Pulp molded container

Abstract

To provide a pulp mold container that is an internally mated pulp mold container and can maintain the mating strength even when an inverted taper shape is not used therefor.SOLUTION: The pulp mold container includes: a container body being a housing with a bottom; and a lid fitted to the container body. The container body and the lid each having a body side wall portion and a lid side wall portion that are engaged with each other, the body side wall portion including a first resin film layer forming an engagement surface thereof, the lid side wall portion including a second resin film layer forming an engagement surface thereof. The engagement surface of the lid side wall portion adheres to the engagement surface of the body side wall portion of the container body and is configured to be removably in-fitted, and the hardness of the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer is greater in one than in the other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pulp molded container used for housing foods and the like.

Background Art

[0002] In food containers used for housing foods and the like, as a fitting form with a high effect of preventing liquid leakage of the contents, a resin inner fitting container with a lid in which a fitting portion of the lid is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the side wall portion of the upper opening of the container body is known.

[0003] Generally, in a resin inner fitting container with a lid, the fitting portion on the inner surface of the side wall portion of the upper opening portion of the container body is formed in an inverted taper shape, and the fitting portion of the lid is formed in a tapered shape corresponding to the inner surface of the inverted taper-shaped side wall portion of the container body (for example, Patent Document 1). In the case of a resin inner fitting container with a lid, since the fitting portion of the lid is in close contact with the inner surface of the side wall portion of the container body and fits deeply, liquid leakage of the contents is less likely to occur than in an outer fitting container in which the lid is externally fitted to the container body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Recently, in the food container market, there has been a growing demand for containers made from biodegradable materials, including pulp molded containers, from an environmental protection perspective. Pulp molded containers are manufactured by dissolving pulp fibers in water, molding and dewatering them using a predetermined mold shaped to match the container, and then drying them. In this manufacturing process, the molded containers must be removed from the mold before drying. However, if the side walls of the upper opening of the container body are tapered in a reverse shape, it becomes difficult to remove the molded containers from the mold. In other words, it is difficult to manufacture pulp molded containers with internal fittings.

[0006] Therefore, instead of adopting a reverse tapered shape for the side walls of the container body, it is necessary to make it easier to remove the molded container by, for example, making the side walls of the container body perpendicular to the bottom wall of the container body. On the other hand, if a reverse tapered shape is not adopted for the side walls of the container body, the fit of the lid, which is tightly fitted to the fitting part on the inner surface of the side walls of the container body, will be weaker, and there is a risk that the fitting strength between the container body and the lid will decrease.

[0007] In light of the above background, the object of the present invention is to provide a pulp molded container with an internal fitting mechanism that can maintain fitting strength even when an inverse tapered shape is not adopted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A pulp molded container (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a container body (2) with a bottomed casing and a lid (3) fitted to the container body (2), wherein the container body (2) and the lid (3) each have a body-side side wall portion (second side wall portion) (7) and a lid-side side wall portion (fourth side wall portion) (12) that engage with each other, the body-side side wall portion (7) includes a first resin film layer (15) that forms its engagement surface, and the lid-side side wall portion (12) includes a second resin film layer (15) that forms its engagement surface, the engagement surface of the lid-side side wall portion (12) is configured to be in close contact with the engagement surface of the body-side side wall portion (7) of the container body (2) and to be detachably fitted inside, and the hardness of the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) is greater than that of the other.

[0009] With this configuration, in the internally fitted pulp molded container (1), layers of resin film with different hardnesses are provided on the engagement surfaces of the container body (2) and the lid (3), thereby improving adhesion and maintaining fitting strength.

[0010] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, the hardness of the first resin film layer (15) may be greater than that of the second resin film layer (16).

[0011] With this configuration, the difference in hardness of the synthetic resin film makes it possible to increase the fitting strength between the container body (2) and the lid (3).

[0012] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) may be selected from PET, PP, PLA, PBS, or CCP.

[0013] According to this configuration, the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) can be manufactured using appropriate materials.

[0014] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, one of the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) may be PET and the other may be PP.

[0015] With this configuration, the difference in hardness between PET and PP allows for a stronger fit between the container body (2) and the lid (3).

