U.S. patent application number 09/297352 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-16 for easy-to-open package having seal opening notch.
Invention is credited to MARUYAMA, YUUICHI, MIYAZAWA, YASUHITO, TAKAHASHI, YOSHIMORI.
Application Number | 20010014187 09/297352 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 17088047 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010014187 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAKAHASHI, YOSHIMORI ; et
al. |
August 16, 2001 |
EASY-TO-OPEN PACKAGE HAVING SEAL OPENING NOTCH
Abstract
An easily openable sealed package bag (P) is disclosed which
hermetically seals a material to be packed (W), such as liquid,
powder and viscous material, by longitudinally and laterally
sealing three or four sides of a package film (F). A seal opening
notch (N) comprising a cut is formed in a sealed portion (S) of the
package bag (P) in such a way as to extend in a direction of depth
of the sealed portion (S). The sealed portion (S) is also formed
with a bent portion (B) adjacent to the seal opening notch (N). The
easily openable sealed package bag is capable of enhancing the ease
with which the package bag can be opened and the ease with which a
seal opening portion can be identified by sight or by touch,
without producing cut chips of the package bag. An apparatus for
manufacturing such easily openable sealed package bags is also
provided.
Inventors: |
TAKAHASHI, YOSHIMORI;
(NAGAOKA, JP) ; MIYAZAWA, YASUHITO; (NAGAOKA,
JP) ; MARUYAMA, YUUICHI; (NAGAOKA, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY
600 13TH STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-3096
US
|
Family ID: |
17088047 |
Appl. No.: |
09/297352 |
Filed: |
April 30, 1999 |
PCT Filed: |
August 28, 1998 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP98/03871 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/200 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/58 20130101;
B29C 66/83513 20130101; B29C 66/83413 20130101; B29C 65/7441
20130101; B29C 66/849 20130101; Y10S 116/17 20130101; B65B 51/26
20130101; B29C 65/7435 20130101; B29C 66/432 20130101; B29C 66/4322
20130101; B29C 66/133 20130101; B29C 66/72321 20130101; B29C
66/8432 20130101; B65B 61/18 20130101; B29C 66/4312 20130101; B29C
65/18 20130101; B29C 66/1122 20130101; B29C 66/30621 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/200 |
International
Class: |
B65B 061/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 8, 1997 |
JP |
9-242361 |
Claims
1. In an easily openable sealed package bag which hermetically
seals a material to be packed, such as liquid, powder and viscous
material, by sealing a package film at three or four sides thereof
vertically and horizontally, the easily openable sealed package bag
characterized by: a seal opening notch comprising a cut and formed
in a sealed portion of the package bag to extend in a direction of
depth of the sealed portion; and a bent portion formed in the
sealed portion adjacent to the seal opening notch comprising a
cut.
2. An easily openable sealed package bag according to claim 1,
wherein the seal opening notch comprising a cut is formed in the
sealed portion of the package bag to extend in a direction of depth
of the sealed portion, and the bent portion is formed in the sealed
portion to extend from the deepest part of the seal opening notch
comprising a cut toward an outer edge of the seal portion.
3. An easily openable sealed package bag according to claim 2,
wherein a geometry comprising the seal opening notch and the bent
portion is shaped like a letter V or U.
4. In a packaging machine which performs the steps of:
longitudinally sealing a continuously fed package film by a
longitudinally sealing mechanism to form the package film into a
cylindrical shape by longitudinally sealed portions, laterally
sealing the cylindrically shaped package film by a laterally
sealing mechanism to form bottom portions of package bags by
laterally sealed portions, filling a material to be packed into the
package film that was formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by
the bottom portions, and laterally sealing an inlet side of the
package film by the laterally sealing mechanism while feeding the
package film, thus continuously making package bags; an apparatus
for manufacturing easily openable package bags characterized by: a
notch forming mechanism having a pair of opposing rolls for
clamping and transporting the longitudinally sealed portion of the
continuously fed package bags; wherein a circumferential surface of
at least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a protruding
cutting edge that makes a seal opening notch comprising a cut in
the longitudinally sealed portion of the package bags in such a way
that the seal opening notch extends in a direction of depth of the
longitudinally sealed portion, with the other roll functioning as a
receiving roll, and the circumferential surface is also formed with
a protruding bending edge that forms a bent portion in the
longitudinally sealed portion adjacent to the seal opening notch;
wherein a height of a tip of the bending edge is set slightly lower
than a height of a tip of the cutting edge.
