Container and frozen food

Abstract

To provide a container which can make it easier to cook frozen food and make the temperature of frozen foods more appropriate after cooking, and frozen food contained in this container.SOLUTION: A container is configured to contain frozen food.This container includes a first container and a second container. The first container is configured to contain frozen colloidal or liquid first food. The second container is configured to contain frozen solid second food. In the first container an opening is formed in the lower part at the time of de-freezing by microwave oven. In the second container an opening is formed in the upper part at the time of de-freezing. At the time of de-freezing the first container is placed on the second container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container and frozen food.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-125755 (Patent Document 1) discloses frozen food in a container. In this frozen food, frozen solid food is stored in a container body, and frozen seasoning liquid is stored in an inner lid. That is, this frozen food is thawed by a microwave oven with the seasoning liquid isolated above the solid food (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A user of the frozen food disclosed in the above Patent Document 1 needs to transfer the seasoning liquid stored in the inner lid to the container body after cooking by heating in a microwave oven. Since the seasoning liquid after cooking is at a high temperature and the transfer of the seasoning liquid needs to be carried out carefully, the cooking of the frozen food is not necessarily easy.

[0005] In addition, the time required for thawing the frozen food also varies depending on the type of food and the position of the food in the microwave oven. In the frozen food disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, if the heating time is determined according to the seasoning liquid, the solid food may be overheated, and if the heating time is determined according to the solid food, the seasoning liquid may be underheated.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a container that makes it easier to cook frozen food and can more appropriately control the temperature of the frozen food after cooking, and a frozen food housed in the container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A container according to an aspect of the present invention is configured to contain frozen food. This container includes a first container and a second container. The first container is configured to contain a first frozen colloidal or liquid food. The second container is configured to contain a second frozen solid food. The first container has an opening formed downward during thawing by a microwave oven. The second container has an opening formed upward during the thawing. During the thawing, the first container is disposed on the second container.

[0008] In this container, the first container containing the first food has an opening formed downward. Therefore, when the first food is thawed to some extent during the cooking process, the first food drops onto the second food. That is, at the end of the cooking process, both the first and second foods are contained in the second container. Therefore, according to this container, since it is not necessary for the user to transfer the first food to the second container after cooking, the cooking of frozen food can be performed more easily.

[0009] Further, after the first food drops onto the second food, heat conduction occurs from the higher-temperature food to the lower-temperature food among the first and second foods. Therefore, according to this container, since heat conduction can occur between the first and second foods, it is possible to suppress a situation where either the first or second food is overheated or underheated.

[0010] In the above container, the first container may include a plurality of accommodating portions, and each of the plurality of accommodating portions may include an upper surface portion and a side wall portion extending downward from at least a part of the outer periphery of the upper surface portion, and each of the plurality of accommodating portions may be configured to contain a first colloidal or liquid food.

[0011] In this container, since each accommodating portion includes a side wall portion, the surface area of the first container is larger compared to the case where the first container has only one accommodating portion. Therefore, according to this container, more electromagnetic waves can be irradiated onto the surface of the first container compared to the case where the first container has only one accommodating portion, so that the thawing of the first food that takes time for heat cooking can be further promoted. Also, in this container, since the first container includes a plurality of accommodating portions, the first food that has been thawed falls onto the second food in order. Therefore, according to this container, it is possible to suppress the first food that has not been thawed from falling onto the second food, and the first food that has not been thawed can be kept in the first container as much as possible.

[0012] In the above container, the vertical length of at least a part of the side wall portion may be 1 / 2 or more of the depth of the first container.

[0013] In the above container, the side wall portion includes a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion having a shorter vertical length than the first side wall portion, and the space in the accommodating portion may communicate with the space in the adjacent accommodating portion through a passage formed below the second side wall portion.

[0014] In this container, the first food before freezing poured into any one of the accommodating portions flows into the adjacent accommodating portion through the passage. Therefore, according to this container, even if the first food is not poured from above each accommodating portion, the first food can flow into each accommodating portion only by pouring the first food from above any one of the accommodating portions, so that frozen food can be easily manufactured.

[0015] In the above container, the first and second containers may be configured not to fit with each other when the first container is disposed on the second container.

[0016] Therefore, according to this container, since it is not necessary to fit the first container and the second container with each other during heat cooking of the frozen food, the cooking of the frozen food can be easily performed.

[0017] A frozen food according to another aspect of the present invention includes the above container, a frozen colloidal or liquid first food contained in a first container, and a frozen solid second food contained in a second container.

