JP7497963B2 - container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-supporting container.

Patent Document 1 describes a pouch container in which both the upper and lower ends of a body member are bent inward to form annular body side end joints, and the outer peripheries of the upper and lower closing members are joined to the upper and lower body side end joints, respectively, so that both the upper and lower ends of the body member are closed with the upper and lower closing members.

JP 2015-20787 A

The pouch container described in Patent Document 1 has excellent self-supporting stability and shape retention, is excellent in design, can be reduced in volume, and can ensure sufficient liquid-tightness between the body member and the closure member. However, there is a problem in that the shape of the joint at the end on the body side is complex and it is not easy to manufacture.

In addition, flexible packaging containers mainly made of laminated film are lightweight and easy to dispose of, but the loading efficiency of the container filled with the contents is poor, and the container strength, such as drop strength and bag breakage resistance, is low. In addition, containers such as paper cartons and Brick Pack (registered trademark), which are commonly seen today, are stable in shape, have excellent loading efficiency, and are lightweight, but the container strength, especially the interlayer strength of the base material used in paper containers, is poor, so that depending on the shape of the container, it is vulnerable to impacts such as being dropped. In addition, paper containers have poor puncture resistance and are inferior to film containers in terms of appearance design, such as gloss. On the other hand, blow bottles and aluminum cans are strong, but become bulky when disposed of.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a self-supporting packaging container that is both strong and easy to dispose of.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a container comprising a cylindrical member constituting a peripheral portion between a top surface portion and a bottom surface portion, a top surface member provided on the top surface portion and joined to the cylindrical member, and a bottom surface member provided on the bottom surface portion and joined to the cylindrical member, the cylindrical member being made of a first laminate having a total thickness of 50 to 600 μm, the outer diameter of the cylindrical member being 30 to 150 mm, the top surface member and the bottom surface member being made of a second laminate having a total thickness of 70 to 350 μm, and the second laminate being a laminate of three or more layers having at least one resin layer on each side in the thickness direction of an aluminum foil having a thickness of 40 μm or more.

The first laminate may be composed of a laminate of three or more layers having at least one resin layer on each side of an aluminum foil in a thickness direction.
The peripheral edge of the bottom member may be bent relative to the bottom member and joined to a lower end of the tubular member.
The aluminum foil contained in the second laminate may have a thickness of 200 μm or less.

The present invention provides a self-supporting flexible packaging container that is both strong and easy to dispose of.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of the first embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a configuration in which a bottom member is joined to a cylindrical member. FIG.

The present invention will be described below based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

An embodiment of the container 10 is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The container 10 has a storage section 14 surrounded by a top surface member 11 provided on the top surface portion 11a, a cylindrical member 12 constituting the peripheral surface portion 12d, and a bottom surface member 13 provided on the bottom surface portion 13a.

The container 10 is also self-supporting. The container 10 is self-supporting at least when filled with contents and sealed. Furthermore, the container 10 is capable of self-supporting even when the storage section 14 is empty and not filled with contents. In addition, it is preferable that the cylindrical member 12 is capable of self-supporting when separated from the top member 11 and the bottom member 13.

The top surface 11a becomes the upper surface when the container is freestanding, and the bottom surface 13a becomes the lower surface when the container is freestanding. The peripheral surface 12d is formed between the top surface 11a and the bottom surface 13a so as to cover the circumferential direction that intersects with the up-down direction. The storage section 14 of the container 10 can be composed of three parts, combining one each of the top surface member 11, the cylindrical member 12, and the bottom surface member 13. Depending on the use or purpose of the container 10, it may not be specified which is the upper surface or the lower surface, and it may be acceptable to install the container 10 so that the top surface 11a becomes the lower surface and the bottom surface 13a becomes the upper surface.

The cylindrical member 12 has a peripheral joint 12b formed by joining both sides in the thickness direction facing each other to form a cylindrical shape. The top surface member 11 and the cylindrical member 12 are joined by a top surface joint 12a. The bottom surface member 13 and the cylindrical member 12 are joined by a bottom surface joint 12c. Hereinafter, the top surface member 11 and the bottom surface member 13 may be collectively referred to as end surface members 11, 13.

