JP7381380B2 - Packaging materials, packaged surface articles, packaged absorbent articles, and individual packaging methods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging material, a packaged sheet article, a packaged absorbent article, and a method for individually packaging the same.

Planar articles such as absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and incontinence pads are provided on the market packaged with packaging sheets, and these packaging sheets may be made of resin such as plastic. Common.

Both ends in the width direction of such a packaging sheet that wraps an absorbent article are sealed, for example, by pressing with upper and lower rollers to form unevenness. If the packaging sheet is made of resin, the resin melts when heat is applied during pressure bonding, and the inner surfaces are partially welded together, so that they can be easily bonded.

In recent years, in consideration of the impact on the environment, it has been proposed to use paper or nonwoven fabric instead of resin as packaging materials for these absorbent articles (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Here, generally when packaging an absorbent article, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a planar article 7 is placed on a packaging sheet 8, and an area including one end of the packaging sheet 8 and an area including the other end are placed. In many cases, the sheet article is folded inward in tri-fold so that the areas containing the area are vertically overlapped, and then the sheet article is wrapped and fastened with a fastening tape 9. In the inner three-fold configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, there are parts where two packaging sheets 8 overlap and parts where three packaging sheets 8 overlap.

However, when the packaging material is paper, applying the general three-fold folding method of the packaging sheet 8 shown in FIG. If the wrapping paper is overlaid, a gap will occur between the upper and lower rollers and the wrapping paper in the thinner area where two sheets overlap. If the packaging material is made of paper, the paper will not melt even if heat is applied when crimping the side seals, and the materials will not weld together, so the force will be stronger than that of resin and will be applied evenly in all areas. It is necessary to apply pressure to the seal, but if there is a gap, the crimp will be weakened and there is a possibility that the seal will not be sealed and the gap will open.

Therefore, Patent Document 2 proposes sealing the edges with an adhesive in order to eliminate the adhesiveness at the edges that becomes weak when paper is used as the packaging material.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-53170 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-93437

However, in order to seal the edges with adhesive as in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to install equipment for adhesion in addition to equipment for manufacturing conventional packaging sheets, which requires a large investment in equipment. A large amount of cost was required.

Therefore, one aspect of the present invention provides a package that can seal both edges with the same equipment as resin even if it is made of a material other than resin, and can prevent openings at both edges. The purpose is to provide materials.

A first aspect of the present invention is a packaging material for packaging a planar article by folding it in three, the packaging material having one end in a predetermined direction from a position where the planar article is fixed. In the packaged state, the packaging material is Z-folded so that the folding surface that is folded downward stretches against the surface that is folded in three and is folded upward twice. In the packaged state, in a predetermined direction of the uppermost layer, the edge of the inner three-fold surface and the edge of the Z-fold surface are in contact without overlapping, and are perpendicular to the predetermined direction of the packaging material. Both edges in the width direction are side-sealed by crimping. Here, the Z-fold is a folding method in which the absorbent article is folded upward twice without sandwiching the absorbent article.

According to the first embodiment, by extending one end of the packaging material in a predetermined direction and providing a Z-fold in addition to the inner three-fold, it becomes possible to fold the packaging material so that the number of overlapping sheets is the same. This makes the overlap thickness even. In other words, since there are no thin parts, even if the packaging material is made of a material other than resin, both edges can be sealed using the same equipment as resin, and openings at both edges can be prevented. . Furthermore, since the stretching section for Z-folding is long, it is difficult to wrap an absorbent article (e.g., a napkin for night use) that is larger than the three-fold absorbent article (e.g., a napkin for daytime use) of the present invention after use. By stretching the Z-fold, the user can dispose of a large absorbent article after use without getting his hands dirty.

In a second aspect of the present invention, the packaging material is such that the length of the planar article in the predetermined direction is shorter than the sum of the areas constituting the inner three-fold, and the planar article includes the inner three-fold. It is fixed so that it does not protrude from its constituent area.

According to the second embodiment, the planar article is fixed so as not to protrude from the inner three-fold area. Therefore, even if the adhesive tape is unintentionally peeled off, the absorbent article will not be exposed, so it can be kept sanitary.

In a third aspect of the present invention, the packaging material has a first region, a second region, a third region, a fourth region, and a fifth region from the front side in the front-rear direction, with the fold as the boundary. , the second region is the lowest layer and becomes the center surface of the tri-fold, and the third region is folded inward at the rear end of the second region in the front-rear direction, thereby forming the folding surface of the tri-fold. At the same time, the fourth area becomes the back side of the Z-fold, the fourth area folds back outward at the front end of the third area and overlaps the third area, and becomes the inner side of the Z-fold, and the fifth area becomes the back side of the Z-fold. The first region is folded outward at the end to form a Z-fold surface that partially overlaps the fourth region, and the first region becomes a tri-fold surface that is folded inward from the front end of the second region, which is the bottom layer. In the upper layer, the front free end of the fifth region and the opposing rear free end of the first region contact without overlapping.

According to the third embodiment, by extending the rear end of the packaging material and providing a Z-fold in addition to the inner tri-fold, it becomes possible to fold the packaging material so that the number of overlapping sheets becomes four. The thickness of the overlap becomes equal. In other words, since there are no thin parts, even if the packaging material is made of a material other than resin, both edges can be sealed using the same equipment as resin, and openings at both edges can be prevented. .

