U.S. patent application number 15/102122 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-20 for pouch container and method for manufacturing pouch container.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fuji Seal International, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is FUJI SEAL INTERNATIONAL, INC.. Invention is credited to Suguru ARAI, Masahito SUZUKI, Tadashi TAKANO.
Application Number | 20160304261 15/102122 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53371130 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160304261 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAKANO; Tadashi ; et
al. |
October 20, 2016 |
POUCH CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING POUCH CONTAINER
Abstract
A pouch container as one example of an embodiment is equipped
with wall-surface sheets and a grip part, said wall-surface sheets
constituting at least a first surface and a second surface that
face each other. The grip part comprises an interior sheet that is
joined to the inner surface of the first surface and/or the second
surface and openings that are formed on the wall-surface sheet to
which the interior sheet is joined at positions where the
wall-surface sheet overlaps with the interior sheet.
Inventors: |
TAKANO; Tadashi; (Osaka-shi,
JP) ; ARAI; Suguru; (Osaka-shi, JP) ; SUZUKI;
Masahito; (Osaka-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FUJI SEAL INTERNATIONAL, INC. |
Osaka-shi, Osaka |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Fuji Seal International,
Inc.
Osaka-shi, Osaka
JP
|
Family ID: |
53371130 |
Appl. No.: |
15/102122 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
December 8, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2014/082390 |
371 Date: |
June 6, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B31B 2160/20 20170801;
B31B 70/16 20170801; B31B 70/844 20170801; B31B 70/645 20170801;
B65D 75/30 20130101; B31B 70/642 20170801; B31B 70/872 20170801;
B65D 75/56 20130101; B31B 2155/002 20170801; B65D 75/566 20130101;
B65D 75/5883 20130101; B31B 70/874 20170801 |
International
Class: |
B65D 75/56 20060101
B65D075/56; B65D 75/58 20060101 B65D075/58; B65D 75/30 20060101
B65D075/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 9, 2013 |
JP |
2013-254161 |
Sep 24, 2014 |
JP |
2014-194372 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A pouch container comprising: at least one of wall-surface
sheets that form at least a first surface and a second surface
which oppose each other; and a holding portion, wherein the holding
portion comprises: at least one of an interior sheets that is
bonded to an inner surface of at least one of the first surface and
the second surface and that is provided over an entire length in a
lateral direction of the pouch container; and an opening formed on
the wall-surface sheet to which the interior sheet is bonded, at a
position overlapping the interior sheet.
15. The pouch container according to claim 14, wherein the
wall-surface sheets include: a first surface sheet that forms the
first surface; a second surface sheet that forms the second surface
and that forms a tubular structure along with the first surface
sheet; and a bottom gusset sheet that connects a lower end of the
first surface sheet and a lower end of the second surface
sheet.
16. The pouch container according to claim 15, wherein the interior
sheet is bonded to the inner surface of the first surface, and the
opening is formed on the first surface at a position overlapping
the interior sheet.
17. The pouch container according to claim 15, wherein the interior
sheets are bonded on respectively the inner surfaces of the first
surface and the second surface at positions opposing each other,
and the opening is formed on each of the first surface and the
second surface at a respective position overlapping the interior
sheet.
18. The pouch container according to claim 16, further comprising:
a pouring outlet that establishes communication between an inside
and an outside of the pouch container, wherein the pouring outlet
is provided at a bonding portion between an upper end of the first
surface sheet and an upper end of the second surface sheet.
19. The pouch container according to claim 17, further comprising:
a pouring outlet that establishes communication between an inside
and an outside of the pouch container, wherein the pouring outlet
is provided at a bonding portion between an upper end of the first
surface sheet and an upper end of the second surface sheet.
20. The pouch container according to claim 14, wherein the
wall-surface sheets include: a first surface sheet that forms the
first surface; a second surface sheet that forms the second surface
and that forms a tubular structure along with the first surface
sheet; a top gusset sheet that connects an upper end of the first
surface sheet and an upper end of the second surface sheet; and a
bottom gusset sheet that connects a lower end of the first surface
sheet and a lower end of the second surface sheet.
21. The pouch container according to claim 20, wherein the interior
sheet is bonded to the inner surface of the first surface, and the
opening is formed on the first surface at a position overlapping
the interior sheet.
22. The pouch container according to claim 21, wherein a position
of the upper end of the second surface sheet is lower than a
position of the upper end of the first surface sheet.
23. The pouch container according to claim 21, further comprising:
a pouring outlet that establishes communication between an inside
and an outside of the pouch container, wherein the pouring outlet
is provided at a bonding portion between the top gusset sheet and
the upper end of the first surface sheet, and the holding portion
has the interior sheet bonded to the inner surface of the second
surface and the opening formed on the second surface sheet at a
position overlapping the interior sheet.
24. The pouch container according to claim 18 wherein the holding
portion is provided at a lower side of the container than the
pouring outlet.
25. The pouch container according to claim 21 wherein the holding
portion is provided at a lower side of the container than the
pouring outlet.
26. The pouch container according to claim 16, wherein an end
surface of the interior sheet is isolated from an internal space of
the pouch container.
27. The pouch container according to claim 18, wherein an end
surface of the interior sheet is isolated from an internal space of
the pouch container.
28. The pouch container according to claim 21, wherein an end
surface of the interior sheet is isolated from an internal space of
the pouch container.
29. The pouch container according to claim 23, wherein an end
surface of the interior sheet is isolated from an internal space of
the pouch container.
30. The pouch container according to claim 16, wherein the holding
portion has a tongue piece in which a part is connected to the
wall-surface sheet and a remaining part is separated from the
wall-surface sheet.
31. The pouch container according to claim 18, wherein the holding
portion has a tongue piece in which a part is connected to the
wall-surface sheet and a remaining part is separated from the
wall-surface sheet.
32. The pouch container according to claim 21, wherein the holding
portion has a tongue piece in which a part is connected to the
wall-surface sheet and a remaining part is separated from the
wall-surface sheet.
33. The pouch container according to claim 23, wherein the holding
portion has a tongue piece in which a part is connected to the
wall-surface sheet and a remaining part is separated from the
wall-surface sheet.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a pouch container and a
manufacturing method of a pouch container.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Pouch containers have superior characteristics such as light
weight and ease of discard, and thus are used widely particularly
for refilling containers for various toiletry products or the like.
For example, in the use of pouch containers for refilling
containers, it is desired that the container can be easily held
when the contents are refilled. In particular, this need become
higher as the capacity of the container is increased.
[0003] In consideration of such circumstances, pouch containers in
which the ease of holding of the container is improved have been
proposed (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2). The
pouch containers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have
hand-grabbing holes into which a hand can be inserted, in a heat
seal portion of the container formed by pasting films.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
[0004] Patent Document 1: JP 2004-359258 A
[0005] Patent Document 2: JP 2004-359259 A
SUMMARY
Technical Problem
[0006] In the pouch containers of Patent Documents 1 and 2,
however, it is necessary to form the sealing portion in a large
area in order to provide the hand-grabbing hole, resulting in a
reduced capacity of the container. Alternatively, the outer shape
of the container must be made large in order to secure the
container capacity. In addition, for the pouch containers of the
related art including the pouch containers of Patent Documents 1
and 2, there still remains room for improvement for the ease of
holding.
Solution to Problem
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a pouch container comprising: at least one of wall-surface
sheets that form at least a first surface and a second surface
which oppose each other; and a holding portion, wherein the holding
portion comprises: at least one of an interior sheet that is bonded
to an inner surface of at least one of the first surface and the
second surface; and an opening formed on the wall-surface sheet to
which the interior sheet is bonded, at a position overlapping the
interior sheet.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of manufacturing a pouch container comprising
a first surface sheet, a second surface sheet that opposes the
first surface sheet, a top gusset sheet that connects an upper end
of the first surface sheet and an upper end of the second surface
sheet, a bottom gusset sheet that connects a lower end of the first
surface sheet and a lower end of the second surface sheet, and a
pouring outlet that establishes communication between an inside and
an outside of the pouch container, the method comprising: an
opening forming step in which an opening is formed on the second
surface sheet; a first bonding step in which an interior sheet is
bonded on an inner surface of the second surface sheet, at a
position overlapping the opening; and a second bonding step in
which the sheets forming the pouch container are bonded together
after the first bonding step.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, there can
be provided a pouch container having a holding portion with a
structure which does not affect the container capacity. In
addition, the pouch container according to the present invention
can be stably held using the holding portion, and, for example, a
superior refilling operation can be enabled even when the pouch
container is applied for a refilling container having a large
container capacity. Moreover, the pouch container according to the
present invention can be easily manufactured by an existing bag
production process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of a pouch container according to a
first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line AA in FIG.
1.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line BB in FIG.
