KR100562918B1 - Releasably sealable bag comprising a composite sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an encapsulation comprising at least two overlapping sheets of one sheet folded over another sheet, wherein at least one portion of the overlapping edges is permanently sealed film material, wherein at least one of the sheets is inadvertently A composite film material provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive that prevents adhesion due to the adhesive, wherein the film sheet to which the adhesive is applied becomes detachable and sealable to the other film sheet when pressed to the other film sheet to form a sealing system. And the interior of the bag is contained within the sealing system. At least one of the first or second partial free edges is also provided with entrance marking means that is visually contrasted with the free edge of the other first or second portion. Also described are methods for storage and cooking using the bags herein.

Removable Sealable Bag, Sealing System, Sheet, Composite Film Material, Free Edge

Description

RELEASABLY SEALABLE BAG COMPRISING A COMPOSITE SHEET MATERIAL}

The present invention relates in particular to bags for airtight storage of foodstuffs and bags for airtight and liquid tight sealing during cooking. More specifically, the present invention relates to an encapsulation comprising at least one sheet of composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, or at least one portion of the encapsulation comprising a sheet of such composite film material. With respect to the adhesive, the adhesive, for example, when pressed against another part of the provided film sheet, or another film sheet, becomes detachable sealable to it to form the interior of the bag.

Food storage containers are well known and sold in various forms, such as plastic boxes with flexible, tightly-fitted lids, such as those sold by the US Tupperware under the trade name "TUPPERWARE". For example, there is a plastic bag with three sides sealed and an opening that can be opened and closed, such as a product sold by SC Johnson of the USA and Asahi Kasei of Japan under the trade name "ZIPLOC" storage bag.

Another type of food storage bag widely used by consumers is a "stock bag" made of polyethylene, which is provided free of charge at many grocery stores and food stores. These bags are sold under the brand name UBE Kitchen Bags by UBE Film, Inc., Onoda City, Yamaguchi, Japan. Typically, both free ends are tied together or a type of metal or plastic fastener is used to seal this type of bag. However, consumers often do not tie these bags before putting them in the refrigerator.

In addition, various film materials that have been adhered to the surface of plates or other containers by electrostatic bonding have been used for food storage applications. Film materials of this type are generally provided in the form of a roll, in which the user grasps the free edge of the roll, loosens it to the desired length and cuts it against a sharp edge on the package in which the roll is stored. The cut length film is then placed on the food to be stored, and the film is adhered to the surface of the dish or container on which the food is placed using electrostatic bonding. Such films can also be used to package and store food directly. In such a case, the wrap is adapted to bond the wraps to each other, unlike to adhere to a dish or other container. Examples of such films sold include those sold by Japan's Asahi Kasei under the trade name "SARAN WRAP" and also products sold by Japan's Kureha Kagaku under the trade name "KRE WRAP".

However, these existing storage bags and films have various disadvantages. Degradation of the airtightness of the seal and thus the freshness retaining performance is often a problem. Ease of use is also a problem for consumers. In the case of roll-shaped films, they can be pre-glued and inconvenient to handle and are often difficult to find free edges of the film. In the case of preformed storage bags, it is sometimes difficult to completely and completely seal the end of the bag filled with zippers. In addition, the inlet portion may be relatively narrow, which may make it difficult to put food items to be stored in the bag.

It is also known to reheat a variety of prepared foods using flexible bags or pouches called retort bags. For example, some ready-to-eat foods suitable for reheating are sold in airtight sealed plastic bags. When this sealed bag is placed in boiling water, the food is reheated without the heat of boiling water penetrating the bag. Then, the user only needs to cut and open the bag and take out the contents. A common example of this type of product is curry, It is sold by House Shokuhin, S & B Shokuhin, and Ajinomoto of Japan.

However, the types of food that can be packaged and reheated in this manner are limited. In addition, such retort bags cannot be used to prepare actual fresh food. Such bags can only be used to reheat processed and preserved foods.

Since there is no practical way to ensure airtightness and liquid tightness in reheating or cooking when sealing, the conventional food storage bags described above are not suitable for reheating stored food or for cooking fresh food. In addition, such bags may not have the material properties to endure without denaturing the heat of boiling water or the heat generated in the microwave. Even assuming that the material itself is airtight and liquid tight, practical methods that can be used to seal / reseal such bags are extremely limited.

 Thus, it can be seen that there is still a desire to provide a versatile, encapsulated container that is simple to use for hermetic / liquid seal during food fresh storage and food reheating as well as fresh food cooking. None of the prior art provides all of the advantages and advantages of the present invention.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to an encapsulation comprising at least two overlapping sheets of film material in which at least one portion of the overlapping edges is permanently sealed, wherein at least one of these sheets is a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. Consisting of a composite film material provided with the adhesive, the film sheet coated with the adhesive, when pressed to another film sheet, becomes detachable and sealable to the other film sheet to form a seal perimeter, and the inside of the bag It is included in the sealing system.

Moreover, described herein is a bag comprising a first sheet of film material and a second sheet of film material, wherein at least one of these sheets is provided with a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. The adhesive-coated film sheet is detachably sealed to another film sheet when pressed to the other film sheet to create a sealing system, and the inside of the bag is contained in the sealing system.

