JP7656493B2 - Packaging container manufacturing method and manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing packaging containers.

The packaging container is a container that has a flexible tubular member made of a soft film and a hard bottom plate member. The bottom plate member is fitted inside the tubular member and welded to the tubular member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-104448 A

To manufacture the container, for example, the following method can be used. The cylindrical member is placed in an upside-down position with the bottom facing up, and a bottom plate member is inserted into the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is then placed upright with the bottom facing down. The bottom plate member falls inside the cylindrical member due to its own weight and is placed at the bottom of the cylindrical member. The bottom plate member is fixed to the cylindrical member by heat sealing or the like.

However, with the above manufacturing method, even slight deformation of the flexible tubular member can restrict the movement of the bottom plate member at the deformation point. As a result, when the tubular member is turned from an upside-down position to an upright position, the bottom plate member may get caught inside the tubular member, making it impossible to position the bottom plate member. As a result, the above manufacturing method can make it difficult to manufacture a container.

One aspect of the present invention provides a method and device for manufacturing a packaging container that facilitates the manufacture of a packaging container having a flexible container body and a hard bottom plate.

One aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a packaging container that manufactures a packaging container having a flexible cylindrical container body and a bottom plate that closes an opening at a first end of the container body, the method comprising the steps of: a first step of inserting the bottom plate into the container body; a second step of positioning the bottom plate at the first end by feeding gas into the container body from a second end opposite the first end of the container body and applying the gas feeding pressure to the bottom plate; and a third step of bonding the outer periphery of the bottom plate to the container body to close the opening at the first end.

In the second step, it is preferable to install a nozzle having an inlet hole at the second end and inject the gas into the container body through the inlet hole.

It is preferable that the bottom plate has a shape that is symmetrical in the thickness direction.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a packaging container manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a packaging container having a flexible cylindrical container body and a bottom plate that closes an opening at a first end of the container body, the packaging container manufacturing apparatus comprising a base, a holder that holds the container body, and a nozzle that has an inlet hole for supplying gas to the container body and can be installed at a second end of the container body opposite the first end, the holder being switchable between a first form in which the container body is held in a position in which the first end is located lower than the second end, and a second form in which the container body is held in a position in which the first end is located higher than the second end.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method and device for manufacturing a packaging container are provided that facilitate the manufacture of a packaging container having a flexible container body and a non-flexible bottom plate.

1A is a cross-sectional view of an example of a packaging container produced by a method for producing a packaging container according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a container body. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an example of a packaging container. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the bottom plate; 1 is a perspective view of a packaging container manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a front view of a packaging container manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a nozzle; 1 is a process diagram of a method for manufacturing a packaging container according to an embodiment. This is a process diagram continuing from the previous figure. This is a process diagram continuing from the previous figure. This is a process diagram continuing from the previous figure. This is a process diagram continuing from the previous figure. This is a process diagram continuing from the previous figure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Packaging container]
Fig. 1(A) is a cross-sectional view of a packaging container 10, which is an example of a packaging container produced by the packaging container manufacturing method of the embodiment. Fig. 1(B) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a container body 1. Fig. 1(B) is an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 1(A). Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the packaging container 10. Fig. 3(A) is a perspective view of a bottom plate 2. Fig. 3(B) is a perspective view of the bottom plate 2 as viewed from the opposite side to that in Fig. 3(A).

As shown in FIG. 1(A), the packaging container 10 comprises a container body 1 and a bottom plate 2. The container body 1 comprises a mouth portion 3, a shoulder portion 4, and a body portion 5. In explaining the packaging container 10, the positional relationship of the components will be explained based on FIG. 1(A). The positional relationship defined here does not limit the posture of the packaging container 10 when in use.

The mouth portion 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A threaded portion 6 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 3. The upper end 3a of the mouth portion 3 is the second end of the container body 1. The opening at the upper end 3a of the mouth portion 3 is called the upper end opening (opening at the second end) 3b. A cap (not shown) having a threaded portion that screws into the threaded portion 6 can be attached to the mouth portion 3. The cap can close the upper end opening 3b.