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the packaging material, in the front-rear direction, the third region is shorter than the length of the second region by the thickness of the planar article, and the fourth region is shorter than the length of the second region. , and has substantially the same length as the third region.

According to the fourth aspect, the folding region is shorter than the length of the lowermost surface region by the thickness of the planar article, so that the folding region can be folded without shifting from the crease.

In a fifth form of the invention, the packaging material is paper.

According to the fifth embodiment, since the packaging material is paper, unlike resin packaging sheets, even if it is discarded, it will not become marine plastic floating in the ocean or remain on the soil forever. It can be made into an environmentally friendly material that will eventually decompose.

A sixth form of the present invention is a packaged planar article comprising the packaging material of any one of the first to fifth forms and a planar article wrapped with the packaging material.

According to the sixth embodiment, it is possible to provide a packaged sheet-like article that has the same effects as any of the first to fifth embodiments.

In a seventh aspect of the present invention, the packaging sheet article includes a release sheet whose back surface is fixed to the inner surface of the packaging material, the sheet article has an adhesive portion on the back surface, and the sheet article The surface of the sheet is releasably adhered to the adhesive portion of the planar article.

According to the seventh aspect, when the packaged absorbent article is opened, the absorbent article can be deployed following the packaging material as the packaging material is deployed.

In an eighth aspect of the present invention, the packaged sheet-like article is attached from above in the uppermost layer so as to connect the free end of the surface of the Z-fold and the free end of the opposing inner three-fold. A fastening tape is provided, and the fastening tape has a strong seal portion on one side when folded and a weak seal portion on the folded side that can be peeled off and refastened during use.

According to the eighth embodiment, by pasting the adhesive tape, the ends of the uppermost surfaces can be connected while being positioned. Furthermore, after opening the package and unfolding the packaging material, the weak seal portion will peel off, but the strong seal portion will not peel off and will remain intact. Thereby, the fastening tape can be reused as a pressing member when packaging the absorbent article 1 after use.

In a ninth aspect of the present invention, the planar article according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects is an absorbent article, and the absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable top sheet. The packaged absorbent article includes a back sheet and an absorbent body provided between the top sheet and the back sheet, and has an elongated shape elongated in the front-rear direction.

According to the ninth embodiment, it is possible to provide a packaged absorbent article that has the same effects as any of the sixth to eighth embodiments.

In a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an individual packaging method for packaging planar articles using a packaging material, wherein the packaging material includes, from the front side in the front-rear direction, a first region, a second region, a third region, having a fourth region and a fifth region with a fold as a boundary, and folding the boundary between the fourth region and the fifth region of the packaging material inward to create a valley fold; A step of folding the boundary between the fourth region and the third region of the packaging material outward to create a mountain fold, a step of unfolding the crooked packaging material, and a step of folding the planar article into the packaging a fixing step of fixing to the inner surface within the range of the first region, the second region, and the third region of the packaging material; and a fixing step of fixing the third region of the packaging material to the boundary with the second region, a step of folding the fourth region on top of the third region due to a folding habit by folding it inward together with the planar article; and folding the fifth region back onto the fourth region; The step of holding the region in that position and folding the first region inward at the boundary with the second region allows the first region to overlap the fourth region. and a step of folding the first region inwardly while pressing the first region from above so that the front free end of the fifth region whose position has been pressed and the rear free end of the opposing first region come into contact without overlapping. a tape pasting process in which adhesive tape is pasted from above so that the packaging material is connected in a state in which and a stopping step.

According to the tenth embodiment, even if the packaging material is made of a material other than resin, both edges can be sealed using equipment similar to resin, and openings at both edges can be prevented. Furthermore, when the fifth region is short, by forming a folding habit in advance that does not pinch the absorbent article, it is possible to prevent the folding from having an adverse effect on the absorbent article and to make it difficult for the opening force to act on the absorbent article before use. I can do it.

In an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an individual packaging method for packaging planar articles using a packaging material, wherein the packaging material includes a first region, a second region, and a third region from the front side in the front-rear direction. , having a fourth region and a fifth region with a fold as a boundary, and folding the boundary between the fourth region and the fifth region of the packaging material inward to form a valley fold. , a step of folding the boundary between the fourth region and the third region of the packaging material outward to form a mountain-fold pattern; a step of unfolding the patterned packaging material; a fixing step of fixing to the inner surface within the range of the first region, the second region, and the third region of the packaging material; and a fixing step of fixing the third region of the packaging material to the boundary with the second region. By folding it inward together with the planar article, the fourth area is placed on top of the third area and the fifth area is partially placed on top of the fourth area due to the folding tendency. and a step of folding the first region inward together with the planar article so as to overlap the fourth region by folding the first region inward at the boundary with the second region. , while pressing the fifth region and the first region from above, so that the front free end of the fifth region and the rear free end of the opposing first region are connected in a state in which they are in contact without overlapping. The method includes a tape pasting step of pasting an adhesive tape from above, and an edge sealing step of applying pressure to side-seal both edges of the packaging material in a width direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. .

According to the eleventh embodiment, even if the packaging material is made of a material other than resin, both edges can be sealed using equipment similar to resin, and openings at both edges can be prevented. . Furthermore, when the fifth region is long, by forming a folding habit in advance that does not pinch the absorbent article, it is possible to prevent the folding from having an adverse effect on the absorbent article and to make it difficult for the opening force to act on the absorbent article before use. I can do it.