Moreover, an encapsulation comprising a first portion having at least one first partial free edge, a second portion having at least one second partial free edge, and a sheet having a bonding area between the first portion and the second portion is provided herein. Wherein at least one of the first or second portion consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, the first portion being folded relative to the bonding area Overlaid onto two portions, the first portion and the second portion may be detachably sealed to each other along a sealing system (the sealing system is created by pressing one of the portions against another of the portions). And the inside of the bag is contained within the sealing system.

Also disclosed herein is a bag comprising a first portion having at least one first partial free edge, a second portion having at least one second partial free edge and a sheet having a bonding area between the first portion and the second portion. It is described that at least one of the first or second portion consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, and at least one of the free edges of the first or second portion. The edge is provided with entrance marking means visually contrasted with the free edge of the other first or second part, the first part being folded over the junction area and overlapping over the second part, the first and second part Can be detachably sealed to each other along a silver sealing system (the sealing system is created by pressing one part of the parts against another part of the parts), The group sealing system further comprises a junction region.

In addition, the present invention relates to a method of storing and cooking using the bag of the present invention.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the specification of the invention.

It will be understood from the present specification that the invention is specifically directed to and claimed, and that the invention can be better understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1A-C are perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention.

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

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a bag formed from the sheet shown in FIG. 2A. FIG.

FIG. 2C is a plan view when food is placed in the bag shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B;

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

4 is a front view of a cross section of the composite material of FIG. 3, taken along the 4-4 line portion of FIG. 3, with contact with the adhesive layer between the protrusions such that the target surface in contact with the outermost end of the protrusion does not contact the adhesive layer Figure showing projections acting as standoffs.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a cross section similar to FIG. 4 showing the action of pressing the indented composite material against the target surface such that the protrusions collapse so that the adhesive layer between the protrusions contacts the target surface;

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

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the food when placed inside the bag shown in Figures 1a and 1c.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing in a partitioned manner when the food is placed inside the bag shown in Figures 1a and 1c.

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

All cited references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The utility of any reference cited as prior art is not recognized as determining the claimed invention.

As used herein, the expression “comprising” means that other steps and components may be added that do not affect the final result. The term encompasses the meanings "consisting of-" and "consisting of-".

One preferred embodiment of the encapsulation of the present invention comprises two or more overlapped sheets of film material in which at least one portion of the overlapped edges is permanently sealed. For example, in the embodiment of the encapsulation 10 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, the overlapped sheets of film material 20 and 30 are permanently sealed along at least one of their overlapping edges. . For example, the first sheet 20 has edges 22, 24, 26, 28. The second sheet 30 has edges 32, 34, 36 and 38. In this embodiment, at least one pair of overlapping edges is permanently sealed, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1A, edge 22 is at edge 32, edge 24 is at edge 34, and Edge 26 may be permanently sealed to edge 36, or edge 28 to edge 38, and in the embodiment of FIG. 1C, edge 23 is at edge 33, edge 27. ) May be permanently sealed to edge 37, or edge 29 to edge 39. For example, the permanent seals 12a, 12b, and 13 may be formed as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C.

The permanently sealed edge portion need not extend as long as the entire length of the overlapping edges as in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Permanent seals may be provided at any portion by the desired length of the overlapping edges.

The term "permanently sealed" as used herein means that these edges are not opened by the consumer during use of the bag 10. That is, these edges cannot be removable sealed. All methods known to those skilled in the art, such as heat sealing, can be used to create a permanently sealed portion of the overlapped edge of the bag herein.

If the bag is square or rectangular as shown in FIG. 1A, it may be desirable to permanently seal the two overlapping edges, for example, the edge 26 of the first sheet 20 may be permanently sealed. It is permanently sealed to the edge 36 of the second sheet 30 along the portion 12a, and the edge 28 of the first sheet 20 is along the second seal 30 along the permanent seal 12a. Is permanently sealed at the edge 38). FIG. 1C illustrates a state in which the bag of FIG. 1A is completely opened, the advantages of which are described in more detail below.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, in a preferred embodiment with two permanently sealed edges, the two permanently sealed edges are preferably contiguous, e.g., of rectangular or square bags perpendicular to each other. It is preferred that they are two crossing edges, for example edges 26, 36 and 28, 38. However, two opposing non-crossing edges, such as (22, 32 and 26, 36) or (24, 34 and 28, 38), can be selected as the edge that is permanently sealed.

FIG. 1B shows another embodiment in which the bag 10 is provided in a triangle, where the pair of overlapping edges 23, 33 are permanently sealed along the permanent seal 13. Again, the permanently sealed edge portion need not extend throughout the overlapped edge length, but can be provided at any portion and at the desired length of the overlapped edge.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular shape or form of bag 10 or sheet 20, 30. In addition, the sheets need not be the same or similar size, or the same shape. Moreover, the preferred embodiment herein is not limited to a bag comprising one sheet or two sheets of film material. An encapsulation comprising two or more sheets is also within the scope of the present invention.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A-1C, at least one of the sheets 20, 30 consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. The expression “inadvertent adhesion” indicates that the sheet to which the adhesive is applied is the target surface, for example another sheet, another portion of the sheet to which the adhesive is applied, or some other surface until the encapsulation user activates the adhesive by pressing the sheet. It means not to stick to it in advance. The adhesive coated film sheet, when pressed, becomes detachable sealable to the other film sheet or another portion of the adhesive coated film sheet, creating a sealing system (not shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2C). And FIG. 7). The composite film material itself will be described in more detail below.

