Starch foam lunch box

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of packaging containers and relates to a starch foam lunch box container. The starch foam lunch box container comprises a main body, a lid, and a sealing cover. The lid is snap-coupled to the main body to form a sealed cavity. The sealing cover is connected to the lid to form a ventilation cavity. A first ventilation hole is installed in the lid, and a second ventilation hole is installed in the sealing cover. The first ventilation hole and the second ventilation hole are installed staggered in a vertical projection plane. The first ventilation hole, the ventilation cavity, and the second ventilation hole form a maze-like ventilation channel. A first protruding edge extending upward is installed around the edge of the first ventilation hole, and a second protruding edge extending upward is installed around the edge of the second ventilation hole. The first protruding edge and the second protruding edge form a dustproof structure of the ventilation channel. The starch foam lunch box container provided in this invention has excellent breathability and efficiently discharges humid and hot gases to maintain the crispy taste of food and ensure the prevention of contamination of the lunch box container.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of packaging containers and relates to a starch foam lunch box container. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the food delivery industry, disposable plastic lunch containers have established themselves as a key product in the food packaging sector due to their lightweight, low cost, and excellent sealing performance. Most disposable lunch containers currently on the market utilize a snap-lock sealing structure, consisting of an injection-molded body and lid made of plastics such as polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS), featuring snaps or grooves designed on the edges to achieve cavity sealing. While this structure effectively prevents liquid leakage and external contamination during transport, it severely lacks the ability to control the internal microenvironment due to the inherent airtightness of the material itself.

[0003] When packaging food fried at high temperatures (e.g., fried chicken, fried dough sticks) or freshly baked food (e.g., roasted duck, pan-fried dumplings), the surface temperature of the food usually reaches over 70°C, and a large amount of water vapor contained within it rapidly saturates inside the sealed cavity. Since lunch boxes lack an active heat dissipation mechanism, when water vapor comes into contact with the lower-temperature inner surfaces of the container walls and lid, it condenses to form liquid droplets. These condensed droplets fall back onto the food surface due to gravity, causing the crispy surface to reabsorb moisture. This results in a significant loss of crispness and a soggy texture, greatly degrading the consumer experience.

[0004] Prior art attempted to improve air permeability by opening fine vents at the top of the lid, but this design has a fundamental flaw. On the one hand, if the hole size is small, the moisture permeation efficiency per unit time is insufficient because it is limited by differences in surface tension and vapor pressure. On the other hand, while increasing the hole size may increase the amount of moisture permeation, it compromises the dustproof and sealing functions of the lunch box, allowing dust, microorganisms, and foreign substances to enter through the holes during transportation and storage, potentially posing a food safety risk.

[0005] Therefore, current disposable lunch containers face a conflict between the two challenges of high sealing requirements and the efficient release of humid and hot gases. There is an urgent need to develop an innovative structure that can resolve the technical bottleneck of keeping food crisp by efficiently releasing humid and hot gases while maintaining the anti-contamination function of the lunch container. The problem to be solved

[0006] Considering the defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a starch foam lunch box that has excellent breathability, efficiently discharges humid and hot gases to maintain the crispy taste of food, and ensures a contamination prevention function for the lunch box container. means of solving the problem

[0007] To solve the above technical problem, the objective of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0008] A starch foam lunch box container comprises a main body, a lid, and a sealing cover. The lid is snap-connected to the main body to form a sealed cavity. The sealing cover is connected to the lid to form a ventilation cavity. A first ventilation hole is installed in the lid, and a second ventilation hole is installed in the sealing cover. The first ventilation hole and the second ventilation hole are installed staggered in a vertical projection plane. The first ventilation hole, the ventilation cavity, and the second ventilation hole form a maze-like ventilation channel. A first protruding edge extending upward is installed around the edge of the first ventilation hole, and a second protruding edge extending upward is installed around the edge of the second ventilation hole. The first protruding edge and the second protruding edge form a dustproof structure of the ventilation channel.

