JP7773008B2 - Pouch - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a pouch.

Conventionally, pouches have been known in which the spout is positioned between two side films that make up the main packaging bag, ensuring that the spout remains airtight during transportation. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-308206 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration in which the film sealing the spout can be cut away to open the pouch.

Similarly, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-335048 (Patent Document 2) discloses a configuration in which the film sealing the spout can be cut off and opened.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-308206 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-335048

For pouches with such spouts, there is a growing demand for easier separation of the film sealing the spout.

The object of the present invention is to provide a pouch with a spout that is configured to allow the film sealing the spout to be easily separated.

A pouch according to the present disclosure comprises a packaging bag including a top sheet and a back sheet, capable of containing contents, and a spout for pouring the contents from the packaging bag. The packaging bag comprises a first side seal portion and a second side seal portion formed by sealing together the ends of the top sheet and the back sheet in the width direction, an upper seal portion formed by sealing together the upper parts of the top sheet and the back sheet, and an inclined seal portion formed by sealing together the top sheet and the back sheet so as to extend in a strip shape from the upper seal portion toward the first side seal portion, thereby dividing the top sheet and the back sheet into a sealed space enclosed by the top seal portion and the first side seal portion for hermetically accommodating the spout, and a storage space enclosed by the top seal portion, the second side seal portion, and the first side seal portion for accommodating the contents.

The spout has a cylindrical portion for pouring the contents and a cap portion for opening and closing one end of the cylindrical portion. The spout is fixed by sandwiching the cylindrical portion between the top sheet and the back sheet at the inclined seal portion, tightly sealing them together, so that the cap portion is located in the sealed space and the other end of the cylindrical portion is located in the storage space. The top sheet and the back sheet in the sealed space have tear lines along the inclined seal portion in the area near the inclined seal portion.

The opening line includes a first opening line extending from the upper seal portion toward the tubular portion and a second opening line extending from the tubular portion toward the first side seal portion. The first opening line is a curved line that convexly extends toward the storage space. The second opening line is perpendicular to an imaginary axis that is the central axis of the tubular portion, passes through the tubular portion so as to intersect with it, and, assuming that a line extending parallel to the inclined seal portion is an imaginary line, the second opening line is located on the imaginary line or on the storage space side of the imaginary line.

In another embodiment of the pouch, the width of the sealed space side seal located on the sealed space side of the first side seal portion is narrower than the width of the storage space side seal located on the storage space side, and the width of the sealed space upper seal located on the sealed space side of the upper seal portion is narrower than the width of the storage space upper seal located on the storage space side.

In another form of pouch, the cylindrical portion is elliptical, with its major axis aligned along the extension direction of the inclined seal portion.

In another embodiment of the pouch, the cap portion is openably and closably fixed to the tubular portion using a hinge member, and the hinge member is provided on the upper seal portion side of the tubular portion.

This disclosure makes it possible to easily separate the film sealing the spout from a pouch with a spout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pouch according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of a pouch according to a first embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a first schematic diagram showing the opening operation of the pouch of the first embodiment to expose the spout. FIG. 2 is a second schematic diagram showing the opening operation of the pouch of embodiment 1 to expose the spout. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of pouring the contents from the spout of the pouch of embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view of a pouch according to a second embodiment.

Pouches according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, when reference is made to numbers, quantities, etc., the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to those numbers, quantities, etc., unless otherwise specified. The same reference numbers will be used for the same or equivalent parts, and overlapping descriptions may not be repeated. It is intended from the outset that the configurations in the embodiments will be used in appropriate combinations.

In the following explanations using diagrams, the areas indicated in light ink indicate the sealed areas of the sheet.

The contents are not particularly limited, but examples include beverages such as sports drinks, foods such as ice cream and jelly, daily necessities such as shampoo, conditioner, body soap, detergent, and fabric softener, and medicines.

(Embodiment 1: Pouch 1)
The configuration of a pouch 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pouch 1, Figure 2 is a front view of the pouch 1, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2.

(Schematic configuration of pouch 1)
1 and 2, pouch 1 includes a packaging bag 100 that includes a top sheet 101 and a back sheet 102 and is capable of containing contents, and a spout 200 for pouring the contents out of packaging bag 100. Top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 are made of a laminate containing, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum, nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

The packaging bag 100 includes a first side seal portion 111 and a second side seal portion 112 formed by sealing together the ends of the top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102 in the width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2 ), a lower seal portion 113 formed by sealing together the lower part of the top sheet 101 and the lower part of the back sheet 102, and an upper seal portion 114 formed by sealing together the upper part of the top sheet 101 and the upper part of the back sheet 102. As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2 , bottom gusset sheets 115 may be provided at the lower part of the top sheet 101 and the lower part of the back sheet 102 to form the pouch 1 into a self-standing pouch. If the bottom gusset sheet 115 is not provided, the pouch 1 will be in the form of a flat pouch.