1.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram of a pouch
container according to the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention, in a state where the container is filled with
contents.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of
a pouch container according to the first preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a holding form of a pouch
container according to the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a front view of a pouch container according to an
alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention, showing a state where a tongue piece is folded
inside.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of a cross section along
a line CC of FIG. 7.
[0018] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of an upper end of an interior
sheet.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example process of an end of
an interior sheet.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example process of an
end of an interior sheet.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example process of an
end of an interior sheet.
[0022] FIG. 13 is a front view of a pouch container according to
another alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 14 is a front view of a pouch container according to
another alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line DD of FIG.
14.
[0025] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line EE of FIG.
14.
[0026] FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram of the pouch
container of FIG. 14, showing a state where the container is filled
with contents.
[0027] FIG. 18 is a front view of the pouch container of FIG. 14,
showing a state where a tongue piece is folded inside.
[0028] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line FF of FIG.
18.
[0029] FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing method
of the pouch container of FIG. 14.
[0030] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a holding form of the pouch
container of FIG. 14.
[0031] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the holding form of FIG. 21,
viewed from a side of a back surface sheet.
[0032] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing another holding form of the
pouch container of FIG. 14.
[0033] FIG. 24 is a front view of a pouch container according to an
alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0034] FIG. 25 is a front view of a pouch container according to an
alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0035] FIG. 26 is a front view of a pouch container according to an
alternative configuration of the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0036] FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a pouch container according
to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing
a state where the container is filled with contents.
[0037] FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of a pouch container
according to the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0038] FIG. 29 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram of a pouch
container according to the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0039] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a state where a pouch container
according to the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention is tilted.
[0040] FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a flow of manufacture of a
pouch container according to the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0041] FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a flow of manufacture of a
pouch container according to the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
[0042] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a pouch container according
to an alternative configuration of the second preferred embodiment
of the present invention, showing a state where the container is
filled with contents.
[0043] FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line GG of FIG.
33.
[0044] FIG. 35 is a diagram showing an example pouch container of
the related art.
[0045] FIG. 36 is a diagram showing another example pouch container
of the related art.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0046] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings
referred to in the description of the preferred embodiments are
schematically shown, and a size, a ratio, or the like of the
constituting elements drawn therein may differ from the actual
size, ratio, or the like. The specific size, ratio, or the like
should be determined in consideration of the following
description.
[0047] In the description of the preferred embodiments, a part of
the container where a pouring outlet is formed is described as an
"upper part" of the container. A direction of lamination of the
sheets is described as a "front-and-back direction" of the
container, and a direction orthogonal to an up-and-down direction
(or vertical direction) and the front-and-back direction is called
a "lateral direction" of the container. In the following, the
directions may be simply referred to as the up-and-down direction,
the front-and-back direction, and the lateral direction.
[0048] The preferred embodiments are described with the contents
filled into the pouch container being liquid-form substances such
as shampoo, liquid detergent, etc. However, the contents are not
limited to the liquid-form substances, and may alternatively be,
for example, solid-form substances such as powders and
particulates, or a semi-solid form substance such as jerry-form and
gel-form substances. In addition, in the description of the
preferred embodiments, outlet plugs 20 and 54 are exemplified as
examples of the pouring outlet for the contents, but the pouring
outlet is not limited to the outlet plug. For example, the pouring
outlet may be formed using members other than the outlet plugs 20
and 54, or may be a flow path formed by a heat seal portion.
[0049] In the description of the preferred embodiments, a standing
pouch is described having at least a pair of wall-surface sheets
forming a first surface and a second surface which oppose each
other, and a bottom gusset is exemplified. Alternatively, the
present invention may be applied to other pouch forms such as a
flat pouch having no bottom gusset sheet, a side gusset pouch
having a side gusset sheet, a one-seam pouch in which the first
surface and the second surface are formed using one wall surface
sheet, and a pouch having both the bottom gusset sheet and the side
gusset sheet.
[0050] FIGS. 1-26 are diagrams for explaining a first preferred
embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 27-34 are diagrams for
explaining a second preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
First Preferred Embodiment
[0051] A pouch container 10 according to the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail
with reference to FIGS. 1-12. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the
pouch container 10. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram along a
line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional diagram along a
line BB in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional diagram of
the pouch container 10 in a state where the container is filled
with contents. In the first preferred embodiment, for the purpose
of convenience, a front surface of the pouch container 10 is
described as a first surface and a back surface is described as a
second surface. The pouch container 10 includes, as wall-surface
sheets forming the first surface (front surface) and the second
surface (back surface) which oppose each other, a front surface
sheet 11 serving as a first surface sheet and a back surface sheet
12 serving as a second surface sheet.
[0052] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the pouch container 10 is a standing
pouch having the front surface sheet 11, the back surface sheet 12
which forms a tubular structure along with the front surface sheet
11, and a bottom gusset sheet 13 which connects a lower end of the
front surface sheet 11 and a lower end of the back surface sheet
12. The front surface sheet 11 and the back surface sheet 12
(hereinafter, these sheets may be collectively referred to as
"front and back surface sheets") are wall-surface sheets which form
a front surface portion and a back surface portion, respectively,
of wall-surface portions of the container. The bottom gusset sheet
13 is a wall-surface sheet which is folded and inserted between the
front surface portion and the back surface portion and which forms
a bottom gusset (godet). The bottom gusset sheet 13 is
mountain-folded (folded with the crease at the top) in the upward
direction, and is expanded by filling of the contents. An internal
space of the container surrounded by the wall-surface sheets forms
a filling portion 14 into which the contents are filled.
[0053] In the pouch container 10, the bottom gusset sheet 13 is
inserted between the front and back surface sheets, and a seal
portion which bonds the ends of the sheets is formed in this state.
In the present embodiment, as the seal portion, an upper end seal
portion 15, a bottom seal portion 16, and a side seal portion 17
are formed. The front and back surface sheets have an approximate
quadrangular shape viewed from the front, with the up-and-down
direction extending longer than the lateral direction (hereinafter
the lateral direction may also be referred to as a width direction
and a length in the width direction may be referred to as a width).
The bottom gusset sheet 13 is provided, for example, at a position
1/6-1/4 of the length in the up-and-down direction of the sheet
from the lower end of the front and back surface sheets.
[0054] The pouch container 10 includes, as a pouring outlet which
establishes communication between the inside and the outside of the
container, an outlet plug 20 having a spout 18 having an
approximate tubular shape formed from a hard resin and a cap 19
screwed to the spout 18. The spout 18 is inserted between the front
and back surface sheets, and bonded to the front and back surface
sheets by the upper end seal portion 15. The spout 18 is attached
to an upper end of a container body (portion other than the outlet
plug 20) in a state where an axial direction of the spout 18 is
along the up-and-down direction.
[0055] The upper end seal portion 15 is formed by bonding the upper
ends of the front and back surface sheets. In the present
embodiment, as described above, the upper end seal portion 15 is
formed in a state sandwiching an attachment portion of the spout 18
formed in an approximate ship shape between the front and back
surface sheets. In other words, the spout 18 is provided on the
upper end seal portion 15 which is a bonding section between the
upper end of the front surface sheet 11 and the upper end of the
back surface sheet 12.
[0056] The bottom seal portion 16 is a seal portion formed at an
end of the bottom gusset sheet 13, and bonds the bottom gusset
sheet 13 and the front and back surface sheets. The bottom seal
portion 16 is formed in a manner such that, when the container is
filled with the contents, the front and back surface sheets are
separated from each other and the bottom gusset sheet 13 is
expanded. In addition, preferably, a cut-out 21 is formed on ends
in the lateral direction on the bottom gusset sheet 13. With this
configuration, the front surface sheet 11 and the back surface
sheet 12 are directly bonded, and a stabilized self-standing
characteristic can be obtained. The side seal portion 17 is formed
by bonding the front surface sheet 11 and the back surface sheet 12
at ends in the width direction of the container. A part of the side
seal portion 17 is formed in a state where ends in a width
direction of an interior sheet 26 to be described later are
sandwiched between the front and back surface sheets.
[0057] The pouch container 10 has a holding portion 25. The holding
portion 25 includes the interior sheet 26 bonded to an inner
surface of at least one of a front surface portion and a back
surface portion of the container body, and an opening 29 formed on
the wall-surface sheet to which the interior sheet 26 is bonded, at
a position overlapping the interior sheet 26. The opening 29
functions as an insertion hole for fingers. The opening 29 may
alternatively be used when the container is hooked on a hook or the
like. In the pouch container 10, the interior sheet 26 is bonded
only to the inner surface of the front surface sheet 11 forming the
front surface of the container, and the opening 29 is formed on the
front surface sheet 11, at a position overlapping the interior
sheet 26.
