U.S. patent application number 13/001737 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-07 for package.
This patent application is currently assigned to UNI-CHARM CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Eisuke Takeda, Takahiro Ueda.
Application Number | 20110163100 13/001737 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41465996 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110163100 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ueda; Takahiro ; et
al. |
July 7, 2011 |
PACKAGE
Abstract
It is an object of the invention to provide a technique which
can prevent the occurrence of a wrinkle or bend in a lid which
opens and closes an opening of a package. A body of a package has
an opening through which wet tissues are taken out. A lid of the
package has an opening-closing portion formed by a laminated
portion of a first sheet and a second sheet, and a proximal portion
formed by a portion of the second sheet which protrudes from the
first sheet. A corner of the proximal portion of the lid on the
side opposite to the opening-closing portion is rounded. The corner
may be chamfered.
Inventors: |
Ueda; Takahiro; (Kagawa-ken,
JP) ; Takeda; Eisuke; (Kagawa-ken, JP) |
Assignee: |
UNI-CHARM CORPORATION
Ehime-ken
JP
|
Family ID: |
41465996 |
Appl. No.: |
13/001737 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
June 30, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2009/061988 |
371 Date: |
March 17, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/359.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5838 20130101;
B65D 2575/586 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/359.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/00 20060101
B65D043/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 2, 2008 |
JP |
2008-174010 |
Claims
1. A package comprising a body and a lid, the body having an
article storage space in which an article is stored and an opening
through which the article is taken out of the article storage
space, the lid having an opening-closing portion that covers the
opening of the body and a proximal portion that extends from the
opening-closing portion, and the lid being bonded to a top of the
body by an adhesive applied to one side of the lid such that the
opening-closing portion can be peeled off, wherein: the
opening-closing portion of the lid is formed by a laminated portion
of a first sheet and a second sheet which is larger than the first
sheet, and the proximal portion of the lid is formed by a portion
of the second sheet which protrudes from the first sheet, so that
one side of the lid comprises a side of the first sheet forming the
opening-closing portion which faces away from the second sheet and
a side of the second sheet forming the proximal portion which faces
the first sheet, and a corner of the proximal portion of the lid on
the side opposite to the opening-closing portion is rounded.
2. A package comprising a body and a lid, the body having an
article storage space in which an article is stored and an opening
through which the article is taken out of the article storage
space, the lid having an opening-closing portion that covers the
opening of the body and a proximal portion that extends from the
opening-closing portion, and the lid being bonded to a top of the
body by an adhesive applied to one side of the lid such that the
opening-closing portion can be peeled off, wherein: the
opening-closing portion of the lid is formed by a laminated portion
of a first sheet and a second sheet which is larger than the first
sheet, and the proximal portion of the lid is formed by a portion
of the second sheet which protrudes from the first sheet, so that
one side of the lid comprises a side of the first sheet forming the
opening-closing portion which faces away from the second sheet and
a side of the second sheet forming the proximal portion which faces
the first sheet, and a corner of the proximal portion of the lid on
the side opposite to the opening-closing portion is chamfered.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a package for storing an
article for dispensation and more particularly, to a package
manufactured with improved workability.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Various kinds of wet tissues are available which are formed
by a sheet-type fibrous material, such as tissue paper and nonwoven
fabric, and impregnated with liquid such as chemicals, skin lotion
and alcohol. Generally, such wet tissues are stored in a package
formed of a flexible material. The package includes a body having a
wet-tissue storage space in which an article is stored and an
opening through which the article is taken out of the article
storage space, and a lid for opening and closing the opening of the
body. The lid is bonded to a top of the body by an adhesive such
that it can be repeatedly peeled off. Japanese non-examined
laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-268783 discloses a package
having a lid which includes a body portion in which a first sheet
and a second sheet are stacked and an extended portion in which
only the second sheet is extended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In the lid of the known package, only the second sheet
forming the extended portion is extended from the body portion in
which the first and second sheets are stacked. During manufacturing
such a package, a wrinkle may occur in the second sheet of the
lid.
[0006] It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a
technique for manufacturing a package with improved
workability.
[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a package is
provided with a body and a lid. The body of the package has an
article storage space in which an article is stored and an opening
through which the article is taken out of the article storage
space. The body of the package is formed, for example, of a
laminate film, or typically a heat-sealing film. The article to be
stored in the body of the package includes a wet tissue formed by
impregnating a sheet-type base material made of a fibrous material
with liquid.
