Exterior container and bag-in-box provided with the same

Abstract

To provide an exterior container, in which an installation place of a bag-in-box is not restricted in particular, which enables contents to be poured out therefrom and can suppress the contents from being insufficiently poured out, with a simple structure, and a bag-in-box provided with the same.SOLUTION: An exterior container 10 according to the present invention is provided with a pedestal 3 and an outer case 2 that can cover the pedestal 3. The pedestal 3 and the outer case 2 respectively include front surface parts and back surface parts opposing to each other in a depth direction Y, a pair of side surface parts opposing to each other in a width direction X, and upper surface parts which become upper surfaces when used. In a use state, where bottoms thereof have openings or the bottoms can be opened. The exterior container 10, in which an interior container 4 is arranged at the upper surface part 37 of the pedestal 3 in a use state, can be used with the outer case 2 covered from above the pedestal 3 and is configured so that a space between the upper surface part 37 of the pedestal 3 and the upper surface part 27 of the outer case 2 can be reduced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an outer container and a bag-in-box having the outer container. [Background technology]

[0002] A bag-in-box is known that includes a flexible inner container that contains a liquid or other content therein, and an outer container that contains the inner container. The bag-in-box is generally configured so that a required amount of the content can be poured out through a pouring portion provided in the inner container. From the viewpoint of facilitating the pouring out of the content, various studies have been conducted on the configuration of the outer container.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a bag-in-box including a flexible inner container that contains a liquid or other content, a rigid outer container, and a pressurizing mechanism that is arranged to be able to pressurize the inner container. The pressurizing mechanism is a device that includes an elastic member such as a spring between two plates. The bag-in-box described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that the inner container placed on the plate of the pressurizing mechanism is covered with the outer container, and the inner container can be pressurized by pressing the outer container.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an outer box for a bag-in-box, which includes a pair of first side walls forming a body and having a first flap connected thereto. In this outer box, the first flap includes a pair of first inner wall portions facing the inner surfaces of the pair of first side walls, a pair of first lid portions extending from the tip portions of one of the inner wall portions, and a pair of support portions extending from the tip portions of the lid portions toward one axial direction, and when placed on an installation surface, the pair of first lid portions form an inclined bottom portion that inclines downward from the rear to the front and supports the inner bag. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 3307644 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-014289 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The bag-in-box of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 presses the outer container to pressurize the inner container supported by the pressurizing mechanism in the outer container, and pours out the contents. This allows the bag-in-box to be installed at a place not limited to the edge of a table, and to pour out the contents into another container such as a glass. However, the structure of the bag-in-box becomes complicated by providing the pressurizing mechanism, which is insufficient in terms of manufacturing efficiency. In addition, the pressurizing mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a finger to be inserted into the outer container when unlocking the spring. This operation is cumbersome, and there is a risk of the finger being injured by the end of the opening formed in the outer container for inserting the finger. In addition, the outer box for the bag-in-box in Patent Document 2 supports the inner bag in a forward tilted state by an inclined bottom surface portion formed on the inner bottom of the outer box. This prevents the contents filled in the inner bag from being left unfilled, but the structure for forming the inclined bottom surface portion is complex and insufficient in terms of manufacturing efficiency. There is still room for improvement in preventing the contents from being left unfilled.

[0007] The present invention relates to providing an outer container and a bag-in-box equipped therewith, which enable contents to be poured out without any particular restriction on the installation location of the bag-in-box, and which has a simple structure yet can prevent the contents from remaining after pouring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to an outer container that houses an inner container having a spout for pouring out a content, and has a depth direction and a width direction perpendicular to the depth direction. The outer container preferably includes a base and an outer box capable of covering the base. In one embodiment, each of the base and the outer box includes a front portion and a back portion facing each other in the depth direction, a pair of side portions facing each other in the width direction, and a top portion that becomes the upper surface when in use, and it is preferable that the base and the outer box have an opening at the bottom or that the bottom is openable. In one embodiment, the outer box is preferably configured so that an insertion portion through which the spout portion can be inserted can be formed in the front portion. In one embodiment, the outer container is preferably usable when the inner container is placed on the upper surface of the base and the outer box is placed over the base in an in-use state, and the space between the upper surface of the base and the upper surface of the outer box can be reduced.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a bag-in-box. In one embodiment, the bag-in-box preferably includes the outer container and the inner container accommodated in the outer container. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The outer container of the present invention and the bag-in-box equipped with the same enable the contents to be poured out without any particular restrictions on the installation location, and despite its simple structure, can prevent the contents from remaining unpoured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a bag-in-box equipped with an outer container of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bag-in-box shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views that typically show the bag-in-box shown in FIG. 1 in a used state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bag-in-box shown in FIG. 1 before use, as viewed from the bottom side. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the depth direction of the bag-in-box shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a blank for forming the outer box shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a blank for forming the base shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the base according to the present invention, and is a perspective view of the base as viewed from the front. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a blank for forming the central support portion and the side support portion shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of an outer container 10 according to the present invention and a bag-in-box 1 equipped with the outer container 10. The bag-in-box 1 includes an outer container 10 and an inner container 4 accommodated in the outer container 10. The inner container 4 of the bag-in-box 1 includes an inner main body 40 consisting of a bag or pouch formed from a flexible sheet, and a pouring part 41 attached to the inner main body 40 (see FIG. 5). Examples of the flexible sheet material forming the inner main body 40 include synthetic resin sheet materials such as polyethylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and sheet materials laminated with these materials. The interior main body 40 contains the contents S therein. The contents S may be, for example, a liquid or a powder. Examples of the liquid contents S include liquid hair care products such as shampoo, hair conditioner, and hair rinse, liquid soaps such as body soap and hand soap, liquid detergents for clothes and dishes, fabric softeners and bleaches, liquid cleaners for bathrooms, toilets, and floors, liquid cosmetics, liquid beverages, foods, medicines, and engine oils. The contents S may also be high-viscosity liquids such as creams. When the contents are powders, examples of the contents S include powdered soap and powdered bleach.

