Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SYNTHETIC RESIN CONTAINER
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to a bottle-shaped synthetic resin
container including a mouth serving as a dispensing spout for a content
medium, a trunk extending contiguous to the mouth via a shoulder, and a
bottom closing a lower end of the trunk. In particular, the present disclosure
relates to a synthetic resin container including the trunk provided with
reduced pressure absorbing recesses.
BACKGROUND
Due to their lightweightness and handleability, excellent stability for
preservation of the content media, and inexpensive cost, bottle-shaped
synthetic resin containers, typical examples of which are oriented
polypropylene (OPP) bottles and poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles,
are used in various applications, such as beverages, foods, and cosmetics.
Such a synthetic resin container is known to include the trunk
provided with reduced pressure absorbing recesses such as reduced pressure
absorbing walls (reduced pressure absorbing panels) or reduced pressure
absorbing grooves to cope with so-called hot filling, in which the content
medium, such as a beverage, including a juice beverage and tea, and a
seasoning, including soy sauce, vinegar, and dressing, is filled at a
high-temperature heated state. After the content medium is hot-filled, the
mouth is closed with a cap. Then, as the content medium is cooled, the
inside of the container is placed under reduced pressure, possibly causing the
trunk to be deformed significantly. To address the above problem, the trunk
is provided with the reduced pressure absorbing recesses, so that the reduced
pressure inside the container may be absorbed through deformation of the
reduced pressure absorbing recesses, thereby preventing significant
deformation of the entire trunk.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a synthetic resin container
including a trunk provided with panel-shaped reduced pressure absorbing
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recesses extending in the vertical direction. The described synthetic resin
container prevents deterioration in rigidity otherwise caused by a reduction
in
thickness of the container while absorbing the reduced pressure inside the
container through deformation of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses, to
__ thereby maintain the appearance and shape of the container in a favorable
state even in a situation where the container is hot-filled with the content
medium.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
PTL 1: JP2004-323100A
SUMMARY
Technical Problem
However, even in the existing synthetic resin container described
above, once reduced pressure due to hot filling reaches a certain level, the
deformation of reduced pressure absorbing recesses cannot fully absorb the
reduced pressure anymore. As a result, the trunk is significantly deformed to
be out of shape, leading to a problem that the appearance and shape of the
container can no longer be maintained in a favorable state.
The present disclosure has been conceived of in light of the above
problem, and the present disclosure is to provide a synthetic resin container
that effectively absorbs reduced pressure generated inside the container due
to
hot filling to stably maintain the appearance and shape of the trunk in a
favorable state.
Solution to Problem
The disclosed synthetic resin container includes a mouth as a
dispensing spout for a content medium, a trunk extending contiguous to the
mouth via a shoulder, and a bottom closing a lower end of the trunk, in which
the trunk is provided with a plurality of reduced pressure absorbing recesses
arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, and the reduced
pressure absorbing portion is formed in a barrel shape larger in diameter at
an
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intermediate part in the vertical direction than at both ends in the vertical
direction.
In the disclosed synthetic resin container configured as described
above, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses may each
preferably be formed as a groove extending in the vertical direction while
twisting in the circumferential direction about the axis of the reduced
pressure
absorbing portion.
In the disclosed synthetic resin container configured as described
above, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses may each
preferably be larger in circumferential width at an intermediate part in the
longitudinal direction than at the both ends in the longitudinal direction.
Advantageous Effect
According to the present disclosure, even in a situation where the
pressure inside the container is decreased when the content medium at a high
temperature is cooled after being filled into the container, not only the
reduced pressure absorbing recesses deform but also the reduced pressure
absorbing portion is deformed such that the intermediate part in the vertical
direction is reduced in diameter, to thereby effectively absorb the reduced
pressure. Accordingly, the appearance and shape of the container can be
.. maintained in a favorable state.
As described above, the disclosed synthetic resin container is capable
of effectively absorbing reduced pressure generated within the hot-filled
container, so as to stably maintain the appearance and shape of the trunk in a
favorable state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. I is a front view illustrating the disclosed synthetic resin
container according to one embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. I; and
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically illustrating the reduced
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pressure absorbing portion of FIG. 1 being in a barrel shape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure will be described in more detail below by
illustration with reference to the drawings.
As illustrated in FIG. I, the disclosed synthetic resin container I
according to one embodiment contains, for example, a beverage, including a
juice beverage and tea, or a liquid seasoning, including soy sauce, vinegar,
and dressing, as the content medium. The synthetic resin container 1 is
configured to cope with hot filling, in which the content medium is filled in
a
high temperature state where the content medium has been heated to a
predetermined temperature. Here, the vertical direction of the synthetic
resin container I corresponds to the upper and lower direction in FIG. I.