[0016] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) may be either PET or PLA.

[0017] With this configuration, the hardness and elasticity of PET or PLA allow the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) to be attached even when the inner surface shape of the container body (2) and lid (3) is complex.

[0018] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, the first resin film layer (15) and the second resin film layer (16) may have a thickness of 30 to 50 μm.

[0019] With this configuration, the fitting strength can be increased in response to changes in the shape of the engagement surface between the container body (2) and the lid (3).

[0020] In the pulp molded container (1) described above, the main body side wall portion (7) may have a mesh-like pattern of irregularities on the engaging surface.

[0021] With this configuration, the mesh-like irregularities formed on the container body (2) increase the frictional force, resulting in a stronger fit between the container body (2) and the lid (3) when they are fitted together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] This configuration allows for maintaining the fitting strength in the internally fitted pulp molded container (1). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] [Figure 1] Exploded perspective view of the pulp molded container according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the container body according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the lid according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the pulp molded container according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 5] View showing the manufacturing process of the container body according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 6] View showing the manufacturing process of the container body according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 7] Exploded perspective view of the pulp molded container according to the second embodiment of the present invention [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of the container body according to the second embodiment of the present invention [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the lid according to the second embodiment of the present invention [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of the pulp molded container according to the second embodiment of the present invention [Figure 11] Perspective view of the pulp molded container according to the second embodiment of the present invention

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, the pulp molded container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0025] <<First Embodiment>> The pulp molded container 1 of the present invention is a sealed container for storing foods such as cooked rice and side dishes. As shown in FIG. 1, it has a container body 2 and a lid 3 that fits inside the container body 2. In this specification, "above" refers to the side of the container body 2 when the pulp molded container 1 is placed on a horizontal plane, and "below" refers to the side of the lid 3. Also, hereinafter, the inner surface generally refers to the surface facing the inside of the container body 2.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the container body 2 is formed as a bottomed housing and has a substantially rectangular bottom wall 4, an annular first side wall portion 5 extending upward from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 4, an annular first flange portion 6 extending outward from the upper end of the first side wall portion 5, an annular second side wall portion (body side wall portion) 7 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the first flange portion 6, and an annular second flange portion 8 extending outward from the second side wall portion 7 and defining the upper opening of the container body 2.

[0027] As described above, the second flange portion 8 is located above the first flange portion 6. Furthermore, a second side wall portion 7 is provided between the outer edge of the first flange portion 6 and the inner edge of the second flange portion 8. This creates a step between the first flange portion 6 and the second flange portion 8.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the second side wall portion 7 preferably has a taper angle θ of about 0.5 to 1 degree such that its upper end widens outward in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the second side wall portion has a taper angle θ of 0.5 degrees.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the lid 3 has a roughly rectangular upper wall 9 in plan view, an annular third side wall portion 10 extending downward from the peripheral edge of the upper wall 9, an annular third flange portion 11 extending outward from the lower end of the third side wall portion 10, an annular fourth side wall portion (lid side wall portion) 12 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the third flange portion 11, and an annular fourth flange portion 13 extending outward from the upper end of the fourth side wall portion 12.

[0030] As described above, a fourth side wall portion 12 is provided between the outer edge of the third flange portion 11 and the inner edge of the fourth flange portion 13. This creates a step between the third flange portion 11 and the fourth flange portion 13.

[0031] The fourth side wall portion 12 may have a taper angle θ' of about 0.5 to 1 degree such that its upper end widens outward in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the fourth side wall portion 12 has a taper angle θ' of 1 degree.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the fitting structure between the container body 2 and the lid 3 is an internal fitting structure. This internal fitting structure is achieved by the close contact between the engaging surface of the second side wall portion 7 of the container body 2 and the engaging surface of the fourth side wall portion 12 of the lid 3, the close contact between the engaging surface of the first flange portion 6 of the container body 2 and the engaging surface of the third flange portion 11 of the lid 3, and the close contact between the engaging surface of the second flange portion 8 of the container body 2 and the engaging surface of the fourth flange portion 13 of the lid 3. When the container body 2 and the lid 3 are fitted together, the engaging surface of the second side wall portion 7 of the container body 2 and the engaging surface of the fourth side wall portion 12 of the lid 3 are in close contact. In addition, the engaging surface of the first flange portion 6 is in close contact with the engaging surface of the third flange portion 11, and the engaging surface of the second flange portion 8 is in close contact with the engaging surface of the fourth flange portion 13. This restricts the movement of the lid 3 in the fitting direction relative to the container body 2, and ensures that their fitted state is stably maintained.