5. In a packaging machine which performs the steps of:
longitudinally sealing a continuously fed package film by a
longitudinally sealing mechanism to form the package film into a
cylindrical shape by longitudinally sealed portions, laterally
sealing the cylindrically shaped package film by a laterally
sealing mechanism to form bottom portions of package bags by
laterally sealed portions, filling a material to be packed into the
package film that was formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by
the bottom portions, and laterally sealing an inlet side of the
package film by the laterally sealing mechanism while feeding the
package film, thus continuously making package bags; an apparatus
for manufacturing easily openable package bags characterized by: a
notch forming mechanism having a pair of opposing rolls for
clamping and transporting the longitudinally sealed portion of the
continuously fed package bags; wherein a circumferential surface of
at least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a protruding
cutting edge that makes a seal opening notch comprising a cut in
the longitudinally sealed portion of the package bags in such a way
that the seal opening notch extends in a direction of depth of the
longitudinally sealed portion, with the other roll functioning as a
receiving roll, and the circumferential surface is also formed with
a protruding bending edge that extends continuously from the
cutting edge at a position corresponding to the deepest part of the
seal opening notch toward an outer edge of the longitudinally
sealed portion in order to form a bent portion in the
longitudinally sealed portion; wherein a height of a tip of the
bending edge is set slightly lower than a height of a tip of the
cutting edge.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to an easily openable sealed
package bag that can suitably be opened by breaking open a package
film as a packaging material with a finger tip and also to an
apparatus for manufacturing the easily openable sealed package
bags.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A package bag has conventionally been made by vertically or
laterally sealing three or four sides of a package film made of a
packaging material, such as a synthetic resin film or a laminated
material formed by laminating the synthetic resin film and an
aluminum foil or the like. The package bag is filled with a
material to be packed, such as liquids, powders or viscous
materials, before being hermetically sealed.
[0003] To open the package bag, therefore, it is common practice to
cut a sealed portion of the package film as the packaging material
with a knife or scissors or break it open with a finger tip. When
the package bag is to be cut with a knife or scissors, the opening
procedure is troublesome as it requires a tool. When the package
film is to be ruptured with a finger tip, the opening of the
package film may not be accomplished easily.
[0004] For these reasons, the package bag has recently been formed
with a seal opening notch, which comprises a cut, at a sealed
portion of the package bag to make it easy to break open the
package bag. Two types of opening notch are employed in general.
For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a package bag P with its three
sides sealed is formed with a simple cut or a so-called I-notch N1
at a sealed portion S. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, a
package bag P with its four sides sealed is formed with a so-called
V-notch N2, which is formed by making a V-shaped cut, at a sealed
portion S. The opening notch is formed in the package bag P in this
way.
[0005] In making an opening notch, although the I-notch N1 offers
the advantage of simple manufacturing because of a simple shape of
the cut, there is a drawback that, because the I-notch N1 is formed
by making a simple cut at the sealed portion S of the package bag
P, the edge portion of the opening I-notch N1 is aligned with the
side of the bag and may not be recognized easily, making it
difficult to quickly locate the position of the I-notch N1.
