Container unit and method for using same

Abstract

Provided is technology with which it is possible to suppress damage to a contents-containing container during storage of the container.　A container unit according to the present invention comprises a container and an accommodation member, wherein: the container is provided with a container body and a cap; the container body is capable of accommodating contents; the cap is attached to a mouth section of the container body and is configured to be capable of discharging the contents through a discharge port provided in the cap; and the accommodation member is configured to be capable of accommodating at least part of the container, including the container body, through an opening provided in the accommodation member.

Description

Container unit and method of using same

[0001] The present invention relates to a container unit and a method for using the same.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a plastic container capable of containing contents such as mayonnaise.

[0003] JP 2016-190654 A

[0004] However, since plastic containers such as those described in Patent Document 1 consume a large amount of plastic, it is desirable to reduce the amount of plastic used from the perspective of environmental protection. The amount of plastic used can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the container, but reducing the thickness of the container makes it more likely for the container to be damaged and the contents to leak when the user stores the container with the contents inside.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a technique that can prevent damage to a container containing contents when the container is stored.

[0006] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided: [1] A container unit comprising a container and a storage member, wherein the container comprises a container body and a cap, the container body is capable of storing contents, the cap is attached to the mouth of the container body and is configured to be able to discharge the contents through a discharge port provided in the cap, and the storage member is configured to be able to store at least a portion of the container, including the container body, through an opening provided in the storage member. [2] The container unit according to [1], wherein the storage member is tubular with a bottom, and is configured so that the outer peripheral surface of the cap and the inner peripheral surface of the storage member are in close contact with each other. [3] The container unit according to [2], wherein the cap is provided with a discharge valve, and the discharge valve is configured to prevent outside air from entering the container while allowing the contents to be discharged, and the container member is provided with an outside air inlet hole that allows outside air to be introduced into an intermediate space between the container member and the container, and the outside air inlet hole is provided with an outside air inlet valve, and the outside air inlet valve is configured to allow the outside air to be introduced into the intermediate space while preventing outside air from being discharged from the intermediate space. [4] The container unit according to [2] or [3], wherein a male thread portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap and a female thread portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the container member are threadedly engaged. [5] The container unit according to [2] or [3], wherein the outer peripheral surface of the cap and the inner peripheral surface of the container member are in close contact with each other via tapered surfaces. [6] The container unit according to [1], wherein the container member is configured to hold the container in an inverted state. [7] The container unit according to [6], wherein the container housing member has a grounding portion and a container housing portion fixed to the grounding portion, the container is housed in the container housing portion in an inverted state, and the container housing portion is configured to expand in diameter toward the open end of the container housing portion. [8] The container unit according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the container body has a wall thickness of 150 μm or less at the center in the height direction.[9] A method of using a container unit described in any one of [1] to [8], comprising ejecting the contents of the container while the container is removed from the storage member, and storing the container in the storage member after the contents have been ejected.

[0007] In the container unit of the present invention, at least a portion of the container, including the container body, can be stored in a storage container, and by storing it in a storage container, leakage of the contents due to damage to the container body is suppressed even if the thickness of the container body is reduced.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container unit 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The storage member 3 is shown with a portion cut away in the circumferential direction. The same applies to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container unit 1 in FIG. 1, showing the process of installing a refill container 2 into the storage member 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container unit 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a container unit 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an invention independently. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, elements not specified in the claims are optional elements and can be omitted. Any number of "0"s (for example, one or two) may be added to the end of numerical values ​​disclosed in the following description. For example, one or two "0"s may be added after "1.4" to make it "1.40" or "1.400".

[0010] 1. First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. A container unit 1 of this embodiment includes a container 2 and a storage member 3. The container 2 includes a container body 4 and a cap 5. The container body 4 is capable of storing contents and includes a mouth 4a and a storage portion 4b. The contents are introduced into the container body 4 through the mouth 4a and stored in the storage portion 4b. The storage portion 4b includes a body 4c and a bottom 4d that closes the lower end of the body 4c. One example of the contents is a highly viscous substance having a viscosity of 100 mPa·s or more at 20°C. Examples of highly viscous substances include ketchup, mayonnaise, and honey. The viscosity of the highly viscous substance at 20°C is preferably 500 mPa·s or more, more preferably 1000 mPa·s or more, and even more preferably 5000 mPa·s or more. The upper limit of the viscosity of the high-viscosity material at 20° C. is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10,000, 50,000, or 100,000 mPa·s.

[0011] The container body 4 can be formed from a thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin. Examples of polyolefin include low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, and mixtures thereof. The container body 4 may have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. In the case of a multi-layer structure, for example, a barrier layer made of EVOH or the like may be sandwiched between polyolefin layers.

[0012] The container body 4 can be formed by blow molding. It can be formed by blow molding of a parison. Blow molding may be direct blow molding or stretch blow molding. In direct blow molding, the container body 4 is manufactured by sandwiching a molten parison extruded from an extruder between a pair of split molds and blowing air into the parison. The parison may be cylindrical or sheet-shaped. In stretch blow molding, a test-tube-shaped parison with a bottom, called a preform, is formed in advance, and the container body 4 is manufactured by blow molding using this parison. The container body 4 may also be bag-shaped and formed from a film or sheet. Such a container body 4 can be formed, for example, by heat-sealing a film or sheet.