[0058] The holding portion 25 is preferably provided at a lower
side of the container in relation to the outlet plug 20 even in the
case where the outlet plug 20 is attached to a location other than
the upper end of the container body. The holding portion 25 has,
for example, an approximate quadrangular shape viewed from the
front, with the width direction extending longer than the
up-and-down direction. Alternatively, two holding portions 25 may
be formed, but in the present embodiment, one holding portion 25 is
provided on the front surface portion side, and the interior sheet
26 is bonded only to the inner surface of the front surface sheet
11. In other words, the opening 29 which is an opening into which
the finger can be inserted is formed on the front surface sheet 11.
Alternatively, two interior sheets may be bonded respectively to
the inner surfaces of the front and back surface sheets, an opening
may be formed on one of the front and back surface sheets, and the
holding portion may be formed on one side.
[0059] The sheets forming the pouch container 10 are normally
formed from resin films. The resin films forming the sheets are
required to exhibit basic capabilities as a wrapping structure,
such as impact endurance, wear endurance, and heat endurance. In
addition, as the seal portions are normally formed by heat sealing,
heat seal characteristic is also required for the sheet. As the
sheet, a multiple-layer sheet having a base film layer and a
sealant layer that gives the heat seal characteristic is
preferable, and, when a high gas barrier characteristic is
required, a gas barrier layer is preferably formed between the base
film layer and the sealant layer.
[0060] Alternatively, the barrier characteristic may be given to
the base film layer itself. In this case, the barrier layer is used
as the base film layer, resulting in a multiple-layer sheet having
the barrier layer and the sealant layer. When the heat seal
characteristic is to be given to both surfaces of the sheet, a
single-layer film forming the sealant layer to be described later
may be employed, or, in the case of the multi-layer sheet, two
sealant layers of the same type or different types may be included
(in this case, structurally, one of the sealant layers is used as
the base film layer), or a sheet having sealant layers on both
surfaces of the base film layer may be employed.
[0061] Example constituting materials of the base film layer, the
sealant layer, and the gas barrier layer will now be described. The
lamination of these layers may be realized by well-practiced
laminating methods such as, for example, dry lamination by an
adhesive, thermal lamination to adhere the layers by heat with a
thermal adhesion layer therebetween, or the like.
[0062] As films forming the base film layer, there may be
exemplified drawn or undrawn films of one or two or more layers
formed from polyesters (such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT),
polycarbonate (PC), or the like), polyolefins (such as polyethylene
(PE), polypropylene (PP), or the like), polyamides (such as
Nylon-6, Nylon-66, or the like), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyimide
(PI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC),
polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyether sulfone (PES), or the
like.
[0063] As films forming the sealant layer, there may be exemplified
drawn or undrawn films of one or two or more layers formed from low
density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene
(LLDPE), a copolymer of ethylene-propylene (EP), cast polypropylene
(CPP), oriented nylon (ON), a copolymer of ethylene-olefin, a
copolymer of ethylene-acrylic acid (EAA), a copolymer of
ethylene-methacrylic acid (EMAA), a copolymer of ethylene-vinyl
acetate (EVA), or the like.
[0064] As the gas barrier layer, there may be exemplified metal
thin films such as aluminum, resin films such as polyvinylidene
chloride (PVDC), a copolymer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH), or
the like, and films in which aluminum, inorganic oxides such as
aluminum oxide and silica, or the like is vapor-deposited (or
sputtered) on an arbitrary synthetic resin film (for example, the
film may be the base film layer).
[0065] On the sheet, a printing layer (not shown) may be provided
for displaying a product name of the contents, product explanation
such as materials and cautions on use, and various other designs.
For example, the printing layer can be formed on a surface on an
inner side of the base film layer by known methods such as gravure
printing.
[0066] The structure of the holding portion 25 will now be
described in further detail.
[0067] The holding portion 25 is formed from the interior sheet 25
bonded to, for example, the inner surface of the front surface
sheet 11, and the opening 29 formed on the front surface sheet 11.
The holding portion 25 has an internal space 27 which is not in
communication with the filling portion 14 and which is a space
independent from the filling portion 14. The interior sheet 26 is
preferably bonded to the front surface sheet 11 only at a
peripheral edge thereof by an end edge seal portion 28, and a
center portion thereof is preferably not bonded to the front
surface sheet 11. With such a configuration, there is formed a
bag-shaped holding portion 25 is provided in which the internal
space 27 independent from the filling portion 14 and into which the
finger can be inserted, and the portions other than the opening 29
are closed. A user can insert the finger in the space (internal
space 27) between the front surface sheet 11 and the interior sheet
26, for example, from the opening 29, and grip a part of the front
surface sheet 11 (for example, a band portion 31 to be described
later), so that the user can hold the pouch container 10. The
holding portion 25 is provided at a lower side of the container in
relation to the outlet plug 20, and is provided, for example, at
approximately the same height as the center of gravity of the pouch
container 10.
[0068] The interior sheet 26 is preferably provided over the entire
length in the lateral direction of the pouch container 10; that is,
the entire width of the front surface sheet 11. A size of the
interior sheet 26 is not particularly limited so long as the
internal space 27 into which the finger is inserted can be formed
between the front surface sheet 11 and the interior sheet 26, but
in consideration of the productivity, the interior sheet 26 is
preferably provided over the entire width of the front surface
sheet 11. In other words, the widths of the front and back surface
sheets and the width of the interior sheet 26 are equal to each
other. By setting the widths of the sheets to be the same value,
the pouch container 10 can be manufactured easily and inexpensively
by an existing bag production process using a long-length sheet. In
addition, by providing the holding portion 25 by inserting the
interior sheet 26 between the front and back surface sheets, the
pouch container 10 can be manufactured using typical front and back
surface sheets having a sealant layer on one surface.
[0069] The opening 29 is preferably provided by forming a cut-in
line 30 on the front surface sheet 11. The cut-in line 30 is formed
on the front surface sheet 11 at a position overlapping the
interior sheet 26. Alternatively, in place of the cut-in line 30, a
perforation line (line including a cut section and a non-cut
section) or a half-cut line may be formed. In this case, the front
and back surface sheets can be cut along the perforation line or
the like during use, to form the opening.
[0070] In the example configuration shown in FIG. 1, two openings
29 are formed in the front surface sheet 11. The openings 29 are
provided at one end side in the width direction and the other end
side in the width direction with the center portion of the holding
portion 25 in the width direction therebetween, by a ring-shaped
cut-in line 30, for example, formed in an approximate quadrangular
shape or an approximate elliptical shape as viewed from the front.
The openings 29 are long holes extending in the up-and-down
direction, and the length in the up-and-down direction is shortened
as the position becomes closer to the center portion of the holding
portion 25 in the width direction. Between the openings 29, the
band portion 31 elongated in the up-and-down direction is formed.
The band portion 31 which is the portion sandwiched between the
openings 29 forms a portion held by the user when the pouch
container 10 is held using the holding portion 25.
[0071] Next, an example manufacturing method of the pouch container
10 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.
[0072] FIG. 5 shows, of the manufacturing steps of the pouch
container 10, a step of laminating long-length structures of the
sheets to form the seal portions. In the present manufacturing
step, long-length structures of the front surface sheet 11, the
back surface sheet 12, the bottom gusset sheet 13, and the interior
sheet 26 (hereinafter referred to as "long-length structures 11z,
12z, 13z, and 26z") are prepared and laminated with each other. For
the long-length structure 26z, a sheet having the heat seal
characteristic on both surfaces is preferably used. In the
laminating step of the long-length structures, the long-length
structure 26z is inserted between the long-length structures 11z
and 12z overlapped with each other. In addition, the long-length
structure 26z is inserted at a position above the long-length
structure 13z and below a portion where the outlet plug 20 is to be
attached.
[0073] In the layering step of the long-length structures, the
long-length structures 11z and 12z are laminated such that the
sealant layers thereof oppose each other, and the long-length
structure 13z is mountain-folded in the upward direction so that
the sealant layer opposes the long-length structures 11z and 12z.
Preferably, a hole that is to become the cut-out 21, and the cut-in
line 30 for providing the opening 29 of the holding portion 25 are
formed before the sheets are laminated. In addition, preferably,
after the long-length structure 26z and the long-length structure
11z are heat-sealed and bonded, the other long-length structures
are laminated.
[0074] In the long-length structures after the laminating step, the
seal portions are formed in a heat seal step. In the heat seal
step, the ends of the long-length structures are heat sealed, for
example, except for the portion which is to become the upper end of
the container body, to form the seal portions. Then, using a
die-cut roll or the like, for example, the long-length structures
are cut at a planned cut line 22, to be divided into individual
container size. Finally, after the filling portion 14 is filled
with the contents from the upper end of the container body, the
upper end seal portion 15 is formed in a state where the attachment
portion of the spout 18 of the outlet plug 20 is sandwiched between
the upper ends of the front and back surface sheets, to obtain the
pouch container 10.
