U.S. patent application number 12/935441 was filed with the patent office on 2011-01-27 for bag container.
This patent application is currently assigned to KAO CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Susumu Fujinami, Yoshinori Inagawa, Shigeo Kamata, Shigeyuki Kawamata, Takao Kurosawa, Koichi Sagara.
Application Number | 20110019945 12/935441 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41340109 |
Filed Date | 2011-01-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110019945 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sagara; Koichi ; et
al. |
January 27, 2011 |
BAG CONTAINER
Abstract
A bag container includes a synthetic-resin container body shaped
by using a mold and including a body portion including a bottom
portion and a spout-forming portion. A spout is formed by tearing
an easy-to-tear portion of the spout-forming portion and removing a
to-be-torn-off portion. The spout-forming portion is provided
projecting upward, perpendicular to a placing surface formed by the
bottom portion, from the body portion. An opening tab piece
including an engagement hole with which the ball of a finger is to
engage is provided projecting on one side of the spout-forming
portion. The engagement hole has a shape that guides the finger
such that, when the easy-to-tear portion is to be torn, the ball of
the finger engages with a circumferential edge portion of the
engagement hole from the inner side thereof while being oriented
toward the circumferential direction centering about an end of the
easy-to-tear portion.
Inventors: |
Sagara; Koichi; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Kawamata; Shigeyuki; (Tokyo, JP) ;
Inagawa; Yoshinori; (Tokyo, JP) ; Fujinami;
Susumu; (Tokyo, JP) ; Kurosawa; Takao; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Kamata; Shigeo; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND MAIER & NEUSTADT, L.L.P.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
KAO CORPORATION
Tokyo
JP
YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO., LTD.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
41340109 |
Appl. No.: |
12/935441 |
Filed: |
May 18, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
May 18, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2009/059142 |
371 Date: |
September 29, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/205 ;
383/105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/0276 20130101;
B29C 49/06 20130101; B29C 49/4802 20130101; B29C 49/04 20130101;
B65D 1/0238 20130101; B65D 2501/0081 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/205 ;
383/105 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/00 20060101
B65D033/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 21, 2008 |
JP |
2008-132932 |
May 21, 2008 |
JP |
2008-132933 |
May 21, 2008 |
JP |
2008-132934 |
Claims
1. A bag container comprising a container body shaped by using a
mold, the container body being made of synthetic resin and having a
body portion including a bottom portion and a spout-forming
portion, a spout being formed by tearing an easy-to-tear portion of
the spout-forming portion to tear off a to-be-torn-off portion
thereof, wherein: the spout-forming portion has a central axis that
is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a placing
surface formed by the bottom portion, and is provided projecting
upward from the body portion; an opening tab portion is provided on
the to-be-torn-off portion, the opening tab portion projecting on
one side, with respect to the central axis of the spout-forming
portion, toward a side surface of the body portion, the opening tab
portion having an engagement hole or an engagement depression with
which the ball of a finger is to engage; and the engagement hole or
the engagement depression has a shape that guides the finger in
such a manner that, when the easy-to-tear portion is to be torn,
the ball of the finger engages with a circumferential edge portion
of the engagement hole or the engagement depression while being
oriented toward a substantially circumferential direction centering
about an end of the easy-to-tear portion located on an opposite
side, with respect to the central axis, from the side toward which
the opening tab portion projects.
2. The bag container according to claim 1, wherein the opening tab
portion is provided projecting obliquely upward at an angle of
inclination of 5 to 35 degrees with respect to a plane on which the
easy-to-tear portion is formed.
3. The bag container according to claim 1, wherein the engagement
hole or the engagement depression has an elliptical shape, and a
direction of a minor axis of the ellipse is provided along the
circumferential direction centering about the end of the
easy-to-tear portion.
4. The bag container according to claim 1, wherein a holding tab
portion is provided on a shoulder of the body portion adjacent to
the spout-forming portion on the side toward which the opening tab
portion projects, the holding tab portion projecting upward while
being spaced apart from the spout-forming portion.
5. The bag container according to claim 4, wherein the holding tab
portion is provided in such a manner that a central axis thereof is
arranged parallel to or substantially parallel to the central axis
of the spout-forming portion.
6. The bag container according to claim 4, wherein the opening tab
portion and the holding tab portion are provided within a plane
along a parting line of the mold for the shaping.
7. The bag container according to claim 1, wherein: the
to-be-torn-off portion is provided with a flat-shaped dome portion
having a cavity inside; the opening tab portion is provided
projecting on one side, with respect to the central axis of the
spout-forming portion, toward the side surface of the body portion
and is provided in a connected manner to a top surface of the dome
portion; and a portion of the opening tab portion that is provided
in a connected manner to the top surface of the dome portion
constitutes a connection base portion having a cavity portion.
8. The bag container according to claim 7, wherein a height of the
dome portion in a projecting direction of the spout-forming portion
is 20% to 80% of a minimum width of the dome portion in a direction
orthogonal to the projecting direction.
9. The bag container according to claim 1, wherein the easy-to-tear
portion has a narrow groove-like depression formed annularly around
the spout-forming portion.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a bag container made by
shaping its synthetic-resin container body by using a mold.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] There are heretofore known bag containers, such as
self-standing bags, that are made by shaping using a mold, such as
by blow molding, to have a body portion including a bottom portion
and a spout-forming portion, and can be placed on a
surface-to-be-placed using the bottom portion as a placing surface.
With such a bag container, the spout-forming portion is cut open to
form a spout, and the enclosed contents are poured out from the
spout.
[0003] In such containers, using a knife or scissors, for example,
for cutting the spout-forming portion would be inconvenient and
troublesome to unaccustomed users. In view of such circumstances,
there have been disclosed blow-molded containers that have an
annular easy-to-tear portion constituted of a thin portion to be
torn or a narrow groove-like depression provided on the
spout-forming portion along with a tab piece, to facilitate the
operation of opening and forming the spout by allowing the
easy-to-tear portion to be torn by being ripped away or torn off
(see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid Open JP-A-2004-59141 and
Japanese Patent Laid Open JP-A-2007-91259).
