Paper container deformation preventive holding structure

Abstract

To provide a paper container deformation preventing and holding structure capable of reducing a risk of liquid leakage by preventing deformation of a mouth part of a paper container.SOLUTION: A paper vessel deformation preventing and holding structure 1 includes a plurality of inverted truncated cone-shaped paper vessels 2, and a packaging box 3 for storing the plurality of paper vessels 2, and conveys the paper vessels 2 while preventing deformation of the paper vessels 2, wherein end surfaces of inner flaps (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b) of a top surface 4 and a bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3 are brought into contact with each other when the inner flaps (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b) are packed. At least a flap side 3a and a side 4a extending from a long side 4b of the packaging box 3 to the top face 4 side are used as inner flaps, and a plurality of paper containers 2 are stored in the packaging box 3 so that at least one of the adjacent paper containers 2 is vertically staggered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding structure for preventing deformation of a paper container. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend among convenience stores and other retailers to switch from plastic to paper containers for coffee and other beverages in an environmentally conscious manner, due to concerns about environmental destruction such as marine microplastic pollution and the SDGs. However, compared to plastic containers, paper containers have a weaker resilience to deformation caused by external forces, raising concerns that the openings of paper containers may become deformed during the distribution process in which they are loaded into cardboard boxes with their contents filled and then transported to each store.

[0003] Specifically, it has been pointed out that the mouth of a paper container can become deformed during a case (cardboard box) drop test in which the container is filled with ice and top-sealed, simulating the distribution process.If the mouth of the paper container becomes deformed in this way and the deformed part of the mouth coincides with the drinking opening of the lid, there is a risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting.

[0004] The packaging box described in Patent Document 1 has a folded and stacked backing paper that is held in the air in the space between the bottom and top of the inside of the outer box, without contacting the outer box except for the area that touches the support posts, and the items to be contained are sandwiched and fixed in the window portion of the stacked backing paper, thereby reducing the effects of external impacts and vibrations and preventing friction and collisions between the inside surface of the packaging box and the items. However, the packaging box described in Patent Document 1 has limitations on the number and amount of items that can be contained within the box, and is not applicable to cardboard boxes for transporting paper containers such as paper cups. For this reason, there is a strong demand for a paper container deformation prevention holding structure that does not deform the opening of the paper container contained inside even when subjected to a drop test. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-68905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned background, and its purpose is to provide a paper container deformation prevention holding structure that can prevent deformation of the mouth of a paper container and reduce the risk of liquid leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the first invention comprises a plurality of inverted truncated cone-shaped paper containers and a packaging box that contains the plurality of paper containers, and is a paper container deformation prevention holding structure for transporting the paper containers while preventing deformation, characterized in that the inner flaps on the top and bottom surfaces of the packaging box have their end faces abutting each other when packed, and at least the flap extending from the long side of the packaging box toward the top surface is an inner flap, and the plurality of paper containers are contained in the packaging box with at least one adjacent paper container alternately positioned above and below.

[0008] The paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the multiple paper containers are contained in the packaging box with adjacent paper containers alternately placed up and down in each row.

[0009] The paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the third invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the multiple paper containers are all contained in the packaging box with adjacent paper containers alternately positioned up and down.

[0010] The paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the fourth invention is characterized in that, in the second or third invention, the packaging box is further equipped with a perforated pad having through holes formed therein for inserting and holding the thread bottoms of the multiple paper containers.

[0011] A paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the fourth aspect, characterized in that the through-hole is set to a diameter that allows only the thread bottom portion of the paper container to pass through.

[0012] The paper container deformation prevention holding structure of the sixth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, the perforated pads are provided in a pair, one above the other, consisting of a bottom pad placed at the lower end inside the paper container and a top pad placed at the upper end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the first to sixth inventions, the inner flaps on the top and bottom of the packaging box also abut against each other at the end during packaging, and at least the flaps extending from the long sides of the packaging box toward the top are inner flaps, so even if a packaging box with weak strength falls on its short side, the abutment of the inner flaps' end faces can withstand the impact of the fall and suppress deformation of the packaging box. Moreover, according to the first to sixth inventions, multiple paper containers are stored in the packaging box with adjacent paper containers alternately placed above and below, so the paper containers abut against each other in a line, which suppresses deformation of the paper container mouths due to the impact when dropped and reduces the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting, compared to conventional storage in which the mouths of paper containers are in point contact.

