JP7528616B2 - Pouch - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a standing pouch with enhanced self-supporting properties.

Conventionally, pouches called standing pouches, which have a bottom gusset and can stand on their own, have been used. Furthermore, pouches in which the top and bottom are cut into a specific shape to improve the ability to stand on their own have also been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-247136 A

However, the above conventional pouches have the problem that the processing is complicated, such as cutting the shape of the film itself.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a pouch that can be easily manufactured and has high self-supporting properties.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A pouch having a bottom gusset formed by sandwiching a folded bottom film between a first side film and a second side film,
An upper edge;
a lower edge portion opposite the upper edge portion;
a first side edge and a second side edge extending between the upper edge and the lower edge;
a second side edge seal formed along the second side edge;
a first upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position close to the second side edge portion and in which inner surfaces of the first surface films are joined together;
a second upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position close to the second side edge portion and in which inner surfaces of the second surface films are joined together;
a third upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position near the first side edge portion and at which the first surface film and the second surface film are joined;
a portion of the second side edge seal portion is disposed between the first top edge seal portion and the second top edge seal portion;
The pouch is provided such that the second side edge is disposed closer to the first side edge as it approaches the top edge.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
A folding line may be formed in the folded-back portions of the first surface film and the second surface film, the folding line extending in a direction from the upper edge portion to the lower edge portion.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The intended fold lines may be formed only at positions close to the upper edge portion.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
A pouch having a bottom gusset formed by sandwiching a folded bottom film between a first side film and a second side film,
An upper edge;
a lower edge portion opposite the upper edge portion;
a first side edge and a second side edge extending between the upper edge and the lower edge;
a second side edge seal formed along the second side edge,
The pouch has a folding line formed at a position near the second side edge, the folding line extending in a direction from the upper edge toward the lower edge.

The pouch of the present invention further comprises:
The intended fold lines may be formed only at positions close to the upper edge portion.

The present invention provides a pouch that can be easily manufactured and has high self-supporting properties.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a pouch (intermediate body) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a pouch (intermediate body) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing components constituting a pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a pouch according to an embodiment of the present invention during folding processing. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pouch according to the embodiment of the present invention during folding processing. FIG. 2 is a front view of a pouch in a sealed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a pouch in a sealed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a side view of the pouch shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the pouch shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view showing an intermediate pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing members constituting the pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. The pouch according to this embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 shows the pouch in an intermediate state (a state in which no contents are filled before folding). The intermediate pouch according to this embodiment has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and includes an upper edge portion 4 and a lower edge portion 5 facing each other, and a first side edge portion 6 and a second side edge portion 7 extending between the upper edge portion 4 and the lower edge portion 5.

The term "rectangle" as used herein includes not only rectangles with right-angled corners, but also rectangles with beveled corners that are convex outward, and other shapes that can be considered to be roughly rectangular. The term "pouch" also includes intermediate pouches (see Figs. 1 and 2), pouches that have been folded before filling, and pouches in their final form after being filled with contents (see Figs. 6 to 9). The pouch of this embodiment also has a bottom gusset 9 on the lower edge 5 side that has a first pleat 9a and a second pleat 9b. Because it has a bottom gusset 9, the pouch can be made to stand on its own by placing it with the upper edge 4 side facing up and the lower edge 5 side facing down.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pouch of this embodiment is constructed using three laminated films: a first surface film 1 having a substantially rectangular shape, a second surface film 2 having the same shape as the first surface film 1, and a bottom surface film 3 having a substantially rectangular shape. The pouch of this embodiment is formed by joining the three films, the first surface film 1, the second surface film 2, and the bottom surface film 3, at predetermined locations by heat sealing (thermal fusion) or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom film 3 is folded in half at the fold 3a, and divided into a first part 3f and a second part 3g with the fold 3a as the boundary. The bottom film 3 has four semicircular cutouts 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e that cut out the side edges, and the cutouts 3b and 3c, and the cutouts 3d and 3e are provided at positions corresponding to each other when the bottom film 3 is folded in half. The second bottom seal portion 15b, which will be described later, is formed through the cutouts 3b to 3e. In addition, from the viewpoint of stabilizing the self-supporting property, it is preferable that the distance from the fold 3a to the lower edge portion 5 of the pouch in the direction perpendicular to the fold 3a is, for example, about 35 mm. The fold 3a is also the boundary between the first fold portion 9a and the second fold portion 9b.

