JP7526695B2 - Lid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lid that can be attached to the opening edge of a container.

Conventionally, when a paper or resin container with an opening edge is transported or distributed while filled with contents, a lid is attached to the opening edge to prevent the contents from spilling out. One example of such a lid is a synthetic resin lid also known as a "LID."

Examples of contents stored in the above-mentioned containers include various cooked foods such as gratin and doria. Such contents are, for example, placed in the above-mentioned containers, sealed with a lid, and then packaged in a known shrink film before being sold, and in some cases may be heated in a microwave oven while still in the shrink-wrapped state.

Therefore, in containers used for such purposes, water vapor generated when heated with microwaves (microwave ovens) is released outside the container to prevent the container from expanding excessively or being damaged by the steam.

JP 2019-172351 A JP 2019-81612 A JP 2018-167907 A Utility Model Registration No. 3213110 Utility Model Registration No. 3220460 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-88

The following points remain to be improved in conventional lid structures, including those described in the above-mentioned patent documents. That is, in the above-mentioned containers, high-temperature steam is often released outside the container when heated by microwaves or the like. This steam released outside the container can remain between the container and the shrink film.

Therefore, for example, when a salesperson or a purchaser at a store grasps the periphery of a container (e.g., the flange portion of the container) to remove the heated container from the microwave oven, it is desirable to minimize the influence of the steam remaining inside the shrink film.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lid that can prevent steam remaining in the container and shrink film due to heating from affecting gripping of the container, for example, when the contents shrink-packed in the container are heated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the lid body is (1) a lid body that can be attached to the opening edge of a container having an open top surface, and includes a top surface portion that can face the bottom surface of the container with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a peripheral wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top surface portion, and the peripheral wall is formed with a fitting step portion that can fit the opening edge along the opening edge, and a folded portion where an end of the peripheral wall is folded upwardly to form a double wall that is aligned radially below the fitting step portion, and the folded portion includes a first folded portion that is folded upwardly to a first depth downward from the fitting step portion, and a second folded portion that is folded upwardly to a second depth shallower than the first folded portion .
In addition, the lid body in one embodiment of the present invention is (2) a lid body that can be attached to the opening edge of a container having an open top surface, and includes a top surface portion that can face the bottom surface of the container with a predetermined gap, and a peripheral wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top surface portion, and the peripheral wall is formed with an engagement step portion that can engage with the opening edge along the opening edge, and a folded portion in which an end of the peripheral wall is folded upwardly so as to form a double wall that is aligned radially below the engagement step, and when the folded portion is attached to the opening edge of the container, when the shortest straight line is drawn between the outer edge of the bottom of the container and the outermost edge of the lid body, at least a portion of the outer wall that constitutes the double wall protrudes radially outward beyond the shortest straight line.

In the lid body described in (1) or (2) above, ( 3 ) it is preferable that the folded portion includes an inner wall extending downward from the mating step, a bottom portion connected to a lower end of the inner wall and extending radially outward, and an outer wall extending upward from the bottom portion.

In the lid body described in ( 3 ) above, ( 4 ) it is preferable that at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall extends so as to expand radially outward.

In the cover described in ( 1 ) above, (5) it is preferable that a gripping rib extending in a circumferential direction is provided on an outer surface of an outer wall of the first folded portion.

In the lid described in (5) above, (6) it is preferable that the first folded portion is provided intermittently in a plurality of portions along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall.

In the lid body described in either (5) or (6) above, (7) it is preferable that a circumferential length of the first folded portion is longer than a circumferential length of the second folded portion.

In the lid body described in any one of ( 5 ) to ( 7 ) above, (8) it is preferable that the radial width of the first folded portion is longer than the radial width of the second folded portion.

In the lid body described in any one of (1) to ( 8 ) above, ( 9 ) it is preferable that at least one steam hole is formed in the top surface portion.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent steam remaining in the container and shrink film due to heating from affecting the grip of the container.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a cover according to an embodiment, seen from diagonally above; FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a cover according to an embodiment, as viewed obliquely from below; FIG. 1 is an external side view of a cover according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the lid body taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 13 is a top view of another example of the lid according to the embodiment; Schematic diagram of a container and lid in which the contents are sealed and shrink-packed FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of steam remaining around the opening edge of the container in an enlarged view of FIG. 6 . A schematic diagram illustrating the state when a container is held after being heated in the microwave FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the folded-back portion of the lid body and the container in FIG.

The lid body according to this embodiment will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the following embodiment describes one example of the present invention, and does not unintentionally limit the present invention, and may be implemented by appropriately supplementing other known configurations including those described in the above patent documents. In addition, for the sake of convenience, the direction extending axially through the center of the lid body 100 is set as the Z direction, and the directions parallel to the main surface of the lid body 100 that intersect with this Z direction are set as the X direction and the Y direction, respectively.