The synthetic resin container I is formed in a bottle shape, which
includes a mouth 2 as a dispensing spout for the content medium, a shoulder 3,
which has a head-cut conical cylinder shape extending contiguous to a lower
end of the mouth 2, a trunk 4, which has a substantially cylindrical shape
extending contiguous to the mouth 2 via the shoulder 3, and a bottom 5, which
closes a lower end of the trunk 4. Reference numeral S in FIG. I denotes the
axis (central axis) common to the mouth 2, the shoulder 3, the trunk 4, and
the
bottom 5.
The synthetic resin container I may be formed as a so-called PET
bottle, which is formed, for example, by biaxial stretch blow molding a
polyethylene terephthalate preform. The synthetic resin container I may
also be formed by biaxial stretch blow molding a preform made of any type of
thermoplastic synthetic resin, such as oriented polypropylene (OPP), other
than polyethylene terephthalate. Furthermore, the method of producing the
synthetic resin container I is not limited to biaxial stretch blow molding of
a
preform and may be any of a variety of production methods, such as extrusion
blow molding of a resin material.
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The mouth 2 has an outer circumferential surface provided with a male
screw 2a. After the content medium is hot-filled, the mouth 2 may be closed
with a cap, which is not illustrated, screw-connected to the male screw 2a.
Alternatively, an annular protrusion may be provided, instead of the male
screw 2a, on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth 2 and a cap may
be fitted onto the annular protrusion so as to plug the mouth 2 by undercut
fitting. Here, a neck ring 6 is provided between the mouth 2 and the shoulder
3.
The trunk 4 is provided with a reduced pressure absorbing portion 10.
In the illustrated example, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is
provided over a predetermined range which is defined between an upper
horizontal groove 7 and a lower horizontal groove 8 formed on the trunk 4, as
being biased to the lower side of the trunk 4 in the vertical direction. The
reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is configured to deform so as to reduce
the capacity of the synthetic resin container 1 in a case where the pressure
inside the synthetic resin container 1 is reduced when the content medium at a
high temperature is cooled after being hot-filled into the synthetic resin
container 1 and the mouth 2 is closed with a cap, to thereby absorb the
reduced pressure.
The upper horizontal groove 7 and the lower horizontal groove 8 are
each depressed from the outer circumferential surface of the trunk 4 to the
inner side of the trunk 4 and formed in an annular shape extending in the
circumferential direction over the entire circumference of the trunk 4. The
upper horizontal groove 7 and the lower horizontal groove 8 configured as
described above may be used to define the reduced pressure absorbing portion
10 in the trunk 4, so that the trunk 4 is increased in radial direction
rigidity in
a part adjacent to the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10. This
configuration allows for preventing deformation of the trunk 4 in a part other
than the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 due to reduced pressure while
allowing the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 to deform so as to reduce
the capacity of the synthetic resin container 1 when the pressure is reduced
within the synthetic resin container I.
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As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reduced pressure absorbing portion
is provided with a plurality of reduced pressure absorbing recesses II
arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. In FIGS. 1
and 2, only
one of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 is denoted by reference
5 numeral for
convenience; however, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10
has a plurality of reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 of the same shape,
which are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction over
an
entire circumference of the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10. In this
embodiment, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is provided with
10 twelve of the
reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11; however, the number of
the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 may be varied as desired.
The plurality of reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 each have a
side surface 11 a and a bottom surface 11 b, and formed in a groove shape
which is depressed toward the inside of the trunk 4. Further, the plurality of
the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 each extend in the vertical
direction while twisting in the circumferential direction about the axis
(central
axis) S of the trunk 4, i.e., the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10. In
other words, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 are
each formed in a concave rib shape extending in a direction inclined relative
to the vertical direction such that one end (upper end) 11c thereof is located
on the upper side than the other end (lower end) I 1 d thereof in the
longitudinal direction and the one end 11c and the other end lid in the
longitudinal direction are displaced from each other in the circumferential
direction.
Portions between the adjacent reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11
are each formed as a support portion 12, which extends as being inclined
relative to the vertical direction. In FIGS. I
and 2, onl) one of the support
portions 12 is denoted by reference numeral for convenience; however, each
portion between the adjacent reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 is
formed as the support portion 12, which makes twelve support portions 12 in
total.
