JP2020050371A - Polygonal in-mold container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent cracking of a polygonal in-mold container along a label seam. SOLUTION: An in-mold container 1 has a square tubular body portion 10 having four corner portions 12 and four side surface portions 11 connecting the corner portions 12 to each other, and a bottom portion for closing the bottom of the body portion 10. The container body is provided, and the in-mold label 20 is wound around the four corners 12 and the four side surface portions 11 of the body 10 in the circumferential direction and heat-sealed, and both end edges of the in-mold label 20 are provided. The label seam 22 between 21 is aligned at a position on the side surface portion 11 deviating from the center P in the lateral width direction of the side surface portion 11 of the body portion 10. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-mold container, particularly to an in-mold container having a polygonal cross section and having a rectangular cylindrical body.

  The in-mold container includes a container body made by injection molding or blow molding, and an in-mold label that is thermally fused to the body of the container body. The in-mold label has a length that is slightly shorter than the circumference of the body of the container body, so that the container is placed between the two edges of the heat-sealed in-mold label wound around the body of the container body. A gap that exposes a part of the body of the main body (hereinafter, referred to as “label joint”) is formed.

  Since there is no in-mold label at the label seam, the strength of the container is lower than the area where the in-mold label is heat-sealed, and the force is applied to this label seam when a force is applied to the container from the side. Concentrates and the container is liable to crack.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses a rectangular cylindrical in-mold container that forms a label joint at a corner (corner) of the container. The corner of the container has a relatively high strength, and by forming the label joint at the corner, it is possible to prevent the container from cracking along the label joint. However, since the corner of the container is conspicuous, even if the label joint is slightly displaced from the corner, the label joint becomes very noticeable. This means that the number of containers determined to be defective when the label seam is slightly displaced from the corner increases.

JP 2003-137246 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to make a slight displacement of an in-mold label inconspicuous and to make it difficult to determine a defect.

  Another object of the present invention is to make it difficult for the polygonal in-mold container to crack along the label joint.

  A polygonal in-mold container according to the present invention is a polygonal cylindrical body having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the corners, a container body having a bottom closing the bottom of the body, An in-mold label which is circumferentially wound around a plurality of corners and a plurality of side surfaces of the body and which is heat-sealed, and a label joint between both side edges of the in-mold label is provided on the body. It is characterized in that it is aligned with a position on the side surface portion deviating from the center in the width direction of the side surface portion.

  The upper end of the body is open, and after the contents are stored in the body, the lid is adhered to the upper edge periphery of the body to close the upper end opening of the inner container (body). The trunk generally has a slightly larger diameter at the upper part than at the lower part, but may have a constant diameter in the vertical direction. A flange may be formed on the upper edge peripheral end of the body in order to make the lid material easily adhered.

  The polygonal in-mold container has four corners and four side parts if the body section is square. Similarly, if the body section is triangular, it has three corners and three side faces, and if it is a pentagon, it has five corners and five side faces. In any case, the side portions having different directions are connected to both side portions of the corner portion. The angle of the corner may be changed suddenly, or the angle may be changed by bending smoothly. The sides may be flat (flat) or slightly curved outward.

  When a lateral force is applied to the polygon container by, for example, grasping the container by hand, a load is most likely to be applied to the center of the side surface of the polygon container in the width direction. According to the present invention, since the label joint of the in-mold label is formed avoiding the center in the width direction of the container side portion where the load is most likely to be applied, the polygonal in-mold container along the label joint is less likely to crack. be able to.

  Further, according to the present invention, the label joint is located on the side surface. That is, the label seam is not formed at the corner (corner) of the container. Even if the label joint is slightly displaced, it can be made inconspicuous.

  Preferably, the width of the label joint is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. By securing a label joint having a width of about 0.1 mm, it is possible to prevent both side edges of the in-mold label from overlapping. By keeping the width of the label joint at 2.0 mm or less, it is possible to prevent a decrease in design.

It is a perspective view of the in-mold container of a 1st example. It is a front view of the in-mold container of a 1st example. FIG. 3 is an end view along the line III-III in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the in-mold container of a 2nd example. It is a perspective view of the in-mold container of a 3rd example.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the in-mold container 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the in-mold container 1, and FIG. 3 is an end view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2 and 3, the thickness of the members is exaggerated for clarity.

  The in-mold container 1 has a bottom, and has a rectangular cylindrical body 10 having four corners 12 and four side surfaces 11 connecting the corners 12 to each other. And a bottom portion 13. Each of the corners 12 and the side surfaces 11 is slightly inclined inward from top to bottom, and the bottom 13 is smaller than the top opening of the body 10. The side part 11 constituting the body part 10 is slightly curved outwardly in an arc shape, while the corner part 12 is rounded with a small radius of curvature (large curvature) (see FIG. 3). In FIG. 3, the range of the corner 12 is indicated by a double-ended arrow. The body 10 and the bottom 13 are integrally formed of a thermoplastic resin, for example, polypropylene (PP). Instead of PP, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or other resins may be used. The body 10 and the bottom 13 have a thickness of about 0.45 mm to 1.5 mm.

  An outwardly facing flange portion 14 is formed integrally with the upper peripheral edge of the body portion 10. The upper end opening of the in-mold container 1 is closed by attaching a lid member (not shown) to the upper surface of the flange portion 14. The in-mold container 1 typically contains foods such as yogurt, ice cream, water cans, and pudding. Of course, non-food items such as detergents, bleaching agents, and chemicals can be stored.