According to one embodiment, even if the packaging material is made of a material other than resin, both edges can be sealed using equipment similar to resin, and openings at both edges can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a conventional packaged absorbent article. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional packaged absorbent article. FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a packaged absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a folded state of the packaged absorbent article. 1 is an overall perspective view of a packaged absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for packaging absorbent articles using the packaging material of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the position at which the absorbent article is attached to the packaging material in S4 of FIG. 6; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating folding of the packaging material in S5 and S6 of FIG. 6; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating pasting of a fastening sticker in S7 of FIG. 6; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of crimping of both ends in the width direction in S8 of FIG. 6; An explanatory diagram of the pinching position and stretching of the packaging material during use.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding configurations may be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted.

The packaging material according to this embodiment is a sheet for packaging and accommodating a planar article. The packaging material according to this embodiment can be suitably used as a non-resin packaging material for packaging absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and incontinence pads as planar articles. Therefore, below, the packaging material for packaging the absorbent article and the packaged absorbent article will be mainly explained.

<Overall configuration>
FIG. 3 is also a diagram showing the packaged absorbent article 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention in an expanded state.

The packaged absorbent article 100 includes an absorbent article 1, a packaging material 2, and a fastening tape 3. In the example below, the packaging material 2 has an elongated rectangular shape, with the longitudinal side defined as the front-rear direction L and the short side defined as the width direction W.

The absorbent article 1 includes a top sheet 11, a back sheet 12 (see FIG. 4), and an absorbent core 13. The top sheet 11 is a liquid-permeable sheet, and the back sheet 12 is a liquid-impermeable sheet. The absorbent body 13 is sandwiched between these two sheets 11 and 12 and provided within the range shown by the dotted line, and the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 are directly bonded to each other near the edges.

The top sheet 11 is a liquid-permeable sheet that quickly allows body fluids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and urine to pass through. As the top sheet 11, a perforated or non-perforated nonwoven fabric, a porous plastic sheet, or the like is suitably used. The material fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric include, for example, olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide, recycled fibers such as rayon and cupro, blended fibers thereof, and natural fibers such as cotton, either singly or Two or more types can be used in combination. Further, composite fibers made by combining synthetic fibers with different melting points can also be used.

As the back sheet 12 (see FIG. 4), a sheet material having at least water-blocking properties, such as an olefin resin sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene, can be used. A laminated nonwoven fabric made by laminating a nonwoven fabric on a polyethylene sheet or the like, a laminated sheet of a nonwoven fabric that is substantially liquid-impermeable by interposing a waterproof film, etc. can be used. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of preventing stuffiness, it is more desirable to use a material having moisture permeability. Such water-shielding/breathable sheet materials are made by melt-kneading an inorganic filler into an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, forming a sheet, and then stretching the sheet in uniaxial or biaxial directions. Porous sheets can be used.

The absorbent body 13 interposed between the topsheet 11 and the backsheet 12 is not limited to any material as long as it can absorb and retain body fluids, but preferably contains cotton-like pulp and a water-absorbing polymer. As the water-absorbing polymer, superabsorbent polymer granules (SAP), superabsorbent fibers (SAF), and combinations thereof can be used. Examples of the pulp include chemical pulp obtained from wood, cellulose fibers such as dissolving pulp, and those made of artificial cellulose fibers such as rayon and acetate. As raw materials for chemical pulp, hardwoods, softwoods, etc. are used, and softwoods are preferably used because of their long fiber length. Furthermore, synthetic fibers may be mixed in the absorber 13.

Further, the absorbent article 1 may be provided with a compression groove (also referred to as fit embossing) 14 that is depressed from the top sheet 11 side to the back sheet 12 side.

The thickness of the absorbent article 1 can be in the range of 1 to 10 mm, preferably in the range of 1 to 4 mm. This thickness does not need to be uniform over the entire surface of the absorbent article 1, and by changing the thickness of the absorbent body 13, the central portion of the absorbent article 1 in the front-rear direction L and the portion corresponding to the buttock groove can be expanded. It is also possible to have a structure in which the

In the form of FIG. 3, the absorbent article 1 as a whole has an elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction L when viewed from above, but the shape of the absorbent article 1 is not limited to the illustrated elongate shape; The length L and the width direction W perpendicular to the front-rear direction L may be approximately the same length.

In addition, in the illustrated form, the absorbent article 1 has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to both the center line along the longitudinal direction (front-back direction L) and the center line along the width direction W. , the shape may be asymmetrical with respect to either the front-rear direction L or the width direction W. In that case, the orientation in the longitudinal direction and the width direction when the absorbent article 1 is placed in the packaging material 2 is not limited.

Alternatively, the absorbent article 1 may be provided with a wing member extending outward in the width direction from approximately the center in the front-rear direction.

Referring to FIG. 3, the packaging material 2 has a first region 21, a second region 22, a third region 23, a fourth region 24, and a fifth region 25, which are separated by fold lines from the front side in the front-rear direction. have.

The front end of the first region 21 in the front-rear direction in the unfolded state as shown in FIG. 3 is one end 26 of the free end, and the rear end of the fifth region 25 is the other end 27 of the free end.

Viewed from inside the pasted state, the boundary between the first area 21 and the second area 22 is a valley fold line V3, the boundary between the second area 22 and the third area 23 is a valley fold line V2, and the third area 23 The boundary between the fourth area 24 and the fourth area 24 is a mountain fold line M, and the boundary between the fourth area 24 and the fifth area 25 is a valley fold line V1.