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In this embodiment, the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 are
each formed in a shape having a uniform circumferential width in the
longitudinal direction such that the circumferential width in the intermediate
part (intermediate part between the one end I lc and the other end 11d) in the
longitudinal direction thereof becomes equal to the circumferential width at
both ends, namely, one end 11c and the other end I Id in the longitudinal
direction. Here, the circumferential width of the reduced pressure absorbing
recess 11 is a circumferential distance between a point where one side surface
11 a is intersecting with the support portion 12 and a point where the other
side
surface ha is intersecting with the support portion 12.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view schematically illustrating the reduced
pressure absorbing portion 10 of FIG. 1 being formed in a barrel shape.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is
formed in a barrel shape having an intermediate part diameter R2 at an
intermediate part in the vertical direction between the upper end 10a and the
lower end 10b and end diameters RI at the both ends, namely, the upper end
10a and the lower end 10b in the vertical direction, the intermediate part
diameter R2 being larger than each of the end diameters RI.
In this embodiment, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is
formed in a barrel shape having a largest diameter at the center between the
upper end 10a and the lower end 10b. However, the part having the largest
diameter may be shifted upward or downward relative to the center between
the upper end 10a and the lower end lob. Further, in this embodiment, the
upper end 10a and the lower end 10b both have the same end diameter RI;
however, the end diameters RI may be different from each other as long as the
end diameters R1 are each smaller than the diameter at the intermediate part.
FIG. 3 illustrates the barrel shape of the reduced pressure absorbing
portion 10 in an exaggerated manner; the intermediate part diameter R2 may
be about 62 mm to 66 mm when the end diameter RI is about 60 mm, so as to
favorably maintain the appearance after reduced pressure deformation. Here,
the end diameters RI and the intermediate part diameter R2 are not limited to
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be in the aforementioned numerical range to form the reduced pressure
absorbing portion 10 in a barrel shape.
In the aforementioned synthetic resin container 1, when the mouth 2 is
closed with a cap after hot filling and the pressure inside is reduced, the
plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 are each deformed
toward the radially inside, so as to reduce the capacity of the synthetic
resin
container 1, to thereby absorb the reduced pressure. Further,
when the
pressure inside the synthetic resin container 1 is reduced, the barrel-shaped
reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 itself is also deformed, in addition to
the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 being deformed, such that the
intermediate part in the vertical direction serving as a large diameter
portion
of the barrel-shaped reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 is reduced in
diameter, which can further reduce the capacity of the synthetic resin
container 1 so as to more effectively absorb the reduced pressure. In this
manner, when the pressure inside the synthetic resin container 1 is reduced
due to hot filling, the synthetic resin container 1 configured as described
above is capable of absorbing the reduced pressure through deformation of the
barrel-shaped reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 itself, in addition to the
deformation of the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11, to
thereby more effectively absorb the reduced pressure and stably maintain the
appearance and shape of the trunk 4 in a favorable state. In particular, even
when the synthetic resin container 1 is reduced in wall thickness for such
purposes as weight reduction, the reduced pressure can still be effectively
absorbed so as to stably maintain the appearance and shape of the trunk 4 in a
favorable state.
Further, in the aforementioned synthetic resin container 1, the
plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses I I are each formed as a
groove extending in the vertical direction while twisting in the
circumferential
direction about the axis S of the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10.
With this configuration, when the pressure is reduced inside the synthetic
resin container 1, the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 and the support
portion 12 are subjected not only to the diameter reducing deformation but
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also to deformation in the twisting direction so as to further increase the
inclination angle, which can further reduce the capacity of the synthetic
resin
container I. In this
manner, the reduced pressure inside the synthetic resin
container I can be absorbed further effectively, to thereby further stably
maintain the appearance and shape of the trunk 4 in a favorable state.
Needless to say, the present disclosure is not limited to the
aforementioned embodiment, and may be subjected to various alterations
without departing from the gist thereof.
For example, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses
11, which are each formed in a groove shape in the aforementioned example,
is not particularly limited thereto, and may be formed in various shapes such
as, for example, a panel shape as long as being arranged side by side in the
circumferential direction on the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10.