Thus, when the consumer presses the sheet, a sealing system is created at the location selected by the consumer. It is to be noted that any position can be selected and this sealing system does not necessarily coincide with the edge of the sheet material.

If the sheet 70 is square or rectangular, the removable sealable seal portion of the sealant may be a juxtaposed free edge (eg, 82 and 92, 84 and 94, 86 and 96 as shown in FIG. 2B). At or near the top to maximize the inner area of the bag. However, as described above, the sealing system can be formed at any desired location.

In order to easily open the sheet before putting the article to be stored or cooked, the bag 10 may be further provided with an entrance indicator 21. When the article is to be taken out of the bag after sealing the bag, the entrance indicator 21 can likewise allow the bag to be easily reopened. The inlet indicator means 21 (eg, a tab made of a material different from the material of one or both of the sheets 20 or 30) can be separated from the sheets 20, 30. Alternatively, the entrance marking means 21 may be integrated with one or both of the sheets 20 or 30, for example, the means may be colored or printed on the film to inform the user of the proper entrance position. Can be made. The entrance marking means is preferably visually contrasted with other surfaces in contact.

Another preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention (not shown) is similar to the bag shown in FIGS. 1A-C. However, in this preferred embodiment, there is no permanently sealed edge or permanently sealed edge portion. In such a preferred embodiment, at least one of the film sheets consists of a composite film material as described below, and the sheet to which the adhesive is applied becomes detachable and sealable to the other film sheet when pressed to the other film sheet, Create a sealing system that forms the interior of the bag.

Another preferred embodiment of the bag of the present invention is shown in Figures 2a-b. In this embodiment, the bag 10 includes a single sheet 70 as described in more detail below. The sheet 70 has a first portion 80, a second portion 90 and generally a bonding region 75 located between the first portion 80 and the second portion 90. This junction region 75 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2A, indicating that this junction region does not have a precisely defined area or location. In addition, the junction region may divide the first portion 80 and the second portion 90 into areas of various sizes or shapes, which need not necessarily be the same or nearly the same size or shape.

Note that it is not limited to the shape of the rectangular sheet 70 shown in FIG. 2A. As with the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, any form of sheet 70 (eg, circle, ellipse, triangle, amorphous, decorative) is within the scope of the present invention.

The first portion is bounded by one or more first portion free edges. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the first partial free edge is indicated by reference numerals 82, 84, and 86. The second portion is bounded by one or more second portion free edges. The second partial free edge is indicated by reference numerals 92, 94 and 96. Again, it should be noted that this embodiment is not limited to having a certain number of free edges. For example, when the sheet 70 is elliptical, it is not shown as three segments as shown in FIG. 2A, but as one continuous first partial free edge.

In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the first portion 80 or the second portion 90 consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. In another preferred embodiment, both the first portion 80 and the second portion 90 consist of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. In another preferred embodiment, the bonding region 75 also consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion.

In another more preferred embodiment, the sheet consists of a single sheet of composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion. In other words, the first portion 80, the second portion 90 and the bonding region 75 are located on the same single sheet forming the encapsulation.

The bag 10 is formed from the sheet 70 as follows (see FIG. 2B). The first portion 80 is folded at or near the junction region 75 to overlap over the second portion 90. The sealing system 85 can be formed by pressing one of the first or second portions against the other at the desired location. Therefore, the inside of the bag 10 is formed in the sealing system 85. This sealing system can be created if desired by the consumer, completely independent of the bonding area 75, for example as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2C, this encapsulation interior may also be included in the bonding region as well as in the sealing system 85.

In another preferred embodiment for a bag of the type shown in FIG. 2, the entrance marking means is provided at at least one of the free edges of the first or second part in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1A as described above. It is desirable to provide. Such entrance marking means is preferably visually contrasted with other first or second partial free edges without the entrance marking means.

In each embodiment described above, at least one of the sheets 20 or 30 in the embodiment described in connection with FIG. 1, or the first portion 80 in the embodiment described in connection with FIG. 2. Or at least one portion of the second portion 90, US Patent, entitled "Composite Material Releasably Sealable to A Target Surface When Pressed Thereagainst and Method of Making," issued September 2, 1997 to Hamilton et al. 5,662,758; 5,662,758; US Patent No. 5,871,607, entitled "Material Having A Substance Protected By Deformable Standoffs And Method of Making", issued February 16, 1999 to Hamilton et al .; US Patent No. 5,965,235, entitled "Three-Dimensional, Amorphous-Patterned, Nesting-Resistant Sheet Materials and Method and Apparatus for Making Same," issued October 12, 1999 to McGuire et al .; And a composite material as described in US Pat. No. 5,968,633, entitled "Selectively-Activatible Sheet Material For Dispensing And Dispersing a Substance Onto A Target Surface," issued October 19, 1999 to Hamilton et al. .

