Packaging containers

Abstract

To provide a packaging container which can easily discharge a large amount of steam or the like and which makes it difficult for foreign matter to penetrate inside. [Solution] The packaging container comprises a container body 2 having a fitting portion 24 on the inner side near an opening 23, a lid body 3 having a fitted portion 32 that fits internally into the fitting portion 24, a flange portion 27 provided around the container body 2, and a flange portion 34 and / or skirt portion 35 on the outer edge of the lid body 3 that covers the flange portion 27 of the container body 2.When the fitting portion 24 and the fitted portion 32 are fitted together, there is a connecting air passage 5, which is a gap extending circumferentially around the container, between the fitting portion 24 and the fitted portion 32, and a plurality of exhaust air passages 4 that intersect the connecting air passage 5 and extend vertically from the inside of the container to the outside of the container, and the exhaust outlet 42 of the exhaust air passage 4 is closed by the flange portion 27 of the container body 2 and the flange portion 34 and / or skirt portion 35 of the lid body 3 overlapping each other.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging container that can contain foodstuffs and the like and is particularly suitable for use in a microwave oven. [Background technology]

[0002] In convenience stores, supermarkets, and other retailers, boxed lunches and side dishes are sold in thin-walled plastic containers. These containers are often designed to be heat-resistant so that they can be placed directly in a microwave oven for easy heating.

[0003] When boxed lunches or side dishes are heated in a microwave oven while still in their containers, steam is generated from the food, which can increase the internal pressure of the container and cause the lid to fly off. To prevent this, for example, the lid is opened slightly to create a small gap at the opening before heating the food in the microwave, but this process is cumbersome.

[0004] Therefore, a packaging container has been developed that has a U-shaped slit in the lid so that steam can escape without opening the lid. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a lunch container having a lid body that includes a lid body that covers the opening of the container body, a recess formed in part of the top surface of the lid body, a valve formed by a notch formed in the recess for venting steam generated inside the container body, a tiny steam vent groove formed on the periphery of the recess, and a label attached to the lid body, whose outer periphery is located near the outer end of the steam vent groove and is able to cover the recess and all of the steam vent groove or only part of the outer periphery; this lunch container is designed so that steam generated inside the container body pushes up the valve, enters the recess, passes from the recess through the tiny steam vent groove and can be discharged to the outside.

[0005] Patent Document 2 below discloses a lid having a surface that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction, with a pivot base located on the upper or lower side of this inclined surface, and an inclined valve consisting of a tongue-shaped portion formed by a cut made perpendicular to the horizontal direction.When a certain pressure is exceeded, the tongue-shaped portion of this lid opens smoothly to discharge steam, or when the pressure is reduced, the tongue-shaped portion opens smoothly toward the inside of the container, taking in air from outside the container and preventing the container from collapsing.

[0006] Also, containers have been developed that have exhaust grooves on the edges of the container body to allow steam to escape from inside the container. For example, Patent Document 3 listed below discloses a food packaging container in which the lid fitting portion of the lid body can be forcibly fitted into a container fitting portion formed on the container body, and the lid body is lifted from the container body by steam pressure generated within the container body, and a steam release groove is formed to open and communicate the inside and outside of the container body when the lid body is lifted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-28325 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-195453 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-215259 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Conventional containers have a U-shaped notch on the top surface of the lid or a steam vent groove on the edge of the container body to allow steam generated by heating in a microwave oven or other device to be released. However, when a large amount of steam is generated, the valve or groove cannot release the steam in time because the amount of steam released is small, and the lid is pushed up, risking scattering.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container that can easily release large amounts of steam and the like, and that also makes it difficult for foreign matter such as dust to enter the inside of the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A packaging container according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a container body having a fitting portion on the inner surface side near the opening, and a lid body having a fitted portion that fits into the fitting portion. ,of a connecting air passage extending in the circumferential direction of the container between the fitting portion and the fitted portion when the fitting portion and the fitted portion are fitted together, and a plurality of exhaust air passages connected by the connecting air passage so as to be able to ventilate and extending vertically from the inside of the container to the outside of the container. The exhaust vent passage is formed so as to narrow from the intake port on the inside of the container to the exhaust port on the outside of the container. It is characterized by:

[0011] In this way, by providing a connecting vent passage as a gap extending in the circumferential direction between the fitting part and the fitted part, and by providing multiple exhaust vent passages that intersect with the connecting vent passage, steam that flows in from the exhaust vent passage can be dispersed by the connecting vent passage and discharged from the other exhaust vent passages. Therefore, even if a large amount of steam is generated inside the container, it is appropriately dispersed and discharged into the multiple exhaust vent passages, preventing the internal pressure of the container from increasing and pushing up the lid.

