JP7574679B2 - Pouch - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pouch that can be resealed after being opened.

Conventionally, pouches have been used that can be resealed after the contents have been removed. A fastening device also known as a zipper or a zipper is often used for resealing. A typical pouch with a zipper has a zipper tape placed on the top of the bag, and when in use, the zipper is opened to remove the contents, and then closed again to use as a storage container (see Patent Document 1). The advantage of removing the contents from the zipper tape part is that there is a high degree of freedom in the removal method and the bag opening is large. The user has a high degree of freedom, such as tilting the bag and removing the contents from the opening, inserting fingers into the bag to directly grab the contents, or inserting a tool such as a spoon to remove the contents.

JP 2020-142820 A

However, with conventional pouches with zippers, the contents can get caught in the zipper, making it difficult to remove the contents. Also, since the zipper is generally located at the top of the bag, it is far away from the contents, making removal difficult. Furthermore, when removing solid objects from the zipper, there is a chance that the contents will be picked up with the fingers and touched. Therefore, in order to remove the contents without touching them, it is conceivable to provide an access port on the side of the pouch near the contents. However, when such an access port is used, there is a problem in that it is difficult to easily reseal the pouch.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a pouch whose opening is easy to fold.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A pouch having a storage portion between a front film and a back film,
A first edge portion;
a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion;
two side edges extending between the first edge and the second edge;
a side edge seal extending along each of the side edges;
and an outlet portion protruding from at least one of the side edges in a direction intersecting the side edges,
The outlet portion has an outlet seal portion surrounding an outlet space connected to the storage portion, and a protruding seal portion connected to the outlet seal portion and extending along an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
A pouch is provided in which an inner edge of the protruding seal is co-linear with or outboard of an outer edge of the side edge seal.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
the outlet seal portion has an outlet seal portion first portion and an outlet seal portion second portion extending in a direction intersecting with an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
The protruding seal portion may be connected to the outlet seal portion first portion and the outlet seal portion second portion, respectively.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The outlet seal may be provided with a notch that is aligned in the same line as an outer edge of the side edge seal and extends from an end of the outlet seal towards the centre of the outlet.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The outlet seal may be provided with a through-portion which is positioned in the same line as an outer edge of the side edge seal and does not reach the end of the outlet seal.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The outlet seal portion may be provided with a perforation that is aligned in the same line as an outer edge of the side edge seal portion and that extends in a direction that intersects with the extension direction of the outlet seal portion.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The front film and the back film may each contain a metal foil.

The present invention provides a pouch with an easy-to-fold opening.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a pouch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of a portion including an outlet. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line AA shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of the pouch after it has been filled and sealed. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the third portion 31c of the outlet seal portion is cut away along the intended opening line 39. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the entire outlet portion 30 is folded toward the storage portion 11 at the folding line S. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial plan view showing a modified example of the outlet portion. FIG. 11 is a partial plan view showing an outlet portion in a comparative example.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Pouch composition>
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of a portion including an outlet. The pouch of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 shows a pouch in a state before being filled with contents (a state in which no contents are filled). As shown in Fig. 1, the pouch of this embodiment has a shape in which a main body portion 10 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and an outlet portion 30 having a horizontal trapezoidal shape are integrally connected. The pouch of this embodiment includes a first edge portion 4 and a second edge portion 5 facing each other in the main body portion 10, and a first side edge portion 6 and a second side edge portion 7 extending between the first edge portion 4 and the second edge portion 5.

In this specification, the term "rectangle" refers not only to a rectangle with right-angled corners, but also to a rectangle with its four corners chamfered to form an outwardly convex arc, and other shapes that are considered to be approximately rectangular. The term "trapezoid" also refers to a shape with its four corners chamfered to form an outwardly convex arc, and other shapes that are considered to be approximately trapezoid. In this specification, the term "pouch" refers not only to a pouch that is not filled with contents, but also to a pouch that is filled with contents. The pouch of this embodiment has a bottom gusset portion 9 with a first pleat portion 9a and a second pleat portion 9b on the second edge portion 5 side. Because the pouch has the bottom gusset portion 9, the pouch can be made to stand on its own by placing the first edge portion 4 side upward and the second edge portion 5 side downward.

The pouch of this embodiment is composed of three laminated films: a front film 1 in which a trapezoidal portion is connected to a substantially rectangular portion, a back film 2 in the same shape as the front film 1, and a bottom film 3 in a substantially rectangular shape. The pouch of this embodiment is formed by joining the three films, the front film 1, the back film 2, and the bottom film 3, at predetermined locations by heat sealing (thermal fusion) or the like. Figures 1 and 2 show the state seen from the front side where the front film 1 is located. The state seen from the back side where the back film 2 is located is symmetrical to the state seen from the front side, so the back view is omitted. For convenience of explanation, the front film 1 and the back film 2 are defined as the "front" and the "back". The front film 1 and the back film 2 are symmetrical to each other, so either may be the "front" and either may be the "back".