The packaging material 2 of the present invention extends longer on the rear end side than the position where the absorbent article 1 is fixed. In the packaging material 2, the rear end side of the position where the absorbent article 1 is fixed is referred to as a stretching section E, and the front end side of the fixed absorbent article 1 is designated as a placing section P rather than the rear end thereof.

In the present invention, as the packaging material 2, which is an individual packaging material, for example, paper or a nonwoven fabric that does not use resin can be used.

It is preferable to use paper for the packaging material 2 because it reduces the burden on the environment when disposed of and can provide a unique texture, for example, the appearance and feel of a gentle impression of natural materials. Note that in this specification, paper can refer to a material obtained by gluing plant fibers and other fibers together with an adhesive to form a flat plate. In particular, it can refer to those whose main raw material is vegetable fiber (pulp), for example, those whose fiber content is 50% or more, preferably 80% or more. The types of pulp contained in the paper may include wood pulp, non-wood pulp, and waste paper pulp, and these may be either mechanical pulp or chemical pulp. Additives may be added to the paper.

Further, specific examples of paper used for the packaging material 2 include various types of paper such as Western paper, Japanese paper, processed paper, and synthetic paper. In addition, paper that has been conventionally used for other purposes, such as newsprint, printing paper (including high-quality paper), writing paper, drawing paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, miscellaneous paper, etc., may be used unprocessed or processed. It can also be used as

When paper is used as the material for the packaging material 2, the packaging material 2 should be thin paper with a low basis weight in order to make it easy to fold when packaging the absorbent article and to maintain the state after packaging. be able to. The thin paper may be thin imitation paper, Indian paper, rice paper, glassine paper, tissue paper, toilet paper, filter paper, or the like. Furthermore, the packaging material 2 may be processed on one or both sides after papermaking. Examples of the above-mentioned processing include crepe processing, embossing, calendar processing, water repellent processing, slit processing, ply processing, printing processing, and the like. By performing crepe processing and embossing, both strength and flexibility can be improved. Furthermore, a bonding force reduction process (described in detail later) for reducing the bonding force with the adhesive tape is also included in the processing.

When paper is used as the material for the packaging material 2, the basis weight of the packaging material 2 is preferably 50 g/m2 or less, more preferably 40 g/m2 or less, even more preferably 30 g/m2 or less, 20 g/m2 or less, 11 g/m2. Below, it can be 8g/m2 or less. Further, the lower limit of the basis weight of the packaging material 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can function as the packaging material 2, but it is preferably 5 g/m2 or more, more preferably 10 g/m2 or more. Further, the thickness of the paper packaging material 2 can be preferably 40 to 200 μm, more preferably 100 to 200 μm.

When a nonwoven fabric that does not use resin is used for the packaging material 2, the nonwoven fabric can be composed of, for example, natural fibers such as cotton alone or in combination of two or more types.

In the example of FIG. 3, the packaging material 2 has an elongated rectangular shape, but the shape of the packaging material 2 is not limited to the elongated shape. The length in the width direction W perpendicular to the width direction W may be substantially the same. Furthermore, the packaging material 2 has dimensions such that the length in the front-rear direction L is 10 to 30 cm, preferably 15 to 25 cm, and the length in the width direction W is 3 to 18 cm, preferably 10 to 14 cm. good.

A fastening tape (also referred to as a fastening seal or pouch tape) 3 is attached to one end 26 of the packaging material 2. During packaging, the fastening tape 3 connects one end 26 and the other end 27 of the packaging material 2.

The absorbent article 1 may be provided with a slip prevention material on the back sheet 12 side thereof to fix the absorbent article 1 to shorts or the like when the absorbent article 1 is worn. The anti-slip material may be an adhesive layer containing a styrene polymer, a tackifier, a plasticizer, etc., or a non-adhesive layer containing rubber or the like.

When the back sheet 12 is provided with an adhesive anti-slip material, the absorbent article 1 can be placed on the packaging material 2 with the back sheet 12 side facing the packaging material 2 as shown in FIG. , the absorbent article 1 and the packaging material 2 can be adhered (peelably adhered). As shown in the figure, in the case where the absorbent article 1 is packaged by folding the packaging material 2 together with the absorbent article 1, if the absorbent article 1 and the packaging material 2 are adhered, the packaged absorbent article 100 cannot be opened. Sometimes, as the packaging material 2 is deployed, the absorbent article 1 can be deployed following the packaging material 2.

When the absorbent article 1 and the packaging material 2 are adhesively bonded to each other, a release process can be applied to at least a region of the packaging material 2 corresponding to the anti-slip material of the absorbent article 1. Thereby, after opening and spreading the packaging material 2, the absorbent article 1 can be easily peeled off from the packaging material 2 and taken out.

Furthermore, a release sheet 4 (see FIG. 7) may be provided between the absorbent article 1 and the packaging material 2 to cover and protect at least the anti-slip material of the absorbent article 1. The case where the release sheet 4 is provided will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

In the illustrated form, the absorbent article 1 is placed on the packaging material 2 so that the back sheet 12 side faces the packaging material 2, but the absorbent article 1 is placed on the packaging material 2 so that the top sheet 11 side faces the packaging material 2. It may be placed. In this case, in the unfolded state, the back sheet 12 is exposed, so the back sheet 12 side is covered with a release sheet that releasably adheres to the anti-slip material on the back side, and the front or rear end of the release sheet is attached to the packaging material 2. By pasting it on the first region 21 or the third region 23 of the absorbent article 1, the absorbent article 1 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the packaging material 2 and a release sheet to which one end is fixed.