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates to a bag container including a
synthetic-resin container body shaped by using a mold and having a
body portion including a bottom portion and a spout-forming
portion. A spout is formed by tearing an easy-to-tear portion of
the spout-forming portion to tear off a to-be-torn-off portion
thereof. The spout-forming portion has a central axis that is
perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a placing surface
formed by the bottom portion, and is provided projecting upward
from the body portion. An opening tab portion having an engagement
hole or an engagement depression with which the ball of a finger is
to engage is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion projecting on
one side, with respect to the central axis of the spout-forming
portion, toward a side surface of the body portion. The engagement
hole or the engagement depression has a shape that guides the
finger in such a manner that, when the easy-to-tear portion is to
be torn, the ball of the finger engages with a circumferential edge
portion of the engagement hole or the engagement depression while
being oriented toward a substantially circumferential direction
centering about an end of the easy-to-tear portion located on an
opposite side, with respect to the central axis, from the side
toward which the opening tab portion projects.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1(a) is a front view of a bag container according to a
preferred first embodiment of the present invention.
[0006] FIG. 1(b) is a side view, viewing FIG. 1(a) from the
right-hand side.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of a primary section of the bag
container according to the preferred first embodiment of the
present invention.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a front view of a primary section of a bag
container according to a preferred second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 4(a) is a front view illustrating an example of another
shape of an engagement hole or an engagement depression provided in
an opening tab portion.
[0010] FIG. 4(b) is a front view illustrating an example of another
shape of an engagement hole or an engagement depression provided in
the opening tab portion.
[0011] FIG. 4(c) is a front view illustrating an example of another
shape of an engagement hole or an engagement depression provided in
the opening tab portion.
[0012] FIG. 4(d) is a front view illustrating an example of another
shape of an engagement hole or an engagement depression provided in
the opening tab portion.
[0013] FIG. 4(e) is a front view illustrating an example of another
shape of an engagement hole or an engagement depression provided in
the opening tab portion.
[0014] FIG. 5(a) is a front view of a bag container according to a
preferred third embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5(b) is a side view, viewing FIG. 5(a) from the
right-hand side.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a front view of a primary section of the bag
container according to the preferred third embodiment of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line
of FIG. 5(a).
[0018] FIG. 8(a) is an enlarged plan view viewing, from above, a
to-be-torn-off portion of the bag container illustrated in FIG.
5(a).
[0019] FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y of
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The blow-molded container of JP-A-2004-59141 has a pair of
adjacently-provided tab pieces sandwiching an annular groove
(easy-to-tear portion) in a neck portion (spout-forming portion)
from above and below. Holding each of the upper and lower tab
pieces and applying a force in the parting direction, for example,
will tear apart the annular groove, thus opening and forming a
spout. JP-A-2004-59141 also discloses a container that has a tab
piece provided above the annular groove in the neck portion and
having a round hole for placing the finger. While the container is
being placed in an upright state, the tab piece is pinched to tear
apart the annular groove.
[0021] However, in the blow-molded container of JP-A-2004-59141
having the upper and lower tab pieces sandwiching the annular
groove, the tab pieces are difficult to hold because the upper and
lower tab pieces are provided close to one another. Further, these
tab pieces have a substantially smooth surface, which makes it
difficult to determine the optimum direction for applying the force
for tearing away the annular groove, thus making it quite likely
that the operation of opening the container is performed while the
container is being lifted. This makes the container unstable, and
also gives rise to the possibility that the container may swing
around due to the force upon opening and the contents may spill.
Further, even with the container including the tab piece having the
round finger-placing hole, the round finger-placing hole will not
help to determine the optimum direction for applying the force for
tearing away the annular groove. Rather, the tab piece having the
round finger-placing hole is prone to be pulled directly upward,
which makes it difficult for the pulling-up force to be efficiently
transmitted as the force for tearing away the annular groove. Thus,
the container often requires additional movement, such as twisting
of the wrist, in addition to involving the above-mentioned
problems.
[0022] Further, with the blow-molded container of JP-A-2004-59141,
there are instances in which the bottom portion of the container is
pressed down against the surface-to-be-placed while holding the
neck portion or the lower tab piece below the annular groove, and
in this state, the annular groove is torn away by pulling up the
upper tab piece. In this case, however, the pressing-down force is
applied in a direction substantially along the axial direction of
the neck portion and thus cannot effectively oppose the momental
force produced upon pulling the upper tab piece upward, resulting
in lack of stability upon opening.
[0023] Meanwhile, the bag container disclosed in JP-A-2007-91259
also allows a spout to be formed by cutting off a to-be-torn-off
portion located in a region more toward the tip end than the
easy-to-tear portion of the spout-forming portion. In order to
facilitate the tearing operation for forming the spout, cave-in
portions or bulged portions are formed non-consecutively on the
to-be-torn-off portion in the circumferential direction of the
spout-forming portion.
[0024] However, according to the bag container disclosed in
JP-A-2007-91259, forming the cave-in portions or bulged portions
makes the interior shape of the to-be-torn-off portion complicated,
which tends to cause liquid to accumulate inside the to-be-torn-off
portion. The accumulation of liquid is caused by splashing or
scattering of the content liquid due to vibrations upon
distribution. Accumulation of liquid inside the to-be-torn-off
portion may in turn cause the liquid inside the to-be-torn-off
portion to scatter onto the surroundings upon tearing the
easy-to-tear portion and opening the spout.
[0025] The present invention relates to a bag container that, upon
placing the ball of a finger in engagement with an engagement hole
or an engagement depression provided in a tab portion of a
spout-forming portion and pulling the tab portion upward, allows
the pulling-up force to be transmitted efficiently as a force for
tearing an easy-to-tear portion and thereby allows the operation of
opening and forming a spout to be performed easily and
smoothly.
[0026] Further, the present invention relates to a bag container
that allows the operation of holding and pulling upward a tab
portion provided on a spout-forming portion and thereby opening and
forming a spout to be performed in a stable state with the bottom
portion being pressed against a surface-to-be-placed.
[0027] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a bag
container that, upon tearing, such as by ripping away or tearing
away, an easy-to-tear portion of a spout-forming portion to form an
opening, prevents stretching of the to-be-torn-off portion etc. and
facilitates the tearing operation for forming the opening, and that
also reduces the tendency for contents, such as liquid, to
accumulate inside the to-be-torn-off portion as well as provides
good moldability using a mold.
[0028] The present invention relates to a bag container including a
synthetic-resin container body shaped by using a mold and having a
body portion including a bottom portion and a spout-forming
portion. A spout is formed by tearing an easy-to-tear portion of
the spout-forming portion to tear off a to-be-torn-off portion
thereof. The spout-forming portion has a central axis that is
perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a placing surface
formed by the bottom portion, and is provided projecting upward
from the body portion. An opening tab portion having an engagement
hole or an engagement depression with which the ball of a finger is
to engage is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion projecting on
one side, with respect to the central axis of the spout-forming
portion, toward a side surface of the body portion. The engagement
hole or the engagement depression has a shape that guides the
finger in such a manner that, when the easy-to-tear portion is to
be torn, the ball of the finger engages with a circumferential edge
portion of the engagement hole or the engagement depression while
being oriented toward a substantially circumferential direction
centering about an end of the easy-to-tear portion located on an
opposite side, with respect to the central axis, from the side
toward which the opening tab portion projects.