The top surface joint portion 12a is configured by bending the peripheral portion 11b of the top surface member 11 relative to the top surface portion 11a and facing one surface of the cylindrical member 12. The bottom surface joint portion 12c is configured by bending the peripheral portion 13b of the bottom surface member 13 relative to the bottom surface portion 13a and facing one surface of the cylindrical member 12. Here, the surface of the cylindrical member 12 that is joined to the peripheral portions 11b, 13b may be the inner surface or the outer surface. The surface of the peripheral portions 11b, 13b that is joined to the cylindrical member 12 may be the inner surface or the outer surface. The inner surface is the surface that contacts the storage portion 14 of the contents filled in the cylindrical container 10, and the outer surface is the surface opposite to the storage portion 14.
The bending of the peripheral portions 11b, 13b of the end members 11, 13 may be in a direction approaching the end (i.e., the upper end or the lower end) of the tubular member 12 in the vertical direction, or may be in a direction moving away from the end of the tubular member 12 in the vertical direction. As shown in the modified example in FIG. 3, the bottom portion 13a may be provided at an upper position away from the lower end of the tubular member 12, and the peripheral portion 13b may be bent upward from the bottom portion 13a. In both cases of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the bottom portion 13a is configured not to contact the installation surface, so that the friction of the bottom portion 13a with the installation surface can be suppressed. When there is partial contact between the installation surface and the bottom portion 13a, the bottom portion 13a may be reinforced by providing a rib or a step (height difference) on the bottom portion 13a.

The top surface 11a and bottom surface 13a of the container 10 are substantially flat. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral portion 11b of the top surface member 11 is joined to the upper end of the cylindrical member 12 with the outer surface of the top surface member 11, which is the outer side of the top surface member 11a, facing the inner surface of the cylindrical member 12. The peripheral portion 13b of the bottom surface member 13 is joined to the lower end of the cylindrical member 12 with the inner surface of the bottom surface member 13, which is the inner side of the bottom surface member 13a, facing the inner surface of the cylindrical member 12. Contrary to FIG. 2, the peripheral portion 11b of the top surface member 11 may be joined to the upper end of the cylindrical member 12 with the inner surface of the top surface member 11 facing the inner surface of the cylindrical member 12. The peripheral portion 13b of the bottom surface member 13 may be joined to the lower end of the cylindrical member 12 with the outer surface of the bottom surface member 13 facing the inner surface of the cylindrical member 12.

The tubular member 12 is composed of a first laminate having a total thickness of 50 to 600 μm. The tubular member 12 is, for example, cylindrical, and the outer diameter of the tubular member 12 is 30 to 150 mm. The tubular member 12 may be an angular tube such as a triangular tube, a square tube, or a pentagonal tube. When the tubular member 12 is an angular tube, the outer diameter refers to the distance between opposing vertices, sides, or vertices and sides, and when there are two or more of these, it is preferable that the minimum and maximum values are within the above ranges. Specific examples of the outer diameter of the tubular member 12 are not particularly limited, but examples include 30 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, etc.

The first laminate constituting the tubular member 12 can be composed of a laminate including, for example, an inner sealant layer having a resin layer, a barrier layer having an aluminum foil or an aluminum vapor deposition layer, and an outer sealant layer having a resin layer. The first laminate is preferably a film-like laminate that is flat when the peripheral joint portion 12b is separated and developed. The barrier layer of the first laminate may be composed of an aluminum vapor deposition film. The first laminate may also be composed of a three or more layer laminate having at least one resin layer on each side of the aluminum foil in the thickness direction. The thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the first laminate may be thinner than the thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the end members 11 and 13 described later, for example, 6 μm or more. The thickness of the aluminum vapor deposition film contained in the aluminum vapor deposition film may be thinner than the thickness of the aluminum foil.

The end surface members 11 and 13 are composed of a second laminate having a total thickness of 70 to 350 μm. The second laminate may be composed of, for example, a three-layer or more laminate having at least one resin layer on each side of an aluminum foil having a thickness of 40 μm or more in the thickness direction. The second laminate may be composed of, for example, a laminate including a sealant layer having a resin layer, a barrier layer having an aluminum foil, and a base layer having a resin layer. The second laminate may be a film-like laminate that is flat in the developed state, or a laminate molded body having a three-dimensional molded portion. The outer diameter of the end surface members 11 and 13 is preferably approximately equal to the dimension obtained by subtracting twice the total thickness of the first laminate constituting the cylindrical member 12 from the outer diameter of the cylindrical member 12 (hereinafter referred to as the "set dimension A"). In other words, the outer diameter of the end surface members 11 and 13 is preferably approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 12. The outer diameter of the end members 11 and 13 is preferably within the range of 90% to 110% of the above set dimension A, and more preferably within the range of 95% to 105%.