[0008] The lid of the body has an opening-closing portion that
covers the opening of the body and a proximal portion that extends
from the opening-closing portion. The opening-closing portion of
the lid has a larger area than the opening of the body. The lid is
formed by stacking a second sheet which is larger than a first
sheet, on top of the first sheet. The opening-closing portion of
the lid is formed by a laminated portion of the first and second
sheets, and the proximal portion of the lid is formed by a portion
of the second sheet which protrudes from the first sheet. The
second sheet preferably has a lower flexural rigidity than the
first sheet. The lid is bonded to a top of the body by an adhesive
applied to one side of the lid. One side of the lid comprises a
side of the first sheet forming the opening-closing portion which
faces away from the second sheet and a side of the second sheet
forming the proximal portion which faces the first sheet. At this
time, preferably, the proximal portion is bonded to an area in
which the opening is not formed, and the opening-closing portion is
bonded in a position in which it covers the opening. Further,
typically, the second sheet is bonded to the first sheet and to the
top of the body of the package by a second adhesive which is
applied to one side of the second sheet. The first sheet is bonded
to the top of the body of the package by a first adhesive which is
applied to a side of the first sheet which faces away from the
second sheet (one side of the first sheet). In this case, an
adhesive having a higher adhesive strength than the first adhesive
is preferably used as the second adhesive.
[0009] In a construction in which the opening-closing portion of
the lid is formed by a laminated portion of the first and second
sheets, and the proximal portion of the lid is formed by a portion
of the second sheet which protrudes from the first sheet, a corner
of the proximal portion on the side opposite to the opening-closing
portion has a lower rigidity. Particularly, a corner having a
pointed shape (such as a square shape) has a much lower rigidity.
As a result, the corner may warp or bend by a force acting upon the
corner of the proximal portion during manufacturing of the package.
If the lid having such a warp or bend in the corner of the proximal
portion is bonded to the top of the body, a wrinkle will occur in
the second sheet of the lid.
[0010] In this invention, in order to prevent the occurrence of a
wrinkle in the second sheet of the lid, the corner of the proximal
portion of the lid on the side opposite to the opening-closing
portion is rounded. By thus shaping the corner of the proximal
portion, the rigidity of the corner can be made higher, so that the
corner can be prevented from warping or bending by the force acting
upon the proximal portion. The radius of curvature of the corner of
the proximal portion is set to an appropriate value according to
the length and the width of the proximal portion, the thickness of
the first sheet forming the opening-closing portion, or other
similar factors, such that the occurrence of a wrinkle in the
second sheet of the lid can be prevented. Preferably, the radius of
curvature of the corner is set to 1.5 mm at the minimum. The
maximum radius of curvature of the corner of the proximal portion
is determined according to the length or strength of the proximal
portion or other similar factors.
[0011] In this invention, the thickness of the lid of the package
changes at a boundary between the opening-closing portion and the
proximal portion. Thus, when the opening-closing portion of the lid
is peeled off the top of the body and turned over toward the
proximal portion, the boundary between the opening-closing portion
and the proximal portion functions as a hinge. Therefore, when the
opening-closing portion of the lid is turned over toward the
proximal portion, the proximal portion of the lid can be prevented
from being peeled off together with the opening-closing portion.
Further, when the opening-closing portion of the lid is turned over
toward the proximal portion, the opening-closing portion is held
tilted toward the proximal portion under its own weight. As a
result, the user can perform the opening or closing operation of
the opening-closing portion of the lid and the operation of taking
out the article by one hand. Further, due to the rounded shape of
the corner of the proximal portion of the lid on the side opposite
to the opening-closing portion, the rigidity of the corner becomes
higher, so that the corner can be prevented from warping or bending
by the force acting upon the corner. As a result, the occurrence of
a wrinkle in the second sheet (the proximal portion) of the lid can
be prevented, so that a package can be manufactured with improved
workability.