[0029] Further, it is preferable that in the bag container of the
present invention, a holding tab portion is provided on a shoulder
of the body portion on the side toward which the opening tab
portion projects, the holding tab portion projecting upward while
being spaced apart from the spout-forming portion.
[0030] Furthermore, it is preferable that in the bag container of
the present invention, the to-be-torn-off portion is provided with
a flat-shaped dome portion having a cavity inside, the opening tab
portion is provided projecting on one side, with respect to the
central axis of the spout-forming portion, toward the side surface
of the body portion and is provided in a connected manner to a top
surface of the dome portion, and a portion of the opening tab
portion that is provided in a connected manner to the top surface
of the dome portion constitutes a connection base portion having a
cavity portion.
[0031] A bag container 10 according to a preferred first embodiment
of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) is
shaped by employing blow molding, such as direct blow molding or
injection blow molding, as the "shaping using a mold". Further, the
bag container 10 of the present first embodiment is used as a
refill bag container that contains, for example, a liquid
agent--particularly, a shampoo, a body wash, a liquid detergent, a
cleaning agent, etc.--as its contents in an enclosed state and that
is opened upon use for refilling another container with the
contents. Further, the bag container 10 of the present first
embodiment has a structure that allows the operation of cutting a
portion of a spout-forming portion 13 provided projecting outward
from a body portion 12 of a container body 11 and thereby opening
and forming a spout to be performed easily and smoothly in a stable
state.
[0032] The bag container 10 of the present first embodiment is a
self-standable bag container including a synthetic-resin container
body 11 shaped by using a mold and having a body portion 12
including a bottom portion 14 and a spout-forming portion 13, and a
spout is formed by tearing an easy-to-tear portion 15 of the
spout-forming portion 13 and removing a to-be-torn-off portion 16
located in a region more toward the tip end than the easy-to-tear
portion 15. The spout-forming portion 13 has a central axis that is
perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a placing surface
P1, and is provided projecting upward (for example, in a direction
that becomes the vertically-upward direction when the container is
placed on a horizontal surface with its bottom portion 14 down)
from the body portion 12. Further, also as illustrated in FIG. 2,
an opening tab piece 17, serving as an opening tab portion, having
an engagement hole 24 with which the ball of a finger is to engage
is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion 16, projecting on one
side, with respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming
portion 13, toward a side surface of the body portion 12 (in the
present embodiment, on the right-hand side with respect to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion of FIG. 2). The
engagement hole 24 has a shape that can guide the finger in such a
manner that, when the easy-to-tear portion 15 is to be torn, the
ball of the finger engages with a circumferential edge portion 24a
of the engagement hole 24 from the inner side thereof while being
oriented toward a circumferential direction L that is within a
virtual plane including the opening tab portion (opening tab piece
17) and that centers about an end 15a of the easy-to-tear portion
15 located on the opposite side, with respect to the central axis X
of the spout-forming portion 13, from the side toward which the
opening tab piece 17 projects (in other words, oriented in a
direction Z that intersects, perpendicularly or substantially
perpendicularly, with an axis Y connecting the end 15a and the
center of the engagement hole or the engagement depression).
[0033] Further, in the present first embodiment, the opening tab
piece 17 is provided projecting obliquely upward at an angle of
inclination .theta. of 5 to 35 degrees with respect to a plane P2
including the easy-to-tear portion 15 and parallel to the placing
surface P1. Further, the circumferential edge portion 24a of the
engagement hole 24 with which the ball of a finger is to engage is
a portion that intersects with a direction perpendicular or
substantially perpendicular to the obliquely-upward projecting
direction Y (i.e., that intersects with the minor-axis direction Z
of the elliptical shape in cases where the engagement hole 24 has
an elliptical shape). Furthermore, the engagement hole 24 has an
elliptical shape, and its minor-axis direction Z is provided along
the circumferential direction L centering about the end 15a of the
easy-to-tear portion 15. That is, the minor-axis direction Z
substantially coincides with the tangential direction of the
circumferential direction L.
[0034] In the present first embodiment, the synthetic-resin
container body 11 is formed, preferably by blow molding, into a
shape that has a body portion 12 including a bottom portion 14 and
the spout-forming portion 13. Various known molding techniques,
such as direct blow molding or injection blow molding, may be
adopted for blow molding.
[0035] Further, it is possible to adopt, as the synthetic-resin
material for forming the container body 11, a single layer of, for
example, a soft synthetic-resin material including a
polyolefin-based resin, such as LDPE (low-density polyethylene),
L-LDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) and OPP (oriented
polypropylene), or a polyester-based resin such as PET
(polyethylene terephthalate). It is also possible to adopt
laminated resins obtained by laminating the above synthetic
resin(s) and other synthetic resin(s). For example, it is possible
to adopt a laminated resin employing LDPE or L-LDPE for its inner
layer and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) for its outer layer.
Further, it is also possible to adopt a resin obtained by
laminating EVOH resin (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin), EVA
resin (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin), nylon resin, etc.,
or a blended resin obtained by blending resins, such as EVA, EVOH,
and nylon, with another resin such as PE (polyethylene).
[0036] According to the present first embodiment, blow molding
using the above-described synthetic-resin material(s) allows the
side edges of the front portion 12A and the side edges of the back
portion 12B to be contiguous via a parting lines 21 of the mold
sandwiched in between, in the cross section traversing the body
portion 12. This provides the body portion 12 of the container body
11 which has a hollow cross-sectional shape having either an
elliptical shape or a rectangular shape with rounded corner and
also has a flat shape that is broad when viewed from the front or
the rear and narrow when viewed from the side. Further, through the
blow molding, the container body 11 is formed so that the lower
edge of the body portion 12 is integrally formed with the bottom
portion 14, and into such a shape that the upper portion of the
body portion 12 is gradually tapered, forming the shoulder 19 and
that the spout-forming portion 13 projects upward from the central
portion of the shoulder 19 as a mouth/neck portion.
