embodiment is composed of a roughly bowl-shaped container body 10 molded from plastic, such as polypropylene, and a fitting lid 30 that fits onto the container body 10 to close its opening.

[0027] In this embodiment, the container body 10 is exemplified as being substantially box-shaped with a rounded rectangular opening. However, the container shape in the present invention is not limited to this substantially box-shaped shape, and various shapes commonly used for food containers, such as a substantially hemispherical shape or a bucket shape, can be applied.

[0028] 2 and 3, the container body 10 in this embodiment has a peripheral flange 11 that extends downward and outward from the edge of the opening, and a stepped groove 12 with a concave cross section is formed in the peripheral direction at approximately the center height in the peripheral flange 11. The stepped groove 12 is continuous with a flange lower region 14 below a groove wall 13 that rises outward from the stepped groove 12.

[0029] On the other hand, the fitting lid 30 has a peripheral rim 31 extending from its outer periphery, which overlaps the area above the stepped groove 12 of the peripheral flange 11 when the fitting lid 30 is in a predetermined sealed state with respect to the container body 10, and the lower edge 32 of this peripheral rib 31 is fitted into the stepped groove 12 of the peripheral flange 11 when in the sealed state, and is covered by the groove wall 13 rising outward from the stepped groove 12. In this way, the container is sealed by fitting the fitting lid 30 to the container body 10.

[0030] Furthermore, at least one portion in the circumferential direction of the peripheral flange 11 of the container body 10 is provided with a cutout in the area below the stepped groove 12, and a peel-off piece 20 that protrudes horizontally outward is provided to extend into this cutout portion 15. Note that on the container body 10 side of this peel-off piece 20, a groove portion 22 is formed across the cutout portion 15 into which the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rim 31 of the fitting lid 30 is fitted, and like the stepped groove 12 other than the cutout portion 15, the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rim 31 is covered.

[0031] Therefore, the peel piece 20 is separated from the peripheral flange 11 together with the groove portion 22, thereby exposing the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rib 31 of the fitting lid 30, and the fitting lid 30 can be easily removed from the container body 10 and opened by lifting the exposed lower edge 32 with the fingertips.

[0032] The peel piece 20 in this embodiment has two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) larger than a semicircle that are continuously formed in the circumferential direction of the container body 10, and has a curved, wavy outline. In this embodiment, a through-hole 23 is formed in the center of each of the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b).

[0033] Therefore, each of the arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) larger than a semicircle has a shape that allows the pads of the thumb and index finger to easily contact its surface, and the through-holes 23 make the curved surfaces of the pads of the fingertip more easily fit and less likely to slip, making it easy to securely grip the release piece 20 with the two fingertips. When securely gripped with the fingertips in this way, the pulling force applied to the release piece 20 from the fingertips acts efficiently, allowing it to be easily torn off from the peripheral flange 11.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cylindrical pillar portion 24 extending horizontally outward is integrally provided between the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b). Therefore, even if the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) are relatively thin and have a through-hole 23 in the center, making them flexible, the pillar portion 24 provides mechanical strength, so that the peel piece 20 can be well maintained in a state where it protrudes horizontally outward, making it easy to recognize and grip.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the smaller the thickness h, the easier it is to separate from the container body 10 with a weaker force. However, if it is too thin, there is a risk that it may be torn off by inadvertent contact even when not being opened. Therefore, in this embodiment, the thickness h is set to 2 mm, which is relatively thin and easy to separate, but is also designed to have sufficient strength to prevent it from being torn off by inadvertent contact.

[0036] In this embodiment, the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) constituting the release piece 20 have the same diameter and are symmetrical in shape. The protruding distance L of the release piece 20 from the outermost surface of the peripheral flange 11 is set to 8 mm. In this case, the diameter D of the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) is approximately 10 mm, ensuring a sufficient area for the pads of the fingers of an average adult to comfortably contact and easily grip. The inner diameter d of the through-hole 23 is approximately half the diameter D of each arc-shaped portion (21a, 21b), i.e., approximately 5 mm.

[0037] Here, the diameter of the columnar portion 24 is set to 2.4 mm, which is slightly larger than the thickness h of the arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b), to provide a high reinforcing effect. The reinforcing effect of this columnar portion 24 makes it possible to easily achieve the above-mentioned thinness and formation of the through-holes 23, which would normally make the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) more flexible.

