JP7618157B2 - Food Tray - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a food tray used for cooking food.

In recent years, food has been placed on a tray, sealed with a lid, and then cooked (retort sterilization). The cooked food is transported on the sealed tray and displayed for sale. For example, Cited Document 1 discloses a package with a top-sealing lid film that can be easily and cleanly opened after reheating in a microwave oven.

JP 2018-70191 A

Incidentally, some cooked foods stored in packages tend to lose their shape due to vibrations during transport. For example, when storing boiled or grilled fish as cooked foods, there is a risk that the flesh of the fish may fall apart during transport because the flesh is fragile and there is a difference in strength between the abdominal and dorsal parts.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a food tray that can prevent food placed on it from losing its shape.

According to the present invention, there is provided a food tray used for cooking food, the food tray comprising a placement portion for placing the food and two pairs of opposing side portions, the placement portion comprising a pair of inclined portions formed so as to rise toward one pair of the two pairs of side portions, and a plurality of ribs formed on each of the pair of inclined portions.

According to the present invention, the movement of food is restricted by a pair of inclined portions and multiple ribs formed on the pair of inclined portions, which prevents the food from shifting position due to vibration during transportation and prevents the food from losing its shape. In addition, when cooking food, the pair of inclined portions position the food near the center and stabilize it, which prevents uneven heating and ensures uniform finished quality.

Various embodiments of the present invention are illustrated below. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.

Preferably, the height of the multiple ribs is between 0.5 mm and 5.0 mm.

Preferably, the average inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions is between 5 degrees and 35 degrees.

Preferably, a central portion is provided between the pair of inclined portions, and the length of the central portion in a direction perpendicular to the pair of side portions is 0.1 to 0.5 times the length of the placement portion in that direction.

Preferably, no rib is formed in the central portion, or the rib formed in the central portion is smaller than the ribs formed in the pair of inclined portions.

Preferably, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of parallel ribs that are substantially parallel to the pair of side surfaces, and a plurality of vertical ribs that are substantially perpendicular to the pair of side surfaces, and the plurality of parallel ribs and the plurality of vertical ribs are alternately arranged in a direction parallel to the pair of side surfaces.

Preferably, the placement portion has legs near the four corners, and the upper surfaces of the legs form the lowest drain spots on the upper surface of the placement portion.

The present invention also provides a food tray used for cooking food, the food tray comprising a placement portion on which the food is placed and two pairs of opposing side surfaces, the placement portion comprising a pair of inclined portions formed to rise toward one pair of the two pairs of side surfaces, and the average inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions being 5 degrees to 35 degrees.

1 is a plan view of a food tray 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the food tray 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the long side surface 3 side. FIG. 2 is a side view of the food tray 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the short side surface portion 4 side. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which food X is placed on the food tray 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a heating packaging container 100 constructed using the food tray 1 of FIG. 1.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other. In addition, each feature can be an invention independently.

As shown in FIG. 1, the food tray 1 of this embodiment comprises a mounting portion 2 on which food X (see FIG. 6) is placed, and two pairs of side portions, namely a pair of long side portions 3 and a pair of short side portions 4. The mounting portion 2 is generally rectangular in shape and comprises a central portion 20 and a pair of inclined portions 21. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5A, the mounting portion 2 comprises legs 22 near its four corners.

The central portion 20 extends in the direction along the long side portion 3 (hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction) from the central portion of the mounting portion 2 in the direction along the short side portion 4 (hereinafter referred to as the transverse direction). In this embodiment, no ribs are formed in the central portion 20, and therefore the back surface of the central portion 20 is free of irregularities.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4A, the pair of inclined portions 21 are formed so as to rise from the central portion 20 toward the pair of long side portions 3. In this embodiment, the central portion 20 and the pair of inclined portions 21 are smoothly connected in the short side direction, and are configured to be gently curved so as to be convex downward as a whole. However, the inclination of the central portion 20 is gentler than that of the inclined portions 21, and can be said to be almost flat. Therefore, in this embodiment, the boundary between the central portion 20 and the inclined portions 21 is defined as the position where the inclination angle becomes steep in the process of rising from the center of the short side direction of the central portion 20 toward the long side portion 3. Note that the area where the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b do not exist may be defined as the central portion 20, and the area where the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b exist may be defined as the inclined portions 21.

In this embodiment, the average inclination angle α of the inclined portion 21 shown in FIG. 4A is preferably 5 degrees to 35 degrees. Here, the average inclination angle is the angle at approximately the center of the short side of the inclined portion 21, and is the angle of the portion where the inclination angle is approximately constant. This inclination angle is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the ridge of the vertical rib 21b, which will be described later, with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the average inclination angle α may be defined as the inclination angle of the ridge of the vertical rib 21b with respect to the horizontal plane.

Alternatively, the average inclination angle α may be defined as the angle of a tangent line approximately near the center in the short direction. The average inclination angle α may also be defined as the inclination angle of a straight line connecting the upper and lower ends of the inclined portion 21. The above two definitions are particularly effective when the inclined portion 21 is curved overall. An appropriate definition of the average inclination angle α is adopted that represents the average inclination of the inclined portion 21 depending on the shape of the inclined portion 21.