[0013] The pouring part 41 attached to the inner main body part 40 is a pouring member having a spout part 42 for pouring the contents S to the outside of the inner container 4 and a pipe part 43 that connects the inside of the spout part 42 with the inside of the inner main body part 40 (see FIG. 1), and has an internal flow path that connects with the inside of the inner main body part 40. The pouring part 41 is equipped with an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the flow path with a valve, and is capable of pouring a desired amount of contents to the outside of the inner container 4. The pouring portion 41 is a molded product made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, and is preferably formed by injection molding.

[0014] The outer container 10 comprises a base 3 and an outer box 2. Each of the base 3 and the outer box 2 is a container made of paper such as cardboard or thick paper, and has a hollow hexahedral shape with an internal storage space for storing the inner container 4. In the outer container 10, the outer box 2 can cover the base 3 before and after use of the bag-in-box 1. The outer box 2 of this embodiment has an internal space capable of storing the base 3. In this embodiment, when the outer container 10 is placed with the bottom portions 39, 29 of the base 3 and the outer box 2 as the bottoms and with the front portions 31, 21 described below facing forward, it has a depth direction Y, a width direction X perpendicular to the depth direction Y, and a height direction Z perpendicular to the depth direction Y and the width direction X. This height direction Z coincides with the vertical direction.

[0015] The outer box 2 has a front portion 21, a back portion 23 facing the front portion 21 in the depth direction Y, a pair of side portions 25, 25 disposed between the front portion 21 and the back portion 23 and facing each other in the width direction X, and a top portion 27 and a bottom portion 29 facing each other in the height direction Z. In the outer box 2 of this embodiment, the front portion 21, the back portion 23, the pair of side portions 25, 25, and the top portion 27 are each made of a plate-like member, and these plate-like members define a storage space for the inner container 4 (see FIG. 1). In the outer box 2 of this embodiment, the bottom portion 29 is made of an opening 28 defined by the lower edges of the front portion 21, the back portion 23, and the pair of side portions 25, 25. In the outer box 2 of this embodiment, the front portion 21 and the back portion 23 opposed to each other in the depth direction Y and the pair of side portions 25, 25 opposed to each other in the width direction X form a rectangular prism that rises from the periphery of the bottom portion 29 consisting of an opening 28 and extends in the height direction Z, and the upper opening of the rectangular prism is closed by the top portion 27. Alternatively, the bottom portion 29 may be formed of a plate-like member like the top portion 27, etc. In this case, the plate-like bottom portion 29 is configured so that the opening 28 through which the base 3 can be inserted can be formed. Such a configuration can be provided by forming an easy-to-break line, which will be described later, in the bottom portion 29. In this way, the outer box 2 has an opening at the bottom, or the bottom is openable. Examples of a form "having an opening at the bottom" include a form in which the bottom surface portion 29 has the opening 28, as in this embodiment, or a form in which the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29 has the opening 28. The opening 28 of the bottom surface portion 29 of the outer box 2 faces the upper surface portion 27 of the outer box 2 in the height direction Z.

[0016] In the outer box 2 of this embodiment, when the bag-in-box 1 is in use (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "use state"), the bottom part 29 has an opening 28, whereas in the state before the bag-in-box 1 is used (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "pre-use state"), the bottom part 29 is openable. That is, in the pre-use state, the opening 28 in the bottom part 29 is not formed, and a plate-shaped bottom part 29b described later forms the bottom of the outer box 2. This opening 28 is formed by breaking the outer box 2 along an easy-to-break line 29a described later.

[0017] Similar to the outer box 2, the base 3 also has a front portion 31 and a back portion 33 opposed to each other in the depth direction Y, a pair of side portions 35, 35 opposed to each other in the width direction X, and a top portion 37 and a bottom portion 39 opposed to each other in the height direction Z. In addition, the front portion 31, the back portion 33 and the pair of side portions 35, 35 of the base 3 form a rectangular prism that rises from the periphery of the bottom portion 39 and extends in the height direction Z, and the top portion 37 closes the upper opening of the rectangular prism.