[0037] The body portion 12 and the bottom portion 14 of the
synthetic-resin container body 11 are preferably molded to a
thickness of 100 .mu.m or above in order to ensure a stable
self-standing ability. Further, it is preferable to mold the body
portion 12 and the bottom portion 14 to a thickness of, for
example, 700 .mu.m or below, and more preferably, a thickness of
500 .mu.m or below, in order to provide suitable flexibility, allow
squashing, folding, and/or bending, and allow the container body to
be substantially flattened.
[0038] In the present first embodiment, the spout-forming portion
13 projecting upward from the central portion of the shoulder 19 of
the body portion 12 includes a base portion 20, and a
to-be-torn-off portion 16 that is provided in a connected manner to
the upper end of the base portion 20 via an easy-to-tear portion 15
and that closes off the upper-end opening (the spout) of the base
portion 20. The base portion 20 is shaped generally like a hollow
truncated cone that gradually tapers toward the tip end, and is
provided projecting upward from the shoulder 19 of the body portion
12, with its central axis X oriented in a direction perpendicular
to the placing surface P1.
[0039] Further, in the present first embodiment, the easy-to-tear
portion 15 that has a narrow groove-like depression formed
annularly around the outer circumferential surface of the
spout-forming portion 13 sections the spout-forming portion 13 into
the base portion 20 below the easy-to-tear portion 15 and the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 thereabove. The bag container 10 is
brought to an opened state from its sealed state by tearing off the
to-be-torn-off portion 16, which is located in a region more toward
the tip end than the easy-to-tear portion 15, from the base portion
20 to form a spout.
[0040] Herein, the narrow groove-like depression constituting the
easy-to-tear portion 15 is formed of a narrow groove having, for
example, a substantially V-shaped cross-sectional shape and
preferably along a plane P2 that is parallel to the placing surface
P1 formed by the bottom portion 14. Further, it is preferable that
the deepest portion of the narrow groove-like depression, or the
portion thereof where the two surfaces forming the groove intersect
with one another, is made thin to facilitate tearing.
[0041] The to-be-torn-off portion 16, which is provided in a
connected manner to the upper end of the base portion 20 via the
easy-to-tear portion 15, has a disk-like shape and closes off the
spout by being arranged so as to cover the upper-end opening (the
spout) of the base portion 20 and being integrally molded with the
base portion 20 and the easy-to-tear portion 15. An opening tab
piece 17 having an engagement hole 24 is provided in a connected
manner to and integrally molded with the upper surface of the
to-be-torn-off portion 16. The opening tab piece 17 is provided on
one side with respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming
portion 13, extending in the diametral direction of a plane along
the parting line 21 of the mold for molding (i.e., in the direction
of the side edge of the front portion 12A or the back portion 12B).
Herein, the "plane along the parting line 21" is a virtual plane
including the parting line 21.
[0042] In the present first embodiment, the opening tab piece 17 is
a portion functioning as the opening tab portion for tearing open
the easy-to-tear portion 15. The opening tab piece 17 has a flat
plate-like shape, and has a joint base-end portion 22, and a
substantially oval-shaped overhanging engagement portion 23 that is
provided projecting from the joint base-end portion 22 on one side
with respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13,
a portion of the overhanging engagement portion 23 overlapping with
the spout-forming portion 13 being cut away.
[0043] The joint base-end portion 22 is a portion that is joined in
a connected manner along the outer circumferential surface of the
to-be-torn-off portion 16, and the section connected to the upper
surface of the to-be-torn-off portion 16 is made into a thick
stepped portion 22a. Providing the thick stepped portion 22a at the
section of the joint base-end portion 22 continuous with the upper
surface of the to-be-torn-off portion 16 effectively reinforces the
section joined and connected to the to-be-torn-off portion 16. This
allows the pulling-up load exerted upon pulling the opening tab
piece 17 upward to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 to be
efficiently transmitted, as a compressive load, to a portion of the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 located on the opposite side, with
respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, from
the side toward which the overhanging engagement portion 23
projects. As a result, tearing can be initiated from an end 15b of
the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects with respect to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, while utilizing as
a fulcrum the end 15a of the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the
opposite side, with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13, from the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects, thus making it possible
to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 more smoothly.
[0044] The overhanging engagement portion 23 is a portion provided
to project from the joint base-end portion 22 in such a manner as
to overhang the upper area of the shoulder 19 of the container body
11, and its outer circumferential edge is formed as a thick rim
portion 23a. Further, the overhanging engagement portion 23 has an
elliptical engagement hole 24 opened in a portion on the tip-end
side of the overhang, the circumferential edge of the opening of
the engagement hole 24 being rimmed by a thick rim portion 24b.
[0045] Further, in the present embodiment, the elliptical
engagement hole 24 is arranged so that its minor-axis direction Z
is substantially along the circumferential direction L centering
about the end 15a, which functions as the fulcrum of the
easy-to-tear portion 15. In other words, the minor axis of the
elliptical engagement hole 24 is an axis that substantially
coincides with a tangent of the circumference of a circle centering
about the end 15a. Accordingly, at the time of performing the
operation of inserting a finger into the engagement hole 24 for
engagement therewith and pulling up the first tab piece 17, the
ball of the finger can press against a portion 24z of the
engagement hole 24 where the curve is gentlest (i.e., an
intersection point between the minor-axis direction Z and the inner
circumferential surface of the thick rim portion 24a), and while
doing so, a force can be applied easily in the circumferential
direction L centering about the end 15a, which functions as the
fulcrum of the easy-to-tear portion 15. This makes it possible to
tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 even more smoothly.
[0046] In the present first embodiment, the elliptical engagement
hole 24 is opened to have such a size that, for example, its minor
axis is around 10 to 15 mm and its major axis is around 10 to 20
mm, and as described above, is arranged so that its minor-axis
direction Z is along the circumferential direction L centering
about the end 15a, which functions as the fulcrum of the
easy-to-tear portion 15. Further, in the present first embodiment,
the substantially oval overhanging engagement portion 23 and the
elliptical engagement hole 24 of the opening tab piece 17 are
provided so that their major-axis direction Y is oriented in a
direction inclined preferably at an angle of inclination .theta. of
5 to 35 degrees with respect to a plane P2 in which the
easy-to-tear portion 15 is formed and that is parallel to the
placing surface P1 (i.e., that is a plane perpendicular to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13).