<Each seal part>
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pouch of this embodiment, in an intermediate state, comprises a bottom seal portion 15, a first side edge seal portion 16, and a second side edge seal portion 17, and an opening for filling the contents is formed on the upper edge 4 side with the upper edge seal portion 14' remaining unsealed. The bottom seal portion 15 includes a first bottom seal portion 15a and a second bottom seal portion 15b. In Figures 1 and 2, each seal portion is indicated by hatching with oblique lines.

The first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 are formed by sealing and joining the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2. The first side edge seal portion 16 is formed along the first side edge portion 6 so as to include the first side edge portion 6 (the left end in FIG. 1 and the right end in FIG. 2), and the second side edge seal portion 17 is formed along the second side edge portion 7 so as to include the second side edge portion 7 (the right end in FIG. 1 and the left end in FIG. 2). The seal width of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 is preferably, for example, 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less. The seal width is the width in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the seal portion extends.

The bottom seal portion 15 is a seal portion formed on the lower edge portion 5 side (lower side in Figs. 1 and 2) of the folded portion 3a, and is composed of a first bottom seal portion 15a and a second bottom seal portion 15b. The first bottom seal portion 15a is formed by sealing the first surface film 1 and the first portion 3f of the bottom film 3, and the second surface film 2 and the second portion 3g of the bottom film 3. The second bottom seal portion 15b is formed by sealing the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the second bottom seal portion 15b formed on the first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7 has a semicircular shape with an arc-shaped inner side.

<Bottom gusset>
The first portion 3f of the bottom film 3 and the portion of the first surface film 1 corresponding to the first portion 3f of the bottom film 3 are joined by the first bottom seal portion 15a to form the first fold portion 9a. The second portion 3g of the bottom film 3 and the portion of the second surface film 2 corresponding to the second portion 3g of the bottom film 3 are joined by the first bottom seal portion 15a to form the second fold portion 9b. The first fold portion 9a and the second fold portion 9b form the bottom gusset portion 9. In the front view of FIG. 1, the first fold portion 9a is visible below the fold portion 3a. In the rear view of FIG. 2, the second fold portion 9b is visible below the fold portion 3a.

<Folding line>
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 are formed with planned fold lines 18 and 19, respectively. The planned fold lines 18 and 19 are lines extending in a direction connecting the upper edge portion 4 and the lower edge portion 5, and are preferably straight line segments parallel to the first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7. The shape of the planned fold lines 18 and 19 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, they are recesses with a V-shaped cross section formed by thermal scoring. In this embodiment, the recesses are formed on the outer surface sides of the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2, respectively, i.e., on the sides of the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 that do not face each other.

The formation range of the planned fold lines 18, 19 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, they are formed from the upper edge 4 to a position exactly halfway between the upper edge 4 and the lower edge 5. In this embodiment, since there is no need to fold the second side edge 7 side significantly near the lower edge 5, the planned fold lines 18, 19 are less important in positions near the lower edge 5. However, the planned fold lines 18, 19 may be formed from the upper edge 4 to the lower edge 5.

1 and 2, W is the distance between the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17, and indicates the width of the storage portion 11. The width (distance) W is the so-called inner width of the pouch. Also, in FIG. 1, CL indicates an imaginary center line. This center line CL is a straight line that is equidistant to the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17. Therefore, the distance between the center line CL and each of the inner edges of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 is W/2. In this embodiment, the planned fold lines 18 and 19 are formed at a position that is equidistant to the center line CL and the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17. Therefore, the distance between the center line CL and each of the second side edge seal portion 17 and the planned fold lines 18 and 19 is W/4. That is, the fold lines 18, 19 are formed at a position 1/4 of the inner width of the pouch from the second side edge seal portion 17.