[0018] The base 3 also has an opening at its bottom or the bottom is openable. In the pedestal 3 of this embodiment, a bottom surface portion 39 is formed with an opening 38, and the internal space of the pedestal 3 can communicate with the outside through the opening 38. This bottom surface portion 39 (opening 38) faces an upper surface portion 37 of the pedestal 3 in the height direction Z. The base 3 of this embodiment has an opening 38 formed at the bottom, whether in a used state or a pre-used state.

[0019] Hereinafter, in order to distinguish between the various parts of the outer box 2 and the base 3, the front part 21, the back part 23, the side parts 25, 25, the top part 27, and the bottom part 29 of the outer box 2 will also be referred to as the box-side front part 21, the box-side back part 23, the box-side side parts 25, 25, the box-side top part 27, and the box-side bottom part 29. In addition, the opening 28 in the bottom part 29 of the outer box 2 will also be referred to as the box-side opening 28. The front portion 31, the back portion 33, the side portions 35, 35, the top portion 37, and the bottom portion 39 of the base 3 are also referred to as the base-side front portion 31, the base-side back portion 33, the base-side side portions 35, 35, the base-side top portion 37, and the base-side bottom portion 39. The opening 38 in the bottom portion 39 of the base 3 is also referred to as the base-side opening 38.

[0020] The outer box 2 is configured so that an insertion part 21a through which the pouring part 41 of the inner container 4 is inserted can be formed on the box-side front part 21. The insertion part 21a in this embodiment forms an insertion opening through which the pipe part 43 of the pouring part 41 is inserted when the bag-in-box 1 is in use. 1 and 2, only the insertion opening is shown, but it is preferable that the insertion portion 21a has an opening portion through which the spout portion 42 is inserted in addition to the insertion opening. Such an opening portion is an opening that is continuous with the insertion opening, and is closed by a flap portion that is continuous with the box-side front portion 21. A portion of the periphery of the flap portion is connected to the box-side front portion 21, and the flap portion is rotatable around the portion of the periphery as a rotation axis. For example, when the upper edge portion of the flap portion is connected to the box-side front portion 21, the spout portion 41 can be exposed to the outside of the outer box 2 from the opening portion by flipping up the flap portion.

[0021] When the bag-in-box 1 is in a pre-use state, the opening that forms the insertion portion 21a is an area surrounded by an easy-to-break line (not shown) along the periphery, and the insertion portion 21a can be formed by breaking the box side front portion 21 along the easy-to-break line. In this specification, the easy-to-break line is formed in a known form such as a perforation.

[0022] In the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment, in the use state, the inner container 4 is placed on the base 3, and the outer box 2 is placed on top of the inner container 4 to accommodate the inner container 4 inside the outer box 2 (see FIG. 1). That is, the base 3 is placed on the placement surface F with the base-side bottom surface portion 39 of the base 3 as the bottom, and the inner container 4 is placed on the base-side upper surface portion 37 of the base 3. At this time, the base-side front surface portion 31 and the pouring portion 41 are placed so as to face the front. Then, the outer box 2 is placed on top of the base 3 together with the inner container 4 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). The outer box 2 is placed on the inner container 4 and base 3 so that the box-side front surface portion 21 faces the front. At this time, the inner container 4 and part of the base 3 are placed inside the outer box 2 through the box-side opening 28 of the box-side bottom surface portion 29. In the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment, after the outer box 2 is placed over the bag-in-box 1, the spout portion 41 is exposed through the insertion portion 21a described above. In this manner, the bag-in-box 1 is ready for use.

[0023] The bag-in-box 1 shown in FIG. 3(a) accommodates the inner body part 40 of the inner container 4 in the internal space 26 of the outer box 2, and the upper part of the base 3 enters the outer box 2 through the opening 28 of the box-side bottom part 29. By pressing the box-side upper part 27 of the outer box 2 with a hand or the like, the outer box 2 is pushed down along the outer peripheral surface of the base 3 (see FIG. 3(b)). The bag-in-box 1 can reduce the space between the base-side upper part 37 and the box-side upper part 27 as the outer box 2 is pushed down. This space is defined by the box-side upper part 27, the box-side front part 21, the box-side rear part 23, and a pair of box-side side parts 25 (not shown in FIG. 3) and the base-side upper part 37 in the usage state, and is hereinafter also referred to as the "reducible space". The reducible space is also a storage space in which the inner container 4 is stored, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0024] In the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment, the outer box 2 is pressed down to reduce the reducible space, and the volume of the inner body portion 40 accommodated in the space is also reduced accordingly. Since the inner body portion 40 is formed of a flexible sheet material as described above, it can be crushed by the pressing force (see FIG. 3(b)). This crushing allows the contents S in the inner body portion 40 to be efficiently poured out, and even if the remaining amount of the contents S is reduced, the pouring-out residue of the contents S remaining in the inner body portion 40 can be effectively suppressed. In addition, in the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment, the pouring portion 41 is inserted into the insertion portion 21a of the outer box 2 that is placed over the base 3, so the pouring position is higher than that of the conventional bag-in-box 1 that does not have the base 3. As a result, a space for placing the container 5 to be filled can be easily secured under the pouring portion 41, so that the pouring of the contents S can be performed without any particular hindrance even if the installation location of the bag-in-box 1 is not limited to the edge of a table or the like. This effect is effective in that it makes it easier to pour into a tall container 5 (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the pouring operation is performed by simply pressing the outer box 2, and there is no need to insert a hand or fingers into the outer box 2. In other words, the content S can be poured out with a simple operation. In addition, the outer container 10 of this embodiment is constructed by combining two boxes, the base 3 and the outer box 2, so it has a simple structure and is highly efficient to manufacture. Furthermore, when the reducible space is reduced, the base 3 and the outer box 2 are not broken, so the outer container 10 has excellent appearance when in use. In this manner, the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment is capable of pouring out the contents S without any particular limitations on the installation location, and while having a simple structure, can prevent the contents from remaining unpoured.

