container

Abstract

The present invention provides a container whose volume can be changed depending on the amount of contents. [Solution] The container comprises a container body and a lid. The container body includes a bottom wall and a first circumferential wall rising from the periphery of the bottom wall, with a first flange portion extending outward from an edge forming an opening, and the first flange portion having a plurality of fixing parts. The lid comprises a top wall, a second circumferential wall rising from the periphery of the top wall and forming an opening, a second flange portion extending outward from an edge forming an opening in the second circumferential wall, and notches formed in the second flange portion into which each fixing part fits. The second flange portion has a first surface and a second surface, and the second circumferential wall portion is formed on the first surface side, the fixing parts fit into the notches, and the second surface of the second flange portion is in contact with the first flange portion. The container body also has a second surface, with the first surface of the second flange portion being in contact with the first flange portion, and at least a part of the top wall and the second circumferential wall portion extending into the interior of the container body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container.

Background Art

[0002] When storing food ingredients in a refrigerator or the like, it is common to cover the food ingredients with a wrap film, further store them in a bag with a zipper, etc., and then store them in the refrigerator (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, it is also widely practiced to store them in a sealed container with a lid made of hard plastic.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Disclosure of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since such a container has a fixed volume, for example, when the amount of the contents is small, the space other than the contents in the container becomes large. On the other hand, when the amount of the contents is large, there is a risk that it cannot be accommodated in the container. The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a container whose volume can be changed according to the amount of the contents.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] Item 1. A container body having an opening, A lid body for closing the opening, and Fixing means for detachably fixing the container body and the lid body, Comprising, The container body is, A bottom wall portion, A first peripheral wall portion rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion, A plate-like first flange portion extending outward from an edge portion forming the opening in the peripheral wall portion, Multiple fixing portions formed on the first flange portion, Equipped with, The aforementioned cover is The top wall section, A second peripheral wall portion rises from the periphery of the aforementioned top wall portion and forms an opening, In the second peripheral wall portion, a plate-shaped second flange portion extends outward from the edge portion that forms the opening, The second flange portion has a plurality of notches into which each of the fixing portions is fitted, Equipped with, The second flange portion is formed in a plate shape having a first surface and a second surface, and the second peripheral wall portion is formed on the side of the first surface. The fixing part is detachably fitted into the notch, thereby fixing the container body and the lid together. In a first embodiment, the container body and the lid are fixed together with the second surface of the second flange portion in contact with the first flange portion, or In a second embodiment, the container body and the lid are fixed together such that the first surface of the second flange portion is in contact with the first flange portion, and at least a portion of the top wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are inserted into the interior of the container body. It is configured to take the following form. container.

[0006] Item 2. A third circumferential wall portion is formed on the second surface of the second flange portion, extending in the direction opposite to the second circumferential wall portion. In the first embodiment, at least a portion of the third peripheral wall is configured to be in contact with the inner wall surface of the first peripheral wall. The container described in item 1.

[0007] Item 3. A first groove is formed extending from the end of the third peripheral wall portion to just before the joint portion between the third peripheral wall portion and the second flange portion. The first groove is open at the end face of the third peripheral wall portion. The container described in item 2.

[0008] Item 4. In the second aspect, at least a part of the second peripheral wall portion is configured to contact the inner wall surface of the first peripheral wall portion. The container according to any one of Items 1 to 3.

[0009] Item 5. In the contact region of the second peripheral wall portion that contacts the first peripheral wall portion, a second groove is formed that extends from an end of the contact region to before a joint portion between the contact region and the first flange portion. The second groove is open at an end face of the contact region. The container according to Item 4.

[0010] Item 6. Each of the fixing portions has a first portion that extends upward from the first flange portion and a second portion that extends in a substantially horizontal direction from an upper edge portion of the first portion. The container according to any one of Items 1 to 5.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the container of the present invention, the volume can be changed according to the amount of the content.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a first aspect of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a second aspect of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of the container body. [Figure 4] It is a front view of the container body. [Figure 5] It is a side view of the container body. [Figure 6] It is a plan view of the lid. [Figure 7] It is a front view of the lid body. [Figure 8] It is a side view of the lid body. [Figure 9] It is a side view showing a procedure for attaching the lid body to the container body. [Figure 10]This is a side view showing the procedure for attaching the lid to the container body. [Figure 11] This is a side view showing the procedure for attaching the lid to the container body. [Figure 12] This is a front view of the container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a front view of the container according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a front view showing a stack of multiple containers according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a front view showing another example of the lid. [Figure 16] Figure 15 is a front view of the container in the first embodiment with the lid attached. [Figure 17] This is a front view showing the operation of the container in the first embodiment with the lid of Figure 15 attached. [Figure 18] This is a front view showing the operation of the container in the second embodiment with the lid of Figure 15 attached. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] <1. Overview of the container> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a first aspect of the container according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a second aspect of the container according to this embodiment.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this container comprises a container body 1 and a lid 2. The container body 1 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an opening at the top. The lid 2 is configured to detachably close the opening of the container body 1. By changing the orientation of the lid 2 and attaching it to the container body 1, a container in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 is formed. The container body 1 and lid 2 will be described in detail below.