The bottom film 3 is folded in half at the fold 3a, and is divided into a first part and a second part by the fold 3a. The bottom film 3 has four semicircular cutouts that cut out the side edges, and the two pairs of cutouts are provided in corresponding positions when the film is folded in half. The second bottom seal portion 15b, which will be described later, is formed through these cutouts. The fold 3a also forms the boundary between the first pleat portion 9a and the second pleat portion 9b.

<Each seal part>
1, the pouch of this embodiment includes a bottom seal portion 15, a first side edge seal portion 16, and a second side edge seal portion 17, and the first edge portion 4 side is unsealed and has an opening for filling the contents. The bottom seal portion 15 includes a first bottom seal portion 15a and a second bottom seal portion 15b.

The first edge seal portion 16 and the second edge seal portion 17 are formed by sealing and joining the front film 1 and the back film 2. The first edge seal portion 16 is formed along the first edge portion 6 so as to include the first edge portion 6 (the left end of the main body portion 10 in FIG. 1), and the second edge seal portion 17 is formed along the second edge portion 7 so as to include the second edge portion 7 (the right end in FIG. 1). The seal width of the first edge seal portion 16 and the second edge seal portion 17 is preferably, for example, 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. In this embodiment, the seal width of the first edge seal portion 16 and the second edge seal portion 17 is about 6 mm. The seal width is the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the seal portion extends.

Of the two side edge seals, the first side edge seal 16, which is the side to which the outlet 30 is connected, is divided into a first part 16a of the first side edge seal located on the first edge 4 side of the outlet 30, and a second part 16b of the first side edge seal located on the second edge 5 side of the outlet 30.

The bottom seal portion 15 is a seal portion formed on the second edge portion 5 side (lower side in FIG. 1) from the folded portion 3a, and is composed of a first bottom seal portion 15a and a second bottom seal portion 15b. The first bottom seal portion 15a is formed by sealing a first portion of the front film 1 and the bottom film 3, and a second portion of the back film 2 and the bottom film 3. The second bottom seal portion 15b is formed by sealing the front film 1 and the back film 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the second bottom seal portion 15b formed on the first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7 has a semicircular shape with an arc-shaped inner side.

<Bottom gusset>
A first portion of the bottom film 3 and a portion of the front film 1 corresponding to the first portion of the bottom film 3 are joined by a first bottom seal portion 15a to form a first pleat portion 9a. A second portion of the bottom film 3 and a portion of the back film 2 corresponding to the second portion of the bottom film 3 are joined by a first bottom seal portion 15a to form a second pleat portion 9b. The first pleat portion 9a and the second pleat portion 9b form a bottom gusset portion 9. In the front view of FIG. 1, the first pleat portion 9a is visible below the fold-in portion 3a.

<Storage section>
After the contents are accommodated through the opening on the first edge 4 side, the first edge seal portion 14 is formed in the first edge seal portion (above the two-dot chain line) indicated as 14a in Fig. 1, and the pouch is sealed (see Fig. 4). The first edge seal portion 14 is formed along the first edge 4 from the first side edge seal portion 16 to the second side edge seal portion 17. The accommodation portion 11 is defined by the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16, the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17, the inner edge of the first bottom seal portion 15a, and the inner edge of the first edge seal portion 14. Therefore, the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16, the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17, the inner edge of the first bottom seal portion 15a, and the inner edge of the first edge seal portion 14 become the outer edge of the accommodation portion 11. 4 is a front view of the pouch after it has been filled and sealed, with the contents omitted for ease of illustration.

<Contents>
The contents are not particularly limited, but are preferably solid products. For example, the contents may be tablet-shaped products. Also, the contents may be individually packaged products. Also, the contents may be food or non-food products.

<Opening and closing mechanism>
Next, the opening and closing mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, in the pouch of this embodiment, a fastener 20 is formed along the first edge 4 as an opening and closing mechanism that can open and reseal the pouch. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line A-A shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the pouch is provided with a fastener 20, which is freely openable and closable and is composed of a first member and a second member that are mutually engaged, near the first edge 4 of the storage section 11 as an opening and closing mechanism. In this embodiment, the male member 21 is described as the first member and the female member 22 as the second member, but the female member 22 may be the first member and the male member 21 as the second member. As shown in FIG. 1, the fastener 20, which is band-shaped in plan view, is provided along the first edge 4. In this embodiment, the fastener 20 is provided so that the longitudinal direction of the fastener 20 is parallel to the first edge 4.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the male member 21 has a strip-shaped first base 21a and a male mating portion 21b on one side of the first base 21a, and the other side of the first base 21a is joined to the inner surface of the front film 1. The female member 22 has a strip-shaped second base 22a and a female mating portion 22b on one side of the second base 22a, and the other side of the second base 22a is joined to the inner surface of the back film 2.

