Plastic container

Abstract

To provide a resin container a trunk part of which is easy to be crushed and which is easy to be folded.SOLUTION: A resin container includes a mouth part 2, a shoulder part 3, a trunk part 4, and a bottom part 5. The trunk part 4 is approximately square cylindrical. The shoulder part 3 has shape continuously connecting the mouth part 2 and the trunk part 4. At least a part of the trunk part 4 is provided with a specific portion 42 in which a parallelogram is formed such that an inner angle between extensions of each of two pairs of opposing sides in a cross section of the trunk part 4 is not a right angle. The shoulder part 3 has an arch-like convex rib 31 bridging two of apex portions in a plan view, which two apex portions exist directly above apexes of acute angles of the parallelogram in the specific portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a resin container.

Background Art

[0002] As a container for filling liquid products such as beverages and providing them for distribution, sales, etc., resin containers are widely used. Resin containers have advantages such as being lighter than other containers, being easy to form into any shape according to requirements such as capacity and design, and being easy to check the contents when transparent, so they are used in a wide range of applications.

[0003] When storing, transporting, etc. used resin containers for reuse, disposal, etc., their bulkiness may become a problem. For example, cans and paper containers can be easily flattened after use. However, resin containers may be difficult to crush due to the elasticity of the resin.

[0004] To address this issue, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-201,448 (Patent Document 1) discloses a synthetic resin container having a unique shape of a horizontal groove with a partially bulged side wall surface. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-56,291 (Patent Document 2) discloses a container provided with vertical ribs and horizontal ribs serving as starting points for folding operations.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 only made it easier to crush the container, and did not consider folding the container after it had been crushed. Similarly, while the technology described in Patent Document 2 considered folding the shoulder and bottom of the container, it did not consider folding the body, which occupies the largest volume. Therefore, there was room for improvement in conventional technologies in terms of reducing the bulkiness of the container after use.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to create a resin container that is easy to crush and fold. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The resin container according to the present invention comprises a mouth portion, a shoulder portion, a body portion, and a bottom portion, wherein the body portion is substantially rectangular in shape, the shoulder portion has a shape that continuously connects the mouth portion and the body portion, a specific portion is provided on at least a part of the body portion having a shape in which extending two pairs of opposing sides in the cross-section of the body portion forms a parallelogram with interior angles that are not right angles, and the shoulder portion has an arch-shaped convex rib that spans between two vertex portions in the plan view that are directly above the acute-angled vertex of the parallelogram in the specific portion.

[0009] With this configuration, since the cross-section of a specific part is approximately parallelogram-shaped, by applying force to close the acute vertices of the parallelogram, the specific part can be crushed more easily and flatter compared to conventional containers with a rectangular cross-section. As the specific part becomes flatter, it becomes easier to fold the container in half vertically, starting from that specific part. Furthermore, when deforming the shoulder portion to tuck into the inside of the container, the arched convex rib becomes a mountain fold, acting as the starting point for deformation, making the operation easier. Therefore, the shoulder portion can be easily crushed by folding the resin container in half at the body and inserting the bottom into the shoulder portion. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a resin container that is easy to crush and fold.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the examples of preferred embodiments described below.

[0011] In one embodiment, the resin container according to the present invention preferably has at least one convex rib in each of the two regions of the shoulder portion that are divided by a diagonal line connecting the two opposing vertices in the plan view.

[0012] With this configuration, the direction of operation when folding the body in half is not limited.

[0013] In one embodiment, the resin container according to the present invention preferably further has a recessed rib along the boundary between the shoulder portion and the body portion.

[0014] With this configuration, the concave ribs function as shoulder folds, making it easier to flatten the shoulder area.

[0015] In one embodiment of the resin container according to the present invention, it is preferable that when the shoulder portion is bent along the convex rib and the body portion is bent, a canopy-like projection is formed in the region between the mouth portion and the convex rib, and the bottom portion and the projection can be engaged.

[0016] This configuration allows the bottom and shoulder sections to be engaged, making it easier to fix the folded state of the resin container.

[0017] In one embodiment of the resin container according to the present invention, it is preferable that a pair of markers are provided on the apex portion of the shoulder portion where the end of the convex rib is not located, and on the apex portion of the bottom portion directly below the said apex portion.