Such a composite material is a flexible film that is detachably sealable to a target surface and has a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to prevent it from sticking to the target surface beforehand. In particular, the composite material is a flexible film having protrusions formed on the adhesive surface that serve to separate the pressure-sensitive adhesive from the target surface until the film is pressed against the target surface. According to the invention, the “target surface” herein is another part of the film sheet 20 or 30 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or another part of the same sheet 70 as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2. to be.

A general description of the composite materials herein is provided in the patents cited above, but this will be briefly repeated here. One embodiment of a composite film is shown in FIG. 3 and is generally represented by 100. Composite film 100 generally includes a flexible film 120 having a protrusion 140 and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 160 positioned between the protrusions 140. In the embodiment of the film 100 shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 140 has a conical shape in which the outermost end 180 is truncated or in the shape of a dome. The protrusions 140 are equally spaced in an equilateral triangle pattern, and all of these protrusions face the same direction. These protrusions are approximately center-to-center spaced at approximately two protrusion diameter distances. When these protrusions are recessed, the height of the protrusions 140 is preferably smaller than the diameter so that these protrusions are recessed along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the film 120. Recess in this manner can prevent the protrusion 140 from being folded over the adhesive to prevent the adhesive from contacting the target surface.

4 shows a target surface 200, according to the invention, this target surface is either another film sheet forming a bag 10 or another portion of the same film sheet forming a bag, the target The surface is spaced apart from the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 160 by the outermost end 180 of the protrusion 140. 5 is in contact with the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 160 after the protrusions 140 are partially inverted above them under pressure, denoted F, on the non-adhesive side of the flexible film 120. Illustrates a target surface 200.

In the embodiment of the film 100 shown in FIGS. 3-5, the bottom diameter of the conical protrusion 140 is about 0.015 inches (0.381 mm) to about 0.03 inches (0.762 mm). In addition, these protrusions are center to center spaced from about 0.03 inch (0.762 mm) to about 0.06 inch (1.524 mm), and the protrusion height is from about 0.004 inch (0.102 mm) to about 0.012 inch (0.305 mm). The film material may consist of a homogenous resin or mixtures thereof. Consideration should be given to forming a single or multiple layers in the film structure, whether using co-extrusion, extrusion coating, laminate, or any combination of these by other known means. The main property of the film material is that it must be moldable to make protrusions and valleys. Useful resins include polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, PVC, PVDC, latex structures, nylon, and the like. Preferred film materials are polyethylenes having a nominal thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.02 mm, more preferably about 0.012 to about 0.015 mm. Preferred film materials are about 0.012 mm 100% HDPE films sold by Tredegar, USA. These films are also sold by Exxon in the United States.

The pressure sensitive adhesive layer 160 is preferably about 0.025 mm thick hot melt adhesive. As such hot melt adhesives, for example, the specification numbers ATO Findley 2630.07, 2630.08 and 2630.09 sold by Findley, USA, and H.B., Minnesota, USA, for example. The specification numbers HB Fuller HL-2115X, HB Fuller HL 1711-XZP and HB Fuller HL 1717-X sold by Fuller are suitable for use herein. Alternatively, other adhesives, including latexes, may also be used for the adhesive layer 160.

The size and spacing of the protrusions are optimized to provide a continuous adhesion path for liquid tight sealing without creating an easily elongated film. When the film is stretched, a residual force is generated in parallel with the adhesive contact surface, so that the weak adhesive force can be separated.

More preferably, the composite sheet herein is a three-dimensional composite sheet material that prevents nesting of layers that overlap each other, as described in US Pat. No. 5,965,235 to McGuire et al., Supra.

In order to provide the advantage of preventing such nesting, the protrusions form a plurality of different two-dimensional geometrical amorphous patterns on one side of the composite sheet material and a plurality of spacings corresponding to the protrusions on opposite sides. Hollow depressions are provided so that the overhang is hollow. The term "amorphous" as used herein generally refers to the conventional meaning of this term, i.e., a pattern that does not represent easily recognizable tissue, regularity, or orientation of components. In this pattern, the arrangement and orientation of one element relative to neighboring elements cannot be predicted beyond the relationship of the arrangement and orientation of the next consecutive element (s).

Within the preferred amorphous pattern, it is desirable that the protrusions are not uniform with respect to the size, shape, orientation of the protrusions to the web and the spacing between adjacent protrusion centers. 6 is a plan view of an exemplary three-dimensional nesting prevention sheet material 200 in accordance with the present invention. The protrusions are indicated by reference numeral 240, and the intervals by reference numeral 220. Also shown in FIG. 6 is dimension A, which represents the gap 220 width and is measured as the substantially vertical distance between substantially adjacent parallel walls on the underside of the protrusion. In a preferred embodiment, the width of the gap 220 is preferably substantially constant throughout the protrusion pattern.

