Method of opening instant-food container and instant-food container

Abstract

To provide a method of opening an instant-food container allowing for developing dead hold-ability by a simple way and an instant-food container.SOLUTION: A method of opening an instant-food container includes making an opening action to apply a force of pulling back a separated portion of a lid 12 to the lid 12 in a state where the lid 12 is separated from a container 11 up to an opening position PO demarcating an injection opening 11H to cook an instant food, by pulling a front end of the lid 12. By the opening action, a crack is caused in a coat layer of the lid 12 at the opening position PO.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for opening an instant food container and to an instant food container. [Background technology]

[0002] An instant food container comprises a container for storing instant foods such as instant noodles or instant soup, and a lid that closes the opening of the container. When a portion of the lid is peeled off from the container, an opening for pouring hot water into the container is defined. From the viewpoint of enhancing the convenience of pouring hot water, such a lid is required to have a dead hold property. Dead hold property is the property of the lid that makes it difficult for the lid to return to a position that closes the pouring opening after peeling.

[0003] The plasticity of a metal foil layer made of aluminum or the like enhances dead-hold properties. While closures with a metal foil layer are widespread, there is a demand for closures that do not include a metal foil layer, with the aim of providing environmental protection and resource recycling functions. To date, improvements have been made to packaging materials, including closures, to enhance dead-hold properties from the perspective of the materials and physical properties of layers other than the metal foil layer (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7115504 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5326422 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, it is desirable that the method of opening an instant food container to form a pouring port does not require additional actions such as making a crease in the lid with a finger, that the degree of dead-hold property exhibited by the opener is unlikely to vary depending on the opener, or in other words, that the action that exhibits dead-hold property be easily reproducible. From the perspective of the simplicity of such an opening method and the configuration of the lid that realizes it, there is still room for improvement in instant food containers and opening methods thereof. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention describes various aspects of a method for opening an instant food container and an instant food container for solving the above problems. [Aspect 1] A method for opening an instant food container comprising a container for storing instant food and a lid for closing an opening of the container, wherein the lid does not have a metal foil layer, but comprises a paper layer made of coated paper having a coating layer containing layered silicate mineral, and a sealant layer bonded to the container, the opening method comprising pulling the front end of the lid to peel the lid from the container up to an opening position that defines an injection port for cooking the instant food, and then applying a force to the lid that pulls the peeled portion backward, the opening method for an instant food container comprising:

[0007] According to the above method, a crack occurs in the coating layer at the opening position, breaking the reaction force of the paper layer, which allows the lid to exhibit dead-hold properties. Therefore, good dead-hold properties can be obtained with a simple and easily reproducible opening method.

[0008] [Aspect 2] The method for opening an instant food container according to [Aspect 1], wherein the opening action includes pulling the front end backward. According to the above method, the opening operation can be accurately achieved by a simple operation.

[0009] [Aspect 3] A method for opening an instant food container according to [Aspect 2], in which the front end portion is continuously pulled backward before the lid body is peeled off to the opening position. According to the above method, the opening operation can be easily performed.

[0010] [Aspect 4] The method for opening an instant food container according to [Aspect 1], wherein the opening action includes an action of lowering the front end toward a surface along the surface of the lid body behind the opening position. According to the above method, the opening operation can be accurately achieved by a simple operation.

[0011] [Aspect 5] A method for opening an instant food container according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 4], wherein the opening action is an action of bringing the lid body into a position where it is bent at a steep angle at the opening position. According to the above method, it is possible to accurately cause a crack in the coating layer at the opening position.

[0012] [Aspect 6] A method for opening an instant food container according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 5], wherein when the opening operation is performed, the angle formed by a straight line connecting the opening position and the front end with respect to the surface of the part of the lid body that covers the opening behind the opening position is 45° or less. According to the above method, it is possible to accurately cause a crack in the coating layer at the opening position.

[0013] [Aspect 7] A method for opening an instant food container according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 6], wherein the opening action causes a crack in the coating layer at the edge that was joined to the container at the opening position. According to the above method, deadhold properties can be suitably obtained.