[0014] In particular, according to the fourth to sixth inventions, the packaging box further includes a perforated pad with through holes formed therein for inserting and holding the thread bottoms of multiple paper containers contained in the packaging box, which can prevent the paper containers from vibrating due to the impact force when the packaging box is dropped, and can prevent the paper containers from colliding with each other, thereby suppressing deformation of the mouths of the paper containers and reducing the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a development view showing a blank sheet of a packaging box having the same paper container deformation-preventing holding structure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a packaging box assembled from the above blank sheet. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the packaging box with the inner flaps on the top surface closed and the outer flaps open. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a packaging box of the same paper container deformation-preventing holding structure falls with its short side facing downward. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which paper containers collide with each other in the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure, where (a) shows a situation in which the mouths of the paper containers collide with each other, and (b) shows a situation in which adjacent paper containers stored alternately above and below collide with each other. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a perforated pad of the paper container deformation-preventing holding structure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing how a paper container is held by a perforated pad when a packaging box using the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure is dropped, where (a) shows two-point support at the conventional bottom thread and body, and (b) shows support only at the bottom thread of an upside-down paper container in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a packaging box of the same paper container deformation-preventing holding structure falls with its short side facing downward. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a perforated pad of the same paper container deformation-preventing holding structure. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a photograph showing a drop test of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the maximum crushing state of a paper container in a drop test of the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a photograph showing a drop test of a paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a photograph showing the maximum crushing state of a paper container in a drop test of the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a photograph showing a drop test of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a photograph showing the maximum crushing state of a paper container in a drop test of the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a photograph showing a drop test of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a photograph showing the maximum crushing state of a paper container in a drop test of the same paper container deformation prevention holding structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] [First embodiment] First, a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 1 to 6. The paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of paper containers 2,...,2 and a packaging box 3 that contains these plurality of paper containers 2, and is a structure that prevents deformation of the paper containers 2 while storing and transporting the plurality of paper containers 2 inside the packaging box 3. In particular, the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1 aims to suppress deformation of the mouth portion 2a of the paper container 2 and reduce the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion of the paper container 2. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the paper container 2 is a typical paper cup in the shape of an inverted truncated cone, with the top part normally being the mouth part 2a. Reference symbol 2b denotes the threaded bottom part 2b that protrudes downward from the bottom plate, where the bottom plate and side plate of the paper cup fit together. It is assumed that this paper container 2 will be transported in a sealed state with ice filled in and a resin film (not shown) attached to the top end of the mouth part 2a.

[0019] 1, a total of 12 paper containers 2 are contained, arranged in three rows of four along the long side 3a and four rows of three along the short side 3b, and adjacent paper containers 2 are contained in the packaging box 3 in a staggered manner in each row along the short side 3b. However, the names "row" and "row" are used for convenience in explaining the arrangement of the paper containers 2, and the terms "row" and "row" may be reversed. In short, in this embodiment, the paper containers 2 are arranged along the long side 3a or short side 3b with the positions of their openings 2a aligned either above or below, and the adjacent row of paper containers 2 is arranged with the position (orientation) of the openings 2a upside down compared to the adjacent row.

[0020] However, a drop experiment conducted by the applicant revealed that conventional packaging boxes, in which the inner flaps do not abut during packaging, are severely damaged when dropped with the short side facing downwards. Therefore, in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to the first embodiment, in order to withstand the impact when the packaging box 3 is dropped with the short side 7 facing downwards (see also FIG. 5), the illustrated arrangement is such that when the box is dropped with the short side 7 facing downwards, the rows of arranged paper containers 2 are inverted upside down, with the mouths 2a of adjacent paper containers 2 facing in different directions.

[0021] The packaging box 3 of the first embodiment is a cardboard box for storing a paper container 2 and transporting it to a store such as a convenience store, and has the function of preventing the paper container 2 (product) from deforming and leaking liquid from the lid fitting portion with the lid (not shown) attached to the mouth portion 2a even if the box is dropped during transport.

[0022] The packaging box 3 is assembled by folding a blank sheet 10 shown in Fig. 2 made of corrugated cardboard (C160 x S120 x C160 A flute in this embodiment) in a mountain fold along the dotted lines (creases) in the figure, to form a rectangular box having a top surface 4, a bottom surface 5, a long side surface 6 on the long side 3a side, and a short side surface 7 on the short side 3b side, as shown in Fig. 3. The interior dimensions of this packaging box 3 are: long side L1 = 311 mm, short side W1 = 270 mm, and depth D1 = 122 mm.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a development view showing a blank sheet 10 of a packaging box 3 of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the packaging box 3 assembled from the blank sheet 10, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the packaging box 3 with the inner flaps of the top surface 4 closed and the outer flaps open. The line at the upper left corner of the blank sheet 10 indicates the corrugation direction of the cardboard material.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, in this packaging box 3, the flaps extending from the long side 3a of the long side 6 toward the top surface 4 are inner flaps 4a and 4b, and the flaps extending from the short side 3b of the short side 7 toward the top surface 4 are outer flaps 4c and 4d.

