Pouch

The present invention relates to a pouch.

JP 5946406 B (Patent Document 1) is a related art document that discloses a configuration of a pouch provided with a spout. The pouch described in Patent Document 1 is provided with the spout on a top surface.

Patent Document 1: JP 5946406 B

When contents are dispensed from a pouch provided with a spout on a top surface, it is necessary to tilt the pouch while holding the pouch. Therefore, the pouch needs to be easily gripped.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and an object thereof is to provide a pouch provided with a spout on a top surface and easily gripped.

A pouch according to the present invention includes a packaging bag and a spout. The packaging bag includes a front surface sheet, a back surface sheet, and a top gusset sheet, and can accommodate contents. The spout is fixed to the top gusset sheet and is provided for dispensing the contents from the packaging bag. The packaging bag includes a left side seal portion, a right side seal portion, a front side top gusset seal portion, and a back side top gusset seal portion. In the left side seal portion and the right side seal portion, an end portion of the front surface sheet and an end portion of the back surface sheet in a width direction are sealed to each other and extend in a height direction. In the front side top gusset seal portion, the front surface sheet and the top gusset sheet are sealed to each other. In the back side top gusset seal portion, the back surface sheet and the top gusset sheet are sealed to each other. At least one of the left side seal portion or the right side seal portion includes a recessed portion recessed toward the inside of the packaging bag so that the outer edge of the packaging bag can be constricted in the width direction in a state in which the packaging bag is folded so that the top gusset sheet overlaps each of a folded portion where a part of the front surface sheet closer to the top gusset sheet is folded and the back surface sheet while the front surface sheet is located on the back surface sheet in a state of including the folded portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a bottom portion of the recessed portion located on the innermost side of the packaging bag is located closer to the top gusset sheet than a center in the height direction in a range between a folding line along which the folded portion is folded and a lower edge of the packaging bag in the above folded state.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the bottom portion of the recessed portion located on the innermost side of the packaging bag is located side by side with a lowermost portion of the front side top gusset seal portion in the height direction along a virtual straight line extending in the width direction in the above folded state.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the contents are accommodated in the packaging bag, at least one of the front surface sheet, the back surface sheet, or the top gusset sheet includes an extending portion extending farther away from the top surface formed by the top gusset sheet than a remaining sheet of the front surface sheet, the back surface sheet, and the top gusset sheet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an outer edge of the extending portion has an arc shape.

According to the present Invention, a pouch provided with a spout on a top surface can be made easily gripped.

Hereinafter, a pouch according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the embodiments described below, identical or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference signs in the drawings, and description thereof will not be repeated.

is a front view illustrating a state in which a packaging bag of a pouch according to a first embodiment of the present invention is folded.is a rear view illustrating a state in which the packaging bag of the pouch according to the first embodiment of the present invention is folded.is a side view as viewed from an arrow III direction in.is a plan view as viewed from an arrow IV direction in.is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the packaging bag of the pouch according to the first embodiment of the present invention is filled with contents and a lid is attached to the spout. In the drawings, a width direction of the pouch is indicated as an X-axis direction, a depth direction of the pouch is indicated as a Y-axis direction, and a height direction of the pouch is indicated as a Z-axis direction.

As illustrated in, a pouchaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a packaging bagand a spout. The packaging bagincludes a front surface sheet, a back surface sheet, and a top gusset sheet, and can accommodate contents. As illustrated in, in the present embodiment, the packaging bagfurther includes a bottom gusset sheet.

Examples of the contents accommodated in the packaging baginclude beverages such as sports drinks, foods such as ice cream and jelly, liquid medicines, and liquids such as shampoo, rinse, conditioner, cosmetic liquid, and body soap.

As illustrated in, the spoutis fixed to the top gusset sheetand is provided for dispensing the contents from the packaging bag. As illustrated in, after the packaging bagis filled with the contents, a capfor closing a spout port is attached to a tip portion of the spout

Each of the front surface sheet, the back surface sheet, the top gusset sheet, and the bottom gusset sheetis constituted by a layered body layered with at least two types of material sheets of polyethylene terephthalate, aluminum, nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene.

