Egg containment container and method of use

Abstract

To provide an egg storage container capable of storing a predetermined number of eggs of different sizes in one container and stably holding the eggs, thereby significantly reducing the risk of breaking the eggs.SOLUTION: An egg storage container comprises a container body with one or more storage recesses formed to accommodate eggs. The storage recesses are defined by a bottom wall 62 and a peripheral wall rising from the periphery of the bottom wall. The peripheral wall is a pair of opposing walls, with a first wall 613 on one side and a second wall 614 on the other side. The first wall has at least a first inclined wall 613a that extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall, sloping outward. The second wall has at least a second inclined wall 614a that extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall, sloping outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an egg container capable of containing eggs. More specifically, the present invention relates to an egg storage container (egg carton) that can store a predetermined number of eggs of various sizes (especially chicken eggs) in one container, and that can stably hold the eggs, thereby significantly reducing breakage of the eggs, and a method for using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a case for storing a plurality of eggs is known as an egg carton. Such egg packs have a roughly box-like shape, and the main body case is provided with egg-receiving recesses so that a predetermined number of eggs can be stably stored in accordance with the size of the eggs. In such egg cartons, the lid is closed with eggs placed in the egg-containing recess, and the main body and the lid are generally fastened together at the flange portion of the side edge opposite the side edge that forms the hinge by stapling, gluing together the hinge portions of both bodies with tape, or welding. An example of such an egg carton is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,649,999.

[0003] Patent Publication No. 2022-129656 (Patent Document 1) proposes an egg packaging container that has the same small size (external dimensions) as a small-sized egg packaging container, but can stably store the same number of large-sized eggs.

[0004] This egg packaging container comprises a pair of container bodies (10a) and lid bodies (11a) and (11b) formed from a see-through plastic sheet material into a substantially rectangular planar outline shape of the same size. The pair of container bodies (10a) and lid bodies (11a) and lid bodies (11b) are pivotally connected to each other so as to be able to open and close freely, with opening and closing hinges (16a) and (16b) interposed at the boundaries between adjacent long-side edge flanges (12a) and (12b) and adjacent short-side edge flanges (13a) and (13b) and adjacent short-side edge flanges (15a) and (15b) coming into contact with each other in a palm-on state. The egg packaging container has an interior surrounded by the long-side edge flanges (12a)(12b) and the short-side edge flanges (13a)(13b) of the container body (10a)(10b), in which a plurality of egg-storing recesses (G)(g) each having a substantially truncated conical shape or a truncated octagonal pyramid shape that is depressed downward from the joint plane (OO) are partitioned into two rows in a lattice pattern by partition lattice walls (17a)(17b)(18a)(18b) that are orthogonal in length and width and in such a way that adjacent eggs (E) do not come into contact with each other, The egg packaging container is a large-sized egg packaging container (A) in which the egg storage recess (G) of the container body (10a) is sized to store large-sized eggs (E), For the four of the plurality of large egg storage recesses (G), each consisting of two pairs of recesses arranged adjacent to the short-side edge flange (13a) of the container body (10a), the angle (α) at ​​which the inclined upright wall surface (19a) of the truncated cone shape or truncated regular octagonal pyramid shape intersects with the imaginary vertical plane (Hx-Hx) parallel to the short side of the container body (10a) is set to an angle that is steeper than that of the four corresponding small egg storage recesses (g) for storing small eggs (E) in the small egg packaging container (B), The size of the container body (10a) in the large-sized egg packaging container (A) is kept small, the same as the container body (10b) of the small-sized egg packaging container (B). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-129656 A (Claims, Figures 1 to 3) DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The egg packaging container disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an egg storage recess in its container body that is sized to store large eggs, while the size (external dimensions) of the container body itself remains small, the same as that of the container body of a small-sized egg packaging container. This means that a large-sized egg packaging container containing large (e.g., LL) eggs can be accurately and stably packed together with a small-sized egg packaging container containing smaller (e.g., L) eggs in a small cardboard box that is intended for packing the small-sized egg packaging containers. Therefore, the egg packaging container can only accommodate one specific size of eggs, such as LL size, and it is not possible to accommodate eggs of multiple sizes in one container. Furthermore, the egg size that can be stored in the egg packaging container is up to LL size, and eggs larger than that cannot be stored.