[Container 200]
First, the container 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in the figure, the container 200 of this embodiment can be a known container having a bottom and a concave shape (such as a cup shape or a tray shape, for example) with an opening edge 210 that opens on the top surface. There are no particular limitations on the material of this container 200, and known paper materials, resin materials, etc. can be used, for example.

As shown in the figure, the container 200 is filled with contents C. As such contents C can be, for example, various known cooked or semi-cooked foods such as gratin, doria, curry rice, noodles, etc. Depending on the contents C filled in the container 200, a heating process using microwaves (microwave ovens) may be performed, so that the inner or outer surface of the container 200 may be subjected to a known coating process.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the container 200 filled with the above-mentioned content C and the lid 100 may be packed with a known shrink film SF to cover them. As such a shrink film, various known materials such as polyvinyl chloride can be used.

[Lid body 100]
Next, the detailed structure of the lid 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As can be understood from Figures 1 to 3, the lid body 100 of this embodiment can be attached to the opening edge 210 of a container 200 having an open top, and is configured to include at least a top surface portion 10 and a peripheral wall 20.

The material of such a lid body 100 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a known synthetic resin such as an olefin resin such as transparent polyethylene or polypropylene, a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, or polystyrene, or, in addition to the above-mentioned synthetic resins, for example, a paper material may be used. In this embodiment, for example, heat-resistant OPS (biaxially oriented polystyrene), crystalline polyethylene terephthalate resin, polystyrene, polypropylene, etc. can be suitably used as the synthetic resin lid body 100.

In addition, there are no particular limitations on the manufacturing method suitable for the synthetic resin lid 100, so long as it exhibits the shape and function shown in this embodiment, and various manufacturing techniques may be applied, such as a known sheet molding method in which a sheet-like member is molded into a lid using a cutting tool and air pressure (vacuum or compressed air, etc.), or a known injection molding method in which molten resin is injected into a mold to form a lid.

The top surface portion 10 is arranged so as to face the bottom surface of the container 200 with a predetermined gap when covering the opening edge 210 of the container 200 described above. More specifically, the top surface portion 10 of this embodiment is composed of a top panel 11, a step portion 12 that rises radially outward on the periphery of the top panel 11, and a peripheral surface 13 that is arranged on the outside of the step portion 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top plate 11 of this embodiment is preferably formed in a dome shape so that it is convex upward when viewed from the opening edge 210 when attached to the container 200. A known steam hole 11a capable of releasing steam generated when the contents C are heated may be formed in the center of the top plate 11. It is preferable that at least one such steam hole 11a is formed in the top surface portion 10.

As described above, the top surface 10 in this embodiment preferably has a dome-shaped top plate 11 that slopes downward from the peripheral surface 13 via a step 12, and then protrudes upward from the lower end of this step 12 toward the center. In addition, a steam hole 11a is formed in the center of this top plate 11, which allows gas inside the container 200 to be released to the outside, preventing the container 200 from unintentionally expanding too much even when the contents C are heated.

In this embodiment, the steam hole 11a is formed in the top plate 11, but this is not limited to the above embodiment. In other words, the steam hole is most preferably formed in the upper part of the lid 100, but one or more steam holes may be formed in a part of the peripheral wall 20 (the side surface of the lid 100), for example.

The peripheral wall 20 is provided so as to hang down from the peripheral edge of the top surface portion 10 described above.
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the peripheral wall 20 of this embodiment is composed of a first skirt wall 21 that hangs downward from the peripheral surface 13, a mating step portion 22 that extends circumferentially outward at the lower end of this first skirt wall 21 and is capable of mating with the opening edge 210 of the container 200, and a folded portion 23 in which an end of the peripheral wall 20 is folded upwardly so as to form a double wall that is aligned radially below the mating step portion 22.

2 and 3, the fitting step 22 of this embodiment has fitting unders 22a recessed toward the inner surface and provided intermittently along the circumferential direction. As a result, when the lid 100 covers the opening edge 210 of the container 200, the opening edge 210 overcomes the fitting unders 22a, making it possible to stably fit the opening edge 210 of the container 200 into the fitting step 22.

<Detailed structure of folded portion 23>
Next, the structure of the folded portion 23 of the peripheral wall 20 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

As can be seen from FIG. 4 and other figures, the folded portion 23 of this embodiment includes an inner wall 25 extending downward from the mating step 22, a bottom portion 26 that connects to the lower end of the inner wall 25 and extends radially outward, and an outer wall 27 that extends upward from the bottom portion 26.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable that both the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 in this embodiment extend so as to expand radially outward (so that the cross section is substantially V-shaped). However, this is not limited to this form, and at least one of the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 may extend so as to expand radially outward, for example, the inner wall 25 may hang down vertically while the outer wall 27 may expand radially outward.