Further, in the aforementioned embodiment. the plurality of the
reduced pressure absorbing recesses Ii are each formed to have a uniform
circumferential width in the longitudinal direction. However, without being
particularly limited thereto, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing
recesses 11 may each be formed, for example. to have a wider circumferential
width at the intermediate part (intermediate part between the one end 11c and
the other end lid) in the longitudinal direction than the circumferential
width
at the both ends in the longitudinal direction, namely, the one end lie and
the
other end lid. That is, the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 may be
formed to have the widest circumferential width at the intermediate part in
the
vertical direction thereof. In this
manner, the plurality of the reduced
pressure absorbing recesses 11 may each be shaped to have a wider
circumferential diameter at the intermediate part in the longitudinal
direction
than the circumferential width at the both ends in the longitudinal direction,
such that the barrel-shaped reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 can more
readily be subjected to diameter reducing deformation and the reduced
pressure absorbing recesses 11 and the support portion 12 can more readily be
subjected to deformation in the twisting direction, and the reduced pressure
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absorbing recesses 11 themselves can also readily be deformed, to thereby
further effectively absorb the reduced pressure generated inside the synthetic
resin container 1. Here, the height of each of the reduced pressure absorbing
recesses 11 at a part where the circumferential width becomes largest may
preferably be the same as the height of the reduced pressure absorbing portion
at a part where the diameter becomes largest (the height at a part having
the intermediate part diameter R2). However, the height may be different
from the height of the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 at a portion
where the diameter becomes largest.
10 Further, the
plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11
may each be formed to have a narrower circumferential width at the
intermediate part in the longitudinal direction than the circumferential width
at the both ends in the longitudinal direction. In this
case, the reduced
pressure absorbing recesses 1 I may be curved at only one of the side surface
11 a sides toward the other side surface Ila side or may be curved at both
side
surface 11 a sides toward each other side surface 11 a side, to thereby narrow
the circumferential width at the intermediate part in the longitudinal
direction.
When the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing recesses I I are each
formed to have a narrower circumferential width at the intermediate part in
the longitudinal direction than the circumferential width at the both ends in
the longitudinal direction as described above, a shrink label applied to the
reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 can be suppressed from generating
wrinkles along with the deformation of the reduced pressure absorbing portion
10, and thus, the shrink label can be stably applied in an easy-to-see manner.
The aforementioned effect can similarly be obtained when a roll label or a
tack label is attached, in place of a shrink label, to the reduced pressure
absorbing portion 10. Here, the shrink label refers to a label made of a
heat-shrinking film such as polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) and formed in a tubular shape having a diameter larger than that of the
trunk 4. When heated by hot air or the like in a state where the shrink label
covers the outer side of the trunk 4, the shrink label shrinks and adheres to
the
outer circumferential surface of the trunk 4. The roll label, which is also
called wrap label, is made of a resin film or the like and formed in a band
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shape. The roll label is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of
the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 and overlapping parts at both ends
thereof are adhered via an adhesive or the like, so as to be applied to the
reduced pressure absorbing portion 10 in the state of being wrapped. The
tack label, which is made of a laminate paper or synthetic paper, is bonded to
the outer circumferential surface of the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10
via a tackifier or the like.
Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the plurality of the
reduced pressure absorbing recesses 11 are each formed as a groove extending
.. in the vertical direction while twisting in the circumferential direction
about
the axis S of the reduced pressure absorbing portion 10. However, without
being limited thereto, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing
recesses
11 may each be formed as a groove or a panel extending straight in the
vertical direction along the axis S of the reduced pressure absorbing portion
10. Even in this case, in line with forming the reduced pressure absorbing
portion 10 in a barrel shape, the plurality of the reduced pressure absorbing
recesses 11 may each be formed to have a wider circumferential width at the
intermediate part in the longitudinal direction than the circumferential width
at both ends in the longitudinal direction, or to have a uniform
circumferential
width in the longitudinal direction, and further to have a narrower
circumferential width at the intermediate part in the longitudinal direction
than the circumferential width at the both ends in the longitudinal direction.
Further, in the aforementioned embodiment, the synthetic resin
container 1 is applied for use in containing a beverage, including a juice
beverage and tea, or a liquid seasoning, including soy sauce, vinegar, and
dressing, as the content medium. However, without being limited thereto,
the disclosed synthetic resin container 1 may also be applied for use in
containing other content media such as food or cosmetics, which are as long
as hot-filled.
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REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
1 synthetic resin container
2 mouth
2a male screw
3 shoulder
4 trunk
bottom
6 neck ring
7 upper horizontal groove
8 lower horizontal groove
reduced pressure absorbing portion
10a upper end
10b lower end
11 reduced pressure absorbing recess
lla side surface
I I b bottom surface
11 c one end
lid other end
12 support portion
axis (central axis)
RI diameter at end
R2 diameter at intermediate part
