JP5229465B2 - Lid with barrier properties - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a laminated sheet of a metal foil and a plastic sheet that is sealed, for example, in an opening of a paper cup or a paper tube. In order to make the laminated sheet easy to open, the strength such as perforations, cut lines, and broken lines More particularly, the present invention relates to a lid that can be sealed and sealed in an opening of a paper cup or a paper tube, maintains a barrier property, and can be easily opened by breaking a perforation.

  Many proposals have been made to open the lid by tearing it by providing strength weak points such as perforations, cut lines, and broken lines as described above, and they are also commercially available.

  By the way, such a conventional lid is generally constituted by combining some of a synthetic resin sheet, a paper sheet, an aluminum foil or an aluminum sheet, and laminating them, and an appropriate range from the lower surface of the lid to the upper layer. A perforation is provided as an example of the strength weak point portion. In general, the strength weak point portion is often provided linearly from edge to edge of a container opening such as a paper cup or paper tube. In many cases, the lid for a paper cup has hot melt as the innermost layer.

JP 2002-104515 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-110077 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-001375 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 06-085295 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 07-017762

  In many cases, the above-mentioned conventional lids are provided with the strength weak point part linearly across the edge of the container opening such as a paper cup or paper tube. As a result, when the container is dropped carelessly, the opening side is particularly on the floor surface. In the case of a rear-end collision, the weak point of the strength easily breaks, and the contents such as instant coffee, powdered milk, copier toner, and various powders may spill out of the container. . In addition, if hot melt is used, there may be a problem with the cleanliness of the hot melt (causing hot melt flaws), and if it is exposed to high temperatures, it melts and opens carelessly, and hot melt There was also a problem that the characteristic odor detracted from the commercial value.

  Therefore, the present inventors considered the mechanism by which the lid is damaged when the container falls, and found that the cause is that the container is distorted by the impact of the drop and tension is applied to the lid member. Based on this new knowledge, we sought for ways to absorb the impact of the container when dropped. As a result, the inventors came up with an effective means for giving the lid a function to alleviate the impact, and tried various experiments with a lid provided on the lid. The results obtained are satisfactory and are proposed here.

  Therefore, the present invention has a barrier property, a stable sealing property against a cup, and a barrier property that is much easier to open than conventional products. It aims at providing the lid | cover which has.

  In order to solve the above technical problem, the lid having a barrier property according to claim 1 of the present invention is a resin layer including a polyethylene sealant layer, and is adhered to the outside of the innermost resin layer. A metal foil layer is attached via a layer, and the innermost layer is provided with a plurality of strength weak points radially from the center, and the metal foil layer including the innermost layer is torn and opened by the strength weak points. The lid has a barrier property that is easy to perform, and the lid is embossed to have elasticity.

  The innermost layer can be formed from two layers of a polyethylene terephthalate resin layer through a polyethylene resin layer extruded on the polyethylene resin layer through a polyethylene sealant layer. The outermost layer is formed by attaching a metal foil layer such as an aluminum foil to the outside of the polyethylene terephthalate resin layer of the innermost layer through, for example, an extruded polyethylene resin layer. Further, the innermost layer is provided with weak and weak points formed by perforations and cut lines, preferably 3 to 8, radially from the center. This strength weak point portion is provided through two layers of a sealant layer and a polyethylene terephthalate resin layer serving as an adhesive layer. This strength weak point portion includes the innermost layer and the metal foil layer is easily broken to facilitate opening.

  Furthermore, the outermost metal foil layer ensures a good barrier property. The strength weak points provided radially in the innermost layer are easily divided into a plurality of fan shapes from the center to the periphery along the strength weak points when the external pressure is applied to push them. It is done. Further, since this innermost layer has a polyethylene sealant layer, when used in a paper cup or a paper tube, the air gap is realized by filling a step formed in the flange or curl. Furthermore, since a hot melt is not employed, melting does not occur even when exposed to high temperatures, and there is no specific odor.

  In the lid having such a barrier property, in the present invention, since the entire lid is embossed and has elasticity, the container is distorted by the impact when the container is dropped, and the lid is tensioned. Even if works, the tension is well absorbed by the stretching action of the emboss.

Therefore, this invention has the following effects.
Since the lid having the barrier property of the present invention is embossed, even if tension is applied by the impact when the container falls, it can be absorbed well by its expansion and contraction, so the lid can be easily Is not broken, resulting in improved drop strength.