[0025] 1 and 4, in the packaging box 3, the end faces of the inner flaps 4a and 4b of the top surface 4 that face each other when folded form staircase-like end faces that are staggered, and these end faces partially abut each other along two or more parallel, staircase-like straight lines. Note that both of the two staircase-like straight end faces of the inner flaps 4a and 4b are parallel to the long side 3a when folded for packaging, and the end faces between the two straight end faces also abut each other (see FIG. 2). Therefore, even if the packaging box 3 is dropped, not only do the end faces of the outer flaps 4c and 4d abut each other, but also the end faces between the two staircase-like straight end faces of the inner flaps 4a and 4b abut each other. Therefore, even if a force acts on the top surface 4 in the long side direction when dropped, the inner flaps 4a and 4b abut each other and are braced, thereby suppressing deformation of the packaging box 3 when dropped.

[0026] In contrast, with current cardboard packaging boxes, the ends of the inner flaps do not abut against each other, which creates a weak point when the box falls on its short side.The parts where the ends of the outer flaps abut against each other rise upward in an arched shape, preventing the box from bracing, causing the short sides to cave inward and resulting in deformation of the paper cups that are the products.

[0027] 1 and 2, the length of the inner flaps 4a and 4b protruding from the long side 3a to their outermost end faces is the same as the length of the outer flaps 4c and 4d protruding from the short side 3b to their end faces. In other words, the outermost end faces of the inner flaps 4a and 4b opposite the long side 3a and the outermost end faces of the outer flaps 4c and 4d opposite the short side 3b are on the same straight line (see FIG. 2).

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, an adhesive piece 8 is formed on the blank sheet 10 of the packaging box 3, and adhesive is applied to the surface of this adhesive piece 8, and the adhesive piece 8 is adhered to the inside of the long side surface 6 (the back surface in Figure 2), which is the other end of the blank sheet 10 opposite the adhesive piece 8, thereby forming the packaging box 3 as a box body.

[0029] Here, when the packaging box 3 is formed into a box body by adhering the adhesive pieces 8 from the blank sheet 10, a ruler can be placed on the outermost ends of the inner flaps 4a, 4b of the top surface 4 on the opposite side of the long side 3a and the outermost ends of the outer flaps 4c, 4d on the opposite side of the short side 3b of the top surface 4, which are on the same straight line, to correct the alignment while adhering. This reduces the chance of the blank sheet 10 for the packaging box 3 being accidentally misaligned and adhered, improving the yield when the packaging box 3 is neatly formed and reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0030] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, on the bottom surface 5, like the top surface 4, the flaps extending from the long side 3a of the long side 6 toward the bottom surface 5 are inner flaps 5a and 5b, and the flaps extending from the short side 3b of the short side 7 toward the bottom surface 5 are outer flaps 5c and 5d.

[0031] Similarly to the inner flaps 4a, 4b on the top surface 4, the inner flaps 5a, 5b on the bottom surface 5 also have staircase-like end faces that are staggered, and the end faces partially abut each other along two or more parallel, staircase-like straight lines. Therefore, even if the packaging box 3 is dropped, not only will the end faces of the outer flaps 5c, 5d abut each other on the bottom surface 5 side, but the end faces between the two staircase-like straight line end faces of the inner flaps 5a, 5b will also abut and brace each other, thereby suppressing deformation of the packaging box 3 when dropped.

[0032] 2, the inner flaps 4a, 4b of the top surface 4 and the inner flaps 5a, 5b of the bottom surface 5 are symmetrical in a plan view, and the positions where the end surfaces abut each other are different in plan view, dispersing weak points in strength and improving the rigidity of the packaging box 3. Therefore, the packaging box 3 can further suppress deformation when dropped, preventing deformation of the opening 2a of the paper container 2 contained therein and eliminating the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion.

[0033] Next, using Figures 5 and 6, we will explain in more detail how paper containers 2 collide with each other when a packaging box 3 falls in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a packaging box 3 in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 falls with its short side surface 7 downward. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which paper containers 2 collide with each other, where (a) shows a situation in which the mouths 2a of the paper containers 2 collide with each other, and (b) shows a situation in which adjacent paper containers 2 stored alternately up and down collide with each other.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, when the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 falls onto the short side 7 of the packaging box 3, if adjacent paper containers 2 contained in the packaging box 3 are not arranged upside down as in the conventional packaging box 3, the impact of the packaging box 3 falling to the floor will cause the mouths 2a to collide with each other, as shown in Figure 6(a). In this case, the mouths 2a will collide with each other at points, and the mouths 2a in the areas indicated by x in the figure will be damaged and deformed, creating a risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion depending on how the lid is attached.

[0035] However, in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1, as shown in Figure 5, paper containers 2 adjacent to each other along the long side direction are placed in a packaging box 3, staggered up and down in each row. Therefore, when the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 falls with its short side 7 facing downward, paper containers 2 adjacent to each other along the long side direction come into line contact with each other at the body portions of the paper containers 2, as shown in Figure 6(b). Therefore, unlike the case where stress is concentrated at the mouth portions 2a that come into point contact as shown in Figure 6(a), the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 disperses stress during a collision by having the paper containers 2 come into line contact with each other as shown in Figure 6(b), preventing damage such as bending or denting of the mouth portions 2a and body portions of the paper containers 2 and reducing the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion.