The shoulder 4 descends from the lower end of the mouth 3 while expanding in diameter. The body 5 extends downward from the lower end of the shoulder 4. The body 5 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The lower end 5a of the body 5 is the first end of the container body 1. The opening at the lower end 5a of the body 5 is called the lower end opening (first end opening) 5b.

At least the body 5 of the container body 1 has flexibility. The body 5 is formed of, for example, a film.
As shown in Fig. 1(B), the body 5 is formed of, for example, a laminated film including a sealant layer 1a, a barrier layer 1b, and a base layer 1c. The sealant layer 1a is the innermost layer of the container body 1. The barrier layer 1b is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sealant layer 1a. The base layer 1c is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the barrier layer 1b. In this embodiment, the base layer 1c is the outermost layer, but an outermost layer made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene may be provided on the outside of the base layer 1c.

The material constituting the sealant layer 1a is preferably a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). The barrier layer 1b includes a metal layer formed of, for example, aluminum. The barrier layer 1b may be an aluminum foil or an aluminum-deposited film. The material constituting the base layer 1c may be, for example, nylon (aliphatic polyamide).

As shown in FIG. 1(A), the container body 1 is self-supporting. It is preferable that the container body 1 is self-supporting when filled with the contents. The container body 1 is, for example, formed as a single unit. At least the body portion 5 of the container body 1 is flexible, so that when the packaging container 10 is disposed of, the volume can be reduced by folding the body portion 5, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom plate 2 is separate from the container body 1. The bottom plate 2 closes the lower end opening (first end opening) 5b of the container body 1. The outer peripheral edge 2a of the bottom plate 2 is joined to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1 by heat sealing or the like.

As shown in Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(B), the bottom plate 2 includes a substrate 11 and a reinforcing rib 12. The substrate 11 is formed in a disk shape. One surface of the substrate 11 is called the first surface 11a. The other surface of the substrate 11 is called the second surface 11b. In Fig. 1(A), the first surface 11a is the upper surface of the substrate 11. The second surface 11b is the lower surface of the substrate 11.

The reinforcing rib 12 includes a plurality of main ribs 13 and a peripheral rib 14. The plurality of main ribs 13 extend radially outward from the center of the substrate 11. The main ribs 13 protrude from both sides of the substrate 11. That is, the main ribs 13 include a first rib 13a and a second rib 13b. In FIG. 1(A), the first rib 13a protrudes upward from the first surface 11a of the substrate 11. The second rib 13b protrudes downward from the second surface 11b of the substrate 11. The cross-sectional shape (shape of the cross section perpendicular to the length direction) of the first rib 13a and the second rib 13b is, for example, rectangular.

The first rib 13a and the second rib 13b have the same shape. The protruding height of the first rib 13a from the first surface 11a is equal to the protruding height of the second rib 13b from the second surface 11b. The multiple first ribs 13a are positioned with n-fold rotational symmetry (n is an integer of 2 or more) with respect to the center of the first surface 11a. The second rib 13b has the same shape as the first rib 13a. In this embodiment, the number of the first ribs 13a and the number of the second ribs 13b are each 6. The six first ribs 13a are positioned with 6-fold rotational symmetry. The six second ribs 13b are positioned with 6-fold rotational symmetry.

The peripheral rib 14 is formed along the periphery of the substrate 11. The peripheral rib 14 is circular around the entire circumference of the substrate 11. The peripheral rib 14 protrudes from both sides of the substrate 11. That is, the peripheral rib 14 includes a first rib 14a and a second rib 14b. In FIG. 1(A), the first rib 14a protrudes upward from the first surface 11a of the substrate 11. The second rib 14b protrudes downward from the second surface 11b of the substrate 11. The cross-sectional shapes (shapes of cross sections perpendicular to the length direction) of the first rib 14a and the second rib 14b are, for example, rectangular. The first rib 14a and the second rib 14b have the same shape. The protruding height of the first rib 14a from the first surface 11a is equal to the protruding height of the second rib 14b from the second surface 11b.