  An in-mold label 20 having a thickness of about 50 μm to 60 μm is wound around the body 10 of the in-mold container 1 in the circumferential direction, and is thermally fused to the outer surface of the body 10. The in-mold label 20 may be, for example, a single-layer film of oriented polypropylene (OPP), a printed layer having a pattern printed on the surface, a coating layer for protecting the pattern, and a heat seal on the back. A multilayer film such as a laminate of OPP and a laminate of a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film on an intermediate layer may be used. The in-mold container 20 in which the in-mold label 20 is heat-welded to the body 10 is manufactured by putting the in-mold label 20 into the mold and then injecting and forming a resin. Generally, the in-mold container 1 is made by injection molding, but blow molding can also be used.

  A label joint (gap) 22 is formed between both side edges 21 of the in-mold label 20 which is thermally fused to the body 10 of the in-mold container 1. That is, the length of the in-mold label 20 is slightly shorter than the circumference of the body 10 of the in-mold container 1. This is because if the length of the in-mold label 20 is designed to be, for example, the same as the circumference of the body 10, an error occurs when the in-mold label 20 is die-cut, the molding shrinkage of the body 10, and the like. This is to prevent both side edges 21 from overlapping. When the side edges 21 of the in-mold label 20 are superimposed, a portion that is not thermally fused to the body 10 may be formed near the side edges 21 or may be covered with resin (the surface of the in-mold label 20 may be covered with the resin constituting the container body). Or the in-mold container 1 is treated as a defective product. In order to minimize the occurrence of defective products, it is essential to secure an appropriate label joint 22. The width of the label joint 22 (the distance between the side edges 21) is at least about 0.1 mm.

  If the width of the label joint 22 is made too large, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of design. Generally, the width of the label joint 22 is about 2.0 mm at the maximum.

  Referring to FIG. 3, label seam 22 is positioned on side surface 11, which is off center P, avoiding center P in the width direction of side surface 11 of body 10. For example, when a lateral force is applied by the hand gripping the container body from the side, or when the container body falls, a load is most likely to be applied to the center of the side surface portion 11 of the container body in the width direction. Further, since the in-mold label 20 is not thermally welded to the label joint 22 (the body 10 is exposed), the strength is lower than the range where the in-mold label 20 is thermally welded. That is, when the label joint 22 is located at the center P in the lateral width direction of the side surface portion 11 of the container main body, the container main body (body portion 10) tends to crack at the position of the label joint 22. In order to prevent this, the label joint 22 is formed at a position deviated from the center P in the lateral width direction of the side surface 11 of the body 10.

  By forming the label joint 22 at a position deviating from the center P in the width direction of the side surface portion 11 of the body 10, the position is not a place where a load is most likely to be applied when a lateral force is applied. Container cracking along the label seam 33 can be made less likely to occur.

  Positioning (positioning) of the label joint 22 is performed when the in-mold label 20 is placed in the mold. What is necessary is just to adjust the attitude of the in-mold label 20 with respect to the mold (the position that becomes the label joint 22) when the mold is placed in the mold.

  Preferably, label seams 22 are not located at corners 12 either. In a container having a polygonal cylindrical body 10, the corner 12 is a very conspicuous part in appearance, and if there is a label seam 22 there, the label seam 22 is slightly displaced from the corner 12. This is because sometimes the displacement of the label seam 22 becomes very noticeable. In the mass production process of the in-mold container, a slight displacement of the label seam 22 cannot be avoided. If the position of the label seam 22 aligned with the corner 12 is misaligned, it is determined to be defective. By preventing the label joint 22 from being located at the corner 12, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of in-mold containers 1 that are determined to be defective.

  It should be noted that even if the label seam 22 is slightly shifted in the mass production process of the in-mold container 1, the label seam 22 is not positioned at the center P in the lateral width direction of the side surface portion 11 of the body portion 10. In addition, it is preferable to adjust the degree of displacement (position displacement) from the center P of the side surface portion 11.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the in-mold container 2 of the second embodiment. An in-mold label 20A having a triangular bottom portion 13A whose bottom is closed and having a length slightly shorter than the circumference of the triangular cylindrical body 10A is thermally fused to the body 10A. The label joint 22 is positioned at a position off the center of the side surface of the triangular cylindrical body 10A. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the in-mold container 3 of the third embodiment. An in-mold label 20B having a pentagonal bottom (not visible in FIG. 5) that closes the bottom and having a length slightly shorter than the circumference of the pentagonal cylindrical body 10B is thermally fused to the body 10B. I have. The label seam 22 is positioned at a position off the center of the side surface of the pentagonal cylindrical body 10B. The shape and dimensions of the polygonal in-mold container can thus be arbitrarily designed.

1,2,3 In-mold container
10,10A, 10B Body
11 Side
12 corners
13 bottom
20, 20A, 20B In-mold label
21 Side edge
22 Label seam

Claims (2)

A polygonal tubular body having a plurality of corners and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the corners, a container body having a bottom closing the bottom of the body, a plurality of corners and a plurality of the body; And an in-mold label that is circumferentially wound around the side surface of the
A label joint between both side edges of the in-mold label is positioned on the side part of the side part of the body deviating from the center in the width direction.
Polygon in-mold container. The width of the above label seam is in the range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm,
The polygonal in-mold container according to claim 1.

Images