[0007] In view of the current situation, this invention aims to provide an egg storage container and a method for using the same, which can store (or contain) a predetermined number of eggs of multiple sizes (particularly chicken eggs), including eggs larger than LL size, and which can stably hold the eggs, thereby significantly reducing the risk of egg breakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] That is, the invention described in claim 1 of this invention is as follows: An egg container for containing one or more eggs, The container body has one or more storage recesses having a required size that are formed so that the eggs can be stored therein, The accommodating recess is defined by a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from a peripheral edge portion of the bottom wall portion, the peripheral wall portion is a pair of wall portions arranged opposite to each other, and includes a first wall portion arranged on one side in the opposing direction and a second wall portion arranged on the other side in the opposing direction, The first wall portion is at least outwardly curved upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion. , angle between 37° and 47° with respect to the horizontal plane a first inclined wall portion extending at an angle of The second wall portion is at least outwardly extending from the edge of the bottom wall portion upward. Angle between 55° and 65° relative to the horizontal plane and a second inclined wall portion extending at an angle. The egg container is characterized by:

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 of this invention is: The egg container according to claim 1, The angle of the second inclined wall portion is Angle from 55° to 60° with respect to the horizontal plane thing It is characterized by the following.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 of this invention is: Claim 1 In the egg container described in The first wall portion further includes: The third inclined wall portion extends upward from the upper end of the first inclined wall portion and is inclined outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion. thing It is characterized by the following.

[0011] The invention described in claim 4 of this invention is: Claim 3 In the egg container described in The angle of inclination of the third inclined wall portion is Between 70° and 80° with respect to the horizontal plane thing It is characterized by the following.

[0012] The invention described in claim 5 of this invention is: The egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The peripheral wall portion further includes: a pair of wall portions disposed opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second wall portions, the pair of wall portions including a third wall portion disposed on one side of the opposing direction and a fourth wall portion disposed on the other side of the opposing direction; The third and fourth wall portions each include: The bottom wall portion is configured to have an inclined wall portion that extends outward from the edge of the bottom wall portion toward the top at a steeper incline than the first inclined wall portion. It is characterized by the following.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 of this invention is: The egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The container body is A pair of accommodating recesses are provided along the short side direction, The pair of accommodating recesses are The second wall portion of one accommodating recess and the second wall portion of the other accommodating recess are provided so as to face each other. It is characterized by the following.

[0014] The invention described in claim 7 of this invention is: The egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The eggs are The sharp end is positioned on the second wall side and the blunt end is positioned on the first wall side, and the blade is housed in the housing recess with the sharp end facing downward and the long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. It is characterized by the following.

[0015] The invention described in claim 8 of this invention is: The egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The container body is The egg is shrink-packed while containing one or more eggs. It is characterized by the following.

[0016] The invention described in claim 9 of this invention is: 3. The method for using the egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The eggs are The sharp end is positioned on the second wall side and the blunt end is positioned on the first wall side, and the sharp end is placed in the receiving recess with the long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The method for using the egg container is as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The egg container of the present invention is capable of storing one or more eggs and comprises a container body having one or more storage recesses of a required size formed to be able to store the eggs, the storage recesses being defined by a bottom wall and a peripheral wall rising from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall, the peripheral wall having a pair of opposing wall portions, a first wall portion disposed on one side in the opposing direction and a second wall portion disposed on the other side in the opposing direction, the first wall portion having at least a first inclined wall portion extending outwardly at a predetermined inclination angle, preferably an inclination angle of 37° to 47° with respect to the horizontal plane, as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall, and the second wall portion having at least an inclination angle steeper than the first inclined wall portion as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall, preferably an inclination angle of 55° to 65° with respect to the horizontal plane , more preferably 55° or more and 60° or less The second inclined wall portion extends at an angle. Therefore, the egg container can accommodate a predetermined number of eggs of different sizes (especially chicken eggs) and is therefore capable of accommodating eggs of multiple sizes. In particular, the egg container can accommodate eggs of sizes larger than LL size. Furthermore, in the egg storage container, eggs of any size are firmly fixed and stably held in the storage section (storage recess), greatly reducing the risk of egg breakage. In this invention, the first wall portion has at least a first inclined wall portion that extends outward as it moves upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion, at an inclination angle of 37° to 47° with respect to the horizontal plane, and the second wall portion has at least a second inclined wall portion that extends outward as it moves upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion, at an inclination angle of 55° to 65° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0018] Traditionally, eggs have been classified by size, such as SS, S, MS, M, L, and LL (2L), and egg storage containers (egg cartons) with different storage chamber (recess) sizes (dimensions) were required for each size of egg. As a result, conventional egg storage containers were not very versatile and were expensive. Furthermore, most eggs sold at grocery stores are sold in egg cartons that contain a specific number of eggs, such as six or ten eggs, but the eggs in these cartons are either all the same size or are sold in a format where several sizes of eggs are sold by fixed weight (mass).