[0014] [Aspect 8] An instant food container comprising a container for storing instant food and a lid for closing the opening of the container, wherein the lid does not have a metal foil layer but comprises a paper layer made of coated paper having a coating layer containing layered silicate mineral, and a sealant layer bonded to the container, wherein the opening operation is performed by pulling the front end of the lid to peel the lid off the container up to an opening position that defines an opening port for cooking the instant food, and then applying a force to the lid that pulls the peeled part backward, the opening operation is performed, and the instant food container has a marking that instructs the user to perform the opening operation when opening the instant food container, and wherein performing the opening operation causes a crack in the coating layer at the opening position.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the user can accurately perform the opening operation, and as a result, good dead hold performance can be obtained.

[0016] [Aspect 9] The instant food container according to [Aspect 8], which is provided with an exterior material that covers at least a portion of the structure consisting of the container and the lid, and at least one of the container, the lid, and the exterior material has the label. According to the above configuration, the user can easily understand the opening operation, and the opening method including the opening operation can be smoothly carried out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present disclosure, the deadhold property of the lid of the instant food container can be achieved by a simple opening method. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a planar structure of a lid according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a side structure of an instant food container in one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of the lid in one embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method for opening an instant food container in one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an instant food container after opening. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an instant food container after opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of an instant food container and a method for opening an instant food container will be described with reference to the drawings. [Planar structure of the lid] The structure of the lid body provided for the instant food container will be described with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the lid body 12 is a sheet-like member including a lid main body 12B and a grip portion 12P. The lid main body 12B has a disk shape. The grip portion 12P protrudes from the outer edge of the lid main body 12B toward the outside of the lid main body 12B. The lid main body 12B may have a polygonal plate shape. The polygonal plate shape may be a square plate shape or a hexagonal plate shape. The lid main body 12B has a center C. The center C is the geometric center derived from all points belonging to the edge of the lid main body 12B.

[0020] The lid 12 has a front surface 12F and a back surface 12R opposite to the front surface 12F. The back surface 12R includes a portion that contacts the container 11 in which the instant food is stored. The front surface 12F forms the outer surface of the structure consisting of the lid 12 and the container 11.

[0021] The lid main body 12B has an opening indicator line 12L visible on the surface 12F. The opening indicator line 12L is an example of an indicator that indicates the opening position PO of the lid body 12. The opening position PO indicates the end of the range where a user opens the instant food container 10 to prepare instant food. By peeling the lid body 12B from the container 11 up to the opening position PO, an inlet for pouring cooking ingredients such as hot water into the container 11 is defined in the area where the lid body 12B is peeled off.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the lid main body 12B has two opening instruction lines 12L. The two opening instruction lines 12L are arranged on a straight line passing through the center C. Each opening instruction line 12L extends in a direction from the outer edge of the lid main body 12B toward the center C. The opening instruction line 12L indicates the opening position PO by indicating the edge of the opening position PO. The position along the straight line connecting the two opening instruction lines 12L is the opening position PO. The opening indication line 12L may be a printed layer formed with ink. Note that the indicator indicating the opening position PO is not limited to the opening indication line 12L, and may be a character string or a design.

[0023] In the example shown in Fig. 1, the opening position PO is located so as to pass through the center C, but the opening position PO may be located in an area of ​​the lid main body 12B on the side where the grip portion 12P is located with respect to the center C, or in an area on the opposite side of the center C from the grip portion 12P. The opening position PO may also be determined arbitrarily by the user. In this case, the lid main body 12B does not need to have an indicator indicating the opening position PO.

[0024] In this embodiment, the portion where the grip portion 12P is located is the front end of the lid body 12. The end portion located on the opposite side of the grip portion 12P from the opening position PO is the rear end of the lid body 12. In other words, the line connecting the front end and the rear end is perpendicular to the opening position PO. The direction from the front end to the rear end of the instant food container 10 before opening is defined as the reference direction, and the direction along the reference direction is the rear direction.

[0025] [Ready-to-eat food containers] The configuration of the instant food container will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the instant food container 10 comprises a container 11 and a lid 12. The instant food container 10 may further comprise an exterior material 13.

[0026] Container 11 comprises a container body 11B and a flange 11F. Container body 11B has an opening on the top surface and contains instant food. Instant food is food that can be eaten by pouring cooking ingredients such as hot water into container 11, such as noodles or soup.