<Folding configuration>
Here, FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view showing the packaged absorbent article 100 in a folded state. FIG. 5 shows an overall perspective view of the packaged absorbent article 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the packaging state, in order to wrap the absorbent article 1 with the packaging material 2, the absorbent article 1 is folded in three, and the packaging materials 2 are folded in four layers in most areas. It's folded.

Specifically, in the packaged state, the packaging material 2 has a third region 23 that is a folding surface (also referred to as an inner folding surface) that is folded downward against the surface that is folded in three inward (also referred to as a three-fold fold). , it has a shape that is stretched more than the general configuration shown in Figure 2 and folded upward twice in a Z-fold (also referred to as an external three-fold or bellows fold).

The placing portion P of the packaging material 2 is folded inward together with the absorbent article 1, resulting in an inner three-fold, and the stretching portion E is a Z-fold, which is folded back without the absorbent article 1.

In the packaged state, in the front-rear direction of the top layer, the end (one end 26) of the first region 21, which is the surface of the inner three-fold, and the end (the other end) of the fifth region 25, which is the surface of the Z-fold. 27) are in contact without overlapping.

Here, being in contact without overlapping means that the ends do not overlap, but it is not necessary that the ends 26 and 27 are in complete contact with each other. The ends 26 and 27 may be close to each other with a slight gap so as not to affect the crimping. In addition, if both widthwise ends (both edges) to be crimped are in contact or there is a slight gap that does not affect the crimping, the widthwise center side will have some effect on the crimping. There may be a gap between.

Specifically, the second region 22 is the lowest layer and becomes the center surface (back surface) of the inner three-fold.

The third region 23 constitutes the second layer from the bottom by being folded inward at the rear end in the front-rear direction of the second region 22, which is the lowest layer. The third region 23 becomes the folding surface of the tri-fold and the back surface of the Z-fold.

The fourth region 24 is folded back outward at the front end of the third region 23, overlaps the third region 23, and constitutes the third layer from the bottom. The fourth region 24 becomes the inner surface of the Z-fold.

The fifth region 25 is a portion folded back to the outside at the rear end of the fourth region 24, and becomes the surface of the Z-fold. The other end 27 of the packaging material 2 becomes a free end on the front end side of the fifth region 25 when folded.

The first region 21 is a portion folded inward from the front end of the second region 22, which is the lowest layer, and becomes a trifold surface. One end 26 of the packaging material 2 becomes a free end on the rear end side of the first region 21 when folded.

The fifth region 25 and the first region 21 constitute the fourth layer from the bottom, that is, the top layer. In the packaged state as shown in FIG. 5, in the top layer, the front free end (other end 27) of the fifth region 25, which is the surface of the Z-fold, and the opposing first region 21, which is the surface of the inner three-fold. The rear free ends (one end 26) are connected by being fastened with the fastening tape 3 so that they are in contact without overlapping.

Here, the fastening tape 3 has a strong seal portion 31 on the one end 26 side of the first region 21 of the packaging material 2, and a weak seal portion 32 on the other end 27 side of the fifth region 25.

The strong seal portion 31 and the weak seal portion 32 can be formed using an adhesive or the like.

The strong seal portion 31 is a seal that cannot be peeled off during normal opening operations, and the weak seal portion 32 is a seal that can be peeled off during normal opening operations.

After opening and unfolding the packaging material 2, the weak seal portion 32 peels off, but the strong seal portion 31 does not peel off and is maintained. Thereby, the fastening tape 3 can be reused as a pressing member when wrapping the used absorbent article 1 with the packaging material 2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, after folding, both ends in the width direction of the packaging material 2 temporarily fixed with the fastening tape 3 are sealed by pressing, thereby forming side seal parts 28 and 29. The side seal portions 28 and 29 are sealed by pressing with upper and lower rollers to form unevenness. Details of the side seal portions 28 and 29 will be described later in conjunction with FIG. 10.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the length of the absorbent article 1 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the sum of the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23, and the absorbent article 1 is , are fixed to the inner surfaces of the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23, so that they fit inside the inner trifold.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the front-rear direction of the packaging material 2, the third region 23, which also serves as the folding surface of the inner three-fold and the back surface of the Z-fold, is larger than the length of the second region 22. It is shorter by the thickness T1 of 1. The fourth region 24, which is the inner surface of the Z-fold, has approximately the same length as the third region 23, which is the back surface of the Z-fold.

That is, assuming that the length of each region 21 to 25 of the packaging material 2 is L as shown in FIG. 3, L22>L23≒L24>L21, L25.

As a result, the packaging material 2 can be folded (inward trifold) and folded back (Z-folded) without becoming overlapping at the folding line, so that the thickness of the packaging material 2 in the packaged state can be made more uniform. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly seal the side seal portions 28 and 29 by applying pressure uniformly over the entire widthwise end portions.

Here, in the packaged state as shown in FIG. 5, the upper side of the second region 22, which is the lowermost surface, and the fourth region 24, which is the third region from the bottom, is the inner surface. On the other hand, the third region 23, which is second from the bottom, and the first region 21 and fifth region 25, which are the uppermost surfaces, have outer surfaces on the upper side.