Such a fastener 20 formed along the first edge 4 can be used as a zipper, making it possible to open and reseal the storage section 11. Note that the joining surface of the fastener 20 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3, and the first base 21a may be joined to the inner surface of the back film 2, and the second base 22a may be joined to the inner surface of the front film 1.

The material of the fastener 20 can be a resin that is compatible with the sealant layer of the laminated film used as the front film 1, back film 2, and bottom film 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the fastener 20 is composed of a male member 21 and a female member 22, and the male member 21 is joined to the front film 1, and the female member 22 is joined to the back film 2 by heat sealing. At this time, a heat shield plate (not shown) is interposed between the male member 21 and the female member 22 to prevent the male member 21 and the female member 22 from thermally fusing.

<Outlet section>
Although the contents can be taken out from the opening on the side of the fastener 20 as described above, the contents may get caught on the fastener 20 when being taken out. Since the fastener 20 is provided on the first edge 4 side, which is the upper part of the pouch, it is far away from the contents and may be difficult to take out. In addition, when taking out solid matter through the fastener 20, there is a chance that the contents may be touched by pinching them with fingers. Therefore, in this embodiment, a take-out outlet 30 is provided at a position close to the contents on the first side edge 6, separate from the opening on the side of the fastener 20, so that the contents can be taken out without touching them. The take-out outlet 30 will be described. The take-out outlet 30 is a mechanism for easily taking out the contents and resealing them without using the fastener 20, which is the opening and closing mechanism. As described above, the take-out outlet 30 is provided so as to protrude from the first side edge 6 in a direction intersecting the first side edge 6 (left side in FIG. 1). The outlet section 30 has an outlet seal section 31 that surrounds an outlet space 32 that is continuous with the storage section 11, and a protruding seal section 33 (33a, 33b) that is connected to the outlet seal section 31 and extends along the extension direction of the first side edge seal section 16 (16a, 16b) (the up and down direction in Figures 1 and 2).

The outlet seal portion 31 is formed along the edge of the outlet portion 30 so as to surround three sides of the outlet space 32. The three sides of the outlet space 32 refer to the three sides of the outlet space 32 other than the storage portion 11 side. As shown in FIG. 2, the outlet seal portion 31 can be divided into an outlet seal portion first portion 31a along the edge of the first edge portion 4, an outlet seal portion second portion 31b along the edge of the second edge portion 5, and an outlet seal portion third portion 31c along the edge furthest from the first side edge portion 6. The ends of the outlet seal portion first portion 31a and the outlet seal portion second portion 31b each reach the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protruding seal portion 33 has a first protruding seal portion 33a located on the first edge portion 4 side and a second protruding seal portion 33b located on the second edge portion 5 side. The first protruding seal portion 33a is connected to the first part 31a of the outlet seal portion. Specifically, the first protruding seal portion 33a protrudes from the first part 31a of the outlet seal portion toward the second edge portion 5 side along the extension direction of the first side edge seal portion 16. The second protruding seal portion 33b is connected to the second part 31b of the outlet seal portion. Specifically, the second protruding seal portion 33b protrudes from the second part 31b of the outlet seal portion toward the first edge portion 4 side along the extension direction of the first side edge seal portion 16.

The protruding seal portion 33 is formed in a position where its inner edge, i.e., the edge on the side of the storage portion 11, is in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. In FIG. 2, the straight line in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16 is shown as a folding line S by a two-dot chain line. Although the folding line S is an imaginary line, it is easy to fold because the inner edge of the protruding seal portion 33 is located on it. It is preferable that the inner edge of the protruding seal portion 33 is in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16, but it may be located outside the straight line located on the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16.

The height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33 in the direction along the first side edge 6 is preferably 3 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and more preferably 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. If the height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33 is too small, it becomes difficult to fold the outlet portion 30, and if the height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33 is too large, the space connecting the storage portion 11 and the outlet space 32 becomes narrow, making it difficult for the contents to pass through. In addition, in the case of the first protruding seal portion 33a, the height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33 is the distance in the direction along the first side edge 6 from the branch point between the inner edge and the outlet seal portion first part 31a to the position of the first protruding seal portion 33a closest to the second edge 5. Furthermore, if the shortest distance between the first protruding seal portion 33a and the second protruding seal portion 33b is L14, it is preferable that L11/L14 = 3/45 or more and 20/45 or less, and more preferably 5/45 or more and 10/45 or less.

The width L12 of the protruding seal portion 33 in the direction intersecting the extension direction of the first side edge portion 6 is preferably 3 mm or more and 15 mm or less, and more preferably 4 mm or more and 10 mm or less. If the width L12 of the protruding seal portion 33 is too small, it becomes difficult to fold the outlet portion 30, and if the width L12 of the protruding seal portion 33 is too large, the outlet portion 30 is likely to return after folding. The width L12 of the protruding seal portion 33 is the maximum width of the protruding seal portion 33 in the direction intersecting the direction along the first side edge portion 6. In addition, the distance L15 between the outer edge of the outlet seal portion third part 31c of the outlet portion 30 and the first side edge portion 6 is the protruding width of the outlet portion 30 from the main body portion 10. In this case, it is preferable that L12/L15 = 3/30 or more and 15/30 or less, and more preferably 4/30 or more and 10/30 or less.

