Meal container with lid

Abstract

To provide a covered meal container such as a lunch box or chopstick case having a lid that can be opened and closed freely, which allows a smartphone to be held in an upright position during a meal. [Solution] This container includes a container body (2A) and a lid (3A) that can be opened and closed to cover the container body. At least one of the lid and the container body has an upward-facing flat plate (15A) that faces the open space above when the lid is open. A first upright portion (16A) and a second upright portion (17A) are spaced apart from each other on the flat plate, forming an insertion space between the two upright portions. By inserting a smartphone into the insertion space, the smartphone is held in an upright position. A second upright portion is spaced apart from each other on one side of the first upright portion, and a third upright portion (18A) is spaced apart from each other on the other side. This forms a narrow first insertion space between the first upright portion and the second upright portion, and a wide second insertion space between the first upright portion and the third upright portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lidded food container such as a lunch box or chopstick case that has a lid that can be opened and closed, and in particular to a container that allows a smartphone to be held in an upright position while eating. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of smartphones, people are increasingly using smartphones to gather information and communicate with others, increasing the need for so-called "smartphone use while doing other things." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2025-24878 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3251018 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3192129 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, for example, busy people currently use their smartphones even while eating, but since both hands are occupied while eating and they cannot hold the smartphone in their hands, they have the inconvenience of having to prepare a separate stand to hold the smartphone upright (hereinafter referred to as a "smartphone stand").

[0005] The object of this invention is to solve the above problem in relation to lidded meal containers such as lunch boxes and chopstick cases that have lids that can be opened and closed freely. Since the lid is always open during meals, the object of this invention is to provide a smartphone stand function to the upward-facing flat part that faces the open space above when the lid is open. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, the means of this invention are a container with a container body and a lid body that can be opened and closed freely on the container body, and at least one of the lid body and the container body has an upward-facing flat portion that faces the open space above when the lid is open.In this lidded container for meals, a first standing portion and a second standing portion are erected on the flat portion at a distance from each other, thereby forming an insertion space between the two standing portions, and by inserting a smartphone into the insertion space, the smartphone can be held in an upright position.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first standing portion is erected on the flat portion, and a second standing portion is erected at a distance on one side of the first standing portion, and a third standing portion is erected at a distance on the other side. This forms a first insertion space with a narrow width W1 between the first and second standing portions, and a second insertion space with a wide width W2 between the first and third standing portions. The first insertion space is configured to hold a smartphone in an upright position by inserting a smartphone without a cover, and the second insertion space is configured to hold a smartphone in an upright position by inserting a smartphone that has been made thicker by attaching a cover.

[0008] The lidded meal container of the present invention can be configured as a lunch box, comprising a container body for storing food, an inner lid attached to the opening of the container body, and a lid body that can be freely opened and closed to cover the opening via the inner lid.

[0009] In this case, the inner lid has a first rib and a second rib spaced apart on either side of a center line passing through the center, thereby forming a storage section between the two ribs for storing eating and drinking utensils, and the lid body has an inner surface facing the inner lid that forms a flat section that faces upward toward the open space above when the lid is opened and inverted, and the first upright section, the second upright section, and the third upright section are erected on this flat section, and the positions of the first upright section, the second upright section, and the third upright section relative to the first rib and the second rib when the lid body is closed are such that the first upright section is positioned on the outside of the first rib, opposite the inside that faces the storage section, on either the left or right side of the first rib, and the second upright section is positioned further away from the outside of the first upright section by a predetermined distance, and the third upright section is positioned approximately aligned in the longitudinal direction of the second rib.

[0010] The lidded eating container of this invention can be configured as an eating utensil storage box that has a container body that stores multiple eating utensils selected from chopsticks, spoons, and forks, and a lid that can be freely opened and closed to cover the container body.