When folded, the second side edge seal portion 17 is preferably located not closer to the first side edge 6 side than the center line CL. If the second side edge seal portion 17 is closer to the first side edge 6 side than the center line CL, the end of the second side edge seal portion 17 on the upper edge 4 side will be separated from the upper edge 4 at a position closer to the first side edge 6. This will cause the pouch shape to lose its balance, and will in turn impair its self-supporting ability. Therefore, it is preferable that the folding lines 18, 19 are formed at a position 1/4 or less of the inner width of the pouch from the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17. Also, if the second side edge seal portion 17 is not folded significantly, the upper edge side of the pouch will not become narrow, and it will be difficult to sufficiently improve the self-supporting ability. Therefore, it is preferable that the folding lines 18, 19 are formed at a position 1/8 or more of the inner width of the pouch from the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the intermediate pouch is a pouch formed by sandwiching a folded bottom film 3 between a first surface film 1 and a second surface film 2, and has a bottom gusset portion 9. The intermediate pouch shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has an upper edge portion 4, a lower edge portion 5 opposite the upper edge portion 4, a first side edge portion 6 and a second side edge portion 7 extending between the upper edge portion 4 and the lower edge portion 5, and a second side edge seal portion 17 formed along the second side edge portion 7, and is a pouch in which folding lines 18, 19 are formed near the second side edge portion 7, extending in a direction from the upper edge portion 4 toward the lower edge portion 5. Furthermore, the intermediate pouch shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a pouch in which folding lines 18, 19 are formed only near the upper edge portion 4.

<When folding>
The intermediate pouches as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be shipped as products and delivered to a filler who fills the contents. For example, when the contents are food, the filler is a food manufacturer. The filler fills the delivered intermediate pouch with the contents and performs additional processing to obtain a sealed pouch filled with the contents. Fig. 4 is a front view of a pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention during folding processing. Fig. 5 is a rear view of a pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention during folding processing. Fig. 4 corresponds to the front view of Fig. 1 and shows a state in which the second side edge 7 of the intermediate pouch shown in Fig. 1 is folded toward the first side edge 6. Fig. 5 corresponds to the rear view of Fig. 2 and shows a state in which the second side edge 7 of the intermediate pouch shown in Fig. 2 is folded toward the first side edge 6.

The folding is performed by fixing the first fold line portion 18a, which is the portion of the planned fold line 18 at the upper edge portion 14' to be sealed, and the first fold line portion 19a, which is the portion of the planned fold line 19 at the upper edge portion 14' to be sealed. Specifically, in the first surface film 1, the first fold line portion 18a is fixed, and the first surface film 1 is folded so that its inner surfaces overlap each other. Similarly, in the second surface film 2, the first fold line portion 19a is fixed, and the second surface film 2 is folded so that its inner surfaces overlap each other.

When folding, the second side edge 7 near the lower edge 5 is held lightly with a relatively weak force so that it can move. Therefore, the second side edge 7 near the lower edge 5 is pulled by the fold near the upper edge 4 and moves slightly. The fold is performed by moving the position where the inner edge of the second side edge seal 17 intersects with the upper edge 4 to a position where it overlaps with the center line CL. As a result, the pouch has a shape that is narrow on the upper edge 4 side and wide on the lower edge 5 side, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The contents are filled from between the inner edge of the first side edge seal 16 and the inner edge of the second side edge seal 17 on the narrowed upper edge side.

<Storage section>
After the contents are accommodated (filled) through the opening on the upper edge 4 side, the first upper edge seal portion 14a, the second upper edge seal portion 14b, and the third upper edge seal portion 14c are formed in the upper edge seal portion (above the dashed line) indicated as 14' in Figs. 4 and 5, and the pouch is sealed (see Figs. 6 and 7). Fig. 6 is a front view of the pouch in a sealed state. Fig. 7 is a rear view of the pouch in a sealed state. Fig. 8 is a side view of the pouch in a sealed state. Fig. 8 shows a side view seen from the direction of the arrow E in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the pouch in a sealed state. In Fig. 9, Fig. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 6, Fig. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 6, Fig. 9(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Fig. 6, and Fig. 9(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Fig. 6. For convenience of illustration, the contents are omitted in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first upper edge seal portion 14a is formed along the upper edge portion 4 from the center line CL to the first portion of the planned fold line 18a. As shown in FIG. 7, the second upper edge seal portion 14b is formed along the upper edge portion 4 from the center line CL to the first portion of the planned fold line 19a. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the third upper edge seal portion 14c is formed along the upper edge portion 4 from the first side edge seal portion 16 to the center line CL. In the front view of FIG. 6, the second upper edge seal portion 14b is hidden behind the first upper edge seal portion 14a, and in the rear view of FIG. 7, the first upper edge seal portion 14a is hidden by the second upper edge seal portion 14b. The first upper edge seal portion 14a is a seal portion that joins the inner surfaces of the first surface film 1 together. The second upper edge seal portion 14b is a seal portion that joins the inner surfaces of the second surface film 2. The third upper edge seal portion 14c is a seal portion that joins the inner surfaces of the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2.