[0012] In another aspect of the invention, in order to prevent the
occurrence of a wrinkle in the second sheet of the lid, the corner
of the proximal portion of the lid on the side opposite to the
opening-closing portion is chamfered by cutting off a tip end
portion of a square (for example, right-angled) corner in a
predetermined chamfering dimension at a predetermined chamfering
angle. The chamfering angle is an angle of a cutting face with
respect to one of the edges which form the corner, and the
chamfering dimension is a distance between a cutting point and the
tip end of the corner. By chamfering the corner of the proximal
portion, the rigidity of the corner becomes higher, so that the
proximal portion can be prevented from warping or bending by the
force acting upon the proximal portion. For chamfering the corner
of the proximal portion, the chamfering angle and the chamfering
dimension are set to appropriate values according to the length and
the width of the proximal portion, the thickness of the first sheet
forming the opening-closing portion, or other similar factors, such
that the rigidity of the proximal portion of the lid can be made
higher and thus the occurrence of a wrinkle in the second sheet of
the lid can be prevented. Preferably, the chamfering angle is set
to 45 degrees (or about 45 degrees) and the chamfering dimension is
set to 1.5 mm at the minimum. The maximum chamfering dimension is
determined according to the length or strength of the proximal
portion or other similar factors.
[0013] In this invention, like in the first aspect of the
invention, the boundary between the opening-closing portion and the
proximal portion functions as a hinge. Therefore, when the
opening-closing portion of the lid is turned over toward the
proximal portion, the proximal portion of the lid can be prevented
from being peeled off together with the opening-closing portion.
Further, the opening-closing portion is held tilted toward the
proximal portion, so that the user can perform the opening or
closing operation of the opening-closing portion of the lid and the
operation of taking out the article by one hand. Further, due to
the chamfered corner of the proximal portion of the lid on the side
opposite to the opening-closing portion, the rigidity of the corner
becomes higher, so that the corner can be prevented from warping or
bending by the force acting upon the corner. As a result, the
occurrence of a wrinkle in the second sheet of the lid can be
prevented, so that a package can be manufactured with improved
workability.
[0014] According to this invention, the proximal portion of the lid
can be prevented from being peeled off the top of the body, and the
opening or closing operation of the opening-closing portion of the
lid and the operation of taking out the article can be performed by
one hand of the user. Further, the occurrence of a wrinkle in the
second sheet of the lid can be prevented, so that the workability
can be improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a package according to
an embodiment of the present invention, with an opening closed.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.
1.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the package according
to the embodiment of the present invention, with an opening
opened.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.
3.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a view for illustrating a problem of a lid of a
package in which a proximal portion has a square corner.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a view for illustrating a problem of a lid of a
package in which a proximal portion has a square corner.
[0021] FIG. 7 shows a lid of the package according to the
embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 8 shows a lid of the package according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] A package 100 for storing wet tissues 130 for dispensation
is now explained as a representative embodiment of the present
invention.
[0024] Wet tissues 130 mean a sheet-type base material made of a
fibrous material (cf. nonwoven fabric, gauze, cotton sheet, tissue
paper) and impregnated with liquid (cf. alcohol, antiseptic
solution, skin lotion). The wet tissues 130 are features that
correspond to the "article" according to this invention.
[0025] The construction of the package 100 of this embodiment is
explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a perspective
view showing the package 100 with an opening 112 closed, and FIG. 2
is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a
perspective view showing the package 100 with the opening 112
opened, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in
FIG. 3.
[0026] The package 100 includes a body 110 and a lid 120. The body
110 and the lid 120 are features that correspond to the "body of
the package" and the "lid of the package", respectively, according
to this invention.
[0027] The body 110 of the package 100 is formed by an upper wall
110a and a bottom wall 110b and has a wet-tissue storage space 110H
in which the wet tissues 130 are stored. Further, the body 110 of
the package 100 has the opening 112 which is formed in the upper
wall 110a such that the wet tissues 130 can be taken out of the
wet-tissue storage space 110H through the opening. Here, the side
of the body in which the opening 112 is formed is referred to as
the "upper wall". The wet-tissue storage space 110H and the opening
112 are features that correspond to the "article storage space" and
the "opening of the body of the package through which the article
is taken out of the article storage space", respectively, according
to this invention.
[0028] The wet tissues 130 are stored in the wet-tissue storage
space 110H in such a manner as to be taken out one by one through
the opening 112. Preferably, the wet tissues 130 are stored such
that, when a first wet tissue 130 is taken out through the opening
112, an underlying second wet tissue 130 is partially exposed
outward through the opening 112. For example, the wet tissues 130
are individually folded in two and stacked one on the other in such
orientation that a folding direction of the wet tissues 130 is
alternately reversed. Then, an end of a lower half (in the
laminated state) of a wet tissue 130 is located below an end of an
upper half (in the laminated state) of an underlying wet tissue
130.