  In addition, while the outer metal foil layer can secure sufficient airtightness, it can be easily pushed through by providing the inner layer with weak points such as perforations and cut lines radially from the center. The possibility of lid debris can now be resolved successfully. Further, since the innermost layer has a polyethylene sealant layer, it can be well sealed regardless of the presence of a step on the flange or curl of the cup, and sufficient airtightness can be secured. Furthermore, since a hot melt is not employed, a stable sealing property can be obtained, and the influence of odor can be eliminated.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the lid having barrier properties of the present invention is applied to an instant coffee refilling container 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Note that the present invention can be basically applied to a general lid that has a barrier property sealed to a paper cup or a paper tube and is opened by breaking the lid. Therefore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the structures described in the following embodiments.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the refilling container 1 includes a cylindrical container body 2, a lid 3 having a barrier property, and an overcap 4 that is a protective cap.

The container body 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a rectangular piece of paper is used as the base material. As shown in the partial enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the paper cylinder has an ink layer 201, a paper layer 202, an ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer resin (EMAA) 203, and an aluminum foil in order from the outermost layer to the inside. 204, a composite laminate sheet in which polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 205 and low density polyethylene (LDPE) 206 are laminated. This is to completely block moisture and ventilation. This is because ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer resin (EMAA) 203 between the paper layer 202 and the aluminum foil 204 is used to firmly adhere the aluminum foil 204 to the paper layer 202. Further, the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) 206 on the inner surface is for ensuring adhesion with the lid 3. It is desirable to use high quality paper for the paper layer 202, and an appropriate one is selected from the range of 150 to 450 g / m ² basis weight. Further, ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer resin (EMAA) 203 is in the range of 10 to 50 μm, aluminum foil 204 is in the range of 6 to 20 μm, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 205 is in the range of 5 to 50 μm, and low density polyethylene (LDPE) 206 Are appropriately selected within the range of 30 to 150 μm.

  Moreover, a well-known technique is employ | adopted as a means for obtaining said laminated sheet. For example, it is a general method such as laminating or coating. In order to create the container body 2, the rectangular paper piece that has been surface-treated as described above is rounded into a cylindrical shape, the left and right sides are polymerized, and this overlapped portion is used as an adhesive to bond appropriately. As the bonding means, an adhesive is used, heat-sealing, or a known means is appropriately employed. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper end is an annular winding portion that is annularly wound outward or a flat winding portion in which the annular winding portion is flattened (hereinafter simply referred to as a curl portion). 5 is formed. Therefore, a step 6 is inevitably generated in the vertical direction in the overlapping portion on both sides of the upper surface of the curled portion 5. The step 6 is important in order to prevent airtightness.

  A cylindrical hopper 7 is fitted into the opening 2A of the container body 2 as shown in FIGS. The hopper 7 is made of the same material as the container body 2 or an appropriate resin material such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene whose thickness is set to approximately 0.8 mm. The hopper 7 is provided with a straight rising wall 7 </ b> A that does not have an outward flange at the upper end. The rising wall 7 </ b> A is fitted into the opening 2 </ b> A with its upper end positioned at the same height as the upper end of the opening 2 </ b> A of the container body 2, that is, the upper end surface of the curled part 5. In addition, a funnel 7B is provided integrally from the lower end edge of the rising wall 7A so as to incline upward and toward the center. The taper angle of the funnel 7B is set to at least 20 °, more preferably 40 to 45 °.

  The hopper 7 is firmly aligned so that the upper end of the funnel 7B is arranged at substantially the same height position as the upper end of the rising wall 7A and the opening 2A of the container body 2, that is, substantially on the same plane, The opening 2A is fitted and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the opening 2A. As the fixing means, the most preferable means such as heat fusion, high frequency welding, use of an adhesive and the like are appropriately employed.

The upper end of the hopper 7 is sealed with the lid 3 having a barrier property.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 3 having a barrier property is such that the innermost layer 8 is a resin layer including a polyethylene sealant layer 9, and a metal foil is disposed outside the innermost layer 8 resin layer via an adhesive layer 10. A composite sheet to which the layer 11 is adhered is employed, and the innermost layer 8 is provided with a plurality of strength weak points 12 radially from the center thereof, and the innermost layer 8 is included by the strength weak points 12. The metal foil layer 11 is also easily broken and easily opened.