[0025] From the standpoint of making it easier to reduce the reducible space, it is preferable that the outer container 10 has the following dimensions. The area of ​​the base-side bottom surface portion 39 is preferably 85% to 99%, and more preferably 90% to 95%, of the area of ​​the box-side opening 28. When the base-side upper surface portion 37 is a surface along the horizontal direction, the area of ​​the base-side bottom surface portion 39 is equal to the area of ​​the base-side upper surface portion 37. The length L3 (see FIG. 2) of the base 3 in the depth direction Y is preferably 90% or more and less than 100%, more preferably 95% or more and 97% or less, of the length L2 (see FIG. 2) of the box-side opening 28 in the depth direction Y.

[0026] From the viewpoint of reducing the reducible space more reliably, it is preferable that the minimum height H3 (see FIG. 1) of the base 3 is lower than the height H2 (see FIG. 1) of the outer box 2. With such a configuration, the outer box 2 can be more reliably pressed down. Since the base-side upper surface portion 37 of the base 3 in this embodiment is a forward-inclined inclined surface as described below, the minimum height H3 of the base 3 is the length of the base-side front surface portion 31 along the height direction Z of the outer container 10. From the same viewpoint as above, and from the viewpoint of making the outer container 10 compact, the minimum height H3 (see FIG. 1) of the base 3 is preferably 45% or more and 90% or less, and more preferably 50% or more and 85% or less, of the height H2 (see FIG. 1) of the outer box 2.

[0027] In the base 3 of this embodiment, the base-side front portion 31 and the base-side rear portion 33 have different heights (length in the height direction Z). Specifically, the base-side rear portion 33 is higher than the base-side front portion 31. In addition, the upper edges of the pair of base-side side portions 35, 35 are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to connect the upper edges of the base-side front portion 31 and the base-side rear portion 33, which are at different heights. As a result, in the base 3 of this embodiment, the base-side upper surface portion 37 is an inclined surface that inclines forward toward the base-side front portion 31. This configuration is preferable in that the above-mentioned residual pouring can be further suppressed. From the viewpoint of further suppressing residual pouring, the inclination angle θ1 of the base-side upper surface portion 37 with respect to the horizontal direction [see FIG. 3(a)] is preferably 5° or more, and more preferably 10° or more. There is no particular upper limit to the inclination angle θ1, but from the viewpoint of stably supporting the interior body portion 40, it is preferably less than 60°. That is, the inclination angle θ1 is preferably 5° or more and less than 60°, and more preferably 10° or more and less than 60°.

[0028] The height H2 (see FIG. 1) of the outer box 2 is divided into two sections, an upper section 2A on the box-side upper surface section 27 side and a lower section 2B on the box-side opening 28 side (see FIG. 1). In this case, it is preferable that the insertion section 21a provided on the box-side front surface section 21 is located in the upper section 2A. This makes it possible to prevent the spout section 41 from interfering with the base 3 when the outer box 2 is pushed down (see FIGS. 3(a) and (b)). From the viewpoint of further suppressing the above-mentioned interference, it is more preferable that the insertion portion 21a is located in the section on the box-side upper surface portion 27 side when the height of the upper portion 2A is divided into two equal sections.

[0029] 4 and 5 show the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment in a pre-use state. For convenience of explanation, in Fig. 5, the box-side upper surface portion 27 and the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b described later are each shown as a single plate-shaped member, but the box-side upper surface portion 27 and the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b of this embodiment are formed by overlapping a plurality of connecting plates f as described later. In the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment, in the pre-use state, the inner container 4 is accommodated in the internal space 36 of the base 3, and the inner container 4 and the base 3 are accommodated in the internal space 26 of the outer box 2. In this pre-use state, the base 3 is accommodated in the outer box 2 in an inverted state with the base-side upper surface portion 37 facing downward, and the spouting portion 41 and the inner main body portion 40 are accommodated in the internal space 36 of the base 3 with the spouting portion 41 and the inner main body portion 40 removed (see FIG. 5). In the pre-use state, a part of the inner main body portion 40 protrudes upward from the base-side opening 38 of the base 3, and the spouting portion 41 is disposed between the base-side upper surface portion 37 and the inner main body portion 40 (see FIG. 5).