As illustrated in, the packaging bagincludes a left side seal portion, a right side seal portion, a front side top gusset seal portion, and a back side top gusset seal portion. In the present embodiment, the packaging bagfurther includes a front side bottom gusset seal portionand a back side bottom gusset seal portion.

As a method of sealing together the sheets when forming the packaging bagand a method of sealing the sheets when fixing the spoutto the packaging bag, various known methods may be used, with examples including fusing methods, such as heat sealing, ultrasonic wave sealing, and high frequency sealing and an adhesion method using an adhesive.

In the left side seal portionand the right side seal portion, end portions of the front surface sheetand end portions of the back surface sheetin the width direction (X-axis direction) are sealed to each other and extend in the height direction (Z-axis direction).

In the front side top gusset seal portion, the front surface sheetand the top gusset sheetare sealed to each other. In the back side top gusset seal portion, the back surface sheetand the top gusset sheetare sealed to each other.

As illustrated in, in the front side bottom gusset seal portion, the front surface sheetand the bottom gusset sheetare sealed to each other. As illustrated in, the back surface sheetand the bottom gusset sheetare sealed to each other at the back side bottom gusset seal portion. In the present embodiment, the packaging bagincludes the bottom gusset, but the bottom gusset need not necessarily be provided, and the front surface sheetand the back surface sheetmay be sealed to each other to form the bottom of the packaging bag.

As illustrated in, at least one of the left side seal portionor the right side seal portionincludes recessed portionsandrecessed toward the inside of packaging bagso that the outer edge of the packaging bagcan be constricted in the width direction (X-axis direction) as illustrated inin a state in which the packaging bagis folded so that the top gusset sheetoverlaps each of the folded portionwhere a part of the front surface sheetcloser to top gusset sheetis folded and the back surface sheetwhile the front surface sheetis located on the back surface sheetin a state of including a folded portion. The folded portionof the front surface sheetis a portion where the front surface sheetis folded with a folding lineillustrated inas a boundary. In the state in which the packaging bagis folded as illustrated in, the folding lineis a straight line connecting a first intersection Pat which the left side seal portion, the front side top gusset seal portion, and the back side top gusset seal portionintersect with each other to a second intersection Pat which the right side seal portion, the front side top gusset seal portion, and the back side top gusset seal portionintersect with each other.

In the present embodiment, the recessed portionis formed in the left side seal portion, and the recessed portionis formed in the right side seal portion. However, the configuration is not limited to the case where the recessed portionsandare formed in the left side seal portionand the right side seal portion, respectively, and the recessed portion may be formed in only one of the left side seal portionand the right side seal portion.

In the above folded state, the recessed portionsandeach have a shape curved toward the inside of the packaging bag. In the present embodiment, the packaging baghas a bilaterally symmetrical shape, and the recessed portionand the recessed portionhave shapes symmetrical to each other. However, the recessed portionand the recessed portionmay have shapes asymmetrical to each other.

Since the recessed portionsandare formed, as illustrated in, the packaging bagcan be gripped by placing the fingers on the recessed portionsandof the packaging bagfilled with the contents, and the pouchprovided with the spouton the top surface can be easily gripped. In addition, since the recessed portionsandare formed, the packaging baghas a visually remarkable characteristic and can be visually easily distinguished from other products.

As illustrated in, bottom portionsandof the recessed portionsandlocated on the innermost side of the packaging bagare located closer to the top gusset sheetthan a center Lc in the height direction (Z-axis direction) in a range L between the folding linealong which the folded portionis folded and the lower edge of the packaging bag in the above folded state. As a result, the pouchcan be stably tilted and the contents can be dispensed in a state in which the packaging bagis gripped by placing the fingers on the recessed portionsand.

In the present embodiment, the bottom portionsandof the recessed portionsandlocated on the innermost side of the packaging bagare located side by side with a lowermost portionof the front side top gusset seal portionin the height direction (Z-axis direction) along a virtual straight line Lb extending in the width direction (X-axis direction) in the above folded state. That is, a distance in the height direction (Z-axis direction) from the folding lineto the virtual straight line Lb and a distance in the height direction (Z-axis direction) from the folding lineto the bottom portionsandof the recessed portionsandare substantially equal to each other. As a result, the pouchcan be further stably tilted and the contents can be dispensed in a state in which the packaging bagis gripped by placing the fingers on the recessed portionsand.