For example, if the release sheet 4 is not provided, the inner surface of the packaging material 2 may be a release-treated surface that is easy to peel off, but the uppermost first region 21 and fifth region 25 are non-release-treated surfaces. Since a certain outer surface is on the upper side, the adhesiveness of the fastening tape 3 is not affected.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the packaging material 2, the Z-fold fold lines V1, M that do not sandwich the absorbent article 1 are compared with the fold lines V2, V3 of the inner three-fold fold, which is folded together with the absorbent article 1. The folding angle of is steep.

Here, in the packaged state, the fourth region 24 is located in the second layer from the top, and the fifth region 25 is located in the top layer. Therefore, if the folding along the folding lines V1 and M is weak and pressure in the opening direction is generated, a force that causes the packaging material 2 to unfold even before use will be applied. If the adhesive tape 3 were to come off due to an accident when the opening force is applied along the fold lines V1 and M, the opening force may act and cause the seal to open, so this is to make it difficult for the opening force to work. It is preferable if it is strongly folded.

However, if a strong force is applied to strengthen the folding along the fold line after the absorbent article 1 is fixed to the packaging material 2, the absorbent article 1 will also have a strong tendency to bend. If the absorbent article 1 has a strong tendency to bend, liquid tends to accumulate in the bent place during use, causing liquid leakage due to excessive accumulation, or a space is created due to adhesion to the skin, causing liquid to leak. There is a risk of negative effects such as the occurrence of sticky leaks.

Therefore, it is preferable that the folding lines V1 and M in the stretching area E where the absorbent article 1 is not placed be creased in advance, that is, shaped, before the absorbent article 1 is fixed. .

The packaging procedure, including its customization, will be explained below.

<Packaging process>
Here, the packaging process of the present invention will be explained using FIGS. 6 to 10.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method for packaging the absorbent article 1 using the packaging material 2 of the present invention.

In step S1, the boundary between the fourth region 24 and the fifth region 25 of the packaging material 2 is folded inward to form a valley fold V1.

In step S2, the boundary between the fourth region 24 and the third region 23 of the packaging material 2 is folded outward to form a mountain fold M. Note that the order of steps S1 and S2 may be reversed. If the folding line V1 and mountain folding line M, which are the Z-folding portions that do not sandwich the absorbent article 1, are strongly folded at S1 and S2 in advance to form a shape, the absorbent article 1 can be easily folded before use without having any adverse effects on folding. It is possible to make it harder to open the package.

In step S3, the packaging material 2 with creases (formed) is unfolded.

In step S4, the absorbent article 1 is fixed to the inner surface within the first region 21, second region 22, and third region 23 of the packaging material. FIG. 7 shows a diagram illustrating the attachment of the absorbent article 1 to the packaging material 2 in S4.

The length of the absorbent article 1 in the front-back direction shown in FIG. 7 is shorter than the sum of the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23, which form the inner three-fold portion.

The absorbent article 1 is fixed to the inner surfaces of the first region 21 , the second region 22 , and the third region 23 . The absorbent article 1 is arranged so as not to protrude from the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23, which constitute the inner trifold.

With this configuration, after the fastening tape 3 is peeled off, the second fourth region 24 from the top is exposed, and the absorbent article 1 is not exposed. Therefore, even if the adhesive tape 3 is unintentionally peeled off due to vibrations when packed absorbent articles 100 are tightly packed in a user's pouch, the absorbent articles 1 will be exposed. Because it does not, it can be kept sanitary.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a release sheet 4 may be provided between the absorbent article 1 and the packaging material 2. The back surface of the release sheet 4 is fixed to the inner surface of the packaging material 2. The release sheet 4 and the packaging material 2 are adhered to each other in a non-separable manner.

The absorbent article 1 has an adhesive part (slip prevention material) on the back surface, and the surface of the release sheet is releasably adhered to the adhesive part of the absorbent article 1.

Although FIG. 7 shows an example in which a release sheet is provided on the inside, a release treatment agent may be applied to the packaging material 2 without passing through the release sheet. When applying a release agent, if the packaging material 2 is paper and it is not waterproof, the release agent may bleed through, so in that case, apply a filler to the packaging material 2 first. It is designed to be applied.

In step S5, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the third region 23 of the packaging material 2 is folded inward together with the absorbent article 1 at the boundary with the second region 22. At this time, if the fifth area 25 is short, when the third area 23 is folded, the fourth area 24 will ride on top of the third area due to the folding habit at S2, and the fifth area 25 will overlap the fourth area 24. It will be in a state where it will extend outward (see FIG. 8(b)).

Then, in step S6, the fifth region 25 is folded back without the absorbent article 1 so as to be placed on the fourth region 24, and force is continued to be applied to maintain that position. The member that maintains the fifth region 25 is, for example, a roller that presses the regions 25, 24, 23, and 22 from above.

Note that if the fifth region 25 is short, the fifth region 25 will be in an open state in S5 as shown in FIG. 8(b), but if the fifth region 25 is long, it will open without going through S6 , S5, the fifth region 25 is placed on the fourth region 24. That is, when the fifth region 25 is long, when the third region 23 is folded, the fourth region 24 rides on the third region due to the Z-folding habit in S1 and S2, and the fifth region 25 overlaps with the third region. It is in a state where it rests on a part of the four areas 24 (see FIG. 8(c)), and the folding portions S5 and S6 can be realized in one folding process.