[0033] In the internal fitting structure of the pulp molded container 1 of the present invention, either or both of the first flange portion 6 of the container body 2 and the third flange portion 11 of the lid 3 may be omitted. When the first flange portion 6 is omitted, the container body 2 has a substantially rectangular bottom wall 4, an annular first side wall portion 5 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 4, an annular second side wall portion 7 extending upward in a planar manner from the upper end of the first side wall portion 5, and an annular second flange portion 8 extending outward from the second side wall portion 7 and defining the upper opening of the container body 2. When the third flange portion is omitted, the lid 3 has a substantially rectangular top wall 9 in plan view, an annular third side wall portion 10 extending downward from the periphery of the top wall 9, an annular fourth side wall portion 12 extending upward from the lower end of the third side wall portion 10, and an annular fourth flange portion 13 extending outward from the upper end of the fourth side wall portion 12. If either or both of the first flange portion 6 and the third flange portion 11 are absent, the internal fitting structure is achieved by the close contact between the engaging surface of the second side wall portion 7 and the engaging surface of the fourth side wall portion 12, and by the close contact between the engaging surface of the second flange portion 8 and the engaging surface of the fourth flange portion 13.

[0034] Similarly, either or both of the second flange portion 8 of the container body 2 and the fourth flange portion 13 of the lid 3 may be omitted. If the second flange portion 8 is omitted, the container body 2 has a substantially rectangular bottom wall 4, an annular first side wall portion 5 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 4, an annular first flange portion 6 extending outward from the upper end of the first side wall portion 5, and an annular second side wall portion 7 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the first flange portion 6. If the fourth flange portion 13 is omitted, the lid 3 has a substantially rectangular top wall 9, an annular third side wall portion 10 extending downward from the periphery of the top wall 9, an annular third flange portion 11 extending outward from the lower end of the third side wall portion 10, and an annular fourth side wall portion 12 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the third flange portion 11. If the container body 2 does not have a second flange portion 8 and the lid 3 does not have a fourth flange portion 13, an internal fitting structure is achieved by the close contact between the engaging surface of the second side wall portion 7 and the engaging surface of the fourth side wall portion 12, and by the close contact between the engaging surface of the first flange portion 6 and the engaging surface of the third flange portion 11.

[0035] The second side wall portion 7 and the fourth side wall portion 12 should have the same height (vertical width), or the upper edge of the second side wall portion 7 should extend to a position slightly higher than the upper edge of the fourth side wall portion 12. In that case, for example, the vertical width of the second side wall portion 7 should be approximately 6.5 mm to 7 mm, and the vertical width of the fourth side wall portion 12 should be approximately 6 to 7 mm. By the second side wall portion 7 being at the same height as the fourth side wall portion 12, or extending to a position slightly higher than the fourth side wall portion 12, when the lid 3 is fitted onto the container body 2, the engagement surface of the first flange portion 6 and the engagement surface of the third flange portion 11, and the engagement surface of the second flange portion 8 and the engagement surface of the fourth flange portion 13 are ensured to be in close contact, thus maintaining a stable fitted state.

[0036] The outer edge of the fourth flange portion 13 of the lid 3 is provided with at least one tongue piece 14 to facilitate the opening of the lid 3. The tongue piece 14 is provided at at least one corner of the lid 3, which has a substantially rectangular outer shape in plan view. The tongue piece 14 extends outward from the peripheral edge of the fourth flange portion 13. When the container body 2 and the lid 3 are fitted together, the tongue piece 14 extends outward beyond the outer peripheral edge of the second flange portion 8 of the container body 2 in plan view. When the container body 2 and the lid 3 are fitted together, the user can easily remove the lid 3 from the container body 2 by grasping the tongue piece 14 with two fingers and lifting the lid 3 upward.