The above configuration will be described in more detail.
The innermost layer 8 is a polyethylene (low density polyethylene: LDPE) sealant layer 9 having a thickness appropriately selected from the range of 30 to 200 μm. The uppermost layer 8 has a range of 5 to 50 μm on the upper surface of the polyethylene sealant layer 9. An extruded resin film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that functions as the adhesive layer 10 having an appropriately selected thickness is laminated. The metal foil layer 11 employs an aluminum foil having a thickness appropriately selected from the range of 6 to 50 μm, and the bottom surface of the aluminum foil has a thickness appropriately selected from the range of 7 to 100 μm. Polyethylene (low density polyethylene: LDPE) extruded resin film 13 is laminated. The lowermost polyethylene sealant layer 9 and the extruded resin film 13 of polyethylene (low density polyethylene: LDPE) under the aluminum foil as the metal foil layer 11 are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the adhesive layer 10. ) Are extruded to form a composite sheet. As a means for processing the composite sheet, a known technique other than the above is adopted, and a general technique such as laminating or coating is used.

  2 to 4, the overall shape of the lid 3 is substantially the same as the opening 2 </ b> A of the container main body 2, specifically, a circular shape with a diameter of about 90 mmφ, and the peripheral edge 4 </ b> A is formed on the container main body 2. It is appropriately affixed to the upper end of the opening 2A, that is, the upper end surface of the curled portion 5. Generally, it is heat-sealed. However, it may be attached to the upper end surface of the rising wall 7A of the hopper, but the upper end edge of the funnel 7B of the hopper 7, that is, the upper edge of the opening 7B1 is merely in contact with the upper end surface. is there.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lid 3 having the barrier property has perforations or cut lines (perforations in the illustrated example) as a plurality of strength weak points 12 radially from the center as well as the innermost layer 8. The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) extruded resin film is provided so as to reach the adhesive layer 10 (see FIG. 1). The metal foil layer 11 including the innermost layer 8 is easily broken by the perforation or the cut line which is the strength weak point portion 12, and is easily opened. As shown in FIG. 2, the perforations or cut lines are three straight lines intersecting each other at the center, and the length of the perforation is set to 9 mm and the joint is set to 1 mm. The number of three is a minimum number for achieving the intended purpose of the present invention. Further, although it depends on the size of the lid 3, the desirable upper limit is ten. On the contrary, if the number is 10 or more, there is a possibility that the strength of the lid 3 is weakened, which is not preferable. Ideally, there are 3 to 8 (8 examples are shown in FIG. 10).

  Furthermore, an important structure in the present invention is that the cover 3 is embossed as shown in FIGS. The emboss 14 has a corrugated wave shape in the illustrated example. A case is schematically illustrated in which the size is set to approximately 3 mm between the wave tops 15 and approximately 1 mm from the top 15 to the valley bottom 16. As shown in the figure, the emboss 14 is composed of a plurality (longitudinal waves) parallel to each other from the edge of the lid 3 and a plurality (parallel waves) parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular thereto. It is provided in a lattice shape. The transverse wave has a higher density toward the side of the edge, that is, the interval between each other is shortened, and the adjacent interval is about 3 mm. Moreover, it becomes somewhat sparse toward the center of the lid 3 and is set to about 4 mm. This is because a drop impact is easily applied to the edge quickly, and this is absorbed at an early stage, and as a result, it is effective to prevent the strength weak point portion 12 from being inadvertently broken.

  The depth and width of the emboss 14 are selected as appropriate. In short, if the structure is provided with extensibility, for example, satin, leather, and other various uneven patterns are adopted. And the form which can obtain at least 2% or more compared with that of the flat shape which does not provide the embossing 14 of a conventional product is employ | adopted for the elongation rate until a lid | cover is extended and the strength weak point part 12 is torn. Desirably, it is 3 to 4%. A numerical value of 3 to 4% is set based on knowledge obtained as a result of various experiments. Specifically, it was able to withstand elongation up to about 2 mm. The conventional product broke at about 0.5 mm. The width between the top portions 15 and the depth to the top portion 15 and the valley bottom 16 are dimensions sufficient to satisfy this condition. Further, the emboss 14 is desirably provided at a portion other than the strength weak point portion 12, but it is not always necessary to be concerned with this configuration. As a result of various experiments, even when the strength weak point portion 12 is provided in a portion, there is no significant change in function. Further, the strength weak point portion 12 is, for example, an arc shape that spirals from the center of the lid to the edge, or a zigzag or wave shape from the center of the lid to the edge. Even with a so-called curved line, the same effect was obtained.

  The overcap 4 as a protective cap is made of the same material as the container body 2 or an appropriate resin such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene having a thickness set to about 0.8 mm. It fits outside the part 2A, protects the lid 3, and works to keep the inside hygienic.

  The operation of storing the powdered instant coffee P in the container of the refill container 1 according to the present invention is generally performed through the opening 7B1 of the hopper 7.