As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, the folded portion 23 in this embodiment includes a first folded portion 23A whose outer side is folded upward and whose depth from the fitting step 22 downward is a first depth d1, and a second folded portion 23B whose outer side is folded upward and whose depth is a second depth d2 shallower than the first folded portion 23A.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable that the radial width w1 of the first folded portion 23A is larger than the radial width w2 of the second folded portion 23B. However, this embodiment is not limited to this form, and the radial width w1 of the first folded portion 23A and the radial width w2 of the second folded portion 23B may be approximately equal in size.

The first folded portion 23A also functions as a gripping portion GP that is gripped by the user's hand, so a gripping rib 24 for anti-slip purposes may be formed on the outer surface of the outer wall 26a (see FIG. 4) described below. An example of such a gripping rib 24 is a convex portion that protrudes radially outward on the outer surface side of the first folded portion 23A.

As can be seen from FIG. 2 and other figures, the gripping ribs 24 are preferably arranged to extend circumferentially (i.e., extend circumferentially longer than axially) so as to be able to be continuously in close contact with the shrink film SF in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to prevent heated steam from passing through the gripping ribs 24 when the contents C are heated.

As can be understood by referring to Figures 2 and 3, the first folded portion 23A and the second folded portion 23B in this embodiment are preferably arranged alternately along the circumferential direction (θz direction). In this embodiment, a plurality of first folded portions 23A (four in total in this example) are provided intermittently along the circumferential direction with the second folded portions 23B interposed between each of them.

As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the length L1 of the first folded portion 23A in the circumferential direction is set to be longer than the length L2 of the second folded portion 23B in the circumferential direction. In other words, it is preferable that the angle θz _A formed by both ends of the first folded portion 23A with respect to the center O is set to be larger than the angle θz _B formed by both ends of the second folded portion 23B with respect to the center O.

However, this embodiment is not limited to this form, and the length L1 of the first folded portion 23A in the circumferential direction may be set to be longer than the length L2 of the second folded portion 23B in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the length L1 of the first folded portion 23A may be set to be approximately equal to the length L2 of the second folded portion 23B in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. 5 as another example of the lid body 100.

<Shielding effect of steam on gripping part GP>
Next, with reference to FIG. 7 as well, a mechanism for preventing steam generated when the contents C are heated from reaching the gripping portion GP (i.e., preventing the vicinity of the gripping portion GP from being excessively heated) will be described.
As described above, the container 200 filled with the contents C and sealed with the lid 100 may be carried via the gripping part GP immediately after being heated with microwaves (microwave oven) while still shrunk by the shrink film SF.

At this time, the heated contents C generate heat, generating steam inside the container 200. This generated steam is then released to the outside of the container 200, for example, through the steam hole 11a of the lid 100 or the gap (fitting gap) between the fitting unders 22a in the fitting step 22. At this time, since the container 200 is packed with the shrink film SF, the steam released to the outside remains in the space formed between the shrink film SF and the lid 100 and the space formed between the shrink film SF and the container 200.

And with conventional structures, including those mentioned in the patent documents above, when a salesperson or purchaser at a store grips the rim of the container (e.g., the flange) after heating, they grip it close to the space where the heated steam remains, so it is expected that they can only continue to grip it for a short period of time.

On the other hand, according to the lid body 100 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, since it has a folded portion 23 below the fitting step portion 22, this folded portion 23 (particularly the inner wall 25) can block the steam HS remaining in the space between the side surface of the container 200 and the shrink film SF from flowing toward the gripping portion GP.

In addition, according to the lid body 100 of this embodiment, the outer wall 27 that constitutes the folded portion 23 is gripped by the user, so that an insulating layer of air is essentially formed between the outer wall 27 and the inner wall 25, making it possible for this insulating layer to block high-temperature steam discharged from the container 200.

In the lid body 100 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, it is preferable that the folded portion 23 is configured such that when the bottom outer edge ECP of the container 200 and the outermost edge OMP of the lid body 100 are connected by the shortest straight line TL in a state where the folded portion 23 is attached to the opening edge 210 of the container 200, at least a part of the outer wall 27 (the part viewed from the arrow in FIG. 9) constituting the double wall described above protrudes radially outward from the shortest straight line TL. This allows the shrink film SF to be more reliably attached to the gripping portion GP, and the effect of this embodiment can be more reliably achieved.