[0018] This configuration allows for the instruction of the folding procedure to be provided to consumers and others.

[0019] The resin container according to the present invention, in one aspect, preferably has the body portion divided into an upper portion, the specific portion, and a lower portion in this order from the side connected to the shoulder portion toward the side connected to the bottom portion.

[0020] According to this aspect, since the specific portion is located at the upper and lower center of the body portion, it is easier to perform double folding of the container.

[0021] The resin container according to the present invention, in one aspect, has a lower portion which is a portion between the specific portion and the bottom portion in the body portion, and preferably has a rib provided along a boundary line that is continuously provided along a boundary corresponding to the acute vertex of the parallelogram in the specific portion among the boundaries of two surfaces in the lower portion.

[0022] According to this configuration, when performing an operation of crushing the lower portion, the rib functions as a fold line, so it is easy to crush the lower portion.

[0023] The resin container according to the present invention, in one aspect, has an upper portion which is a portion between the specific portion and the shoulder portion in the body portion, and preferably has a rib provided along the boundary between the shoulder portion and the upper portion.

[0024] According to this configuration, when performing an operation of crushing the upper portion, the rib functions as a fold line, so it is easy to crush the upper portion.

[0025] The resin container according to the present invention, in one aspect, preferably has a rib provided along a boundary corresponding to the acute vertex of the parallelogram among the boundaries of two surfaces in the specific portion.

[0026] According to this configuration, when performing an operation of crushing the specific portion, the rib functions as a fold line, so it is easy to crush the specific portion.

[0027] The resin container according to the present invention, in one aspect, preferably has a distinguishable long side and short side in the cross section of the body portion.

[0028] This configuration makes it possible to provide a container that is easier to hold compared to containers of the same capacity that are made in other shapes.

[0029] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer through the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a front view of the bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a top view of the bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of a specific portion of the body of the bottle according to the embodiment (a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 1). [Figure 5] This figure shows the procedure for folding a bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows the procedure for folding a bottle according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows the procedure for folding a bottle according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Embodiments of the resin container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, an example in which the resin container according to the present invention is applied to a plastic bottle 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as bottle 1) will be described.

[0032] [Overall composition of the bottle] The bottle 1 according to this embodiment is made of polyethylene terephthalate and is a colorless, transparent container. The bottle 1 is obtained by biaxial stretch blow molding using a polyethylene terephthalate preform as the raw material. The material constituting the bottle is not limited to polyethylene terephthalate, but may be polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like. Furthermore, the origin of the material may be petroleum, plant-derived raw materials, recycled raw materials, etc.

[0033] In this embodiment, the capacity of bottle 1 is set to 2L. However, the capacity of bottle 1 is not particularly limited and may be around 200mL to 2L, such as 280mL, 350mL, or 500mL, which are commonly available.

[0034] Bottle 1 is used for filling liquid products such as soft drinks (carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, coffee drinks, tea drinks, mineral water, soy milk products, vegetable drinks, sports drinks, cocoa drinks, etc.), alcoholic beverages, dairy drinks, liquid foods such as soups, and liquid seasonings such as sauces and soy sauce.

[0035] The bottle 1 according to this embodiment has a mouth portion 2, a shoulder portion 3, a body portion 4, and a bottom portion 5 (Figures 1 and 2). When referring to the vertical direction of the bottle 1 in the following description, it refers to the vertical direction based on the orientation in which the bottle 1 is placed so that the bottom portion 5 is touching the ground (the orientation shown in Figures 1 and 2). That is, the upper side of the bottle 1 is the side of the mouth portion 2, and the lower side of the bottle 1 is the side of the bottom portion 5. When referring to the horizontal direction (or lateral direction) of the bottle 1, it refers to the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction described above (i.e., the left-right direction in Figure 1 or the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper). Note that the opposing pair of surfaces of the bottle 1 each have the same shape.

[0036] Bottle 1 is roughly rectangular in its plan view (Figure 3). Note that "roughly rectangular" does not mean a quadrilateral shape according to a mathematical definition, but rather a shape that can be considered substantially rectangular due to features such as rounded edges that may be present in industrial products. More specifically, the quadrilateral is a rectangle, and the side of Bottle 1 can be distinguished into the longer side of the cross-section (Figure 1) and the shorter side (Figure 2).