The shape of the first rib 13a is the same as the shape of the second rib 13b. The shape of the first rib 14a is the same as the shape of the second rib 14b. Therefore, the bottom plate 2 has a symmetrical shape in the thickness direction.

The bottom plate 2 is non-flexible. The bottom plate 2 is formed, for example, from a hard resin. Examples of materials constituting the bottom plate 2 include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), and polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The bottom plate 2 can be produced, for example, by injection molding.

[Manufacturing equipment]
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the packaging container manufacturing apparatus 20. Fig. 5 is a front view of the manufacturing apparatus 20. Fig. 6(A) is a perspective view of the nozzle 23. Fig. 6(B) is a perspective view of the nozzle 23. Fig. 6(B) is a perspective view of the nozzle 23 seen from the opposite side to that of Fig. 6(A).

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the manufacturing apparatus 20 comprises a base 21, a holder 22, and a nozzle 23 (see Figure 9). In explaining the manufacturing apparatus 20, the positional relationship of the components will be explained based on the form shown by the solid lines in Figure 5. The extension direction of the back plate 26 relative to the base 25 is upward. The front direction of the paper in Figure 5 is the front. The positional relationship defined here does not limit the posture of the manufacturing apparatus 20 during use.

The base 21 includes a base 25, a back plate 26, and a connecting mechanism 27. The base 25 is formed in a long plate shape extending in the front-rear direction. The front part of the base 25 is curved and convex (e.g., semicircular). The back plate 26 extends upward from the upper surface of the rear end part of the base 25. The back plate 26 is oriented so that its thickness direction faces the front-rear direction.

The holder 22 includes a bottom plate 31, a main plate 32, and an upper plate 33. The main plate 32 is rectangular (more specifically, oblong). In the embodiment shown by solid lines in Fig. 5, the main plate 32 is located in front of the back plate 26. The main plate 32 is parallel to the back plate 26.
The bottom plate 31 is provided at one end of the main plate 32. The bottom plate 31 is perpendicular to the main plate 32 and protrudes forward. The front part of the bottom plate 31 is curved and convex (e.g., semicircular). In the form shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, the bottom plate 31 is located above the base 25.

The upper plate 33 is provided at the other end of the main plate 32. The upper plate 33 is perpendicular to the main plate 32 and protrudes forward. A holding recess 34 is formed at the front end of the upper plate 33. The holding recess 34 is formed in a concave shape extending from the front end of the upper plate 33 toward the rear. The width of the holding recess 34 is larger than the outer diameter of the mouth 3 of the packaging container 10 and smaller than the outer diameter of the body 5. The mouth 3 of the packaging container 10 is inserted into the holding recess 34. The holder 22 can hold the packaging container 10 (see FIG. 8).

The connecting mechanism 27 rotatably connects the holder 22 to the back plate 26. The connecting mechanism 27 includes a fixed portion 28 and a pivot shaft portion 29. The fixed portion 28 is fixed to the center of the length of the back surface of the main plate 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the pivot shaft portion 29 supports the holder 22 so that it can pivot around a central axis along the front-rear direction.

The holder 22 can be switched between, for example, a first configuration P1 shown by solid lines in FIG. 5 and a second configuration P2 shown by imaginary lines. The container body 1 held by the holder 22 in the first configuration P1 is in a position in which the lower end 5a is located lower than the upper end 3a (see FIG. 8). The container body 1 held by the holder 22 in the first configuration P1 is in an upright position, for example, with the mouth 3 facing upward. The container body 1 held by the holder 22 in the second configuration P2 is in a position in which the lower end 5a is located higher than the upper end 3a.

As shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the nozzle 23 has a main portion 23a and a reduced diameter portion 23b. The main portion 23a is cylindrical. The outer diameter of the main portion 23a is larger than the inner diameter of the upper end 3a of the mouth portion 3 of the packaging container 10. The reduced diameter portion 23b protrudes from one end of the main portion 23a. The reduced diameter portion 23b is shaped like a truncated cone. The reduced diameter portion 23b is tapered such that the outer diameter gradually decreases in the direction of protrusion from the main portion 23a.