In addition, in the lid body 100 of this embodiment, the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 extend so as to expand radially outward, which makes it easier for the shrink film SF to adhere to the gripping part GP, thereby reducing the gap (space) through which steam HS can penetrate inside the gripping part GP. Note that in this embodiment, the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 expand radially outward, but at least one of them may expand radially outward, or the bottom 26 may be formed larger (i.e., longer in length radially outward) instead of the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 to obtain the same effect.

As a result, when content C, which requires relatively high heating temperatures, such as doria or gratin, is heated in a microwave oven or the like, the temperature around the gripping part of a conventional container exceeds 80°C immediately after heating, whereas under the same conditions, the temperature around the gripping part GP of the lid 100 of this embodiment falls below 50°C. In this way, with the lid 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to significantly reduce the effect of steam remaining in the container and shrink film due to heating on gripping the container.

In addition, according to the lid body 100 of this embodiment, since there is a buffer space between the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 27 that constitute the folded portion 23, the load of film contraction that occurs, for example, when packing the container 200 with the above-mentioned shrink film SF or when the above-mentioned contents C are heated, can be alleviated by the elastic deformation of the outer wall 27. This makes it possible to prevent the shrink film SF from tearing during packing.

The embodiment described above is an example that embodies the gist of the present invention, and appropriate modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, known structures and methods may be appropriately added and modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment of the lid body 100, the folded portion 23 is provided with the first folded portion 23A and the second folded portion 23B alternately and intermittently along the circumferential direction, but the first folded portion 23A may be provided uniformly along the circumferential direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment of the lid body 100, the folded portion 23 has a total of four first folded portions 23A arranged along the circumferential direction, but any number other than four, such as two, may be provided.

In addition, in the lid body 100 of the embodiment described above, the circumferential length L1 of the first folded portion 23A constituting the gripping portion GP of the folded portion 23 is not particularly limited as long as it is large enough for a user to grip it with their fingers, but as an example, it may be long enough for the first joint of the finger to come into contact with it (approximately 20 mm).

In addition, in the lid body 100 of the embodiment described above, the first depth d1 of the first folded portion 23A constituting the gripping portion GP of the folded portion 23 is not particularly limited as long as it is large enough for a user to grip it with their fingers, but as an example, it may be greater than the contact width of a finger (approximately 10 mm).

In addition, in the above embodiment, the folded portion 23 forms a wall that blocks steam by sloping the inner wall 25 vertically downward from the fitting step 22. This allows the high-temperature steam discharged from between the container 200 and the lid 100 to flow downward. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form, and for example, the lid 100 may be made of a relatively heat-resistant material, and the inner wall 25 may be formed so as to slope upward from the fitting step 22 rather than downward from the fitting step 22.

The present invention can be used, for example, to manufacture lids that can maintain good grip even after the contents have been heated by microwaves (microwave ovens).

100 Lid body 10 Top part 20 Circumferential wall C Contents

Claims (9)

A lid that can be attached to an opening edge of a container having an open top,
A top surface portion that can face the bottom surface of the container with a predetermined gap therebetween;
a peripheral wall depending from a periphery of the top surface portion,
The peripheral wall is formed with a fitting step portion that can fit the opening edge along the opening edge, and a folded-back portion in which an end portion of the peripheral wall is folded back upward to form a double wall that is aligned radially below the fitting step portion ,
The folded portion is
The cover body includes a first folded portion that is folded upward to a first depth downward from the fitting step portion, and a second folded portion that is folded upward to a second depth shallower than the first folded portion. A lid that can be attached to an opening edge of a container having an open top,
A top surface portion that can face the bottom surface of the container with a predetermined gap therebetween;
a peripheral wall depending from a periphery of the top surface portion,
The peripheral wall is formed with a fitting step portion that can fit the opening edge along the opening edge, and a folded-back portion in which an end portion of the peripheral wall is folded back upward to form a double wall that is aligned radially below the fitting step portion,
When the folded portion is attached to the opening edge of the container, when the shortest straight line is drawn between the outer edge of the bottom of the container and the outermost edge of the lid, at least a portion of the outer wall that constitutes the double wall protrudes radially outward beyond the shortest straight line. 3. The lid body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the folded portion includes an inner wall extending downward from the mating step portion, a bottom portion connected to a lower end of the inner wall and extending radially outward, and an outer wall extending upward from the bottom portion. The lid according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall extends so as to expand radially outward in the radial direction. The lid according to claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of an outer wall of the first folded portion is provided with a gripping rib extending in a circumferential direction. The lid according to claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the first folded portions are provided discontinuously along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall. The lid according to claim 5 , wherein a circumferential length of the first folded portion is longer than a circumferential length of the second folded portion. The lid according to claim 5 , wherein a radial width of the first folded portion is greater than a radial width of the second folded portion. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein at least one steam hole is formed in the top surface portion.