[0037] The mouth portion 2 is an opening for putting in and taking out the liquid product filled inside, and its outer surface is provided with a male thread for screwing on a cap (not shown). The shoulder portion 3 is the part of the bottle 1 that gradually expands from the mouth portion 2 toward the body portion 4. The point in the height direction where the bottle 1 expands to its maximum extent from the mouth portion 2 downwards is defined as the boundary between the shoulder portion 3 and the body portion 4. The bottom portion 5 is the part that touches the surface when the bottle 1 is placed on a table or other surface, and the bottle 1 also gradually expands from the bottom portion 5 toward the body portion 4. The point in the height direction where the bottle 1 expands to its maximum extent from the surface touching the surface upwards is defined as the boundary between the bottom portion 5 and the body portion 4. The structure and function of the mouth portion 2 and the bottom portion 5 are generally the same as those of known plastic bottles, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0038] [Shoulder section structure] The shoulder portion 3 has a shape that continuously connects the mouth portion 2 and the body portion 4. Since the mouth portion 2 is a roughly cylindrical shape with a male screw portion on its outer surface, and the body portion 4 is roughly rectangular prism-shaped, the shoulder portion 3 has a roughly circular cross-section at its upper end and a roughly rectangular cross-section at its lower end. In the plan view (Figure 3), the shape of the shoulder portion 3 appears as the roughly rectangular shape at its lower end.

[0039] The shoulder portion 3 is provided with two arch-shaped convex ribs 31. Each convex rib 31 extends continuously between two opposing vertex portions A, A in the plan view. In addition, one convex rib 31 is provided in each of the two regions of the shoulder portion 3 that are divided by the diagonal line L1 connecting the two vertex portions A, A. Note that "convex rib" refers to a rib that protrudes from the surface of the bottle 1.

[0040] In the side view (Figure 2), the convex rib 31 extends diagonally upward at an angle of approximately 45° from the end located at vertex A. The height of the convex rib 31 is maximized near vertex A, vertex B (different from A), and the diagonal line L2 connecting B.

[0041] The presence of a convex rib 31 on the shoulder portion 3 makes it easy to fold the shoulder portion 3 along the convex rib 31. More specifically, the shoulder portion 3 can be folded in a mountain fold manner at the portion of the convex rib 31, and at this time, the lower part of the shoulder portion 32, which is the area between the body portion 4 and the convex rib 31, can be tucked under the upper part of the shoulder portion 33, which is the area between the mouth portion 2 and the convex rib 31. By deforming the shoulder portion 3 in this way, the upper part of the shoulder portion 33 becomes a visor-like projection, which plays a role in engaging with the bottom portion 5 when the body portion 4 is folded (as will be described later).

[0042] A circular mark 34 (an example of a marker) is placed on the vertices B, B of the shoulder portion 3 (the vertices where the ends of the convex ribs 31 are not located) (Figures 1 to 3). Similarly, a circular mark 51 (an example of a marker) is placed on the bottom portion 5 (Figures 1 and 2). The position of the mark 51 on the bottom portion 5 is the vertex directly below the vertices B, B of the shoulder portion 3. Note that the position of the mark 51 directly below the mark 34 means that if you trace downwards from the mark 34 along the surface of the bottle 1 (downwards in the plane of the paper in Figures 1 and 2), you will reach the mark 51. In other words, it is sufficient that the mark 51 is "directly below" the mark 34 in the arrangement on the bottle 1, and it is not necessary for the mark 34 and the mark 51 to be on the exact same vertical line. In the following explanation, when referring to the vertical positional relationship between components, "directly above" or "directly below" also refers to the vertical positional relationship in the arrangement on bottle 1, and does not require them to be strictly on the same vertical line.

[0043] [Structure of the torso] The torso 4 is divided into an upper portion 41, a specific portion 42, and a lower portion 43, in order from the side connected to the shoulder portion 3 (upper side) to the side connected to the bottom portion 5 (lower side). Due to differences in the horizontal dimensions of the upper portion 41, the specific portion 42, and the lower portion 43, and the presence of multiple ribs (described later), the torso 4 appears uneven in the front and side views. However, for handling purposes during manufacturing and distribution, it is treated as a roughly rectangular tube. In other words, the roughly rectangular tube shape of the torso 4 does not need to be a rectangular tube in a mathematical sense.