[0019] The egg container of the present invention can accommodate multiple eggs of different sizes (especially chicken eggs) and can accommodate eggs of almost any size, making it highly versatile and eliminating the need to manufacture egg containers according to the size of the eggs to be stored, thereby keeping costs low.Furthermore, the egg container of the present invention allows a specific number of eggs of multiple sizes (all sizes) to be sold as one unit.

[0020] The egg container may be configured such that the first wall portion further has a third inclined wall portion extending upward from the upper end of the first inclined wall portion and sloping outward at a steeper angle than the first inclined wall portion. With this configuration, eggs are more firmly and stably held within the holding recesses, regardless of the size of the eggs.

[0021] In the egg containing container, the peripheral wall portion can be further configured to have a pair of wall portions arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second wall portions, with a third wall portion arranged on one side of the opposing direction and a fourth wall portion arranged on the other side of the opposing direction, and both the third and fourth wall portions can be configured to have inclined wall portions that extend outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion as they extend upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion. This configuration restricts lateral movement of the eggs, so that the eggs are held more firmly and stably in the holding recesses, regardless of the size of the eggs being held.

[0022] In the egg storage container, a pair of storage recesses can be provided along the short side direction of the container body that constitutes the container, and the pair of storage recesses can be arranged so that the second wall portion of one storage recess and the second wall portion of the other storage recess face each other. With this configuration, the eggs are prevented from moving within the holding recess, so that the eggs are stably held within the holding recess and damage to the eggs is significantly reduced.

[0023] In the egg storage container, the egg is stored in the storage recess with its sharp end facing the second wall portion and its blunt end facing the first wall portion, with the sharp end facing downward and its long axis tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal plane. With this configuration, the eggs are more stably held in the holding recesses, greatly reducing the risk of the eggs being damaged.

[0024] The egg container can be sealed by shrink-wrapping the container body with one or more eggs stored therein.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method of using the egg storage container can be provided in which the egg is stored in the storage recess with its sharp end facing the second wall portion and its blunt end facing the first wall portion, with the sharp end facing downward and its long axis tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal plane. According to this method of use, eggs of any size can be stably held in the holding recess and breakage of the eggs can be significantly reduced. Incidentally, conventionally, there have been no egg containers (egg cartons) that are sold and contain eggs (specifically, their long axes) tilted, and this configuration is unique to the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an egg storage container according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the egg container shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the egg-holding container shown in FIG. 2 taken along the line AA' (transverse cross-section). FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the egg container shown in FIG. 2 taken along the line BB' (longitudinal cross section). FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state in which LL-sized eggs and S-sized eggs are stored in the egg storage container shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the egg container shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the egg container shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line CC'. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the egg-holding container shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line DD' (horizontal cross-section). [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the egg container shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line EE' (longitudinal cross section). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of an egg container according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The egg container of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples or embodiments, and can be modified within the scope of the invention without departing from its essential features.

[0028] An egg storage container 1 (hereinafter referred to as "container 1") according to the present invention mainly comprises a container body 2 large enough to store one or more eggs. In this specification, the direction along the longer side of the egg container may be referred to as the horizontal direction (longer side direction of the container), and the direction along the shorter side as the vertical direction (short side direction of the container).

[0029] In this invention, "eggs" refers to edible bird eggs, including chicken eggs and quail eggs, but particularly preferably refers to chicken eggs. Egg size can be determined by weight in accordance with the Egg Standards Trading Guidelines established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, with 3L size and above being 76g or above, LL size being 70g or above but less than 76g, L size being 64g or above but less than 70g, M size being 58g or above but less than 64g, MS size being 52g or above but less than 58g, S size being 46g or above but less than 52g, and SS size being 40g or above but less than 46g.

[0030] In this specification, the "sharp end" of an egg refers to the pointed tip of the egg, the "blunt end" refers to the end opposite the sharp end that is more rounded than the sharp end, the "body" refers to the part between the sharp end and the blunt end, and the "long axis" refers to the imaginary axis connecting the sharp end and the blunt end.

[0031] In FIG. 1, the container body 2 has a size that can accommodate 10 eggs, and has an overall shape that is long in the left-right direction (lateral direction) and is generally rectangular (rectangular) in plan view. In Figure 1, the container body 2 is configured so that the length X1 of the long side (horizontal direction) is approximately 304 (303.51) mm, the length Y1 of the short side (vertical direction) is approximately 177 (177.23) mm, and the height Z1 is approximately 60 (60.20) mm.

[0032] In this embodiment, the container body 2 is made of a paper sheet in order to reduce the burden on the environment, but it may also be made of a material other than a paper-based material such as a paper sheet, or may be made of a resin-based material such as a resin sheet.