The average inclination angle α of the inclined portion 21 is preferably 5 degrees to 20 degrees, and more preferably 10 degrees to 15 degrees. Specifically, the average inclination angle α of the inclined portion 21 may be, for example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 degrees, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here.

As shown in Fig. 1, each of the pair of inclined portions 21 has a plurality of ribs that protrude upward, including a plurality of parallel ribs 21a (see also Fig. 4B) that extend in the longitudinal direction (i.e., approximately parallel to the long side portion 3) and a plurality of vertical ribs 21b (see also Fig. 4C) that extend in the lateral direction (i.e., approximately perpendicular to the long side portion 3). The height of these parallel ribs 21a and vertical ribs 21b, i.e., the amount by which they protrude from the inclined portion 21, is preferably 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. It is more preferable that the height of the parallel ribs 21a and vertical ribs 21b be 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. Specifically, the heights of the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b are, for example, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, and 5.0 mm, and may be within a range between any two of the values exemplified here. In addition, it is preferable that the heights of the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b are approximately the same. As shown in FIG. 2, the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b protrude upward and form a recess on the back surface of the inclined portion 21. In this embodiment, the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b are arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, one vertical rib 21b is arranged at equal intervals on the upper surface of the inclined portion 21 so as to divide the two parallel ribs 21a extending in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the lower end of the parallel rib 21a on the central portion 20 side and the lower end of the vertical rib 21b are located at approximately the same position in the lateral direction and are aligned on the same straight line along the longitudinal direction. The shape, number, height, and arrangement of the ribs are not limited to the above configuration. However, it is preferable to alternately arrange the vertical ribs extending in the longitudinal direction or in a direction close to it and the parallel ribs extending in the lateral direction or in a direction close to it so that the drip liquid from the food X does not remain.

As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the short-side length t1 of the central portion 20 is preferably 0.1 to 0.5 times the short-side length t2 of the placement portion 2, and more preferably 0.2 to 0.4 times. The value of t1/t2 is, for example, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, or 0.50, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here.

As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the size of the food X to be placed does not fit into the central portion 20 in the short side direction, but reaches the pair of inclined portions 21. In other words, if the short side length of the food X to be placed is t3, it is preferable to use a food tray 1 in which the short side length t1 of the central portion 20 satisfies t1<t3. More preferably, the size of the food tray 1 is selected so that the food X is placed on the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b. If a food tray 1 of this size is used, the food X is placed on the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b and is in a floating state. In other words, a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the food X and the top surface of the placement portion 2 in contact with it. As a result, for example, when the food X is placed on the food tray 1 and heated in a microwave oven, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of heat spots (concentrated heating phenomenon) specific to microwave heating and reduce overheating of the food X.

As shown in Fig. 1, the legs 22 are formed in an L-shape along the long side 3 and the pair of short side 4 at the four corners of the mounting portion 2. As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5A, the legs 22 are the parts that come into contact with the surface on which the food tray 1 is placed when it is placed, and are formed at the lowest position on the mounting portion 2. In addition, on the upper surface of the legs 22, as shown in Fig. 5A, a drain spot 22a, which is the lowest on the upper surface of the mounting portion 2, is formed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of long side portions 3 extend in a substantially vertical direction from both ends of the central portion 20 in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the pair of short side portions 4 extend in a substantially vertical direction from both ends of the central portion 20 in the lateral direction. The pair of long side portions 3 and the pair of short side portions 4 form the sides of the food tray 1. A flange portion 30 for attaching a film 50 (see FIG. 7) around the circumferential direction is formed on the upper edges of the long side portion 3 and the short side portion 4. In addition, a tongue portion 31 for making it easier to peel off the film 50 is formed at one of the four corners of the flange portion 30. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5B, a reinforcing rib 40 is formed at the center of the lateral direction of the pair of short side portions 4, protruding toward the inside of the food tray 1. However, the reinforcing rib 40 is not a required configuration.

As shown in FIG. 7, the food tray 1 of the above configuration is used for top-seal packaging in which food X, particularly boiled or grilled fish, is placed on the tray, the inside of the tray is replaced with an inert gas such as nitrogen, and the tray is then sealed with a film 50 for packaging. The food tray 1 sealed with the film 50 is used as a heating packaging container 100 for cooking food by heating (retort sterilization) and for transporting, displaying, and selling the food. The layer structure of the food tray 1 is, for example, polypropylene (PP)/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/PP from the outside. The layer structure of the film 50 is, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/nylon (NY)/PP from the outside. However, the materials and layer structure of the food tray 1 and the film 50 are not limited to those described above, and can be any structure depending on the situation.

As described above, the food tray 1 of this embodiment has a pair of inclined portions 21, and the inclined portions 21 are provided with a plurality of parallel ribs 21a and a plurality of vertical ribs 21b. As a result, the movement of the food X placed on it is restricted by the pair of inclined portions 21, the parallel ribs 21a, and the vertical ribs 21b (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the food X placed on it is prevented from shifting in position due to vibration during transportation, and deformation can be prevented. Furthermore, when the food X placed on it is cooked (retort sterilization or boiling sterilization), the pair of inclined portions 21 position and stabilize the food X near the center in the short direction, making it easier to determine the spatial distance within the container (on the food tray 1). As a result, the spatial distance within the container is easier to determine, which stabilizes heat conduction, suppresses uneven heating during heat treatment, and makes it possible to achieve uniform finished quality.