[0075] FIG. 6 shows holding of the pouch container 10 using the
holding portion 25. For example, when the contents are extracted
from the pouch container 10, the cap 19 is detached from the spout
18, and the user holds the container with a single hand and tilts
the spout 18 vertically downward. In this process, by inserting the
fingers in the internal space 27 from the two openings 29 and
gripping the band portion 31 which is a portion sandwiched between
the openings 29, the user can firmly hold the pouch container 10.
For example, four fingers; that is, an index finger, a middle
finger, a ring finger, and a little finger, are inserted from one
opening 29 and the thumb is inserted from the other opening 29, so
that the band portion 31 can be held from both sides in the width
direction.
[0076] As described above, the pouch container 10 is stably held by
the holding portion 25. Because of this, even when the pouch
container 10 is applied for a refilling container having a large
container capacity, a superior refilling operation can be enabled.
In addition, the holding portion 25 of the pouch container 10 has a
structure which does not affect the container capacity. In other
words, the container capacity is not reduced with the provision of
the holding portion 25, and it is not necessary to enlarge the
outer shape of the container in order to secure the container
capacity.
[0077] In a pouch container 10u exemplified in FIG. 7, an opening
29u formed by a cut-in line 30u with an end and a tongue piece 32
which is a remaining portion thereof are provided in a holding
portion 25u. FIG. 7 is a front view of the pouch container 10u
(showing a state where the tongue piece 32 is folded inside) and
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of a cross section along a line
CC of FIG. 7. In the holding portion 25u, two openings 29u
elongated in the up-and-down direction are provided, and a spacing
between the openings 29u is slightly wider than that in the pouch
container 10. Because of this, a band portion 31u which is the
portion sandwiched between the openings 29u is also formed in a
wider width than in the pouch container 10. The holding portion 25u
has the tongue piece 32 having a part connected to a front surface
sheet 11u at an edge of the opening 29u, and a remaining part
separated from the front surface sheet 11u. The tongue piece 32 is
folded, for example, into the internal space 27 when the holding
portion 25u is used. When the tongue piece 32 is folded into the
internal space 27A, the opening 29u having an approximate
quadrangular shape elongated in the up-and-down direction is
opened. In this case, at an edge of the opening 29u, a curved
surface 32a is formed by the tongue piece 32. With the existence of
the curved surface 32a, biting of the fingers by the edge of the
opening 29u is reduced, and the holding characteristic can be
improved.
[0078] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the upper end of the interior
sheet 26. In the form shown in FIG. 9, the upper and lower end
surfaces of the interior sheet 26 contact the contents (liquid)
filled in the pouch container 10. A problem occurring in this case
will now be described with reference to FIG. 9. The interior sheet
26 preferably has the heat seal characteristic on both surfaces for
the purpose of manufacture. In addition, when high light-shielding
characteristic and gas barrier characteristic or the like are
required, the barrier layer is necessary. As a result, the interior
sheet 26 has, for example, a three-layer structure in which sealant
layers L2 and L3 are placed on both sides of a barrier layer
L1.
[0079] When an end surface 26a of the interior sheet 26 of the
three-layer structure contacts the contents (for example, liquid),
the contents may intrude into the portion between the layers, and
layer detachment (delamination) may occur. In addition, in many
cases, the barrier layer includes aluminum or inorganic oxides such
as aluminum oxide and silica. Depending on the type of the
contents, the inorganic oxides may contact the contents and may be
altered. In this case, there is a possibility of problems such as
reduction in the light-shielding characteristic and gas barrier
characteristic, or alteration of the contents itself.
[0080] Thus, when the interior sheet 26 is to have a smaller size
than the front surface sheet 11; that is, when there is a
possibility that the upper and lower end surfaces of the interior
sheet 26 contact the contents, it is preferable to isolate the end
surface 26a of the interior sheet 26 from the internal space of the
pouch container 10 (filling portion 14). As a method of isolating
the end surface 26a of the interior sheet 26, various methods may
be employed. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a tape 33 which is
allowed to contact the liquid (for example, a tape of a single
layer having only the sealant layer) may be pasted over the inner
surface of the front surface sheet 11 from the edge of the interior
sheet 26. In this case, the end surface 26a of the interior sheet
26 is covered and hidden by the tape 33, and thus, the contact of
the contents with the end surface 26a can be prevented.
[0081] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the pair of sealant
layers L2 and L3 sandwiching the barrier layer L1 may be set to be
slightly longer than the barrier layer L1 and extend beyond the end
surface of the barrier layer L1. In this case, when the peripheral
edge of the interior sheet 26 is heated and heat-sealed, the
dissolved sealant layers L2 and L3 flow to the end surface of the
barrier layer L1 and cover the end surface of the barrier layer L1.
In addition, even in the configuration where the sealant layers L2
and L3 are not set to be longer, in the process of heat-sealing, by
heating exactly the peripheral edge of the interior sheet 26, a
part of the dissolved sealant layers L2 and L3 would flow to the
end surface of the barrier layer L1 and cover the end surface of
the barrier layer L1. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, the
peripheral edge of the interior sheet 26 may be folded toward the
outside (side of the front surface sheet 11), and then the interior
sheet 26 and the front surface sheet 11 may be bonded.
[0082] In a pouch container 10v exemplified in FIG. 13 (front
view), a width of an interior sheet 26v is shorter than a width of
the front surface sheet 11. The interior sheet 26v is provided in a
limited portion in proximity to the portion of the front surface
sheet 11 where the opening 29 and the band portion 31 are provided,
and the internal space of a holding portion 25v is smaller compared
to the pouch container 10. Alternatively, two interior sheets
separated from each other may be bonded at the peripheral edge of
the two openings 29.
[0083] A pouch container 10w exemplified in FIG. 14 (front view)
differs from the pouch container 10 in that the pouch container 10w
has a slanted side portion 23 in which corners positioned at an
upper part of the front and back surface sheets are formed in a
slanted manner with respect to the up-and-down direction and the
width direction. In addition, the pouch container 10w differs from
the pouch container 10 in that the pouch container 10w has two
holding portions 25A and 25B. A structure of the pouch container
10w will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14-19.
FIG. 14 is a front view of the pouch container 10w. FIG. 15 is a
cross-sectional diagram along a line DD of FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is
a cross-sectional diagram along a line EE of FIG. 1. FIG. 17 is a
vertical cross-sectional diagram of the pouch container 10w in a
state where the contents are filled.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 14, the slanted side portion 23 is formed,
for example, in a range of 1/3-1/2 of the width of the sheet from
one end in the width direction of the front and back surface
sheets. The spout 18 of the outlet plug 20 is attached to the
slanted side portion 23. The spout 18 is inserted between the front
and back surface sheets, and is bonded to the front and back
surface sheets by an upper end seal portion 15w. In other words,
the upper end seal portion 15w funned on the slanted side portion
23 is formed in a state where the spout 18 is sandwiched between
the front and back surface sheets. In the following description,
the one end in the width direction of the container body closer to
the outlet plug 20 is described as a "first end," and the other end
in the width direction at an opposite side from the first end is
described as a "second end."
[0085] As shown in FIGS. 14-17, the pouch container 10w has the two
holding portions 25A and 25B. On inner surfaces of a front surface
sheet 11w and a back surface sheet 12w, interior sheets 26A and 26B
are bonded respectively. The holding portions 25A and 25B are
formed on the front surface sheet 11w and the back surface sheet
12w by forming openings 29A and 29B, which are openings into which
fingers can be inserted, at positions overlapping the interior
sheets 26A and 26B, respectively.
[0086] The holding portions 25A and 25B are preferably provided at
positions which oppose each other, and overlap in the
front-and-back direction. In other words, the interior sheets 26A
and 26B are bonded to positions on the inner surfaces of the front
and back surface sheets at positions opposing each other. With such
a configuration, a superior holding characteristic can be realized,
and the productivity can be improved. The holding portions 25A and
25B have an approximate quadrangular shape as viewed from the
front, elongated longer in the width direction than the up-and-down
direction, and have the same shape and same size as each other.
Structures common in the holding portions 25A and 25B will be
described by exemplifying the holding portion 25A.
[0087] Similar to the case of the pouch container 10, the holding
portion 25A is formed in a bag form having an internal space 27A
which is independent from the filling portion 14, and in which
portions other than the opening 29A are closed. With such a
configuration, it becomes difficult for the finger to slip out from
the holding portion 25A, and a superior holding characteristic can
be obtained. The internal space 27A preferably has a size which can
house a plurality of fingers, for example, the index finger, the
middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger of the right
hand. In order to enable stable holding of the pouch container 10w,
the size of the internal space 27A is preferably set to a degree to
entirely house the finger from the root to the tip. The interior
sheet 26A forming the holding portion 25A is preferably provided
over the entire widths of the front and back surface sheets, from
the viewpoint of the productivity or the like.