[0027] The flange 11F protrudes outward from the edge of the container body 11B and frames the opening of the container body 11B. The outer shape of the flange 11F corresponds to the shape of the lid body 12B of the lid 12. The edge of the lid body 12B is heat-sealed to the flange 11F. This allows the lid body 12B to close the opening of the container body 11B. The lid body 12B is positioned so that a knob 12P protrudes from the lid body 12B to the outside of the flange 11F.

[0028] An example of the material of the container 11 is synthetic resin. The material of the container 11 is, for example, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, or polystyrene resin. The container 11 may be a foam-molded product or a sheet-molded product. The synthetic resin that is the material of the container 11 may be the same as the synthetic resin that is the material of the sealant layer 22 (see FIG. 3) that the lid 12 has. Alternatively, the container 11 may be formed from a composite material in which paper and a resin film are laminated together. The container body 11B may have a printed layer formed with ink on its outer surface, and the container body 11B may have characters or a pattern formed by the printed layer on its outer surface.

[0029] The exterior material 13 covers the entire structure consisting of the container 11 and the lid 12. An example of the exterior material 13 is a heat-shrinkable resin film. Materials for such resin films include polypropylene resin, polystyrene resin, and polyethylene resin. The exterior material 13 may be composed of multiple layers, or may have a structure in which a printed layer formed by ink is laminated on the resin film. The exterior material 13 may be colorless and transparent, or may have letters or a pattern formed by the printed layer. When opening the instant food container 10, the exterior material 13 is removed from around the container 11 and the lid 12, and then the opening process is carried out.

[0030] It is sufficient that the exterior material 13 covers at least a part of the structure made up of the container 11 and the lid 12. For example, the exterior material 13 may be a strip-shaped film that is wrapped around the structure made up of the container 11 and the lid 12.

[0031] [Cross-sectional structure of the lid] The layer structure of the lid body 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the lid body 12 is a laminate including a paper layer 21, an intermediate layer 23, and a sealant layer 22. The intermediate layer 23 is located between the paper layer 21 and the sealant layer 22. The surface of the sealant layer 22 opposite to the surface that contacts the intermediate layer 23 is the back surface 12R of the lid body 12.

[0032] The lid 12 may have a printed layer on the surface of the paper layer 21 opposite to the surface in contact with the intermediate layer 23. The printed layer forms a pattern or characters such as the opening instruction line 12L. The lid body 12 does not include a metal foil layer, which is a layer made of metal foil. The lid body 12 does not include a layer made of metal foil, and at least one layer constituting the lid body 12 may contain a metal element or a metalloid element as a constituent element.

[0033] The paper layer 21 is a coated paper and includes a paper base layer 24 and a coating layer 25. The coating layer 25 covers the surface of the base layer 24 on the side opposite to the intermediate layer 23 and the sealant layer 22 with respect to the base layer 24.

[0034] The basis weight of the paper layer 21 is 70 g / m 2 More than 130g / m 2 If the basis weight is within the above range, the stiffness and mechanical strength of the paper layer 21 can be suitably obtained. The grain, which is the orientation direction of the paper fibers in the base material layer 24, may be parallel to the direction along the opening position PO, or may be perpendicular to the direction along the opening position PO, or may be irregular within the plane of the base material layer 24. When it is highly required to prevent the gripping portion 12P from breaking, it is preferable that the grain direction in the base material layer 24 be parallel to the direction along the opening position PO.

[0035] The coating layer 25 includes a pigment component and a binder component. The pigment component includes a layered silicate mineral. The layered silicate mineral is preferably kaolin. The ratio of the layered silicate mineral in the pigment component is preferably 70 mass% or more. In addition to the layered silicate mineral, the pigment component may also include calcium carbonate, etc.

[0036] The binder component includes a synthetic polymer such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and a natural polymer such as starch. The binder component may also include various additives. The coating layer 25 preferably includes styrene-butadiene rubber, and the proportion of styrene-butadiene rubber in the binder component is preferably 50% by mass or more.

[0037] In the coating layer 25, the mass ratio of the pigment component to the binder component (pigment component / binder component) is preferably 60 / 40 or more and 90 / 10 or less. In other words, the content of the pigment component in the coating layer 25 is preferably 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less.