The portion of the first surface film 1 joined by the first upper edge seal portion 14a forms the third pleat portion 25a, and the portion of the second surface film 2 joined by the second upper edge seal portion 14b forms the fourth pleat portion 25b. The third pleat portion 25a and the fourth pleat portion 25b formed near the upper edge portion 4 form a gusset-like shape on the side of the pouch. The end portion of the second side edge seal portion 17 near the upper edge portion 4 is sandwiched between the third pleat portion 25a and the fourth pleat portion 25b.

The storage section 11 is defined by the inner edge of the first side edge seal section 16, the inner edge of the second side edge seal section 17, the inner edge of the first bottom seal section 15a, and the inner edge of the third upper edge seal section 14c. Therefore, the inner edge of the first side edge seal section 16, the inner edge of the second side edge seal section 17, the inner edge of the first bottom seal section 15a, and the inner edge of the third upper edge seal section 14c form the outer edge of the storage section 11.

<Contents>
The contents are not particularly limited and may be food or non-food, and may be in the form of a solid or liquid.

In the example of Figures 6 to 9, after the storage section 11 is filled with the contents (such as seasoning), it is sealed at the first upper edge seal section 14a, the second upper edge seal section 14b, and the third upper edge seal section 14c. The pouch can be opened from the intended opening line 12 formed from the upper edge section 4 to the first side edge section 6. The sealed pouch as shown in Figures 6 to 9 is formed by sandwiching a folded bottom film between the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2, and has a bottom gusset section 9. 6 to 9 includes an upper edge portion 4, a lower edge portion 5 opposite the upper edge portion 4, a first side edge portion 6 and a second side edge portion 7 extending between the upper edge portion 4 and the lower edge portion 5, a second side edge seal portion 17 formed along the second side edge portion 7, a first upper edge seal portion 14a formed along the upper edge portion 4 at a position close to the second side edge portion 7 and joining the inner surfaces of the first surface film 1 together, and a second surface film 15 formed along the upper edge portion 4 at a position close to the second side edge portion 7 and joining the inner surfaces of the first surface film 1 together. The pouch has a second upper edge seal portion 14b where the inner surfaces of the first and second side films 1 and 2 are joined together, and a third upper edge seal portion 14c formed along the upper edge 4 at a position near the first side edge 6 where the first side film 1 and the second side film 2 are joined together, with a portion of the second side edge seal portion 17 being positioned between the first upper edge seal portion 14a and the second upper edge seal portion 14b, and the second side edge 7 being positioned so that it approaches the first side edge 6 as it approaches the upper edge 4.

The pouches shown in Figures 6 to 9 have fold lines 18, 19 formed on the folded-back portions of the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2, extending in a direction from the upper edge 4 toward the lower edge 5. The pouches shown in Figures 6 to 9 have fold lines 18, 19 formed only in positions closer to the upper edge 4.

<Film details>
A laminated film can be used as the first surface film 1, the second surface film 2, and the bottom surface film 3 of the pouch. The laminated film is a laminate including at least a base layer and a sealant layer from the outside. For example, the laminated film is formed by laminating a base layer, a printed layer, other layers (e.g., a barrier layer), and a sealant layer in this order from the outside. The printed layer and other layers are not essential. An adhesive layer can also be used to laminate these layers. The sealant layer is a layer that constitutes the innermost surface of the pouch. The pouch according to this embodiment may be resistant to heat. In this case, the base layer is preferably made of a material having heat resistance. For example, polyester films such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide films such as nylon, polypropylene films, etc. can be used as the material of the base layer. The thickness is about 10 μm to 50 μm. The base layer is preferably biaxially stretched.