[0036] According to the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 of the first embodiment described above, adjacent paper containers 2 along the long side 3a direction are stored in the packaging box 3 in rows, alternating up and down, so that stress during a collision is dispersed, preventing the mouth 2a and body (side surface) of the paper container 2 from being damaged by bending or denting, and reducing the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1, the inner flaps 4a, 4b on the top surface 4 of the packaging box 3 have staggered, stepped edge surfaces. These edge surfaces partially abut each other along two or more parallel, stepped straight lines, and the edge surfaces between the two straight line edge surfaces also abut each other. Therefore, even if the packaging box 3 is dropped, not only do the edge surfaces of the outer flaps 4c, 4d abut each other, but also the edge surfaces between the two stepped straight line edge surfaces of the inner flaps 4a, 4b abut each other. Therefore, even if a force acting on the top surface during a drop acts in the long side direction, the inner flaps are braced against each other. Therefore, the impact during a drop is resisted in the material axis direction of the highly rigid corrugated cardboard sheet material of the inner flaps 4a, 4b, suppressing deformation of the packaging box 3 during a drop and preventing deformation of the paper containers 2 contained therein.

[0038] [Second embodiment] Next, a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1' according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 7 to 9. The paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1' according to the second embodiment differs from the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1 according to the first embodiment described above mainly in that a bottom pad 9 and a top pad 9', which are perforated pads, are added. Therefore, only the bottom pad 9 and the top pad 9' will be described, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0039] Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1' according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the bottom pad 9 (top pad 9') of the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1'. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing how the paper container 2 is held by the perforated pads (bottom pad 9, top pad 9') when the packaging box 3 is dropped, where (a) shows two-point support at the conventional bottom thread portion 2b and the body portion, and (b) shows support at only the bottom thread portion 2b of the upside-down paper container 2 in the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1'.

[0040] 7, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1' according to the second embodiment includes the above-mentioned multiple paper containers 2, 2, a packaging box 3 that contains the multiple paper containers 2, and perforated pads that are arranged so as to sandwich the paper containers 2 above and below inside the packaging box 3 and prevent the paper containers 2 from shifting along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 when the packaging box 3 is dropped, and is a structure that prevents deformation of the paper containers 2 while storing and transporting multiple paper containers 2 inside the packaging box 3. In this embodiment, a pair of perforated pads are provided, one above the other: a bottom pad 9 that is arranged on the bottom surface 5 inside the packaging box 3, and a top pad 9' that is arranged below the top surface 4.

[0041] Furthermore, since the bottom pad 9 and the top pad 9' are the same member, just reversed, the explanation will be given only on the bottom pad 9, and the explanation on the top pad 9' will be omitted.

[0042] The packaging box 3 has substantially the same configuration as the packaging box 3 described above, but the inner dimensions are 5 mm deeper to accommodate the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9', with the inner long side L1 being 311 mm, the inner short side W1 being 270 mm, and the inner depth D2 being 127 mm. Of course, the bottom pad 9 and the top pad 9' may be configured to contact the inner surfaces of the bottom surface 5 and the top surface 4 of the packaging box 3.

[0043] Like the aforementioned blank sheet 10, the bottom pad 9 is made of corrugated cardboard (in this embodiment, C160 x S120 x C160 A flute) and, as shown in Fig. 8, is a rectangular sheet material with long sides L1' = 306.5 mm x short sides W1' = 266 mm, which is about 4 mm smaller than the inner dimensions of the aforementioned packaging box 3, long sides L1 = 311 mm x short sides W1 = 270 mm. The four corners of the bottom pad 9 are chamfered into an arc shape.

[0044] 7 and 8, the bottom pad 9 is a perforated pad in which a plurality of circular through-holes 9a having a diameter sufficient to insert only the thread-like bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 are formed, and the remaining portions other than the through-holes 9a are flat portions 9b. The bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' have the function of preventing the paper container 2 from shifting along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 when the packaging box 3 is dropped by inserting the thread-like bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 into these through-holes 9a.

[0045] It has been a common practice to hold paper containers and the like with cardboard pads. As shown in Figure 9(a), when a paper container 2 is held by upper and lower cardboard pads, it is often held at two points, between the body and the threaded bottom 2b. This threaded bottom 2b is the strongest part of the paper container 2 because the paper material that makes up the bottom surface of the paper container 2 and the paper material that makes up the body are folded and fitted together. However, the paper material that makes up the body is generally a single sheet, so it is weak in strength. If stress is concentrated at one point on the body, there is a high risk of it being damaged by denting or wrinkling at the position indicated by the x in the figure.