The packaging bag 100 includes an inclined seal portion 116 formed by sealing the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 together so as to extend in a strip-like shape from the top seal portion 114 toward the first side seal portion 111. The inclined seal portion 116 is surrounded by the top seal portion 114 and the first side seal portion 111 to separate an enclosed space 210 that hermetically houses the spout 200, and an accommodation space 220 that is surrounded by the top seal portion 114, the second side seal portion 112, the bottom seal portion 113, and the first side seal portion 111 to accommodate the contents.

The spout 200 has a cylindrical portion 200a for pouring the contents to the outside and a cap portion 200b for opening and closing one end of the cylindrical portion 200a. The spout 200 is fixed by sandwiching the cylindrical portion 200a between the top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102 at the inclined seal portion 116 and tightly sealing them together, so that the cap portion 200b is located in the sealed space 210 and the other end of the cylindrical portion 200a is located in the storage space 220.

The inclined seal portion 116 includes a hanging portion 116a and an inclined portion 116b, with the tubular portion 200a fixed to the inclined portion 116b. More specifically, if the central axis of the tubular portion 200a is taken as an imaginary axis C1, the tubular portion 200a is fixed to the inclined portion 116b so that the imaginary axis C1 is perpendicular to the inclination direction of the inclined portion 116b. The inclined seal portion 116 may not be provided with the hanging portion 116a, and may only have the inclined portion 116b.

The sealing between the sheets that make up the packaging bag 100 and the sealing method for the area where the spout 200 is fixed to the inclined seal portion 116 can be any of a variety of well-known methods, such as fusion bonding using heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, high-frequency sealing, or adhesive bonding.

(Opening line L1)
A tear line L1 is provided on the top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102 of the sealed space 210 in a region near the inclined seal portion 116 and along the inclined seal portion 116. The region near the inclined seal portion 116 refers to the region from below the cap portion 200b of the spout 200 to the inclined seal portion 116 (as long as the opening portion of the tubular portion 200a is exposed), preferably the region from below half the length of the tubular portion 200a to the inclined seal portion 116, and more preferably a region of 0.5 mm to 15 mm.

The opening line L1 has a first opening line L11 extending from the upper seal portion 114 toward the tubular portion 200a, and a second opening line L12 extending from the tubular portion 200a toward the first side seal portion 111. In this embodiment, the first opening line L11 is a curved line that convex toward the storage space 220, and the second opening line L12 is a straight line.

In this embodiment, a cutout area S1 extending inward along the hanging portion 116a is provided at the position where the first opening line L11 of the upper seal portion 114 reaches. The user can easily begin separating the top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102 using this cutout area S1 as the opening starting point.

If the central axis of the tubular portion 200a is taken as the imaginary axis C1, the first opening line L11 should extend to the intersection P1 with this imaginary axis C1, and the second opening line L12 should extend from the intersection P1 with the imaginary axis C1. The position of intersection P1 is appropriately designed between the upper seal portion 114 and the right end of the spout 200 (the end at the rear in the opening direction). A position within the width of the spout 200 is preferable, and a position between the left end of the spout 200 (the end at the front in the opening direction) and the imaginary axis C1 is more preferable.

The tearing line L1 is, for example, a cutting assist line formed on the surface portions of the top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102. The top sheet 101 and the back sheet 102 of the storage space 220 are cut along the tearing line L1, which is a cutting assist line. Examples of the cutting assist line include a half-cut line, a perforation line, a cut line, or a combination of these. The tearing line L1 is formed, for example, by laser irradiation.

(seal width)
In the first side seal portion 111, the width W12 of the sealed space side seal 111b located on the sealed space 210 side is narrower than the width W11 of the storage space side seal 111a located on the storage space 220 side. In the upper seal portion 114, the width W22 of the sealed space upper seal 114b located on the sealed space 210 side is narrower than the width W21 of the storage space upper seal 114a located on the storage space 220 side.

In this way, by narrowing the width of the sealed space side seal 111b and the storage space upper seal 114a, the range of motion of the film in the sealed space 210 is increased, making it possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the film in the sealed space 210. Furthermore, the cutting distance of the sealed portion is shortened and the flexibility of the sealed portion is improved, making it easier to cut the sealed portion.