[0006] In this respect, the V-notch N2 which is a V-shaped cut is
easily recognized because of its shape even by a person with failed
eyesight. The use of the V-notch as an opening notch however is
currently not applied to food product packages in which materials W
to be filled in the package bag P are foods such as sauce, soup and
soy sauce, because when the V-notch N2 is to be formed in the
sealed portion S of the package bag P, the sealed portion S of the
package bag P needs to be cut in the shape of letter V during the
notch forming process, producing cut chips which in turn may adhere
to the product package bag P.
[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an
easily openable sealed package bag which can improve the level of
ease with which the package bag can be opened, without producing
cut chips of the package bag, and which can enhance the level of
ease with which the opening portion can be located with sight or
feel. It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus
for manufacturing such an easily openable sealed package bag.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In a package bag that hermetically seals a material to be
packed, such as liquid, powder and viscous material, by
longitudinally and laterally sealing three or four sides of a
package film, the package according to the invention is
characterized by: a seal opening notch comprising a cut formed in a
sealed portion of the package bag in such a manner as to extend in
a direction of depth of the sealed portion; and a bent portion
formed in the sealed portion adjacent to the seal opening notch
comprising a cut. A resulting step formed by the bent portion
allows the user to identify a seal opening notch position
easily.
[0009] Further, the sealed portion of the package bag is formed
with a seal opening notch comprising a cut which extends in a
direction of depth of the sealed portion, and also with a bent
portion (stepped portion) which extends from the deepest part of
the seal opening notch comprising a cut toward an outer edge of the
sealed portion. This structure easily forms a step at the edge
portion where the notch is cut, making it possible to easily locate
the notch portion comprising a cut. Further, the configuration
comprising the seal opening notch and the bent portion (stepped
portion) easily forms, by bending, a step with an almost V- or
U-shaped width, thereby improving the ease with which the seal
opening notch position can be distinguished by sight as well as by
touch.
[0010] Further, in a packaging machine that continuously makes
package bags, the apparatus is characterized in that a notch
forming mechanism is provided which has a pair of opposing rolls
for clamping and transporting the longitudinally sealed portion of
the continuously fed package bags; and that a circumferential
surface of at least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a
protruding cutting edge that makes a seal opening notch comprising
a cut in the longitudinally sealed portion of the package bags in
such a way that the seal opening notch extends in a direction of
depth of the longitudinally sealed portion, with the other roll
functioning as a receiving roll, and the circumferential surface is
also formed with a protruding bending edge that forms a bent
portion in the longitudinally sealed portion adjacent to the seal
opening notch. This construction provides an apparatus for
manufacturing easily openable sealed package bags that allow the
user to identify the seal opening portion while preventing cut
chips from being produced as a result of making notches.
[0011] Further, in a packaging machine that continuously makes
package bags, the apparatus is characterized in that a notch
forming mechanism is provided which has a pair of opposing rolls
for clamping and transporting the longitudinally sealed portion of
the continuously fed package bags; that a circumferential surface
of at least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a protruding
cutting edge that makes a seal opening notch comprising a cut in
the longitudinally sealed portion of the package bags in such a way
that the seal opening notch extends in a direction of depth of the
longitudinally sealed portion, with the other roll functioning as a
receiving roll, and the circumferential surface is also formed with
a protruding bending edge that extends continuously from the
cutting edge at a position corresponding to the deepest part of the
seal opening notch toward an outer edge of the longitudinally
sealed portion in order to form a bent portion (stepped portion) in
the longitudinally sealed portion; and that a height of a tip of
the bending edge is set slightly lower than a height of a tip of
the cutting edge. This construction provides an apparatus for
manufacturing easily openable sealed package bags that allow the
user to identify the seal opening portion while preventing cut
chips from being produced as a result of making notches.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall outline of a
filling and packaging machine;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overall outline of the
filling and packaging machine of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a seal opening notch
forming mechanism of FIG. 2;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cutting edge and a
bending edge, both essential parts of FIG. 3;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an outline cross section of the cutting edge and
the bending edge of FIG. 4;
[0017] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an example form of
package bag into which a package film is formed by a filling and
packaging machine according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a package bag, an essential
portion of FIG. 6;
[0019] FIG. 8 is an essential-portion perspective view of a package
bag according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 9 is an essential-portion perspective view of a package
bag according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a package bag with its
three sides sealed, as applied to the conventional apparatus and
the invention;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a package bag with its four sides sealed, as
applied to the conventional apparatus and the invention;
[0023] FIG. 12 is a front view showing an example of a conventional
package bag formed with an I-notch; and
[0024] FIG. 13 is a front view showing an example of a conventional
package bag formed with a V-notch.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0025] Now, one embodiment of the invention will be described by
referring to the accompanying drawings. An easily openable sealed
package bag and the outline construction and operation of a filling
and packaging machine, which is an apparatus for manufacturing the
easily openable sealed package bag with a package film, will be
explained with reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 7.