[0088] The opening 29A is an opening that enables insertion of the
finger into the internal space 27A from the width direction, and is
preferably provided at a second end side in relation to the center
in the width direction of the holding portion 25A. The opening 29B
is preferably provided at an exact back side of the opening 29A.
The opening 29A is designed such that the finger is inserted from
the second end side, and the finger inserted from the opening 29A
is housed in the internal space 27A with the fingertip directed
toward the first end side. The internal space 27A is a space
extending longer in the width direction, in order to facilitate
housing of the finger. The opening 29A is preferably provided by
forming a cut-in line 30A on the front surface sheet 11w. The
cut-in line 30A is formed on the front surface sheet 11w at a
position overlapping the interior sheet 26A. A cut-in line 30B is
formed on the back surface sheet 12w at a position overlapping the
interior sheet 26B, and preferably overlaps the cut-in line 30A in
the front-and-back direction.
[0089] The holding portion 25A preferably has tongue pieces 34A and
35A formed at an edge of the opening 29A. The cut-in line 30A
exemplified in FIG. 14 has a linear portion L formed in a straight
line form along the up-and-down direction, and a curved surface
portion R formed in an approximate elliptical shape connected to an
upper end and a lower end of the linear portion L. In the opening
29A provided by the cut-in line 30A, the upper end and the lower
end are opened in an approximate elliptical shape to expose the
interior sheet 26A, and an intermediate portion is closed by the
tongue pieces 34A and 35A. In other words, because a large part of
the openings 29A and 29B is closed by the tongue piece, when a
light-shielding sheet is used for the front and back surface
sheets, even when the interior sheets 26A and 26B are transparent,
it becomes difficult to see the contents, and, for example, a
superior appearance of the container can be realized. When it is
desired to block light for the contents, because it becomes more
difficult for the light to reach the filling portion 14, such a
configuration is preferable.
[0090] When it is desired to further block the light for the
contents, a light-shielding sheet may be used for the interior
sheets 26A and 26B, or the opening may be formed by only the linear
portion L. However, in order to facilitate checking of the opening
29A and to facilitate insertion of the finger, the opening 29A is
preferably partially opened. Alternatively, in place of the cut-in
line 30A, a perforation line or a half-cut line may be formed. In
this case, the front and back surface sheets may be cut along the
perforation line or the like during the use, to form the
opening.
[0091] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the tongue pieces 34A and 35A
are folded, for example, into the internal space 27A when the
holding portion 25A is used. When the tongue pieces 34A and 35A are
folded into the internal space 27A, the opening 29A having an
approximate quadrangular shape elongated in the up-and-down
direction is opened. In particular, in the holding form exemplified
in FIG. 23 to be described later, because the finger does not
contact the end of the front surface sheet 11w when the tongue
piece 35A is folded inside, the finger is not hurt even when a
large load is applied to the finger, and the holding characteristic
is improved.
[0092] Next, with reference to FIG. 20, an example manufacturing
method of the pouch container 10w will be described. Similar to
FIG. 5, FIG. 20 shows a step, of the manufacturing steps, of
laminating long-length structures of the sheets to form the seal
portions. In the present manufacturing process, long-lengths
structures of the front surface sheet 11w, the back surface sheet
12w, the bottom gusset sheet 13, and the interior sheets 26A and
26B (hereinafter referred to as "long-length structures 11wz, 12wz,
13z, 26Az, and 26Bz", respectively) are prepared and laminated with
each other. For the long-length structures 26Az and 26Bz, sheets
having the heat seal characteristic on both surfaces are preferably
used.
[0093] In the laminating step of the long-length structures, the
long-length structures 13z, 26Az, and 26Bz are inserted between the
long-length structures 11wz and 12wz which are overlapped with each
other. In addition, the long-length structures 26Az and 26Bz are
inserted in a state of being overlapped with each other and at a
position above the long-length structure 13z and below a portion in
which the outlet plug 20 is attached. With such a configuration,
the holding portions 25A and 25B are provided at positions opposing
each other; that is, positions overlapping in the front-and-back
direction.
[0094] In the laminating step of the long-length structures, the
long-length structures 11wz and 12wz are laminated in a manner such
that the sealant layers thereof oppose each other, and the
long-length structure 13z is mountain-folded in the upward
direction so that the sealant layer thereof opposes the
long-lengths structures 11wz and 12wz. Preferably, a hole that
forms the cut-out 21 and the cut-in lines 30A and 30B for providing
the openings 29A and 29B are formed before the sheets are
laminated. In addition, preferably, after the long-length structure
26Az and the long-length structure 11wz are heat-sealed and bonded,
and the long-length structure 26Bz and the long-length structure
12wz are heat-sealed and bonded, there long-length structures are
laminated with the long-length structure 13z.
[0095] In the long-length structures after the laminating step, the
seal portions are formed in the heat seal step. In the heat seal
step, for example, the seal portions are formed by heat sealing an
end edge of each long-length structure except for the upper end.
Then, using a die-cut roll or the like, for example, the
long-length structure is cut at a planned cut line 22w, to divide
into individual container size and to form the slanted side portion
23. Finally, the outlet plug 20 is attached to the slanted side
portion 23, to obtain the pouch container 10w. Preferably, a part
of the upper end seal portion 15w is formed after the container is
filled with the contents.
[0096] In the above-described example manufacturing process, there
is described an example method which uses the long-length
structures 26Az and 26Bz, but alternatively, in place of the
long-length structures 26Az and 26Bz, long-length gusset sheets may
be used. In this case, the long-length gusset sheet is supplied to
a bag-producing device, and the gusset sheet is cut along a fold
line before or after the sheet is heat-sealed to the wall-surface
sheet, to separate the holding portions 25A and 25B.
[0097] Next, with reference to FIGS. 21-23, an operation and an
effect of the pouch container 10w will be described in detail.
FIGS. 21 and 22 show holding of the pouch container 10w using the
holding portions 25A and 25B. For example, when the contents are
taken out from the pouch container 10w, the cap 19 is detached from
the spout 18, and the container is holded with a single hand
(hereinafter, this hand is assumed to be the right hand), and the
spout 18 is tilted vertically downward. In this process, for
example, four fingers; that is, the index finger, the middle
finger, the ring finger, and the little finger, are inserted from
the second end side into the internal space of the holding portion
25A, and the thumb is inserted into the internal space 27B of the
holding portion 25B. In particular, the index finger, the middle
finger, the ring finger, and the little finger can be inserted
deeply into the internal space 27A. For example, the fingertip can
be bent so that the finger is hooked on the interior sheet 26A
which is flexible, to enable film holding of the pouch container
10w. In this process, the tongue pieces 34A and 35A are folded, for
example, into the inside of the internal spaces 27A and 27B.
[0098] Because the fingers inserted into the internal spaces 27A
and 27B are covered by the front and back surface sheets down to
the root, even if the contents are spilled by an unintentional
movement, contact of the contents with the fingers can be
prevented. For example, even when direct contact of the contents on
the skin is not preferable, such as in the case where the contents
are poisonous substances such as chemicals, it is possible to
execute the extraction operation safely.
[0099] FIG. 23 shows holding of the pouch container 10w by hooking
the fingers (the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger,
and the little finger) on the edge of the second end side of the
opening 29A of the holding portion 25A. In the holding form shown
in FIG. 23, only the holding portion 25A is used. In this process,
the tongue piece 34A is folded into the internal space 27A. By
leaving the tongue piece 34A, the contact of the finger on the end
of the front surface sheet 11w is prevented, the finger is not hurt
even when a large load is applied to the finger, and the holding
characteristic can be improved.
[0100] The pouch container 10w is stably held with the holding
portions 25A and 25B. Because of this, even when the pouch
container 10w is applied for a refilling container having a large
container capacity, a superior refilling operation is possible. In
addition, the holding portions 25A and 25B of the pouch container
10w have a structure which does not affect the container capacity.
In other words, the container capacity is not reduced by the
provision of the holding portions 25A and 25B, and the outer shape
of the container does not need to be enlarged in order to secure
the container capacity.
[0101] FIGS. 24-26 show an alternative configuration of the pouch
container 10. Here, only a structure on the front surface side is
shown, but preferably, the back surface side has a same structure
as the front surface side.
[0102] In the pouch container 10x exemplified in FIG. 24, a
plurality of openings 29Ax are formed at portions overlapping the
interior sheet 26A of a front surface sheet 11x. The openings 29Ax
are provided aligned in the up-and-down direction with a spacing
therebetween. In the example configuration shown in FIG. 24, four
openings 29A opened in a circular shape viewed from the front and
having no tongue piece are formed by cut-in lines 30Ax having a
circular shape. Alternatively, the shape and number of openings can
be suitably changed. Into the four openings 29Ax, for example, the
index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little
finger are inserted, respectively.