[0037] The inner surface of the container body 2 has fine mesh-shaped irregularities 26. As shown in Figure 6, these mesh-shaped irregularities 26 are formed on one surface of the base member 24 that is in contact with the wire mesh 18 when the base member 24 that forms the pulp molded container 1 is pressed against the wire mesh 18 attached to a predetermined mold 17, which will be described later, during the papermaking process of the pulp molded container 1.

[0038] The pulp molded container 1 of the present invention has a mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26 on the inner surface of the container body 2, while the inner surface of the lid 3 does not have a mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26. That is, the engagement surfaces of the second side wall portion 7, the first flange portion 6, and the second flange portion 8 of the container body 2 have a mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26, but the engagement surfaces of the fourth side wall portion 12, the third flange portion 11, and the fourth flange portion 13 of the lid 3 do not have a mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26. When the container body 2 and the lid 3 are fitted together, the mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26 formed on the engagement surface of the container body 2 comes into close contact with the engagement surface of the lid 3 where the mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26 is not formed, increasing the frictional force and thus increasing the fitting strength of the container body 2 and the lid 3.

[0039] The inner surface of the container body 2 has a first resin film layer 15, and the inner surface of the lid 3 has a second resin film layer 16. The first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 are formed by laminating synthetic resin films onto a base member 24 made of pulp fibers that form the pulp molded container 1. The first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 are synthetic resin films formed in sheet form. The material of the synthetic resin film may be selected from, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PLA (polylactic acid), PBS (polybutylene succinate), or CCP (unoriented polypropylene). The material of the synthetic resin film used in the present invention is not limited to these, and any sheet-like synthetic resin film that can be attached to a member made of pulp fibers is acceptable.

[0040] When the first resin film layer 15 is attached to the base member 24, the mesh-like shape of the irregularities 26 formed on the base member 24 is reflected on the first resin film layer 15. Therefore, the inner surface of the container body 2 having the first resin film layer 15 has mesh-like shape irregularities 26.

[0041] The thickness of the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 is preferably about 30 μm to 50 μm. By appropriately changing the thickness of the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 in accordance with changes in the shape of the inner surface of the container body 2 and the inner surface of the lid 3, the fitting strength of the container body 2 and the lid 3 can be increased. In the pulp molded container 1 of the present invention, the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 each have a thickness of 50 μm.

[0042] When the inner surface shape of the base member 24 of the container body 2 and the inner surface shape of the base member 24 of the lid 3 are complex, it is preferable that the material of the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 be PET or PLA. PET or PLA is not too soft and has excellent elasticity. Therefore, even when the inner surface shape of the container body 2 and the lid 3 are complex, it is possible to prevent the formation of unnecessary wrinkles when attaching the synthetic resin film. As a result, by using PET or PLA, the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 can be uniformly attached to the base member 24.

[0043] The same material may be used for the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16, but materials with different hardnesses may also be used for each layer. For example, the hardness of one layer of the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16 may be greater than the hardness of the other layer. By creating a difference in hardness between the first resin film layer 15 of the container body 2 and the second resin film layer 16 of the lid 3 in this way, the fitting strength between the container body 2 and the lid 3 can be increased.

[0044] In the pulp molded container 1 of the present invention, the hardness of the first resin film layer 15 is greater than the hardness of the second resin film layer 16. Here, "hardness" refers to the ultra-micro hardness as defined in JIS Z2255. This ultra-micro hardness is calculated from the test load and the indentation depth of the indenter when a target load is applied using a triangular pyramidal diamond indenter. Specifically, the first resin film layer 15 is made of PET, and the second resin film layer 16 is made of PP, a synthetic resin film that is softer than PET. As described above, a mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26 is formed on the inner surface of the container body 2. Therefore, when the container body 2 and the lid 3 are fitted together, the inner surface of the lid 3, which has the second resin film layer 16 made of PP, which is softer than PET, fits tightly into the mesh-shaped pattern of irregularities 26 on the inner surface of the container body 2, which has the first resin film layer 15 made of PET. Thus, when a mesh-like pattern of irregularities 26 is formed on the inner surface of either the container body 2 or the lid 3, the adhesion during fitting can be improved by attaching a softer synthetic resin film to the inner surface of the other body, thereby further increasing the fitting strength between the container body 2 and the lid 3.