[0018] In this frozen food, the first container in which the first food is contained has an opening formed downward. Therefore, when the first food is thawed to some extent during the cooking process, the first food drops onto the second food. That is, at the end of the cooking process, both the first and second foods are contained in the second container. Therefore, according to this frozen food, since it is not necessary for the user to transfer the first food to the second container after cooking, the cooking of the frozen food can be performed more easily.

[0019] Also, after the first food drops onto the second food, heat conduction occurs from the higher-temperature food to the lower-temperature food among the first and second foods. Therefore, according to this frozen food, since heat conduction can occur between the first and second foods, it is possible to suppress a situation where either the first or second food is overheated or underheated.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a container that makes it easier to cook frozen food and makes the temperature of the cooked frozen food more appropriate, and a frozen food contained in the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

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Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0023] [1. Overview of Frozen Foods] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container 10 according to the present embodiment. The container 10 is configured to accommodate frozen foods.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10 includes a lower container 100 and an upper container 200. Although details will be described later, each of the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 contains, for example, different types of frozen foods. The container 10 containing the frozen foods is thawed by a microwave oven with the upper container 200 disposed on the lower container 100. When the thawing of the frozen foods by the microwave oven is completed, the food contained in the upper container 200 has fallen into the lower container 100. That is, according to the container 10, after the thawing of the frozen foods by the microwave oven is completed, the user can be saved the trouble of transferring the food that was contained in the upper container 200 before thawing to the lower container 100. Hereinafter, details of the container 10 will be described.

[0025] [2. Configuration of the Lower Container] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower container 100. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. The lower container 100 is configured to accommodate solid foods such as frozen noodles, pastas, and cooked rice.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower container 100 includes a bottom surface portion 110, a side wall portion 120, and a flange portion 130. The shape of the bottom surface portion 110 is octagonal. In the bottom surface portion 110, the central portion is slightly raised upward. The side wall portion 120 extends obliquely upward from the entire outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 110. In the lower container 100, an opening is formed at the upper end of the side wall portion 120. The flange portion 130 extends horizontally outward from the entire circumference of the upper opening of the lower container 100. The flange portion 130 is used, for example, as a handle of the container 10.

[0027] The lower container 100 is created, for example, by thermoforming a resin sheet material. The resin sheet material is, for example, a sheet formed from resins such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyurethane (PUR), ABS resin, AS resin, acrylic resin (PMMA), nylon, EVOH resin, PLA resin, and polycarbonate (PC). Note that the resin sheet material may have, for example, an inorganic substance as the main raw material, or may be a sheet formed by molding fillers such as inorganic substances (such as talc), starch, and paper. Further, the resin sheet material may be, for example, a composite material including a barrier layer.

[0028] [3. Configuration of the upper container] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the upper container 200. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4. The upper container 200 is configured to contain, for example, frozen liquid or colloidal foods (flowable foods) such as soups, sauces, and curries. The upper container 200 may be created, for example, using the same material as the lower container 100, or may be created using a material different from that of the lower container 100.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper container 200 has a substantially octagonal shape in plan view and includes a plurality (nine) of accommodating portions 210. Each accommodating portion 210 is configured to accommodate frozen liquid or colloidal food. In the upper container 200, the accommodating portions 210 are arranged in three rows in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Each accommodating portion 210 is connected to each other via a side wall portion 230.

[0030] Each accommodating portion 210 includes an upper surface portion 220 and a side wall portion 230 extending downward from the outer periphery of the upper surface portion 220. In each accommodating portion 210, an opening is formed at the lower end of the side wall portion 230. The upper surface portion 220 has a rectangular or pentagonal shape with rounded corners in plan view. The side wall portion 230 includes a side wall portion 230A and a side wall portion 230B having a shorter vertical length than the side wall portion 230A. The vertical length H2 of the side wall portion 230A is at least 1 / 2 of the depth H1 of the upper container 200. A passage 240 is formed below the side wall portion 230B. The spaces in the accommodating portions 210 adjacent to each other communicate with each other via the passage 240. The role of the passage 240 will be described in detail later.

[0031] A convex portion 260 that bulges downward is connected to the outside of the outer periphery of the aggregate of the plurality (nine) of accommodating portions 210, and a flange portion 250 extending outward in the horizontal direction is connected to the outer periphery of the convex portion 260.