[0103] In a pouch container 10y exemplified in FIG. 25, an opening
29Ay having an approximate quadrangular shape elongated along the
up-and-down direction is formed in the front surface sheet 11y at a
portion overlapping an interior sheet 26Ay. The opening 29Ay has a
shape similar to the opening 29A when the opening 29A is opened
with the tongue pieces 34A and 35A folded into the internal space
27A. The opening 29Ay is formed by a cut-in line 30Ay having an
approximate quadrangular shape. In the example configuration shown
in FIG. 25, a transparent sheet is used for the interior sheet
26Ay, and the amount of contents can be checked through the
interior sheet 26Ay exposed by the opening 29Ay. On the portion of
the interior sheet 26Ay which is exposed, for example, a tick mark
36 may be formed. With such a configuration, the amount of the
contents can be measured accurately.
[0104] In a pouch container 10z exemplified in FIG. 26, a width of
an interior sheet 26Az is set shorter than a width of the front
surface sheet 11. In other words, the interior sheet 26Az is
provided at a region limited to a region near the opening 29A. In
such a configuration, the internal space of a holding portion 25Az
is smaller than that of the pouch container 10.
Second Preferred Embodiment
[0105] A pouch container 50 according to a second preferred
embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail
with reference to FIGS. 27-32. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the
pouch container 50, and shows a state where the container is filled
with the contents. FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the
pouch container 50, and FIG. 29 is a vertical cross-sectional
diagram of the pouch container 50. In the second preferred
embodiment, a back surface of the pouch container 50 is described
as a first surface and a front surface is described as a second
surface. The pouch container 50 includes, as wall-surface sheets
forming the first surface (back surface) and the second surface
(front surface) which oppose each other, a back surface sheet 58
(first surface sheet) and a front surface sheet 60 (second surface
sheet).
[0106] As shown in FIGS. 27-29, the pouch container 50 is a
standing pouch including, similar to the first preferred
embodiment, the front surface sheet 60, the back surface sheet 58
which forms a tubular structure along with the front surface sheet
60, and a bottom gusset sheet 62 which connects lower ends of the
front and back surface sheets. The pouch container 50 further
includes a top gusset sheet 64. The pouch container 50 is largely
separated into a container body 52 formed by pasting a plurality of
sheets, and an outlet plug 54 attached to the container body 52.
The pouch container 50 is formed by bonding together the front
surface sheet 60 (second surface sheet) forming a front surface of
the container body 52, the back surface sheet 58 (first surface
sheet) forming a back surface, the bottom gusset sheet 62 forming a
bottom gusset (godet), and the top gusset sheet 64 forming a top
gusset (godet).
[0107] The container body 52 has an approximate cylindrical shape
with a thickness corresponding to the sizes of the gusset sheets 62
and 64, and is a standing pouch which can self-stand. The container
body 52 may be formed with the above-described sheets being
different sheets, or alternatively may be formed by folding one
sheet. In the following description, the container body is assumed
to be formed from different sheets. The outlet plug 54 has a
structure similar to the outlet plug 20 used in the first preferred
embodiment, has an approximate tubular structure made of a hard
resin, and is attached to the upper end of the container body 52.
When the contents of the pouch container 50 are to be poured out,
the pouch container 50 is held and tilted. In order to facilitate
the pour-out process, in the present embodiment, a holding portion
68 held by the user is provided only on the side of the front
surface sheet 60 of the pouch container 50. The holding portion 68
is provided at a lower side of the container in relation the outlet
plug 54. Structures of the portions of the pouch container 50 will
now be described in detail.
[0108] As described above, the container body 52 is made of a
plurality of sheets. The front surface sheet 60 and the back
surface sheet 58 are placed opposing each other, the sides are
pasted, and an approximate tubular shape is formed. The locations
of the front surface sheet 60 and the back surface sheet 58 where
the sides are heat-sealed form a side seal portion 70s. The front
surface sheet 60 and the back surface sheet 58 have approximately
the same width. In addition, for the convenience of the
manufacture, a length in the up-and-down direction of the front
surface sheet 60; that is, the sheet on the surface on which the
holding portion 68 is formed, is shorter than a length in the
up-and-down direction of the back surface sheet 58; that is, the
sheet on the surface on which the outlet plug 54 is attached, and
the position of the upper end of the front surface sheet 60 is
lower than a position of the upper end of the back surface sheet
58.
[0109] On an inner surface of the front surface sheet 60, an
interior sheet 66 is bonded. The interior sheet 66 has only its
peripheral edge bonded to the front surface sheet 60, and the
center portion thereof is not bonded to the front surface sheet 60.
Because of this, a space independent from the internal space of the
pouch container 50 is formed between the interior sheet 66 and the
front surface sheet 60. Of the front surface sheet 60, at a
location overlapping the interior sheet 66, an opening is formed.
The opening becomes an opening 71 for the user to insert the
fingers when the pouch container 50 is held. The user inserts the
fingers from the opening 71 into the space between the front
surface sheet 60 and the interior sheet 66, and grips a part of the
front surface sheet 60 or hooks the fingers on the front surface
sheet 60. In other words, the opening 71 formed in the interior
sheet 66 and the front surface sheet 60 forms the holding portion
68 for holding the pouch container 50. No particular limitation is
imposed on a formation position of the holding portion 68 so long
as the holding portion 68 is on the side of the front surface sheet
60 and is at a lower side of the container than the top gusset
sheet 64. However, in consideration of the stability when the pouch
container 50 is held, the holding portion 68 is preferably provided
at approximately the same height position as the height of the
center of gravity of the pouch container 50.
[0110] No particular limitation is imposed on the size of the
interior sheet 66 so long as a space into which the finger is
inserted can be formed between the interior sheet 66 and the front
surface sheet 60. However, in consideration of the productivity or
the like, the interior sheet 66 is provided over the entire width
of the front surface sheet 60. In other words, the width of the
interior sheet 66 is preferably set at the same width as the front
surface sheet 60. With such a configuration, the pouch container 50
can be easily and inexpensively manufactured by existing bag
production processes using a long-length sheet. In addition, by
providing the holding portion 68 by inserting the interior sheet 66
between the front and back surface sheets, it becomes possible to
manufacture the pouch container 50 using typical front and back
surface sheets having a sealant layer on one surface.
[0111] The bottom gusset sheet 62 is a sheet which connects the
lower end of the front surface sheet 60 and the lower end of the
back surface sheet 58. The bottom gusset sheet 62 is
mountain-folded in the upward direction and sandwiched between the
front and back surface sheets. In this state, the peripheral edge
of the bottom gusset sheet 62 and the front and back surface sheets
are bonded together. The locations where the peripheral edge of the
bottom gusset sheet 62 and the lower ends of the front surface
sheet 60 and the back surface sheet 58 are heat-sealed become a
bottom seal portion 70b. When the pouch container 50 is filled with
the contents, the mountain-folded bottom gusset sheet 62 is
expanded and widened, and gives a thickness to the pouch container
50.
[0112] The top gusset sheet 64 is a sheet which connects an upper
end of the front surface sheet 60 and an upper end of the back
surface sheet 58. The top gusset sheet 64 is mountain-folded in the
downward direction, and sandwiched between the front and back
surface sheets. In this state, the peripheral edge of the top
gusset sheet 64 and the front and back surface sheets are bonded
together. The locations where the peripheral edge of the top gusset
sheet 64 and the upper ends of the front and back surface sheets
are heat-sealed become a top seal portion 70t. In the present
embodiment, the upper end position of the front surface sheet 60 is
lower than the upper end position of the back surface sheet 58.
Therefore, the top seal portion 70t on the side of the front
surface sheet 60 is lower than the top seal portion 70t on the side
of the back surface sheet 58.
[0113] At the top seal portion 70t which is the bonding location
between the top gusset sheet 64 and the back surface sheet 58, the
outlet plug 54 is attached. The outlet plug 54 is an approximate
tubular structure made of a hard resin. The outlet plug 54
comprises a spout 74 bonded to the container body 52, and a cap 76
screwed to the spout 74. As shown in FIG. 28, on the spout 74, a
flange 74a is formed at the center in the up-and-down direction,
and an attachment portion 74b bonded to the container body 52 is
formed at a position lower than the flange 74a. The attachment
portion 74b has an approximate ship shape in which a lateral
cross-section becomes thinner toward the outer side in a width
direction of the pouch container 50. As will be described later in
detail, in the state where the attachment portion 74b is sandwiched
between the upper end of the back surface sheet 58 and the end of
the top gusset sheet 64, the upper end of the back surface sheet 58
and the end of the top gusset sheet 64 are heat-sealed, so that the
spout 74 is fixed on the container body 52.
[0114] The sheets forming the container body 52 are formed from,
for example, resin films. For the materials forming the sheets, the
lamination structure of the sheets, or the like, structures similar
to the first preferred embodiment can be applied. On the sheet, a
printing layer (not shown) may be provided for displaying the
product name of the contents, product explanation such as materials
and cautions on use, various other designs, or the like.