[0015] <2. Container Body> Figure 3 is a plan view of the container body, Figure 4 is a front view of the container body, and Figure 5 is a side view of the container body. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the container body 1 comprises a rectangular bottom wall portion 11, a first circumferential wall portion 12 rising upward from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 11, and a first flange portion 13 extending horizontally outward from the upper edge of the first circumferential wall portion 12. The first flange portion 13 has a pair of opposing short sides 131 and a pair of opposing long sides 132, and is formed in a rectangular (frame) shape overall. Each of the pair of short sides 131 has a fixing portion 14 formed thereon for fixing it to the lid 2. These bottom wall portion 11, first circumferential wall portion 12, first flange portion 13, and fixing portion 14 are integrally formed from an elastically deformable material such as resin.

[0016] The first peripheral wall portion 12 has a first portion 121 extending upward from the bottom wall portion 11, and a second portion 122 extending upward from the upper edge of the first portion 121 via a stepped portion 123. The upper edge of the second portion 122 forms an opening in the container body 1, and the first flange portion 13 described above extends outward along the edge of this opening, that is, along the upper edge of the second portion 122.

[0017] The first portion 121 extends slightly diagonally upwards, moving away from the bottom wall portion 11. A stepped portion 123 formed on the upper edge of the first portion 121 extends slightly outwards, and the second portion 122 extends upward from the outer edge of this stepped portion 123. The vertical length of the second portion 122 is shorter than the vertical length of the first portion 121. In other words, the majority of the first peripheral wall portion 12 is formed by the first portion 121. As described above, since the first portion 121 extends diagonally, multiple container bodies 1 can be stacked. Furthermore, as will be described later, this also contributes to stacking multiple containers when the lid 2 is attached in the second configuration.

[0018] The fixing portion 14 has a first portion 141 that extends along the short side portion 131 near the center of the short side portion 131 of the first flange portion 13, and a plate-shaped second portion 142 connected to the first portion 141. The first portion 141 extends slightly upward from the outer edge of the short side portion 131, and the second portion 142 is formed to extend slightly outward from the upper edge of the first portion 141. In addition, protrusions 143 are formed at both ends of the second portion 142 so as to slightly extend beyond both ends of the first portion 141.

[0019] <3. Cover> Figure 6 is a top view of the container body, Figure 7 is a front view of the container body, and Figure 8 is a side view of the container body. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6 to 8, the lid 2 comprises a rectangular top wall portion 21, a second peripheral wall portion 22 rising from the periphery of the top wall portion 21, and a plate-shaped second flange portion 23 extending horizontally outward from the edge of the second peripheral wall portion 22 opposite to the top wall portion 21. When the lid 2 is attached to the container body 1, the second flange portion 23 is configured to be in contact with the first flange portion 13 of the container body 1. Therefore, the inner edge of the second flange portion 23 is shaped to roughly coincide with the inner edge of the first flange portion 13 of the container body 1.

[0020] Here, in the second flange portion 23, the surface on the top wall portion 21 side will be referred to as the first surface 231, and the surface on the opposite side will be referred to as the second surface 232. As described above, by changing the orientation of the attachment of the lid 2 to the container body 1, the container can be either the first or second embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, the second surface 232 of the second flange portion 23 is attached in contact with the first flange portion 13, and in the second embodiment, the first surface 231 of the second flange portion 23 is attached in contact with the first flange portion 13.

[0021] The second peripheral wall portion 22 has a first portion 221 extending from the top wall portion 21 toward the second flange portion 23, and a second portion 222 connecting the edge of the first portion 221 to the second flange portion 23. The first portion 221 extends slightly diagonally so as it approaches the second flange portion 23, it moves away from the top wall portion 21. A stepped portion 223 that extends slightly outward is connected to the upper edge of the first portion 221, and the second portion 222 extends downward toward the second flange portion 23 from the outer edge of this stepped portion 223.

[0022] The vertical length of the second portion 222 is shorter than the vertical length of the first portion 221. Furthermore, when the container is in its first configuration, the second portion 222 is configured to be in contact with the inner surface of the second portion 122 of the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1. Therefore, the vertical length of the second portion 222 of the lid 2 is slightly shorter than the vertical length of the second portion 122 of the container body 1.