[0047] Setting the angle of inclination .theta. to 5 to 35 degrees
allows the pulling-up load exerted upon pulling up the opening tab
piece 17 to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 to be efficiently
transmitted, as a compressive load, to a portion of the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 located on the opposite side, with
respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, from
the side toward which the overhanging engagement portion 23
projects. As a result, tearing can be initiated from the end 15b of
the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects with respect to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, while utilizing, as
a fulcrum, the end 15a of the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on
the opposite side, with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13, from the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects. This makes it possible
to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 more smoothly, thus achieving
the advantage of allowing the pulling-up load to be reduced.
[0048] The preferable range for the above-mentioned angle .theta.
is described in detail. From the standpoint of allowing the
container to be opened reliably without causing torsional tearing,
it is preferable that the angle .theta. is 35 degrees or below, and
more preferably 30 degrees or below, and even more preferably 25
degrees or below. On the other hand, from the standpoint of
reducing the force for opening, it is preferable that the angle
.theta. is 5 degrees or above, and more preferably 10 degrees or
above, and even more preferably 20 degrees or above.
[0049] According to the bag container 10 of the present first
embodiment having the above-described structure, upon placing the
ball of a finger in engagement with the engagement hole 24 provided
in the opening tab piece 17 of the spout-forming portion 13 and
pulling the opening tab piece 17 upward, the pulling-up force can
be transmitted efficiently as a force for tearing the easy-to-tear
portion 15, and thereby the operation of opening and forming a
spout can be performed easily and smoothly.
[0050] More specifically, according to the present first
embodiment, the opening tab piece 17 having the preferably
elliptical engagement hole 24 with which the ball of a finger is to
engage is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion 16, projecting on
one side with respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming
portion 13 and extending in the diametral direction along the
parting line 21 of the mold for molding (i.e., in the direction of
the side edge of the front portion 12A or the back portion 12B).
Further, the engagement hole 24 is arranged so that the minor-axis
direction Z of the elliptical shape is along the circumferential
direction L centering about the end 15a, which functions as the
fulcrum of the easy-to-tear portion 15. Accordingly, at the time of
performing the operation of tearing the easy-to-tear portion 15 by
inserting a finger into the engagement hole 24 for engagement
therewith and pulling up the opening tab piece 17, the ball of the
finger will be guided naturally so that it engages, from the inner
side, the circumferential edge portion 24a in a section (24z) of
the engagement hole 24 where the circumferential edge portion 24a
intersects with the minor-axis direction Z and the curve is
gentlest. As a result, a force for pulling up the opening tab piece
17 can be easily applied by the ball of the finger toward the
circumferential direction L centering about the end 15a of the
easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the opposite side, with respect
to the central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, from the
side toward which the opening tab piece 17 projects. Thus, the
pulling-up force can be transmitted efficiently to the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 as a force for tearing the easy-to-tear
portion 15, and thereby the operation of opening and forming a
spout can be performed easily and smoothly.
[0051] Further, in the present first embodiment, the
circumferential edge of the opening of the engagement hole 24 is
rimmed by a thick rim portion 24b. Thus, the ball of a finger can
be pressed against the circumferential edge portion 24a in a
section intersecting with the minor-axis direction Z by means of
the thick rim portion 24b, thereby allowing the force for pulling
up the opening tab piece 17 to be applied in a more stable
state.
[0052] FIG. 3 illustrates a primary section of a bag container 30
according to a preferred second embodiment of the present
invention. In addition to the structure of the bag container 10 of
the foregoing first embodiment, the bag container 30 of the present
second embodiment includes a holding tab piece 18, which serves as
a holding tab portion, provided on the shoulder 19 of the body
portion 12 adjacent to the spout-forming portion 13 on the side,
with respect to the central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13,
toward which the opening tab piece 17 overhangs (projects) in the
diametral direction along the parting line 21 of the mold for
molding (i.e., in the direction of the side edge of the front
portion 12A or the back portion 12B), the holding tab piece 18
projecting upward while being spaced apart from the spout-forming
portion 13.
[0053] Further, in the present second embodiment, the holding tab
piece 18 is provided in such a manner that its central axis C is
arranged parallel to or substantially parallel to the central axis
X of the spout-forming portion 13, and the opening tab piece 17 and
the holding tab piece 18 are provided within a plane along the
parting line 21 of the mold for molding. Herein, the "plane along
the parting line 21" is a virtual plane including the parting line
21.
[0054] More specifically, in the present second embodiment, the
holding tab piece 18 provided adjacent to the spout-forming portion
13 on the side toward which the overhanging engagement portion 23
of the opening tab piece 17 projects is a portion functioning as
the holding tab portion that is held when the easy-to-tear portion
15 is to be torn and opened. Like the opening tab piece 17, the
holding tab piece 18 is provided having a flat plate-like shape
within the plane along the parting line 21 of the mold for molding.
The holding tab piece 18 is provided on the shoulder 19 of the body
portion 12 of the container body 11, projecting upward therefrom up
to a height that does not interfere with the overhanging engagement
portion 23 of the opening tab piece 17 while being spaced apart
from the spout-forming portion 13 such that there is a spacing,
preferably around 8 to 12 mm, from the circumferential surface of
the spout-forming portion 13. Keeping a spacing of around 8 to 12
mm between the holding tab piece 18 and the circumferential surface
of the spout-forming portion 13 will allow, for example, the
mouth/neck portion of another container to be arranged in a
sandwiched state between the spout-forming portion 13 and the
holding tab piece 18 when the contents filled and placed inside the
container body 11 are to be poured from the spout of the
spout-forming portion 13, which is formed by removing the
to-be-torn-off portion 16, through the mouth/neck portion of that
other container, thus allowing the contents to be poured into the
other container in a stable state.
[0055] Further, in the present embodiment, the holding tab piece 18
is provided in such a manner that its center line C is arranged
parallel to or substantially parallel to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13. Further, it is preferable that the
circumferential edge of the holding tab piece 18 is formed as a
thick rim portion 18a, and that the front and back surfaces in a
region within the rim portion 18a are provided with appropriate
anti-slip means, such as by emboss processing.
[0056] The bag container 30 of the present second embodiment having
the above-described structure not only achieves the same effects as
those of the bag container 10 of the foregoing first embodiment,
but also allows the operation of holding and pulling upward the
opening tab piece 17 provided on the spout-forming portion 13 and
thereby opening and forming a spout to be performed in a stable
state with the bottom portion 14 being pressed against the
surface-to-be-placed.
[0057] More specifically, in the present second embodiment, the
spout-forming portion 13 has a central axis X that is perpendicular
or substantially perpendicular to the placing surface P1 formed by
the bottom portion 14, and is provided projecting upward. Further,
the opening tab piece 17 is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion
16, projecting on one side, with respect to the central axis X of
the spout-forming portion 13, in the diametral direction along the
parting line 21 of the mold for molding (i.e., in the direction of
the side edge of the front portion 12A or the back portion 12B).