The protrusion 240 is produced in a non-uniform size and shape so that one sheet or portion of the material 200 is another sheet or portion of the material 200 without nesting between the two sheets. It may be placed in face-to-face contact with the part. Because the amorphous pattern of the protrusions as described above limits the ability to align the face of one sheet with the back of another sheet, anti-nesting properties are achieved so that a protrusion of one layer is placed behind each protrusion of an adjacent layer. Insert into the formed recess. An advantage obtained by narrowing and keeping the gap width between protrusions constant is that protrusions are not inserted into the gap 220 when the layer of material 200 is face-to-face contact.

The use of polygons with a finite number of faces in an amorphous pattern arranged in an interlocking relationship provides superior advantages over structures using round or near-round shapes. Patterns such as circle arrangements are limited in terms of the area size that a circle can occupy for the area occupied by non-circled between adjacent circles. More specifically, even if the adjacent circles are in contact at their contacts, there will still be a certain amount of spacing "trapped" in the "corner" between successive tangents. Thus, even a circular amorphous pattern is limited in terms of how to design such that non-circles are rarely present in the structure. Conversely, interlocking polygons with a finite number of faces (i.e. no curved faces) can all be designed to pack close together, in a limited sense that adjacent faces of adjacent polygons will have their full length. It can thus be designed so that there are no "trapped" free gaps between corners packed to contact (see Figure 6). As described in detail in US Pat. No. 5,965,235, the amorphous pattern herein preferably exhibits statistically controlled randomness.

The three-dimensional shape of the individual protrusions is believed to play a role in determining both the overall web properties as well as the physical properties of the individual protrusions. It is believed herein to be very useful to use polygonal bottom patterns that mesh with each other for protrusions. Such polygonal patterns are preferably composed of interlocking convex polygons each having a finite number of substantially linear planes, while facing substantially parallel faces of the adjacent polygons. However, it should be understood that the protrusions can be formed from virtually any three dimensional shape.

The protrusions 240 are spaced from center to center approximately at or near the average distance between the bottom diameters of the two protrusions, minimizing the volume of adhesive located between the protrusions to minimize the volume of valleys between the protrusions. It is preferable. When the protrusions are deformed, the protrusions preferably have a height less than their diameter so as to deform the protrusions by substantially inverting and / or crushing along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the material. The deformed protrusion shape and mode prevents the protrusions from folding up in a direction parallel to the plane of the material, such that the protrusions cannot prevent the adhesive in the valleys between them from contacting the target surface.

Preferred adhesives herein are hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives of about 0.025 mm thickness. Such hot melt adhesives are described, for example, in specification numbers ATO Findley 2630.07, 2630.08, and 2630.09, sold by Findley, USA, and H.B., Minnesota, USA. Specifications No. HB Fuller HL-2115X, HB Fuller HL 1711-XZP and HB Fuller HL 1717-X sold by Fuller are suitable for use herein. Alternatively, other adhesives, including latexes, may be used for the adhesive layer 160.

The film material may consist of homogeneous resins or mixtures thereof. Whether using co-extrusion, extrusion coating, laminate, or a combination thereof by any other known means, consideration should be given to forming a single or multiple layers within the film structure. The main property of the film material is that it must be moldable to make protrusions and valleys. Resins useful herein include polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, PVC, PVDC, latex structures, nylon, and the like. Preferred material gauges are from about 0.0025 mm to about 0.25 mm. Preferred film materials are about 0.012 mm 100% HDPE films sold by Tredegar, USA. These films are also sold by Exxon in the United States. Molding can be done by mechanical embossing, vacuum thermoforming, hydraulic molding and combinations thereof as well as other methods known to those skilled in the art.

Although it is desirable for the entire surface of the sheet to exhibit such an amorphous pattern, it should be noted that under certain circumstances it may be desirable for a surface smaller than the entire surface of the sheet to have an amorphous pattern. For example, a portion of the sheet may exhibit some regular pattern of protrusions, or may actually have no protrusions at all to provide a generally smooth surface.

In addition, the designer may separate an amorphous region with a regular non-amorphous pattern or a “blank” region with no protrusions or a combination thereof. The shape and dimensions of the non-amorphous region can also be customized.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the sheet in the embodiment consisting of at least one sheet or a single sheet of the sheets 20 or 30 constituting the bag 10 is a composite as described above. Made of sheet material. The other sheet material or portions of this sheet may be the same or similar composite materials. Alternatively, the other sheet material or portion of this sheet may be a non-composite sheet material, ie all existing film materials known to those skilled in the art, for example high density polyethylene or low density polyethylene. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, at least one portion of the sheet 70 forming the encapsulation 10 is made of a composite sheet material as described above. Thus, the user of the bag 10 can simply press the desired position to activate the adhesive of the composite sheet to tightly seal the sheet in the sealing system to the target sheet or the target portion to detachably seal the bag as desired.

In order to be aesthetically pleasing, it may also be desirable to provide a kind of decorative printing to the sheet material or any portion (s) thereof. Such printing can be done in any pattern, color, style, design or the like.