[0023] Furthermore, a third circumferential wall portion 24 is formed on the inner edge of the second flange portion 23, extending downward from the second surface 232. The vertical length of the third circumferential wall portion 24 is approximately the same as the vertical length of the second portion 222. The inner surface of the third circumferential wall portion 24 is formed to be flat and continuous with the inner surface of the second portion 222. When the container is in its second configuration, the third circumferential wall portion 24 is configured to be in contact with the second portion 222 of the first circumferential wall portion 12 of the container body 1.

[0024] The top wall portion 21, the second peripheral wall portion 22, the second flange portion 23, and the third peripheral wall portion 24 described above are integrally formed from an elastically deformable material such as a resin material.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the second flange portion 23 has a pair of opposing short sides 233 and a pair of opposing long sides 234, and is formed in a rectangular shape overall. Each of the pair of short sides 233 has a rectangular notch 235 formed therein. These notches 235 are formed to be approximately the same size as the second portion 142 of the fixing portion 14 of the container body 1. More specifically, the length and width of the notch 235 in the short side direction are approximately the same as the length and width of the second portion 142 of the fixing portion 14. More specifically, the length Y of the notch 235 in the short side direction (see Figure 6) is slightly longer than the length X1 of the second portion 142 of the fixing portion 142 (see Figure 3), but shorter than the combined length X2 of the second portion 142 and both protruding portions 143 (see Figure 3). As described later, the length Y of the notch 235 is slightly longer than the length X1 of the second part 142, which makes it easier for both protruding parts 143 to bend when fixing the fixing part 14 to the notch 235, thus making it easier to fix the fixing part 14 to the notch 235.

[0026] <4. How to use the container> Next, we will explain how to use the container configured as described above. First, we will describe the first embodiment.

[0027] As shown in Figure 9, the top wall portion 21 of the lid 2 is oriented upwards, and the second surface 232 of the second flange portion 23 is positioned opposite the upper surface of the first flange portion 13 of the container body 1. Then, as shown in Figure 10, each fixing portion 14 of the container body 1 is positioned below each notch 235 of the lid 2, and the lid 2 is pushed towards the container body 1. As a result, at least one of the fixing portion 14 and the notch 235 undergoes elastic deformation, causing the protrusion 143 of the fixing portion 14 to move from the second surface 232 side to the first surface 231 side of the second flange portion 23, as shown in Figure 11. In this way, the protrusion 143 acts as a retainer, fixing the fixing portion 14 to the notch 235. At this time, as shown in Figure 12, the third peripheral wall portion 24 of the lid 2 adheres tightly to the second portion 122 of the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1, sealing the inside of the container. In the first embodiment, the volume of the container increases as the top wall portion 21 of the lid 2 faces upward. That is, the volume of the container is the volume of the container body 1 plus the volume of the space formed by the top wall portion 21 and the second peripheral wall portion 22.

[0028] Next, the second embodiment will be described. First, the top wall portion 21 of the lid 2 is turned downwards, and the first surface 231 of the second flange portion 23 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the first flange portion 13 of the container body 1. Then, each fixing portion 14 of the container body 1 is positioned below each notch 235 of the lid 2, and the lid 2 is pushed towards the container body 1. As a result, the fixing portions 14 are fixed to the notches 235, similar to the first embodiment. At this time, as shown in Figure 13, the second portion 222 of the second peripheral wall portion 22 of the lid 2 is in close contact with the second portion 122 of the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1, and the inside of the container is sealed. In the second embodiment, since the top wall portion 21 and the second peripheral wall portion 22 of the lid 2 are recessed into the inside of the container body 1, the volume of the container is smaller compared to the first embodiment. In other words, the volume of the container in the second embodiment is the volume of the container body 1 minus the volume of the space formed by the top wall portion 21 and the second peripheral wall portion 22.

[0029] <5. Features> With a container configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In recent years, due to rising prices and the resulting increase in bulk purchases of cheaper goods, the refrigerators of ordinary consumers are often overflowing, and a large number of space-saving products have been released to make effective use of refrigerator space. However, there have been no containers that can change their volume or stacking method according to the amount that is not consumed all at once.

[0030] In contrast, the container according to this embodiment can selectively adopt either the first or second embodiment, which have different volumes, so that the appropriate embodiment can be adopted according to the size (volume) of the contents to be stored in the container. That is, when the amount of contents is large, the first embodiment with a large container volume can be adopted, and when the amount of contents is small, the second embodiment with a small container volume can be adopted.