[0045] The container body 2 and lid 3 of the present invention are manufactured by first forming a pulp slurry obtained by dissolving a base member 24 using a predetermined mold 17, then dewatering, drying, and molding it, and finally attaching a synthetic resin film to the inner surfaces of the container body 2 and lid 3. The manufacturing process will be described below.

[0046] The mold 17 consists of an upper mold 19 and a lower mold 20. Figures 5 and 6 show the upper mold 19 and lower mold 20 used in the manufacture of the container body 2. In Figures 5 and 6, the lower mold 20 is fixed at the bottom, and the upper mold 19 is provided to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0047] The lower mold 20 has a recess 21 that opens upward and includes an inner circumferential surface 21A having the same shape as the outer shape of the container body 2. The upper mold 19 has a convex portion 22 that protrudes downward and includes an outer circumferential surface 22A having the same shape as the outer shape of the container body 2. The outer circumferential surface 22A of the convex portion 22 of the upper mold 19 is fitted into the inner circumferential surface 21A of the recess 21 of the lower mold 20 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0048] The lower mold 20 is provided with multiple dewatering channels 23 that penetrate the inner circumferential surface 21A of the recess 21 and extend to the outside of the mold. The dewatering channels 23 are connected to a predetermined drainage passage (not shown) located below the lower mold 30. A heating device (not shown) is provided above the upper mold 19. A wire mesh 18, formed in the same shape as the outer shape of the container body 2, is attached to the outer circumferential surface 22A of the protrusion 22 of the upper mold 19.

[0049] Next, the molding method for the container body 2 of the present invention will be described. First, as shown in Figure 5, pulp slurries are sucked from the outer surface of the wire mesh 18 of the upper mold 19, and the base member 24 is formed onto the wire mesh 18. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the convex portion 22 of the upper mold 19 is lowered from above toward the recess 21 of the lower mold 20, and the convex portion 22 of the upper mold 19 and the recess 21 of the lower mold 20 sandwich the formed base member 24. The outer peripheral surface 22A of the convex portion 22 of the upper mold 19 and the inner peripheral surface 21A of the recess 21 of the lower mold 20 engage, thereby applying pressure to the formed base member 24. At the same time, heating is performed by a heating device. This dewaters and dries the base member 24 formed onto the wire mesh 18. The water removed from the base member 24 formed onto the wire mesh 18 is discharged through the dewatering channel 23 to a drain channel (not shown) outside the mold. Furthermore, in this process, the container body 2 is formed by press molding of the base member 24 by pressing the upper mold 19 and the lower mold 20. In this embodiment, the dewatering channel 23 is provided only in the lower mold 20, but a dewatering channel may also be provided in the upper mold 19 as appropriate.

[0050] As described above, the wire mesh 18 is attached to the outer circumferential surface 22A of the protrusion 22 of the upper die 19. The wire mesh 18 is a woven wire mesh formed by weaving fine metal wires at predetermined intervals in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the wire mesh 18 is formed by a plain weave in which the vertical and horizontal metal wires intersect one by one. In addition, the wire mesh 18 may be formed by a twill weave, herringbone weave, plain tatami weave, and twill tatami weave. In the process of press molding by pressing the upper die 19 and the lower die 20, the mesh shape of the woven wire mesh described above, with its irregularities 26, is transferred to the wire mesh 18 side of the base member 24 that has been cut out, i.e., to the inner surface of the container body 2.

[0051] The lid 3 is also molded in the same process as the container body 2 by using an upper mold having a convex portion 22 formed in the same shape as the outer shape of the lid 3 and a lower mold having a concave portion 21. In the pulp molded container 1 of this application, the outer surface of the lid 3 is molded so that it faces the side of the wire mesh 18 attached to either the upper or lower mold. Therefore, the mesh-shaped irregularities 26 of the wire mesh 18 are transferred to the outer surface of the lid 3, while the mesh-shaped irregularities 26 of the wire mesh 18 are not transferred to the inner surface of the molded lid 3.