In addition, in the food tray 1 of this embodiment, no ribs are formed in the central portion 20 of the placement portion 2, and the back surface of the central portion 20 is smooth, making it easy to attach a sticker for product labeling when the product is used as a heating packaging container 100.

In addition, in the food tray 1 of this embodiment, the mounting portion 2 is provided with an inclined portion 21, and the parallel ribs 21a and the vertical ribs 21b are arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction, so that drip liquid from the food X does not remain near the parallel ribs 21a. Furthermore, the drain spot 22a, which is the lowest on the upper surface of the mounting portion 2, is formed on the upper surface of the legs 22 of the mounting portion 2, so that drip liquid from the food X is collected in the drain spot 22a, and the drip liquid does not spread and accumulate over a wide area. This makes it possible for the food tray 1 of this embodiment to improve the appearance of the product when it is displayed.

In a food tray, if the average inclination angle of the inclined portion 21 of the placement portion 2 is less than 5 degrees, the movement of the food X is not properly regulated, and the drip liquid is dispersed. Furthermore, if the average inclination angle of the inclined portion 21 exceeds 35 degrees, the food X will concentrate on the placement portion 2 due to its own weight or external impact, and will lose its shape. However, in the food tray 1 of this embodiment, the average inclination angle α of the inclined portion 21 is set to 5 degrees to 35 degrees, preferably 5 degrees to 20 degrees, and more preferably 10 degrees to 15 degrees. Therefore, it is possible to properly regulate the movement of the food X, collect the drip liquid, and prevent the food from losing its shape due to its own weight.

The present invention can also be implemented in the following aspects.
In the above embodiment, the mounting portion 2 has a substantially rectangular shape. However, the mounting portion 2 may have a square shape.
In the above-described embodiment, the placement portion 2 has a central portion 20. However, it is also possible for the placement portion 2 to be configured without the central portion 20, i.e., for the placement portion 2 to have no substantially flat area in the central portion in the short-side direction. In this case, the pair of inclined portions 21 are connected to each other at their central portions, and the cross-sectional shape viewed from the short-side direction is substantially V-shaped. Even with this configuration, the pair of inclined portions 21 restrict the movement of the food X, thereby preventing the food X from losing its shape and making it possible to achieve a uniform finished quality during cooking.
In the above-described embodiment, no ribs were formed in the central portion 20 of the mounting portion 2. However, a rib may be provided in the central portion 20. However, even if a rib is provided in the central portion 20, it is preferable that the protrusion of the rib be smaller than the parallel ribs 21 a and the vertical ribs 21 b of the inclined portion 21.
In the above-described embodiment, ribs are provided on the inclined portions 21 of the placement portion 2, but ribs may not be provided. Even if ribs are not provided on the inclined portions 21, the movement of the food X can be restricted by the pair of inclined portions 21.
In the above embodiment, the food tray 1 is used for top-seal packaging to form a heating packaging container, but it can also be used for other purposes besides top-seal packaging. For example, the food tray of the present invention can also be used for wrap packaging, packaging with a molded lid, horizontal pillow packaging, etc.

1: Food tray 2: Placement section 3: Long side section 4: Short side section 20: Center section 21: Inclined section 21a: Parallel ribs 21b: Vertical ribs 22: Legs 22a: Drain spot 30: Flange section 31: Tongue section 40: Reinforcing rib 50: Film 100: Heating packaging container α: Average inclination angle X: Food

Claims (3)

A food tray used for cooking food,
The food product is provided with a placement portion on which the food product is placed and two pairs of opposing side portions,
The placement portion includes a pair of inclined portions, and the pair of inclined portions is configured to rise toward a pair of side portions of the two pairs of side portions so that the food is positioned between the pair of inclined portions;
In a cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the pair of side surface portions, one and the other of the pair of side surface portions are directly connected to one and the other of the pair of inclined portions, respectively;
A central portion is provided between the pair of inclined portions,
In a direction in which the pair of side portions face each other, a length t1 of the central portion is 0.1 to 0.5 times a length t2 of the placement portion,
A plurality of ribs are formed on each of the pair of inclined portions,
No rib is formed in the central portion,
The plurality of ribs include a plurality of parallel ribs that are substantially parallel to the pair of side surface portions, and a plurality of vertical ribs that are substantially perpendicular to the pair of side surface portions,
A food tray, wherein the plurality of parallel ribs and the plurality of vertical ribs are alternately arranged in a direction parallel to the pair of side portions. 2. The food tray according to claim 1,
A food tray, wherein the average inclination angle of the pair of inclined portions is 5 degrees to 35 degrees. The food tray according to claim 1 or 2,
The food tray, wherein the placing portion has legs near the four corners, and upper surfaces of the legs form drain spots that are the lowest on the upper surface of the placing portion.