When the height h1 of the spout 200 from intersection P1 along the imaginary axis C1 is taken as the attachment position to the inclined seal portion 116b, and the spatial distance h2 is taken as the point where imaginary axis C1 intersects with the sealed space side seal 111b (intersection P2), it is preferable that the spatial distance h2 be greater than the height h1 of the spout 200. The spout 200 should be fixed to the inclined seal portion 116 so that the imaginary axis C1 intersects with the sealed space side seal 111b.

A sufficient distance is maintained between the spout 200 and the sealed space side seal 111b, preventing the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 of the sealed space 210 from getting caught on the spout 200. During the bag-making process, this prevents wrinkles from forming on the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 when the spout 200 is inserted.

Referring to Figure 3, the tubular portion 200a of the spout 200 is preferably elliptical. In this case, the major axis of the tubular portion 200a is preferably aligned with the extension direction of the inclined seal portion 116. This prevents the thickness of the inclined seal portion 116 from increasing in the area where the tubular portion 200a is fixed. The tubular portion 200a is not limited to an elliptical shape, and may also be circular or polygonal. Furthermore, since only a small amount of deformation of the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 is required when the tubular portion 200a is sandwiched, the occurrence of wrinkles in the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 can also be prevented.

Next, the manner in which the pouch 1 having the above configuration is used will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figures 4 and 5 are first and second schematic diagrams showing the opening process to expose the spout 200 of the pouch 1, and Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the process of pouring the contents M from the spout 200 of the pouch 1.

Referring to Figure 4, for example, a user grasps the top of the pouch 1 with the left hand 10 and the sealed space 210 with the right hand 11, and begins to separate the sealed space 210 along the opening line L1 starting from the cutout area S1. In doing so, the user first begins to separate along the first opening line L11, which has a curved line shape. When attempting to separate the sealed space 210 with the right hand 11, the user applies force toward the user (in the direction of arrow A in Figure 4).

In this case, a curved line convex toward the storage space 220, rather than a straight line, allows the first opening line L11 to follow the movement of the right hand 11 more easily, allowing the user to tear along the first opening line L11 with relatively little force. Because there is a sufficient gap between the spout 200 and the sealed space side seal 111b as shown in Figure 2, the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 of the sealed space 210 will not get caught on the spout 200.

Next, as shown in Figure 5, after the first opening line L11 reaches the spout 200, the user attempts to pull the sealed space 210 apart toward the outside (toward the right in the figure) (in the direction of arrow B in Figure 5). In this case, a straight second opening line L12 is more likely to follow the movement of the right hand 11. The user can tear the seal of the sealed space 210 apart along the second opening line L12 with a relatively light force.

Next, as shown in Figure 6, after the seal of the sealed space 210 is pulled away from the storage space 220, the cap portion 200b on the spout 200 is opened and the pouch 1 is tilted, allowing the contents M to be poured onto the target object. If the cap portion 200b is fixed to the tubular portion 200a using a hinge member 260 so that it can be opened and closed, the hinge member 260 should preferably be provided on the upper seal portion 114 side of the tubular portion 200a.

As a result, when the contents M are poured onto an object, the cap portion 200b is positioned upward, preventing the cap portion 200b from getting wet with the contents M. The cap portion 200b is not limited to one that uses a hinge member 260, and a removable screw-type cap may also be used. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the top sheet 101 or back sheet 102 from accidentally getting caught on the cap portion 200b when the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 are separated to expose the spout 200, thereby preventing the cap portion 200b from opening unintentionally.

(Embodiment 2: Pouch 1A)
The structure of a pouch 1A of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a front view of the pouch 1A. The basic structure of the pouch 1A of this embodiment is the same as that of the pouch 1 of the first embodiment. The difference is in the shape of the opening line.

The tear line should be located so that the spout 200 is exposed when the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 are cut apart along the tear line. Furthermore, considering that the contents will be poured out from the opening of the tubular portion 200a, as described in embodiment 1, the tear line should preferably pass below half the axial length of the tubular portion 200a, more preferably between 0.5 mm and 15 mm.

In this embodiment, the opening line L20 includes a first opening line L21 extending from the upper seal portion 114 toward the tubular portion 200a, and a second opening line L22 extending from the tubular portion 200a toward the first side seal portion 111. In this embodiment, the first opening line L21 is a curved line that convexly extends toward the storage space 220, and the second opening line L22 is located on the storage space 220 side.