[0038] The coating layer 25 is formed by applying a coating agent containing the material of the coating layer 25 to the surface of the base layer 24. The application method may be a known method such as an air knife method or a blade method. The coating agent may be applied in multiple steps. The amount of coating agent applied is preferably 20% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less of the basis weight of the paper layer 21.

[0039] The intermediate layer 23 is in direct contact with each of the paper layer 21 and the sealant layer 22 without an adhesive layer therebetween. The intermediate layer 23 is an extrusion molded body. The intermediate layer 23 contains a polar resin. Examples of polar resins include ionomer resin, vinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl alcohol resin, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, and polyamide resin. The polar resin is preferably an ionomer resin. By including an ionomer resin in the intermediate layer 23, it is possible to improve the oil resistance of the intermediate layer 23. The content of the ionomer resin in the intermediate layer 23 may be 50% by mass or more, preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100% by mass.

[0040] The intermediate layer 23 may contain a resin having no polarity. Examples of the resin having no polarity include a linear low-density polyethylene resin, a low-density polyethylene resin, a medium-density polyethylene resin, a high-density polyethylene resin, and a polypropylene resin. The thickness of the intermediate layer 23 is preferably 5 μm or more and 35 μm or less. If the thickness of the intermediate layer 23 is within the above range, the deadhold property of the lid 12 is unlikely to be impaired.

[0041] The sealant layer 22 is an extrusion molded body. The sealant layer 22 has heat-sealing properties and is bonded to the flange 11F. The material of the sealant layer 22 is, for example, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, or polystyrene resin. The thickness of the sealant layer 22 is preferably 5 μm or more and 30 μm or less. If the thickness of the sealant layer 22 is within the above range, the deadhold property of the lid 12 is unlikely to be impaired.

[0042] The lid 12 may have a number of voids dispersed between the intermediate layer 23 and the sealant layer 22. The resealability of the lid 12 can be adjusted by adjusting the direction in which the voids extend. Resealability is the ability of the lid 12 to maintain its position after being returned to a position that closes the injection port. The voids can be formed by imparting irregularities to the surfaces of the intermediate layer 23 and the sealant layer 22 during the manufacturing process, or by stretching the intermediate layer 23 and the sealant layer 22.

[0043] In the method for manufacturing the lid body 12, the intermediate layer 23 is formed by extrusion lamination on the base material layer 24 of the paper layer 21, and then the sealant layer 22 is formed by extrusion lamination on the intermediate layer 23. The laminate sheet thus formed is punched into the shape of the lid body 12, thereby manufacturing the lid body 12. Alternatively, the intermediate layer 23 and the sealant layer 22 may be formed by co-extrusion lamination.

[0044] [How to open ready-to-eat food containers] A method for opening the instant food container 10 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The method for opening the instant food container 10 includes peeling off a part of the lid 12 from the container 11 to form the pouring port 11H.

[0045] In detail, when opening the instant food container 10 to prepare instant food, the user pinches and pulls the gripping portion 12P of the lid 12 with their fingers to peel the lid 12 off the container 11 up to the opening position PO. As a result, the injection port 11H for preparing instant food is defined by the opening position PO on the lid 12 and the flange 11F of the container 11.

[0046] Here, with the lid 12 peeled up to the opening position PO, the user performs an opening operation by applying a force to the lid 12 that pulls the peeled portion of the lid 12 backward. The opening operation is an operation to set the lid 12 to an opening position in which it is bent at a steep angle at the opening position PO. In the opening position, an opening angle α, which is the angle formed by a straight line L connecting the opening position PO and the grip portion 12P in the shortest distance with respect to the surface 12F of the unpeeled portion of the lid 12, i.e., the portion joined to the container 11 and covering the opening, is 45° or less. In the opening position, the angle of the corner formed at the opening position PO is approximately equal to the size of the opening angle α.

[0047] A first example of the opening operation is an operation of pulling the grip portion 12P backward. In the first example, the user continues to pull the grip portion 12P backward even before peeling the lid body 12 up to the opening position PO. Specifically, after starting to peel off lid 12, the user pulls on gripping portion 12P so that lid 12 assumes a position where it bends at a sharp angle at the end of the unpeeled portion, thereby proceeding to peel off lid 12. That is, the user continues to pull on gripping portion 12P so that the angle formed by surface 12F of the unpeeled portion of lid 12 and the line connecting the front end of the unpeeled portion and gripping portion 12P is 45° or less, and peels off lid 12 to opening position PO.