[0044] (1) Upper part 41 The upper portion 41 is the part of the body portion 4 above the specific portion 42, that is, the portion between the specific portion 42 and the shoulder portion 3. The upper portion 41 is provided with a first transverse rib 61 (an example of a concave rib) along the boundary between the shoulder portion 3 and the upper portion 41, and a plurality (five in this embodiment) of second transverse ribs 62 (Figures 1 and 2). The first transverse rib 61 is a concave rib (a rib that protrudes inward into the bottle 1; the same applies hereinafter) provided on each of the four surfaces (all four surfaces) of the cross-section, on the long side surface (Figure 1) and the short side surface (Figure 2), with a length that fits within the range of each surface. The depth of the first transverse rib 61 is uniform. The depth of the concave rib refers to the depth to which the rib protrudes inward into the bottle 1, and the same applies to the other concave ribs described below.

[0045] The second transverse rib 62 is a concave rib provided horizontally along the entire circumference of the upper portion 41. The second transverse rib 62 has a wave-like shape with alternating deep and shallow sections. More specifically, the deep sections are provided in the parts corresponding to the edges of the cross section, and the shallow sections are provided in the parts corresponding to the vertices of the cross section.

[0046] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the upper portion 41 is substantially the same as that of the plan view of bottle 1 (Figure 3).

[0047] (2) Specific part 42 The specific portion 42 is formed as a recessed portion inward from the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43 of the bottle 1 (Figures 1 and 2). A cross-section of the specific portion 42 is shown in Figure 4. Two pairs of opposing sides 44 and 45 can be seen in this cross-section, with one pair of sides 44 corresponding to the longer side face (Figure 1) and the other pair of sides 45 corresponding to the shorter side face (Figure 2). Extending these two pairs of opposing sides 44 and 45 forms a parallelogram P. This parallelogram P has a vertex P1 with an acute interior angle and a vertex P2 with an obtuse interior angle, and therefore the interior angles of the parallelogram P are not right angles. In other words, the parallelogram P is not a rectangle.

[0048] The vertex portion A (where the end of the convex rib 31 is located) and vertex portion B (where the marking 34 is located) in the shoulder portion 3, and the vertex P1 (acute angle) and vertex P2 (obtuse angle) in the specific portion 42 are in a positional relationship where vertex portion A is directly above vertex P1 and vertex portion B is directly above vertex P2.

[0049] A first longitudinal rib 71 is provided along the boundary between the long side surface (Figure 1) and the short side surface (Figure 2) of a specific portion 42. More specifically, the first longitudinal rib 71 is provided at two boundaries between the long side surface and the short side surface that correspond to the acute vertices P1 of the parallelogram P. In this embodiment, the first longitudinal rib 71 is a convex rib provided in such a manner that it protrudes outward from the bottle 1.

[0050] The specific portion 42 has a recess 42b that is further recessed inward from the main portion 42a of the specific portion 42. The recess 42b is located in the center in the left-right direction of the long side surface of the cross-section (Figure 1). In addition, a cross-shaped rib 46 is provided in the center of the recess 42b. The rib 46 consists of two perpendicular recessed ribs.

[0051] The main portion 42a of the specific portion 42 is provided with a third transverse rib 63 extending in the circumferential direction. More specifically, three third transverse ribs 63 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the recess 42b, arranged parallel to each other in the height direction, with the length of the central rib being slightly longer than the lengths of the two upper and lower ribs (Figures 1 and 2). The third transverse ribs 63 are concave ribs, and their depth is uniform. In addition, a first longitudinal rib 71 is provided in a manner that crosses these three third transverse ribs 63.

[0052] The specific portion 42 functions as a preferred gripping position when the user grasps the bottle 1. Firstly, since the specific portion 42 is formed as a recessed portion inward from the bottle 1 compared to the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43, even users with relatively small hands can easily grasp the specific portion 42 without strain. Secondly, when the user grasps the specific portion 42, they can hook their fingers into the recess 42b, making it easier to stabilize the grip on the bottle 1.