[0009] In the above-mentioned starch foam lunch box container, the fact that it is installed staggeredly in the vertical projection plane means that there is no overlapping area between the two vertical projections.

[0010] In the above-mentioned starch foam lunch box container, the vertical projection of the first ventilation hole is entirely within the vertical projection range of the sealing cover.

[0011] In the above-mentioned starch foam lunch box container, the sealing cover is snap-fastened to the top or bottom of the lid.

[0012] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, an annular mounting flange is installed on the top or bottom portion of the lid, and the sealing cover is snap-coupled to the annular mounting flange. After snap-coupled, the inner wall of the sealing cover contacts the outer wall of the annular mounting flange to form a fastening connection structure. When a first ventilation hole is installed at the edge, the first protruding edge may be integrally connected with the annular mounting flange.

[0013] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, the sealing cover is installed at the center of the top of the lid, and a downward groove-shaped structure is compression-molded on the top of the lid, and the sealing cover is fitted into the groove-shaped structure, preferably, after being installed, the sealing cover forms a flat plane with the top of the lid; or, the sealing cover is installed at the center of the bottom of the lid, and the bottom of the lid is compression-molded with an upward groove-shaped structure, and the sealing cover is fitted into the groove-shaped structure, preferably, after being installed, the sealing cover forms a flat plane with the bottom of the lid.

[0014] In the above-mentioned starch foam lunch box container, the first ventilation hole and the second ventilation hole are both installed in multiple numbers.

[0015] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, when the sealing cover is snap-fastened to the top of the lid, the total opening area of ​​the first ventilation hole is larger than the total opening area of ​​the second ventilation hole; and when the sealing cover is snap-fastened to the bottom of the lid, the total opening area of ​​the second ventilation hole is larger than the total opening area of ​​the first ventilation hole.

[0016] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, the total opening area of ​​the first vent and the second vent is based on the ability to efficiently discharge humid and hot gas, for example, the total opening area of ​​the first vent and the second vent is 5% to 20% of the lid area and the sealing cover area, respectively.

[0017] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, a folding edge is installed on the outer edge of the uppermost part of the main body, and a groove edge that snaps to the folding edge is installed on the outer edge of the bottom part of the lid, and the folding edge and the groove edge are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure.

[0018] In the above-described starch foam lunch box container, the annular mounting flange is installed at the top of the lid, and the inner wall of the sealing cover and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure. Effects of the invention

[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects compared to the prior art.

[0020] 1. The starch foam lunch box container provided by the present invention forms a maze-like ventilation channel with a first ventilation hole and a second ventilation hole installed in an alternating manner and a ventilation cavity. Since this allows for the efficient discharge of humid and hot gases through the ventilation channel and prevents the ingress of dust and foreign substances, the present invention can maintain the crispy taste of food and ensure the prevention of contamination of the lunch box container. At the same time, by installing a first protruding edge and a second protruding edge on the first ventilation hole and the second ventilation hole, the present invention can further prevent the ingress of external dust and foreign substances through the protruding edge structure.

[0021] 2. The main body, lid, and sealing cover of the present invention are all manufactured by starch foaming and possess a certain moisture absorption capacity. Therefore, they can absorb moisture from food in a limited way to maintain a crispy taste, as well as provide heat retention and thermal insulation effects. By bonding the main body and the lid with water and bonding the lid and the sealing cover with water, the bonding strength between the main body and the lid, and between the lid and the sealing cover, can be increased, and the present invention may also have an anti-theft effect. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention. Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 2. Figure 4 is an exploded view of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] The present invention will be explained in more detail below through specific embodiments with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 4).