[0011] In this case, the container body has a partition wall that roughly follows a center line that passes through the center of the bottom wall, and forms a first storage section for storing a first eating utensil on one of the left and right sides of the partition wall, and a second storage section for storing a second eating utensil on the other side.When the bottom wall of the container body is opened and the first eating utensil and the second eating utensil are removed, it forms an upward flat section facing the open space above, and the second and third upright sections are erected on this flat section, and the partition wall serves as the first upright section, forming a first insertion space section between the first and second upright sections, and a second insertion space section between the first and third upright sections.The second and third upright sections are joined to the respective side walls of the left and right side walls of the container body, and are configured so as not to interfere with the first and second storage sections. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, the dining container with lid has an insertion space formed by a standing part that functions as a smartphone stand on the upward-facing flat part that faces the open space above when the lid is opened during a meal, so that a smartphone can be held in an upright position in the insertion space. This is convenient because it allows you to view your smartphone even when your hands are full and you cannot hold the smartphone in your hands during a meal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a lunch box constituting a lidded container for meals according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with the container body, inner lid, and lid body separated. [Figure 2] 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first embodiment in a state where the opening of the container body is closed with the inner lid and the lid body, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are views showing the state in which the lid separated from the container body is inverted so that the flat plate portion faces upward, in relation to the first embodiment, where (A) is a plan view showing a cross section, and (B) is a perspective view. [Figure 4] 1 shows the operation of the first embodiment, where (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a smartphone without a cover attached, held in an upright position, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a smartphone that has been made thicker by attaching a cover attached, held in an upright position. [Figure 5] Regarding the second embodiment of the present invention, a storage box for eating and drinking utensils that constitutes a lidded container for eating is shown, where (A) is an oblique view showing the container body closed with the lid, and (B) is an oblique view showing the lid opened. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the container body and the lid in the open state according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the second embodiment, showing a state in which first eating and drinking utensils and second eating and drinking utensils are stored in the container body with the lid open. [Figure 8]10 shows the operation of the second embodiment, where (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the container body with the opening closed by the lid, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the container body with the lid open and a smartphone without a cover attached is held in an upright position, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the container body with the lid open and a smartphone that has been made thicker by attaching a cover to it is held in an upright position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] The lidded container 1 for eating according to the present invention may be a lunch box 1A as shown in the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, or a storage box 1B for eating and drinking utensils as shown in the second embodiment of Figures 5 to 8, but is not limited to these.

[0016] (First embodiment) In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the lunch box 1A comprises a container body 2A for storing food such as cooked rice and side dishes, an inner lid 4 attached to the opening of the container body 2A, and a lid body 3A that covers the opening via the inner lid 4 so that it can be opened and closed freely.

[0017] The container body 2A is formed in the shape of a box with an open top, with a side wall 6 erected around the periphery of a bottom wall 5. The lid body 3A has a crown wall 7 that is fitted over the container body 2A, and a peripheral wall 8 that hangs down from the periphery of the crown wall 7 and faces the side wall 6 of the container body 2A.

[0018] The inner lid 4 is provided with a closure plate 9 that is interposed between the side wall 6 of the container body 2A and the peripheral wall 8 of the lid 3A to close the opening of the container body 2A. A downward-facing annular rib 10 that is inserted into the opening of the container body 2A protrudes from the underside of the closure plate 9 near the peripheral edge, and a seal packing 11 is provided on the outer periphery of the rib 10. An upward-facing annular rib 12 that is inserted into the inside of the peripheral wall 8 of the lid 3A protrudes from the upper surface of the closure plate 9 near the peripheral edge.

[0019] The inner lid 4 is configured to allow eating and drinking utensils 13 such as chopsticks to be stored on the closure plate 5, and is configured to form a storage section S for storing eating and drinking utensils between the first rib 14L and the second rib 14R by arranging them at a distance on either side of the center line C that passes through the center of the closure plate 5 (see Figures 2(A) and 3(A)).

[0020] Therefore, the lid body 3A has a flat plate portion 15A formed by the inner surface of the crown wall 7 facing the inner lid 4, which faces upward toward the open space above when the lid is opened and inverted, and a first upright portion 16A, a second upright portion 17A, and a third upright portion 18A are erected on the flat plate portion 15A.