In the example of FIG. 4, after the contents (such as solids) are filled into the storage section 11, it is sealed with the first edge seal section 14. By opening the pouch from the intended opening line 12 formed between the first edge section 4 and the fastener 20, the storage section 11 can be opened and closed by the fastener 20. Furthermore, the pouch can be opened from the intended opening line 39 formed in the outlet section 30, and the pouch can be resealed by folding the outlet section 30. The intended opening line 12 and the intended opening line 39 are shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4.

<Film details>
A laminate film can be used as the front film 1, back film 2, and bottom film 3 of the pouch. The laminate film is a laminate including at least a base layer and a sealant layer from the outside. For example, the laminate film is formed by laminating a base layer, a printed layer, another layer (e.g., a barrier layer), and a sealant layer in this order from the outside. The sealant layer is a layer that constitutes the innermost surface of the pouch. The printed layer and other layers are not essential. An adhesive layer can also be used to laminate these layers.

For example, the material for the base layer can be a polyester film such as polyethylene terephthalate or polybutylene terephthalate, a polyamide film such as nylon, or a polypropylene film. The thickness is about 10 μm to 50 μm. It is preferable that the base layer is biaxially stretched.

The laminated film may also have multiple substrate layers. The multiple substrate layers may include a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer. The first substrate layer and the second substrate layer may be selected from the above materials in appropriate combination. For example, polyethylene terephthalate may be used as the first substrate layer, which is the outermost layer, and polyamide may be used as the second substrate layer, which is the inner layer (sealant layer side). The second substrate layer is stretched from one side edge to the other side edge. For example, "Emblem (registered trademark) NC" manufactured by Unitika Ltd., which contains MXD (metaxylenediamine) having excellent barrier properties, may be used as the second substrate layer. In addition, polyester such as "Emblet (registered trademark) PC" manufactured by Unitika Ltd. or "Emblet (registered trademark) PCBC" manufactured by Unitika Ltd. may be used as the second substrate layer. The first substrate layer and the second substrate layer may be laminated, for example, by a dry lamination method.

The printing layer is provided to display the product contents, to impart an aesthetic look, and to display cut portions. The printing layer is formed from printing ink containing a binder and a pigment. The sealant layer is placed on the side of the laminated film that will be the innermost side of the container when the film is made into a pouch. Polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene-propylene block copolymer can be used as the material for the sealant layer. The thickness of the sealant layer is 30 μm or more and 150 μm or less. It is preferable that the sealant layer is unstretched.

The laminated film may include other layers. The other layers may be provided on the outside of the base layer, or between the base layer and the sealant layer. As the other layers, appropriate ones are selected according to the required functions, such as water vapor and other gas barrier properties, light shielding properties, etc. For example, when the other layer is a gas barrier layer, a vapor deposition layer of a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide or an inorganic oxide such as silicon oxide is provided. The vapor deposition layer may be laminated on the base layer, or may be vapor deposited on the sealant layer. In addition, a resin layer having gas barrier properties, such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyvinylidene chloride resin (PVDC), or aromatic polyamide such as nylon MXD6, may be provided. Each layer can be laminated using a dry lamination method, a melt extrusion method, or the like.

In the pouch according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the laminated film contains a metal foil. Specific examples of layer structures containing metal foil include the following. Of course, the following is not limited to the following. In addition, although an example in which aluminum foil is used as the metal foil is shown below, a metal foil other than aluminum foil may also be used. In addition, the thickness of each layer is not limited.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 12 μm / printing layer (ink) / adhesive / aluminum (ALM) foil 7 μm / adhesive / LLDPE 120 μm
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 12 μm / printing layer (ink) / adhesive / aluminum (ALM) foil 7 μm / adhesive / oriented nylon (ONY) 15 μm / adhesive / non-oriented polypropylene (CPP) 70 μm
Printing layer (ink)/paper (basis weight 50 g/m ² )/PE 15 μm/aluminum (ALM) foil 6 μm/AC/PE 40 μm/PE film 30 μm

Specific examples of the layer structure of a laminated film that does not contain metal foil include the following: A laminated film that does not contain metal foil is used when the contents are small and light.
Cellophane #300/printing layer (ink)/AC/PE 15 μm/aluminum (ALM) foil 7 μm/AC/PE 15 μm/PE film 30 μm
・Oriented polypropylene (OPP) 25 μm / printing layer (ink) / adhesive / vapor-deposited non-oriented polypropylene (VMCPP) 30 μm

<Scheduled opening line>
As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the opening line 12 is formed between the first edge portion 4 and the fastener 20. The opening line 12 is formed parallel to the first edge portion 4 and the fastener 20. In addition, the opening line 39 is formed in the outlet portion 30. The opening line 39 is formed parallel to the first side edge portion 6 on the side of the storage portion 11 from the inner edge of the third part 31c of the outlet seal portion. The opening line 12 and the opening line 39 are half-cut lines that penetrate the base layer and do not penetrate the sealant layer. In the case of the half-cut line, the opening line 12 may be formed using a blade or by laser processing. In the case of the half-cut line, the opening line 12 and the opening line 39 may be lines that extend continuously or may be lines that extend intermittently. In addition, the opening line 12 may be provided so as to extend from the first side edge portion 6 to the second side edge portion 7 of the pouch.