[0029] The body 110 of the package 100 is formed, for example, of a
film which can be fusion bonded by heating or heat-sealed (which
film is referred to as a "heat-sealing film"). Typically, the body
110 of the package 100 is formed by wrapping the wet tissues 130
with a heat-sealing film, pressing and heating a longitudinal
sealing part (not shown) and lateral sealing parts 111a, 111b in
which the heat-sealing film edges are overlapped with each other,
so that the heat-sealing film edges are bonded at the longitudinal
sealing part and the lateral sealing parts 111a, 111b. The
longitudinal sealing part is formed on the underside of the body
110 along the direction in which the heat-sealing film is fed
during manufacturing of the package 100. The lateral sealing parts
111a, 111b are formed on front and rear ends or opposite ends of
the heat-sealing film in the direction in which the heat-sealing
film is fed during manufacturing of the package 100, and extend
along a direction perpendicular to the feed direction.
[0030] Various kinds of films which can be fusion bonded by heating
or heat-sealed can be used as the heat-sealing film for forming the
body 110 of the package 100. In this embodiment, in which the
heat-sealing film is used for packing the wet tissues 130, it is
preferable to use one that can hold the wet tissues 130 in wet
condition (or prevent drying). For example, a laminate film is used
which includes a protective layer made of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) resin, a moisture keeping layer (drying
prevention layer) made of aluminum, and a heat-sealing layer made
of biaxial oriented polypropylene resin. In order to form the body
110 by using such a heat-sealing film, edges of the heat-sealing
film are laid one on top of the other such that portions of the
heat-sealing layer (biaxial oriented polypropylene resin layer)
which are located at the longitudinal and lateral sealing parts are
opposed to each other. Thus, when the longitudinal and lateral
sealing parts are heated, the opposed upper and lower portions of
the heat-sealing layer (biaxial oriented polypropylene resin layer)
are melted and bonded together at the sealing parts. The protective
layer may be omitted. Further, the moisture keeping layer (drying
prevention layer) is not limited to an aluminum layer, but includes
any layers which can hold the wet tissues 130 in wet condition
within the wet-tissue storage space 110H. The heat-sealing layer is
not limited to a biaxial oriented polypropylene resin layer, but
includes any layers which can be heat-sealed.
[0031] In this embodiment, the heat-sealing film which forms the
body 110 has perforations along an opening edge 112a in a portion
corresponding to the upper wall 110a of the body 110. An opening
formation part 110A of the heat-sealing film which is bordered by
the perforations (the opening edge 112a) is peeled off the body 110
when an opening-closing portion 120B of the lid 120 bonded to the
top of the body 110 is peeled off the body 110 for the first time,
which will be described below in further detail. Thus, the opening
112 is formed in the upper wall 110a of the body 110 by peeling off
the opening formation part 110A from the body 110.
[0032] The opening 112 (the opening edge 112a) can have various
shapes which allow the wet tissues 130 to be taken out of the
wet-tissue storage space 110H, such as an elliptical shape having
major and minor axes, a circular shape and a rectangular shape. In
this embodiment, the opening 112 (the opening edge 112a) having an
elliptical shape is formed in the body 110. The elliptical shape of
the opening 112 is formed such that the major axis runs in the
longitudinal direction of the body 110 (in the direction in which
the longitudinal sealing part extends) and the minor axis runs in a
direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body
110 (in the direction in which the lateral sealing parts
extend).
[0033] Further, a heat-sealing film having the opening 112 formed
in advance may also be used to form the body 110.
[0034] The lid 120 of the package 100 includes the opening-closing
portion 120B, a proximal portion 120A extending from one end of the
opening-closing portion 120B, and a tab portion (tip) 120C
extending from the other end of the opening-closing portion 120B
(which faces away from the proximal portion 120A). The
opening-closing portion 120B has a larger area than the opening 112
of the body 110. The lid 120 is bonded to the top of the upper wall
110a of the body 110 by an adhesive which is applied to one side of
the lid. At this time, the proximal portion 120A is bonded to a
portion of the upper wall in which the opening 112 is not formed,
and the opening-closing portion 120B is bonded in a position in
which it covers the opening 112. The tab portion 120C is used as a
tab for opening and closing the opening-closing portion 120B.