[0021] In this case, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, when the lid body 3A is closed, the positions of the first standing portion 16A, the second standing portion 17A, and the third standing portion 18A relative to the first rib 14L and the second rib 14R are such that the first standing portion 16A is positioned on the outside of either the left or right side of the first rib 14L, opposite the inside facing the storage section S, and the second standing portion 17A is positioned at a position further away from the outside of the first standing portion 16A by a predetermined distance, and the third standing portion 18A is positioned approximately aligned in the longitudinal direction of the second rib 14R.

[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, the first upright portion 16A is located approximately in the center and is formed to have approximately the same height as the peripheral wall 8. The second upright portion 17A and the third upright portion 18A are formed to be slightly shorter than the first upright portion 16A, and are composed of a pair of second upright portions 17A, 17A and a pair of third upright portions 18A, 18A that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the center line C.

[0023] As a result, as shown in Figure 3(A), a first insertion space portion 19A with a narrow width W1 is formed between the first standing portion 16A and the second standing portion 17A, and a second insertion space portion 20A with a wide width W2 is formed between the first standing portion 16A and the third standing portion 18A.

[0024] (action) When eating, the lunch box 1A of the first embodiment is used in the same way as a normal lunch box: the lid body 3A and inner lid 4 are removed, the container body 2A is opened, and food such as cooked rice contained in the container body 2A is eaten using eating utensils 13 such as chopsticks that have been removed from the inner lid 4.

[0025] During a meal, the lid body 3A is inverted so that the crown wall 7 is placed on a table or the like. As a result, the flat plate portion 15A is in an upward position facing the open space above, and the first upright portion 16A, the second upright portion 17A, and the third upright portion 18A stand upright.

[0026] Therefore, when the user's smartphone P does not have a cover attached, that is, when the smartphone P has a relatively thin thickness T1 as shown in Figure 4(A), the smartphone P can be inserted into the first insertion space portion 19A and leaned against the first standing portion 16A with the portion near the lower end engaged with the second standing portion 17A, thereby maintaining the smartphone P in an inclined upright position that makes the display easy to see.

[0027] When the smartphone P being used by the user is fitted with a cover, that is, when the smartphone P has a relatively large thickness T2 as shown in Figure 4(B), the smartphone P can be inserted into the second insertion space 20A and leaned against the first standing portion 16A with the portion near the lower end engaged with the third standing portion 18A, thereby maintaining the smartphone P in an inclined upright position that makes the display easy to see.

[0028] Regardless of whether the first insertion space 19A or the second insertion space 20A is used, the smartphone P, which has an approximately rectangular outline, can be inserted into the insertion space 19A, 20A in either a portrait or landscape orientation, and can be held upright.

[0029] (Second embodiment) 5 to 8, a storage box 1B for eating and drinking utensils includes a container body 2B for storing a plurality of eating and drinking utensils selected from chopsticks, spoons, and forks, for example, a first eating and drinking utensil 13a consisting of chopsticks and a second eating and drinking utensil 13b consisting of spoons, and a lid 3B for freely opening and closing the container body 2B. In the illustrated embodiment, the container body 2B and the lid 3B are formed in the shape of a shallow rectangular dish, and a pivotal hinge 21 is formed between the side wall of the container body 2B and the side wall of the lid 3B, and the lid 3B opens and closes the opening of the container body 2B by pivoting in an inverted direction.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, the container body 2B constituting the storage box 1B for eating and drinking utensils is formed in the shape of a shallow dish by a bottom wall 22 and peripheral walls including both side walls 23a, 23b, and is provided with a partition wall 24 that runs roughly along a center line C that passes through the center of the bottom wall.A first storage section 25a for storing a first eating and drinking utensil 13a is formed on one of the left and right sides of the partition wall 24, and a second storage section 25b for storing a second eating and drinking utensil 13b is formed on the other side.

[0031] In contrast, the lid body 3B is provided with an elastic member 26 that faces the partition wall 24 in the opening / closing rotation direction. The elastic member 26 is formed in the shape of a sheet that is curved and bulged in a substantially arc shape from an elastic material such as silicone rubber, and is provided with a slot 27 into which the partition wall 24 is inserted when the lid is closed, and both side portions of the slot 27 form a first elastic contact portion 26a that enters the first storage section 25a when the lid is closed, and a second elastic contact portion 26b that enters the second storage section 25b.