In step S7, the first region 21 is folded inward at the boundary with the second region 22, thereby folding the first region inward together with the absorbent article 1 so as to overlap the fourth region 24.

In step S8, as shown in FIG. 9, while pressing the first region 21 from above, the other end 27, which is the front free end of the fifth region 25, which has been pressed continuously from S6, and the rear end of the first region 21 opposite to each other. The fastening tape 3 is attached from above so that the free ends 26 are connected in a state where they are in contact without overlapping. By pasting the fastening tape 3, the ends 26 and 27 of the uppermost surface can be connected while being positioned.

Here, for example, if the fastening tape 3 is attached to one end 26 which is the rear free end of the first region 21, step S6 and step S7 are performed in a series of movements while folding the first region 21. This is more suitable because the fastening tape 3 can be attached during this process.

Then, in step S9, pressure is applied to both edges of the packaging material 2 in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction to perform side sealing, that is, edge sealing.

Both edges of the packaging material 2 in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction are side-sealed by pressure bonding, thereby forming side-sealed portions 28 and 29. FIG. 10 shows an explanatory diagram of crimping in S9. As shown in FIG. 10, the outer circumferential surface is sealed by pressing with upper and lower rollers 51 and 55 having convex portions 52 and 56 extending in the axial direction to form unevenness.

In the present invention, by extending the rear end of the packaging material and providing a Z-fold in addition to the inner three-fold, it is possible to fold the packaging material so that the number of overlapping sheets is the same, and this makes the thickness of the overlap even. Become. In other words, since there is no thin part, embossing pressure can be evenly applied when pressure is applied from the rollers 51 and 55 to press the side seal parts 28 and 29 (end seal).

Furthermore, in contrast to the conventional configuration where two or three sheets overlap as shown in FIG. 2, in the configuration of the present invention, there are essentially four sheets overlapped, except for a very small portion. Therefore, it becomes possible to use thin materials (for example, crepe paper) that are not thick enough for pressure bonding by embossing. If you use a material that stretches easily, like crepe paper, you can create a seal by deforming the paper to accommodate the embossing, even if there are many overlapping sheets.

This makes it possible to prevent the side seal portions 28 and 29 from opening at thinner portions. Due to this sealing, even if the individual packaging material is made of paper, the sealing performance can be improved and the absorbent article 1 can be kept sanitary.

As described above, in the present invention, since the thickness of the packaging material can be made uniform, even if the packaging material is made of other than resin, both edges can be sealed using the same equipment as resin. Opening at the edges can be prevented.

Furthermore, by using paper that can be flushed or biodegradable for packaging materials, unlike plastic packaging sheets, even if they are discarded, they do not become marine plastic floating in the ocean or remain on the ground forever. It can be made into an environmentally friendly material that will eventually decompose without leaving any residue.

Then, in S10, the packaged absorbent article 100 is cut one by one. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, both widthwise ends of each packaged absorbent article 100 become side seal portions 28 and 29. When the plurality of packaged absorbent articles 100 are connected in a row, cutting the center of the width direction of the adjacent side seal parts 28 and 29 in the front-rear direction prevents the accommodated absorbent articles 1 from being cut. , the packaged absorbent articles 100 can be separated one by one.

<Knob position when opening>
Here, FIG. 11 shows an explanatory diagram of the gripping position and stretching when unfolding the packaging material 2 during use.

As mentioned above, the valley fold line V1, which is the fold of the boundary between the fifth region 25, which is the top layer, and the fourth region 24, which is the second layer from the top, is strongly bent in advance, so it does not stick during use. Even if the weak seal portion 32 of the tape 3 is removed, the fifth region 25 may remain located on the fourth region 24 as it is.

Therefore, when unfolding the packaging material 2 during use, as shown in FIG. can. Alternatively, the other end 27, which is the free front end of the fifth region 25, may be pinched in the same way as a general packaging sheet.

Then, by pulling it toward the rear end while pinching it, the packaging material 2 and the absorbent article 1 are unfolded as shown in FIG. 11(b). Then, the absorbent article 1 is used by grasping the front end or rear end of the absorbent article 1 and peeling it off from the packaging material 2.

In addition, in the present invention, although the rear end side of the packaging material 2 is extended longer than the absorbent article 1, the procedure of the user in the opening operation remains almost the same. Therefore, there are almost no disadvantages in terms of opening procedures during use.

Furthermore, since the stretching part E for Z-folding of the packaging material 2 of the present invention is longer than that of the general packaging sheet shown in FIG. be able to. For example, when wrapping an absorbent article (for example, a napkin for night use) that is larger than the three-fold absorbent article (for example, a napkin for daytime use) of the present invention, the Z-fold portion can be stretched and used. Users can dispose of large absorbent articles after use without getting their hands dirty.

As mentioned above, as an embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment in which the planar article is an absorbent article has been described, but the planar article is not limited to an absorbent article. The packaging sheet according to this embodiment can also be used, for example, to package sanitary products such as masks.