[0053] The size of the interior angles of the acute and obtuse vertices of a parallelogram P is not limited as long as the parallelogram P is a parallelogram. In other words, using an angle θ greater than 0°, the interior angles of the acute vertices are expressed as 90°-θ, and the interior angles of the obtuse vertices are expressed as 90°+θ. In this embodiment, θ is 5°, that is, the interior angle of vertex P1 is 85°, and the interior angle of vertex P2 is 95°. As in this example, it is preferable that θ is between 1° and 30°. The fact that the cross-sectional shape of the specific part 42 is a parallelogram P has the effect of making it easier to perform the operation of crushing the specific part 42 (described later), and this effect is particularly pronounced when θ is 1° or greater. Also, when θ is 30° or less, the function of the specific part 42 as a gripping position for the bottle 1 is less likely to be impaired. It is more preferable that θ is 3° or greater, and even more preferable that it is 4° or greater. Furthermore, θ is more preferably 10° or less, and even more preferably 6° or less.

[0054] (3) Lower part 43 The lower portion 43 is the part of the body 4 below the specific portion 42, that is, the portion between the specific portion 42 and the bottom portion 5. The lower portion 43 is provided with, from top to bottom, a wavy rib 64, a spring rib 65, and multiple (two in this embodiment) fourth transverse ribs 66. All of these ribs are concave ribs. In addition, a second longitudinal rib 72 is provided that extends along two boundaries located below the first longitudinal rib 71, between the long side surface (Figure 1) and the short side surface (Figure 2) of the cross-section of the lower portion 43. The second longitudinal rib 72 is a convex rib provided in a manner that crosses the wavy rib 64 and the fourth transverse rib 66. The cross-sectional shape of the lower portion 43 is substantially the same as that of the plan view of the bottle 1 (Figure 3).

[0055] The wavy rib 64 is a rib provided in a shape in which its vertical position changes continuously along the circumferential direction of the lower portion 43. The spring rib 65 has a groove portion 65a provided around the entire circumference of the lower portion 43, and small recesses 65b formed one above and one below the groove portion 65a around the entire circumference of the lower portion 43. Note that the entire spring rib 65, including the groove portion 65a and the small recesses 65b, can also be considered as a single rib.

[0056] The fourth transverse rib 66 is provided horizontally along the entire circumference of the lower portion 43. However, as mentioned above, the second longitudinal rib 72 crosses the fourth transverse rib 66. Except where the second longitudinal rib 72 crosses it, the depth of the fourth transverse rib 66 is uniform.

[0057] [How to fold the bottle] In this embodiment, the bottle 1, by providing the above-mentioned components, is designed to be more easily folded than conventional plastic bottles. By folding the bottle 1 after use, the volume required for storage, transportation, etc., for reuse, disposal, etc., can be reduced. The method for folding the bottle 1 will be described below.

[0058] First, an operation is performed to compress a specific portion 42 (Figure 5). Specifically, the two faces on the longer sides of the cross section are moved alternately toward vertex P1 (acute angle) of the parallelogram P of the cross section. When this operation is performed, the specific portion 42 is deformed (compressed) so that the interior angle of vertex P1 of the parallelogram P becomes smaller and the interior angle of vertex P2 approaches 180°.

[0059] In this embodiment, since the cross-section of the specific portion 42 is parallelogram-shaped, it is easily deformed according to the force applied to close the vertex P1 with an acute interior angle. For this reason, the specific portion 42 can be crushed more easily and more flatly compared to conventional plastic bottles with a rectangular cross-section. In addition, the first longitudinal rib 71 is provided in a manner that protrudes outward from the bottle 1, which increases the mobility of the vertex P1 portion that deforms to reduce its interior angle. Thus, the fact that the first longitudinal rib 71 functions as a fold also contributes to facilitating the above deformation.

[0060] Secondly, the bottle 1 is folded at the crushed specific portion 42 (Figure 6). At this time, the bottom portion 5 is brought into contact with the shoulder portion 3, and this operation is achieved by moving the bottle so that the marking 34 on the shoulder portion 3 and the marking 51 on the bottom portion 5 are aligned. The fact that the markings 34 and 51 are both circular serves to suggest this operation to the consumer.