For example, FIG. 7 shows the food 40 contained in the bag 10 of the preferred embodiment, in which the sealing system 45 allows the user to “S1” and “S2” around the food. It is formed by applying an overall force in the direction indicated by the arrow. Such a bag 10 may consist of any of the embodiments described herein.

Another use of the bag 10 is shown in FIG. 8. That is, whether foods are foods of the same type or foods of different types, various foods can be separately partitioned and stored in one bag. By pressing the film in the desired portion, individual airtight and liquid tight sealing systems 45a-d can be formed around each food 50. In each sealing system 45a-d a separate bag interior is formed. Alternatively, only pressing the bag as indicated by arrows S1-S4 creates four seal bins for sealing. Such a bag 10 may consist of any of the embodiments described herein.

Of course, it should be understood that there are many different ways to use the various embodiments of the encapsulation of the present invention and that these methods are not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 because they are within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates a fully opened bag of FIG. 1A, which illustrates one of the advantages of the present invention. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1C, the bag 10 is provided with a large insertion and removal area because the bag has two overlapping edges that are not permanently sealed. For example, representative dimensions of a bag according to the present invention are 29.2-30.0 cm × about 30.0 cm. For bags with this dimension, the insertion / removal inlet area is about 1040 cm ² , which is calculated by defining the inlet area as a complete circle.

In general, other non-limiting dimensions that can be conveniently used at home include about 15.0 cm by about 15.0 cm and about 60.0 cm by about 60.0 cm.

In contrast, existing bags with only one side that can be used for insertion and removal, such as zippered bags or stock bags, cannot provide this advantage. In zippered bags on sale, the openings may be narrower than the actual bag dimensions because of the area required to attach and close the zipper device. Therefore, such a zippered bag may be inconvenient or even impossible to use for large or irregular shaped articles. For example, the large size ZIPLOC vegetable storage bags on sale have dimensions of about 26.8 cm by about 27.9 cm. However, the insertion / removal inlet area of this bag is only about 223 cm ² , which is calculated by defining the inlet area as a complete circle.

Therefore, when in the fully opened state, the opening area opening size of the bag embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C of the present invention is about 50% more than the opening size of other storage bags on sale, for example, stock bags and zipper bags. Big.

Square or rectangular shapes are known to be able to provide two non-permanently sealed edges to provide a large internal area available and to facilitate insertion and removal, but other forms, for example the composite described herein Oval or circular bags provided with removable sealable openings for inserting and removing food, including at least one sheet of material, may be provided and this form is also within the scope of the present invention.

In addition, bags that do not have a permanently sealed edge are used the same and sometimes rather more conveniently when compared to bags that have a permanently sealed edge. The type of bag that is most suitable for use depends on the intended use, the size and shape of the article to be placed inside the bag, and the taste of the user.

Therefore, since the bag can accommodate many different sizes and forms of food, it is easy to insert and remove the food to be stored or cooked in the bag 10 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Able to know.

In addition to these advantages with regard to ease of use, the bags of the present invention also improve the freshness of the stored food. This advantage is considered to be due to the excellent airtightness of the bag of the present invention. This advantage is explained in more detail in the Examples herein.

Finally, it should be understood that the encapsulation of the present invention is not limited to food use, and in particular can be used with the same advantages in storage or protection of all other articles requiring airtight and / or liquid tight sealing. . Bags, for example, can be used to store cosmetics, art utensils, clutter, and can be conveniently used to hold many different types of goods during travel.

In order to illustrate the freshness advantage in storage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bags according to the present invention are compared below with other bags for sale.

Example 1: Weight Loss Test 1 (Spinach)

Table 1 Weight Loss Test 1 Data

Spinach weight (g) stored in the bag of the present invention Spinach weight (g) stored in Ziploc vegetable bag ID Day 0 (a) Day 8 (b) Loss (%) (= (1-b / a) × 100) ID Day 0 (a) Day 8 (b) Loss (%) (= (1-b / a) × 100) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 29.61 39.40 49. (80) 49.73 47.35 81.16 67.57 28.19 43.93 35.74 44.59 34.74 28.24 38.74 49.11 49.09 46.96 (80) .00 66.45 27.61 43.35 35.09 43.87 34.12 4.63 1.68 1.39 1.29 0.82 1.43 1.66 2.06 1.32 1.82 1.61 1.78 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 29.34 56.78 49.50 39.10 37.50 49.84 49.14 88.11 33.82 30.40 31.34 48.38 26.11 50.73 43.92 34.60 33.39 44.25 43.93 79.36 30.28 26.48 27.79 44.12 11.01 10.66 11.27 11.51 10.96 11.22 10.60 9.93 10.47 12.89 11.33 8.81 Total average 551.81 45.98 542.63 45.22 NA 1.79 Total average 543.25 45.27 484.96 40.41 NA 10.89

These data are graphically represented in FIG. 9, where the rhombic data points represent the loss of weight of the bags of the present invention and the square data points represent the loss of weight of the ZIPLOC bags sold. Hatched bars represent loss of weight data for bags of the present invention and unhatched bars represent loss of weight data for ZIPLOC bags sold.