The opening line 12 may be realized by a straight-cut film. A straight-cut film is a film that can be torn linearly in one direction. The straight-cut film has a tensile strength in the MD direction (film flow direction) greater than the tensile strength in the TD direction (direction perpendicular to the MD direction). When the opening line 12 is realized by a straight-cut film, a straight-cut film is used for at least one of the base layer and the sealant layer. When a straight-cut film is used for the base layer, for example, Emblet (registered trademark) PC or Emblem (registered trademark) NC manufactured by Unitika Co., Ltd. can be used as the base layer. The tensile strength of Emblet (registered trademark) PC in the MD direction is 200 MPa, and the tensile strength in the TD direction is 180 MPa. When a straight-cut film is used for the sealant layer, for example, DC061 manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd. can be used as the sealant layer.

When creating a planned opening line using straight-cut film, the film can be opened at any position along the first edge 4. For this reason, if there is no indication, it is difficult to determine where to cut. Therefore, when creating a planned opening line using straight-cut film, the planned opening line is indicated by printing. For example, the position of the planned opening line 12 can be determined by actually printing a line at the position of the planned opening line shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, in order to make opening easier, an opening initiation means 13 is provided in addition to the planned opening line 12. In this embodiment, a cut, also called a notch, is provided as the opening initiation means 13 on both the first side edge 6 and the second side edge 7. Specifically, it is formed on an extension of the planned opening line 12. The notch is not limited to a cut, but may be a notch. The opening initiation means 13 may be provided on only one of the first side edge 6 and the second side edge 7. Note that if opening is easy using only the planned opening line 12, it is not necessary to provide the opening initiation means 13.

Even if the intended opening line 12 is not a half-cut line, a straight-cut film, or a printed marking, if an opening initiation means 13 such as a notch is formed on at least one of the first side edge 6 and the second side edge 7, a line passing through the opening initiation means 13 and parallel to the first edge 4 and the fastener 20 is defined as the intended opening line.

<How to use>
A method of using the pouch according to this embodiment as shown in Fig. 4 will be described. First, the first edge 4 side is cut along the intended opening line 12 to open the pouch. Next, the fitting of the fastener 20 is released. That is, the male member 21 and the female member 22 are released from the fitting to form an opening in the storage section 11. Then, for example, solid contents can be taken out from this opening. Then, the pouch is resealed. That is, the male member 21 and the female member 22 are fitted together to close the opening.

As described above, the contents can be removed from the opening on the first edge 4 side and can be resealed using the fastener 20, but in the pouch according to this embodiment, the contents can also be removed from the outlet 30 connected to the first side edge 6 side. When using the outlet 30, first cut the third part 31c of the outlet seal part along the intended opening line 39 to form an opening that connects to the outlet space 32. Then, for example, solid contents N can be removed from this opening. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the third part 31c of the outlet seal part has been cut along the intended opening line 39. As shown in Figure 5, the contents N can be removed from the opening of the outlet 30.

When the contents remain in the storage section 11 and are to be stored, the entire outlet section 30 is folded toward the storage section 11 on a straight line located on the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the state in which the entire outlet section 30 is folded toward the storage section 11 at the folding line S. This allows the opening leading to the outlet space 32 to be closed and the pouch to be resealed. As described above, the protruding seal section 33 is located on a straight line located on the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. This makes it easier to fold the outlet section 30 at the boundary on the inner edge side of the protruding seal section 33. In addition, since the laminated film used as the front surface film 1 and the back surface film 2 contains metal foil, it is difficult to return to its original shape after folding. In other words, the dead hold property is increased. This allows the outlet section 30 to remain folded toward the storage section 11, and the opening leading to the outlet space 32 to be blocked.