[0046] Therefore, in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1', as shown in Figure 9(b), the only point where the bottom pad 9 supports the paper container 2 to prevent it from shifting laterally when the packaging box 3 is dropped is the strongest part of the paper container 2, the bottom thread part 2b. For the rest, the flat parts 9b of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' abut against the mouth part 2a of the paper container 2, and similar to the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1, the body parts of the paper containers 2 abut against each other through line contact, thereby dispersing stress during a collision. Specifically, the diameter of the through hole 9a of the bottom pad 9 is set to a diameter that can only be inserted up to the bottom thread part 2b of the inverted truncated cone-shaped paper container 2, and as described above, adjacent paper containers 2 are arranged so that they are staggered vertically in each row. This allows the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1' to reduce the risk of stress concentrating on the body part, which is made of a single piece of paper, causing it to dent or wrinkle, resulting in damage. Furthermore, since the flat portions 9b of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' abut against the mouth portion 2a of the paper container 2, frictional force is generated between the mouth portion 2a and the flat portion 9b when the packaging box 3 is dropped, and this friction prevents the paper container 2 from slipping along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5, and also prevents the paper container 2 from rotating and becoming unruly.

[0047] According to the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the second embodiment described above, in addition to the effects achieved by the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1, by inserting the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 into the through-holes 9a of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9', line contact between the bodies of the paper containers 2 prevents stress concentration during a collision, while the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' sandwich the paper container 2 from the mouth 2a side and the threaded bottom portion 2b side, and the threaded bottom portion 2b is hooked in the through-hole 9a to lock the paper container 2 in the direction opposite to the fall so that it does not shift along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5. This prevents deformation of the paper container 2 located near the bottom due to the inertial force caused by the gravity of the paper container 2 and the contents inside the paper container 2 when the packaging box 3 is dropped. In particular, it is possible to reduce the risk of stress concentrating on the mouth 2a and body portions of the paper container 2, which are weaker in strength, causing dents or wrinkles and resulting in damage.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the container deformation prevention holding structure 1', the flat portions 9b of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' abut the surface of the mouth 2a of the paper container 2, and the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 is inserted through the through holes 9a of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9', with the end of the threaded bottom portion 2b abutting against the inner surface of the top surface 4 or bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3. Therefore, when the packaging box 3 is dropped and an impact force is transmitted to the paper container 2, the flat portions 9b of the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' sandwich and press the mouth 2a and the lower end of the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2, maintaining the parallelism of the paper container 2 and the perforated pad, preventing the paper container 2 from rotating uncontrollably and moving wildly. Therefore, in this respect as well, the container deformation prevention holding structure 1' can mitigate the impact caused by the dropping of the packaging box 3 and prevent the paper container 2 from being crushed.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the container deformation prevention holding structure 1', the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' are inserted along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3, so that when the packaging box 3 is dropped, the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' support the inner surface of the packaging box 3. This makes it possible to minimize deformation of the dropping surface of the packaging box 3, mitigating the impact on the paper container 2 and suppressing deformation of the paper container 2. Moreover, because the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' are inserted along the inner surface of the packaging box 3, it is possible to prevent the paper container 2 from rotating and moving uncontrollably.

[0050] In addition, unlike the inner flaps 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and outer flaps 4c, 4d, 5c, 5d of the packaging box 3, the bottom pad 9 and top pad 9' in the form of a single plate are inserted along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3 to add rigidity, so that when the packaging box 3 is dropped, the flap joints can be prevented from bending and swelling, causing the packaging box 3 to be crushed. Therefore, the packaging box 3 can be prevented from being crushed, and the paper containers 2 contained in the packaging box 3 can be prevented from being crushed.

[0051] [Third embodiment] Next, a paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1" pertaining to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 10 and 11. The paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1" pertaining to the third embodiment differs from the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1 pertaining to the first embodiment described above mainly in the arrangement of the paper containers 2 contained in the packaging box 3, so this point will be described, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall structure of the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1" pertaining to the third embodiment, and Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the state in which the packaging box 3 of the paper container deformation-preventing and holding structure 1" falls with its short side surface 7 downward.

[0052] As shown in Figure 10, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment includes a plurality of paper containers 2,...,2 and a packaging box 3 that contains these plurality of paper containers 2, and is a structure that prevents the paper containers 2 from deforming while containing and transporting the plurality of paper containers 2 in the packaging box 3.

[0053] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a total of 12 paper containers 2 are stored, with three paper containers 2 in each row along the short side 3b and four rows along the long side 3a. However, the arrangement of the paper containers 2 in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment differs from the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 described above, in that adjacent paper containers 2 are stored in the packaging box 3 in a staggered pattern, alternating up and down, in both directions, along the short side 7 and along the long side 6.

