JP7808330B2 - Sheeting fixture for food transport containers - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a sheet-hanging jig for food transport containers, such as food containers.

A banju is a box without a lid, sometimes with holes on either end so that the carrier can hold onto it. They come in various sizes, but are generally designed to be large enough for one person to carry with both hands.

Its distinctive features include its thinness and the use of thick plates, which is thought to be due to the need for durability as a transport container and to withstand stacking.

It is mainly used in manufacturing industries where humidity control is important for products such as confectionery, bread, noodles, and rice cakes.

When actually used, the sheet is usually used to cover the inside of the food container (bottom, inner periphery) and the edge of the opening, and noodles, rice cakes, bread, sweets, etc. are placed on top and transported.

The process of applying this sheet is not particularly automated. Furthermore, commercially available bags are used as the sheet. In other words, when used as a sheet, it has a two-ply structure.

For "banju," see Patent Document 1, and for "sheets," see Patent Document 2.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-187620 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-131285

However, in recent years, sweets and bread for convenience stores and other such products have been mass-produced in food factories, and food containers have been used to transport these products. However, the process of laying the sheets inside the food containers takes time, and there has been a problem in that it sometimes cannot keep up with food production.

This invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a sheet-hanging jig that can easily and reliably place a single, non-bag-shaped sheet inside a food transport container such as a food box, and drape it over the edge of the opening.

The present invention comprises a box-shaped insert portion, a hinge portion, and a grip portion for pushing a flexible resin sheet into an interior space from above so as to cover the opening edge of an upwardly opening box-shaped food transport container and the bottom and inner peripheral surfaces of the interior space. The insert portion is made up of a pair of identically shaped, box-shaped divided insert portions that open upward. The hinge portion is configured to connect the upper edges of the opposing side walls, which are the opening edges of a pair of adjacent opposing side walls, so that they can swing relatively freely within a certain range when the divided insert portions are lined up. The grip portion is configured to connect the hinge portion and the The problem is solved by a sheet attachment jig for food transport containers, characterized in that the insertion section can be lifted and pushed down relative to the food transport container via the hinge section, and when the divided insertion section is placed on a horizontal surface, the adjacent opposing side walls are parallel with a gap between them, and when the divided insertion section is lifted upward relatively, the lower edges of the opposing side walls come into contact, forming a V-shape with the outer surfaces of the opposing side walls meeting at the lower edges of the opposing side walls.

The sheet application jig for food transport containers of the present invention has the advantage that by applying a flexible resin sheet so that it covers the opening edge of the food transport container and then pressing the flexible resin sheet vertically down from above, the flexible resin sheet can cover the bottom surface, inner peripheral surface, and opening edge of the interior space of the food transport container in a single action.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state immediately before a flexible resin sheet is pushed into a food transport container by a sheet application jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1 showing the sheeting jig and food transport container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing the state after the flexible resin sheet has been applied to the inside of the food transport container and the upper edge of the opening using the sheet application jig. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the completed state with the flexible resin sheet removed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an outer groove portion is provided as an example of a degassing portion on the side wall of the divided insertion portion. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a sheet hanging jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

As shown in Figure 1, the sheet application jig 10 for a food transport container 1 according to Example 1 of the present invention comprises a box-shaped insertion portion 20 for pushing a flexible resin sheet 5 from above into the inner space 3 so as to cover the opening edge 4 of the upwardly opening box-shaped food transport container 1 and the bottom surface 3A and inner peripheral surface 3B of the inner space 3, a hinge portion 30, and a gripping portion 40.

The insert section 20 is composed of a pair of identically shaped, box-shaped split insert sections 21A, 21B that open upward. The hinge section 30 is configured to connect the upper edges 23A, 23B (see Figure 3) of the pair of adjacent opposing side walls 22A, 22B when the split insert sections 21A, 21B are lined up, allowing them to swing freely relative to each other within a certain range.

The gripping portion 40 is configured to lift the hinge portion 30 and the insertion portion 20, allowing them to be moved, pushed in, and pulled out.