[0026] Referring to these figures, in the overall outline
construction of the filling and packaging machine, reference
numeral 1 represents a frame of the filling and packaging machine,
in the side portion of which is provided a support frame 2 on which
a roll R of film F is removably mounted.
[0027] The film F drawn out and guided from the film roll R is
given a predetermined tension as it is guided through a film guide
mechanism 3, and is then pulled upward to a film folding mechanism
4 disposed at the upper part of the frame 1 where the film is
folded in two along its length and from which the folded film is
drawn downward and guided.
[0028] In this embodiment, the film F folded in two and drawn
downward is longitudinally heat-sealed at a folded edge portion, an
intermediate portion and an opposite edge portion (at left and
right edge portions and an intermediate portion) by a pair of
longitudinal heat seal rolls 5A of a longitudinally sealing
mechanism 5 to form longitudinally sealed portions S1. Then, a
first laterally sealing mechanism 6 and a second laterally sealing
mechanism 7, both disposed below the longitudinally sealing
mechanism 5, laterally heat-seal the folded film to form laterally
sealed portions S2.
[0029] In this case, a pair of lateral heat seal rolls 6A of the
first laterally sealing mechanism 6 laterally heat-seal the folded
film at predetermined intervals to form the laterally sealed
portions S2. The laterally sealed portions S2 each form bottoms of
bottomed cylinders, which will make two left and right parallelly
arranged package bags. The film F formed into a bottomed cylinder
is filled with a material to be packed W, which is supplied from
filling nozzles 8A, 8B of a filling mechanism 8. Then, after the
film F is fed, the lateral heat seal rolls 6A of the first
laterally sealing mechanism 6 laterally heat-seal bag inlet
portions of the film F to form laterally sealed portions S2, which
seal the material to be packed W. These laterally sealed portions
S2 are further sealed by a pair of lateral heat seal rolls 7A of
the second laterally sealing mechanism 7 to seal four sides of the
film F, and the package bags P thus formed are carried continuously
downward in a connected state.
[0030] In this kind of packaging machine, below the second
laterally sealing mechanism 7 is arranged a seal opening notch
forming mechanisms 9, below which a perforation slitter mechanism
10 is disposed to form perforations in the center longitudinally
sealed portion S1 of the left and right parallel package bags P.
Further blow the perforation slitter mechanism 10 there is a
cutting mechanism 11 that cuts the laterally sealed portions S2 of
the vertically connected package bags P and delivers the separated
package bags P.