[0030] As described above, the outer container 10 of this embodiment can accommodate the inner container 4 (inner body portion 40 and pouring portion 41) inside the base 3 through the base opening 38 with the bottom of the base 3, i.e., the base opening 38, facing upward (see Figs. 4 and 5). Furthermore, as described above, the outer container 10 of this embodiment can accommodate the base 3 accommodating the inner container 4 (inner body portion 40 and pouring portion 41) inside the outer box 2 (see Figs. 4 and 5). With this configuration, the bag-in-box 1 before use can be made compact and have a good appearance at the same time. The bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment is distributed in a state in which the inner container 4 and the base 3 are housed in the outer box 2.

[0031] In the outer box 2 of this embodiment, in the pre-use state, the box-side opening 28 is closed by a plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b made of a plate-shaped member, and an easy-to-break line 29a that approximately coincides with the periphery of the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b is formed at the lower end of each of the box-side front portion 21, the box-side back portion 23, and the pair of box-side side portions 25, 25 (see FIG. 4). More specifically, the easy-to-break line 29a extending in the width direction X is formed at the box-side front portion 21 and the box-side back portion 23, and the pair of box-side side portions 25, 25 is formed with an easy-to-break line 29a extending in the depth direction Y. The positions of these easy-to-break lines 29a coincide with each other in the height direction Z, and these easy-to-break lines 29a are continuous along the outer circumferential surface of the outer box 2. By breaking the lower ends of the box-side front portion 21, the box-side back portion 23, and the pair of box-side side portions 25, 25 along this easy-to-break line 29a, the portion below the easy-to-break line 29a can be separated from the outer box 2 to form a box-side opening 28. In other words, the plate-shaped bottom portion 29b does not exist, resulting in a box with an open bottom. In this outer box 2, the broken end surface generated by breaking along the easy-to-break line 29a defines the box-side opening 28. In this manner, the outer box 2 before use has the plate-shaped bottom portion 29b that closes the bottom, and the easy-to-break line 29a that can form the box-side opening 28 is formed at the lower end of the outer box 2, so that the outer box 2 can more easily maintain a state in which the inner container 4 and the base 3 are accommodated within the outer box 2 while still being able to form the opening 28.

[0032] When the bag-in-box 1 of this embodiment is used for the first time, that is, when it is opened, the outer box 2 is broken along the easy-to-break line 29a to form a box-side opening 28. This allows the base 3 and the inner container 4 housed in the base 3 to be removed from the outer box 2 through the box-side opening 28. In this bag-in-box 1, the base 3 removed from the outer box 2 is placed so that the base-side opening 38 faces the placement surface F, and the inner container 4 and the outer box 2 are arranged in the manner shown in FIG. 1. At this time, the box-side front portion 21 is broken along the easy-to-break line to form the aforementioned insertion portion 21a. Then, the spouting portion 41 is passed through the opening formed by turning up the flap portion in the insertion portion 21a, and the pipe portion 43 of the spouting portion 41 is inserted into the insertion opening, and the spouting portion 41 is exposed from the box-side front portion 21 through the insertion portion 21a. By such an operation, the bag-in-box 1 is brought into a state in which the content S can be poured out through the pouring portion 41.

[0033] In this embodiment, the outer box 2 and the base 3 are each formed using one blank. The outer box 2 and the base 3 can each be formed using one blank 20, 30 that can form a rectangular parallelepiped or cube (see Figs. 6 and 7). These blanks 20, 30 can be easily obtained by punching and cutting a sheet of paper material so that the outer box 2 and the base 3 each have a predetermined shape when unfolded.

[0034] Each portion defined by the folded portion is formed in the blanks 20, 30 by performing creasing processing such as creasing, cutting processing, etc. Also, the blank 20 forming the outer box 2 has an easy-to-break line 29a that forms the box-side opening 28 and an easy-to-break line that forms the insertion portion 21a (opening) at appropriate positions.