[0032] [4. Arrangement of Each Container] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of each container when the frozen food 50 is cooked by heating in a microwave oven. As shown in FIG. 6, in the frozen food 50, the frozen food 300 (for example, ramen noodles and ingredients) is stored in the lower container 100, and the frozen food 400 (for example, ramen soup) is stored in the upper container 200. For example, the amount of the food 400 filled in the upper container 200 is such that the tip of the side wall portion 230A appears on the lower surface of the food 400. When the frozen food 50 is cooked by heating, water is put into the lower container 100 by the user. Further, during the cooking by heating, the upper container 200 is arranged above the lower container 100 with the opening facing downward. Note that there is no partition wall between the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 to prevent the food 400 from falling.

[0033] The food 400 takes a longer time to thaw than, for example, the food 300. In the frozen food 50, the food 400 is arranged above the food 300 at a distance from the food 300. Therefore, when cooking by heating with a microwave oven, the food 400 is irradiated with electromagnetic waves from below, above, and the sides of the food 400. As a result, according to the frozen food 50, for example, the food 400 can be thawed in a shorter time compared to the case where the food 400 is irradiated with electromagnetic waves only from above and the sides of the food 400. Further, since water is put into the lower container 100 during the cooking by heating, the thawing of the food 400 is further promoted by the generated high-temperature steam.

[0034] Also, as described above, during the cooking by heating, the opening of the upper container 200 faces downward. Therefore, when the food 400 is thawed to some extent during the cooking by heating, the food 400 falls onto the food 300. That is, both the food 300 and 400 are stored in the lower container 100 at the end of the cooking by heating. Therefore, according to the frozen food 50, since it is not necessary for the user to transfer the food 400 to the lower container 100 after the cooking by heating, the cooking of the frozen food can be performed more easily.

[0035] Also, after the food 400 drops onto the food 300, heat conduction occurs from the hotter food to the colder food among the foods 300 and 400. Therefore, according to the frozen food 50, since heat conduction can occur between the foods 300 and 400, it is possible to suppress a situation where either of the foods 300 and 400 is overheated or underheated.

[0036] Also, in the frozen food 50, since each accommodating portion 210 (FIG. 5) of the upper container 200 includes the side wall portion 230, the surface area of the upper container 200 is larger compared to the case where the upper container has only one accommodating portion. Therefore, according to the frozen food 50, more electromagnetic waves can be irradiated onto the surface of the upper container 200 compared to the case where the upper container has only one accommodating portion, so that the thawing of the food 400 can be further promoted.

[0037] Also, in the frozen food 50, since the upper container 200 includes a plurality of accommodating portions 210, the food 400 that has advanced in thawing and is accommodated in any one of the accommodating portions 210 drops onto the food 300 in order. For example, it has been experimentally found that thawing progresses faster in the outer accommodating portions 210 (accommodating portions 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210F, 210G, 210H, 210I) among the plurality of accommodating portions 210 than in the inner accommodating portion 210 (accommodating portion 210E). Therefore, according to the frozen food 50, it is possible to suppress the food 400 in which thawing has not advanced from dropping onto the food 300, and it is possible to keep the food 400 in which thawing has not advanced inside the upper container 200 as much as possible. That is, according to the frozen food 50, it is possible to suppress all the foods 400 accommodated in the upper container 200 from dropping onto the food 300 at once.

[0038] Also, in the frozen food 50, the outer end in the horizontal direction of the convex portion 260 in the upper container 200 is located inside the upper opening of the lower container 100. That is, the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 do not fit together. Therefore, according to the frozen food 50, since it is not necessary to fit the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 together during cooking, cooking can be easily performed.

[0039] Also, when manufacturing the frozen food 50, the food 400 before freezing poured into any one of the accommodating portions 210 flows into the adjacent accommodating portion 210 through the passage 240 (FIG. 5). Therefore, according to the container 10, even if the food 400 is not individually poured from above each accommodating portion 210, the food 400 can be easily manufactured because the food 400 flows into each accommodating portion 210 only by pouring the food 400 from above any one of the accommodating portions 210.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of each container when transporting and selling the frozen food 50. As shown in FIG. 7, when transporting and selling the frozen food 50, the upper container 200 is arranged on the lower container 100 with the opening facing upward. Since the vertical length H2 of the side wall portion 230A is longer than the vertical length H3 of the convex portion 260, by facing the opening of the upper container 200 upward, the vertical length of the frozen food 50 becomes shorter than that during heat cooking (FIG. 6). That is, the frozen food 50 can be transported and sold in a more compact form than during heat cooking.