Table 2 Weight Loss Test 1 Results

Bag n = 12 of the present invention ZIPLOC vegetable bag n = 12 Loss of weight (average of loss on day 8 after storage) 1.79% 10.89% 20 consumer votes on freshness 20 0

The weight loss test is performed as follows. The average equivalent weight of vegetables like spinach is divided into two groups based on the roots. The first group is placed individually in the bag 1 according to the invention, ie one per bag, and the second group is S.C. Individually placed in a ZIPLOC brand vegetable storage bag (large size) sold by Johnson Co./Asahi Kasei.

The bag 1 of the present invention is 29.2 cm wide, 30.0 cm long, and 12.5 μm thick (except adhesive layer and protrusions). The material is HDPE.

The ZIPLOC bag 2 is 26.8 cm wide, 27.9 cm long, and 40.0 μm thick. The material is LDPE.

In the bag (1) of the present invention, air is pushed out to limit the amount of air contained in the bag, and the bag is sealed in the form of spinach by pressing the sheet as described above. In the ZIPLOC bag (2), the bag is sealed in the form of spinach by pushing out the air and closing the zipper to limit the amount of air contained in the bag.

All bags are stored in the home refrigerator vegetable compartment. All bags are placed in one refrigerator at the same start time on day 0. Bags do not stack with each other. Although the actual conditions change over the test period, the temperature and humidity of the refrigerator are measured on the first day of start, ie on day 0. In addition, the actual conditions vary from refrigerator to refrigerator. Typical home refrigerator conditions are generally considered about 4-5 ° C. and relative humidity about 25-55%. The weight is calculated as 100% at 4 ° C. and 26% relative humidity at the start time of day 0.

The bags are mixed once a day during the refrigeration cycle to experience similar conditions in the home refrigerator. Bags are left in the refrigerator for eight days.

At the end of the test, each piece of spinach is taken out of the bag and weighed. In addition, each bag group is preferably provided to a group of 20 consumers of at least 20 years of age. Customers are asked which group is fresher, where they are allowed to see and touch the spinach directly before making a judgment.

The results of this test are shown in Table 2 above. Without being bound by theory, freshness is believed to be related to loss of moisture, i.e., as the vegetable loses moisture (which can be measured quantitatively as weight loss), the freshness decreases. Therefore, it can be seen from the contents of Table 2 that there is less water loss by the spinach stored in the bag according to the present invention. Freshness results were confirmed by consumers comparing spinach from the two groups.

Example 2: Weight Loss Test 2 (Spinach)

Table 3 Results of weight loss test 2

date Loss of bag of the present invention (%) ZIPLOC vegetable bag lost (%) 0 100.0 100.00 13 95.2 58.0

4.8 42.0

The weight loss test is run a second time as described above with different bunches of spinach at different start dates (ie on different 0 days).

Since starting with different bunches of spinach, the percentage loss shown in Table 3 differs from that shown in Table 2. This is considered to be because the state of spinach or other vegetables at the time of purchase on a particular day can never be the same as the state at the time of purchase on another day. In other words, each time a consumer purchases a vegetable, the state of the vegetable may vary greatly at a particular point of purchase.

Comparing the results provided in Tables 2 and 3, it was found that better storage freshness can be expected when vegetables are stored using the bags of the present invention than when stored using ZIPLOC vegetable storage bags. The initial state of the vegetable is irrelevant to this result.

Example 3: Weight Content Loss Test 3 (Broccoli)

Table 4 Results of weight loss test 2

 date Loss of bag of the present invention (%) ZIPLOC vegetable bag lost (%) 0 100.0 100.0 13 98.48 82.30

1.52 17.7

This test is performed as described above using the same amount of broccoli. The weight is calculated as 100% at a temperature of 4 ° C. and a relative humidity of 38% at the start time of day 0.

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

As exemplified by the above examples, the preferred embodiments described herein provide the advantages of superior airtightness compared to existing vegetable storage bags and the ability to maintain freshness for longer periods of time.

In addition, improved ease of use, convenience and versatility for storage and cooking applications are provided as described herein. Preferred embodiments herein are also cost effective, easy to manufacture, and diverse in use.

How to use

The present invention also relates to a method of using the bags described herein.                 

Save

The method for storing an article herein includes the steps of placing an article in a bag of one embodiment according to the present invention and detaching and sealing the bag by pressing the surface of the composite film at a desired location to activate the adhesive to create a sealing system. And placing the sealed bag in a storage location. In particular, the food storage method of the present invention comprises the steps of putting cooked or pre-cooked food in a bag of one embodiment according to the present invention, and sealing the removable sealable edge of the bag at a desired position to create a sealing system. And placing the sealed bag in a storage location, such as a refrigerator, and taking the food out of the bag after a period of time, preferably after a period of time that does not exceed about two weeks for optimal freshness. .