The hinge portion 30 connects the upper ends of the opposing side walls 22A, 22B of the divided insertion portions 21A, 21B so that when the divided insertion portions 21A, 21B are placed on a horizontal surface, the opposing side walls 22A, 22B are parallel with a gap between them, and when the divided insertion portions 21A, 21B are lifted upward, the lower edges 24A, 24B (see Figure 2) of the opposing side walls 22A, 22B come into contact, forming a V-shape for the opposing side walls 22A, 22B.

The divided insert sections 21A, 21B are basket-shaped and function as a deaeration means to allow air to escape between them and the flexible resin sheet 5 when inserted into the inner space 3. When the divided insert sections 21A, 21B are pushed down, air can escape through the holes in the basket mesh sections 36A, 36B into the divided inner spaces 28A, 28B of the divided insert sections 21A, 21B.

In addition to the basket mesh section, the deaeration means may also be, for example, outer grooves 37A, 37B formed on the side walls and bottom surfaces of the divided insertion sections 21A, 21B, as shown in Figure 5.

Also, as shown in Example 2 in Figure 6, the opposing side walls 22A, 22B below the hinge portion 30 may be formed as flat opposing side walls 27A, 27B without providing the degassing portion 35, with the basket mesh portions 36A, 36B or outer groove portions 37A, 37B provided only in other portions.

When lifting or pushing down via the hinge portion 30, a strong force is applied to the opposing side walls 22A, 22B, but durability can be increased by making the opposing side walls 27A, 27B flat.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheeting jig 10 according to Example 1 has arc-shaped lower corners 26A and 26B of the divided insertion sections 21A and 21B, particularly as shown in Figure 2, which are corners of the bottom surface and side walls away from the hinge section 30, making them more slidable against the flexible resin sheet 5. It is recommended that these lower corners 26A and 26B be coated with a resin that reduces the coefficient of friction, particularly with the flexible resin sheet.

Next, we will explain the process of using the sheet attachment jig 10 of Example 1 to push the flexible resin sheet 5 downward through the opening 2 of the food transport container 1 so that it covers the bottom surface 3A, inner peripheral surface 3B, and opening edge 4 of the inner space 3.

Note that lifting and pushing the sheet-hanging jig 10 is not limited to manual lifting and pushing, but can also be done by robots or specialized machines. This also includes cases where the food transport container 1 and/or the sheet-hanging jig 10 are fixed and the food transport container 1 is raised and lowered by a specialized machine.

First, as shown in Figure 1, the flexible resin sheet 5 is placed over the opening 2, including the opening edge 4, of the food transport container 1.

Next, the sheeting jig 10 is lifted by its gripping portion 40, as shown in Figure 1. That is, the lower edges 24A, 24B of the opposing side walls 22A, 22B of the divided insertion portions 21A, 21B are brought into contact with each other. In this state, the opposing side walls 22A, 22B have a V-shape when viewed from the side.

Next, the divided insertion sections 21A and 21B are positioned directly above the opening 2 of the food transport container 1 and then lowered. During this process, as shown in Figure 2, the lower corners 26A and 26B of the outer side walls 25A and 25B of the divided insertion sections 21A and 21B press down on the flexible resin sheet 5.

At this time, the lower corners 26A, 26B are made of a material or coated with a material that reduces the coefficient of friction with the flexible resin sheet 5, and the lower corners 26A, 26B are arc-shaped. As a result, the flexible resin sheet 5 is pressed down toward the bottom surface 3A of the food transport container 1 as the sheet attachment jig 10 is lowered without damaging the flexible resin sheet 5 due to strong friction.

When the sheet attachment jig 10 is pressed down in this state, the bottom surfaces of the two divided insertion sections 21A and 21B come into contact with the bottom surface 3A of the food transport container 1 from above, via the flexible resin sheet 5, as shown in Figure 3.

During this process, when the gripping portion 40 is pressed down, the lower corners 26A, 26B of the divided insertion portions 21A, 21B spread the flexible resin sheet 5 while maintaining the state shown in Figure 2. When these lower corners 26A, 26B come into contact with the bottom surface 3A of the food transport container 1 via the flexible resin sheet 5, the lower corners 26A, 26B spread outward in Figure 2, and the lower edges 24A, 24B of the opposing side walls 22A, 22B gradually move apart. In other words, when the gripping portion 40 is pressed down, the downward force is converted into a force that spreads the lower corners 26A, 26B outward, ensuring that the flexible resin sheet 5 is pressed down within the inner space 3 and spread outward in Figure 2.