[0035] The blank 20 shown in FIG. 6 is for forming the outer box 2, and has a lateral direction X1 corresponding to the width direction X and an orthogonal direction Z1 corresponding to the height direction Z, and has a shape that is long in the lateral direction X1. The blank 20 has a box-side back portion 23, a pair of box-side side portions 25, 25, and a box-side front portion 21, which are divided by a folding portion extending in the orthogonal direction Z1. In this blank 20, the box-side back portion 23, the box-side side portion 25, the box-side front portion 21, and the box-side side portion 25 are arranged in this order from left to right along the lateral direction X1, and a single easy-to-break line 29a that is continuous in the lateral direction X1 is formed at one end of the box-side back portion 23, the box-side side portion 25, the box-side front portion 21, and the box-side side portion 25 in the orthogonal direction Z1. A pair of connecting plates f, f are connected outwardly in the orthogonal direction Z1 to both ends of the box side rear portion 23, the box side side portion 25, and the box side front portion 21 via a bent portion extending in the lateral direction X1. That is, a pair of rear connecting plates 23f, 23f are connected to both sides of the orthogonal direction Z1 of the box side rear portion 23, a pair of side connecting plates 25f, 25f are connected to both sides of the orthogonal direction Z1 of the box side side portion 25, and a pair of front connecting plates 21f, 21f are connected to both sides of the orthogonal direction Z1 of the box side front portion 21. A rear joint portion 23e is connected outwardly in the lateral direction X1 of the box side rear portion 23 via a bent portion extending in the orthogonal direction Z1. The back joint portion 23e is one end of the blank 20 in the lateral direction X1, and one side portion 25 is the other end of the blank 20 in the lateral direction X1.

[0036] The blank 30 shown in FIG. 7 forms the base 3, and has a horizontal direction X1 corresponding to the width direction X and a vertical direction Y1 corresponding to the depth direction Y. The blank 30 has a table-side front portion 31, a table-side upper portion 37, and a table-side rear portion 33, which are divided by a bent portion extending in the horizontal direction X1, and has a pair of table-side side portions 35, 35 connected to the table-side upper portion 37 in the horizontal direction X1. A pair of joint portions 31e, 31e, 33e, 33e are connected to both side edges in the horizontal direction X1 of the table-side front portion 31 and the table-side rear portion 33 via a bent portion extending in the vertical direction Y1. The table-side upper portion 37 is sandwiched between the pair of table-side side portions 35, 35 in the horizontal direction X1. The table-side upper portion 37 is also sandwiched between the table-side front portion 31 and the table-side rear portion 33 in the vertical direction Y1. The length of the table-side rear portion 33 in the vertical direction Y1 is longer than the length of the table-side front portion 31 in the vertical direction Y1. The pair of table-side side portions 35, 35 have side edges along the horizontal direction X1, ie, side edges located on both sides in the vertical direction Y1, which are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction X1.

[0037] A manufacturing method for the bag-in-box 1 having the outer container 10 and the inner container 4 will be described using the blanks 20, 30 shown in Figures 6 and 7. The joining performed when assembling the outer box 2 and the base 3 from the blanks 20, 30 shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be performed by a known joining means such as an adhesive. First, the blank 30 forming the base 3 is folded in a mountain fold at the folding portion between the base upper surface portion 37 and the base side surface portion 35 so that the pair of base side portions 35, 35 hang down from the base upper surface portion 37. Next, the folding portion between the base front surface portion 31 and the base upper surface portion 37 is folded in a mountain fold. At this time, the pair of joint portions 31e, 31e are joined to the inner surfaces of the base side portions 35, 35. Next, the folding portion between the base rear surface portion 33 and the base upper surface portion 37 is folded in a mountain fold. At this time, the pair of joint portions 33e, 33e are joined to the inner surfaces of the base side portions 35, 35. In this manner, the base 3 is assembled. The assembled base 3 is placed in an inverted state with the base-side upper surface portion 37 facing downward, and the inner container 4 is housed in the internal space of the base 3.

[0038] The blank 20 forming the outer box 2 is folded at the folding portion extending in the orthogonal direction Z1 between the box side rear portion 23 and the adjacent box side portion 25, and further folded at the folding portions extending in the orthogonal direction Z1 between the box side front portion 21 and the box side side portions 25, 25 adjacent to both sides of the box side front portion 21, so that the pair of box side side portions 25, 25 face each other, and the box side front portion 21 and the box side rear portion 23 face each other. Next, the rear joint portion 23e is joined to the inner surface of the box side side portion 25 located outside the lateral direction X1 of the blank 20. As a result, a rectangular prism with a hollow interior is formed by the box side front portion 21, the box side rear portion 23, and the pair of box side side portions 25, 25. Such a rectangular prism has openings on both sides in the orthogonal direction Z1. Next, the four connecting plates f on the side where the easy-to-break lines 29a are formed in the orthogonal direction Z1 are folded inward in the orthogonal direction Z1 so as to close one opening of the rectangular column, and these connecting plates f are fixed in a stacked state. More specifically, the outer surface of the back connecting plate 23f and the inner surface of the side connecting plate 25f are joined with an adhesive or the like, and the outer surface of the top connecting plate 27f and the inner surface of the side connecting plate 25f are joined with an adhesive or the like. This forms a plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b formed by stacking the four connecting plates f.

[0039] Next, the base 3 accommodating the inner container 4 is accommodated in the inverted state in the space defined by the box side front portion 21, the pair of box side side portions 25, the box side rear portion 23, and the plate-shaped bottom portion 29b. Next, the four connecting plates f located on the opposite side of the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b in the perpendicular direction Z1 are folded inward in the perpendicular direction Z1 so as to close the other opening of the rectangular prism, and these connecting plates f are fixed in a stacked state. These four connecting plates f are fixed in the same manner as the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b. As a result, the box-side upper surface portion 27 formed by stacking the four connecting plates f is formed, and the other opening of the rectangular prism is closed, forming the outer box 2 containing the inner container 4 and the base 3. By the above method, the bag-in-box 1 in the pre-use state shown in Figs. 4 and 5 can be manufactured.