[0012] The packaging container of the above-mentioned form can have a crease recessed in the circumferential direction of the container at the fitting portion, or a crease recessed in the circumferential direction of the container at the fitted portion, so that when the lid body is fitted to the container body, the crease at the fitting portion or the fitted portion serves as a connecting ventilation path, allowing steam to be discharged.

[0013] In the packaging container of the above form, a recess can be provided in the fitting portion or the fitted portion from the inside of the container toward the outside of the container to form an exhaust vent passage. The exhaust vent passage is preferably formed so as to narrow from the inlet on the inside of the container toward the outlet on the outside of the container. By forming the exhaust vent passage as a recess from the inside of the container toward the outside of the container, steam can be easily exhausted to the outside of the container. Furthermore, by forming the exhaust vent passage so as to narrow from the inlet toward the outlet, the outlet can be made smaller, making it more difficult for foreign matter such as dust to enter the inside of the container.

[0014] In the packaging container of the above-mentioned form, the connecting ventilation passage can be provided around the entire periphery of the container, which allows steam to be dispersed all around the periphery, making it easier to exhaust a large amount of steam. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a packaging container of the present invention in an open state. [Figure 2] 2 is a partially enlarged end view of the packaging container shown in FIG. 1 in the vicinity of the opening with the lid open. [Figure 3] 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the packaging container shown in FIG. 1 in the vicinity of an exhaust air vent path with the lid closed. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a partially enlarged end view of the packaging container shown in FIG. 1 in the vicinity of the exhaust air vent path with the lid closed. [Figure 5] 2 is a partially enlarged end view of the packaging container shown in FIG. 1 in the vicinity of the connecting air vent passage with the lid closed. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged end view showing a modified example of the connecting air vent path in the packaging container shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 1. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged end view showing another modified example of the connecting air vent passage in the packaging container shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged end view showing a modified example of the exhaust air vent path in the packaging container shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] A packaging container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 2 and a lid body 3 that can be fitted into the container body 2, as shown in FIG.

[0018] The packaging container 1 is not particularly limited, but can contain food items such as side dishes, cooked rice, noodles, soup, etc., and is particularly preferably used to contain bento lunches, side dishes, soup, etc. that can be heated in a microwave oven. The packaging container 1 has a circular shape when viewed from above, but is not limited to this. For example, it can have a quadrangular shape when viewed from above, such as a square or rectangular shape when viewed from above, a polygonal shape when viewed from above, such as a pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal shape when viewed from above, or an oval shape when viewed from above.

[0019] The packaging container 1 can be produced, for example, by thermoforming a synthetic resin sheet having a thickness of 0.10 mm to 4.0 mm, preferably 0.15 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0020] The synthetic resin sheet is not particularly limited, but may be either a foamed resin sheet or a non-foamed resin sheet, and examples thereof include thermoplastic resin sheets such as polyolefin resin sheets such as polyethylene resin sheets and polypropylene resin sheets, polystyrene resin sheets, polyethylene terephthalate resin sheets, and polyester resin sheets such as modified polyethylene terephthalate resin sheets to which heat resistance has been imparted. Among these, those that can withstand heating in a microwave oven, such as heat-resistant polystyrene resin sheets, polypropylene resin sheets, and modified polyethylene terephthalate resin sheets to which heat resistance has been imparted, are preferred. Furthermore, a laminated sheet can also be used as the synthetic resin sheet. Examples of the laminated sheet include a laminated sheet obtained by thermally laminating a film onto a synthetic resin sheet, a laminated sheet obtained by a co-extrusion method, and a laminated sheet obtained by an extrusion lamination method.

[0021] Examples of thermoforming include vacuum forming, pressure forming, vacuum pressure forming, and hot plate forming.

[0022] The container body 2 and the lid body 3 may be made of the same or different materials. For example, the container body 2 may be made of a foamed resin, and the lid body 3 may be made of a non-foamed resin. Furthermore, the container body 2 and the lid body 3 may be colored, such as black or white, or may be transparent or translucent. The colors of the container body 2 and the lid body 3 may be the same or different; for example, the container body 2 may be white and the lid body 3 may be transparent.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the container body 2 is formed in an inverted truncated cone shape and includes a bottom surface portion 21 that is circular in plan view, a side wall surface portion 22 that rises from the edge of the bottom surface portion 21, an opening portion 23 surrounded by the upper edge of the side wall surface portion 22, and a fitting portion 24 provided on the inner surface side near the opening portion 23.