[0032] As a result, as shown in Figure 8(A), when the lid body 3B is closed, the first eating and drinking utensil 13a (not shown) is elastically held by the first elastic contact portion 26a, and the second eating and drinking utensil 13b (not shown) is elastically held by the second elastic contact portion 26b.

[0033] Therefore, in the eating utensil storage box 1B according to the second embodiment, the lid 3B is opened during a meal and the eating utensils 13a, 13b are taken out of the container body 2B for use, so that the bottom wall 22 of the container body 2B forms an upward-facing flat plate portion 15B with an open upper space, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. For this reason, the flat plate portion 15B is provided with a mechanism for holding the smartphone P in an upright position.

[0034] 6, in the second embodiment, the partition wall 24 forms a first standing portion 16B, and the second standing portion 17B and the third standing portion 18B are provided based on the first standing portion 16B. In this case, the second standing portion 17B and the third standing portion 18B are provided by joining to the respective side walls on both the left and right sides of the container body, and are configured not to interfere with the first storage portion 25a and the second storage portion 25b. In other words, they are configured not to interfere with the storage of eating and drinking utensils 13a, 13b.

[0035] As a result, a first insertion space 19B is formed between the first upright portion 16B and the second upright portion 17B, and a second insertion space 20B is formed between the first upright portion 16B and the third upright portion 18B. In the illustrated embodiment, by making the protrusion amount of the first upright portion 17B protruding from one side wall 23b larger than the protrusion amount of the second upright portion 18B protruding from the other side wall 23a, the first insertion space 19B is formed by a space with a narrow width W1 between the first upright portion 16B and the second upright portion 17B, and the second insertion space 20B is formed by a space with a wide width W2 between the first upright portion 16B and the third upright portion 18B.

[0036] (action) When eating or drinking utensils are stored in the storage box 1B of the second embodiment, the lid 3B is opened and the eating or drinking utensils 13a, 13b are removed from the container body 2B. As a result, the flat portion 15B formed by the bottom wall 22 of the container body 2B faces upward toward the open space above, and the first upright portion 16B, the second upright portion 17B, and the third upright portion 18B stand upward.

[0037] Therefore, when the smartphone P being used by the user is not fitted with a cover, that is, when the smartphone P has a relatively thin thickness T1 as shown in Figure 8(B), the smartphone P can be inserted into the first insertion space portion 19B, and by leaning the portion near the lower end against the first standing portion 16B with the portion engaged with the second standing portion 17B, the smartphone P can be maintained in an inclined upright position that makes the display easy to see.

[0038] When the smartphone P being used by the user is fitted with a cover, that is, when the smartphone P has a relatively large thickness T2 as shown in Figure 8(C), the smartphone P can be inserted into the second insertion space 20B, and by leaning the smartphone P against the first standing portion 16B with the portion near the lower end engaged with the third standing portion 18B, the smartphone P can be held in an inclined upright position that makes the display easy to see.

[0039] As in the first embodiment, the second standing portion 17B and the third standing portion 18B are each formed to be slightly shorter than the first standing portion 16B, and are configured by a pair of second standing portions 17B, 17B and third standing portions 18B, 18B that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the center line C. Therefore, regardless of whether the first insertion space portion 19B or the second insertion space portion 20B is used, the smartphone P, which has a substantially rectangular outline, can be inserted into the insertion spaces 19B, 20B in any orientation, either portrait or landscape, and can be held upright.