[0038] In the container with a fitting lid 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, after storing, for example, cooked side dishes or ingredients inside the container body 10, the fitting lid 30 is placed over the opening of the container body 10 and pushed in while overlapping the peripheral rib 31 onto the peripheral flange 11, so that the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rib 31 is fitted into the stepped groove 12 and groove portion 22 around the entire circumference, resulting in a sealed fit of the fitting lid 30 to the container body 10 and completing simple container sealing.

[0039] To open the container, the user simply pinches the release strip 20 between the tip of the thumb F1 and the tip of the index finger F2, as shown in Fig. 6(a), and folds it over, and as shown in Fig. 6(b), at least one of the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) separates from the peripheral flange 11, and can be torn off by further pulling. This exposes part of the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rib 31 of the fitting lid 30 at the cutout portion 15, and the exposed lower edge 32 can be lifted with the fingers to remove the fitting lid 30 from the container body 10.

[0040] Furthermore, for users who have difficulty picking up food with their fingertips, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, they can grasp chopsticks S or a fork T, insert the tip of the chopsticks S or fork T into the through-hole 23 of one of the two arc-shaped portions (21a, 21b) and pull it, thereby separating the peel piece 20 from the peripheral flange 11.

[0041] At the cutout portion 15 where the peelable piece 20 is pulled away, a part of the lower edge 32 of the peripheral rib 31 of the fitting lid 30 is exposed, so that by hooking, for example, the rear end side of chopsticks S or a fork T on this exposed lower edge 32 and lifting it up, the fitting lid 30 can be easily removed from the container body 10.

[0042] As described above, in the container 1 with a fitting lid of this embodiment, the contents can be sealed and opened simply and easily in a short time, and especially when opening, even if the user is an elderly person or a disabled person with weak finger strength, or even if they have difficulty performing fine movements with their fingertips, they can complete the opening process easily and in a short time.

[0043] In the above embodiment, an example was given of a case where the cutout portion 15 and the peel-off piece 20 are provided at one location on the peripheral flange 11 of the container body 10, but in the present invention, it is also possible to configure the cutout portion 15 and the peel-off piece 20 to be provided at two or more locations equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0044] For example, in the case of a container with a relatively large opening in the container body 10, even if the bottom edge 32 is lifted at only one location, the bottom edge 32 may remain engaged with the peripheral flange 11 at the opposing portion. Even in the case of such a large container body 10, the engaging lid 30 can be completely removed by lifting the bottom edge 32 at multiple locations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0045] The container with a fitting lid according to the present invention allows the container to be sealed and opened easily, and therefore can be used as a container for storing not only food but also various other lightweight products. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1: Container with fitting lid 10: Container body 11: Peripheral flange 12: Step groove 13: Groove wall 14: Lower flange area 20: Peeling piece 21a, 21b: Arc-shaped portion 22: Groove 23:Through hole 24: Columnar part 30: Fitting lid 31: Peripheral rib 32: Bottom edge F1 thumb tip F2: index fingertip S: Chopsticks T: Fork h: Thickness of peeled piece L: Protruding distance of peeled piece D: Diameter of the arc-shaped part d: inner diameter of through hole

Claims

1. The container comprises a substantially bowl-shaped container body and a fitting lid that fits onto the container body to close and seal the opening of the container body, The container body has a peripheral flange that extends downward and outward from the opening edge of the container body, and a stepped groove having a concave cross section is formed along the circumferential direction at a substantially central height position of the peripheral flange, the fitting lid includes a peripheral rim extending around its periphery; the peripheral rim has a shape that is superimposed on an area above the stepped groove of the peripheral flange in a predetermined sealed state with respect to the container body, and the lower edge of the peripheral rim is fitted into the stepped groove and is covered by a groove wall that rises outward from the stepped groove, The peripheral flange has a portion in at least one circumferential position where a region below the stepped groove is cut out, and a peel piece is provided at this cutout portion so as to protrude horizontally outward and be separated from the peripheral flange to expose the lower edge of the peripheral rib of the fitting lid, A container with a fitting lid, characterized in that the peel-off piece has two arc-shaped portions formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and a groove portion is further formed on the container body side extending over the cutout portion into which the lower edge of the peripheral rib is fitted.

2. 2. The container with a fitting lid according to claim 1, wherein the release piece has a through hole formed in the center of each of the two arcuate portions.

3. 2. The container with a fitting lid according to claim 1, wherein the release piece has a columnar portion integrally formed therewith and extending horizontally outward between the two arcuate portions.

4. A container with a fitting lid as described in claim 1, characterized in that the peel piece has a thickness h of 1.5 mm to 3.5 mm and an outermost protruding distance L outward from the outermost surface of the peripheral flange of 2 mm to 10 mm.

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