[0013] The container body 4 preferably has a wall thickness of 150 μm or less at the center in the height direction. By achieving such a wall thickness, the amount of resin used can be reduced. Furthermore, reducing the wall thickness increases the flexibility of the container body 4, making it easier to squeeze out the contents. On the other hand, reducing the wall thickness raises concerns about damage to the container body 4 and resulting in leakage of the contents. However, in this embodiment, the container body 4 is contained within the container member 3, thereby suppressing damage to the container body 4. Specifically, the wall thickness may be, for example, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, or 150 μm, or may be within a range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here or less than any of the values.

[0014] If the thickness of the container body 4 is reduced, the resilience of the container 2 decreases, the container 2 becomes less able to stand on its own, and the handling of the container 2 becomes less easy. It is preferable that the container 2 does not stand on its own when, for example, the container 2 is deformed and reduced in volume due to the discharge of the contents, and the container 2 becomes 50% (preferably 60%, 70%, or 80%) of its original volume. In this embodiment, by utilizing the containing member 3, the handling of the container 2 is improved even when the container 2 has difficulty standing on its own, and therefore the significance of applying the present invention to cases where the container 2 has difficulty standing on its own is significant.

[0015] The cap 5 is attached to the mouth 4a of the container body 4 and is configured to be able to discharge the contents in the container body 4 through a discharge port 5a provided in the cap 5. The cap 5 may be a screw-type or a stopper-type. In one example, the cap 5 is a screw-type, and a female screw portion provided in the cap 5 is screwed into a male screw portion provided in the mouth 4a.

[0016] Preferably, the cap 5 is provided with a discharge valve. The discharge valve is configured to prevent outside air from entering the container 2 while allowing the contents to be discharged. This prevents deterioration of the contents. Any configuration of discharge valve can be used. When the contents are highly viscous, it is preferable that the discharge valve be a valve suitable for discharging highly viscous materials. It is also preferable that the discharge valve be a soft valve.

[0017] The housing member 3 is configured to be able to accommodate at least a portion of the container 2, including the container body 4, through an opening 3a provided in the housing member 3. In this embodiment, the entire housing portion 4b, the mouth portion 4a, and a portion of the cap 5 are accommodated within the housing member 3. Before use, it is preferable that there is a gap between the container 2 and the housing member 3 at least in the body portion 4c.

[0018] A male thread portion 5b is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 5, and a female thread portion 3b is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the containing member 3. The container 2 is fixed to the containing member 3 by screwing the male thread portion 5b and the female thread portion 3b together.

[0019] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the container unit 1 is recycled by removing the container 2 from the housing member 3 after the contents of the container body 4 are used up, and then storing a refillable container 2 in the housing member 3 as shown in FIG. 2 . In this case, the housing member 3 is reusable. This configuration can reduce the amount of resin waste. Therefore, it is preferable that the housing member 3 be configured so that the refillable container 2 can be stored in the housing member 3 in a state prior to use. In this case, the refillable container 2 can be easily attached. The refillable container 2 is a container 2 filled with contents, and may be a newly manufactured virgin product or a recycled product in which a depleted container 2 is refilled with contents. Furthermore, the housing member 3 can be formed from a single material, which has the advantage of being easily recycled when discarded.

[0020] Furthermore, since the container 2 is fixed to the storage member 3 by the threaded engagement between the male screw portion 5b and the female screw portion 3b, the container 2 can be easily removed from the storage member 3 by unscrewing the threaded engagement, and the refill container 2 can be easily attached to the storage member 3.

[0021] Preferably, the containing member 3 is cylindrical with a bottom, and configured so that the outer peripheral surface of the cap 5 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the containing member 3. With this configuration, a sealed space can be formed between the container 2 and the containing member 3.

[0022] Preferably, the container 3 is provided with an outside air inlet 3c that allows outside air to be introduced into the intermediate space 6 between the container 3 and the container 2, and an outside air inlet valve 3d is provided in the outside air inlet 3c. The outside air inlet 3c can be provided, for example, in the bottom of the container 3. The outside air inlet valve 3d is configured to allow outside air to be introduced into the intermediate space 6 while suppressing the discharge of outside air from the intermediate space 6. With this configuration, the intermediate space 6 can be pressurized by compressing the container 3, thereby enabling the contents to be discharged from the container 2. Furthermore, when the compressive force on the container 3 is removed and the container 3 returns to its original shape, outside air is introduced into the intermediate space 6, allowing the container 3 to quickly return to its original shape. With this configuration and the provision of a discharge valve in the cap 5, a so-called peelable container can be realized, in which the container body 4 contracts as the contents are discharged.

[0023] Although the material constituting the storage member 3 is not particularly specified, it is preferable that the storage member 3 be made of PET, for example, from the viewpoint of appearance and durability. Furthermore, if the storage member 3 is too thick, it becomes difficult to compress the storage member 3 and discharge the contents of the container 2, so the storage member 3 should be thick enough to be compressible. In one example, the storage member 3 can be formed by stretch blow molding.