[0040] The outer container and the bag-in-box having the outer container of the present invention are not limited to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7. Another embodiment of the outer container and the bag-in-box having the outer container according to the present invention will be described below. In the following, the other embodiment will be described mainly with respect to components different from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, and similar components will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described. For components that are not particularly described, the description of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7 will be applied as appropriate.

[0041] In the bag-in-box 1 of the embodiment described above, the base-side upper surface portion 37 is a forward-inclined inclined surface, but is not limited thereto. In the base 3a of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the base-side upper surface portion 37a is configured to include an upper surface main surface portion 60 forming a forward-inclined inclined surface and a side support forming portion 65 forming a side support portion 62. The base-side upper surface portion 37a of this embodiment has side support portions 62, 62 located on both sides in the width direction X, and a central support portion 61 sandwiched between the side support portions 62, 62. The side support portion 62 is formed by bending the side support forming portions 65 extending on both sides in the width direction X of the upper surface main surface portion 60 toward the inside in the width direction X and fixing them to the upper surface main surface portion 60. An insertion opening 66 is formed in the center of the upper surface main surface portion 60 in the width direction X, and a tip end (an insertion portion 67 described later) of a side support forming portion 65 is inserted into the insertion opening 66 and fixed to the upper surface main surface portion 60. The central support portion 61 is formed by the central portion in the width direction X of the upper surface main surface portion 60. In other words, the central support portion 61 has a forward inclined surface.

[0042] The side support parts 62, 62 of this embodiment have a side inclined surface B1 that inclines downward toward the center in the width direction X. With this configuration, the contents S in the inner container 4 can be collected between the side inclined surfaces B1 in the width direction X and introduced into the pouring part 41, further reducing residual liquid. This side inclined surface B1 is formed by bending the side support forming part 65, which is formed to be rotatable, relative to the side part of the upper main surface part 60.

[0043] The side support forming portion 65 of this embodiment has a side inclined surface portion 63 forming the side inclined surface B1, an insertion portion 67 inserted into an insertion opening 66 formed in the upper surface main surface portion 60, and a standing portion 64 standing from the upper surface main surface portion 60. In the side support portion 62, the side inclined surface portion 63 has a side edge on the inner side in the width direction X connected to the insertion portion 67, and a side edge on the outer side in the width direction X connected to the upper end edge of the standing portion 64. The standing portion 64 has a lower end edge connected to a side edge on the outer side in the width direction X of the upper surface main surface portion 60. Between the insertion portion 67 and the side inclined surface portion 63, between the side inclined surface portion 63 and the standing portion 64, and between the standing portion 64 and the upper surface main surface portion 60, respectively, bent portions are formed along the depth direction Y. By folding the side support formation part 65 inward in the width direction X along these folding parts and inserting the insertion part 67 into the insertion opening 66, a triangular prism-shaped support structure extending in the depth direction Y is formed. That is, the side support part 62 of this embodiment has a triangular prism-shaped support structure extending in the depth direction Y below the side inclined surface B1. This makes it possible to stably maintain the side inclined surface B1 against the weight of the inner container 4 containing the contents S, and also makes it possible to concentrate the contents S on the pouring part 41 side, thereby further suppressing residual liquid.

[0044] From the viewpoint of further stabilizing the inclination of the side inclined surface B1 and further suppressing liquid residue, the inclination angle θ2 (see FIG. 8) of the side inclined surface B1 with respect to the horizontal direction is preferably 10° or more, and more preferably 20° or more. There is no particular upper limit to the inclination angle θ2, but from the viewpoint of more stably supporting the interior body portion 40, the upper limit is preferably less than 80°, and more preferably 60° or less. That is, the inclination angle θ2 is preferably 10° or more and less than 80°, and more preferably 20° or more and 60° or less.

[0045] The base 3a of this embodiment can be formed by forming a base using the blank 30 shown in Fig. 7, and then overlapping and fixing an upper surface main surface portion 60 and a side support forming portion 65 formed by a separate blank 30A (see Fig. 9) on the upper surface of the base. The blank 30A also has a horizontal direction X1 and a vertical direction Y1, similar to the blank 30 described above. 9 includes an upper surface main surface portion 60, upright portions 64 adjacent to both sides of the upper surface main surface portion 60 in the horizontal direction X1, side inclined surface portions 63 adjacent to the upright portion 64 on the outer side in the horizontal direction X1, and an insertion portion 67 adjacent to the side inclined surface portion 63 on the outer side in the horizontal direction X1. In the blank 30A, the insertion portion 67, the side inclined surface portion 63, and the upright portion 64 are connected in this order in a line-symmetrical manner from the outer side in the horizontal direction X1 toward the upper surface main surface portion 60, with respect to a central axis that passes through the center of the upper surface main surface portion 60 and runs along the vertical direction Y1. Between the insertion portion 67 and the side inclined surface portion 63, between the side inclined surface portion 63 and the upright portion 64, and between the upright portion 64 and the upper surface main surface portion 60, respectively, bent portions extending in the vertical direction Y1 are formed. The upper main surface portion 60 has a pair of insertion openings 66, 66 formed in the center in the horizontal direction X1 and extending in the vertical direction Y1.