Therefore, preferably, an adhesive is not applied to the tab
portion 120C. It is suitable to use an adhesive which can bond at
least the opening-closing portion 120B to the top of the upper wall
110a of the body 110 such that the opening-closing portion 120B can
be repeatedly peeled off. For example, a pressure sensitive
adhesive is used.
[0035] In order to take out a wet tissue 130 from the wet-tissue
storage space 110H, the tab portion 120C of the lid 120 is picked
up and the opening-closing portion 120B is peeled off the top of
the upper wall 110a of the body 110. Then the opening-closing
portion 120B is turned over toward the proximal portion 120A in
order to open the opening 112. In this state, when the tab portion
120c is released, the wet tissues 130 cannot be taken out if the
opening-closing portion 120B tilts toward the top of the upper wall
110a of the body 110 by the resiliency of the lid 120. In this
case, it is difficult to perform the opening or closing operation
of the opening-closing portion 120B and the operation of taking out
the wet tissues 130 by one hand.
[0036] In this embodiment, in order to make it possible to take out
the wet tissues 130 from the package 100 by one hand, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 4, the lid 120 of the package 100 is formed by a first
sheet 121 and a second sheet 122 stacked one on the other. The
first sheet 121 has a shape corresponding to the opening-closing
portion 120B. The second sheet 122 is larger than the first sheet
121 and has a shape corresponding to the proximal portion 120A, the
opening-closing portion 120B and the tab portion 120C.
[0037] The first sheet 121 is formed, for example, by a sheet or
synthetic paper made of polypropylene (PP) resin or polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) resin. The first sheet 121 is formed in the
thickness of 50 to 100 .mu.m, or preferably in the thickness of 70
.mu.m. The second sheet 122 is formed, for example, by a sheet made
of polypropylene (PP) resin or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
resin. The second sheet 122 is formed in the thickness of 10 to 20
.mu.m, or preferably in the thickness of 20 .mu.m. Specifically,
the second sheet 122 has a thickness smaller than that of the first
sheet 121. Therefore, the flexural rigidity of the second sheet 122
is lower than that of the first sheet 121. The way of making the
flexural rigidity of the second sheet 122 lower than that of the
first sheet 121 is not limited to the way in which a difference is
made between the first and second sheets in thickness, but, for
this purpose, the first and second sheets may be made different in
materials.
[0038] A first adhesive 123 is applied to one side of the first
sheet 121, and a second adhesive 124 is applied to one side of the
second sheet 121. In this embodiment, the second adhesive 124 is
not applied to a portion corresponding to the tab portion 120C
which is used as a tab. As the first and second adhesives 123, 124,
for example, acrylic adhesives may be used.
[0039] The first and second sheets 121, 122 are bonded together by
the second adhesive 124, or in other words, stacked one on the
other. At this time, the other side of the first sheet 121 is
bonded to a portion of the one side of the second sheet 122 which
corresponds to the opening-closing portion 120B. As a result, the
opening-closing portion 120B of the lid 120 is formed by a
laminated portion of the first and second sheets 121, 122, the
proximal portion 120A is formed by a portion of the second sheet
122 which protrudes from one end of the first sheet 121, and the
tab portion 120C is formed by a portion of the second sheet 122
which protrudes from the other end of the first sheet 121.
Designated by 120D is a boundary between the opening-closing
portion 120B and the proximal portion 120A. The thickness of the
lid 120 changes at the boundary 120D. The lid 120 is bonded to the
top of the upper wall 110a of the body 110 by the first adhesive
123 which is applied to one side of the first sheet 121 forming the
opening-closing portion 120B and by the second adhesive 124 which
is applied to one side (on the same side as the one side of the
first sheet 121) of the second sheet 122 forming the proximal
portion 120A.
[0040] Under normal conditions, the opening-closing portion 120B is
bonded to the top of the upper wall 110a of the body 110 in order
to prevent the wet tissues 130 from drying. In order to take out
the wet tissues 130, the opening-closing portion 120B is peeled off
the top of the upper wall 110a of the body 110 so that the opening
112 is opened. Therefore, the second adhesive 124 is used which can
bond the opening-closing portion 120B to the top of the upper wall
110a of the body 110 such that the opening-closing portion 120B can
be repeatedly peeled off.
