Packaging container and packaged product contained in said packaging container, and manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for said packaging container

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a packaging container that can be industrially mass-produced, that can be used as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) while ensuring sealing performance, and that allows contents to be displayed in a three-dimensional manner; a packaged product contained in the packaging container; and a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for the packaging container. This packaging container has: a container main body having a bottom face part and sidewall parts, and having a flange at the upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts; and a lid material heat-sealed to the flange. The lid material is made of a film or sheet. A pair of opposing sidewall parts has the same shape, and upper end parts of the pair of side wall parts are at least positioned higher than the upper end parts of another pair of opposing sidewall parts.

1 . A packaging container, characterized by comprising:
 a container main body that has a bottom face part, sidewall parts, and a flange formed at an upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts; and   a lid material that is heat-sealed to the flange, wherein   the lid material is formed of a film or a sheet, and   a pair of opposing sidewall parts has an identical shape, and upper end parts of the pair of sidewall parts are at least partly positioned higher than upper end parts of another pair of opposing sidewall parts.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid material is in the form of a flat film or sheet when reeled out from a raw material roll or fed as a piece of a raw material sheet, is deformed so as to follow the shape of an upper end edge of the container main body prior to or during heat-sealing and then heat-sealed. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein upper end contours of the sidewall parts whose upper end parts are at least partly positioned higher than the upper end parts of the other sidewall parts are in the shape of an upward arc, an upward triangle, or an upward trapezoid. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein the top edge parts of the sidewall parts having the higher upper end part and a bottom edge part at the bottom face side are formed in substantially the same shape. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom face part is substantially flat and has projections projecting downward which are provided at positions enabling stacking of the packaging container on another packaging container. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging container according to  claim 5 , wherein a bottom edge part of the projection is in substantially the same shape as the top edge part of the sidewall parts corresponding to the bottom edge part. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid material has a function of automatically opening a steam hole formed therein by a pressure of steam generated when heating contents of the packaging container in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging container according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the flange of the container main body and at least a part of the lid material, which are heat-sealed to each other, have weaker sealing strength than the other parts and have a function of being separated and opened by a pressure of steam generated when the contents of the packaging container are heated in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         9 . A packaged product, characterized by comprising a food product placed in the packaging container described in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A manufacturing method for a packaging container, characterized by comprising the steps of arranging and conveying a plurality of container main bodies, each of which has a bottom face part, sidewall parts, and a flange formed at an upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts, and serially heat-sealing a lid material to the flanges of the container main bodies, wherein
 in each of the container main bodies, a pair of opposing sidewall parts has an identical shape, and upper end parts of the pair of sidewall parts are at least partly positioned higher than another pair of opposing sidewall parts;   the container main bodies are arranged and conveyed in such a manner that the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies is positioned perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the container main bodies;   the lid material formed of a flat film or sheet is reeled out from a reel roll and forwarded through a dancer roll; and   a plate having substantially the same shape as an upper end contour shape of the pair of opposing sidewall parts is brought into abutment with the lid material and the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using a heat-seal block.   
     
     
         11 . The manufacturing method for a packaging container according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber having a chamber main body and a chamber lid abutting therewith, and the upper end contour shape of the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies being similar to an upper end contour shape of sidewall parts of the chamber main body corresponding to the pair of opposing sidewall parts;   a support base for the container main bodies is provided at the chamber main body side;   the lid material has a width greater than a width of the container main body and narrower than a width of the vacuum chamber;   the container main bodies are mounted on the support base;   the vacuum chamber is tightly sealed by sandwiching the lid material between the chamber lid and the chamber main body, the lid material being brought into contact with the plate and deformed into the upper end contour shape of the pair of opposing sidewall parts;   after deaerating the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is filled with filler gas, and a pressure in the vacuum chamber is adjusted;   the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat sealed to each other by means of a heat-seal block provided at the chamber lid side; and   the lid material on the outside of the flange of each of the packaging containers is removed.   
     
     
         12 . A manufacturing method for a packaging container, characterized by comprising the steps of arranging and conveying a plurality of container main bodies, each of which has a bottom face part, sidewall parts, and a flange formed at an upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts, and serially heat-sealing a lid material to the flanges of the container main bodies, wherein
 in each of the container main bodies, a pair of opposing sidewall parts has an identical shape, and upper end parts of the pair of sidewall parts are at least partly positioned higher than another pair of opposing sidewall parts:   the container main bodies are arranged and conveyed in such a manner that the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies is positioned parallel to a conveyance direction of the container main bodies;   the lid material formed of a flat film or sheet is reeled out from a reel roll and forwarded through a dancer roll; and   the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using a heat-seal block while correcting and adjusting a sag of the lid material that occurs between reeling out the lid material and heat-sealing the lid material to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using the dancer roll or another dancer roll different from that dancer roll, so that the lid material follows the contour shape of the upper end parts of the pair of opposing sidewall parts.   
     