Furthermore, the holding tab piece 18 is provided projecting
upward, while being spaced apart from the spout-forming portion 13,
on the shoulder 19 of the body portion 12 adjacent to the
spout-forming portion 13 on the side toward which the opening tab
piece 17 projects. Accordingly, at the time of holding the opening
tab piece 17 by placing a finger in engagement with the engagement
hole 24 and pulling up the opening tab piece 17 being held while,
for example, the bag container 10 is placed in an upright state on
the surface-to-be-placed, it becomes possible to easily produce a
momental force of a considerable magnitude that opposes the
momental force caused by the pulling-up load exerted by utilizing,
as a fulcrum, the end 15a of the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on
the opposite side, with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13, from the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects, simply by holding the
holding tab piece 18--which is located at a distance equal to or
more than a distance from the fulcrum end 15a to the point of
action of the pulling-up load on the opening tab piece 17 (i.e.,
the distance between 15a and 24z)--and pressing the bottom portion
14 of the bag container 10 against the surface-to-be-placed. This
allows the easy-to-tear portion 15 to be torn in a stable state
while effectively opposing the momental force produced upon pulling
up the opening tab piece 17, thus allowing the bag container 30
enclosing the contents to be opened even more easily.
[0058] Further, in the present second embodiment, the holding tab
piece 18 is provided in such a manner that its center line C is
arranged parallel to or substantially parallel to the central axis
X of the spout-forming portion 13. Such a structure allows the
force for pressing the bottom portion 14 of the bag container 30
against the surface-to-be-placed, which is exerted by holding the
holding tab piece 18, to be transmitted to the surface-to-be-placed
more easily. Thus, it becomes possible to oppose the momental force
produced upon pulling up the opening tab piece 17 more effectively,
thus allowing the easy-to-tear portion 15 to be torn in an even
stabler state.
[0059] Note that the present invention is not limited to the
foregoing embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For
example, the opening tab portion does not necessarily have to have
a substantially oval shape, and may have various other shapes, such
as a substantially circular shape, a substantially elliptical
shape, or a substantially rectangular shape. Further, the section
having the circumferential edge portion with which the ball of a
finger engages does not have to be an engagement hole provided
passing from front to rear through the opening tab portion, and may
also be, for example, an engagement depression that does not pass
through the opening tab portion but is instead provided by forming
the opening tab portion to have a considerable thickness.
Furthermore, other than liquid agents such as shampoos and body
wash, the contents enclosed in the bag container may be various
other matters having flowability, such as gel-like matters,
granular matters, and powdery matters.
[0060] Further, the opening tab portion and the holding tab portion
do not necessarily have to be provided within a plane along the
parting line of the mold for molding, and may deviate from the
plane along the parting line to an extent that allows the effect of
the present invention to be achieved. In other words, it will
suffice if the opening tab portion and the holding tab portion are
provided on one side, with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13, toward the side surface of the body
portion 12. Herein, the "side surface of the body portion 12"
refers to the surface of the body portion that is visible when the
container is viewed from the side in cases where the container has
a flat shape that is broad when viewed from the front or the rear
and narrow when viewed from the side (as with the container of the
present embodiment), and refers to any surface of the body portion
in cases where the container is, for example, a cylindrical
container and does not have a flat shape.
[0061] Further, the shape of the engagement hole or the engagement
depression with which the ball of a finger engages while being
oriented toward the circumferential direction centering about an
end of the easy-to-tear portion does not necessarily have to be
elliptical, as long as its minor-axis direction is provided along
the circumferential direction centering about the end of the
easy-to-tear portion. Furthermore, as regards the shape of the
engagement hole or the engagement depression, what is important is
the shape of the section on the side (the side of 24z in FIG. 3),
with respect to an axis passing through the end of the easy-to-tear
portion (i.e., the major axis), that is pulled up when pulling up
the tab portion, and the shape on the opposite side, with respect
to this axis, from the pulled-up side of the tab portion is not
important. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e), it is
possible to adopt various other shapes--such as a substantially
half-finger-like shape (see FIG. 4(a)), a teardrop shape (see FIG.
4(b)) or a lemon shape (see FIG. 4(c)) in which a portion of the
above-described elliptical shape is made linear, a semicircular
shape in which the upper half of the above-described elliptical
shape is changed to a straight line that coincides with the Y
direction (see FIG. 4(d)), or an oval-like shape in which a portion
of each of the upper and lower sections of the above-described
elliptical shape is changed to a straight line substantially
parallel to the Y direction (see FIG. 4(e))--in which the section
on the pulled-up side of the tab portion with respect to the major
axis passing through the end of the easy-to-tear portion
substantially matches the contour of the ball of a finger and in
which the finger is guided in such a manner that the ball of the
finger engages with the circumferential edge portion of the
engagement hole or the engagement depression while the contour of
the ball of the finger being oriented toward a substantially
circumferential direction centering about the end of the
easy-to-tear portion. That is, it will suffice if the shape can
guide the finger in such a manner that the ball of the finger
engages with the circumferential edge portion of the engagement
hole or the engagement depression while being oriented toward the
circumferential direction L. In cases where the shape of the
engagement hole or the engagement depression is a perfect circle,
it is difficult to efficiently transmit the pulling-up force as the
tearing force because, as described above, it is difficult to
determine the optimum direction for applying the tearing force and
it is likely that the tab portion is pulled directly upward.
However, the engagement hole or the engagement depression may be
substantially circular, as long as the problem to be solved by the
present invention can be solved. Furthermore, other than liquid
agents such as shampoos and body wash, the contents enclosed in the
bag container may be various other matters having flowability, such
as gel-like matters, granular matters, and powdery matters.
[0062] Further, the bag container of the present invention does not
have to be a self-standing bag.
[0063] Moreover, the opening tab portion does not necessarily have
to be a ring-like tab piece having an engagement hole, and for
example, it may be a plate-like tab portion having anti-slip
depressions and/or projections on its front and back surfaces.
Other than having a plate-like shape, the opening tab portion and
the holding tab portion may be a projection-like or rod-like
tab.
[0064] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate a bag container 40 according
to a preferred third embodiment of the present invention. Other
than having a structure substantially similar to that of the bag
container 10 of the foregoing first embodiment, the bag container
40 of the present third embodiment has a structure in which the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 is provided with a flat-shaped dome
portion 41 having a cavity inside and being adjacent to the
easy-to-tear portion 15.