[0054] As such, unlike the previously described paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 in which three paper containers 2 are lined up with their mouths 2a facing up or down along the short side 3b, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" also stores adjacent paper containers 2 in a staggered arrangement above and below the short side 3b. As a result, the internal dimensions of the packaging box 3 are internal long side L1 = 311 mm, internal short side W2 = 237 mm, and internal depth D1 = 122 mm, and since the paper containers 2 are also stored in a staggered arrangement above and below the short side 7, the storage density is improved and the internal short side W2 is about 33 mm narrower than the previously described paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1. As a result, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" has a smaller storage area and volume per paper container 2, improving transportation efficiency and reducing transportation costs.

[0055] Furthermore, in the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1", similar to the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 described above, when a paper container 2 adjacent along the long side direction falls with its short side 7 downward, the paper containers 2 come into line contact with each other as shown in Figure 6(b), which distributes the stress at the time of collision and prevents the mouth 2a or body of the paper container 2 from being damaged by bending or denting, thereby reducing the risk of liquid leaking from the lid fitting portion.

[0056] Furthermore, although not shown, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" differs from the above-described paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 in that even when the paper containers 2 fall with their long sides 6 downward, the paper containers 2 come into line contact with each other, which distributes the stress during the collision and prevents the mouths 2a and bodies of the paper containers 2 from being damaged by bending or denting, thereby reducing the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion.

[0057] According to the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment described above, adjacent paper containers 2 are stored in a staggered pattern inside the packaging box 3, staggered up and down in all two directions. This reduces the storage area and volume per paper container 2, improving transportation efficiency and reducing transportation costs, in addition to the effects achieved by the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1.

[0058] Moreover, with the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment, even if the packaging box 3 is dropped with either the short side 7 or the long side 6 facing downwards, the mouths 2a and bodies of the paper containers 2, which are easily deformed by the impact when dropped, come into line contact with each other when they collide with the floor, dispersing the stress during the collision and preventing the mouths 2a and bodies of the paper containers 2 from being damaged by bending or denting, thereby reducing the risk of liquid leakage from the lid fitting portion.

[0059] [Fourth embodiment] Next, referring to Figs. 12 and 13, a paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. # The paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. # However, the difference from the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment is that a bottom pad 11 and a top pad 11', which are perforated pads, have been added. Therefore, the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' will be described, and the same components will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. FIG. 12 shows the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1" according to the fourth embodiment. # 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1. # FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the bottom pad 11.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 12, the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to the fourth embodiment # is a structure including the above-mentioned multiple paper containers 2, 2, a packaging box 3 that contains the multiple paper containers 2, and perforated pads that are arranged to sandwich the paper containers 2 on the mouth 2a side and the bottom 2b side of the paper containers 2 inside the packaging box 3 and prevent the paper containers 2 from shifting along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 when the packaging box 3 is dropped, preventing deformation of the paper containers 2 while containing and transporting multiple paper containers 2 inside the packaging box 3. In this embodiment, a pair of perforated pads are provided, one above the other: a bottom pad 11 that is arranged on the bottom surface 5 inside the packaging box 3, and a top pad 11' that is arranged below the top surface 4.

[0061] Furthermore, since the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' are the same member, just reversed, the explanation will be given only on the bottom pad 11, and the explanation on the top pad 11' will be omitted.

[0062] The packaging box 3 according to this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the packaging box 3 according to the third embodiment, but has inner dimensions of inner long side L1 = 311 mm, inner short side W2 = 237 mm, and inner depth D2 = 127 mm, which is 5 mm deeper, to accommodate the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11' inserted therein. Of course, the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' may be configured to contact the inner surfaces of the bottom surface 5 and top surface 4 of the packaging box 3.

[0063] Like the blank sheet 10, the bottom pad 11 is made of corrugated cardboard (C160 x S120 x C160 A flute in this embodiment) and, as shown in Fig. 13, is a rectangular sheet material with long sides L1' = 306.5 mm x short sides W2' = 233 mm, which is about 4 mm smaller than the inner dimensions of the packaging box 3, long sides L1 = 311 mm x short sides W2 = 237 mm. The four corners of the bottom pad 11 are chamfered into an arc shape, like the bottom pad 9.

[0064] 12 and 13, the bottom pad 11, like the above-mentioned bottom pad 9, is a perforated pad with a plurality of circular through-holes 11a formed therein, each having a diameter large enough to insert only the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2. These bottom pad 11 and top pad 11' have the function of preventing the paper container 2 from shifting along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5 when the packaging box 3 is dropped by inserting the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 into the through-holes 11a.