[0061] After the bottom portion 5 is brought into contact with the shoulder portion 3, pressing the bottom portion 5 against the shoulder portion 3 causes the shoulder portion 3 to fold in a mountain fold at the convex rib 31, the lower part of the shoulder portion 32 to tuck under the upper part of the shoulder portion 33, and the upper part of the shoulder portion 33 to become a canopy-like projection. This projection ultimately engages with the bottom portion 5 and serves to fix the bottle 1 in the folded state. In addition, the first transverse rib 61 functions as a fold when this operation is performed, making it easier to flatten the shoulder portion 3.

[0062] Thirdly, the upper portion 41, the lower portion 43, and the bottom portion 5 are crushed. Crushing these portions allows the bottom portion 5 to engage with the upper shoulder portion 33 (protruding portion), fixing the folded state of the bottle 1 (Figure 7). At this time, folding the mouth portion 2 upwards and covering the bottom portion 5 with the upper shoulder portion 33 makes it easier to fix the folded state of the bottle 1. The second longitudinal rib 72 functions as a fold line, similar to the first longitudinal rib 71, making it easier to crush the lower portion 43.

[0063] In this embodiment, the cross-section of the specific portion 42 is made into a parallelogram shape so that the shape after being crushed becomes flat, making it easier to fold the specific portion 42 vertically compared to conventional plastic bottles. In addition, a convex rib 31 is provided on the shoulder portion 3 to facilitate engagement with the bottom portion 5, so that the bottle 1 is easily fixed in a folded state. In this way, the bottle 1 is easier to fold than conventional containers of the same type, thereby reducing the volume occupied when reusing or disposing of the bottle.

[0064] [Other Embodiments] Finally, other embodiments of the resin container according to the present invention will be described. Note that the configurations disclosed in each of the following embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise.

[0065] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the body portion 4 is divided into an upper portion 41, a specific portion 42, and a lower portion 43 was described as an example. However, in the resin container according to the present invention, the number of divisions of the body portion is not limited as long as a specific portion is provided in the body portion. For example, the entire area of ​​the body portion may be provided as a specific portion. Alternatively, the body portion may be divided into two regions including the specific portion. That is, the body portion may be divided into an upper portion and a specific portion, or into a specific portion and a lower portion.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the specific portion 42 is formed as a portion recessed inward from the bottle 1 compared to the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43, and a configuration in which the specific portion 42 has a recess 42b was described as an example. However, in the resin container according to the present invention, the structure of the specific portion is not limited as long as the shape is such that extending two pairs of opposing sides in the cross-section of the specific portion forms a parallelogram with interior angles that are not right angles.

[0067] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a first longitudinal rib 71 and a third transverse rib 63 are provided in a specific portion 42 was described as an example. However, in the resin container according to the present invention, the presence and arrangement of ribs in the specific portion are arbitrary. Therefore, one or both of these ribs may not be provided. In addition, other ribs may be provided.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the bottle 1 is described as having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the side surface of the bottle 1 can be distinguished into the long side surface (Figure 1) and the short side surface (Figure 2) in the cross-section. However, the resin container according to the present invention may be substantially square in a plan view, and the long side surface and the short side surface in the cross-section cannot be distinguished. In this case, the parallelogram formed by extending two pairs of opposing sides in the cross-section of a specific part is a rhombus, and in this case as well, the condition that the interior angles are not right angles is satisfied. Furthermore, in this case, although the long side surface and the short side surface cannot be distinguished, if one pair of the two pairs of opposing surfaces is the long side surface (Figure 1) in the above embodiment, and the other pair is the short side surface (Figure 2), the present invention can be implemented in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[0069] Furthermore, when comparing a container with a cross-sectional shape where the long and short sides of the cross-section can be distinguished (a roughly rectangular cross-section) and a shape where they cannot be distinguished (a roughly square cross-section), assuming the container capacity is the same, the former has the advantage of allowing for a smaller width on the short side. This feature is advantageous for relatively large-capacity containers (for example, 1.5L or more), as it allows for a container that is easy to hold, as the width of the short side can be kept to a level that fits comfortably in the user's hand.

[0070] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a second longitudinal rib 72 is provided in the lower portion 43 was described as an example. However, in the resin container according to the present invention, the presence or absence and arrangement of ribs in the lower portion are arbitrary.