[0024] A starch foam lunch box container comprises a main body (1), a lid (2), and a sealing cover (3). The lid (2) is snap-coupled to the main body (1) to form a sealed cavity (4). The sealing cover (3) is connected to the lid (2) to form a ventilation cavity (5). A first ventilation port (6) is installed in the lid (2), and a second ventilation port (7) is installed in the sealing cover (3). The first ventilation port (6) and the second ventilation port (7) are installed staggered in a vertical projection plane. The first ventilation port (6), the ventilation cavity (5), and the second ventilation port (7) form a maze-like ventilation channel. A first protruding edge (8) extending upward is installed surrounding the edge of the first ventilation port (6), and a second protruding edge (9) extending upward is installed surrounding the edge of the second ventilation port (7). The first protruding edge (8) and the second protruding The edge (9) forms a dustproof structure of the above ventilation channel.

[0025] In this embodiment, when in use, food is placed inside the sealed cavity (4), and the humid and hot gas generated from the food is introduced from the sealed cavity (4) into the ventilation cavity (5) through the first ventilation port (6) and then discharged to the outside through the second ventilation port (7). The ventilation channel of this embodiment is a winding channel formed as "sealed cavity (4) — first ventilation port (6) — ventilation cavity (5) — second ventilation port (7) — outside," and while the humid and hot gas is discharged through this winding channel, external dust and foreign matter cannot enter the sealed cavity (4) through this winding channel and come into contact with the food. In this embodiment, by additionally installing the first protruding edge (8) and the second protruding edge (9) to form a physical dust barrier, the probability of external dust and foreign matter entering the sealed cavity (4) is close to zero because they must pass through two consecutive vertical protruding walls.

[0026] The fact that they are installed staggered in the above vertical projection plane means that there is no overlapping area between the two vertical projections, and through the staggered ventilation holes, external dust and foreign matter can be prevented from falling directly into the sealed cavity (4).

[0027] The vertical projection of the first ventilation opening (6) is all within the vertical projection range of the sealing cover (3).

[0028] In this embodiment, the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the top of the lid (2), and of course, the sealing cover (3) may also be snap-coupled to the bottom of the lid (2).

[0029] In order to conveniently and securely fix the sealing cover (3), in this embodiment, an annular mounting flange (10) is installed on the uppermost part of the lid (2), and the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the annular mounting flange (10). After snap-coupled, the inner wall of the sealing cover (3) comes into contact with the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) to form a fastening connection structure. When the first ventilation hole (6) is installed at the edge, the first protruding edge (8) may be integrally connected with the annular mounting flange (10). When the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the bottom part of the lid (2), the annular mounting flange (10) is installed on the bottom part of the lid (2).

[0030] In this embodiment, the sealing cover (3) is installed at the center of the top of the lid (2), and a downward groove-shaped structure (11) is compression-molded on the top of the lid (2), and the sealing cover (3) is fitted into the groove-shaped structure (11), and preferably, after mounting, the sealing cover (3) forms a flat plane with the top of the lid (2). When the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the bottom of the lid (2), the sealing cover (3) is installed at the center of the bottom of the lid (2), and the bottom of the lid (2) is compression-molded with an upward groove-shaped structure (11), and the sealing cover (3) is fitted into the groove-shaped structure (11), and preferably, after mounting, the sealing cover (3) forms a flat plane with the bottom of the lid (2).

[0031] To facilitate ventilation, the first vent (6) and the second vent (7) are both installed in multiple numbers. In this embodiment, a total of four first vents (6) and two second vents (7) are installed, and the first vents (6) are evenly distributed on the lid (2), and the second vents (7) are evenly distributed on the sealing cover (3).

[0032] In this embodiment, the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the top of the lid (2), and since the total opening area of ​​the first vent (6) is larger than the total opening area of ​​the second vent (7), humid and hot gas can be discharged more smoothly. When the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the bottom of the lid (2), the total opening area of ​​the second vent (7) is larger than the total opening area of ​​the first vent (6).

[0033] The total opening area of ​​the first vent (6) and the second vent (7) is based on the efficient discharge of humid and hot gas, for example, the total opening area of ​​the first vent (6) and the second vent (7) is 5% to 20% of the area of ​​the lid (2) and the sealing cover (3), respectively.