[0031] The seal opening notch forming mechanisms 9 are provided on
both edge sides of the left and right parallel package bags P. Each
of the seal opening notch forming mechanisms 9 has a pair of
opposing rolls 12, 12A to form seal opening notches N in each of
the longitudinally sealed portions S1 provided on the both edge
sides of the parallel bags. A pair of the opposing rolls 12, 12A
are arranged to clamp and transport the longitudinally sealed
portions S1 on the both edge sides of the continuously fed package
bags P. On a circumferential surface of at least one roll 12 of the
opposing rolls is formed a protruding cutting edge 13 that forms a
seal opening notch N comprising a cut in the longitudinally sealed
portions S1 of the package bags P in such a way that the notch
extends in the direction of depth of the longitudinally sealed
portions, with another roll 12A used as a receiving roll 12A. At
the same time, the circumferential surface of at least one roll 12
is formed with a protruding bending edge 13A that extends
continuously from the cutting edge 13 at a position corresponding
to the deepest part of the seal opening notch N toward the outer
edge of the longitudinally sealed portions S1 in order to form a
bent portion B (stepped portion) in the longitudinally sealed
portions S1. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the height L2 of the tip
of the bending edge 13A is set slightly lower than the height L1 of
the tip of the cutting edge 13 so that the bent portion B (stepped
portion) can be obtained in the longitudinally sealed portions
S1.
[0032] In the embodiment described above, the filling and packaging
machine that continuously forms package bags is characterized in
that the seal opening notch forming mechanisms 9 are provided that
each have a pair of the opposing rolls 12, 12A for clamping and
transporting the longitudinally sealed portions S1 of the
continuously fed package bags P; that the circumferential surface
of at least one roll 12 of the opposing rolls is formed with the
protruding cutting edge 113 that forms the seal opening notch N
comprising a cut in the longitudinally sealed portions S1 of the
package bags P in such a way that the notch extends in the
direction of depth of the longitudinally sealed portions, with
another roll 12A used as a receiving roll 12A, and the
circumferential surface of at least one roll 12 is also formed with
a protruding bending edge 13A that extends continuously from the
cutting edge 13 at a position corresponding to the deepest part of
the seal opening notch N toward the outer edge of the
longitudinally sealed portions S1 in order to form a bent portion B
in the longitudinally sealed portions S1; and that the height L2 of
the tip of the bending edge 13A is set slightly lower than the
height L1 of the tip of the cutting edge 13. With this
construction, the cutting edge 13 formed on the surface of one roll
12 and the circumferential surface of the receiving roll 12A or the
other roll engage each other, clamping the longitudinally sealed
portions S1 of the package bags P between the cutting edge 13 and
the circumferential surface of the receiving roll 12A or the other
roll, thus making a cut in the longitudinally sealed portions S1.
As a result, a seal opening notch N is formed, which is a cut
extending from the outer edge of the longitudinally sealed portions
S1 in the direction of their depth. At the same time, because of
the height L2 of the tip of the bending edge 13A being slightly
lower than the height L1 of the tip of the cutting edge 13, the
bending edge 13A clamps the longitudinally sealed portions S1 of
the package bags P between it and the roll 12A and, by the clamping
stress, deforms the longitudinally sealed portions S1 and bends
that normally flat part of the longitudinally sealed portions S1
against which the bending edge 13A is pressed, thus irregularly
shaping the edge portions where the seal opening notches N are
cut.
[0033] As a result, the longitudinally sealed portions S1 of the
package bags P are formed with the seal opening notches N, which
are cuts extending from the outer edges of the longitudinally
sealed portions S1 in the direction of their depth, as described
above. At the same time, the bent portions B that extend from the
deepest part of the seal opening notches N toward the outer edges
of the longitudinally sealed portions S1 are formed by deformation.
The edge portions where the seal opening notches N are cut are made
irregular by the bent portions that are formed by deformation. The
irregular stepped portion allows the user to easily recognize by
sight that this is a seal opening location of the package bag P.
Further, by touching the bent portion B with a finger tip, the user
can feel a dent or bulge at the bent portion and decide that the
irregular part is the seal opening location of the package bag
P.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, because the seal opening notch N and the
bent portion B which extends from the deepest part of the seal
opening notch N or cut toward the outer edge of the longitudinally
sealed portion S1 are formed in the longitudinally sealed portion
S1 in the shape of letter V, a stepped portion with a V-shaped
width, defined by the seal opening notch N and the bent portion B,
is easily formed by bending, thus improving the ease with which the
seal opening notch N can be identified by sight as well as by
touch.