[0048] For example, by pulling the gripping portion 12P so that the hand holding the gripping portion 12P is aligned with the surface 12F of the unpeeled portion, it is possible to easily proceed with peeling while maintaining the posture in which the lid body 12 is bent at a sharp angle at the end of the unpeeled portion. In the first example, the lid body 12 is peeled off to the opening position PO, and at the same time, an opening operation is performed and the lid body 12 assumes the opening position.

[0049] A second example of the opening operation is the operation of lowering the grip portion 12P toward the surface along the surface 12F of the lid 12 behind the opening position PO. Specifically, after starting to peel the lid 12, the user pulls the grip portion 12P so that the lid 12 is bent at a gentle angle at the end of the unpeeled portion, thereby proceeding to peel the lid 12. That is, the user continues to pull the grip portion 12P so that the angle between the surface 12F of the unpeeled portion of the lid 12 and the line connecting the front end of the unpeeled portion and the grip portion 12P is greater than 45°, and peels the lid 12 to the opening position PO. The angle may be greater than 45°, or may be less than 90°.

[0050] After the lid 12 is peeled up to the opening position PO, the gripping portion 12P is lowered so that it approaches the unpeeled portion. At this time, a force is also applied to the gripping portion 12P to pull it backward. As a result, the opening angle α changes from an angle greater than 45° to an angle of 45° or less, and the lid 12 assumes the opening position. In the second example, after the lid body 12 is peeled off to the opening position PO, an opening operation is performed and the lid body 12 assumes the opening position.

[0051] In both the first and second examples, the opening angle α may be 0° or greater. By positioning the gripping portion 12P near the surface 12F of the unpeeled portion to reduce the opening angle α, it is easier to control the magnitude and direction of the force applied during the opening operation. For example, the opening angle α may be 40° or less.

[0052] In this embodiment, the paper layer 21 of the lid 12 is provided with a coating layer 25 containing a layered silicate mineral. Because layered silicate mineral has a crystalline structure resembling multiple thin plates stacked on top of each other, when the lid 12 is pulled so as to bend at a sharp angle, the layered silicate mineral breaks at the corners, causing the coating layer 25 to crack. Therefore, the opening operation causes the coating layer 25 to crack at the opening position PO. In other words, the opening operation is an operation for causing cracks in the layered silicate mineral and the coating layer 25.

[0053] As a result of the coating layer 25 cracking at the opening position PO, the reaction force of the paper layer 21 resisting the bending of the lid body 12B is broken at the opening position PO, making it difficult for the lid body 12 to return to a flat position. Therefore, good dead hold performance is obtained.

[0054] The coating layer 25 does not have to be cracked across the entire area of ​​the opening position PO. If a crack occurs in the coating layer 25 at the edge of the opening position PO that was joined to the container 11, it will be particularly difficult for the lid 12 to return to its original position. Therefore, the dead hold property is preferably achieved.

[0055] Because the edge of the unpeeled portion of the lid 12 is joined to the container 11, the edge at the opening position PO is subjected to a force that causes it to be bent, i.e., handled, while being strongly pressed, by the opening operation. Therefore, the opening operation can accurately cause cracks in the coating layer 25 at the edge. For example, the number of cracks in the coating layer 25 may decrease from the edge toward the center at the opening position PO.

[0056] The opening method of this embodiment is described in the instant food container 10. That is, at least one of the container 11, the lid 12, and the exterior material 13 has a marking that instructs the user to perform an opening operation when opening the instant food container 10. This marking may be any character or picture that is made up of a printing layer.

[0057] The opening method of this embodiment achieves dead-hold properties by controlling the opening angle α during the action of peeling off the lid 12, which is a common action performed when opening the instant food container 10. Therefore, good dead-hold properties can be obtained without requiring any additional, larger actions than in the past. Furthermore, because dead-hold properties are achieved by the simple action of reducing the opening angle α, variation in the degree of dead-hold properties achieved by different openers is also reduced.

[0058] [Example] The above-mentioned method for opening the instant food container will be described using specific examples and comparative examples.