[0065] Further, an opening tab piece 17, serving as an opening tab
portion, is provided on the to-be-torn-off portion 16 projecting on
one side of the spout-forming portion 13 (in the present third
embodiment, on the right-hand side toward the side surface of the
body portion 12 with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13 of FIG. 2) and is provided in a connected
manner to a top surface 41a and an outer circumference portion 41b
of the dome portion 41. The opening tab piece 17 is provided
integrally with the top surface 41a and the outer circumference
portion 41b of the dome portion 41. A portion (the lower portion)
of the opening tab piece 17 is provided extending across the
easy-to-tear portion 15 toward the base portion 20 of the
spout-forming portion 13, but is continuous only to the
to-be-torn-off portion 16.
[0066] The opening tab piece 17 is integrally molded with the dome
portion 41 and the to-be-torn-off portion 16 when molding the bag
container 40. Further, the opening tab piece 17 of the present
embodiment is formed into a flat plate-like shape having a surface
substantially orthogonal to the plane P2 parallel to the placing
surface P1, and is provided within the plane along the parting line
21 of the mold for molding. Herein, the "plane along the parting
line 21" is a virtual plane including the parting line 21.
[0067] The dome portion 41 forms a part of the to-be-torn-off
portion 16, and is provided in a connected manner above the base
portion 20 via the easy-to-tear portion 15. As illustrated in FIG.
7, the height T of the dome portion 41 in the projecting direction
of the spout-forming portion 13 is smaller than the width W1 or W2
(see FIG. 8(a)) of the dome portion 41 in a direction orthogonal to
the projecting direction, and thus the dome portion 41 is formed
having a flat shape.
[0068] The top surface 41a of the dome portion 41 is formed
substantially flat. More specifically, it is formed having a curved
surface that slightly rises upward at its central portion.
[0069] Further, the opening tab piece 17 is provided integrally on
the upper face of the top surface 41a, extending in the direction
along the parting line 21 of the mold for molding (i.e., in the
direction of the side edge of the front portion 12A or the back
portion 12B).
[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 8(a), the dome portion 41 in the
present third embodiment has a substantially circular plan shape,
but the width W2 in the direction toward which the opening tab
piece 17 extends is slightly larger than the width W1 in a
direction orthogonal thereto.
[0071] It is preferable that the height T of the dome portion 41 in
the projecting direction of the spout-forming portion 13 is 20% to
80%, and more preferably 25% to 50%, of the minimum width of the
dome portion 41 in the direction orthogonal to the projecting
direction (the width W1 in the present third embodiment).
[0072] The "minimum width in the direction orthogonal to the
projecting direction" is the smaller of the width W2 in the
direction toward which the opening tab piece 17 extends and the
width W1 in the direction orthogonal thereto. Further, it is
preferable that the width W2 in the direction toward which the
opening tab piece 17 extends is 100% to 150%, and more preferably
110% to 130%, of the width W1 in the direction orthogonal
thereto.
[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 8(b), within a cross section taken
along a plane orthogonal to the central axis X of the spout-forming
portion 13--i.e., a cross section taken along a plane orthogonal to
the height direction of the dome portion 41--, both the inner and
outer surfaces of the dome portion 41 are substantially circular
and are similar to each other. The interior of the dome portion 41
is formed having a flat cavity which has substantially the same
shape as the outer shape of the dome portion 41. The cavity of the
dome portion 41 is in communication with a cavity inside the base
portion of the spout-forming portion 13 via a small-diameter
section surrounded by the easy-to-tear portion 15.
[0074] The to-be-torn-off portion 16 having the dome portion 41 is
arranged so as to cover the upper-end opening (spout) of the base
portion 20, closing off the spout. The to-be-torn-off portion 16
having the dome portion 41, the base portion 20, and the
easy-to-tear portion 15 are molded integrally.
[0075] The opening tab piece 17 is a portion functioning as an
opening tab portion for tearing open the easy-to-tear portion 15.
In the present embodiment, the opening tab piece 17 has a flat
plate-like shape, and has a joint base-end portion 22 that forms a
portion joined and connected to the dome portion 41, and an
overhanging engagement portion 23 that is provided projecting from
the joint base-end portion 22 on one side of the spout-forming
portion 13. The overhanging engagement portion 23 has a
substantially oval shape whose portion overlapping with the
spout-forming portion 13 has been cut away. In other words, as
described above, a portion (the lower portion) of the opening tab
piece 17 is provided extending across the easy-to-tear portion 15
toward the base portion 20 of the spout-forming portion 13, but the
opening tab piece 17 is continuous only to the to-be-torn-off
portion 16.
[0076] The joint base-end portion 22 is a portion that is provided
in a connected manner along the outer surface of the dome portion
41, and a portion thereof that is continuous with the upper face of
the top surface 41a of the dome portion 41 constitutes a connection
base portion 22a having a cavity portion 22b. The connection base
portion is a root portion where the joint base-end portion 22 is
continuous with the upper face of the top surface 41a, and as
illustrated in FIG. 7, the width B1 of the outer circumference
portion of the connection base portion is wider than the width B2
of the opening tab piece 17 when viewing the cross section thereof
(i.e., when viewing a cross section formed by cutting the container
along the direction of the above-described width W1 with a plane
that contains the central axis X of the spout-forming portion). The
difference between the width B2 of the opening tab piece 17 and the
width B1 of the outer circumference portion of the connection base
portion 22a can be set as appropriate. In the present third
embodiment, the difference B1-B2 is set to 1 to 2 mm. Further, in
the present third embodiment, B1 is set to 2 to 3 mm.
[0077] Providing the connection base portion 22a having the cavity
portion 22b in a section of the joint base-end portion 22 that is
continuous with the upper surface of the dome portion 41
effectively reinforces the section provided in a connected manner
to the dome portion 41 without making the connection base portion
22a thick. This allows the pulling-up load exerted upon pulling up
the opening tab piece 17 to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 to be
efficiently transmitted, as a compressive load, to a portion of the
dome portion 41 located on the opposite side, with respect to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, from the side
toward which the overhanging engagement portion 23 projects. As a
result, tearing can be initiated from the end 15b of the
easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects, while utilizing as a
fulcrum the end 15a of the easy-to-tear portion 15 located on the
opposite side, with respect to the central axis X of the
spout-forming portion 13, from the side toward which the
overhanging engagement portion 23 projects, thus making it possible
to tear the easy-to-tear portion 15 more smoothly.