[0033] In FIG. 1, the container body 2 is integrally formed with a flange portion 3 that surrounds the upper outer periphery of the container body 2 and extends horizontally outward from the upper outer periphery. By configuring this flange portion 3 to come into contact with a lid, a film used for shrink packaging, or the like, at least the entire upper portion of the egg container 1 can be sealed.

[0034] In Figure 1, the container body 2 has four vertical partition walls 4, 4, 4, 4 projecting from the bottom surface at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction to form five horizontal rows of recesses, and three horizontal partition walls 5, 5, 5 arranged at predetermined (equidistant) intervals along the lateral direction to divide the recesses, thereby forming storage recesses 6, 6... that can store a total of 10 eggs. Each of the horizontal partition walls 5 is formed to project upward by a required height, so that the sharp ends of the eggs stored therein can be retained, and this configuration prevents the eggs from moving, particularly in the vertical direction. Depending on the number of eggs to be stored, one or more storage recesses 6 may be provided in the container body 2. Therefore, the shape and number of the partition walls 4, 5 may be appropriately selected depending on the number of eggs to be stored.

[0035] The accommodation recess 6 is defined by a bottom wall portion 62 that is substantially rectangular in plan view, and a peripheral wall portion (side surface portion) 61 that rises from a peripheral edge portion 62a of the bottom wall portion 62. The peripheral wall portion 61 is formed so as to widen (expand) outward as it extends upward. The upper side of the peripheral wall portion 61 is open, and the portion surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 61 forms an opening 6a. A flange portion 3 is integrally formed with the peripheral wall portion 61 so as to extend horizontally outward from the upper end edge of the peripheral wall portion 61.

[0036] 1, the peripheral wall 61 has a pair of opposing long-side side walls (wall surfaces extending along the short sides of the container body 2) 611, 612, a pair of opposing short-side side walls (wall surfaces extending along the long sides of the container body 2) 613, 614, and four corner side walls 615 provided between adjacent wall portions. The pair of long-side side walls are arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short-side side walls. The opening 6a is formed to have a generally octagonal shape in a plan view. The shape of the opening is not particularly limited as long as the peripheral wall portion has a pair of walls made up of first and second walls, which will be described later.

[0037] In Fig. 1, a pair of steps 7, 7 are provided along the vertical direction at each of the lateral ends of the container body 2. The step 7 is formed in the vertical center of the outermost wall portion of the storage recess 6 formed at both lateral ends of the container body 2 (long side wall portions 611, 612 in Fig. 1) that extends along the vertical direction of the container body 2, and is formed by forming a recess that protrudes outward from the inner surface of this wall portion and extends outward. The step 7 has a so-called stacking function that allows the containers 1 to be easily removed without being in close contact with each other when two or more containers 1 are stacked.

[0038] The greatest feature of this invention is that the peripheral wall portion 61 is a pair of wall portions arranged opposite each other, comprising a first wall portion (reference symbol 613 in the figure) arranged on one side in the opposing direction and a second wall portion (reference symbol 614 in the figure) arranged on the other side in the opposing direction, and the first wall portion is configured to have at least an inclined wall portion (first inclined wall portion) (reference symbol 613a in the figure) that extends outward at a predetermined inclination angle as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, and the second wall portion is configured to have at least an inclined wall portion (second inclined wall portion) (reference symbol 614a in the figure) that extends outward at a steeper inclination than the first inclined wall portion as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62. According to this configuration, when an egg is stored in the storage recess 6, regardless of the size of the egg, the sharp end of the egg is locked between the bottom wall and the second inclined wall, and the body of the egg is locked between the first inclined wall and the second inclined wall, and is supported by the first inclined wall, as shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, the egg is firmly and stably held in the storage recess 6 regardless of the size.

[0039] The first wall portion is preferably composed of an inclined wall portion (first inclined wall portion) extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion, sloping outward at a predetermined angle, and an inclined wall portion (third inclined wall portion) extending upward from the upper end of this inclined wall portion (first inclined wall portion), sloping outward at a steeper slope than the inclined wall portion (first inclined wall portion).