[0031] In particular, in the second embodiment, reducing the internal volume of the container helps maintain humidity and dryness, and reduces the amount of oxygen, thereby suppressing oxidation of food. On the other hand, in cases where a larger, bulkier container could be avoided if a little more food could fit in the container, the first embodiment has the advantage of increasing capacity and avoiding wasted space.

[0032] (2) In the first embodiment, the third peripheral wall portion 24 of the lid 2 and the second portion 122 of the container body 1 are in close contact, so the container can be sealed. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the second portion 222 of the lid 2 and the second portion 122 of the container body 1 are in close contact, so the container can be sealed.

[0033] (3) The fixing part 14 is composed of a first part 141 extending upward from the first flange part 13 and a second part 142 extending substantially horizontally from the first part. Therefore, when the fixing part 14 is fitted into the notch 235, the second part 142 is positioned above the first flange part 13. Consequently, a step is formed between the second part 142 and the first flange part 13, making the second part 142 easier to see. Furthermore, this step makes it easier to hook fingers onto the second part 142 and the first flange part 13, thus making it easier to release the fixed state of both.

[0034] Furthermore, the shape of the fixing part 14 makes it easier for the user to hold it as a handle. For example, when the container is heated in a microwave oven, the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1 becomes hot, so using the fixing part 14 as a handle makes it easier to carry the container. In particular, since the fixing part 14 is shaped to protrude upward from the first flange portion 13, it has the advantage of making it difficult for the user to touch the first peripheral wall portion 12 or the first flange portion 13.

[0035] (4) In the second embodiment, a recess is formed on the upper surface of the container by the top wall portion 21 and the second peripheral wall portion 22, so that the container body 1 of another container can be placed in this recess, as shown in Figure 14. Therefore, multiple containers can be stacked stably. In addition, articles can be placed in the recess, and the overall structure can be compactly stored. Furthermore, the advantages shown in (3) above can also be obtained in the second embodiment.

[0036] <6. Variation> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate. They can also be combined with the above embodiment.

[0037] (1) In the above embodiment, the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1 is composed of a first portion 121 and a second portion 122, but it is not limited to this and various modifications are possible. For example, instead of two portions, the first peripheral wall portion can be composed of one portion without a step.

[0038] (2) In the above embodiment, the second peripheral wall portion 22 of the lid 2 is composed of a first portion 221 and a second portion 222, but it is not limited to this and various modifications are possible. For example, instead of two portions, the second peripheral wall portion 22 can be composed of a single portion without a step.

[0039] (3) In both the first and second embodiments, it is preferable that the container body 1 and the lid 2 are tightly fitted and fixed together, but they do not necessarily have to be tightly fitted together.

[0040] (4) In the above embodiment, the fixing portion 14 is provided with a projection 143 and its length in the short side direction is longer than that of the notch 235, but the length of the notch 235 in the short side direction can also be made shorter than that of the fixing portion 14.

[0041] (5) In the above embodiment, there are two fixing parts 14 and two notches, but the number is not particularly limited, and for example, they can be provided on each side. That is, there can be four fixing parts 14 and four notches.

[0042] (6) As shown in Figure 12 above, in the first embodiment, the third peripheral wall portion 24 of the lid 2 is in close contact with the second portion 122 of the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1, and the inside of the container is sealed. In this state, for example, if the container is heated in a microwave oven, the internal pressure of the container will rise, and the lid 2 may come off unexpectedly. To suppress this, for example, as shown in Figure 15, a first groove 251 and a second groove 252 can be provided in the third peripheral wall portion 24 of the lid 2 and in the second portion 222 of the second peripheral wall portion 22, respectively. This point will be explained in detail.

[0043] As shown in Figure 15, the first groove 251 is formed on the outer surface of the third circumferential wall portion 24 and extends from the lower end to just before the upper end of the third circumferential wall portion 24. In other words, a gap of length Z is formed between the upper end of the first groove 215 and the upper end of the third circumferential wall portion 24. The lower end of the first groove 251 is open downwards at the lower end surface of the third circumferential wall portion 24. In addition, one first groove 251 is formed near the center of each long side of the third circumferential wall portion.

[0044] On the other hand, the second groove 251 is formed on the outer surface of the second portion 222 of the second peripheral wall 22 and extends from the upper end to just before the lower end of the second portion 222. In other words, a gap of length Z is formed between the lower end of the second groove 252 and the lower end of the second portion 222. The upper end of the second groove 252 is open upward on the upper end surface of the second portion 24. Furthermore, one second groove 252 is formed near the center of each long side of the second portion 222.