[0115] As described above, in the present embodiment, the container
body 52 has a form having the bottom gusset and the top gusset, the
outlet plug 54 is provided on the side of the back surface sheet
58, and the holding portion 68 for holding the pouch container 50
is provided on the side of the front surface sheet 60. Such a
configuration is employed for the following reason.
[0116] When the contents of the pouch container 50 are to be poured
out, the pouch container 50 obviously must be held and tilted. In
this process, when there is no holding portion 68 on the pouch
container 50, the user must grip the body portion or the like of
the pouch container 50 directly with the hand. However, if the
force of gripping the body portion is strong, the pouch container
50 may be compressed, and the contents may burst out. On the other
hand, if the force of gripping the body portion is weak, the pouch
container 50 cannot be held and the pouch container 50 may fall
down. Thus, the force application is very sensitive. Because of
this, in the case of the pouch container 50 having no holding
portion 68, when the contents are to be poured out, it is necessary
to hold the body portion of the pouch container with one hand and
place the other hand at the bottom of the pouch container 50. In
other words, in the case of the pouch container 50 having no
holding portion 68, the pour-out operation with a single hand is
difficult.
[0117] In consideration of this, provision of the holding portion
in the standing pouch has been proposed. For example, as shown in
FIG. 35, there is proposed a configuration in which a hole 102
which becomes the holding portion is formed at a seal portion 101
of a pouch container 100. However, in this case, in order to form
the holding portion, a dedicated seal portion 101 must be secured,
and a capacity with respect to the size of the pouch container 100
would be reduced. In addition, as shown in FIG. 36, another
configuration is proposed in which a handle 111 which becomes the
holding portion is attached on the back surface of a pouch
container 110 having a bottom gusset. According to such a
configuration, even if the holding portion is provided, the
capacity is not reduced.
[0118] In the case of the pouch container 110 which has only the
bottom gusset and has no top gusset as shown in FIG. 36, the
thickness of the pouch container 110 becomes thinner toward the top
portion side. Because of this, the capacity is smaller compared to
the pouch container 50 having the same width and the same length in
the up-and-down direction. In addition, in a shop or the like, a
plurality of pouch containers are laid out side by side. In this
case, if the pouch container is the pouch container 110 having only
the bottom gusset, even when the pouch containers are placed with
the bottoms of the plurality of pouch containers 110 touching each
other, spaces are inevitably formed between the top portions.
[0119] Further, in consideration of the circumstances of the
pour-out operation, in the case of the pouch container 110, because
the thickness is increased toward the bottom portion, the center of
gravity of the container as a whole is at a relative low position.
In order to grip only the handle 111 placed at the back surface and
tilt the pouch container 110 having the center of gravity at a low
position, a larger force would be required as compared to the case
of the pouch container 50. Because of this, normally, the pouch
container 110 is tilted while griping the handle 111 and placing a
hand on the bottom portion of the pouch container 110. Moreover,
when the contents flow downward due to the force of gravity when
the pouch container 110 is tilted, the relative positional
relationship of the center of gravity with respect to the handle
111 tends to drastically change. The user must adjust the angle of
tilting the pouch container 110 or the like according to the
drastic change of the position of the center of gravity.
Furthermore, because the pouch container 110 has a thinner
thickness on the top portion side as compared to the pouch
container 50, the pouch container 110 is more easily deformed as
the amount of the contents is reduced.
[0120] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, both the top
gusset sheet 64 and the bottom gusset sheet 62 are provided. With
such a configuration, the container as a whole has an approximately
uniform thickness. As a result, the amount of contents can be
increased in comparison to the width and the height. In addition,
when a plurality of the containers are laid out side by side in the
shop or the like, a dead space tends not to be created, and the
exhibition space can be effectively utilized.
[0121] In addition, by setting the thickness to an approximately
uniform thickness over the entirety of the pouch container 50, the
position of the center of gravity can be set at a high position.
Therefore, the container can be more easily tilted than the pouch
container 110. In addition, because the thickness is approximately
uniform over the entire container, even when the pouch container 50
is tilted and the contents flow to the side of the outlet plug 54,
the change of the relative positional relationship of the center of
gravity with respect to the holding portion 68 is small. As a
result, the pouch container can be stably tilted without a
sensitive force adjustment. In addition, because the pouch
container 50 has a thickness over the whole structure, even when
the mount of the contents is reduced, folding or narrowing tends
not to occur, and the pouch container 50 is not easily deformed. As
a result, a stable pour-out operation is enabled even with a single
hand.
[0122] In the present embodiment, the outlet plug 54 is provided on
a surface opposite the holding portion 68. Because of this, as
shown in FIG. 30, when the pouch container 50 is held in a manner
such that the holding portion 68 is positioned at an upper side in
the force of gravity direction, the outlet plug 54 positioned at
the opposite side of the holding portion 68 is always positioned at
a lower side in the force of gravity direction. As a result, the
contents of the pouch container 50 smoothly flow to the outlet plug
54 by the action of the force of gravity.
[0123] In the present embodiment, the holding portion 68 is formed
from the opening 71 formed in the front surface sheet 60 and the
interior sheet 66 heat-sealed on the front surface sheet 60. With
such a configuration, the pouch container 50 having the holding
portion 68 can be easily and inexpensively manufactured by the
existing bag production process using a long-length sheet. In the
related art, there is proposed a configuration in which a holding
portion (handle) made of a material separate from the sheet forming
the container body is attached on the pouch container, but in such
a configuration, the holding portion cannot be formed in the
existing bag production process such as cutting, folding, and
bonding of the sheet materials, and a dedicated process must be
provided for forming the holding portion. As a result, the cost of
the pouch container having the holding portion would be increased
and the manufacturing process thereof would become complicated.
[0124] Next, manufacturing steps of the pouch container 50 will be
described with reference to FIGS. 31 and 32. FIGS. 31 and 32 are
diagrams showing manufacturing steps of the pouch container 50. In
FIGS. 31(a)-32(b), the sheet are shown as short-length sheet
pieces, but in reality, the sheet are long-length sheets until the
sheets are cut in FIG. 32(c).
[0125] When the pouch container 50 is manufactured, first, the top
gusset sheet 64 which is mountain-folded, the bottom gusset sheet
62, and the interior sheet 66 are placed between the front and back
surface sheets (FIG. 31(a)). In this process, the front and back
surface sheets are placed such that the sealant layers thereof
oppose each other. In addition, the top gusset sheet 64 and the
bottom gusset sheet 62 are mountain-folded such that the sealant
layers thereof are at the outer side. Further, for the interior
sheet 66, a sheet having the heat seal characteristic on both
surfaces is used.
[0126] After the sheet are placed, punch machining is executed
using a punching machine 80 on the front surface sheet 60, to form
the opening 71 in the front surface sheet 60 (FIG. 31(b)). Then, in
a state where a heat insulation plate 82 is placed below the
interior sheet 66, the upper and lower ends of the interior sheet
66 and the front surface sheet 60 are heat-sealed (FIG. 31(c)). The
heat seal is executed by pressurizing and heating the outer surface
of the front surface sheet 60 with a thermal seal bar 84 having a
linear heating unit.
[0127] Then, a heat insulation plate 86 is placed between the
portions of the mountain-folded top gusset sheet 64. In this state,
the peripheral edge of the top gusset sheet 64 and the ends of the
front and back surface sheets are heat-sealed, and the peripheral
edge of the bottom gusset sheet 62 and the ends of the front and
back surface sheets are heat-sealed (FIG. 31(d)). The heat seal is
executed by pressurizing and heating the outer surfaces of the
front and back surface sheets by a thermal seal plate 88 having a
heating unit of a desired seal shape. In a subsequent process, the
outlet plug 54 is inserted between the center of the upper end of
the back surface sheet 58 and the center of the upper end of the
top gusset sheet 64. In order to allow this insertion of the outlet
plug 54, the back surface sheet 58 and the top gusset sheet 64 are
heat-sealed only at the sides in the width direction of the upper
end, and the center portion in the width direction of the upper end
is maintained in an unsealed state.
[0128] FIG. 32(a) shows the pouch container 50 after the heat seal
step. Next, the side of the front surface sheet 60 of the top
gusset sheet 64 which is folded double is formed into a standing
form (FIG. 32(b)). This is realized by, for example, inserting in
advance a guiderail 90 which gradually deforms from a horizontal
state into a vertical state between the portions of the top gusset
sheet 64 which is folded double, and transporting the pouch
container 50 along the guiderail 90. After the side of the front
surface sheet 60 of the top gusset sheet 64 is formed in the
standing form, the upper ends of the top gusset sheet 64 and the
front surface sheet 60 which overlap each other are cut, to set the
height of the upper end to be lower than that on the side of the
back surface sheet 58.