[0024] 2. Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 3. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the contents described in the first embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0025] In this embodiment, the male thread portion 5b and the female thread portion 3b are not provided, and the outer peripheral surface of the cap 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the container member 3 are in close contact with each other via tapered surfaces. With this configuration, an airtight space can be formed between the container 2 and the container member 3. This prevents air from penetrating the wall surface of the container body 4 and entering the container body 4, thereby improving the quality preservation performance of the contents. By providing a gas barrier layer on the container member 3, the quality preservation performance of the contents is further improved.

[0026] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the contents are discharged when the container 2 is removed from the containing member 3, and that after the contents have been discharged, the container 2 is placed back into the containing member 3. In this case, there is no need to compress the containing member 3, and the contents can be discharged by compressing only the flexible container body 4, resulting in excellent content dischargeability. Furthermore, by storing the container 2 in the containing member 3 after the contents have been discharged, damage to the container 2 and deterioration of the contents during storage can be prevented.

[0027] In this embodiment, the accommodating member 3 does not need to have a compressible thickness, and the outside air inlet hole 3c and the outside air inlet valve 3d are not necessary. On the other hand, as in the first embodiment, the accommodating member 3 may be provided with an outside air inlet hole 3c and an outside air inlet valve 3d, and the cap 5 may be provided with a discharge valve, so that the container body 4 contracts as the contents are discharged. In this case, the accommodating member 3 has a compressible thickness. Furthermore, to improve the tightness of contact between the cap 5 and the accommodating member 3, rubber (elastomer) acting as a packing may be provided on the contact surface between the cap 5 and the accommodating member 3, or a cap whose portion that contacts the accommodating member 3 is made of rubber (elastomer) may be used.

[0028] 3. Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 4. This embodiment is similar to the above-described embodiment, and the contents described in the above-described embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0029] This embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in that the contents are dispensed when the container 2 is removed from the containing member 3, and after the contents are dispensed, the container 2 is accommodated in the containing member 3. However, in this embodiment, the containing member 3 is configured to accommodate the container 2 in an inverted state. This configuration has the advantage that the contents of the container 2 are collected on the cap 5 side, making it easy to dispense the contents even when only a small amount of the contents remains.

[0030] The housing member 3 includes a grounding portion 3e and a container housing portion 3f. The grounding portion 3e is a portion that comes into contact with the ground, and the container housing portion 3f is fixed to the grounding portion 3e. The container housing portion 3f is capable of standing on its own by being fixed to the grounding portion 3e. The container 2 is housed in the container housing portion 3f in an inverted state. The container housing portion 3f is configured so that its diameter expands toward the open end 3g. This configuration makes it easy to stably hold the container 2 in an inverted state.

[0031] In this embodiment, the containing member 3 is a cylindrical member with no bottom, but may be a cylindrical member with a bottom.

[0032] 1: Container unit, 2: Container, 3: Container member, 3a: Opening, 3b: Female thread portion, 3c: Outside air introduction hole, 3d: Outside air introduction valve, 3e: Grounding portion, 3f: Container accommodating portion, 3g: Opening end, 4: Container body, 4a: Mouth portion, 4b: Container portion, 4c: Body portion, 4d: Bottom, 5: Cap, 5a: Discharge port, 5b: Male thread portion, 6: Intermediate space

Claims

1. A container unit comprising a container and a storage member, wherein the container comprises a container body and a cap, the container body is capable of storing contents, the cap is attached to the mouth of the container body and is configured to be able to discharge the contents through a discharge port provided in the cap, and the storage member is configured to be able to store at least a portion of the container, including the container body, through an opening provided in the storage member.

2. A container unit according to claim 1, wherein the container member is cylindrical with a bottom, and the outer peripheral surface of the cap and the inner peripheral surface of the container member are configured to be in close contact with each other.

3. A container unit as described in claim 2, wherein the cap is provided with a discharge valve, and the discharge valve is configured to suppress the intrusion of outside air into the container while allowing the contents to be discharged; the storage member is provided with an outside air inlet hole that allows outside air to be introduced into an intermediate space between the storage member and the container; the outside air inlet hole is provided with an outside air inlet valve, and the outside air inlet valve is configured to suppress the discharge of outside air from the intermediate space while allowing the outside air to be introduced into the intermediate space.

4. A container unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein a male threaded portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap and a female threaded portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating member are threadedly engaged with each other.

5. A container unit according to claim 2, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the cap and the inner peripheral surface of the container member are in close contact with each other via tapered surfaces.

6. A container unit according to claim 1, wherein the storage member is configured to store the container in an inverted state.

7. A container unit as described in claim 6, wherein the container member comprises a grounding portion and a container accommodating portion fixed to the grounding portion, the container is accommodated in the container accommodating portion in an inverted state, and the container accommodating portion is configured to expand in diameter toward the open end of the container accommodating portion.

8. A container unit according to claim 1, wherein the container body has a wall thickness of 150 μm or less at the center in the height direction.

9. A method of using a container unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising discharging the contents while the container is removed from the storage member, and storing the container in the storage member after the contents have been discharged.

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