From World Packaging News…
Japan – With the Surprise-Eco Container or Hot Magic Cup, consumers need no longer have to cope with the heat from paper cups containing hot liquids scalding their fingers. This seemingly ordinary-looking cup from Tokan Kogyo Co Ltd (part of the Japanese packaging conglomerate, Toyo Seikan Group) automatically changes its outer layer shape when a thermal insulating layer pops-out when hot liquid, such as coffee or tea, above 85°C is poured into it.
The shape-changing secret of this simple looking paper cup is not magic, but a packaging technology, developed by Tokan Kogyo, featuring a thermal insulation function containing a special heat contraction film lining. When the film comes in contact with heat from the liquid it reacts and shrinks, causing the outer board layer’s die-cut shape to pop out, to creat an insulating barrier from the inner layer in contact with the hot liquid. It also provides a non-slip rib to make the cup easy to grip and hold.
The idea for Hot Magic Cup was borne out of the difficulty consumers face with handling hot paper cups, said Tokan Kogyo, which has a long history of paper cup manufacturing. With changing family lifestyles and increasing paper cups consumption in Japan, the need for a solution was evident. “In today’s Japan, and in the future, we face a changing demographic: low birth rate and longer lifespan,” explained Yuji Nagase, Tokan Kogyo’s General Manager & Group Leader. “As a result, two person family units, comprising just husband and wife are on the increase. This impacts on eating habits.
Continues at: Shape-changing Hot Magic Cup : World Packaging News.