Next, how to use the refill container 1 of Example 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the overcap 4 is removed, and then, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the container body 2 is turned upside down, and the funnel 7B of the hopper 7 is inserted into the cylindrical mouth portion 17A of the jar 17 as an example of a refilling container. Address the position where it can be fitted inside. The instant coffee P in the container body 2 is also flowing down from the hopper 7 into the funnel 7B, but is held by the lid 3. Next, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a pressing force is applied to the container body 2 so as to push the funnel 7 </ b> B toward the mouth 17 </ b> A of the jar 17. This pressing force acts as a force for the top portion of the jar 17 that rises in a cylindrical shape from the mouth portion 17 </ b> A, generally a cylinder, to push the lid 3. That is, the mouth portion 17A of the jar 17 functions as a force that pushes up the lid 3 and pushes it into the space S having a triangular cross section between the rising wall 7A of the hopper 7 and the funnel 7B. The lid 3 to which the pressing force is applied is provided with perforations, which are strength weak points 12, in a radial manner. Therefore, the lid 3 is easily broken into a plurality of pieces along the perforation. The At the same time, the funnel 7B enters the mouth portion 17A of the jar 17. As a result, the opening 7B1 of the funnel 7B of the hopper 7 is opened, and the instant coffee P in the container body 2 is guided and flowed down into the jar 17 all at once while being guided to the center by the funnel 7B of the hopper 7. . The refill container 1 that has been refilled into the jar 17 is discarded. In the figure, 2B is the bottom of the container body 2.

  Therefore, the funnel 7B fitted inside the mouth portion 17A of the jar 17 guides and flows the instant coffee P into the jar 17 without falling down to the outside of the jar 17. As a result, the instant coffee P has no fear of touching the outside air more than necessary, and therefore the risk of fragrance and flavor being reduced as much as possible.

  Further, when the container 2 falls, a drop impact that is loaded on the container and breaks the strength weak point portion 12 of the lid 3 is also well absorbed by the presence of the emboss 14. By the way, as a result of the drop resistance comparison test of the present invention product and the conventional product without the embossing 14, the present invention product was able to withstand four drops and showed sufficiently satisfactory resistance. On the other hand, the conventional product could not withstand at most two drops, and the strength weak point portion 12 was easily broken.

  Moreover, as a result of performing a performance test of the completed lid, the center part was successfully broken. Incidentally, the breaking strength was 100 N or less. Further, in the permeation liquid check test at the step 6 of the opening 2A using a paper cup, no leakage was observed. Furthermore, the example which a cover peeled from the opening part 2A of a paper cup at the time of high temperature preservation was not seen. Moreover, the barrier property of the whole lid was the same as that of the aluminum lid, and a preferable result was obtained. There was no odor generation compared to the hot melt lid.

  As described above, since the innermost layer 8 of the lid 3 includes the sealant layer 9 of polyethylene (linear low density polyethylene: LLDPE), the lid 3 can be used regardless of the presence of the step 6 at the mouth that is unique to the paper cup. Even when the opening of the paper cup is directly sealed, it can be sealed well and sufficient airtightness can be secured. Furthermore, since a hot melt was not adopted, a stable sealing property was obtained, and the influence of odor could be eliminated.

  In addition, this invention is applied also to the various containers which are not provided with the said hopper 7, as shown in FIG. That is, the container body 2 shown in the above embodiment is configured without a hopper, and the lid 3 is provided in the opening 2A. There was no change in the effects shown in the embodiment including the drop resistance of the lid, and an equivalent result was obtained.

  Further, the upper end of the rising wall 7A may be provided with an outward flange that comes into airtight contact with the opening edge of the container body 2. The advantages of the lid 3 itself, such as opening, high temperature retention, barrier properties, odor, opening feeling, drop resistance of the weakness point portion 12, workability, and stability, are completely eliminated. The same effect can be demonstrated.

  In the above embodiment, instant powdered coffee is used as the contents, but it can be applied to other fluids of food and non-food. For example, water-soluble milk (powdered milk), cocoa, tea, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, it is a toner of a copying machine in addition to dried mashed potatoes and other dried foods, sauce or gravy powder, soup powder and the like.

  Further, as an alternative to the jar 17, the present invention can be applied to a coffee powder tank of a coffee making device, and also to a replenishing container for powdered milk and a copier toner.

  Furthermore, as the barrier material of the lid 3, a silica vapor deposition film, an alumina vapor deposition film, and further an aluminum foil or the like are employed. Instead, for example, an aluminum vapor deposition film, an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVOH), A barrier film such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or a barrier coating film such as polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) or polyvinyl alcohol coat film can be employed.