     
         13 . The manufacturing method for a packaging container according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber having a chamber main body and a chamber lid abutting therewith, and an abutment face between the chamber lid and the chamber main body being a horizontal plane;   a support base for the container main bodies is provided at the chamber main body side;   the lid material has a width greater than a width of the container main body and narrower than a width of the vacuum chamber;   the container main bodies are mounted on the support base;   the vacuum chamber is tightly sealed by sandwiching the lid material between the chamber lid and the chamber main body;   after deaerating the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is filled with filler gas, and a pressure in the vacuum chamber is adjusted;   the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other by means of a heat-seal block provided at the chamber lid side; and   the lid material on the outside of the flange of each of the packaging containers is removed.   
     
     
         14 . The manufacturing method for a packaging container according to  claim 10 , wherein the heat-seal block is capable of being divided and joined. 
     
     
         15 . A manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container, characterized by comprising means for arranging and conveying a plurality of container main bodies, each of which has a bottom face part, sidewall parts, and a flange formed at an upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts, and serially heat-sealing a liquid material to the flanges of the container main bodies, wherein
 in each of the container main bodies, a pair of opposing sidewall parts has an identical shape, and upper end parts of the pair of sidewalk parts are at least partly positioned higher than another pair of opposing sidewalk parts;   the container main bodies are arranged and conveyed in such a manner that the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies is positioned perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the container main bodies;   the lid material formed at a flat film or sheet is reeled out from a reel roll and forwarded through a dancer roll; and   a plate having substantially the same shape as an upper end contour shape of the pair of the opposing sidewall parts is brought into abutment with the lid material and the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using a heat-seal block.   
     
     
         16 . The manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber having a chamber main body and a chamber lid abutting therewith, and the upper end contour shape of the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies being similar to an upper end contour shape of sidewall parts of the chamber main body corresponding to the pair of opposing sidewall parts;   a support base for the container main bodies is provided at the chamber main body side;   the lid material has a width greater than a width of the container main bodies and narrower than a width of the vacuum chamber;   the container main bodies are mounted on the support base;   the vacuum chamber is tightly sealed by sandwiching the lid material between the chamber lid and the chamber main body, the lid material being brought into contact with the plate and deformed into the upper end contour shape of the pair of opposing sidewall parts;   after deaerating the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is filled with filler gas, and a pressure in the vacuum chamber is adjusted;   the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other by means of a heat-seal block provided at the chamber lid side; and   the lid material on the outside of the flange of each of the packaging containers is removed.   
     
     
         17 . A manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container, characterized by comprising means for arranging and conveying a plurality of container main bodies, each of which has a bottom face part, sidewall parts, and a flange formed at an upper end part periphery of the sidewall parts, and serially heat-sealing a lid material to the flanges of the container main bodies, wherein
 in each of the container main bodies, a pair of opposing sidewall parts has an identical shape, and upper end parts of the pair of sidewall parts are at least partly positioned higher than another pair of opposing sidewall parts,   the container main bodies are arranged and conveyed in such a manner that the pair of opposing sidewall parts of each of the container main bodies is positioned parallel to a conveyance direction of the container main bodies;   the lid material formed of a flat film or sheet is reeled out from a reel roll and forwarded through a dancer roll; and   the lid material is heat-sealed to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using a heat-seal block while correcting and adjusting a sag of the lid material that occurs between reeling out the lid material and heat-sealing the lid material to the flange of each of the container main bodies by using the dancer roll or another dancer roll different from that dancer roll, so that the lid material follows the contour shape of the upper end parts of the pair of opposing sidewall parts.   
     
     
         18 . The manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber having a chamber main body and a chamber lid abutting therewith, and an abutment face between the chamber lid and the chamber main body being a horizontal plane;   a support base for the container main bodies is provided at the chamber main body side;   the lid material has a width greater than a width of the container main bodies and narrower than a width of the vacuum chamber;   the container main bodies are mounted on the support base;   the vacuum chamber is tightly sealed by sandwiching the lid material between the chamber lid and the chamber main body;   after deaerating the vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber is filled with filler gas, and a pressure in the vacuum chamber is adjusted;   the flange of each of the container main bodies and the lid material are heat-sealed to each other by means of a heat-seal block provided at the chamber lid side; and   the lid material on the outside of the flanges of each of the packaging containers is removed.   
     
     
         19 . The manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container according to  claim 15 , wherein the heat-seal block is capable of being divided and joined. 
     
     
         20 . The manufacturing method for a packaging container according to  claim 12 , wherein the heat-seal block is capable of being divided and joined. 
     
     
         21 . The manufacturing apparatus for a packaging container according to  claim 17 , wherein the heat-seal block is capable of being divided and joined.