[0052] After the container body 2 is molded, a first resin film layer 15 is formed by attaching a synthetic resin film to the base member 24 that forms the container body 2. The process for forming the first resin film layer 15 is briefly described below.

[0053] First, a sheet-like synthetic resin film is placed between an upper mold and a lower mold, both formed to be the same shape as the container body 2. Next, an adhesive is applied to the lower surface of the synthetic resin film. The adhesive may be any known type. Then, the container body 2 is placed below the heated synthetic resin film, with the opening of the container body 2 facing upwards. Next, the upper mold is lowered from above toward the lower mold, and the container body 2 and the synthetic resin film are sandwiched between the upper and lower molds, thereby pressing the synthetic resin film and the container body 2 together. As a result, the synthetic resin film is attached to the opening side of the container body 2 from above the base member 24. Finally, the excess synthetic resin film protruding from the container body 2 is cut off using a cutting machine (not shown). As a result, the first resin film layer 15 is formed on the inner surface of the container body 2.

[0054] For the lid 3, a second resin film layer 16 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 3 using an upper and lower mold formed to the same shape as the outer surface of the lid 3, by the same process as for the container body 2. As mentioned above, different synthetic resin films may be used for the first resin film layer 15 and the second resin film layer 16.

[0055] The mold 17 used for molding the container body 2 described above and the mold used for forming the first resin film layer 15 may be the same. Similarly, the mold used for molding the lid 3 and the mold used for forming the second resin film layer 16 may be the same. In this way, by using the same mold for molding the container body 2 and forming the first resin film layer 15, and for molding the lid 3 and forming the second resin film layer 16, the manufacturing costs of the container body 2 and lid 3 of this application can be reduced.

[0056] <<Second Embodiment>> The pulp molded container 101 according to the second embodiment differs from the pulp molded container 1 of the first embodiment in the shape of the container body 2 and the lid 3. In the following description, only the differing components will be described, and components similar to those of the pulp molded container 1 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted by referring to the above description.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, the container body 102 is formed as a bottomed casing, similar to the pulp molded container 1 according to the first embodiment, and has a substantially rectangular bottom wall 104 in plan view, an annular first side wall portion 105 that opens upward from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 104, an annular first flange portion 106 that extends outward from the upper end of the first side wall portion 105, an annular second side wall portion 107 that extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the first flange portion 106, and an annular second flange portion 108 that extends outward from the second side wall portion 107 and defines the upper opening of the container body 102. Fine mesh-shaped irregularities 126 are formed on the inner surface of the container body 102.

[0058] The container body 102 according to the second embodiment has a partition portion 131 in the bottom wall 104 that divides the inside of the container body 102 into multiple compartments. The partition portion 131 is formed by a part of the bottom wall 104 of the container body 102 rising upward. The partition portion 131 has a plurality of partition side wall portions 132 that extend perpendicularly and upward with respect to the bottom wall 104 and have surfaces parallel or perpendicular to the first side wall portion 105, and a partition top surface portion 133 that connects the upper ends of the plurality of partition side wall portions 132 with a surface. In the container body 102 of this embodiment, there are five partition side wall portions 132 and one partition top surface portion 133. As a result, the inside of the container body 102 is divided into a total of five compartments. Because the inside of the container body 102 is divided into multiple compartments, multiple types of food can be stored in the container body 102 without mixing with each other.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, the partition side wall portion 132 is slightly higher in the central part of the container body 102 than in the peripheral part that defines the upper opening of the container body 102. Specifically, at the peripheral part that defines the upper opening of the container body 2, the partition side wall portion 132 is formed at the same height as the first flange portion 106, but as it approaches the center of the container body 102, the height of the upper end of the partition side wall portion 132 is higher than that of the first flange portion 106. In the container body 102 of this embodiment, at the center of the container body 102, the upper end of the partition side wall portion 132, i.e., the partition top surface portion 133, is higher than the second flange portion 108. Because the upper end of the partition side wall portion 132 is higher than the second flange portion 108, even if the lid 103 is pressed from above and deformed, the movement of the lid 103 in the direction of the container is restricted. This prevents the contents inside the pulp molded container 101 from being crushed.