[0059] (Manufacturing instant food containers) A lid was formed comprising a coated paper layer, an intermediate layer, and a sealant layer. The basis weight of the paper layer was 100 g / m 2 The coating layer of the paper layer contains kaolin as a layered silicate mineral. The ratio of the pigment component to the binder component in the coating layer is 85 / 15, and the ratio of kaolin in the pigment component is 85 mass %. The amount of coating agent applied to form the coating layer is 20 g / m 2 is.

[0060] The intermediate layer was made of an ionomer resin and had a thickness of 20 μm. The sealant layer was made of a low-temperature sealing polyolefin resin (LTS) and had a thickness of 10 μm. The intermediate layer and the sealant layer were formed using a co-extrusion lamination method.

[0061] The lid was heat-sealed to a flange of a polystyrene foam container at a temperature of 130°C, a pressure of 0.13 MPa, and a heating time of 0.5 seconds to obtain a container for instant food.

[0062] (Example) Five testers, A, B, C, D, and E, performed the opening operation of the first example of the above-described embodiment to open an instant food container. That is, they pulled the tab so that the lid bent at a steep angle and peeled the lid up to the opening position, with the opening angle α set to 45° or less. The opening position was set to a position where the length from the tab to the opening position was 80% of the diameter of the lid body.

[0063] (Comparative Example) The same five testers as in the Examples opened instant food containers so that the opening angle α was greater than 45°. When the instant food containers were opened without any prior instructions about the opening angle α and the opening angle α was measured, the opening angle α was in the range of 50° to 80°, with 60° being the most common value. In the Comparative Examples, the instant food containers were opened in the same way as in the preliminary survey.

[0064] (evaluation) The dead hold property was evaluated for instant food containers opened by the opening methods of the examples and comparative examples. To evaluate the dead hold property, the vertical distance H from the plane along the flange 11F of the container 11 to the grip portion 12P was measured, as shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 6, when the angle β of the grip portion 12P with respect to the plane along the flange 11F of the container 11 was 90° or more, i.e., when the grip portion 12P was located on the unpeeled portion of the lid 12, the dead hold property was evaluated as good (○).

[0065] Table 1 shows the evaluation results of the deadhold properties of the instant food containers after opening by each tester for the Examples and Comparative Examples.

[0066] [Table 1]

[0067] As shown in Table 1, the opening method of the example provided good dead hold performance regardless of which tester opened the container. When the angle β was 90° or greater, the peeled portion of the lid was warped, making it easy to pour hot water into the container without holding the lid with one's hand. On the other hand, when using the opening method of the comparative example, the lid was not warped, making it difficult to pour hot water without holding the lid with one's hand. In addition, there was a large variation in the distance H between testers.

[0068] When the edge of the lid of an instant food container opened by the opening method of the example was observed with a scanning electron microscope, it was confirmed that the kaolin had cracked. This suggests that an opening method with an opening angle α of 45° or less causes cracks in the coating layer, resulting in good dead-hold properties.

[0069] The state in which the kaolin is not cracked can be confirmed by observing the unpeeled portion of the lid, i.e., any point behind the opening position. The unpeeled portion of the lid is a portion to which no force is applied during the opening operation, and the presence of cracks in the kaolin at the opening position in comparison with this portion indicates that the kaolin has been cracked by the opening operation.

[0070] As described above, according to the above-described embodiment and example, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The method for opening the instant food container 10 includes applying a force to the lid 12 that pulls the peeled portion of the lid 12 backward, resulting in an opening angle α of 45° or less. This causes a crack in the coating layer 25 containing layered silicate minerals at the opening position PO, thereby achieving dead-hold properties of the lid 12. Therefore, good dead-hold properties can be obtained by a simple opening method that can be easily reproduced.

[0071] (2) If the opening operation includes pulling the tab 12P backward, it is possible to accurately place the lid 12 in an opening position in which the opening angle α is 45° or less. Furthermore, if the opening method involves continuously pulling the tab 12P backward before peeling the lid 12 to the opening position PO, the opening operation can be easily performed.

[0072] (3) If the opening operation includes an operation of lowering the grip portion 12P toward a surface along the surface 12F of the lid body 12 behind the opening position PO, the lid body 12 can be accurately placed in the opening position.