[0041] Here, if the adhesive strength of the second adhesive 124 is
the same as that of the first adhesive 123, the proximal portion
120A may also be peeled off the top of the upper wall 110a of the
body 110 when the opening-closing portion 120B is peeled off the
top of the upper wall 110a of the body 110 and turned over toward
the proximal portion 120A. Therefore, in this embodiment, an
adhesive having a higher adhesive strength than the first adhesive
123 is used as the second adhesive 124.
[0042] Operation of taking out the wet tissues 130 from the
wet-tissue storage space 110H through the opening 112 of the body
110 is now described.
[0043] In order for a user to take out a wet tissue 130 through the
opening 112, the tab portion (tip) 120C is picked and pulled up by
the fingers. For example, the tab portion 120C is pulled up above
the top of the upper wall 110a and toward the proximal portion
110A. Thus, the opening-closing portion 120B bonded to the top of
the upper wall 110a by the first adhesive 121 is peeled off the top
of the upper wall 110a beginning at the tab portion 120C and turned
over toward the proximal portion 120A. When the opening-closing
portion 120B is peeled off for the first time, the opening
formation part 110A which is bordered by the perforations formed
along the opening edge 112a is peeled off while being kept bonded
to the first sheet 121 by the first adhesive 123. Thus, the opening
112 is formed in the upper wall 110a of the body 110.
[0044] In this embodiment, the second adhesive 124 for bonding the
proximal portion 120A of the lid 120 to the body 110 has a higher
adhesive strength than the first adhesive 123 for bonding the
opening-closing portion 120B of the lid 120 to the body 110.
Therefore, when the opening-closing portion 120B is peeled off up
to the boundary 120D between the opening-closing portion 120B and
the proximal portion 120A, the user can recognize by increased
reaction force applied to the user's fingers that the
opening-closing portion 120B has been peeled off up to the boundary
120D.
[0045] Further, in this embodiment, the opening-closing portion
120B of the lid 120 is formed by the laminated portion of the first
and second sheets 121, 122, and the proximal portion 120A of the
lid 120 is formed by a portion of the second sheet 122 which
protrudes from the first sheet 121. Thus, the thickness of the lid
120 changes at the boundary 120D between the opening-closing
portion 120B and the proximal portion 120A. Therefore, when the
opening-closing portion 120B is peeled off up to the boundary 120D,
the boundary 120D functions as a hinge, so that the force of
peeling off the opening-closing portion 120B is absorbed as a force
of rotating the opening-closing portion 120B around the boundary
120D.
[0046] Further, in this embodiment, the second sheet 122 has a
lower flexural rigidity than the first sheet 121. Therefore, as
shown in FIG. 4, when the opening-closing portion 120B is peeled
off up to the boundary 120D, the opening-closing portion 120B is
held tilted toward the proximal portion 120A under its own weight.
In this state, even if the tab portion 120C is released, the
opening-closing portion 120B is prevented from tilting toward the
opening 112. Therefore, the user can perform the opening or closing
operation of the opening-closing portion 120B and the operation of
taking out the wet tissues 130 by one hand.
[0047] In order to prevent the wet tissues 130 from drying, when
the wet tissues 130 are not in use, the tab portion 120C is
returned to the opening 112 side and the opening-closing portion
120B is bonded to the top of the upper wall 110a of the body 110 by
the user.
[0048] As described above, the lid 120 of this embodiment includes
the opening-closing portion 120B formed by the laminated portion of
the first and second sheets 121, 122, and the proximal portion 120A
formed by a portion of the second sheet 122 which protrudes from
the first sheet 121. Therefore, when the lid 120 is formed by
arranging the second sheet 122 on top of the first sheet 121, the
first sheet 121 is not present under the portion of the second
sheet 122 which forms the proximal portion 120A (see FIG. 5). In
this case, the portion of the second sheet 122 which forms the
proximal portion 120A is acted upon by a force under its own
weight. This force becomes larger away from the boundary 120D
between the opening-closing portion 120B and the proximal portion
120A.
[0049] Further, in the package 100 of this embodiment, as described
above, the second sheet 122 forming the proximal portion 120A of
the lid 120 has a lower flexural rigidity than the first sheet 121
forming the opening-closing portion 120B. Therefore, the proximal
portion 120A has a lower flexural rigidity. Particularly, a corner
of the proximal portion 120A on the side opposite to the
opening-closing portion 120B (where an edge extending from the
boundary 120D and an edge on the side opposite to the
opening-closing portion 120B meet) has a lower flexural
rigidity.