An introduction hole 35 is formed along the central axis of the nozzle 23. The introduction hole 35 penetrates the nozzle 23. The introduction hole 35 allows gas to flow through it.
A plurality of ventilation grooves 36 are formed in a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 23. The ventilation grooves 36 are formed from the outer circumferential surface of the main portion 23a to the outer circumferential surface of the reduced diameter portion 23b. The plurality of ventilation grooves 36 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the nozzle 23.

[Manufacturing method of packaging container]
An example of a method for producing the packaging container 10 shown in Fig. 1(A) will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 13. This production method includes the following first to third steps.

(First step)
7, the container body 1 is placed in an upside-down position. In the upside-down position, the lower end 5a of the container body 1 is positioned higher than the upper end 3a. The bottom plate 2 is inserted into the container body 1 through the lower end opening 5b. The bottom plate 2 falls into the container body 1.

(Second step)
The container body 1 is held by the holder 22. When the container body 1 is held by the holder 22, the holder 22 may be in the first configuration P1 or the second configuration P2 (see FIG. 5).
8, the holder 22 is rotated by the connecting mechanism 27 as necessary. The holder 22 is put into the first form P1. The container body 1 is put into the upright position.

The container body 1 is flexible and therefore easily deformed. When the container body 1 is deformed, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1 becomes non-circular at the deformed location, and the movement of the bottom plate 2 may be restricted. In addition, depending on the sliding characteristics of the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1, the movement of the bottom plate 2 may be restricted by friction between the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1 and the bottom plate 2. The bottom plate 2 preferably falls to the lower end 5a within the container body 1 due to its own weight, but it may not fall to the lower end 5a because its movement is restricted by the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 2 remains in the center of the axial direction of the body 5.

As shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle 23 is installed at the upper end 3a of the mouth 3. A portion of the reduced diameter portion 23b of the nozzle 23 is inserted into the upper end opening 3b of the mouth 3.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, air is sent to the container body 1 through the inlet hole 35 using an air supply pipe 37 connected to the nozzle 23. The air passes through the upper end opening 3b and is sent into the container body 1. The gas is, for example, air. The air sent from above into the container body 1 applies a downward supply pressure to the bottom plate 2. The bottom plate 2 falls and is positioned at the lower end 5a of the container body 1. The air supply pressure causes the bottom plate 2 to assume a position perpendicular to the central axis of the container body 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the internal pressure of the container body 1 increases due to the air being pumped into the container body 1, some of the air inserted into the container body 1 is released to the outside through the ventilation groove 36. Therefore, the increase in the internal pressure of the container body 1 is suppressed.

(Third process)
Fig. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing a packaging container 10 and a heat-sealing device 100. As shown in Fig. 12, the heat-sealing device 100 includes a heater 101 that heats the container body 1 from the outer periphery. The heater 101 heats the entire lower end of the container body 1. The outer periphery 2a of the bottom plate 2 is joined to the inner periphery of the container body 1 by heat sealing over the entire periphery. The bottom opening 5b of the container body 1 is closed by the bottom plate 2. In this way, the packaging container 10 shown in Fig. 1 (A) is obtained.

[Effects of the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment]
11, in the second step of the manufacturing method, air is fed into the container body 1 from the upper end 3a to apply a feeding pressure to the bottom plate 2. Therefore, even if the bottom plate 2 remains at a high position in the container body 1, the bottom plate 2 can be positioned at the lower end 5a of the container body 1 by the feeding pressure of air. Therefore, in the third step, the bottom plate 2 can be joined to the container body 1 at an accurate position. This makes it easy to manufacture the packaging container 10.

In the second step, a nozzle 23 is placed at the upper end 3a, and air is fed into the container body 1 through the feed hole 35 of the nozzle 23. This allows air to be fed into the container body 1 reliably and easily. This makes it easy to manufacture the packaging container 10.