The final state is as shown in Figure 3. At this time, the side walls of the divided insertion sections 21A, 21B other than the opposing side walls 22A, 22B, and the bottom surface come into contact with the flexible resin sheet 5, and the air between them is pushed out through the holes in the basket mesh sections 36A, 36B into the divided inner spaces 28A, 28B of the divided insertion sections 21A, 21B, so no air pockets form between the divided insertion sections 21A, 21B and the pressed-down flexible resin sheet 5.

As shown in Example 2 in Figure 6, among the side walls of the divided insertion sections 21A and 21B in Example 1, the opposing side walls 22A and 22B may be replaced with flat opposing side walls 27A and 27B, and degassing sections 35 may be provided on the side walls other than the opposing side walls 22A and 22B and on the bottom surface of the insertion section.

This increases the rigidity against the downward force transmitted through the grip portion 40, improving durability.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...food transport container 2...opening 3...inner space 3A...bottom surface 3B...inner peripheral surface 4...opening edge portion 5...flexible resin sheet 10...sheet hanging jig 20...insertion portion 21A, 21B...divided insertion portion 22A, 22B...opposing side walls 23A, 23B...upper edge of opposing side walls 24A, 24B...lower edge of opposing side walls 25A, 25B...outer side walls 26A, 26B...lower corner portion 27A, 27B...flat opposing side walls 28A, 28B...divided inner space 30...hinge portion 31...fixing bar 32A, 32B...hinge 33A, 33B...hinge pin 34A, 34B...hinge blade 35...deaeration portion 36A, 36B...cage mesh portion 37A, 37B...outer groove portion 40...Gripping part

Claims (5)

The container has a box-shaped insertion portion for pushing a flexible resin sheet into the inner space from above so as to cover the opening edge of the box-shaped food transport container that is open upward and the bottom surface and inner peripheral surface of the inner space, a hinge portion, and a grip portion;
The insertion portion is a pair of divided insertion portions each having an upwardly opening box shape and the same shape,
The hinge portion is configured to connect upper edges of the opposing side walls, which are opening edges of a pair of adjacent opposing side walls, so as to be relatively swingable within a certain range when the divided insertion portions are arranged side by side,
The gripping portion can lift and push down the insertion portion relative to the food transport container via the hinge portion,
A sheet hanging jig for a food transport container, characterized in that when the divided insertion portion is placed on a horizontal surface, the adjacent opposing side walls are parallel to each other with a gap between them, and when the divided insertion portion is lifted upward relatively, the lower edges of the opposing side walls come into contact, forming a V-shape with the outer surfaces of the opposing side walls intersecting at the lower edges of the opposing side walls. In claim 1,
A sheet hanging jig for a food transport container, characterized in that the divided insertion portion is equipped with a deaeration means for releasing air between the flexible resin sheet and the divided insertion portion when the flexible resin sheet is inserted into the inner space, and the deaeration means is a hole in the basket mesh portion when the bottom surface and side wall of the insertion portion are basket-shaped, or an outer groove portion provided on the bottom surface and outer surface of the side wall of the insertion portion. In claim 2,
A sheet hanging jig for a food transport container, characterized in that of the side walls of the divided insertion section, the opposing side walls are constructed in the form of a single plate, and the deaeration means is provided on the side walls other than the opposing side walls and on the bottom surface of the insertion section. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A sheet hanging jig for a food transport container, characterized in that the lower corner of the outer side wall spaced apart from the opposing side wall in the split insertion section is arc-shaped, and at least its surface is made of a material that can slide against the flexible resin sheet. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
the hinge portion is configured to include a plate-shaped fixing bar that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane when the divided insertion portion is placed on the horizontal plane and is provided in the lower plane along the upper edges of the opposing side walls, and a pair of hinges that are respectively arranged between both side surfaces in the thickness direction of the lower edge of the fixing bar and the upper edges of the opposing side walls,
A sheet hanging jig for a food transport container, characterized in that a pair of hinge pins in the pair of hinges are arranged at both corners of the thickness direction of the fixed bar at the lower end of the fixed bar, and a gap is formed between the opposing side walls by the length of the hinge blades in the pair of hinges and the distance between the pair of hinge pins.