[0040] In Figure 4, a pair of short side wall portions 613, 614 correspond to the first and second wall portions, respectively, and of these, one side wall portion (first wall portion) 613 is composed of an inclined wall portion 613a extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, sloping outward at a predetermined angle, and an inclined wall portion 613b extending upward from the upper end of this inclined wall portion 613a, sloping outward at a steeper slope than the inclined wall portion 613a. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, in odd-numbered storage recesses from the left, the wall portion (second wall portion) 614 on the other side is composed of an inclined wall portion (second inclined wall portion) 614a extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, sloping outward at a predetermined angle, and an inclined wall portion (fourth inclined wall portion) 614b extending upward from the upper end of this inclined wall portion (second inclined wall portion) 614a, sloping outward at a steeper slope than the inclined wall portion (second inclined wall portion) 614a, and in even-numbered storage recesses from the left, it is composed only of an inclined wall portion (second inclined wall portion) 614a extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, sloping outward at a predetermined angle. Therefore, when eggs are stored in the storage recess 6, regardless of the size of the eggs, the sharp ends 8a, 9a of the eggs 8, 9 are locked between the bottom wall 62 and the second inclined wall 614a, as shown in Fig. 9. In this case, if the egg is small (size M or smaller), the body 8c of the egg 8 is locked between the first inclined wall 613a and the second inclined wall 614a, as shown in Fig. 9, and is supported by the first inclined wall 613a. On the other hand, if the egg is large (size L or larger) and has a relatively thin shell, the body 9c of the egg 9 is locked between the second inclined wall 614a and / or the bottom wall 62 and the first inclined wall 613a, as shown in Fig. 9, and is supported by the first inclined wall 613a. In particular, as shown in Figure 9, the third inclined wall portion 613b functions to prevent the egg (symbol 9 in Figure 9) from moving in a predetermined direction (in particular, the vertical direction of the container 1 in Figure 6) when the egg is large (larger than or equal to dimension L). Therefore, eggs of any size can be held more firmly and stably in the receiving recess 6. In this embodiment, the first inclined wall portion 613a is configured so that the width of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short side wall portions 613, 614) is approximately 22.0 mm to approximately 32.8 mm, and the length of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the width of the inclined surface) is approximately 30.0 mm.However, the first inclined wall portion 613a can be configured so that the width of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short side wall portions 613, 614) is approximately 22 mm to 35 mm, and the length of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the width of the inclined surface) is approximately 26 mm to 39 mm. In addition, in this embodiment, the second inclined wall portion 614a is configured so that the width of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short side wall portions 613, 614) is approximately 14.0 mm to approximately 20.5 mm, and the length of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the width of the inclined surface) is approximately 15.0 mm, but the second inclined wall portion 614a can be configured so that the width of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short side wall portions 613, 614) is approximately 14 mm to 25 mm, and the length of its inclined surface (the length in the direction perpendicular to the width of the inclined surface) is approximately 11 mm to 29 mm.

[0041] The inclination angle of the first inclined wall portion with respect to the horizontal plane H is preferably 37° or more and 47° or less, and more preferably 40° or more and 45° or less. The inclination angle of the second inclined wall portion with respect to the horizontal plane H is preferably 55° or more and 65° or less, and more preferably 58° or more and 62° or less. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined wall portion 613a relative to the horizontal plane H is approximately 42° (41.6°), and the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined wall portion 614a relative to the horizontal plane H is approximately 60° (58.8°).

[0042] The third inclined wall portion is not particularly limited in its configuration as long as it is configured to have a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion. Furthermore, if a fourth inclined wall portion is provided, the fourth inclined wall portion is not particularly limited in its configuration as long as it is configured to have a steeper slope than the second inclined wall portion. The inclination angles of the third inclined wall portion θ3 and the fourth inclined wall portion θ4 with respect to the horizontal plane H are preferably 70° or more and 80° or less, and more preferably 73° or more and 77° or less. In this embodiment, the inclination angles θ3 and θ4 of the third and fourth inclined wall portions with respect to the horizontal plane H are set to approximately 75°.

[0043] Of the wall portions constituting the peripheral wall portion 61, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the wall portions other than the pair of short-side side wall portions 613, 614. For example, the wall portions other than the pair of short-side side wall portions 613, 614 may be configured as a wall surface (one wall surface) extending outward as it moves upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, or as one or more curved surfaces extending outward as it moves upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62 and curving outward, or as one or more bent portions may be provided on the wall surface extending outward as it moves upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, so that the wall portion is formed by a plurality of wall surfaces with different inclination angles. Preferably, the peripheral wall portion 61 further has a pair of wall portions arranged opposite each other in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short side side wall portions 613, 614, comprising a third wall portion (reference symbol 611 in the figure) arranged on one side of the opposing direction and a fourth wall portion (reference symbol 612 in the figure) arranged on the other side of the opposing direction, and the third wall portion is configured to have an inclined wall portion (fifth inclined wall portion) that extends outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion (reference symbol 613a in the figure) as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, and similarly, the fourth wall portion is configured to have an inclined wall portion (sixth inclined wall portion) that extends outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion (reference symbol 613a in the figure) as it extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62. According to this configuration, when an egg is contained in the accommodating recess 6, the body of the egg is locked between the pair of inclined wall portions, i.e., the fifth and sixth inclined wall portions, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, regardless of the size of the egg. Therefore, lateral movement of the egg is restricted, and the egg is held more firmly and stably in the accommodating recess 6, regardless of the size of the egg to be contained.