[0060] The container body 102 has a plurality of tongues 134 extending outward from the second flange portion 108. The tongues 134 are provided at at least one corner of the container body 102, which has a substantially rectangular outer shape in plan view. The tongues 134 extend outward from the outer peripheral edge of the second flange portion 108. In this embodiment, the tongues 134 of the container body 102 extend outward from the outer peripheral edge of the second flange portion 108 along the long side of the container body 102, and the outer peripheral edges are formed in an arc shape.

[0061] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the lid 103, similar to the first embodiment, has a substantially rectangular upper wall 109 in plan view, an annular third side wall portion 110 extending downward from the peripheral edge of the upper wall 109, an annular third flange portion 111 extending outward from the lower end of the third side wall portion 110, an annular fourth side wall portion 112 extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the third flange portion 111, and an annular fourth flange portion 113 extending outward from the upper end of the fourth side wall portion 112.

[0062] The cover 103 has a plurality of tongues 114 extending outward from the fourth flange portion 113. The tongues 114 are provided at at least one corner of the cover 103, which has a substantially rectangular outer shape in plan view. The tongues 114 extend outward from the outer peripheral edge of the fourth flange portion 113. In this embodiment, the tongues 114 of the cover 103 extend outward from the outer peripheral edge of the fourth flange portion 113 along the short side of the cover 103, and the outer peripheral edges are formed in an arc shape.

[0063] As described above, the tongue 134 of the container body 102 extends along the long side of the container body 102, and the tongue 114 of the lid 103 extends along the short side of the lid 103. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, when the container body 102 and the lid 103 are fitted together, the tongue 134 of the container body 102 and the tongue 114 of the lid 103 do not overlap in a plan view, but are positioned offset from each other. This makes it easy for the user to grasp the tongue 134 of the fitted container body 102 with the fingers of one hand and the tongue 114 of the lid 103 with the fingers of the other hand. The user can then easily remove the lid 103 from the container body 102 by lifting the tongue 114 of the lid 103 upwards.

[0064] Furthermore, the manufacturing method for the container body 102 and lid 103 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described above in terms of preferred embodiments, as will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0066] Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the above embodiments are necessarily essential, and they can be appropriately selected and omitted as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1: Pulp molded container 2: Container body 3: Lid 4: Bottom wall 5: First side wall section 6: First flange section 7: Second side wall section (main body side wall section) 8: Second flange section 9: Upper wall 10: Third side wall section 11: Third flange section 12: Fourth side wall (side wall on the lid side) 13: Fourth flange section 15: First resin film layer 16: Second resin film layer 26: Unevenness

Claims

1. The container body with a bottomed enclosure, The container comprises a lid that fits onto the container body, The container body and the lid each have a body-side side wall portion and a lid-side side wall portion that engage with each other, The main body side wall portion includes a first resin film layer that forms its engagement surface. The side wall portion of the lid includes a second resin film layer that forms its engagement surface. The engaging surface of the lid side wall is configured to be in close contact with the engaging surface of the container body side wall and to be detachably fitted inside. A pulp molded container in which the hardness of the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer is greater than that of the other.

2. The pulp molded container according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the first resin film layer is greater than that of the second resin film layer.

3. The pulp molded container according to claim 1, wherein the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer are selected from polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polylactic acid, polybutylene succinate, or unoriented polypropylene.

4. The pulp molded container according to claim 3, wherein one of the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer is polyethylene terephthalate and the other is polypropylene.

5. The pulp molded container according to claim 3, wherein the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer are either polyethylene terephthalate or polylactic acid.

6. The pulp molded container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first resin film layer and the second resin film layer have a thickness of 30 to 50 μm.

7. The pulp molded container according to claim 1, wherein the main body side wall portion has a mesh-like pattern of irregularities on its engaging surface.

Images