[0034] A folding edge (12) is installed on the uppermost outer edge of the main body (1), and a groove edge (13) that snaps to the folding edge (12) is installed on the bottom outer edge of the lid (2). The folding edge (12) and the groove edge (13) are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure. By utilizing the adhesive properties of the starch foam product (the structure of the starch foam changes after it absorbs moisture and expands, making the surface relatively wet, soft, and sticky; this process is irreversible, and since only a small amount of water is applied to the surface, it does not affect the strength of the product), after the folding edge (12) and the groove edge (13) are bonded, when the lid (2) is opened, the connection between the lid (2) and the main body (1) is damaged and cannot be restored to its original state, thereby allowing one to know whether the packaging has been opened.

[0035] Based on the same principle, the present embodiment may add an anti-theft structure between the lid and the sealing cover, and when the annular mounting flange (10) is installed at the top of the lid (2), the inner wall of the sealing cover (3) and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure.

[0036] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Accordingly, all equivalent modifications made in accordance with the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0037] 1: Main body 2: Lid 3: Sealed cover 4: Sealed cavity 5: Ventilation cavity 6: First vent 7: Second vent 8: First protruding edge 9: Second protruding edge 10: Annular mounting flange 11: Home-type structure 12: Folding edge 13: Home edge

Claims

Claim 1 A starch foam lunch box container comprises a main body (1), a lid (2), and a sealing cover (3). The lid (2) is snap-coupled to the main body (1) to form a sealed cavity (4). The sealing cover (3) is connected to the lid (2) to form a ventilation cavity (5). A first ventilation port (6) is installed in the lid (2), and a second ventilation port (7) is installed in the sealing cover (3). The first ventilation port (6) and the second ventilation port (7) are installed staggered in a vertical projection plane. The first ventilation port (6), the ventilation cavity (5), and the second ventilation port (7) form a maze-like ventilation channel. A first protruding edge (8) extending upward is installed surrounding the edge of the first ventilation port (6), and a second protruding edge (9) extending upward is installed surrounding the edge of the second ventilation port (7). The first protruding edge (8) and the second protruding A starch foam lunch box container characterized by the edge (9) forming a dustproof structure of the above ventilation channel. Claim 2 A starch foam lunch box container according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing cover (3) is snap-connected to the top or bottom part of the lid (2). Claim 3 A starch foam lunch box container characterized in that, in paragraph 2, an annular mounting flange (10) is installed on the top or bottom portion of the lid (2), the sealing cover (3) is snap-coupled to the annular mounting flange (10), and after snap-coupled, the inner wall of the sealing cover (3) contacts the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) to form a fastening connection structure. Claim 4 A starch foam lunch box container characterized in that, in claim 1, the sealing cover (3) is installed at the center of the uppermost part of the lid (2), and a downward groove-shaped structure is compression-molded at the uppermost part of the lid (2), and the sealing cover (3) is fitted into the groove-shaped structure (11); or, the sealing cover (3) is installed at the center of the bottom part of the lid (2), and an upward groove-shaped structure (11) is compression-molded at the bottom part of the lid (2), and the sealing cover (3) is fitted into the groove-shaped structure (11). Claim 5 A starch foam lunch box container characterized in that, in claim 1, the first ventilation hole (6) and the second ventilation hole (7) are both installed in multiple numbers. Claim 6 A starch foam lunch box container characterized in that, in claim 1, a folding edge (12) is installed on the uppermost outer edge of the main body (1), and a groove edge (13) that snaps to the folding edge (12) is installed on the bottom outer edge of the lid (2), and the folding edge (12) and the groove edge (13) are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure. Claim 7 A starch foam lunch box container characterized in that, in paragraph 3, the annular mounting flange (10) is installed at the top of the lid (2), and the inner wall of the sealing cover (3) and the outer wall of the annular mounting flange (10) are bonded with water to form an anti-theft structure.

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