Here, the second opening line L22 being located in the storage space 220 means that, if a virtual straight line C2 is defined as a line that is perpendicular to the virtual axis C1, which is the central axis of the tubular portion 200a, passes through the tubular portion 200a so as to intersect with it (preferably, passes through a position closer to the storage space 220 than halfway in the axial direction of the tubular portion 200a), and extends parallel to the inclined seal portion 116, the second opening line L22 is located on the storage space 220 side of the virtual straight line C2. Furthermore, although the intersection P21 between the first opening line L21 and the second opening line L22 is located on the virtual axis C1, it is sufficient that the intersection P21 is located at a position on the tubular portion 200a.

Note that the second opening line L12 in the first embodiment is located on the imaginary straight line C2.

Furthermore, while the seal width of the inclined seal portion 116 in embodiment 1 shown in Figure 2 is constant, the seal width of the inclined seal portion 116 in embodiment 2 shown in Figure 7 may be such that the seal width between the top sheet 101 and back sheet 102 of the spout 200 is narrower (closer to the sealed space 210) than the seal width of other areas (sealed area 116c). By sealing in this manner, the tensile force of the film in the tubular portion 200a when sealed is less likely to be applied to the spout 200, preventing wrinkles from forming in the unsealed areas and preventing poor sealing.

Furthermore, the pouch configuration in each of the above embodiments allows for a significant reduction in the amount of resin used compared to containers made from molded resin, and after use, the gas can be removed from the gas-sealed portion, folded compactly to reduce the volume, and discarded.

The pouch of the present disclosure has been described above in the embodiments, but the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1, 1A Pouch, 100 Packaging bag, 101 Top sheet, 102 Back sheet, 111 First side seal portion, 111a Storage space side seal, 111b Sealed space side seal, 112 Second side seal portion, 113 Lower seal portion, 114 Upper seal portion, 114a Storage space upper seal, 114b Sealed space upper seal, 116 Sloped seal portion, 116a Lower weight portion, 116b Sloped portion, 116c Sealed area, 200 Spout, 200a Cylindrical portion, 200b Cap portion, 210 Sealed space, 220 Storage space, 260 Hinge member.

Claims (4)

A packaging bag including a top sheet and a back sheet and capable of containing contents;
a spout for pouring the contents from the packaging bag;
The packaging bag is
a first side seal portion and a second side seal portion formed by sealing together an end portion of the top sheet and an end portion of the back sheet in the width direction;
an upper seal portion formed by sealing an upper portion of the top sheet and an upper portion of the back sheet together;
the top sheet and the back sheet are sealed together so as to extend in a strip shape from the top seal portion toward the first side seal portion, thereby dividing the top seal portion and the first side seal portion into a sealed space that hermetically accommodates the spout, and the top seal portion, the second side seal portion, and the first side seal portion into a storage space that accommodates the contents; and
Including,
The spout has a cylindrical portion for pouring out the contents and a cap portion for opening and closing one end side of the cylindrical portion,
The spout is fixed by being sandwiched and tightly sealed between the top sheet and the back sheet at the inclined seal portion so that the cap portion is located in the sealed space and the other end side of the tubular portion is located in the storage space,
The top sheet and the back sheet of the sealed space are provided with tear lines along the inclined seal portion in a region near the inclined seal portion,
The opening line has a first opening line extending from the upper seal portion toward the imaginary axis line, which is the central axis of the tubular portion , and a second opening line extending from the imaginary axis line toward the first side seal portion,
The first opening line is a curved line that is convex toward the storage space,
The second opening line is perpendicular to a virtual axis line that is the central axis of the tubular portion, passes through the tubular portion so as to intersect with the tubular portion, and when a line extending parallel to the inclined seal portion is defined as a virtual line, the second opening line is located on the virtual line or on the storage space side of the virtual line.
Pouch. In the first side seal portion, a width of the sealed space side seal located on the sealed space side is set narrower than a width of the storage space side seal located on the storage space side,
In the upper seal portion, a width of the sealed space upper seal located on the sealed space side is set narrower than a width of the storage space upper seal located on the storage space side.
The pouch of claim 1. The cylindrical portion has an elliptical shape, and a major axis direction of the elliptical portion is arranged along the extension direction of the inclined seal portion.
The pouch according to claim 1 or claim 2. the cap portion is fixed to the cylindrical portion using a hinge member so as to be openable and closable;
The hinge member is provided on the upper seal portion side of the cylindrical portion.
The pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 3.