Boil Cooking

Preferred cooking methods herein include the use of boiling water. The method includes placing pre-cooked foods with the desired seasonings or condiments in a bag of one embodiment according to the invention, and pressing the surface of the composite film at the desired location to activate the adhesive to create a sealing system. The sealing bag and the sealed bag so that it is partially submerged in hot water but floats (preferably so that the bag does not touch the bottom of the pot where the water is heated) for a time sufficient to cook the food in the bag. Putting the amount of boiling water, removing the bag from the water after a period of time, and opening the bag to take out the contents. Pots containing hot water are preferably covered with lids during cooking to ensure that the contents of the bag are cooked not only by the heat of the water itself, but also by the steam gathering inside the covered pot.

Cooking using a microwave

Another cooking method of the present invention comprises the steps of putting the pre-cooked food in the bag of any one embodiment according to the present invention, detaching and sealing the bag so that the food is located inside the bag, and cooking the food placed in the microwave Placing the sealed bag in the microwave for a sufficient time, and removing the bag from the microwave after the time has elapsed. The bag is then opened, the contents taken out and serviced. This method is especially useful for steaming raw vegetables such as asparagus, pumpkin, or broccoli. According to this method, the fresh color and appearance of the vegetable is well maintained and is considered superior to the conventional method of cooking directly with boiling water.

In the microwave cooking method, be careful not to put oil or oily condiments in the bag. If such oils enter, it is believed that the temperature in the bag exceeds 125 ° C., which can damage the structural integrity of the film material to melt the bag.

Cooking of marinated food or pickled in vinegar

Another food cooking method of the present application is to make food in seasoning or pickled in vinegar. This method involves at least one precooked food, such as raw vegetables, fish and meat, along with the desired seasoning, such as oil, salt, herbs, soy, vinegar, miso, koji (a type of malt), or sakekasu (sake). Depositing the rice precipitate derived from the distillation process into a bag of one embodiment according to the present invention, detaching and sealing the bag at a desired sealing system position, placing the sealed bag into a refrigerator, and the food taste Leaving the bag in the refrigerator for such a sufficient time. In most cases, one to two nights is considered sufficient. Then, the bag is opened, the contents are taken out and serviced.

For pre-cooked vegetables, the flavored vegetables can be taken out of the bag and eaten right away. Such vegetables are called "tsukemono" in Japan. In the case of fish or meat marinated in a marinade, the fish or meat marinated in a marinade must be cooked by boiling or grilling, for example, as described above.

Reheat

In addition to the method of cooking precooked food, the bag of one embodiment according to the present invention can be used to reheat food that has already been cooked. The above-mentioned brewing method is preferable for reheating, because if the food contains oil, the bag may become too hot when placed in a microwave oven.

In the reheating method of the present application, the temperature of the water used is less than 100 ° C. (boiling point), because boiling water is used if the food is not raw or is not precooked and there is no danger of eating food that is not fully cooked. The reason is that it does not need the fairly high heat generated by. Depending on the type of food to be reheated and the user's preference for how warm the food should be, the temperature is suitably about 50 ° C to 100 ° C. As a non-limiting example, it may be desirable to reheat before eating the dessert cake stored in the refrigerator.

However, in the case of raw or precooked foods, it is desirable to boil at 100 ° C. in order to prevent problems or diseases that may arise from eating foods that are not fully cooked.

It is to be understood that the embodiments and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (20)

A bag comprising two or more overlapped sheets of film material in which at least one portion of the overlapping edges is permanently sealed and up to 50% of the overlapping edges are permanently sealed. At least one of the sheets consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, and the adhesive-coated film sheet, when pressed against another film sheet, has the other film sheet A bag that is detachably sealable to create a sealing system, the interior of the bag being contained within the sealing system. The method of claim 1, The bag interior is also included in the permanently sealed portion of the overlapping edges. The method of claim 1, And the bag has four pairs of overlapping edges, one or more of the overlapping edges being permanently sealed. A bag comprising a first sheet of film material, superimposed with a second sheet of film material, wherein at least one portion of the overlapping edge is permanently sealed and up to 50% of the overlapping edge is permanently sealed. At least one of the sheets consists of a composite film material provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive that prevents inadvertent adhesion, wherein the film sheet to which the adhesive is applied is pressed when pressed against another film sheet. A bag that is detachably sealable to a sheet to create a plurality of deformable sealing systems, the interior of the bag being contained within each sealing system. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete The method according to claim 1 or 4, The composite film material is a three-dimensional composite sheet material having a first side and a second side, the first side including one or more regions having a plurality of spaced apart three-dimensional protrusions extending outwardly therefrom, the The protrusions are separated by interconnected networks of three dimensional spacing between adjacent protrusions, the gaps being partially filled with adhesive. The method of claim 12, Wherein the plurality of protrusions form an amorphous pattern of interlocking convex polygons each having a limited number of substantially linear faces facing substantially parallel faces of adjacent polygons. delete The method according to claim 1 or 4, The bag further comprises an entrance indicator. The method of claim 15, And said entrance indicator means comprises color indicator means. The method of claim 15, And said entrance indicator means comprises printing indicator means. The method according to claim 1 or 4, The sheet is characterized in that the decorative printing is provided. Placing the article in a bag according to claim 1, Detaching and sealing the bag by creating a sealing system, and Storing the sealed bag in a storage location. The method of claim 19, And said article is a vegetable and said storage location is a refrigerator.

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