[0073] (4) If a crack occurs in the coating layer 25 at the edge portion joined to the container 11 within the opening position PO due to the opening operation, the dead hold property can be suitably obtained. (5) The content of the pigment component in the coating layer 25 is 60% by mass or more, and the proportion of layered silicate minerals in the pigment component is 70% by mass or more, so that cracks in the coating layer 25 can be accurately generated when the opening operation is performed.

[0074] (6) The lid 12 has an intermediate layer 23 containing a polar resin. In this configuration, non-polar oils and fats have no affinity for the intermediate layer 23, which prevents the oils and fats from penetrating the intermediate layer 23 and thus preventing the oils and fats from reaching the paper layer 21. This improves the oil resistance of the lid 12. Therefore, even when the instant food container 10 contains oily food such as dried tempura, the paper layer 21 is prevented from becoming oily. If the intermediate layer 23 contains an ionomer resin, the oil resistance of the lid 12 is further improved.

[0075] (7) If at least one of the container 11, the lid 12, and the outer packaging material 13 has a marking that instructs the user to perform an opening operation when opening the instant food container 10, the user can accurately perform the opening operation, and the opening method, including the opening operation, can proceed smoothly.

[0076] [Variations] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0077] The layer structure of the lid 12 may be different from that of the above embodiment as long as it includes the paper layer 21 and the sealant layer 22. For example, the lid 12 does not need to include the intermediate layer 23. Furthermore, for example, the lid 12 may include an adhesive layer to enhance adhesion between the constituent layers of the lid 12.

[0078] The lid body 12 may have two gripping portions 12P. The two gripping portions 12P are arranged at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction of the lid main body 12B. When the lid body 12 has two gripping portions 12P, each of the two gripping portions 12P is a front end portion, and a rear end portion is defined relative to each front end portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] PO…opening position 10. Instant food containers 11...Container 11B…Container body 11F...Flange 11H…Inlet 12...lid body 12B…Lid body part 12P...Knob part 13...Exterior material 21…Paper layer 22...Sealant layer 23...Middle class 24...Base material layer 25...coat layer

Claims

1. A method for opening an instant food container comprising a container for storing instant food and a lid for closing an opening of the container, the method comprising: the lid does not include a metal foil layer, and includes a paper layer made of coated paper having a coating layer containing a layered silicate mineral, and a sealant layer bonded to the container; The opening method includes performing an opening operation in which, by pulling a front end portion of the lid body, the lid body is peeled off from the container up to an opening position that defines an injection port for cooking the instant food, and then a force is applied to the lid body to pull the peeled off portion backward; The unsealing operation causes a crack in the coating layer at the unsealing position. How to open ready-to-eat food containers.

2. The opening action includes pulling the front end backward. A method for opening the instant food container according to claim 1.

3. The operation of pulling the front end portion backward is continued even before the lid body is peeled off to the opening position. A method for opening an instant food container according to claim 2.

4. The opening operation includes an operation of lowering the front end portion toward a surface along the surface of the lid body rearward of the opening position. A method for opening the instant food container according to claim 1.

5. The opening operation is an operation of bending the lid body at a steep angle at the opening position. A method for opening the instant food container according to claim 1.

6. When the opening operation is performed, The angle formed by a line connecting the opening position and the front end portion with respect to the surface of the portion of the lid body that covers the opening rearward of the opening position is 45° or less. A method for opening the instant food container according to claim 1.

7. The opening action causes cracks in the coating layer at the edge that was joined to the container in the opening position. A method for opening the instant food container according to claim 1.

8. An instant food container comprising a container for storing instant food and a lid for closing an opening of the container, the lid does not include a metal foil layer, and includes a paper layer made of coated paper having a coating layer containing a layered silicate mineral, and a sealant layer bonded to the container; an opening operation is an operation of pulling a front end of the lid body to peel the lid body off the container up to an opening position that defines an injection port for cooking the instant food, and then applying a force to the lid body that pulls the peeled portion of the lid backward; The instant food container has a display instructing the user to perform the opening operation when opening the instant food container, When the unsealing operation is performed, a crack occurs in the coating layer at the unsealing position. Instant food container.

9. an exterior material that covers at least a part of a structure consisting of the container and the lid; At least one of the container, the lid, and the exterior material has the marking.

9. The instant food container according to claim 8.

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