[0065] This paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 #9(b), similarly to the bottom pad 9, when the packaging box 3 is dropped, the bottom pad 11 supports the paper container 2 to prevent it from shifting laterally only at the strongest thread bottom 2b of the paper container 2, and the remaining part is in contact with the mouth 2a of the paper container 2 by the flat parts 11b of the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11', and the body parts of the paper container 2 are in line contact with each other, dispersing stress during a collision. Specifically, the diameter of the through hole 11a of the bottom pad 11 is set to a diameter that can only insert the paper container 2 up to the thread bottom 2b of the inverted truncated cone-shaped paper container 2, and as mentioned above, the paper containers 2 are arranged so that adjacent paper containers 2 are staggered up and down in a staggered pattern. This results in a paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 # This reduces the risk of stress concentrating on the body, which is made of a single sheet of paper, causing it to become dented or wrinkled, resulting in damage. Moreover, because the flat portions 11b of the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11' abut against the mouth 2a of the paper container 2, friction is generated between the mouth 2a and the flat portions 11b when the packaging box 3 is dropped, and this friction prevents the paper container 2 from slipping along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5, and also prevents the paper container 2 from rotating and becoming uncontrollable.

[0066] The above-described paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 according to the fourth embodiment # 3. In addition to the effects achieved by the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment, by inserting the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 into the through-holes 11a of the perforated bottom pad 11 and top pad 11', the body portions of the paper containers 2 come into line contact with each other, preventing stress concentration during a collision, and the paper container 2 is sandwiched between the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11', the threaded bottom portion 2b is hooked in the through-holes 11a, and the paper container 2 is locked in the direction opposite to the fall so that it does not shift along the top surface 4 and bottom surface 5. Therefore, when the packaging box 3 is dropped, it is possible to prevent the paper container 2 located near the bottom from being deformed by the inertial force due to the gravity of the paper container 2 and the contents inside the paper container 2. In particular, it is possible to reduce the risk of stress concentrating on the mouth 2a and body portions of the paper container 2, which are weaker in strength, causing dents or wrinkles and resulting in damage.

[0067] In addition, the container deformation prevention holding structure 1 #According to the structure, the flat portions 11b of the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11' abut the surface of the mouth portion 2a of the paper container 2, and the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2 is inserted into the through holes 11a of the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11', but the end of the threaded bottom portion 2b abuts against the inner surface of the top surface 4 or bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3. Therefore, when the packaging box 3 is dropped and an impact force is transmitted to the paper container 2, the flat portions 11b of the bottom pad 11 and top pad 11' sandwich and press the mouth portion 2a and the lower end of the threaded bottom portion 2b of the paper container 2, maintaining the parallelism of the paper container 2 and the perforated pad, and preventing the paper container 2 from rotating uncontrollably and moving wildly. Therefore, the container deformation prevention holding structure 1 # In this respect, the impact caused by the dropping of the packaging box 3 can be mitigated, and the paper container 2 can be prevented from being crushed.

[0068] In addition, the container deformation prevention holding structure 1 # According to the document, the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' are inserted along the top surface 4 and the bottom surface 5 of the packaging box 3, so that when the packaging box 3 is dropped, the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' support the inner surface of the packaging box 3. This minimizes deformation of the dropped surface of the packaging box 3, mitigating the impact on the paper container 2 and suppressing deformation of the paper container 2. Moreover, because the bottom pad 11 and the top pad 11' are inserted along the inner surface of the packaging box 3, it is possible to prevent the paper container 2 from rotating and moving uncontrollably.

[0069] <Drop test> (Paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 of the first embodiment) Next, a drop test was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure according to the present invention. The drop test involved packing 12 paper containers 2, each of which had 170 g of acrylic resin blocks representing ice and had its opening 2 a sealed with a resin film into a packaging box 3 of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 according to the first embodiment, with adjacent paper containers 2 arranged alternately up and down as described above. The paper containers were then dropped from a height of 80 cm with their short side 7 facing downwards, a condition that would cause the most deformation, and the extent of damage was visually confirmed (see also FIG. 5).

[0070] (Test results) As shown in Figure 14, the test results confirmed that slight crushing, such as crushing of the curled portion of the mouth (flange portion) and wrinkles in the sealing film, was observed in two rows of six paper containers on the short side (the drop surface), indicated by black circles. The most crushed paper container was located in the corner of the first row on the drop surface side, as shown in Figure 15. However, compared to a separate drop test using a conventional regular arrangement without inverting the containers upside down, the results of this test showed only minor crushing and no problems in use. Figure 14 is a photograph showing the crushing of paper containers in a drop test using the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 of the first embodiment, and Figure 15 is a photograph showing the most crushed paper container in a drop test using the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 of the first embodiment.

[0071] (Paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1) of the third embodiment Similarly, 12 paper containers 2, each of which had been filled with 170 g of acrylic resin blocks simulating ice and had its mouth 2a sealed with a resin film, were packed into a packaging box 3 of the paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1" according to the third embodiment described above, so that adjacent paper containers 2 were staggered up and down in both directions, along the short side 7 and along the long side 6, as described above, and the box was dropped from a height of 80 cm with the short side 7 facing downwards, which is the condition for dropping that causes the most deformation, and the extent of damage was visually confirmed (see also Figure 11).