The bottom plate 2 has a shape that is symmetrical in the thickness direction. Therefore, the bottom plate 2 may be oriented such that the first surface 11a faces upward (see FIG. 1(A)), or the first surface 11a faces downward. Since there are no restrictions on the orientation of the bottom plate 2, no process is required to align the orientation of the bottom plate 2. Since the number of manufacturing processes can be reduced, the manufacturing of the packaging container 10 becomes easier.

The manufacturing device 20 shown in FIG. 8 is equipped with a holder 22 and a nozzle 23 (see FIG. 9), so that the container body 1 can be held by the holder 22, and the nozzle 23 can be used to feed air into the container body 1 from the upper end 3a to apply a feeding pressure to the bottom plate 2. Therefore, even if the bottom plate 2 remains at a high position inside the container body 1, the bottom plate 2 can be positioned at the lower end 5a of the container body 1 by the feeding pressure of the air. Therefore, the bottom plate 2 can be joined to the container body 1 in an accurate position. This makes it easy to manufacture the packaging container 10.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the body 5 of the packaging container 10 shown in FIG. 1(A) is cylindrical, but the shape of the container body is not particularly limited. The container body may be a polygonal tube such as a triangular tube, a square tube, or a pentagonal tube. In the packaging container 10 shown in FIG. 1(A), the bottom plate 2 is joined to the inner peripheral surface of the container body 1, but the joining structure between the bottom plate and the container body is not particularly limited.

In the third step of the manufacturing method, the bottom plate 2 and the container body 1 are joined by heat sealing (thermal welding), but the method for joining the bottom plate and the container body is not particularly limited. The bottom plate and the container body may be welded by ultrasonic welding, high-frequency welding, laser welding, etc. The bottom plate and the container body may also be joined by an adhesive.

The nature of the contents contained in the packaging container is not particularly limited. The contents may be, for example, liquid, solid, powder, granules, or a mixture of two or more of these. The types of contents are not particularly limited, and include beverages, food products, seasonings, cosmetics, medicines, detergents, adhesives, household goods, industrial products, etc. A mark may be formed on the container body by printing, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Container body, 2... Bottom plate, 2a... Outer periphery, 3a... Upper end (second end), 3b... Upper end opening (second end opening), 5a... Lower end (first end), 5b... Lower end opening (second end). opening at one end), 10...packaging container, 20...manufacturing device, 21...substrate, 22...holder, 23...nozzle, 35...feeding hole, P1...first form, P2...second form.

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing a packaging container comprising: a flexible cylindrical container body; and a bottom plate that closes an opening at a first end of the container body, the method comprising the steps of:
a first step of inserting the bottom plate into the container body in an upside-down position with the first end facing up , and allowing the bottom plate to fall into the container body by its own weight ;
a second step of supplying gas into the container body from a second end opposite to the first end of the container body in an upright position with the first end downward, and applying a supply pressure of the gas to the bottom plate to drop the bottom plate and place the bottom plate at the first end;
a third step of closing the opening at the first end by joining an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate to the container body;
A method for manufacturing a packaging container having the above structure. The method for manufacturing a packaging container according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, a nozzle having an inlet hole is provided at the second end, and the gas is introduced into the container body through the inlet hole. The method for manufacturing a packaging container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom plate has a shape that is symmetrical in the thickness direction. A packaging container manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a packaging container having a flexible cylindrical container body and a bottom plate that closes an opening at a first end of the container body, comprising:
A substrate;
A holder for holding the container body;
a nozzle having an inlet for injecting a gas into the container body and capable of being installed at a second end of the container body opposite to the first end;
The holder includes:
a first mode in which the container body is held in a position in which the first end is positioned lower than the second end;
a second mode in which the container body is held in a position in which the first end is positioned higher than the second end;
It is possible to switch between
In the first embodiment, the gas is introduced into the container body from the second end of the container body, which is in an upright position with the first end downward, and a gas introduction pressure is applied to the bottom plate, thereby dropping the bottom plate and arranging the bottom plate at the first end;
In the second form, the packaging container manufacturing apparatus holds the container body in the holder in an upside-down position with the first end facing up, with the bottom plate inserted into the container body and falling into the container body due to its own weight .

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