[0024] The bottom surface 21 is formed as a circular, approximately horizontal surface when viewed from above, and the side wall surface 22 is formed to rise vertically or at an angle from the periphery of the bottom surface 21, so that items such as food can be stored in the area surrounded by the bottom surface 21 and the side wall surface 22.

[0025] The bottom surface 21 is formed with partitions 21a and 21b that protrude upward. The partition portion 21a protrudes in a circular shape near the center of the bottom surface portion 21, and the partition portions 21b are formed at five locations so as to extend radially from the partition portion 21a at approximately equal intervals. The inside of the partition 21a is a circular storage section 25a, and the areas surrounded by the side wall surface 22, the partition 21a, and the partition 22a are fan-shaped storage sections 25b.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the side wall surface portion 22 has an inner surface near the opening 23 formed into a substantially vertical surface, and this portion serves as a fitting portion 24 into which the lid body 3 is fitted. The lower half of the fitting portion 24 is formed in a substantially vertical plane, and the upper half is formed by bulging in a curved shape toward the inside of the container, with the boundary between these being a fold 26 recessed in the circumferential direction of the container.

[0027] The side wall portion 22 has an outwardly projecting flange portion 27 at its upper edge. The flange portion 27 projects outward from the upper edge of the side wall surface portion 22 in a semicircular shape that is convex upward, and its tip portion projects horizontally by a small width.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the lid body 3 is formed in a disk shape and has a top surface portion 31 that is circular in plan view and a mating portion 32 on the outer edge side of the top surface portion 31 that can be internally fitted into the mating portion 24.

[0029] The top surface 31 is a generally horizontal surface that is circular in plan view and can cover the opening 23. A stepped portion 31a that is raised by one step is formed on the outer edge of the top surface 31, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer side of the step portion 31a is formed in a concave angular shape, and the outer surface thereof serves as a fitted portion 32 that fits into the fitting portion 24.

[0030] The upper half of the fitted portion 32 is formed as a substantially vertical surface, and the lower half is formed as an inclined surface that protrudes into the inside of the container, with the boundary between these being a fold 33 that is recessed in the circumferential direction of the container.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, a flange 34 is formed on the upper edge of the fitted portion 32, projecting outward horizontally so as to rest on the flange 27 of the container body 2. The outer edge of the flange 34 is provided with a skirt 35 that is inclined or curved downward and whose tip projects horizontally by a certain width. In addition, as shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of radially extending protrusions are formed at approximately equal intervals on the upper surface of the flange 34, which serve to increase the strength of the flange 34.

[0032] 1, exhaust ventilation paths 4 are provided at appropriate intervals on the outer edge of the lid 3 (near the fitted portion 32 and flange portion 34). In this embodiment, six exhaust ventilation paths 4 are formed at approximately equal intervals. As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, the exhaust ventilation path 4 becomes a passage from the inside of the container to the outside of the container when the lid body 3 is fitted to the container body 2, allowing steam and the like inside the container to be exhausted to the outside. The exhaust vent path 4 is formed by recessing the fitted portion 32 and the flange portion 34 into a rectangular groove, and is tapered from the intake port 41 inside the container toward the exhaust port 42 outside the container, as shown in Figure 3 or 4. This allows the exhaust port 42 to be small, making it difficult for foreign matter such as dust to enter the container. In this embodiment, the tip of the flange 27 of the container body 2 is formed to abut against the inside of the skirt 35 of the lid 3, and the outlet 42 is not normally exposed to the outside. When steam is discharged, the flange 27 and the skirt 35 are pushed apart by the pressure of the steam, allowing the steam to be discharged.

[0033] When the lid body 3 is closed on the container body 2, that is, when the mating portion 32 is mated with the mating portion 24, as shown in Figure 3 or Figure 5, the fold lines 26, 33 form a gap with a parallelogram cross section near the middle of the height, and this gap serves as a connecting air passage 5 extending circumferentially around the container. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting ventilation path 5 intersects with each exhaust ventilation path 4 and can disperse steam and the like sucked in from each intake port 41 to the other exhaust ventilation paths 4. In this embodiment, the connecting ventilation passage 5 is provided continuously around the entire circumference of the container, but it may also be divided into two parts every half a circumference or four parts every quarter of a circumference, as long as at least two exhaust ventilation passages 4 are connected.