The configuration of the first laminate and the second laminate within the above range ensures the flexibility of the container 10, and the container 10 can be folded, crushed, or packed into a small size when discarded. In addition, the thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the second laminate can ensure the self-supporting nature of the container 10 without complicating the structure of the top surface joint 12a and the bottom surface joint 12c. The upper limit of the thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the second laminate is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 200 μm or less. Specific examples of the thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the second laminate include 40 μm, 50 μm, 70 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 120 μm, 150 μm, 180 μm, 200 μm, or values intermediate or close to these. Since the peripheral parts 11b, 13b of the end surface members 11, 13 or the cylindrical member 12 are cylindrical with a central axis in the vertical direction, the thickness of the laminate can be sufficiently ensured to obtain rigidity that can withstand the load of the contents. By using a resin layer in the construction of the first laminate and the second laminate, puncture resistance can be improved.

In the first laminate and the second laminate, examples of materials constituting the sealant layer include thermoplastic resins. Specific examples of sealant materials include at least one of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cyclic olefin resins such as cycloolefin polymer (COP) and cycloolefin copolymer (COC), adhesive resins, coating agents, etc.

Materials constituting the base layer in the second laminate include nylon (aliphatic polyamide) and polyester. The thickness of the base layer is, for example, 5 to 50 μm, and more preferably 10 to 30 μm. A thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene may be further laminated on the outside of the base layer.

Although not specifically shown, at least one of the top surface portion 11a or the bottom surface portion 13a may be provided with a pouring outlet. The pouring outlet may be narrow or wide. The pouring outlet may be closable after at least a portion of the contents has been removed. For example, the pouring outlet may be provided with a cap, stopper, lid, etc. The pouring outlet may be integrated into the top surface member 11 or the bottom surface member 13 by molding. The molding method for molding the top surface member 11 or the bottom surface member 13 may be injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, extrusion molding, compressed air molding, squeeze molding, etc.

When the contents are to be used, an opening may be formed in the top member 11 or the bottom member 13 to provide a spout. When opening the spout, an engraving may be provided to control the size and position of the opening. For example, a weakened portion such as a perforation or half cut may be provided linearly in the second laminate constituting the top member 11 or the bottom member 13, so that an opening is formed along the weakened portion when an external force is applied.

The properties of the contents contained in the container 10 may be any, such as liquid, solid, powder, granules, or a mixture of two or more of these. The types of contents are not particularly limited, and include beverages, food products, seasonings, cosmetics, medicines, detergents, adhesives, household goods, industrial products, etc. Each component constituting the container may be given one or more functions, such as oxygen absorption function, odor absorption function, and non-adsorption function. The top member 11, the cylindrical member 12, and the bottom member 13 may each have at least one or more printed patterns. Each component constituting the container 10 may be made of not only resin, but also laminated or blended with different materials such as paper, cloth, nonwoven fabric, and fiber.

The present invention has been described above based on preferred embodiments and modified examples, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. Modifications include additions, substitutions, omissions, and other changes to components in each embodiment and each modified example.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to examples.

(Example of bottom strength experiment)
In order to compare the strength of the bottom member, six types of samples were prepared as Reference Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Three samples were prepared with the same specifications, and the load that the sample could withstand in the vertical direction was measured by placing a weight on top of the sample, and the average value of the three samples was taken as the average load capacity. When placing the weight on the sample, parallel pressure plates were placed above and below the sample, the lower pressure plate was fixed horizontally, and the upper pressure plate was held so that it could not move horizontally while allowing vertical movement, and a downward load was applied to the upper pressure plate. The load capacity is expressed in kg, and 1 kg is equivalent to approximately 9.8 N. The load capacity in kg is the mass applied to the sample from above, that is, the total value of the upper pressure plate and the weight. It should be noted that the same results can be obtained by using a test device that mechanically applies a load instead of a weight.

(Reference Examples 1 to 4)
The specimens of Reference Examples 1 to 4 are samples of the bottom member 13 in which the peripheral portion 13b is bent downward from the bottom portion 13a as shown in Fig. 2. The specimens were prepared by drawing a laminated film having a total thickness of 114 µm, which had a resin layer on both sides of an aluminum foil having a thickness of 50 µm or 80 µm, so as to have a bottom portion with a diameter of 50 mm and a peripheral portion with a height of 4 mm or 9 µm.