[0041] [5. Heat Cooking Procedure] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the heat cooking procedure of the frozen food 50. Referring to FIG. 8, the user of the frozen food 50 removes the upper container 200 from the lower container 100 (step S100). The user puts an appropriate amount of water into the lower container 100 (step S110). The user arranges the upper container 200 on the lower container 100 with the opening of the upper container 200 facing downward (step S120). The user sets the frozen food 50 in the microwave oven and starts heat cooking in the microwave oven (step S130). When heat cooking is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S140), the user takes out the frozen food 50 from the microwave oven (step S150). When the user removes the upper container 200 from the lower container 100, the cooking of the frozen food 50 is completed (step S160).

[0042] [6. Features] As described above, in the container 10 according to the present embodiment, the upper container 200 in which the food 400 is stored has an opening formed downward during cooking. Therefore, when the food 400 is thawed to some extent during cooking, the food 400 falls onto the food 300. That is, at the stage when the cooking is completed, both the foods 300 and 400 are stored in the lower container 100. Therefore, according to the container 10 according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary for the user to transfer the food 400 to the food 300 after cooking, the cooking of the frozen food 50 can be performed more easily.

[0043] Also, after the food 400 falls onto the food 300, heat conduction occurs from the hotter food to the colder food among the foods 300 and 400. Therefore, according to the container 10 according to the present embodiment, since heat conduction can occur between the foods 300 and 400, it is possible to suppress a situation where either the food 300 or 400 is overheated or underheated.

[0044] [7. Modification Example] The embodiments have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit thereof. Hereinafter, modification examples will be described. However, the following modification examples can be combined as appropriate.

[0045] (7-1) In the above embodiment, the number of the storage portions 210 included in the upper container 200 was nine. However, the number of the storage portions 210 included in the upper container 200 is not limited to this. For example, the number of the storage portions 210 included in the upper container 200 may be one to eight, or may be ten or more. Also, the shape of each storage portion 210 in plan view was assumed to be rectangular or pentagonal. However, the shape of each storage portion 210 in plan view is not limited to this. For example, it may be triangular or hexagonal. For example, the upper container 200 may be in the form shown in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the upper container 200X includes a plurality of hexagonal storage portions 210X.

[0046] (7-2) Also, in the above-described embodiment, the passage 240 was formed between the accommodating portions 210 adjacent to each other. However, the passage 240 does not necessarily have to be provided. The accommodating portions 210 adjacent to each other may be spatially completely isolated from each other.

[0047] (7-3) Also, in the above-described embodiment, the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 are not fitted to each other, but the lower container 100 and the upper container 200 may be fitted to each other.

[0048] (7-4) Also, in the above-described embodiment, the vertical length of the side wall portion 230A is set to be 1 / 2 or more of the depth of the upper container 200, but the vertical length of the side wall portion 230A may be less than 1 / 2 of the depth of the upper container 200.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0049] 10 Container, 50 Frozen food, 100 Lower container, 110 Bottom surface portion, 120, 230 Side wall portion, 130, 250 Flange portion, 200, 200X Upper container, 210, 210X Accommodating portion, 220 Upper surface portion, 240 Passage, 260 Protrusion, 300, 400 Food, 310 Water.

Claims

1. A container configured to contain frozen food, comprising: a first container configured to contain a first frozen food; a second container configured to contain a second frozen food and separate from the first container; the first food after thawing is in a colloidal or liquid state; the second food after thawing is in a solid state; an opening is formed downward in the first container during thawing by a microwave oven; an opening is formed upward in the second container during thawing; during thawing, the first container is disposed above the second container; the first container includes a plurality of accommodating portions; each of the plurality of accommodating portions includes an upper surface portion and a side wall portion extending downward from at least a part of the outer periphery of the upper surface portion; each of the plurality of accommodating portions is configured to contain the first food and allow the first food to fall onto the second food during heating adjustment by a microwave oven; the opening of the first container is formed at the entire lower end of the side wall portion in each of the plurality of accommodating portions; the second container includes: a bottom surface portion; a side wall portion extending upward from the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion; the opening of the second container is formed at the upper end of the side wall portion of the second container; the second food is placed on the bottom surface portion during thawing.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein a vertical length of at least a part of the side wall portion is not less than 1 / 2 of the depth of the first container.

3. The side wall portion includes a first side wall portion and a second side wall portion having a shorter vertical length than the first side wall portion; The space in the accommodating portion communicates with the space in an adjacent accommodating portion through a passage formed below the second side wall portion. The container according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The containers according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second containers are configured not to fit together when the first container is disposed above the second container.

5. A frozen food, comprising: the container according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a first frozen food contained in the first container; a second frozen food contained in the second container; the first food after thawing is in a colloidal or liquid state; the second food after thawing is in a solid state.

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