<Modifications of outlet section>
Next, modified examples of the outlet portion will be described. FIG. 7 is a partial plan view showing modified examples of the outlet portion. The outlet portions of the modified examples shown in FIG. 7 show the same range as the outlet portion shown in FIG. 2. The outlet portion 30B of the modified example shown in FIG. 7(a) further has a cut 34 in the outlet portion 30 shown in FIG. 2. That is, the outlet portion 30B of the modified example shown in FIG. 7(a) differs from the outlet portion 30 shown in FIG. 2 in that it has a cut 34. The cut 34 is sometimes called a notch. In the example of FIG. 7(a), the cut 34 has a first cut 34a and a second cut 34b. The first cut 34a is formed in the first part 31a of the outlet seal portion. It is preferable that the first cut 34a is on the same straight line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. The second cut 34b is formed in the second part 31b of the outlet seal portion. The second cut 34b is preferably aligned in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. That is, the cut 34 extends from the end of the outlet seal portion 31 toward the center of the outlet portion 30 in the direction connecting the first edge portion 4 and the second edge portion 5.

The outlet section 30C of the modified example shown in FIG. 7(b) further has a through-hole 35 in addition to the outlet section 30 shown in FIG. 2. That is, the outlet section 30C of the modified example shown in FIG. 7(b) differs from the outlet section 30 shown in FIG. 2 in that it has a through-hole 35. In the example of FIG. 7(b), the through-hole 35 has a first through-hole 35a and a second through-hole 35b. The first through-hole 35a is formed in the outlet seal section first part 31a. It is preferable that the first through-hole 35a is in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. The second through-hole 35b is formed in the outlet seal section second part 31b. It is preferable that the second through-hole 35b is in the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. The through-hole 35 does not reach the edge of the outlet seal section 31. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the through-hole 35 may include both the first through-hole 35a and the second through-hole 35b, or only one of them may be formed.

The modified take-out section 30D shown in FIG. 7(c) further has a perforation 36 in addition to the take-out section 30 shown in FIG. 2. That is, the take-out section 30D of the modified example shown in FIG. 7(c) differs from the take-out section 30 shown in FIG. 2 in that it has a perforation 36. In the example of FIG. 7(c), the perforation 36 includes a first perforation 36a and a second perforation 36b. The first perforation 36a is formed in the take-out seal section first part 31a. The first perforation 36a is preferably in line with the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. The second perforation 36b is formed in the take-out seal section second part 31b. The second perforation 36b is preferably in line with the outer edge of the first side edge seal section 16. The perforation 36 is formed from edge to edge of the seal width of the take-out seal section 31. As shown in FIG. 7(c), the perforations 36 may include both the first perforation 36a and the second perforation 36b, or only one of them may be formed.

The modified outlet section 30E shown in FIG. 7(d) differs from the outlet section 30 shown in FIG. 2 in that it has only one protruding seal section. In the example of FIG. 7(d), the protruding seal section 37 is connected to the outlet seal section first part 31a, similar to the first protruding seal section 33a shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, it protrudes from the outlet seal section first part 31a toward the second edge section 5 along the extension direction of the first side edge seal section 16.

The height L13 of the protruding seal portion 37 in the direction along the first side edge 6 is preferably 6 mm or more and 40 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. As with the height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33, if the height L13 of the protruding seal portion 37 is too small, it becomes difficult to fold the outlet portion 30, and if the height L13 of the protruding seal portion 37 is too large, the space connecting the storage portion 11 and the outlet space 32 becomes narrow, making it difficult for the contents to pass through. Note that, like the height L11 of the protruding seal portion 33, the height L13 of the protruding seal portion 37 is the distance in the direction along the first side edge 6 from the branch point between the inner edge and the outlet seal portion first part 31a to the position closest to the second edge 5 of the first protruding seal portion 33a.

The modified outlet section 30F shown in FIG. 7(e) has a different shape of the protruding seal portion from the outlet section 30 shown in FIG. 2. In the example of FIG. 7(e), the protruding seal portion 38 has a first protruding seal portion 38a and a second protruding seal portion 38b. The first protruding seal portion 38a is connected to the outlet seal portion first portion 31a. The second protruding seal portion 38b is connected to the outlet seal portion second portion 31b. The inner edge of the protruding seal portion 38 is preferably located on the same straight line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16, as is the inner edge of the protruding seal portion 33, but may be located outside the straight line located on the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. In the example of FIG. 7(e), the protruding seal portion 38 has two edges: an inner edge on the side of the storage portion 11 and an edge extending in a direction connecting the first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7; the rest of the edge is connected to the outlet seal portion first part 31a and the outlet seal portion second part 31b.

Example 1
A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 12 μm was used as the base layer, an aluminum (ALM) foil was used as the intermediate layer, and a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film having a thickness of 100 μm was used as the sealant layer. Specifically, a printed layer was first formed on the inner surface of the PET film having a thickness of 12 μm, which was the base layer. The printed layer also included printing of a line segment indicating the position of the planned opening line 12. Then, the surface of the printed layer side was bonded to an ALM foil having a thickness of 7 μm via an adhesive layer. Furthermore, the surface of the ALM foil side was bonded to an LLDPE film having a thickness of 100 μm via an adhesive layer. As a result, a packaging material was obtained that was a laminated film having a layer structure of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 12 μm/printed layer (ink)/adhesive/aluminum (ALM) foil 7 μm/adhesive/LLDPE 100 μm. The adhesive layer was a cured product of an acrylic polyol and an isocyanate compound. The packaging material includes a metal foil, aluminum foil.