[0050] FIG. 5 shows a lid 520 having a pointed (for example,
right-angled) corner 522a in a proximal portion 520A on the side
opposite to an opening-closing portion 520B. In the lid 520 shown
in FIG. 5, the opening-closing portion 520B is formed by a
laminated portion of first and second sheets 521, 522, the proximal
portion 520A is formed by a portion of the second sheet 522 which
protrudes from one end of the first sheet 521, and the tab portion
520C is formed by a portion of the second sheet 522 which protrudes
from the other end of the first sheet 521. Due to the pointed shape
of the corner 522a of the proximal portion 520A on the side
opposite to the opening-closing portion 520B, the corner 522a has a
particularly lower flexural rigidity. Therefore, when the lid 520
shown in FIG. 5 is formed by arranging the second sheet 522 on top
of the first sheet 521, the corner 522a may warp toward the first
sheet 521 as shown by the hollow arrow.
[0051] Further, during manufacturing of the package 100, in the
state in which the second sheet 522 is arranged on top of the first
sheet 521 in the lid 520, a force F is sometimes applied to the lid
520 in a direction of the hollow arrow shown in FIG. 6. When the
corner 522a of the proximal portion 520A has a pointed shape, the
force F is applied as-is to the corner 522a. As a result, the
corner 522a may bend as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 6.
[0052] As described above, when the corner 522a of the proximal
portion 520A has a pointed shape, the corner 522a may warp or bend.
If the lid 520 having such a warp or bend is bonded to the top of
the body 110, a wrinkle will occur in the proximal portion 520A of
the lid 520.
[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, a corner of the proximal
portion is provided with a greater flexural rigidity in order to
prevent the occurrence of a warp or a bend so as to prevent the
occurrence of a wrinkle in the proximal portion of the lid.
[0054] FIG. 7 shows the lid 120 of this embodiment. As described
above, the lid 120 of this embodiment includes the opening-closing
portion 120B formed by the laminated portion of the first and
second sheets 121, 122, the proximal portion 120A formed by the
portion of the second sheet 122 which protrudes from one end of the
first sheet 121, and the tab portion 120C formed by the portion of
the second sheet 122 which protrudes from the other end of the
first sheet 121 (which faces away from the proximal portion 120A).
The corner 122a of the proximal portion 120A on the side opposite
to the opening-closing portion 120B is rounded. For such rounding
operation, a radius of curvature of the rounded corner is set. When
the corner 122a of the proximal portion 120A has a rounded shape,
as shown in FIG. 7, the force F acting upon the corner 122a is
scattered. Therefore, the rigidity of the corner 122a becomes
higher than that of a corner having a pointed shape such as a
square shape. Thus, the corner 122a can be prevented from warping
or bending by the force acting upon the corner 122a, so that the
occurrence of a wrinkle in the proximal portion 120A of the lid 120
can be prevented.
[0055] The radius of curvature of the corner 122a is set to an
appropriate value according to the shape (the length along the
longitudinal direction of the lid 120 and the width in a direction
perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lid 120) of the
proximal portion 120A, the thickness of the first sheet 121 forming
the opening-closing portion 120B, or other similar factors, such
that the occurrence of a warp or a bend in the corner 122a of the
proximal portion 120A can be prevented. In experiments made on the
lids 120 of various dimensions, a wrinkle has occurred in the
proximal portion 120A of the lid 120 when the radius of curvature
of the corner 122a is 1 mm, but no wrinkle has occurred in the
proximal portion 120A of the lid 120 when the radius is 1.5 mm. The
experimental results show that it is preferable to set the radius
of curvature of the corner 122a to 1.5 mm at the minimum. The
maximum radius of curvature of the corner 122a is determined
according to the length of the proximal portion 120A, a desired
strength of the proximal portion 120A or other similar factors.
[0056] The shape of the corner of the proximal portion is not
limited to the rounded shape. A differently-shaped lid 420 is shown
in FIG. 8.