1 Absorbent article (sheet article)
2 Packaging material 3 Fastening tape (tape)
4 Release sheet 11 Top sheet 12 Back sheet 13 Absorber 14 Compressed groove (fit emboss)
21 First area (surface of inner tri-fold)
22 Second area (center surface (back side) of inner tri-fold)
23 Third area (folding surface of inner tri-fold, back side of Z-fold)
24 4th area (inside surface of Z-fold)
25 5th area (Z-fold surface)
26 One end (free end on the rear end side of the first area, end of the surface of the inner three-fold)
27 Other end (free end on the front end side of the fifth region, end of the Z-fold surface)
28 Side seal part (both edges in the width direction)
29 Side seal part (both edges in the width direction)
31 Strong seal portion 32 Weak seal portion 100 Packaging absorbent article (wrapping sheet article)
L Front-rear direction (predetermined direction)
W Width direction

Claims (11)

A packaging material for packaging a sheet article by folding it in three,
The packaging material extends longer on one end side in a predetermined direction than the position at which the planar article is fixed, and the packaging material is folded into a folded part that is folded into the lower side of the surface folded in three in the packaged state. It is Z-folded so that the surface is stretched and folded back twice to the top.
In the packaged state, in the predetermined direction of the uppermost layer, the edge of the inner three-fold surface and the edge of the Z-fold surface are in contact without overlapping,
A packaging material in which both edges of the packaging material in a width direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction are side-sealed by pressure bonding. The length of the planar article in the predetermined direction is shorter than the total of the areas constituting the inner three-fold,
The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the planar article is fixed so as not to protrude from the area forming the inner three-fold. The packaging material has, from the front side in the front-rear direction, a first region, a second region, a third region, a fourth region, and a fifth region, with the fold as the boundary,
The second region is the lowest layer and becomes the center plane of the inner tri-fold,
The third region is folded inward at the rear end of the second region in the front-rear direction, thereby becoming a tri-fold folding surface and a Z-fold back surface,
The fourth region is folded outward at the front end of the third region and overlaps the third region to become the inner surface of the Z-fold,
The fifth region is folded outward at the rear end of the fourth region to form a Z-fold surface that partially overlaps the fourth region,
The first region becomes a tri-fold surface folded inward from the front end of the second region, which is the lowest layer,
The packaging material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the uppermost layer, the front free end of the fifth region and the rear free end of the opposing first region contact without overlapping. In the front-back direction,
The third region is shorter than the length of the second region by the thickness of the planar article,
The packaging material according to claim 3, wherein the fourth region has approximately the same length as the third region. The packaging material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the packaging material is paper. The packaging material according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A packaged planar article comprising: a planar article wrapped with the packaging material; comprising a release sheet whose back surface is fixed to the inner surface of the packaging material,
The planar article has an adhesive portion on the back surface,
The packaging sheet article according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the release sheet is releasably adhered to the adhesive portion of the sheet article. In the uppermost layer, a fastening tape is attached from above so as to connect the free end of the surface of the Z-fold and the free end of the opposing inner three-fold,
The packaging surface according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the fastening tape has a strong sealing part on the front side of the inner three-fold, and a weak sealing part on the front side of the Z-fold that can be peeled off and reattached during use. shaped articles. The planar article according to any one of claims 6 to 8 is an absorbent article,
The absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body provided between the top sheet and the back sheet, and has an elongated shape elongated in the predetermined direction. is a packaged absorbent article. An individual packaging method for packaging a sheet article using a packaging material, the method comprising:
The packaging material has, from the front side in the front-rear direction, a first region, a second region, a third region, a fourth region, and a fifth region, with the fold as the boundary,
folding the boundary between the fourth region and the fifth region of the packaging material inward to create a valley fold;
a step of folding the boundary between the fourth region and the third region of the packaging material outward to create a mountain fold;
A process of unfolding the customized packaging material,
a fixing step of fixing the planar article to an inner surface within the first region, the second region, and the third region of the packaging material;
A step of folding the third region of the packaging material inward together with the planar article at the boundary with the second region, so that the fourth region is placed on top of the third region due to the folding tendency. and,
folding the fifth region over the fourth region and holding the fifth region in that position;
folding the first region inward together with the planar article so as to overlap the fourth region by folding the first region inward at a boundary with the second region;
While pressing the first region from above, the front free end of the fifth region whose position has been pressed and the rear free end of the opposing first region are connected in a state in which they are in contact without overlapping. , a tape pasting process of pasting the adhesive tape from the upper side;
An edge sealing step of applying pressure to side-seal both edges of the packaging material in a width direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. An individual packaging method for packaging a sheet article using a packaging material, the method comprising:
The packaging material has, from the front side in the front-rear direction, a first region, a second region, a third region, a fourth region, and a fifth region, with the fold as the boundary,
folding the boundary between the fourth region and the fifth region of the packaging material inward to create a valley fold;
a step of folding the boundary between the fourth region and the third region of the packaging material outward to create a mountain fold;
A process of unfolding the customized packaging material,
a fixing step of fixing the planar article to an inner surface within the first region, the second region, and the third region of the packaging material;
By folding the third region of the packaging material inward together with the planar article at the boundary with the second region, the fourth region is placed on top of the third region due to the folding tendency, and a fifth region is partially placed on the fourth region;
folding the first region inward together with the planar article so as to overlap the fourth region by folding the first region inward at a boundary with the second region;
While pressing the fifth region and the first region from above, the front free end of the fifth region and the rear free end of the opposing first region are connected in a state in which they are in contact without overlapping. , a tape pasting process of pasting the adhesive tape from the upper side;
An edge sealing step of applying pressure to side-seal both edges of the packaging material in a width direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction.

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