[0044] In FIG. 3, a pair of long side wall portions 611 and 612 correspond to the third and fourth wall portions, respectively. In FIG. 3, the storage recess 6 provided at both lateral ends of the container 1 has one wall 611 (or 612) made up of three inclined wall portions with different inclination angles, specifically, an inclined wall portion 611a (or 612a) extending upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, inclining outward at a predetermined angle θ5 (an angle steeper than the first inclined wall portion), an inclined wall portion 611b (or 612b) extending upward from the upper end of the inclined wall portion 611a (or 612a), inclining outward at a steeper inclination (inclination angle θ6) than the inclined wall portion 611a (or 612a), and an inclined wall portion 611b (or 612b) extending upward from the upper end of the inclined wall portion 611b (or 612b). The other wall portion 612 (or 611) is configured to have an inclined wall portion 611c (or 612c) that extends outward at a steeper slope (slope angle θ7) than the first inclined wall portion 611b (or 612b), and the other wall portion 612 (or 611) is configured to have two wall portions with different inclination angles, specifically, an inclined wall portion 612a (611a) that extends upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62 at an outward slope at a predetermined angle θ8 (an angle steeper than the first inclined wall portion), and an inclined wall portion 612b (or 611b) that extends upward from the upper end of the inclined wall portion 612a (611a) at a steeper slope (slope angle θ9) than the inclined wall portion 612a (or 611a). In addition, in Figure 3, the three storage recesses 6 provided in the center of the container 1 are configured so that the walls 611, 612 each have inclined wall portions 611a, 612a that extend upward from the edge of the bottom wall portion 62, sloping outward at a predetermined angle θ10 (an angle steeper than the first inclined wall portion), and inclined wall portions 611b, 612b that extend upward from the upper ends of the inclined wall portions 611a, 612a, sloping outward at a steeper angle (inclination angle θ11) than the inclined wall portions 611a, 612a. In this embodiment, the angles θ5, θ8, and θ10 are preferably 45° or more and 55° or less, more preferably 48° or more and 53° or less, with respect to the horizontal plane H; the inclination angles of the angles θ6, θ9, and θ11 are preferably 55° or more and 65° or less, more preferably 58° or more and 62° or less, with respect to the horizontal plane H; and the inclination angle of the angle θ7 is preferably 70° or more and 80° or less, more preferably 73° or more and 77° or less, with respect to the horizontal plane H.

[0045] The size of the storage recess 6 may be set according to the size of the eggs to be stored, and there is no particular limitation. In this embodiment, the storage recess 6 is large enough to store eggs of all sizes, from SS size to over LL size. Specifically, in Figures 1 and 2, the opening 6a is configured so that the vertical length Y2 is approximately 80 mm to 89 mm, the horizontal length X2 is approximately 56 mm to 65 mm, and the height length Z2 is approximately 58 mm to 63 mm. The bottom wall 62 is configured so that a length Y3 in a direction parallel to the opposing direction of the pair of short-side side walls 613, 614 is approximately 22 mm, and a length X3 in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the pair of short-side side walls 613, 614 (a direction parallel to the opposing direction of the pair of long-side side walls 611, 612) is approximately 20 mm. The length Y3 is, for example, 12 mm to 53 mm, and preferably 22 mm to 45 mm, and the length X3 is, for example, 10 mm to 35 mm, and preferably 20 mm to 30 mm. The length between the upper edge of the first inclined wall portion 613a and the upper edge of the second inclined portion 614a facing the first inclined wall portion 613a is set to be approximately 53 mm or more and 85 mm or less, and the length between the upper edge of the inclined wall portion 611a and the upper edge of the inclined wall portion 612a facing the inclined wall portion 611a is set to be approximately 35 mm or more and 75 mm or less.

[0046] In the present invention, a plurality of the accommodating recesses 6 may be provided in the container body 2. In particular, a pair of the accommodating recesses 6 may be provided along the short-side direction of the container body 2. In this case, the accommodating recesses 6, 6 are preferably provided such that the second wall portion 614 of one accommodating recess 6 and the second wall portion 614 of the other accommodating recess 6 face each other, that is, the first wall portion 613 is preferably positioned outside the container body 2 in the short-side direction. With this configuration, when eggs are stored in container 1 at a predetermined angle, and container 1 is vibrated left and right (vertical in Figures 1 and 2), the eggs become locked in a predetermined position (ideal position) inside storage recess 6. Therefore, the eggs are stably held in the receiving recesses and prevented from moving, thereby significantly reducing breakage of the eggs.