[0057] In the lid 420 shown in FIG. 8, a corner 422a of a proximal
portion 420A on the side opposite to an opening-closing portion
420B is chamfered by cutting off a tip end portion of the corner
422a. For chamfering, a chamfering angle .theta. and a chamfering
dimension m are set. The chamfering angle .theta. represents an
angle of a cutting face with respect to one of the edges which form
the corner 422a, or, for example, an angle of a cutting face with
respect to an edge 422d of the proximal portion 420A on the side
opposite to the opening-closing portion 420B. The chamfering
dimension m represents a distance between a cutting point and the
tip end of the corner 422a, or, for example, a distance between a
cutting point and an edge 422c which extends from a boundary 420D
between the opening-closing portion 420B and the proximal portion
420A. Also in the case in which the corner 422a of the proximal
portion 420A is chamfered, as shown in FIG. 8, the force F acting
upon the corner 422a is scattered. Therefore, the rigidity of the
corner 422a becomes higher than that of a corner having a pointed
shape such as a square shape. Thus, the corner 422a can be
prevented from warping or bending by the force acting upon the
corner 422a, so that the occurrence of a wrinkle in the proximal
portion 420A of the lid 420 can be prevented.
[0058] The chamfering shape (chamfering angle and chamfering
dimension) of the corner 422a of the proximal portion 420A is set
according to the shape (the length and the width) of the proximal
portion 420A of the lid 420, the thickness of the first sheet 121
forming the opening-closing portion 420B, or other similar factors.
From the above-described experimental results, it is found
preferable to set the chamfering shape of the corner 422a such that
the chamfering angle is about 45 degrees and the chamfering
dimension is 1.5 mm at the minimum. The maximum chamfering
dimension of the corner 422a is determined according to the length
of the proximal portion 420A, a desired strength of the proximal
portion 420A or other similar factors.
[0059] The present invention is not limited to the construction of
the above-mentioned embodiments, but rather, may be added to,
changed, replaced with alternatives or otherwise modified.
[0060] The package of this invention is not limited to a package
for storing a sheet-type article, such as wet tissues, but it can
also be formed as a package for storing various other articles.
[0061] The opening 112 of the package 100 is described as being
formed in the upper wall 110a of the body 110, but it is essential
that at least part of the opening 112 is formed in the upper wall
110a of the body 110.
[0062] The lid 120 of the package 100 is described as being formed
by the proximal portion 120A, the opening-closing portion 120B and
the tab portion (tip) 120C, but it may also be formed by the
proximal portion 120A and the opening-closing portion 120B.
[0063] The adhesive for bonding the proximal portion 120A of the
lid 120 of the package 100 to the top of the body 110 may be an
adhesive having an adhesive strength with which the proximal
portion 120A can be removably bonded to the top of the body 110, or
it may be an adhesive having a adhesive strength with which the
proximal portion 120A can be firmly (irremovably) bonded to the top
of the body 110.
[0064] The lid 120 of the package 100 is described as being formed
by a lamination of the first and second sheets 121, 122, but it may
be formed by a lamination of three or more sheets.
[0065] The opening 112 is described as being formed by forming
perforations along the opening edge 112a in the upper wall 110a of
the body 110 and peeling off the opening formation part 110A
bordered by the perforations, via the adhesive applied to the lid
120. However, the body 110 having the opening 112 formed in advance
may also be used. In this case, preferably, the first adhesive 123
is applied to an entire area of the lid 120 other than an area
corresponding to the opening 112.
[0066] The package 100 is not limited to the construction described
in the above embodiments. For example, the shape of the package
100, the shape and position of the opening 112, or the shape and
position of the lid 120 can be appropriately changed. Further,
various manners can be used to pack the article in the package
100.
DESCRIPTION OF NUMERALS
[0067] 100 package (sheet-type article package) [0068] 110 body of
the package [0069] 110a upper wall [0070] 110b bottom wall [0071]
110A opening formation part [0072] 110H wet-tissue storage space
(sheet-type article storage space) [0073] 111a, 111b lateral
sealing part [0074] 112 opening [0075] 112a opening edge [0076]
120, 420, 520 lid of the package [0077] 120A, 420A, 520A proximal
portion [0078] 120B, 420B, 520B opening-closing portion [0079]
120C, 420C, 520C tab portion (tip) [0080] 120D, 420D, 520D boundary
[0081] 121, 521 first sheet [0082] 122, 422, 522 second sheet
[0083] 122a, 422a, 522a corner [0084] 123, 523 first adhesive
[0085] 124, 524 second adhesive [0086] 130 wet tissue (sheet-type
article)
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