Hereinafter, a pouch according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the pouch according to the second embodiment of the present invention is different from the pouchaccording to the first embodiment mainly in that an extending portion is provided, description of the same configuration as that of the pouchaccording to the first embodiment will not be repeated.

is a front view illustrating a state in which a packaging bag of the pouch according to the second embodiment of the present invention is folded.is a perspective view as viewed from a front side illustrating a state in which the packaging bag of the pouch according to the second embodiment of the present invention is filled with contents.is a perspective view as viewed from a rear side illustrating a state in which the packaging bag of the pouch according to the second embodiment of the present invention is filled with the contents.

As illustrated in, in a pouchaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention, in a state in which the contents are accommodated in the packaging bag, at least one of the front surface sheet, a back surface sheet, or the top gusset sheetincludes an extending portionextending in the height direction (Z-axis direction) farther away from the top surface formed by the top gusset sheetthan the remaining sheets of the front surface sheet, the back surface sheet, and the top gusset sheet.

In the present embodiment, the extending portionis formed by extending both the back surface sheetand the top gusset sheetand sealing the extending portions thereof to each other. That is, the back surface sheetand the top gusset sheetof the portion constituting the extending portionextend in the height direction (Z-axis direction) so as to be farther away from the top surface formed by the top gusset sheetthan the front surface sheet.

Only one of the back surface sheetand the top gusset sheetmay be extended and the extended portion may form the extending portion. However, when the extending portionis formed by extending both the back surface sheetand the top gusset sheetand sealing the extending portions thereof to each other, the strength of the extending portionis increased, and the self-standing property of the pouchcan be improved. In the present embodiment, the back surface sheetis included in the extending portion, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the front surface sheetmay be included in the extending portion.

It is preferable that the extending portionextends to a position higher than the cap attached to the spoutin the height direction (Z-axis direction), and the extending portionextends so as to cover the cap attached to the spoutas viewed from the back surface side.

As illustrated in, when a design printing or the like indicating a product content is applied to the back surface sheet, a display area can be enlarged by the extending portion. Since the extending portionis located at the upper part of the pouchand is noticeable, for example, by displaying the pouch with the back surface sheetfacing the front, it is possible to easily attract attention to the display printed on the extending portion.

In the pouchaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention, the outer edge of the extending portionhas an arc shape. As a result, as illustrated in, it is possible to form a display region Tthat bulges out in a three dimensional and integrated rounded balloon shape defined by a ridge line R of the portion above the recessed portionsandin the pouchand the outer edge of the extending portion, and it is possible to easily attract consumers' attention.

The outer edge of the extending portion is not limited to the arc shape.is a perspective view as viewed from a rear side illustrating a state in which the packaging bag of the pouch according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention is filled with the contents.

As illustrated in, the outer edge of an extending portionof a pouchaccording to the modification of the second embodiment of the present invention has a rectangular shape. In the present modification, when the design printing or the like indicating the product content is applied to a back surface sheet, it is possible to form a three dimensional display region Tdefined by the ridge line R of the portion above the recessed portionsandin the pouchand the outer edge of the extending portion, and it is possible to enlarge the display area. Since the extending portionis located at the upper portion of the pouchand is noticeable, it is possible to easily attract attention to the display printed on the extending portion. In the case of the extending portionincluding the outer edge of the rectangular shape, since both ends of the extending portionin the width direction (X-axis direction) are easily curved or bent as illustrated in, it is preferable that the both ends in the width direction (X-axis direction) are rounded as in the extending portionillustrated in.

According to the configuration of the pouch in each of the embodiments described above, the amount of resin used can be significantly reduced as compared to a container made of molded resin. Further, the pouch can be folded compactly to a smaller volume before being discarded.

Note that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and do not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the claims. Further, meanings equivalent to those of the claims and all modifications made within the claims are included.

Packaging bag,

Spout,

Cap,

,,Pouch,

Front surface sheet,

Folded portion,

Folding line,

,,Back surface sheet,

Top gusset sheet,

Bottom gusset sheet,