[0046] In the blank 30A of this embodiment, the standing portion 64 and the side inclined surface portion 63 are folded back toward the center of the upper main surface portion 60 in the lateral direction X1, and the folded portion between the standing portion 64 and the side inclined surface portion 63 is mountain-folded, and then the insertion portion 67 is inserted into the insertion opening 66 of the upper main surface portion 60. This forms a side support portion 62 having a triangular prism-shaped support structure formed by the side inclined surface portion 63, the standing portion 64, and the upper main surface portion 60. The central support portion 61 and the side support portion 62 thus formed are fixed to the base-side upper surface portion 37 having a forward-inclined inclined surface, thereby forming the base 3a of this embodiment.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. In addition, the above-described embodiments may be combined. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b and the box-side upper surface portion 27 are formed by overlapping four connecting plates f (the front connecting plate 21f, the two side connecting plates 25f, and the back connecting plate 23f), but the plate-shaped bottom surface portion 29b and the box-side upper surface portion 27 may be a single plate-shaped portion, similar to the box-side front portion 21, the box-side side portion 25, and the box-side back portion 23. Moreover, the box-side side portion 25 or the box-side back portion 23 may be formed by overlapping a plurality of connecting plates. Similarly, the base side front portion 31, the base side side portion 35, or the base side back portion 33 of the base 3 may be a single plate-shaped portion, or may be formed by stacking multiple connected plates.

[0048] Furthermore, the platform-side upper surface portion 37 may be a surface extending in the horizontal direction instead of a forward inclined surface. Furthermore, when the platform-side upper surface portion 37a has the side support portions 62, it is not necessary to have a triangular prism-shaped support structure below the side inclined surface B1. For example, the upper surface main surface portion 60 may have a V-shape with the center portion in the width direction X as the bottom and both side portions in the width direction X rising obliquely from the center portion. In such a configuration, both side portions in the width direction X of the upper surface main surface portion 60 become side inclined surface portions 63 that form the side inclined surface B1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Bag in box 10 Outer packaging 2 Outer box 21 Box side front part 21a Insertion part 23 Rear side of box 25 Box side side part 25f side connecting plate 26 Interior Space 27 Box side top part 28 Box side opening 29 Box side bottom part 29a Easy-to-break line 3,3a Pedestal 31 Front side of the table 33 Rear side of the unit 35 Stand side side part 36 Interior Space 37,37a Table side top part 38 Table side opening 39 Bottom surface of table 4 Inner packaging 40 Interior body part 41 Pour section 42 Spout section 43 Pipe section 20,30,30A Blank 60 Top main surface section 61 Central support part 62 Side support 63 Side inclined surface 64 Standing part 65 Side support formation 66 Insertion opening 67 Insertion part B1 Side inclined surface F Placement surface S Contents X Width direction Y Depth direction Z height direction X1 Horizontal Y1 Vertical Z1 Orthogonal direction θ1, θ2 Tilt angle

Claims

1. An outer container that houses an inner container having a pouring portion for pouring out contents, and has a depth direction and a width direction perpendicular to the depth direction, The device includes a base and an outer box that can cover the base, each of the base and the outer box includes a front portion and a back portion that face each other in the depth direction, a pair of side portions that face each other in the width direction, and a top portion that becomes a top surface in an in-use state, and has an opening at the bottom or the bottom is openable; The outer box is configured so that an insertion portion through which the spout portion is inserted can be formed in the front portion, The outer container is usable when the inner container is placed on the upper surface of the base and the outer box is placed over the base in a usable state, and the space between the upper surface of the base and the upper surface of the outer box can be reduced.

2. The outer container according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the base is an inclined surface.

3. 3. The outer container according to claim 1, wherein when the height of the outer box is divided into two sections, an upper section on the top surface side and a lower section on the opening side opposite the top surface side, the insertion section is located in the upper section.

4. The outer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the minimum height of the base is lower than the height of the outer box.

5. the inner container can be placed inside the base through the opening in the bottom with the base facing upward, The outer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base housing the inner container can be further housed inside the outer box.

6. The outer container according to claim 5 , wherein the outer box has an easy-to-break line formed in the bottom thereof through which the opening can be formed.

7. the upper surface portion of the base has a central support portion located at the center in the width direction and side support portions located on both sides of the central support portion in the width direction, The central support portion has a forward inclined surface, The outer container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side support portion has a side inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the center in the width direction.

8. A bag-in-box comprising the outer container according to claim 1 or 2 and the inner container housed in the outer container.

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