[0035] In the embodiment as described above, because the seal
opening notch N1, which comprises a cut, is formed in the
longitudinally sealed portion S1 of the package bag P in such a
manner as to extend in the direction of its depth, the cut chips
can be prevented from being formed as they would when the
conventional notch is cut. Further, because the bent portion B is
formed in the longitudinally sealed portion S1 in such a way as to
extend from the deepest part of the seal opening notch N1 or cut
toward the outer edge of the longitudinally sealed portion S1, an
easily openable sealed package bag can be provided that allows easy
identification of the seal opening portion.
[0036] Further, to obtain a package bag P according to one
embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the filling and packaging machine that
continuously forms package bags is characterized in that the
surface of a roll is formed with the protruding cutting edge 13
that forms a seal opening notch N comprising a cut in the
longitudinally sealed portions S1 of the package bags P in such a
way that the notch extends in the direction of depth of the
longitudinally sealed portions; that the roll surface is also
formed with the protruding bending edge 13A that extends
continuously from the cutting edge 13 at a position corresponding
to the deepest part of the seal opening notch N toward the outer
edge of the longitudinally sealed portions S1 in order to form the
bent portion B in the longitudinally sealed portions S1; and that
the height L2 of the tip of the bending edge 13A is set slightly
lower than the height L1 of the tip of the cutting edge 13. With
this construction it is possible to provide an easily openable
sealed package bag that allows easy identification of the seal
opening portion while preventing cut chips from being produced as a
result of making notches. In the embodiment, the geometry
comprising the cutting edge 13 and the bending edge 13A of the seal
opening notch forming mechanism 9 in the packaging machine is set
according to the nearly V-shaped configuration comprising the seal
opening notch N and the bent portion B.
[0037] In an embodiment of the package bag P as shown in FIG. 8,
the seal opening notch N, which is a cut extending in the direction
of depth of the longitudinally sealed portion S1 of the package bag
P, and the bent portion B, which extends from the deepest part of
the seal opening notch N or cut toward the outer edge of the
longitudinally sealed portion S1, are formed virtually like a
letter U in the longitudinally sealed portion S1. In this case,
too, as in the V-shaped configuration, because a stepped portion
with an almost U-shaped width, defined by the seal opening notch N
and the bent portion B, is formed by bending, the stepped portion
improves the ease with which the seal opening notch N can be
located by sight as well as by touch. The geometries of the cutting
edge and the bending edge of the seal opening notch forming
mechanism 9 need to be set according to the virtually U-shaped
configuration comprising the seal opening notch N and the bent
portion B.
[0038] Further, in another embodiment of the package bag P as shown
in FIG. 9, the longitudinally sealed portion S1 of the package bag
P is formed with a seal opening notch N, which comprises a cut,
extending in the direction of depth of the longitudinally sealed
portion S1 and with a bent portion B adjacent to the seal opening
notch N or cut. In this embodiment, because the seal opening notch
N is surrounded by the semicircular bent portion B, the bent
portion B provides a stepped portion around the seal opening notch
N in the normally flat, longitudinally sealed portion S1. This
enables the seal opening portion to be easily located. The
geometries of the cutting edge and the bending edge of the seal
opening notch forming mechanism 9 in the packaging machine need to
be set according to the configuration of the seal opening notch N
and the bent portion B. This can be achieved by setting the height
of the tip of the bending edge slightly lower than the height of
the tip of the cutting edge.
[0039] In the embodiments described above, an example case has been
explained in which a sheet of film F is drawn out in a two-folded
condition and guided, and in which the folded edge part of the
folded film, the central part of the folded film F and the opposite
edge part (left and right edge parts and the central part) are
longitudinally heat-sealed by a pair of three longitudinal heat
seal rolls 5A to form two columns of cylindrical package bags P.