The obtained laminated film, which is the packaging material, was cut into a shape in which a rectangular portion of 140 mm x 240 mm and a trapezoidal portion of 30 mm high x 68 mm at the bottom were connected to form the front film 1 and the back film 2 as shown in Figure 1. Half-cut lines penetrating only the base layer were formed in the front film 1 and the back film 2 as the opening lines 12, 39. Next, the laminated film was cut into 140 mm x 80 mm to form the bottom film 3. Furthermore, a polypropylene fastener 20 compatible with the LLDPE, which is the sealant layer, was prepared. The width of the fastener 20 in the direction connecting the first edge 4 and the second edge 5 was set to 13 mm. A heat shield plate (not shown) was interposed between the male member 21 and the female member 22, and heat-sealed to join the male member 21 to the inner side of the front film 1 and the female member 22 to the inner side of the back film 2, respectively.

Next, the front film 1, the back film 2, and the bottom film 3 were used to form the pouch according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 (the pouch without the first edge seal portion 14). The outlet portion was in the form of the outlet portion 30 shown in FIG. 2. After that, the contents, which were tablet-type bath additives, were filled into the storage portion 11 from the first edge portion 4 side.

Then, the first edge seal portion 14 was formed to form the pouch shown in FIG. 4. The seal width of the first edge seal portion 14 was 10 mm, the seal width at the position where the distance between the first bottom seal portion 15a and the second edge portion 5 was the shortest was 6 mm, and the seal widths of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 were 6 mm. The distance from the folding portion 3a to the second edge portion 5 of the pouch was 40 mm, the distance from the center of the fastener 20 to the first edge portion 4 in the direction connecting the first edge portion 4 and the second edge portion 5 was 30 mm, the distance between the first edge portion 4 and the second edge portion 5 was 240 mm, the distance between the first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7 was 140 mm, and the protruding width L15 of the take-out opening portion 30 from the first side edge portion 6 was 30 mm.

Example 2
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the outlet portion was in the form of outlet portion 30B having a slit 34 as shown in FIG. 7(a).

Example 3
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the outlet portion was in the form of outlet portion 30C having a through portion 35 as shown in FIG. 7(b).

Example 4
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the outlet portion was in the form of outlet portion 30D having perforations 36 as shown in FIG. 7(c).

Example 5
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the outlet portion was in the form of outlet portion 30E having a protruding seal portion 37 as shown in FIG. 7(d).

<Comparative Example 1>
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the outlet portion had no protruding seal portion, as shown in FIG. 8(a).

<Comparative Example 2>
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the position of the protruding seal portion was changed as shown in Fig. 8(b) for the outlet portion. In the comparative example of Fig. 8(b), the protruding seal portion is an extension of the first side edge seal portion 16. Therefore, in the comparative example of Fig. 8(b), the edge of the protruding seal portion on the side farther from the storage portion 11 is on the same line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. Therefore, the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is located inside (toward the storage portion 11) the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16.

<Comparative Example 3>
A pouch according to this embodiment was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the position of the protruding seal portion was changed as shown in Fig. 8(c) for the outlet portion. In the comparative example of Fig. 8(c), the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is an extension of the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. Therefore, in the comparative example of Fig. 8(c), the edge of the protruding seal portion on the side farther from the storage portion 11 is outside the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16. Therefore, the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is inside (toward the storage portion 11) the outer edge of the first side edge seal portion 16.

<Bending test>
A folding test was carried out on the pouches of the embodiment and the comparative example. First, the third part 31c of the outlet seal part was cut along the planned opening line 39 to form an opening connected to the outlet space 32. Then, the outlet part was folded toward the storage part 11 along the same straight line as the outer edge of the first side edge seal part 16 to be resealed (reclosed). Then, the outlet part was extended to make it possible to take out the contents from the opening, and then the outlet part was folded toward the storage part 11 again to be resealed. In this way, the operation of folding the outlet part toward the storage part 11 and resealing was repeated. Then, the pouches were left in the resealed state, i.e., the folded state, for the third and twelfth times, and the state of the outlet part was visually confirmed. At this time, the case where the outlet part did not return was evaluated as ◯, the case where the outlet part returned slightly was evaluated as △, and the case where the outlet part returned was evaluated as ×. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

As shown in Table 1, in Examples 1 to 4, which have two protruding seal parts whose inner edges are aligned with the outer edges of the side edge seal parts, the outlet part did not return in both the third and twelfth times, and good results were obtained. In Example 5, which has only one protruding seal part on the first edge 4 side, whose inner edge is aligned with the outer edge of the side edge seal part, the outlet part did not return in the third time, but the part on the second edge 5 side (bottom side) of the outlet part returned slightly in the twelfth time. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 3, which have no protruding seal part or whose inner edge is closer to the storage part than the outer edge of the side edge seal part, the outlet part returned in both the third and twelfth times, and good results were not obtained. From these results, it was confirmed that the protruding seal part pouch in which the inner edge of the protruding seal part is aligned with the outer edge of the side edge seal part is able to achieve a resealed state of the outlet part.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, a bottom film 3 is provided and a bottom gusset portion 9 is provided, but it is not necessary to provide a bottom gusset portion, and the storage portion 11 may be formed by the front film 1 and the back film 2.