[0072] The test results, similar to those of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1, showed that, as shown in Figure 16, two rows of six paper containers on the short side (the drop surface), indicated by black circles, showed minor crushing, such as crushing of the curled portion of the mouth (flange portion) and wrinkles in the sealing film. The most crushed paper container was located in the center of the first row on the drop surface side, as shown in Figure 17. However, as shown in Figure 17, similar to the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1, it was only minor crushing and did not pose a problem in use. Furthermore, the drop test did not reveal any significant differences between the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 and the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1". Figure 16 is a photograph showing the crushing state of paper containers in a drop test of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1" of the third embodiment, and Figure 17 is a photograph showing the most crushed paper container in a drop test of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1" of the third embodiment.

[0073] (Paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1' of the second embodiment) (Fourth embodiment of paper container deformation prevention holding structure 1 # ) Next, a paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the second embodiment equipped with perforated pads (bottom pad 9 and top pad 9') and a paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 of the fourth embodiment equipped with perforated pads (bottom pad 11 and top pad 11') are shown. # Similarly, a drop test was also carried out for the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the second embodiment. Fig. 18 is a photograph showing the state of crushing of the paper container in the drop test of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the second embodiment, and Fig. 19 is a photograph showing the state of maximum crushing of the paper container in the drop test of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the second embodiment. Also, Fig. 20 is a photograph showing the state of maximum crushing of the paper container in the drop test of the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1' of the fourth embodiment. # 21 is a photograph showing the state of the paper container being crushed in the drop test, and FIG. 22 is a photograph showing the state of the paper container being crushed in the drop test. # 1 is a photograph showing the maximum crushing state of a paper container in a drop test.

[0074] As shown in Figures 18 and 20, minor damage was confirmed in the four paper containers, each indicated by a black circle, such as crushing of the curled portion of the mouth (flange portion) and wrinkles in the sealing film. However, as shown in Figures 19 and 21, it was confirmed that, compared to the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1 of the first embodiment and the paper container deformation prevention and holding structure 1" of the third embodiment, which do not have the perforated pad described above, fixation with the perforated pad reduces minor damage that allows use, such as crushing of the curled portion of the mouth (flange portion), to extremely minor damage such as small crushing on the surface and wrinkles in the sealing film.

[0075] The above describes the paper container deformation prevention holding structures 1 to 1 according to the first to fourth embodiments of the present invention. # Although the above-described and illustrated embodiments are merely specific examples of the present invention, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In particular, although the examples show cases in which the perforated pads (bottom pads 9, 11, top pads 9', 11') are in contact with the mouth portion 2a of the paper container 2, they do not necessarily have to be in contact at all times. However, it is preferable that the perforated pads (bottom pads 9, 11, top pads 9', 11') and the mouth portion 2a be located as close as possible, taking into account the behavior of the paper container 2 when dropped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1,1',1”,1 # : Paper container deformation prevention holding structure 2: Paper containers 2a: Mouth 2b: bottom of thread 3: Packaging box 3a: Long side 3b: Short side 4: Top 4a, 4b: Inner flap 4c, 4d: Outer flap 5: Bottom 5a, 5b: Inner flap 5c, 5d: Outer flap 6: Long side 7:Short side 8:Adhesive piece 9,11: Bottom pad (perforated pad) 9', 11': Top pad (perforated pad) 9a, 11a: Through hole 9b, 11b: Flat part 10: Blank sheet

Claims

1. A paper container deformation prevention holding structure comprising a plurality of inverted truncated cone-shaped paper containers and a packaging box for accommodating the plurality of paper containers, for transporting the paper containers while preventing deformation of the paper containers, The inner flaps on the top and bottom surfaces of the packaging box are in contact with each other at the end surfaces during packaging, and at least the flaps extending from the long sides of the packaging box toward the top surface are inner flaps, The plurality of paper containers are accommodated in the packaging box such that at least one adjacent paper container is alternately placed up and down. A paper container deformation prevention holding structure characterized by the above.

2. The plurality of paper containers are accommodated in the packaging box such that adjacent paper containers are staggered up and down in each row. The paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. The plurality of paper containers are all accommodated in the packaging box with adjacent paper containers alternately placed up and down. The paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to claim 1, characterized in that:

4. The packaging box is further equipped with a perforated pad having through holes formed therein through which the thread bottoms of the plurality of paper containers are inserted and held. The paper container deformation prevention holding structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that:

5. The through-hole has a diameter set to allow only the thread bottom portion of the paper container to pass through. The paper container deformation-preventing holding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that:

6. The perforated pads are provided in pairs, one above the other, a bottom pad placed on the bottom surface inside the packaging box and the other above the top pad placed under the top surface. The paper container deformation-preventing holding structure according to claim 4, characterized in that:

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