(Example)
First, by the laminating method, [container outside] paper layer (basis weight 350 g / m ² ) / adhesive layer / aluminum foil layer (7.0 μm) / polyethylene terephthalate layer (12 μm) / low density polyethylene A laminate material having a layer (60 μm) [inner side] configuration was produced. As the bottom member, [outside of container] low density polyethylene layer (20 μm) / paper layer (basis weight 230 g / m ² ) / low density polyethylene layer (20 μm) / aluminum foil layer (7.0 μm) / adhesive layer / A laminated material having a configuration of polyethylene terephthalate layer (12 μm) / adhesive layer / low density polyethylene layer (50 μm) [inner side of container] was prepared. Using these laminated materials, a cup-shaped container main body having a curled portion on the outer periphery of the upper end of the trunk portion was produced by a cup molding machine manufactured by PMC. Next, a hopper having a funnel 7B and a ring around it was manufactured by injection molding using high-density polyethylene (Mitsui Chemicals 2100K). Both the funnel 7B and the ring were formed to have a thickness of about 0.8 mm. Furthermore, a laminated material of [upper side] aluminum foil layer (7 μm) / low density polyethylene layer (15 μm) / polyethylene terephthalate layer (12 μm) / low density polyethylene layer (100 μm) [lower side] configuration was prepared, and this laminated material was The lid material was produced using this.

  Next, the cup-shaped container body described above is inserted into the anvil, the curl portion at the upper end of the trunk portion is supported from the lower side, the barrel portion is fixed, and the hopper is attached to the opening inside the upper end of the trunk portion. The ring was inserted and inserted so as not to protrude upward from the upper end of the curled portion, and the outer surface of the ring was joined to the inner surface of the opening using a welding machine.

  The instant coffee was then filled into the container body through the funnel opening of the part. Finally, the above-mentioned lid material was heat-sealed by the heat seal method on the upper surface of the curled portion to seal the upper end side of the container, and a protective cap was put on the lid material 4 to produce a paper container. .

Next, a comparative examination of the drop resistance between each of the containers 2 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIG. 11 of the present invention and a conventional container was performed under the following conditions.
First, 120 g of the contents are put, and the lid 3 with the embossing 14 according to the present invention and the flat lid 3 without the embossing 14 are attached to the opening 2A of each container 2, respectively, and then the overcap 4 is attached. Five test containers were made each. The test body was dropped from a height of 60 cm above the ground with an attitude in which the opening 2A of the container 2 was inclined downward by 45 degrees.
The results are shown in Table 1.

  As understood from the test results, in the case of a lid without embossing, the strength weak point portion 12 was broken by three drops in three cases, and the strength weak point portion 12 was broken in the remaining two cases by a second drop. In contrast, when the emboss 14 is provided, the two cases only saw the breakage of the strength weak point portion 12 at the fourth time, and the remaining three cases showed the breakage of the strength weak point portion 12 even after the fifth drop. The result which proved the predominance of drop tolerance of lid 3 by the present invention was obtained.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the lid having barrier properties of the present invention. It is a bottom view of the lid | cover of FIG. FIG. 2 is an overall exploded perspective view including an enlarged view in which a part of a container to which the lid having a barrier property in FIG. 1 is applied is taken out and enlarged. It is sectional drawing of the end of this container when the container of FIG. 3 is closed. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the layer structure of a container. It is explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the lid | cover which has the barrier property of FIG. 1, and is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the lid | cover, a container, and a jar before replenishing the contents to a jar. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action shown by FIG. 6, and is sectional drawing of the principal part. It is explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the lid | cover which has the barrier property of FIG. 1, and is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the lid | cover in the middle of replenishing the contents to a jar, a container, and a jar. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action shown by FIG. 8, and is sectional drawing of the principal part. It is a bottom view of the lid corresponding to Drawing 2 at the time of making an intensity weak point part into eight. It is a partially abbreviated sectional view showing another structure of a container to which the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Container for refill 2 ... Container body 2A ... Opening 3 ... Cover 4 ... Overcap 5 ... Curl 6 ... Step 7 ... Hopper 8 ... Innermost layer 9 ... Sealant layer 10 ... Adhesive layer 11 ... Metal foil layer 12 ... Strength Weak point 13 ... Extruded resin layer 14 ... Emboss 15 ... Top 16 ... Valley bottom 17 ... Jar

Claims (1)

  The innermost layer is a resin layer including a polyethylene sealant layer, and a metal foil layer is adhered to the outer side of the innermost resin layer via an adhesive layer. The innermost layer has a plurality of strength weak points radially from the center. Is provided with a barrier property that is easy to open by tearing the metal foil layer including the innermost layer by this strength weak point portion, the lid is embossed and provided with elasticity A lid having a barrier property characterized by being.

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