[0071] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a first transverse rib 61 extending along the boundary between the shoulder portion 3 and the upper portion 41 is provided was described as an example. However, in the resin container according to the present invention, the presence or absence and arrangement of ribs in the upper portion 41 are arbitrary.

[0072] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which two convex ribs 31 are provided on the shoulder portion 3 was described as an example. However, in the present invention, the number of arch-shaped convex ribs is arbitrary. Furthermore, when multiple convex ribs are provided, their arrangement is arbitrary; for example, convex ribs may be provided only on one of the two regions of the shoulder portion that are divided by a diagonal line connecting the two vertices where the ends of the convex ribs are located.

[0073] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the convex rib 31 extends continuously was described as an example. However, in the present invention, the convex rib may be in an intermittent configuration.

[0074] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a first transverse rib 61 is provided along the boundary between the shoulder portion 3 and the upper portion 41 was described as an example. However, in the present invention, the presence or absence of a concave rib along the boundary between the shoulder portion and the torso portion is optional.

[0075] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a marking 34 is provided on the shoulder portion 3 and a marking 51 is provided on the bottom portion 5, and these serve to indicate the operation of folding the bottle 1. However, in the present invention, the presence or absence of such markings is optional. Furthermore, if a marking is provided, its form is not limited to a marking, but may be a protrusion, pattern, print, or sticker. In addition, the markings on the shoulder portion and the bottom portion only need to be in a form that consumers can recognize as a pair of markings, and may be the same shape as in the above embodiment, or they may be different shapes that are related to each other. Examples of the latter include combinations such as a circle and an X mark, or a convex portion and a concave portion.

[0076] With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, other embodiments modified without departing from the spirit of the invention are naturally included within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0077] This invention can be used, for example, in beverage containers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1: Plastic bottle (bottle) 2: Mouth 3:Shoulder 31: Convex Rib 32: Lower shoulder area 33: Upper shoulder 34: Engraving 4: Torso 41: Upper part 42:Specific part 42a :part 42b: recess 43: Lower part 44: edge 45: edge 46: Rib 5: Bottom 51: Engraving 61: First transverse rib 62: Second transverse rib 63: Third transverse rib 64: Wavy ribs 65: Spring Rib 65a:Groove part 65b: Small recess 66: Fourth transverse rib 71: First longitudinal rib 72: Second longitudinal rib A: Vertex B: Vertex L1: Diagonal L2: Diagonal P: Parallelogram P1: Vertex P2: Vertex θ: angle

Claims

1. It comprises a mouth portion, shoulder portion, body portion, and bottom portion, the body portion being substantially rectangular and cylindrical, and the shoulder portion having a shape that continuously connects the mouth portion and the body portion. A specific portion is provided in at least a part of the torso, having a shape in which, when two pairs of opposing sides in the cross-section of the torso are extended, a parallelogram with interior angles that are not right angles is formed. A resin container having an arch-shaped convex rib that extends between two vertex portions in the plan view, specifically between two vertex portions that are directly above the acute vertex of the parallelogram in the particular portion.

2. The resin container according to claim 1, wherein each of the two regions of the shoulder portion, which is divided in a plan view by a diagonal line connecting the two opposing vertex portions, has at least one convex rib.

3. The resin container according to claim 1, further comprising a concave rib along the boundary between the shoulder portion and the torso portion.

4. The resin container according to claim 1, wherein when the shoulder portion is bent along the convex rib and the body portion is bent, a canopy-like projection is formed in the region between the mouth portion and the convex rib, and the bottom portion and the projection can be engaged.

5. The resin container according to claim 4, wherein a pair of markers are provided on the apex portion of the shoulder portion where the end of the convex rib is not located, and on the apex portion of the bottom portion directly below the apex portion.

6. The resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the torso is divided into an upper portion, a specific portion, and a lower portion, in order from the side connected to the shoulder portion to the side connected to the bottom portion.

7. The body portion has a lower portion which is the portion between the specific portion and the bottom portion, A resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a rib is provided that extends along a boundary that is connected to the boundary of the two surfaces in the lower portion that corresponds to the vertex of the acute angle of the parallelogram in the specific portion.

8. A resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a rib is provided that extends along the boundary of the two surfaces in the specified portion, the boundary corresponding to the acute vertex of the parallelogram.

9. A resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cross-section of the body portion is such that the long side and the short side can be distinguished.

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