[0045] As shown in Figure 16, when the lid is attached to the container body in the first embodiment, the third peripheral wall portion 24 is housed inside the container body 1, so the first groove is not visible from the outside. In this state, when the container is heated in a microwave oven, the internal pressure of the container increases, and as shown in Figure 17, the lid 2 deforms so that it becomes convex upward. At this time, the third peripheral wall portion 24 of the lid 2 moves upward while remaining in close contact with the second portion 122 of the first peripheral wall portion 12 of the container body 1. However, when the area near the center of the long side of the third peripheral wall portion is displaced upward by a length Z or more, the upper end of the first groove 251 is exposed to the outside from between the first flange portion 13 and the second flange portion 23. As a result, the inside and outside of the container body 1 are connected via the first groove 251, and the internal pressure of the container body 1 is released. Consequently, the internal pressure of the container body 1 is reduced, preventing the lid 2 from coming off.

[0046] This behavior is the same when the lid 2 is in its second form, in which case, as shown in Figure 18, when the internal pressure of the container body 1 increases, the second portion 222 of the lid 2 deforms so that it becomes convex upward. When the area near the center of the long side of the second portion 222 is displaced upward by a length Z or more, the upper end of the second groove 252 is exposed to the outside from between the first flange portion 13 and the second flange portion 23. As a result, the inside and outside of the container body 1 are connected via the second groove 252, reducing the internal pressure of the container body 1 and preventing the lid 2 from coming off.

[0047] The length Z is adjusted so that the fixing part 14 does not come off the notch 235 when the lid 2 is deformed. Furthermore, the position, shape, and number of grooves are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

[0048] (7) In the above embodiment, the container is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, but it can be made into various shapes such as a circular shape in plan view, an elliptical shape in plan view, or a polygonal shape in plan view. For example, when forming a circular shape in plan view, the opening of the container body can be made circular, and the lid can be made circular so as to close the opening. A pair of fixing parts can be provided at radially opposing positions on the first flange portion of the container body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1: Container body 2: Lid 11: Bottom wall 12:First peripheral wall part 13: First flange section 14: Fixed part 21: Top and Wall Section 22:Second peripheral wall part 23: Second flange section 24: Third peripheral wall part 121: Part 1 122:Second part 41: Part 1 142:Second part 221: Part 1 222: 2nd part 231: 1st page 232: 2nd side 235: Notch

Claims

1. A container body having an opening, A lid that closes the aforementioned opening and A fixing means for detachably securing the container body and the lid, Equipped with, The container body is The bottom wall and, A first peripheral wall portion rising from the periphery of the bottom wall portion, The peripheral wall portion includes a plate-shaped first flange portion extending outward from the edge portion that forms the opening, Multiple fixing portions formed on the first flange portion, Equipped with, The aforementioned cover is The top wall section, A second peripheral wall portion rises from the periphery of the aforementioned top wall portion and forms an opening, In the second peripheral wall portion, a plate-shaped second flange portion extends outward from the edge portion that forms the opening, The second flange portion has a plurality of notches into which each of the fixing portions is fitted, Equipped with, The second flange portion is formed in a plate shape having a first surface and a second surface, and the second peripheral wall portion is formed on the side of the first surface. The fixing part is detachably fitted into the notch, thereby fixing the container body and the lid together. In a first embodiment, the container body and the lid are fixed together with the second surface of the second flange portion in contact with the first flange portion, or In a second embodiment, the container body and the lid are fixed together such that the first surface of the second flange portion is in contact with the first flange portion, and at least a portion of the top wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion are inserted into the interior of the container body. It is configured to take the following form. container.

2. A third circumferential wall portion is formed on the second surface of the second flange portion, extending in the direction opposite to the second circumferential wall portion. In the first embodiment, at least a portion of the third peripheral wall is configured to be in contact with the inner wall surface of the first peripheral wall. The container according to claim 1.

3. A first groove is formed extending from the end of the third peripheral wall portion to just before the joint portion between the third peripheral wall portion and the second flange portion. The first groove is open at the end face of the third peripheral wall portion. The container according to claim 2.

4. In the second embodiment, at least a portion of the second peripheral wall is configured to be in contact with the inner wall surface of the first peripheral wall. The container according to claim 1 or 2.

5. In the second peripheral wall portion, a second groove is formed in the contact region that is in contact with the first peripheral wall portion, extending from the end of the contact region to just before the joint portion between the contact region and the first flange portion. The second groove is open at the end face of the contact region. The container according to claim 4.

6. Each of the aforementioned fixing portions has a first portion extending upward from the first flange portion and a second portion extending substantially horizontally from the upper edge of the first portion. The container according to claim 1 or 2.

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