The laminated film may also have multiple substrate layers. The multiple substrate layers may include a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer. The first substrate layer and the second substrate layer may be selected from the above materials in appropriate combination. For example, polyethylene terephthalate may be used as the first substrate layer, which is the outermost layer, and polyamide may be used as the second substrate layer, which is the inner layer (sealant layer side). The second substrate layer is stretched from one side edge to the other side edge. For example, "Emblem (registered trademark) NC" manufactured by Unitika Ltd., which contains MXD (metaxylenediamine) having excellent barrier properties, may be used as the second substrate layer. In addition, polyester such as "Emblet (registered trademark) PCBC" manufactured by Unitika Ltd. may be used as the second substrate layer. The first substrate layer and the second substrate layer may be laminated, for example, by a dry lamination method.

The printing layer is provided to display the product contents, to impart an aesthetic look, and to display cut portions. The printing layer is formed from printing ink containing a binder and a pigment. The sealant layer is placed on the side of the laminated film that will be the innermost side of the container when the film is made into a pouch. Polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene-propylene block copolymer can be used as the material for the sealant layer. The thickness of the sealant layer is 30 μm or more and 150 μm or less. It is preferable that the sealant layer is unstretched.

The laminated film may include other layers. The other layers may be provided on the outside of the base layer, or between the base layer and the sealant layer. As the other layers, appropriate ones are selected according to the required functions, such as water vapor and other gas barrier properties, light shielding properties, etc. For example, when the other layer is a gas barrier layer, a vapor deposition layer of a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide or an inorganic oxide such as silicon oxide is provided. The vapor deposition layer may be laminated on the base layer or may be vapor deposited on the sealant layer. In addition, a resin layer having gas barrier properties, such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyvinylidene chloride resin (PVDC), or aromatic polyamide such as nylon MXD6, may be provided. Each layer can be laminated using a dry lamination method, a melt extrusion method, or the like.

Specific examples of the layer structure of the laminated film include those having one base layer as follows, although the present invention is not limited to the following.
・Transparent vapor-deposited stretched nylon (ONY) 15 μm / printing layer (ink) / adhesive / linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) 120 μm (total thickness 139 μm)
・Transparent vapor-deposited polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 12 μm / printing layer / adhesive / LLDPE 100 μm (total thickness 116 μm)

Furthermore, examples of a substrate having two layers include the following.
・Transparent vapor-deposited PET 12 μm/printed layer/adhesive/ONY 15 μm/adhesive/LLDPE 100 μm (total thickness 134 μm)
・ONY 15μm/printing layer/adhesive/transparent vapor-deposited PET 12μm/adhesive/LLDPE 100μm (total thickness 134μm)
・Transparent vapor-deposited PET 12 μm/printed layer/adhesive/ONY 15 μm/adhesive/CPP 50 μm (total thickness 84 μm)
- PET 12 μm / printing layer / adhesive / transparent vapor deposition PET 12 μm / adhesive / CPP 60 μm (total thickness 91 μm)

<Scheduled opening line and opening start method>
As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a planned opening line 12 is defined from the upper edge 4 to the first side edge 6. The planned opening line 12 is a planned opening position where opening is planned. The planned opening line 12 is formed in a direction connecting the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6. In this embodiment, an opening start means 13 is formed in each of the upper edge sealing planned portion 14' and the first side edge sealing portion 16. The opening start means 13 can be realized by a cut or notch also called a notch. In this embodiment, the opening start means 13 is a cut extending from the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6. In this embodiment, the planned opening line 12 is not actually formed, but is defined as a straight line connecting the two opening start means 13.

When the opening initiation means 13 is not formed, the opening line 12 can be realized by a half-cut line that penetrates the base layer but does not penetrate the sealant layer. In the case of a half-cut line, the opening line 12 may be formed using a blade or by laser processing. In the case of a half-cut line, the opening line 12 may be a line that extends continuously or a line that extends intermittently. In the case of a half-cut line, the opening line 12 may be provided so as to reach the upper edge 4 of the pouch to the first side edge 6, or may be provided so as not to reach the upper edge 4 or the first side edge 6 of the pouch.