[0034] The packaging container 1 can be closed by storing food or the like in the storage sections 25a and 25b, placing the lid body 3 over the opening 23 of the container body 2, and internally engaging the engaging section 24 and the engaged section 32. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, a connecting air passage 5 and an exhaust air passage 4 are formed between the fitting portion 24 and the fitted portion 32.

[0035] When packaging container 1 containing foodstuffs or the like with the lid closed is placed in a microwave oven and heated, a large amount of steam is generated. As shown by the arrows in Figure 3, the steam inside the container flows from intake port 41 into exhaust vent path 4, and some of the steam flows through exhaust vent path 4 and is discharged to the outside of the container from exhaust port 42, while the other steam flows into intersecting connecting vent path 5 and is discharged to the outside of the container from exhaust port 5 of the other exhaust vent path 4.

[0036] In this way, even if a large amount of steam is generated inside the packaging container 1, the steam that flows into the exhaust vent passage 4 is dispersed to other exhaust vent passages 4 by the connecting vent passage 5, so pressure does not concentrate in a certain location, pushing up the lid body 3 and causing it to scatter, and large amounts of steam can be smoothly discharged.

[0037] Furthermore, the outlet 42 can be made smaller, which makes it more difficult for foreign matter such as dust and insects to enter the container.

[0038] In this embodiment, folds 26, 33 are provided in both the mating portion 24 and the mated portion 32 to form the connecting ventilation passage 5, but as shown in Figure 6, the mating portion 24 may be made vertical or inclined, and the fold 33 may be provided only in the mated portion 32 to form the connecting ventilation passage 5, or as shown in Figure 7, the mated portion 32 may be made vertical or inclined, and the fold 26 may be provided only in the mating portion 24 to form the connecting ventilation passage 5.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the exhaust vent passage 4 is formed in the fitted portion 32 and the flange portion 34, but as shown in Fig. 8, only the fitted portion 32 may be recessed in the shape of a rectangular groove to form the exhaust vent passage 4 extending in the vertical direction. When steam is to be exhausted, the pressure of the steam that has flowed into the exhaust vent passage 4 pushes up the flange portion 34 and the skirt portion 35, allowing the steam to be exhausted outside the container. As a result, the exhaust port 42 is normally closed by the flange portion 34, which further prevents the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0040] Furthermore, the exhaust vent passage 4 may be formed by providing a recess in the fitting portion 24 that faces from the inside of the container to the outside of the container. The exhaust vent passage 4 may be provided in either the fitting portion 24 or the fitted portion 32, or may be provided in both. When the exhaust vent passage 4 is provided in both the fitting portion 24 and the fitted portion 32, it is preferable that the two exhaust vent passages 4 overlap when the lid 3 is fitted to the container body 2.

[0041] The configurations of the above-described embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention, and modifications are possible as long as the technical purpose is the same, and the present invention includes such modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 packaging container 2 container bodies 21 Bottom part 21a, 21b partition 22 Side wall section 23 opening 24 fitting part 25a, 25b housing section 26 crease 27 flange 3 lids 31Top section 31a step part 32 mating part 33 crease 34 flange part 35 Skirt Club 4 Exhaust vent 41 inlet 42 outlet 5-connected ventilation channel

Claims

1. A packaging container comprising a container body having a fitting portion on the inner surface side near an opening, and a lid body having a fitted portion that fits internally into the fitting portion, a connecting air passage extending in the circumferential direction of the container between the fitting portion and the fitted portion when the fitting portion and the fitted portion are fitted together, and a plurality of exhaust air passages connected by the connecting air passage so as to be able to ventilate and extending vertically from the inside of the container to the outside of the container, The exhaust vent passage is formed so as to narrow from the intake port on the inside of the container to the exhaust port on the outside of the container. Packaging containers.

2. 2. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the fitting portion is provided with a crease recessed in the circumferential direction of the container.

3. 3. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the fitting portion is provided with a crease recessed in the circumferential direction of the container.

4. 4. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust air passage is formed by providing a recess in the fitting portion that faces from the inside of the container to the outside of the container.

5. 5. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust vent passage is formed by providing a recess in the fitted portion that faces from the inside of the container to the outside of the container.

6. 6. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein the connecting air passage is provided around the entire periphery of the container.

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