[0040] In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of upright pieces 24a, 24b may be arranged on the partition wall 24 in a substantially aligned manner in the axial direction of the center line C, and these pieces may together form the first upright portion 16B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Meal container with lid 1A Lunch box 1B Storage box for food and drink utensils 2A, 2B container body 3A, 3B Lid body 4 Inner lid 5 Bottom wall 6 side wall 7 Crown wall 8 Peripheral wall 9 Occlusion plate 10 Downward Circular Rib 11 Seal packing 12 Upward circular rib 13, 13a, 13b Eating and drinking utensils 14L 1st rib 14R 2nd Rib 15A, 15B flat plate part 16A, 16B 1st standing section 17A, 17B 2nd standing section 18A, 18B 3rd standing section 19A, 19B First insertion space 20A, 20B Second insertion space P Smartphone 21 Rotating hinge part 22 Bottom wall 23a, 23b side wall 24 Partition Wall 24a, 24b Standing piece 25a, 25b storage area 26 Elastic member 26a, 26b Elastic contact part 27 slots

Claims

1. A lidded container for eating is a container having a container body and a lid that can be freely opened and closed on the container body, and at least one of the lid and the container body has an upwardly facing flat plate portion that faces an open space above when the lid is open. A lidded container for meals is characterized in that a first standing portion (16) and a second standing portion (17) are erected on the flat plate portion (15) at a distance from each other, thereby forming an insertion space (19) between the two standing portions, and by inserting a smartphone into the insertion space, the smartphone is held in an upright position.

2. A second standing portion (17) is erected at a distance on one of the left and right sides of a first standing portion (16) erected on the flat plate portion (15), and a third standing portion (18) is erected at a distance on the other of the left and right sides, thereby forming a first insertion space portion (19) with a narrow width (W1) between the first standing portion and the second standing portion, and forming a second insertion space portion (20) with a wide width (W2) between the first standing portion and the third standing portion, The first insertion space (19) is configured to hold a smartphone in an upright position by inserting the smartphone without a cover, The lidded container for meals according to claim 1, characterized in that the second insertion space (20) is configured to hold a smartphone in an upright position by inserting the smartphone, which has been made thicker by attaching a cover.

3. A lunch box (1A) with a lid for meals comprises a container body (2A) for storing food, an inner lid (4) attached to the opening of the container body, and a lid body (3B) for freely opening and closing the opening via the inner lid, The inner lid (4) has a first rib (14L) and a second rib (14R) spaced apart from each other on the left and right of a center line passing through the center, thereby forming a storage space between the two ribs for storing eating and drinking implements (13); The lid body (3B) has an inner surface facing the inner lid that forms the flat plate portion (15A) that faces upward and faces the open space above when the lid is opened and inverted, and a first upright portion (16A), a second upright portion (17A), and a third upright portion (18A) are provided on the flat plate portion. The positions of the first upright portion, the second upright portion, and the third upright portion relative to the first rib (14L) and the second rib (14R) when the lid is closed are configured so that the first upright portion (16A) is positioned on the outside of either the left or right side of the first rib (14L) opposite the inside facing the storage section, and the second upright portion (17A) is positioned at a position further away from the outside of the first upright portion by a predetermined distance, and the third upright portion (18A) is positioned approximately aligned in the longitudinal direction of the second rib (14R).

4. The lidded container for eating and drinking utensils (13a, 13b) is a container body (2B) for storing a plurality of eating and drinking utensils (13a, 13b) selected from chopsticks, spoons, and forks, and the container body is provided with a lid (3B) for freely opening and closing the container body. The container body (2B) has a partition wall (24) extending substantially along a center line passing through the center of the bottom wall (22), and a first storage section (25a) for storing a first eating or drinking utensil (13a) is formed on one of the left and right sides of the partition wall (24), and a second storage section (25b) for storing a second eating or drinking utensil (13b) is formed on the other side. When the container body (2B) is opened and the first and second eating utensils are removed, the bottom wall (22) of the container body (2B) forms an upwardly facing flat plate portion (15B) facing the open space above, and a second upright portion (17b) and a third upright portion (18B) are erected on the flat plate portion, and the partition wall serves as the first upright portion (16B), forming a first insertion space portion (19B) between the first upright portion (16B) and the second upright portion (17B) and a second insertion space portion (20B) between the first upright portion (16B) and the third upright portion (18B). The lidded container for meals according to claim 2, characterized in that the second raised portion (17B) and the third raised portion (18B) are joined to the respective side walls of the left and right side walls (23a, 23b) of the container body (2B) and are configured so as not to interfere with the first storage portion (19B) and the second storage portion (20B).

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