[0047] In a container 1 having such a configuration, the egg is stored in the storage recess 6 with its blunt end positioned on the side of the first wall 613 having the first inclined wall 613a with a relatively gentle slope, and its sharp end positioned on the side of the second wall 614 having the second inclined wall 614a with a relatively steep slope, and with the sharp end facing downward, its long axis (indicated by symbols 8d and 9d in Figure 9) inclined relative to the horizontal plane H. Therefore, when the egg stored in the storage recess 6 is small (size M or smaller), as shown in Figures 7 and 9, the sharp end of the egg is engaged between the bottom wall surface 62 and the second inclined wall portion 614a of the second wall portion 614, and further, the body of the egg is engaged between the second inclined wall portion 614a and the first inclined wall portion 613a of the first wall portion 613, and is supported by the first inclined wall portion 613a. Furthermore, when the egg stored in the storage recess 6 is large (larger than dimension L), as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the sharp end of the egg is engaged between the bottom wall surface 62 and the second inclined wall portion 614a of the second wall portion 614, and further, the body of the egg is engaged between the second inclined wall portion 614a and / or the bottom wall portion 62 and the first inclined wall portion 613a, and is supported by the first inclined wall portion 613a, and movement in a predetermined direction (particularly, the vertical direction of the container 1 in Figure 6) is prevented by the third inclined wall portion 613b. Therefore, regardless of the size of the egg, the egg is stably held in the receiving recess, and breakage of the egg is significantly reduced.

[0048] Because container 1 according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, if an egg is stored in storage recess 6 with its blunt end positioned on the first wall 613 (specifically, first inclined wall 613a) side and its sharp end positioned on the second wall 614 (specifically, second inclined wall 614a) side, and with its sharp end pointing downward and its long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal, the egg will be stably held in container 1 (specifically, storage recess 6). This significantly reduces the risk of the egg breaking. That is, the egg container according to the present invention is used by storing eggs in the above-mentioned state, and the method of using such an egg container is also encompassed by the present invention.

[0049] In this embodiment, the container 1 is configured to hold 10 eggs, but it may be configured to hold any suitable number of eggs greater than 1, such as 2, 4, or 6 eggs. In this case, at least one of the storage recesses for storing eggs can have the same characteristic structure as the storage recess of the present invention.

[0050] Furthermore, container 1 of the present invention is configured so that eggs are stored in the storage recess with their sharp ends facing downward, with the sharp ends positioned inside the storage recess and the blunt ends positioned outside the storage recess, thereby further improving the stability of the eggs in container 1. Therefore, container 1 of the present invention is suitable for storing not only regular-sized eggs (S, MS, M), but also large eggs with thin shells, such as L and LL eggs, and extra-large eggs of 3L or more.

[0051] In the present invention, the egg container containing the eggs may be sealed by conventional methods. In this case, for example, a method can be adopted in which a hinge portion is formed on the periphery of the container 1 (the upper outer peripheral edge such as the flange portion) and a lid body that is attached so as to be able to open and close via this hinge portion and that can cover the entire upper part of the container 1 is used for sealing, or a method can be adopted in which at least the entire upper part of the container 1 is sealed by shrink wrapping.