[0129] After the top gusset sheet 64 and the front surface sheet 60
are cut, the top gusset sheet 64 is again tilted, and the pouch
container 50 is returned to the flat state. The side portions of
the pouch container 50 are heat-sealed. In this process, a point
seal Ps is also applied for bonding the ends in the width direction
of the bottom seal portion 70b formed by the front surface sheet 60
and the bottom gusset sheet 62 and the ends in the width direction
of the bottom seal portion 70b formed by the back surface sheet 58
and the bottom gusset sheet 62. Similarly, a point seal Ps is also
applied for bonding the ends in the width direction of the top seal
portion 70t formed by the front surface sheet 60 and the top gusset
sheet 64 and the ends in the width direction of the top seal
portion 70t formed from the back surface sheet 58 and the top
gusset sheet 64. After the side seal portion 70s and the point seal
Ps are formed, the long-length sheet is cut in a width of each
pouch container 50 (FIG. 32(c)). FIG. 32(d) shows the pouch
container 50 after the cutting process.
[0130] Then, the outlet plug 54 is inserted between the top gusset
sheet 64 and the back surface sheet 58. Specifically, first, in a
state where the top gusset sheet 64 is suctioned and held by a
first suctioning member (not shown) and the back surface sheet 58
is suctioned and held by a second suctioning member (not shown),
the first and second suctioning members are moved in directions
away from each other so that a gap is formed between the back
surface sheet 58 and the top gusset sheet 64. Then, the attachment
portion 74b of the outlet plug 54 is inserted into the gap. After
the attachment portion 74b of the outlet plug 54 is inserted
between the back surface sheet 58 and the top gusset sheet 64,
while the state of sandwiching the attachment portion 74b is
maintained, the upper end of the back surface sheet 58 and the
upper end of the top gusset sheet 64 are heat-sealed. As is clear
from FIG. 32(d), in the present embodiment, the front surface sheet
60 is cut during the manufacturing, and is set lower than the back
surface sheet 58. Because of this, the upper end of the back
surface sheet 58 is not hidden by the front surface sheet 60, and
is exposed outside. This enables easy execution of the operation to
separate the back surface sheet 58 and the top gusset sheet 64, the
operation to insert the attachment portion 74b between the sheets,
and the operation to heat seal the upper ends of the sheets, which
are described above.
[0131] As is clear from the above description, in the present
embodiment, the holding portion 68 is formed from a sheet similar
to the sheet forming the pouch container 50. As a result, the
holding portion 68 can be easily formed by only adding, to the
typical processes for the pouch container 50, a formation step of
the opening 71 on the front surface sheet 60 (FIG. 31(b)) and a
bonding step of the front surface sheet 60 and the interior sheet
66 (FIG. 31(c)). In other words, the pouch container 50 having the
holding portion 68 can be manufactured without significantly
changing the manufacturing process of the related art. In addition,
by cutting the upper end of the front surface sheet 60 during the
manufacturing process to set the upper end at a lower position than
the back surface sheet 58, it becomes possible to execute the
attachment step of the outlet plug 54 by similar procedures as that
in the related art.
[0132] Alternatively, the above-described cutting step of the front
surface sheet 60 (FIG. 32(b)) may be omitted. In this case, the
formation of the point seal Ps may be executed after the attachment
of the outlet plug 54, instead of before the attachment.
Specifically, when the point seal Ps is not formed in the step of
FIG. 32(c), one side of the top gusset sheet 64 which is folded may
still be lifted as shown in FIG. 32(b). Therefore, after the side
seal portion 70s is formed and the long-length sheet is cut into a
predetermined width, the side of the front surface sheet 60 of the
top gusset sheet 64 may be shaped in a standing manner using the
guiderail 90, the side of the back surface sheet 58 may be exposed
to the outside, and the outlet plug 54 may be attached in this
state. After the outlet plug 54 is attached, the point seal Ps may
be formed. With the use of such a manufacturing method, the length
of the front surface sheet 60 in the up-and-down direction can be
set at the same length as the length of the back surface sheet 58
in the up-and-down direction, and thus, the capacity of the overall
pouch container 50 can be further increased.
[0133] In FIG. 27, as described above, two long holes elongated in
the up-and-down direction and aligned along the width direction are
exemplified as the opening 71. In this case, of the front surface
sheet 60, a portion sandwiched between the two long holes (band
portion) functions as a handle to be gripped by the user. However,
the shape, number, and size of the opening 71 are not limited so
long as the fingers can be inserted. Therefore, the opening 71 may
be, for example, a cut-in in which the front surface sheet 60 is
broken in a line in place of the long-hole opening. In addition,
the number of the openings 71 may be plural or one. When a
plurality of openings 71 are employed, as shown in FIG. 27, of the
front surface sheet 60, a portion between the opening 71 and the
opening 71 functions as the handle gripped by the user. In
addition, in FIG. 27, the opening 71 is shown to have a longer
length in the up-and-down direction, but the opening 71 may
alternatively be elongated in the width direction, so long as the
opening 71 has a length to allow insertion of the finger.
Alternatively, four openings into each of which each finger can be
inserted may be formed in an aligned manner (refer to FIG. 24
showing the first preferred embodiment), and the fingers may be
inserted into respective openings when the pouch container 50 is
held.
[0134] In a pouch container 50x shown in FIG. 33, a tongue piece 78
is provided on a holding portion 68x. FIG. 33 is a perspective view
of the pouch container 50x in which the tongue piece 78 is provided
on the opening 71 (state where the tongue piece 78 is folded
inside), and FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional diagram along a line GG
of FIG. 33. In the tongue piece 78, a part thereof is connected to
a front surface sheet 60x at an edge of the opening 71, and the
remaining part is separated from the front surface sheet 60x. When
the pouch container 50x is held, the tongue piece 78 is turned
(folded) outside or inside as shown in FIG. 33. In this case, a
curved surface 78a is formed by the tongue piece 78 at the edge of
the opening 71. Because of the existence of the curved surface 78a,
biting of the finger by the edge of the opening 71 is reduced and
the holding characteristic is improved.
[0135] The opening and cut-in forming the opening 71 do not need to
be formed in advance, and a perforation or a half-cut line for
forming the opening or cut-in may be formed in the front surface
sheet 60. In this case, the user may break the front surface sheet
along the perforation and half-cut line to form the opening 71 when
the holding portion 68 is required such as when the contents are to
be poured.
[0136] The interior sheet 66 preferably has the same width as the
front surface sheet 60 for the convenience of manufacture, but the
width is not necessarily the same width, and the width of the
interior sheet 66 may be set smaller than the width of the front
surface sheet 60. In addition, an end surface of the interior sheet
66 can be isolated from the internal space of the pouch container
50 similar to the case of the first preferred embodiment (refer to
FIGS. 10-12).
[0137] The structure described above is merely exemplary, and the
structures may be suitably changed so long as the pouch container
is a pouch container 50 having the bottom gusset sheet 62 and the
top gusset sheet 64, and has the holding portion 68 on the side
opposite from the attachment surface of the outlet plug 54. For
example, the size (aspect ratio) or the like of the pouch container
50 may be suitable changed.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
First Preferred Embodiment
[0138] 10 POUCH CONTAINER; 11 FRONT SURFACE SHEET; 12 BACK SURFACE
SHEET; 13 BOTTOM GUSSET SHEET; 14 FILLING PORTION; 15 UPPER END
SEAL PORTION; 16 BOTTOM SEAL PORTION; 17 SIDE SEAL PORTION; 18
SPOUT; 19 CAP; 20 OUTLET PLUG; 21 CUT-OUT; 22 PLANNED CUT LINE; 23
SLANTED SIDE PORTION; 25 HOLDING PORTION; 26 INTERIOR SHEET; 27
INTERNAL SPACE; 28 END EDGE SEAL PORTION; 29 OPENING; 30 CUT-IN; 31
BAND PORTION; 32, 34A, 34B, 35A, 35B TONGUE PIECE; 33 TAPE; 35
TICK
Second Preferred Embodiment
[0139] 50 POUCH CONTAINER; 52 CONTAINER BODY; 54 OUTLET PLUG; 58
BACK SURFACE SHEET (FIRST SURFACE SHEET); 60 FRONT SURFACE SHEET
(SECOND SURFACE SHEET); 62 BOTTOM GUSSET SHEET; 64 TOP GUSSET
SHEET; 66 INTERIOR SHEET; 68 HOLDING PORTION; 70 SEAL PORTION; 71
OPENING; 74 SPOUT; 76 CAP; 78 TONGUE PIECE; 80 PUNCHING MACHINE;
82, 86 HEAT INSULATION PLATE; 84 THERMAL SEAL BAR; 88 THERMAL SEAL
PLATE; 90 GUIDERAIL
* * * * *