The opening line 12 may be realized by a straight-cut film. A straight-cut film is a film that can be torn linearly in one direction. The straight-cut film has a tensile strength in the MD direction (the flow direction of the film) greater than the tensile strength in the TD direction (the direction perpendicular to the MD direction). When the opening line 12 is realized by a straight-cut film, a straight-cut film is used for at least one of the base layer and the sealant layer. When a straight-cut film is used for the base layer, for example, Emblet (registered trademark) PC or Emblem (registered trademark) NC manufactured by Unitika Co., Ltd. can be used as the base layer. The tensile strength of Emblet (registered trademark) PC in the MD direction is 200 MPa, and the tensile strength in the TD direction is 180 MPa. When an easy-to-cut film is used for the sealant layer, for example, LL-MTNST manufactured by Futamura Chemical Co., Ltd. can be used as the sealant layer.

When creating a planned opening line using straight-cut film, the film can be opened at any position along the upper edge 4. For this reason, if there is no indication, it is difficult to determine where to cut. Therefore, when creating a planned opening line using straight-cut film, the planned opening line is indicated by printing. For example, the position of the planned opening line 12 can be determined by actually printing a line at the position of the planned opening line shown by the dashed line in Figure 1.

Even if the intended opening line 12 is not a half-cut line, a straight-cut film, or a printed marking, if an opening initiation means such as a notch is formed on at least one of the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6, the intended opening line is defined as a line passing through the opening initiation means and extending in a direction connecting the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6.

<How to use>
A method of using the pouch according to the present embodiment as shown in Figures 6 to 9 will be described. The pouches shown in Figures 6 to 9 are pouches filled with contents and sealed at the upper edge. For example, a pouch containing liquid as the contents is used. First, the corner where the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6 intersect is cut along the intended opening line 12 to open the pouch. This forms an opening in the storage section 11. Then, the liquid contents are poured out from this opening for use. Each time the contents are poured out for use, the amount of contents held on the bottom film 3 on the lower side of the lower edge 5 decreases. This gradually loses the stability of the pouch when it is made to stand on its own.

The pouch according to this embodiment has a first upper edge seal portion 14a formed along the upper edge 4 near the second side edge 7, where the inner surfaces of the first side film 1 are joined together, and a second upper edge seal portion 14b formed along the upper edge 4 near the second side edge 7, where the inner surfaces of the second side film 2 are joined together. As shown in FIG. 8, the first upper edge seal portion 14a and the second upper edge seal portion 14b open horizontally on the upper edge 4 side, so that even if the contents decrease, the pouch is prevented from shrinking, and the pouch is able to remain self-supporting for a long time.

In the pouch according to this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, a portion of the second side edge seal 17 is disposed between the first upper edge seal 14a and the second upper edge seal 14b, and the second side edge 7 is disposed such that the closer it is to the upper edge 4, the closer it is to the first side edge 6. Therefore, the closer it is to the upper edge 4, the narrower the horizontal width of the pouch is, and the closer it is to the lower edge 5, the wider the horizontal width of the pouch is. This stabilizes the bottom gusset 9, allowing the pouch to stand stably even when the contents are reduced.

In the pouch according to this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, a portion of the second side edge seal portion 17 is disposed between the first upper edge seal portion 14a and the second upper edge seal portion 14b. This results in the third pleat portion 25a, the second side edge seal portion 17, and the fourth pleat portion 25b forming what can be called a three-sheet gusset. The second side edge seal portion 17, together with the third pleat portion 25a and the fourth pleat portion 25b, acts as a pillar to prevent the pouch from falling over.

Example 1
A PET film having a thickness of 12 μm was used as the first base layer, an aluminum (ALM) foil having a thickness of 7 μm was used as the barrier layer, an oriented nylon (ONY) film having a thickness of 15 μm was used as the second base layer, and an LLDPE film having a thickness of 80 μm was used as the sealant layer. Specifically, a printed layer was first formed on the inner surface side of the PET film having a thickness of 12 μm, which was the base layer. The printed layer also included printing of a line segment indicating the position of the opening planned line 12. Then, the surface on the printed layer side was bonded to an aluminum foil having a thickness of 7 μm via an adhesive layer. Then, the surface on the aluminum foil side was bonded to an oriented nylon (ONY) film having a thickness of 15 μm via an adhesive layer. Furthermore, an LLDPE film having a thickness of 80 μm was bonded to the surface on the ONY film side via an adhesive layer. As a result, a packaging material was obtained that was a laminated film having a layer structure of PET 12 μm/printed layer/adhesive layer/ALM 7 μm/adhesive layer/ONY 15 μm/adhesive layer/LLDPE 80 μm. The adhesive layer was a cured product of an acrylic polyol and an isocyanate compound.

The obtained laminated film, which is the packaging material, was cut to 230 mm x 130 mm to form the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2. The first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 were formed with cuts at the upper edge 4 and the first side edge 6 as opening initiation means 13 that define the planned opening line 12. Next, the outer surfaces of the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 were subjected to thermal crease processing to form the planned folding lines 18 and 19, which are V-shaped recesses in cross section. Specifically, the planned folding lines 18 and 19 were formed in a straight line parallel to the first side edge 6 and the second side edge 7, at a position that is 1/4 from the planned position that is the inner edge of the second side edge seal portion 17, when the distance between the planned positions that are the inner edges of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 is set to 1. Next, the laminated film was cut to 130 mm x 70 mm to form the bottom surface film 3.

Next, the first surface film 1, the second surface film 2, and the bottom surface film 3 were used to form the intermediate pouch shown in FIG. 1 (a pouch in which the first upper edge seal portion 14a, the second upper edge seal portion 14b, and the third upper edge seal portion 14c had not yet been formed). After that, 300 ml of water was filled into the storage portion 11 from the opening on the upper edge 4 side.

Then, the first planned fold line portion 18a and the first planned fold line portion 19a were fixed, and the second side edge portion 7 was folded toward the first side edge portion 6. At this time, the first planned fold line portion 18a of the first side film 1 was fixed, and the first side film 1 was folded so that its inner faces overlap each other, and the second side film 2 was fixed, and the first planned fold line portion 19a of the second side film 2 was folded so that its inner faces overlap each other. Thereafter, the liquid content was filled through the opening on the upper edge portion 4 side. Then, the first upper edge sealed portion 14a, the second upper edge sealed portion 14b, and the third upper edge sealed portion 14c were formed in the upper edge sealed portion 14', and a pouch as shown in Figures 6 to 9 was obtained.

The seal width of the first upper edge seal portion 14a, the second upper edge seal portion 14b, and the third upper edge seal portion 14c was 10 mm, the seal width at the position where the distance between the first bottom seal portion 15a and the lower edge portion 5 was the shortest was 5 mm, and the seal width of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 was 5 mm. The distance from the fold-in portion 3a to the lower edge portion 5 of the pouch was 35 mm, the distance between the upper edge portion 4 and the lower edge portion 5 was 230 mm, and the distance W between the inner edge of the first side edge seal portion 16 and the second side edge seal portion 17 was 120 mm.

Example 2
A pouch as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a laminate film having a layer structure of PET 12 μm/printed layer/adhesive layer/ONY 15 μm/adhesive layer/LLDPE 100 μm was used, using a PET film having a thickness of 12 μm as the first base material layer, an oriented nylon (ONY) film having a thickness of 15 μm as the second base material layer, and an LLDPE film having a thickness of 100 μm as the sealant layer.

Example 3
A pouch as shown in Figs. 6 to 9 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a laminate film having a layer structure of ONY 15 µm/adhesive layer/LLDPE 120 µm was used, using a 15 µm-thick oriented nylon (ONY) film as the base layer and a 120 µm-thick LLDPE film as the sealant layer.

<Comparative Example 1>
A pouch as shown in Fig. 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the intended fold lines 18, 19 were not formed. Thereafter, the liquid content was filled in through the opening on the upper edge 4 side, and the inner surfaces of the first film 1 and the second film 2 were joined together at the upper edge intended sealing portion 14' to obtain a sealed pouch.

<Comparative Example 2>
A pouch as shown in Fig. 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the intended fold lines 18, 19 were not formed. Thereafter, the liquid content was filled in through the opening on the upper edge 4 side, and the inner surfaces of the first film 1 and the second film 2 were joined together at the upper edge intended sealing portion 14' to obtain a sealed pouch.

<Comparative Example 3>
A pouch as shown in Fig. 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the intended fold lines 18, 19 were not formed. Thereafter, the liquid content was filled in through the opening on the upper edge 4 side, and the inner surfaces of the first film 1 and the second film 2 were joined together at the upper edge intended sealing portion 14' to obtain a sealed pouch.

<Independence test>
The pouches of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were tested for self-supporting ability while changing the amount of liquid contained in the storage section 11. Specifically, the pouches were first placed on a flat surface with the bottom gusset section 9 facing downwards with half the maximum capacity of water filled in the storage section to allow them to stand on their own. In this initial state, all of the pouches of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were self-supporting. Next, a corner of the pouch was cut from the opening start means 13 to form an opening, and 50 ml of water was drained from this opening to allow the pouches to stand on their own. For each of the pouches of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the operation of draining 50 ml of water at a time to allow the pouches to stand on their own was repeated. Comparing Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, in any combination of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Example 2, and Example 3 and Comparative Example 3, the pouches of the Examples, which contained the same amount of water as the pouches of the Comparative Examples, which could not stand on their own and collapsed, maintained a self-supporting state.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the first film 1, the second film 2, and the bottom film 3 are each configured as three separate films to form the pouch, but they may be configured with two or one film. For example, one film in which the first film 1, the bottom film 3, and the second film 2 are connected may be used, or two films in total may be used, including the film constituting the first film 1 and the film in which the second film 2 and the bottom film 3 are connected. When one film in which the first film 1, the bottom film 3, and the second film 2 are connected is used, the bottom gusset portion 9 can be formed by folding the single film twice at the lower edge portion 5 and once at the fold-in portion 3a without forming a seal portion at the lower edge portion 5.

In the above embodiment, the first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 are defined as the "first surface" and the "second surface" for the sake of convenience in order to distinguish them from each other. The first surface film 1 and the second surface film 2 are symmetrical to each other, so either may be designated as the "first surface" and either may be designated as the "second surface". The first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7 are defined as the "first" and the "second" for the sake of convenience in order to distinguish them from each other. The first side edge portion 6 and the second side edge portion 7 are symmetrical to each other, so either may be designated as the "first" and either may be designated as the "second".

1...First surface film 2...Second surface film 3...Bottom film 3a...Folded portion 3f...First portion of bottom film 3g...Second portion of bottom film 4...Upper edge portion 5...Lower edge portion 6...First side edge portion 7...Second side edge portion 9...Bottom gusset portion 9a...First pleat portion 9b...Second pleat portion 11...Storage portion 12...Scheduled opening line 13...Opening start means 14a...First upper edge sealed portion 14b...Second upper edge sealed portion 14c...Third upper edge sealed portion 14'...Scheduled upper edge sealed portion 15...Bottom sealed portion 15a...First bottom sealed portion 15b...Second bottom sealed portion 16...First side edge sealed portion 17...Second side edge sealed portion 18, 19...Scheduled fold lines 18a, 19a...First portion of scheduled fold line 25a: third pleat portion 25b: fourth pleat portion

Claims (2)

The folded bottom film is sandwiched between the first and second side films,
1. A pouch having a bottom gusset,
An upper edge;
a lower edge portion opposite the upper edge portion;
a first side edge and a second side edge extending between the upper edge and the lower edge;
a second side edge seal formed along the second side edge;
a first upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position close to the second side edge portion and in which inner surfaces of the first surface films are joined together;
a second upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position close to the second side edge portion and in which inner surfaces of the second surface films are joined together;
a third upper edge seal portion formed along the upper edge portion at a position near the first side edge portion and at which the first surface film and the second surface film are joined;
a portion of the second side edge seal portion is disposed between the first top edge seal portion and the second top edge seal portion;
the second side edge is disposed so as to approach the first side edge as it approaches the top edge ,
A folding line is formed in the folded portion of the first surface film and the second surface film, the folding line extending in a direction from an upper edge portion to a lower edge portion,
The fold line is formed at a position equal to or less than ¼ of an inner width dimension of the pouch from an inner edge of the second side edge seal portion . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the fold lines are formed only at positions closer to the upper edge portion.