[0052] [Configurations included in the embodiments of the present invention] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) An egg storage container for storing one or more eggs, The container body has one or more storage recesses having a required size that are formed so that the eggs can be stored therein, The accommodating recess is defined by a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from a peripheral edge portion of the bottom wall portion, the peripheral wall portion is a pair of wall portions arranged opposite to each other, and includes a first wall portion arranged on one side in the opposing direction and a second wall portion arranged on the other side in the opposing direction, The first wall portion has at least a first inclined wall portion that extends outwardly at a predetermined inclination angle from an edge portion of the bottom wall portion toward the upper side, The second wall portion has at least a second inclined wall portion that extends outward from the edge of the bottom wall portion upward at a steeper inclination than the first inclined wall portion. An egg container characterized by: (Configuration 2) The egg container according to Configuration 1, wherein the first inclined wall portion is inclined at an angle of 37° or more and 47° or less with respect to a horizontal plane. (Configuration 3) The egg storage container according to Configuration 2, wherein the second inclined wall portion is inclined at an angle of 55° or more and 65° or less with respect to a horizontal plane. (Configuration 4) An egg storage container as described in any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the first wall portion is further configured to have a third inclined wall portion extending upward from the upper end of the first inclined wall portion and inclining outward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion. (Configuration 5) The peripheral wall portion further includes a pair of wall portions arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to the facing direction of the first and second wall portions, the pair of wall portions including a third wall portion arranged on one side of the facing direction and a fourth wall portion arranged on the other side of the facing direction, An egg storage container as described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the third and fourth wall portions are both configured to have inclined wall portions that extend outward from the edge of the bottom wall portion upward at a steeper slope than the first inclined wall portion. (Configuration 6) An egg storage container according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the container body is configured to have a pair of storage recesses along its short side direction, and the pair of storage recesses are configured so that the second wall portion of one storage recess faces the second wall portion of the other storage recess. (Configuration 7) An egg storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the egg is stored in the storage recess with its sharp end facing the second wall portion and its blunt end facing the first wall portion, with the sharp end facing downward and its long axis tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal plane. (Configuration 8) The egg container according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the container body is shrink-packaged while housing one or more eggs. (Configuration 9) A method for using the egg-holding container according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, The egg is placed in the storage recess with its sharp end facing the second wall portion and its blunt end facing the first wall portion, with the sharp end facing downward and the long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. A method for using an egg container. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] The egg container (egg carton) of the present invention is capable of storing eggs of various sizes in one container, and can maintain the eggs in the container without damaging them. Therefore, this egg container is widely used, especially in the food industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 egg container 2 Container body 3 Flange 4 Vertical partition walls 5 Horizontal partition wall (movement prevention wall) 6. Storage recess (recess for storing eggs) 61 Peripheral wall section 611 Long side wall (third wall) 612 Long side wall (fourth wall) 613 Short side wall (first wall) 613a 1st inclined wall section 613b Third inclined wall section 614 Short side wall (second wall) 614a 2nd inclined wall section 614b 4th inclined wall section 62 Bottom wall 62a Periphery 7 step part 8 eggs (SS size) 8a Sharp edge 8b Blunt end 8c Torso 8d long axis 9 eggs (3L size) 9a Sharp edge 9b Blunt end 9c Torso 9d long axis X1 Horizontal length of container X2 Horizontal length of opening Y1 Vertical length of the container Y2 Vertical length of opening Z1 Container height Z2 Height of the receiving recess

Claims

1. An egg container for containing one or more eggs, The container body has one or more storage recesses having a required size that are formed so that the eggs can be stored therein, The accommodating recess is defined by a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion rising from a peripheral edge portion of the bottom wall portion, the peripheral wall portion is a pair of wall portions arranged opposite to each other, and includes a first wall portion arranged on one side in the opposing direction and a second wall portion arranged on the other side in the opposing direction, The first wall portion has at least a first inclined wall portion extending outwardly from an edge portion of the bottom wall portion upward at an angle of 37° to 47° with respect to a horizontal plane, The second wall portion has at least a second inclined wall portion that extends outward from the edge of the bottom wall portion upward at an angle of 55° to 65° with respect to a horizontal plane. An egg container characterized by:

2. The angle of the second inclined wall portion is The angle must be between 55° and 60° relative to the horizontal plane.

2. The egg container according to claim 1,

3. The first wall portion further includes: The third inclined wall portion extends upward from the upper end of the first inclined wall portion and is inclined outward at a steeper gradient than the first inclined wall portion.

2. The egg container according to claim 1,

4. The angle of inclination of the third inclined wall portion is The angle must be between 70° and 80° relative to the horizontal plane.

4. The egg container according to claim 3,

5. The peripheral wall portion further includes: a pair of wall portions disposed opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the first and second wall portions, the pair of wall portions including a third wall portion disposed on one side of the opposing direction and a fourth wall portion disposed on the other side of the opposing direction; The third and fourth wall portions each include: The bottom wall has an inclined wall portion extending outward from the edge of the bottom wall portion toward the top at a steeper angle than the first inclined wall portion.

3. The egg container according to claim 1 or 2,

6. The container body is A pair of accommodating recesses are provided along the short side direction, The pair of accommodating recesses are The second wall portion of one accommodating recess and the second wall portion of the other accommodating recess are provided so as to face each other.

3. The egg container according to claim 1 or 2,

7. The eggs are The sharp end is positioned on the second wall side and the blunt end is positioned on the first wall side, and the shaft is housed in the housing recess with the sharp end facing downward and the long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

3. The egg container according to claim 1 or 2,

8. The container body is The egg is shrink-packed while containing one or more eggs.

3. The egg container according to claim 1 or 2,

9. 3. The method for using the egg container according to claim 1 or 2, The eggs are The sharp end is positioned on the second wall side and the blunt end is positioned on the first wall side, and the sharp end is placed in the receiving recess with the long axis tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. A method for using an egg container.

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