Other forms of easily openable sealed package bag can be made by
forming the seal opening notch of the invention in the sealed
package bag. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the film F may be
sealed at three sides of the package bag P; or, as shown in FIG.
11, two sheets of film F may be overlapped, drawn out and guided,
and the film F sheets may be longitudinally heat-sealed along their
both edges by two longitudinal heat seal rolls while at the same
time heat-sealing four sides of the films F to form the package
bags P; or, though not shown, a number of longitudinal heat seal
rolls may be provided at longitudinal seal portions, and the
longitudinal heat seal rolls and the lateral seal portions may be
combined to form a number of four-side-sealed package bags in each
lateral row; or, the package bags may be sealed individually.
[0040] In the easily openable sealed package bag according to the
invention, because a seal opening notch N or cut is formed in the
sealed portion of the package to extend in the direction of depth
of the sealed portion and a bent portion is formed in the sealed
portion adjacent to the seal opening notch or cut, a step formed by
the bent portion makes the seal opening notch easily
identifiable.
[0041] Further, because the sealed portion is formed with a seal
opening notch or cut extending in the direction of depth of the
sealed portion of the package bag and also with a bent portion
extending from the deepest part of the seal opening notch or cut
toward the outer edge of the sealed portion, a step is easily
formed at the outer edge portion where the cut is made, allowing
the notch portion or cut to be easily distinguished. At the same
time, the combined configuration of the seal opening notch and the
bent portion easily forms a step with an almost V- or U-shaped
width as a result of bending. This in turn improves the ease with
which the seal opening notch can be located by sight as well as by
touch.
[0042] Further, the packaging machine that continuously makes
package bags is characterized in that a notch forming mechanism is
provided which comprises a pair of opposing rolls for clamping and
transporting the longitudinally sealed portions of the package bags
being continuously fed; that the circumferential surface of at
least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a protruding cutting
edge that makes a seal opening notch or cut in the longitudinally
sealed portion of the package bag in such a way that the notch
extends in the direction of depth of the longitudinally sealed
portion, with the other roll functioning as a receiving roll, and
the circumferential surface is also formed with a protruding
bending edge that makes a bent portion adjacent to the seal opening
notch in the longitudinally sealed portion; and that the height of
the tip of the bending edge is set slightly lower than the height
of the tip of the cutting edge. This construction can provide an
apparatus for manufacturing the easily openable sealed package bag
that enables the seal opening portion to be easily located while
preventing cut chips from being produced as a result of making
cuts.
[0043] Further, the packaging machine that continuously makes
package bags is characterized in that a notch forming mechanism is
provided which comprises a pair of opposing rolls for clamping and
transporting the longitudinally sealed portions of the package bags
being continuously fed; that the circumferential surface of at
least one of the opposing rolls is formed with a protruding cutting
edge that makes a seal opening notch or cut in the longitudinally
sealed portion of the package bag in such a way that the notch
extends in the direction of depth of the longitudinally sealed
portion, with the other roll functioning as a receiving roll, and
the circumferential surface is also formed with a protruding
bending edge that extends continuously from the cutting edge at a
position corresponding to the deepest part of the seal opening
notch toward the outer edge of the longitudinally sealed portion in
order to form the bent portion in the longitudinally sealed
portion; and that the height of the tip of the bending edge is set
slightly lower than the height of the tip of the cutting edge. This
construction can provide an apparatus for manufacturing an easily
openable sealed package bag that can prevent cut chips from being
produced as a result of making cuts and which can easily form a
step at the edge portion where the notch is cut, thus allowing the
notch or cut portion, i.e., the seal opening portion, to be easily
located.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0044] In making easily openable sealed package bags that can
suitably be opened by breaking open a package film or a packaging
material with a finger tip, the invention provides an easily
openable sealed package bag that can improve the ease with which
the package bag can be opened and the ease with which the seal
opening portion can be located by sight or by touch, without
producing cut chips of the package bag. The invention also provides
an apparatus for manufacturing such a package bag.
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