In Reference Example 1, the aluminum foil had a thickness of 50 μm, the edge had a height of 4 mm, and the average load capacity was about 6 kg. In Reference Example 2, the aluminum foil had a thickness of 50 μm, the edge had a height of 9 mm, and the average load capacity was about 13 kg. In Reference Example 3, the aluminum foil had a thickness of 80 μm, the edge had a height of 4 mm, and the average load capacity was about 5 kg. In Reference Example 4, the aluminum foil had a thickness of 80 μm, the edge had a height of 9 mm, and the average load capacity was about 14 kg.

Comparative Example
The samples of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are samples simulating the bottom of a standing pouch. The bottom film was prepared by folding a film in half, with a width equal to the width of the body film and a width equal to twice the height of the body film, so that when the fold of the bottom film was turned up and aligned with the upper end of the body film, the lower end of the bottom film was aligned with the lower end of the body film. In a normal standing pouch, the upper part of the body film extends above the fold of the bottom film to form a storage section, but the sample of this comparative example has a structure in which the body film is omitted above the fold of the bottom film.

(Comparative Example 1)
A laminated film having a total thickness of 124 μm and a resin layer on both sides of a 7 μm thick aluminum foil was used, and the bottom film was folded in half and sandwiched between two trunk films having a width of 90 mm and a height of 25 mm, and a sample of Comparative Example 1 was prepared that imitated the bottom of a standing pouch with an arc-shaped heat seal. In Comparative Example 1, the average load capacity was about 2 kg.

(Comparative Example 2)
A sample of Comparative Example 2 was prepared by folding a bottom film in half and sandwiching it between two body films each having a width of 120 mm from left to right and a height of 40 mm using a resin film having a total thickness of 171 μm without aluminum foil, and simulating the bottom of a standing pouch with an arc-shaped heat seal. In Comparative Example 2, the average load capacity was about 1.6 kg.

(Consideration of the bottom strength experiment example)
An overview of the experimental results is shown in Table 1. The "sample height" in Table 1 is the height of the peripheral portion in Reference Examples 1 to 4, and is the height of the body film in Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Additionally, the "left-right width of the sample" in Table 1 is the diameter of the bottom portion in Reference Examples 1 to 4, and is the left-right width of the body film in Comparative Examples 1 and 2. A comparison between Reference Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 revealed that the bottom members of Reference Examples 1 to 4 have high load resistance and high strength against vertical compression.

(Example of container)
A bottom member made of any one of Reference Examples 1 to 4 and a top member having the same specifications as each bottom member were overlapped on the upper and lower ends of a cylindrical member and heat-welded to obtain a self-supporting container as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The obtained container is lightweight but strong, and the bottom portion can be easily folded by hand.

10...container, 11...top member, 11a...top portion, 11b...periphery of top member, 12...tubular member, 12a...top joint, 12b...periphery joint, 12c...bottom joint, 12d...periphery, 13...bottom member, 13a...bottom portion, 13b...periphery of bottom member, 14...storage section.

Claims (2)

A cylindrical member that constitutes a peripheral portion between a top surface portion and a bottom surface portion;
a top surface member provided on the top surface portion and joined to the cylindrical member;
a bottom surface member provided on the bottom surface portion and joined to the cylindrical member,
At least one of the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion is provided with a pouring outlet,
the cylindrical member is made of a first laminate having a total thickness of 50 to 600 μm, the first laminate being made of a laminate of three or more layers having at least one resin layer on each side of an aluminum foil or an aluminum vapor-deposited film in a thickness direction;
The outer diameter of the cylindrical member is 30 to 150 mm.
The top surface member and the bottom surface member are made of a second laminate having a total thickness of 70 to 350 μm, and the second laminate is a laminate of three or more layers having at least one resin layer on each side of an aluminum foil having a thickness of 40 μm or more and 200 μm or less in the thickness direction ,
The thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the first laminate is thinner than the thickness of the aluminum foil contained in the second laminate and is 6 μm or more;
A container characterized in that the top member, the cylindrical member and the bottom member do not contain any dissimilar materials other than resin and aluminum foil or aluminum vapor-deposited film . 2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral edge of the bottom member is bent relative to the bottom member and joined to a lower end of the tubular member.

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