[0078] The reason why providing the connection base portion 22a
having the cavity portion 22b in a section of the joint base-end
portion 22 that is continuous with the upper surface of the dome
portion 41 makes it possible to effectively reinforce the section
provided in a connected manner to the dome portion 41, without
increasing the thickness (equal to B1 described above) of the
connection base portion 22a, is because the above-described section
is substantially U-shaped when viewing the cross section of the
connection base portion 22a as illustrated in FIG. 7, and is thus
provided with a high-strength structure (similar to the structure
of a C-channel steel materials). Furthermore, providing the cavity
portion 22b can also achieve the effect of providing good
moldability using a mold, such as allowing the molding cycle to be
relatively shortened.
[0079] Further, assuming that the average wall thickness of the
dome portion 41 is 1, the average wall thickness of the connection
base portion 22a is around 0.8 to 2.
[0080] Since the connection base portion 22a does not have to be
made too thick, it therefore becomes possible to achieve the effect
of providing good moldability using a mold, such as allowing the
molding cycle to be relatively shortened. The "wall thickness" of
the connection base portion 22a and the dome portion 41 refers to a
thickness of a wall that separates the cavity portion 22b or the
cavity inside the dome portion 41 from the outside of the bag
container 40.
[0081] In a cross section taken along a plane orthogonal to the
central axis X of the spout-forming portion 13, the cavity portion
22b in the bag container 40 of the present third embodiment has a
larger dimension in the direction along the parting line 21 than
the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the parting line
21.
[0082] The cavity portion 22b or the cavity inside the dome portion
41 can be formed by appropriately designing the form of the mold
cavity, and during the container-molding process, sandwiching a
cylindrical parison with a pair of the molds and blowing the
same.
[0083] The overhanging engagement portion 23 is a portion provided
to project from the joint base-end portion 22 in such a manner as
to overhang the upper area of the shoulder 19 of the container body
11, and its circumferential edge is formed as a thick rim portion
23a. Further, the overhanging engagement portion 23 has an
elliptical engagement hole 24 opened in a portion on the tip-end
side of the overhang, the circumferential edge of the opening of
the engagement hole 24 being rimmed by a thick rim portion 24a.
[0084] Note that in cases where the bag container 40 is to be
manufactured through blow molding, the hollow dome portion 41 is
also a portion necessary for forming the spout 13a.
[0085] The bag container 40 of the present third embodiment allows
the operation of holding with the hand and pulling upward the
opening tab piece 17 provided on the spout-forming portion 13 and
thereby opening and forming a spout to be performed smoothly.
[0086] More specifically, according to the present third
embodiment, the to-be-torn-off portion 16 is provided with a
flat-shaped dome portion 41 having a cavity inside, and an opening
tab piece 17 serving as an opening tab portion is provided in the
above-described manner. Such a configuration, for example, makes
the dome portion 41 less prone to deform compared to a
non-flat-shaped dome portion at the time of performing the
operation of tearing the easy-to-tear portion 15 to form an opening
by placing a finger in engagement with the engagement hole 24 and
pulling up the opening tab piece 17. This prevents stretching of
the dome portion 41 etc., thus allowing the easy-to-tear portion 15
to be torn easily and smoothly.
[0087] Further, according to the present third embodiment, liquid
is less prone to accumulate inside the flat-shaped dome portion 41
of the to-be-torn-off portion 16. Accordingly, in cases where the
bag container 40 is to be used as a refill container for example,
it is possible to prevent the contents from accumulating inside the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 of the spout-forming portion during the
period from when the contents are filled into the container until a
consumer purchases the container and tears the easy-to-tear portion
of the spout. Thus, it becomes possible to prevent problems, such
as scattering of the contents that have accumulated inside the
to-be-torn-off portion 16 onto the surroundings upon tearing the
easy-to-tear portion and opening the spout.
[0088] Furthermore, providing the connection base portion 22a
having the cavity portion 22b in a section of the joint base-end
portion 22 that is continuous with the upper surface of the dome
portion 41 allows the section provided in a connected manner to the
dome portion 41 to be reinforced effectively, without increasing
the thickness (equal to B1 described above) of the connection base
portion 22a.
[0089] The foregoing described the third embodiment of the present
invention. The present invention, however, is not limited to the
foregoing third embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For
example, instead of the substantially circular shape, the shape of
the dome portion as viewed from above can be a square, a rectangle,
or a rhombus, each having rounded corners. Further, the connection
base portion 22a having the cavity portion 22b as illustrated in
FIG. 7 may be formed by pressurizing and squashing a part of the
hollow dome portion 41 from both sides such that a space is left
inside.
[0090] Further, the top surface 41a of the dome portion 41 does not
necessarily have to be formed having a curved surface that slightly
rises upward at its central portion, and may instead be flat.
[0091] Furthermore, the opening tab portion may be provided in a
state where it is connected only to the top surface of the dome
portion.
[0092] The difference B1-B2 between the width B2 of the opening tab
piece 17 and the width B1 of the outer circumference portion of the
connection base portion 22a may be zero.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0093] According to the bag container of the present invention,
upon placing the ball of a finger in engagement with the engagement
hole or the engagement depression provided in the tab portion of
the spout-forming portion and pulling the tab portion upward, the
pulling-up force can be transmitted efficiently as a force for
tearing the easy-to-tear portion and thereby the operation of
opening and forming a spout can be performed easily and
smoothly.
[0094] Further, by providing the holding tab portion on the
shoulder of the body portion on the side toward which the opening
tab portion projects, the operation of holding and pulling upward
the tab portion provided on the spout-forming portion and thereby
opening and forming a spout can be performed in a stable state with
the bottom portion being pressed against the
surface-to-be-placed.
[0095] Furthermore, by forming the flat-shaped dome portion having
the cavity inside on the to-be-torn-off portion, providing the
opening tab portion in a connected manner to the top surface of the
dome portion, and forming the portion of the opening tab portion
that is provided in a connected manner to the dome portion as the
connection base portion having a cavity portion, it becomes
possible to prevent stretching of the to-be-torn-off portion etc.
upon tearing, such as by ripping away or tearing away, the
easy-to-tear portion of the spout-forming portion to form an
opening, and to thus facilitate the tearing operation for forming
the opening. Further, contents, such as liquid, are less prone to
accumulate inside the to-be-torn-off portion.
[0096] Moreover, the bag container of the present invention
provides good moldability using a mold, allowing the molding cycle
to be relatively shortened, for example.
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