In the above embodiment, a fastener 20, which is an opening/closing mechanism that allows the pouch to be opened and resealed, is provided along the first edge 4, but the fastener 20 does not have to be provided. The pouch of the present invention has an outlet that protrudes from at least one of the side edges in a direction that intersects with the side edges. Because this outlet is resealable, the pouch can be resealed even without the fastener 20.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the side edges are the first side edge 6 and the second side edge 7, and the outlet is provided on the first side edge 6 side, but the outlet may be provided on the second side edge 7 side.

In the above embodiment, the front film 1, the back film 2, and the bottom film 3 are each formed as three separate films to form the pouch, but they may be formed from two or one film. For example, one film in which the front film 1, the bottom film 3, and the back film 2 are connected may be used, or two films in total may be used, including the film forming the front film 1 and the film in which the back film 2 and the bottom film 3 are connected. When one film in which the front film 1, the bottom film 3, and the back film 2 are connected is used, the bottom gusset portion 9 can be formed by folding the single film twice at the second edge 5 and once at the fold-in portion 3a without forming a seal portion at the second edge 5. In this case, the pouch is sealed by filling the pouch with the contents from the opening on the first edge 4 side and then forming the first edge seal portion 14.

1: Front film 2: Back film 3: Bottom film 3a: Fold-in portion 4: First edge portion 5: Second edge portion 6: First side edge portion 7: Second side edge portion 9: Bottom gusset portion 9a: First pleat portion 9b: Second pleat portion 10: Main body portion 11: Storage portion 12, 39: Opening line 14: First edge seal portion 14a: First edge seal portion 15: Bottom seal portion 15a: First bottom seal portion 15b: Second bottom seal portion 16: First side edge seal portion 16a: First part of first side edge seal portion 16b: Second part of first side edge seal portion 17: Second side edge seal portion 20: Fastener (opening/closing mechanism)
21: Male member 21a: First base 21b: Male mating portion 22: Female member 22a: Second base 22b: Female mating portion 30: Dispensing port portion 31: Dispensing port seal portion 32: Dispensing port space 33, 37, 38: Protruding seal portion 34: Cut 35: Through portion 36: Perforation

Claims (5)

A pouch having a storage portion between a front film and a back film,
A first edge portion;
a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion;
two side edges extending between the first edge and the second edge;
a side edge seal extending along each of the side edges;
and an outlet portion protruding from at least one of the side edges in a direction intersecting the side edges,
The outlet portion has an outlet seal portion surrounding an outlet space continuous with the storage portion, and a protruding seal portion connected to the outlet seal portion and extending along an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is in line with or outside the outer edge of the side edge seal portion;
the outlet seal portion has a notch that is aligned with an outer edge of the side edge seal portion and extends from an end of the outlet seal portion toward a center of the outlet portion . A pouch having a storage portion between a front film and a back film,
A first edge portion;
a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion;
two side edges extending between the first edge and the second edge;
a side edge seal extending along each of the side edges;
and an outlet portion protruding from at least one of the side edges in a direction intersecting the side edges,
The outlet portion has an outlet seal portion surrounding an outlet space connected to the storage portion, and a protruding seal portion connected to the outlet seal portion and extending along an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is in line with or outside the outer edge of the side edge seal portion;
the outlet seal portion is provided with a through-portion that is aligned in the same line as an outer edge of the side edge seal portion and does not reach an end of the outlet seal portion . A pouch having a storage portion between a front film and a back film,
A first edge portion;
a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion;
two side edges extending between the first edge and the second edge;
a side edge seal extending along each of the side edges;
and an outlet portion protruding from at least one of the side edges in a direction intersecting the side edges,
The outlet portion has an outlet seal portion surrounding an outlet space continuous with the storage portion, and a protruding seal portion connected to the outlet seal portion and extending along an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
the inner edge of the protruding seal portion is in line with or outside the outer edge of the side edge seal portion;
The pouch has a perforation at the outlet seal portion that is aligned in the same line as an outer edge of the side edge seal portion and that extends in a direction intersecting with an extension direction of the outlet seal portion . the outlet seal portion has an outlet seal portion first portion and an outlet seal portion second portion extending in a direction intersecting with an extension direction of the side edge seal portion,
The protruding seal portion is connected to the outlet seal portion first portion and the outlet seal portion second portion,
A pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The front film and the back film contain metal foil.
The pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .