JP2003532595A - Peelable sealable bag containing composite sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) SUMMARY Disclosed is a bag comprising at least two superimposed sheets of film material, wherein at least a portion of the superimposed edges is permanently sealed, wherein at least one of these sheets One is a composite film material with pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, and the adhesive support film sheet can be peeled and sealed to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create the seal periphery Where the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter. Further disclosed is a bag comprising a first sheet of film material and a second sheet of film material, wherein at least one of the sheets is a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. Yes, the adhesive-supporting film sheet can be releasably sealed to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create a seal periphery, where the interior of the bag is contained within the seal periphery. Further disclosed is a bag comprising a sheet having a first part having at least one first part free edge, a second part having at least one second part free edge, and a joining region between the first part and the second part. Wherein at least one of the first part or the second part comprises a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent contact, wherein the first part is folded into the second part by folding around the joining area. The covering, the first part and the second part can be peeled from each other along a seal periphery created by pressing one of the parts against the other, wherein the interior of the bag is within the seal periphery. included. At least one of the first part free edge or the second part free edge may further comprise an opening display means that visually contrasts with the other first part free edge or the second part free edge. Also disclosed is a method for storage and cooking using the bags herein.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates in particular to a bag for the hermetic storage of food and for hermetic and liquid-tight sealing during cooking. In particular, a bag comprising at least one sheet of composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive which prevents inadvertent adhesion, or a sheet having at least one part consisting of such composite film material, said adhesive being pressed against When peeled off, it can be releasably sealed, for example, to another portion of the same film sheet or to a different film sheet to form the interior of the bag.

Background Containers for food storage are well known and are in many forms, such as those sold under the trade name "Tappaware" by the Tupperware Company of the United States. Various shaped plastic boxes with matching lids, as well as US S.R. C. Available in the form of a plastic bag with three sides sealed and a zipper-type reclosable opening, such as those sold under the trade name "Ziplock" storage bags by the Johnson Johnson Company and Asahi Kasei Corporation of Japan. Met.

Another type of food storage bag most commonly used by consumers is a free polyethylene “storage bag” offered by many grocery stores and the food market free of charge.
Is. Such bags are also commercially available from Ube Film Co. of Onoda City, Yamaguchi Prefecture under the name Ube Kitchen Bag. Bags of this type are usually sealed by directly tying the free ends of the bag together or by using some metal or plastic fastener. However, consumers often do not seal such bags at all before placing them in the refrigerator.

In addition, various film materials that adhere to the surface of dishes or other containers by electrostatic contact have hitherto been available for food storage applications. These types of film materials are usually provided as rolls, whose free end is gripped by the consumer and unwound to the desired length, then cut by a blade attached to the container in which the roll is stored. The cut length film is then placed on the food to be stored and adhered by electrostatic contact to the surface of the dish or container on which the food is placed. Such films can also be used directly for wrapping and storing food, in which case the wrap is intended to be self-adhesive as opposed to adhering to dishes or other containers. . Examples of such commercially available films are the trade names of "Saran Wrap" from Asahi Kasei and "Kurerap" from Kureha Chemical.
It is sold under the brand name of both, and both are Japan.

However, such conventional storage bags and films are not without drawbacks. The inability to maintain seal tightness and freshness is often problematic. Convenience is also an issue for consumers. When the rolls of film often come into close contact early, they are often awkward to use and the positioning of the free end of the film is often difficult. For pre-formed storage bags, it may be difficult to tightly and completely seal the zipper end of the bag and placing food to be stored inside the bag is even more difficult due to the relatively small opening dimensions. obtain.

It is also known to reheat various foods prepared using sachets called flexible bags or retort bags. For example, suitable for eating after reheating,
Certain prepared foods can be purchased in sealed plastic bags. The sealed bag is placed in boiling water and the heat from the boiling water reheats the food without penetrating the bag. The user then only has to open the bag and remove the contents. A common example of this type of product is
For example, Japanese house food, S & B food, and curry available from Ajinomoto.

However, the types of food that can be packaged and reheated in this way are limited. Furthermore, these carrying bags cannot be used to actually cook fresh food, but only to reheat processed and stored food.

[0008] There are no available and practical methods to ensure air and liquid tightness during sealing or during reheating or cooking, so to reheat stored food or freshly in hot water. There is no conventional food storage bag as discussed above suitable for cooking various foods. Moreover, such bags may not have the material properties that allow them to withstand the heat of boiling water or the heat generated by microwave ovens without being transformed. Even assuming that such materials themselves are gas and liquid tight, the practical methods for sealing / resealing such bags are extremely limited.

Therefore, there remains a desire to provide a convenient and versatile bag-type container for the hermetic storage and hermetic / liquid-tight sealing of food during cooking of fresh food and reheating of food. It can be understood. No technology exists that offers all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a bag comprising at least two superposed sheets of film material having at least some of the superposed ends permanently sealed. At least one is a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, the adhesive-supporting film sheet being releasably sealed to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create the seal perimeter. Where the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter.

Further disclosed is a bag comprising a first sheet of film material and a second sheet of film material, wherein at least one of the sheets comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. A composite film material, the adhesive-bearing film sheet being releasably sealed to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create a seal perimeter, wherein the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter. Be done.

Further disclosed is a first portion having at least one first portion free end, a second portion having at least one second portion free end, and a joining region between the first portion and the second portion. A bag containing a sheet, wherein at least one of the first part or the second part consists of a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive preventing inadvertent adhesion, wherein the first part is folded by folding around the bonding area to form a first part. Overlapping two parts, the first and second parts are releasably sealable from each other along a seal perimeter created by pressing one of the parts against the other of the parts, where the interior of the bag is the perimeter of the seal. Included in the department.

Also disclosed is a sheet having a first portion having at least one first portion free end, a second portion having at least one second portion free end, and a joining region between the first portion and the second portion. Wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion comprises a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, and at least one of the first portion free end or the second portion free end. Comprises an opening indicating means visually contrasting with the other first part free end or second part free end, wherein the first part folds around the joining area to cover the second part, the first part and the second part The parts are releasably sealed together along a seal perimeter created by pressing one of the parts against the other of the part, the seal perimeter further including a bond area.

The invention further relates to a method for storage and cooking using the bag of the invention.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION All references cited are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Citation of any reference is not an admission regarding any determination as to its usefulness as prior art to the claimed invention.

As used herein, “comprising” means that other means and components that do not affect the final result may be added. This term is "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of".
Is included.

One preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention comprises at least two superposed sheets of film material having at least a portion of the superposed ends permanently sealed. For example, in the embodiment of bag 10 shown in FIGS. 1a-1c, overlapping sheets of film material 20 and 30 are permanently sealed along at least one of the overlapping edges. For example, the first sheet 20 has edges 22, 24, 2
6 and 28. The second sheet 30 has edges 32, 34, 36 and 38.
In this embodiment, at least a pair of the overlapping edges are permanently sealed, eg, edge 22 to edge 32, edge 24 to edge 34, edge 26 to edge 3 in the embodiment of FIG. 1a.
6 or edge 28 to edge 38, edge 23 to edge 33 and edge 27 in the embodiment of FIG. 1c.
May be permanently sealed to edge 37 or edge 29 to edge 39. For example, a permanent seal is represented by reference numerals 12a and 12b in Figures 1a and 1c and reference numeral 13 in Figure 1b.
You may form so that it may be displayed by.

The permanently sealed portion of the rim, as in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG.
It should be understood that it is not necessary to extend the full length of the overlapping edges. The permanent seal may be provided in any desired length on any part of the overlapping edges.

As used herein, “permanently sealed” means that these edges are in the bag 10.
It is not intended to be opened by the consumer during use and is not peelably sealable. Any method known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as heat sealing, can be used to create the portion where the overlapping edges of the bags herein are permanently sealed.

If the bag is square or rectangular as shown in FIG. 1a, it is desirable that the two overlapping edges be permanently sealed. For example, the edge 26 of the first sheet 20
Is permanently sealed to the edge 36 of the second sheet 30 along the permanent seal 12a, and the edge 28 of the first sheet 20 is permanently sealed to the edge 38 of the second sheet 30 along the permanent seal 12a. FIG. 1c shows the bag of FIG. 1a in a fully open position, the advantages of which are explained in more detail below.

Referring again to FIG. 1a, in a preferred embodiment having two permanently sealed edges, it is preferred that the two permanently sealed edges be proximate, eg intersecting a rectangular or square bag that is perpendicular to each other. Two of the edges, eg edges 26, 36
And edges 28, 38. However, edges 22, 32 and edges 26, 36 or edges 24,
Two opposing, non-intersecting edges such as 34 and edges 28, 38 may be selected as the permanently sealed edges.

FIG. 1 b shows an alternative embodiment in which the bag 10 is provided in a triangle, the pair of overlapping edges 23, 33 being permanently sealed along with the permanent seal 13. Again, the permanently sealed portion of the edge need not extend the entire length of the overlapped edge, and may be provided on any portion of the overlapped edge and in any desired length. You should understand the good things.

It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited to bag 10 or sheets 20 and 30 to any particular shape or configuration. Also, the sheets need not have the same or similar dimensions or shapes. Furthermore, the preferred embodiments herein are not limited to bags of one or two sheets of film material. Bags of more than two sheets are also within the scope of the invention.

Referring again to FIGS. 1a-1c, at least one of seat 20 and seat 30 is
A composite film with a pressure sensitive adhesive to prevent inadvertent adhesion. "Careless adhesion"
By that, the adhesive-bearing sheet is prematurely applied to the target surface, e.g. another sheet, another part of the same sheet, or any other surface until the user of the bag activates the adhesive by pushing the sheet. It means not attached. The adhesive-supporting film sheet is releasably sealable to another film sheet, or to other parts of itself, and when pressed against, a seal perimeter (not shown in FIG. 1,
2c and 7). The composite film material itself will now be described in more detail.

Thus, the seal perimeter is created at a location selected by the consumer when the consumer pushes the sheet. It should be noted that either position is selectable and the seal perimeter need not coincide with the edges of the sheet material.

If the sheet 70 is square or rectangular, the peelable sealable portion of the seal perimeter may be at or near juxtaposed free edges to provide maximum interior area to the bag (eg: 82 and 92, 84 and 94, and 86 and 96), as shown in FIG. 2b. However, as described above, the seal peripheral portion may be formed at any desired position.

The bag 10 may further comprise opening indicating means 21 for facilitating opening of the sheet prior to insertion of items to be stored or cooked. The opening indicator 21 may allow the bag to be relaunched sufficiently easily when it is desired to remove the article from the bag after sealing the bag. The opening display means 21 may be separated from the sheet 20 and the sheet 30, and may be, for example, a knob made of a material different from the material of either or both of the sheet 20 and the sheet 30. Alternatively, the opening display means 21 may be integrated with either the sheet 20, the sheet 30, or both, such as being created from a color or printed indicia in the film that signals the user the appropriate opening position. Good. The open display means is preferably visually contrasted with the other surface with which it is in contact.

Another preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention (not shown) is shown in FIGS. 1a-1c.
, But in such a preferred embodiment there are no permanently sealed edges or portions of permanently sealed edges. In such a preferred embodiment, at least one of the film sheets is a composite film material, as described below, which adhesive support sheet, when pressed to create the seal perimeter forming the interior of the bag, It can be peelably sealed to the film sheet.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention is shown in Figures 2a-2b. In this embodiment, the bag 10 comprises a single sheet 70 as detailed below. The sheet 70 has a first portion 80, a second portion 90 and a joint area 75 that is normally located between the first portion 80 and the second portion 90. The junction area 75 is shown as a dashed line in FIG. 2a, indicating that it has no areas or positions that are not precisely defined. Also, this region can divide the first portion 80 and the second portion 90 into regions of each respective size or shape, which need not necessarily be of equal or approximately equal size or shape.

It should be noted that the rectangular shaped sheet 70 shown in FIG. 2a is not intended to be a limiting shape. Sheet 7 as in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG.
Any shape for 0 is within the scope of the invention, for example circular, elliptical, triangular, amorphous, decorative.

The first portion is bounded by at least one first portion free edge. Figure 2
In the embodiment shown in a, the first partial free edge is indicated by reference numerals 82, 84 and 86. The second portion is bounded by at least one second portion free edge. The second partial free edges are indicated by reference numerals 92, 94 and 96. Again, it should be noted that this embodiment is not limited to having a particular number of free edges. For example, if the sheet 70 is elliptical, there is one continuous first partial free edge not shown in three sections as shown in Figure 2a.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first portion 80 or the second portion 90 comprises a composite material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. In another preferred embodiment, both first portion 80 and second portion 90 are composed of a composite material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. In yet another preferred embodiment, the bond area 75 further comprises a composite material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion.

In another more preferred embodiment, the sheet is a unitary sheet of composite material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, in other words, the first portion 80, the second portion 90 and the joining area 75 are: It exists as a location on the same integral sheet from which the bag is formed.

The bag 10 is formed from a sheet 70 as follows, see FIG. 2b.
The first portion 80 is normally folded at or near the junction area 75 and the second portion 9
Overlay 0. The seal perimeter 85 may be created by pressing one of the first or second portions against the other at the desired location. Thus, the inside of the bag 10 is formed inside the seal peripheral portion 85. The seal perimeter may be made entirely independent of the bond area 75, if desired by the consumer, for example, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the interior may be further contained within the bond area as well as within the seal perimeter 85 as shown in Figure 2c.

In another preferred embodiment of a bag of the type shown in FIG. 2, at least one of the first partial free edge or the second partial free edge is as described above in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1a. It is desirable to provide it with the opening display means. Such an open display means is preferably visually contrasted with another first partial free edge or second partial free edge which does not have an open display means.

In each of the above embodiments, the seat 2 in the embodiment described with respect to FIG.
0 or at least one of the sheets 30 or the sheet 70, or at least one of the first portion 80 or the second portion 90 of the embodiment described with reference to FIG.
Hamilton et al., US Pat. No. 5,66, issued Sep. 2, 997.
2,758, "Peelable sealable composite material when pressed against a target surface and method of making", Hamilton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,607, issued Feb. 16, 1999. No. "Materials having a substance protected by a deformable support and method of making", McGuire (October 12, 1999).
McGuire) et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,235, "Three-dimensional amorphous pattern, nesting resistant sheet material, and method and apparatus for making it", and 19991.
It consists of a composite material as described in Hamilton et al., US Pat. No. 5,968,633, "Selectively Activatable Sheet Material for Distributing and Dispersing Substances on a Target Surface," issued Oct. 19.

Such a composite material is a flexible film coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive for releasably sealing the target surface and preventing premature adhesion to the target surface. . In particular, the composite material is a flexible film having protrusions formed on the adhesive surface that act to space the pressure sensitive adhesive from the target surface until the film is pressed down. According to the present invention, the "target plane" herein is
The other of the film sheet 20 or the film sheet 30 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,
Or it is another part of the same sheet 70 as shown in the embodiment of FIG.

A full disclosure of the composites herein is given in the patents cited above, but the brief description is repeated here. One embodiment of the composite film is shown in FIG. 3 and is generally designated 100. Composite film 100 typically includes a piece of flexible film 120 having protrusions 140 and a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 160 located between protrusions 140. In the embodiment of film 100 shown in FIG. 3, protrusion 140 is conical with a truncated or hemispherical outermost end 180. Protrusion 14
The 0s are arranged in a regular triangle pattern at equal intervals, and all face the same direction. The protrusions are spaced from center to center approximately the diameter of two protrusions. The protrusion 140 preferably has a height less than its diameter so that when it breaks it breaks along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the film 120. This mode of collapse prevents the protrusion 140, which folds over and blocks the adhesive, from contacting the target surface.

FIG. 4 shows a target surface 200, which according to the invention is either another film sheet including the bag 10 or another part of the same film sheet from which the bag is formed, the protrusion The outermost end 180 of the pressure sensitive adhesive 160
Put the space from the layers. FIG. 5 shows that the target surface 200 is a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive after the protrusions 140 have partially inverted themselves by the pressure applied to the non-adhesive surface of the flexible film 120, as shown by force F. 160 is shown in contact.

In the embodiment of film 100 shown in FIGS. 3-5, the conical protrusion 140 has a base diameter of from about 0.015 inch (0.381 mm) to about 0.03 inch (0.762 mm). Have. These protrusions are center-to-center with cavities from about 0.03 inches (0.762 mm) to about 0.06 inches (1.524 mm) and from about 0.004 inches (0.102 mm) to about 0.02 inches. 012 inches (0.305 mm)
It has a protruding height up to. The film material may be made from homogeneous resins or mixtures thereof. It is contemplated that the single or multiple layers within the film structure may be extruded together or joined by extrusion coating, laminating or other known means. An important attribute of the film material is that product protrusions and troughs can be formed. Useful resins include polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, PVC, PV
Examples include DC, latex structures, nylon, and the like. Preferred film materials are from about 0.01 to about 0.02 mm, more preferably about 0.012 to about 0.0 mm.
Polyethylene of nominal thickness up to 15 mm. The preferred film material is
About 0.012 mm 100 available from Tredegar Co., USA
% HDPE film. Such a film is manufactured by Exxon Co.
.,) Is also available.

The layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 160 is preferably about 0.025 mm thick hot melt adhesive. Such hot melt adhesives, such as standard number ATO Findlay-2630.07, 2630.08, and standard number ATO Findley-26.
30.09 available from Findley Co., USA, and standard numbers HB Fuller HL-2115X, HB Fuller HL1711-XZP and HB Fuller HL1717-X from H. H. B. Fuller (HB Ful
ler Co.) are suitable for use herein. Alternatively, other adhesives including latex can be used for the adhesive layer 160.

The dimensions and voids of the protrusions are optimized to provide a continuous adhesive passage for fluid tightness, but do not produce an easily expanding film. The expanded film
There is a residual force parallel to the adhesive contact plane that can result in a weak adhesive bond to break.

More preferably, the composite sheet herein is a three-dimensional composite sheet material that prevents nested layers from nesting together as described in the above-referenced US Pat. No. 5,965,235 to McGuilla et al. Is.

To provide such a nesting resistance advantage, the protrusions form a plurality of different two-dimensional geometrically shaped amorphous patterns on one side of the composite sheet material and the opposite. The side is provided with a plurality of spaced three-dimensional hollow recesses corresponding to the protrusions such that the protrusions are hollow. As used herein, the term "amorphous" generally follows the usual meaning of the term, ie, it does not represent an immediately perceptible organization, regularity or orientation of the components. In such a pattern, there is no predictable relationship from the orientation and placement of one element with respect to the adjacent element to the orientation and placement of the next succeeding element.

Within the preferred amorphous pattern, the protrusions are preferably non-uniform with respect to their size, shape, orientation with respect to the web and voids between the centers of adjacent protrusions. FIG. 6 is a plan view of an exemplary three-dimensional nesting resistant sheet material 200 according to this invention. The protrusions are designated by the reference numeral 240 and the spaces are designated by the reference numeral 220. Also shown in FIG. 6 is the dimension A, which represents the width of the space 220 and is measured at the base of the protrusion as a substantially vertical distance between adjacent substantially parallel walls. In the preferred embodiment, the width of the spaces 220 is preferably substantially constant across the pattern of protrusions.

Because the protrusions 240 are created with non-uniform sizes and shapes, one or a sheet of material 200 can be used with another sheet of material 200 without nesting between the two sheets. It may be placed in face-to-face contact with a piece of sheet. The amorphous pattern of protrusions discussed above limits the ability of one sheet's face to align with the back of another sheet, thereby allowing one layer's protrusions to be behind each protrusion in adjacent layers. Nesting resistance is obtained because it enters into the concave portion formed in. The advantage of the narrow, constant width spaces between the protrusions is that when the layers of material 200 are laid face-to-face, the protrusions also cannot enter the space 220.

Utilizing a polyhedral shape with a finite number of sides in an amorphous pattern arranged in a connecting relationship provides advantages over structures that use circular or near circular shapes. Patterns such as an array of circles are limited by the amount of area that the circles can occupy in relation to the non-circular areas between adjacent circles. Especially "closed" in "corners" between successive tangents, even in patterns where adjacent circles touch at tangent points.
There is a certain amount of space. Therefore, even a circular amorphous pattern is limited by how few non-circular areas can be designed into the structure. Conversely, a polyhedron that has a finite number of sides (ie, non-curved edges) can be designed to be closely packed, and in a limited sense, the neighboring edges of a polyhedron that are close together have their entire length. It is possible to have contact along and can be packed so that there is no "confined" free space between the corners, see FIG. The amorphous patterns herein preferably have a statistically controlled degree of irregularity, as described in detail in US Pat. No. 5,965,235.

The three-dimensional shape of the individual protrusions is believed to play a role in determining both the physical properties of the individual protrusions as well as the overall web properties. The use of a polygonal base pattern for the protrusions is considered here to be very advantageous. Such a polyhedral pattern is preferably composed of convex polyhedrons in which the adjacent sides of adjacent polygons are substantially parallel and each has a finite number of substantially linear sides. However, it should be understood that the protrusions may be formed from virtually any three-dimensional shape.

The protrusions 240 are about two base diameters of the protrusions from center to center to minimize the bulk of the valleys between the protrusions and thus minimize the amount of adhesive placed between them. Preference is given to spacing the average distance or less. The protrusion preferably has a height less than its diameter so that it deforms by substantially inverting and / or breaking along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the material during deformation. To do. This protrusion shape and variant prevents the protrusions from covering in a direction parallel to the plane of the material, so that the protrusions cannot block the adhesive in the valley between them from contacting the target surface. .

The preferred adhesive herein is a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive having a thickness of about 0.025 mm. Such hot melt adhesives are disclosed, for example, in the United States Findley under the standard numbers ATO Findley-2630,07,2630,08, and 2630,09.
Available from Findley Co., as well as standard number HB Fuller HL
-2115X, HB Fuller HL1711-XZP, and HB Fuller HL1717
-X in H. of Minnesota, USA. B. Those available from HB Fuller Co. are suitable for use herein. Alternatively, other adhesives including latex can also be used as the adhesive layer 160.

The film material may be made from homogeneous resins or mixtures thereof. It is contemplated that the single or multiple layers within the film structure may be extruded together or joined by extrusion coating, laminating, or other known means. An important property of this film material is that it can be shaped to create protrusions and valleys. Resins useful herein include polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, PVC, PV
Examples include DC, latex structures, nylon, and the like. The preferred material size is from about 0.0025 mm to about 0.25 mm. A preferred film material is about 0.012 mm 100% available from Tredegar Co., USA.
It is an HDPE film. Such films are available from Exxon Co., USA
It is also available from. Molding may be done by mechanical embossing, vacuum thermoforming, hydroforming or combinations thereof, as well as other molding methods known to those skilled in the art.

Although it is preferred that the entire surface of the sheet exhibit such an amorphous pattern, it should be noted that in some circumstances it may be desirable for less than the entire surface of such sheet to exhibit such a pattern. There is. For example, a portion of the sheet may exhibit a regular pattern of protrusions, or may in fact exhibit a protrusion-free, regular flat surface.

Also, the designer can use regular non-amorphous areas or “blank” areas without any protrusions,
Alternatively, any combination thereof may be separated. The shape and size of the non-amorphous region can also be made to order.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, at least one of the sheet 20 and the sheet 30 including the bag 10 or a part of the sheet of the embodiment made from a single sheet is a composite sheet as described above. It is a sheet material. The other sheet material or part thereof may be the same or similar composite material, or the other sheet or part thereof may be non-composite sheet material, for example high density polyethylene or low density polyethylene. It may be any conventional film material known to those skilled in the art such as. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, at least a portion of the sheet 70 forming the bag 10 is a composite sheet material as described above. As a result, the user of bag 10 can operate as desired by simply pressing at any other desired location to activate the adhesive of the composite sheet to tightly seal the target sheet or portion at the seal perimeter. The bag can be peelably sealed.

It may also be desirable to provide some decorative printing on the sheet material, or any portion thereof, herein, for aesthetic appeal. Such printing may be performed with any pattern, color, style, design or the like.

For example, FIG. 7 shows a food item 40 carried in a preferred embodiment of the bag 10, where the seal perimeter 45 applies the force normally exerted by the user to the “S1” and “S2” around the food item. It is made by pressing in the direction of the arrow with "". Such a bag 10 can include any of the embodiments described herein.

Another example of application of bag 10 is depicted in FIG. That is, it is possible to individually separate several articles for storage in one bag, whether they are of the same type or different. Separate air and liquid tight seal perimeters 45a-45d can be formed around individual articles 50 by pressing the film in the desired area. The interior of the individual bag is within each seal perimeter 45a-45d. Alternatively, the bag can be simply pressed as shown by arrows S1-S4 to create four sealed sections for sealing. Such a bag 10 can include any of the embodiments described herein.

Of course, the examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are not intended to be limiting and that many different ways of using the various embodiments of the bag of the invention are possible and within the scope of the invention. Need to understand.

FIG. 1c shows the bag of FIG. 1a in a fully open state and illustrates one of the advantages of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1c, the bag 10 has large insertion and removal areas that exist as a result of the fact that the bag has two overlapping edges that are not permanently sealed. For example, a typical size of a bag according to the present invention is about 29.2-3.
It is about 0.0 cm x about 30.0 cm. For bags of this size, insert /
The open area for extraction is calculated to be about 1040c by limiting the open area to a perfect circle.
m ² .

Other non-limiting dimensions that are generally convenient for home use are about 15.0 cm x about 15
． 0 cm and about 60.0 cm x about 60.0 cm.

In contrast, conventional bags that have only one side available for insertion and removal, such as zipper-type bags or storage bags, cannot provide such advantages. In commercially available zipper-type bags, the opening may actually be narrower than the actual bag size due to the area required for incorporation and closure of the zipper material. Such zipper-type bags may therefore be inconvenient or impossible to use for large or irregularly shaped articles. For example, the commercially available Ziploc vegetable storage bag L size is about 26.
It has dimensions of 8 cm x 27.9 cm. However, its insertion / removal open area is only about 223 cm ² , calculated by limiting the open area to a perfect circle.

Thus, the open area mouth size of the bag embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a and 1c of the present invention is that of other commercially available storage bags, such as storage bags and zipper bags, in the fully open condition. Can be at least about 50% greater.

It is appreciated that the square or rectangular shape provides a large interior area useful for use, as well as providing two non-permanently sealed edges that are convenient for insertion and removal, but other shapes are also possible. Can be provided and they are within the scope of the invention,
For example, with a peelable sealable open area for food insertion and removal,
An oval or circular bag consisting of at least one sheet of the composite material described herein.

Similarly, bags without a permanently sealed edge are also more convenient at times to use than those with a permanently sealed edge. The type of bag that is best suited for the intended use depends on the desired use, size and shape of the article to be placed inside the bag, and user preference.

Thus, the insertion and removal of food items to be stored or cooked in and out of the preferred embodiment of the bag 10 of the present invention is facilitated as the bag can accommodate many different sizes and shapes of food items. Understand what you get.

In addition to the advantage of ease of use, the bag of the present invention also offers the advantage of improved freshness of the food product to be stored. It is believed that this advantage derives from the excellent hermetic properties of the bag of the present invention. This advantage will be explained in more detail in the examples herein.

Finally, the bag of the present invention is not limited to food applications, and is equivalent for storage or protection of any other article, especially where seal tightness and / or liquid tightness is desired. It should be appreciated that it may be used with its advantages. For example, bags can be used to store cosmetics, art supplies, sundries, and may conveniently be used to store many different types of articles while traveling.

Example To illustrate the freshness storage benefit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag according to the invention is compared with other commercially available bags as follows.

[0070]   Example 1: Weight loss test I (spinach)

[0071]

[Table 1]

These data are shown graphically in FIG. 9, with diamond-shaped data points representing the weight loss of the bag of the present invention and square data points representing the weight loss of the commercially available ziplock bag. The shaded bars represent the weight loss data for the bag of the present invention and the unshaded bars represent the weight loss data for the commercially available Ziplock bags.

[0073]

[Table 2]

The weight loss test is conducted as follows. Vegetables of equivalent average weight, eg spinach, are divided into two groups according to their roots. One group is placed individually, ie one per bag (1) in the bag according to the invention, the other group (2) S. C. Place in ziplock brand vegetable storage bag L size available from SC Johnson Co./Asahi Kasei.

The bag (1) of the present invention has a width of 29.2 cm, a length of 30.0 cm and a thickness of 12.5.
um (excluding the adhesive layer and the protruding portion). The material is HDPE.

Ziplock bag (2) has a width of 26.8 cm, a length of 27.9 cm and a thickness of 40.
． It is 0um. The material is LDPE.

In the bag (1) of the present invention, the air is pushed out to limit the amount of air that can be packed inside the bag, and the bag is sealed in the spinach shape by pushing the sheet as described above. In the ziplock bag (2), the air is pushed out to limit the amount of air that can be packed inside the bag and by closing the zipper the bag is sealed in the shape of a spinach.

All bags are stored in the vegetable compartment of the domestic model refrigerator. All bags are placed in one refrigerator at the same start time on day 0. Bags cannot stack on top of each other. The actual conditions will change throughout the test period, but the temperature and humidity of the refrigerator will be measured with reference to the start date, day 0. Further, the actual state varies depending on the refrigerator, but generally, the refrigerating state of a normal household is about 4 ° C to 5 ° C and relative humidity of 25% to 55%.
% Is expected. Weight is 0 days at start, 4 ° C and 26% relative humidity
Is calculated as 100%.

These bags are mixed once a day during the refrigeration cycle to mimic how a home refrigerator is used. The bag is left in the refrigerator for 8 days.

At the end of the test, each spinach bundle is removed from the bag and weighed. Further, each group is preferably given to a group of 20 consumers of at least about 20 years of age. Consumers are asked which group is fresher and are allowed to see and touch the spinach before making a decision.

The test results are shown in Table 2 above. Without being limited by theory, freshness is considered to be associated with water loss, ie when vegetables lose water, which can be quantitatively measured as weight loss, freshness decreases. It can therefore be seen from Table 2 that spinach stored in bags according to the invention had less water loss. This freshness result is confirmed by consumers comparing the two groups of spinach.

[0082]   Example 2: Weight loss test II (spinach)

[0083]

[Table 3]

The weight loss test is performed a second time as described above, starting at different start dates (ie different day 0) with different batches of spinach.

The percentage loss shown in Table 3 differs from that shown in Table 2 due to the fact that different spinach bundles are used from the beginning. This is expected because the condition of spinach or any other vegetable when buying on a particular day is never truly the same as when buying on a different day. In other words, each time a consumer buys vegetables, the condition of that particular vegetable at the time of that particular purchase is very variable.

The comparison of the results obtained in Table 2 and Table 3 shows that when storing vegetables using the bag of the present invention, it is better than that expected in conventional ziplock vegetable storage bags for better storage during storage. Indicates freshness. The initial condition of the vegetables is independent of this result.

[0087]   Example 3: Weight loss test III (broccoli)

[0088]

[Table 4]

The test is performed as above with the same amount of broccoli. The weight starts at
Calculated as 100% on day 0, 4 ° C and 38% relative humidity.

As mentioned above, the results show that excellent storage advantages are obtained by using the bag of the present invention.

As described in the above examples, the preferred embodiments disclosed herein have the advantages of superior air tightness and longer retention in a fresher condition compared to conventional vegetable storage bags. provide.

Improved ease of use, convenience and versatility for storage and cooking applications are also provided as described herein. The preferred embodiments herein are also cost effective, easy to manufacture, and provide versatility.

Methods of Use The present invention also relates to methods of using the bags described herein.

Storage The method of storing an article herein comprises making the article peelable by placing the article in any of the embodiments of the bag according to the invention and pressing the surface of the composite film at the desired location. Make a seal and activate the adhesive to create the seal periphery,
Includes placing the sealed bag in storage. In particular herein, a method for storing food comprises placing cooked or uncooked food in any of the embodiments of the bag according to the present invention, with the peelable and sealable edge of the bag at the desired location. Seal to create a seal perimeter, place the sealed bag in a storage location such as a refrigerator, and for best freshness benefits, remove food from the bag after a period of preferably less than about 2 weeks, Including that.

[0095] A preferred method for cooking food in the cooking herein by boiling involves the use of hot water boiling. This method involves placing uncooked food with any desired seasoning or spice into any embodiment of a bag according to the present invention and peelably sealing the bag by pressing the surface of the composite film at the desired location. Then, activate the adhesive to create the perimeter of the seal, put the sealed bag in a sufficient amount of hot water, and for the time sufficient to cook the food placed in it, the bag will be partially submerged in the hot water But leave it levitated (preferably not touching the bottom of the pot that heats the water), remove the bag from the boiling water after that time, open the bag and remove the contents,
Including that. The pot of boiling water is preferably capped during cooking so that the contents of the bag are cooked both by the heat of the boiling water itself and the steam that collects inside the capped pot.

Cooking by Microwave Another cooking method herein is to place uncooked food in any of the embodiments of the bag according to the invention and peel the bag so that the food is located inside the bag. This includes placing the sealed bag in a microwave oven for a sufficient period of time to allow the food contained therein to be cooked, and remove the bag from the microwave oven after that time. After that, the bag may be opened and the contents may be taken out and supplied. This method is believed to be particularly useful for steam cooking raw vegetables such as asparagus, pumpkin or broccoli. According to such a method, the fresh color and appearance of the vegetables are sufficiently maintained, which is considered to be superior to the conventional cooking method in which the vegetables are boiled in direct contact with hot water.

In the microwave cooking method, care must be taken not to put oil or seasonings containing oil in the bag. With such oil, the temperature in the bag is 12
It is believed that it may exceed 5 ° C., thereby including the structural integrity of the film material, which may cause the bag to melt.

Preparation of Marinated or Pickled Food Yet another method of food preparation herein involves the preparation of a marinated or pickled food product. The method comprises at least one uncooked food product, such as raw vegetables, fish or meat, and any desired seasoning, such as fats, salts, herbs, soy sauce, vinegar, miso, malt (a type of malt) or liquor (liquor). The rice-based precipitate from the brewing process of (1) is placed in any of the embodiments of the bag according to the present invention, the bag is peelably sealed at the desired peripheral position of the seal, and the sealed bag is placed in the refrigerator. , Including leaving it in the refrigerator for a sufficient time to flavor the food. In most cases, one or two nights will be sufficient. After that, the bag may be opened and the contents may be taken out and supplied.

In the case of uncooked vegetables, the seasoned vegetables may be taken out from the bag and then eaten as they are. Such vegetables may be called "pickles" in the Japanese name. In the case of marinated fish or meat, the marinated fish or meat must then be cooked, for example by grilling or boiling as described above.

[0100] In addition to the preparation method for reheating said uncooked food, using any of the embodiments of the bag according to the present invention, may be re-heated already cooked food. The above boiling method is preferred for reheating, as food containing oil may heat the bag too hot when placed in the microwave.

The reheating method herein may not require a higher level of heat generated by boiling water if the food is not raw or uncooked and there is no risk of eating undercooked food. Therefore, a water temperature of less than 100 ° C (boiling) may be used. Temperatures from about 50 ° C. to about 100 ° C. are preferred, depending on the type of food being reheated and the user's preference for how warm the food needs to be. As a non-limiting example, it may be desirable to heat the dessert cake stored in the refrigerator before eating.

However, for raw or uncooked foods, boiling at 100 ° C. is preferable to avoid any problems or illnesses that may occur as a result of eating undercooked foods, tolerate repetition. .

The examples and embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration only and, without departing from the scope of the present invention, various changes or modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. It is understood that it would be expected.

[Brief description of drawings]

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
The present invention may be better understood.

1a to 1c]   1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention.

2a is a plan view of a sheet of composite film material prior to forming into the preferred embodiment of the bag shown in FIG. 2b.

Figure 2b   2b is a perspective view of a bag formed from the sheet shown in FIG. 2a. FIG.

FIG. 2c is a plan view of the bag shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b with the food product placed inside the bag.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the composite material of the present invention, showing a piece of flexible film having thermoformed frustoconical protrusions between pressure sensitive adhesive lattices.

4 is a sectioned elevational view of the composite material of FIG. 3 taken along section line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing the protrusions acting as a support from the adhesive layer between the protrusions, The target surface that contacts the outermost end of the protrusion does not contact the adhesive layer.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 4 showing the effect of pressing a dimpled composite material against a target surface, resulting in breakage of the protrusions and an adhesive layer between the protrusions. Touch the surface.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional nesting resistant composite sheet material according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bag shown in FIGS. 1a and 1c with the food product placed inside the bag.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bag shown in FIGS. 1a and 1c with the food items placed inside the bag in a segmented fashion.

FIG. 9 is a graphical representation of data from the weight loss test of Example 1 comparing the bag of the present invention to a conventional food storage bag.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B65D 85/50 B65D 85/50 C (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK) , ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR , NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK DM, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS , LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW (72) Inventor Ken Yoshikawa 8-6-8 Motoyamaminami-cho, Higashinada-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo Amon Court II 211 (72) Invention Satoshi Hatano 208-8-19 Suigaoka-cho, Ashiya-shi, Hyogo (72) Inventor Kentaro Yamamoto 8-15-303 Yanagishima Kaigan, Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa (72) Inventor Tohsun John William West West, Ohio, United States Chester, Shady Brook Drive, 8169 F-term (reference) 3E035 AA11 BA08 BC02 BD02 CA07 3E064 AA01 BA26 BA30 BA35 BA36 BA38 BA55 BC19 EA30 HA06 HB05 HN02 3E086 AA02 AB01 AC06 AD01 BA15 BA24 BB01 BB31 BB90 CA01 [Continued Summary] It consists of a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents careful contact, wherein the first part covers the second part by folding around the joining area, the first part and the second part covering one of the parts. The strips are releasably sealable from one another along a seal perimeter created by pressing against the other of the parts, where the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter. At least one of the first partial free edge and the second partial free edge may further comprise opening indicating means for visually contrasting with the other first partial free edge or second partial free edge. Also disclosed are methods for storing and cooking with the bags herein.

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. Comprising at least two sheets of superposed film material,
A bag comprising at least a portion of the edges of the sheets that are permanently sealed and overlapped, at least one of the sheets being a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. A bag wherein the support film sheet is releasably sealable to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create a seal perimeter, wherein the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter. 2. The bag of claim 1, wherein the interior of the bag is further contained within a permanently sealed portion of the overlapping edges. 3. The bag of claim 1, wherein the bag has four pairs of overlapping edges, at least one pair of the overlapping edges being permanently sealed. 4. A bag comprising a first sheet of film material and a second sheet of film material, at least one of said sheets being a composite film material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive to prevent inadvertent adhesion. The adhesive support film sheet,
A bag which is releasably sealable to the other film sheet when pressed against it to create a seal perimeter, wherein the interior of the bag is contained within the seal perimeter. 5. A sheet having a first portion having at least one first portion free edge, a second portion having at least one second portion free edge, and a joining region between the first portion and the second portion. At least one of said first part or said second part is made of a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive preventing inadvertent adhesion, and said first part is folded around the joining area. Overlapping the second portion, the first and second portions are releasably sealable from one another along a seal perimeter created by pressing one of the portions against the other of the portion, wherein the bag A bag whose interior is contained within the perimeter of the seal. 6. The bag of claim 5, wherein both the first portion and the second portion consist of a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. 7. The bag of claim 6, wherein the bond area comprises a composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. 8. The bag of claim 7, wherein the sheet is a unitary sheet of composite film material with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. 9. The bag of claim 5, wherein the interior is further contained within the junction area. 10. The bag of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first portion free edge is permanently sealed to at least a portion of the second portion free edge. 11. A sheet having a first portion having at least one first portion free edge, a second portion having at least one second portion free edge, and a joining region between the first portion and the second portion. At least one of said first portion or said second portion comprises a composite film material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive to prevent inadvertent adhesion, and at least one of said first portion free edge or second portion free edge. Has an opening display means visually contrasting with the other first part free edge or second part free edge, and the first part covers the second part by folding around the joining area, and the first part and the second part. The two portions are releasably sealable from each other along a seal perimeter created by pressing one of the parts against the other of the parts, the seal perimeter further including the bond region. Gug. 12. The composite film material is a three-dimensional composite sheet material having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side extends outwardly from the first side and is spaced apart. At least one region having a plurality of three-dimensional protrusions, the protrusions being separated by a continuous network of three-dimensional spaces between adjacent protrusions, the space being partially filled with an adhesive. A bag according to any one of claims 1, 4, 5 or 11. 13. The plurality of protrusions each form a mating convex polyhedral amorphous pattern each having a finite number of substantially linear sides, and the opposing sides of adjacent polygons are parallel. The bag according to claim 12. 14. The interior of the bag is divided into a plurality of interiors by releasably sealing the adhesive support film sheet to create a plurality of seal perimeters. The bag according to any one of 11 above. 15. The bag according to any one of claims 1, 4, 5 or 11, further comprising opening display means. 16. The bag of claim 15, wherein the open display means includes color display means. 17. The bag of claim 15, wherein the open display means comprises print display means. 18. The bag according to claim 1, 4, 5 or 11, wherein the sheet comprises a decorative print. 19. An article is placed in the bag of any one of claims 1, 4, 5 or 11 and the bag is peelably sealed by creating a seal perimeter and the seal. A method of storing the item, including placing the bag in a storage location. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the article is a vegetable and the storage location is a refrigerator.