Cushioning material

Abstract

To propose a cushioning material which is a cushioning material 100 constituted by using a foamed resin sheet, and which prevents exposure of a joint part 60 that is harder than foamed resin in the periphery formed when end parts of a sheet are joined.SOLUTION: A cushioning material 100 includes a first surface 10 and a second surface 20 which are constituted by a foamed resin sheet, and on which a large number of slits 50 are formed. The first surface 10 and the second surface 10 are joined by a joint part 60 stretching along at least one side (side 18) out of lateral side two sides (sides 18, 18) of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 in a side view, and they are arranged oppositely in a state where at least an upper end opens (upper end opening 30), and they have a protection part 70 provided along the joint part 60 on the opposite side from the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 via the joint part 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cushioning material for protecting an object to be protected, such as fruit, by enclosing at least a part of the object. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, cylindrical or bag-shaped cushioning materials made of foamed resin sheets have been known as materials for packaging fruits and the like.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging material (hereinafter also referred to as Prior Art 1) which is a cylindrical body made of a single foamed sheet and open at the top and bottom, in which regular slits are provided in the foamed sheet in the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and in which both ends of the foamed sheet are overlapped and heated and pressurized to weld and bond the two together into a cylindrical shape.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses a manufacturing method in which two foamed resin sheets are stacked together after being fed from a roll, a slit is formed in a predetermined area parallel to the feed direction of the roll, and then the two foamed resin sheets are welded together at both ends in the width direction and at the bottom using a welding and cutting roll, and the welded area is cut to size to form a bag-shaped packaging material (hereinafter also referred to as Prior Art 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-109156 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-272566 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As shown in Patent Document 1, packaging materials made of two foamed resin sheets, with both ends of the sheets overlapping and welded to form a tube, have generally been cut at the welded area. This can be understood from the description in Patent Document 2 that the welded area is cut to length.

[0007] However, when the welded area is cut to length, the welded portion is exposed, which poses the following problem: The welded portion is a portion where the foamed resin sheet has melted and hardened, and is therefore hard. Therefore, when the protected object packed in the packaging material is transported or displayed on a shelf, etc., the welded portion may come into contact with adjacent objects, potentially damaging the outer surface of the adjacent objects.

[0008] This is particularly problematic when the object to be protected is an item with a delicate outer surface, such as fruit, as even slight contact can cause scratches and reduce the commercial value. Even if the above-mentioned welded portion is changed to an adhesive portion formed by bonding the ends of two opposing foamed resin sheets with an adhesive or the like, the adhesive region is harder than the surrounding foamed resin (adhered portion), and the same problems as those with the above-mentioned welded portion can occur.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and specifically, the present invention provides a cushioning material constructed using a foamed resin sheet, in which exposure of the joint formed when the ends of the sheets are joined is prevented. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The cushioning material of the present invention has a first surface and a second surface made of a foamed resin sheet and having a plurality of slits formed therein, the first surface and the second surface being joined by a joint extending along at least one of two lateral sides of the first surface and the second surface in a side view, the first surface and the second surface being arranged opposite each other with at least the upper end open, and having a protective portion provided along the joint on the opposite side to the first surface and the second surface, via the joint. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The cushioning material of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is provided with a protective part extending along the joint on the side opposite to the first and second faces, and the joint is covered by the protective part. Therefore, the cushioning material of the present invention prevents the joint from being exposed, and can prevent the joint from coming into contact with another adjacent article and damaging the outer surface of the other article when the protected object enclosed in the cushioning material is transported or displayed on a shelf, etc. The cushioning material of the present invention has multiple slits, making it easy to enclose a three-dimensional object such as a sphere, and as described above, the joints, which are the hard parts, are covered with the protective parts, making the cushioning material of the present invention suitable as a packaging material for fruit, for example, whose outer surface is easily damaged. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the cushioning material according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the cushioning material of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and (2B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the cushioning material of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 when turned inside out. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of a cushioning material according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a top view of the cushioning material according to the first embodiment with an opening closed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of a first modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a top view of the first modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of a second modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a top view of the second modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of a third modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a top view of the third modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a fourth modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment, and FIG. 7B is a top view of the fourth modified example of the cushioning material of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view of a cushioning material according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the cushioning material according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view of a cushioning material for explaining the technical concept of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention and an example of a manufacturing method thereof will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, certain components may be shown relatively large or small in order to make them easier to understand, but neither of these is intended to limit the dimensional ratios of each component of the present invention. In the present invention, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction when the opening for inserting the protected object is the upper end, and the horizontal direction refers to a direction intersecting the vertical direction, including, for example, a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In addition, in the present invention, the horizontal side refers to the upper side and lower side of the first face and the second face constituting the present invention, or the side connecting the lower ends.

[0014] [First embodiment] A cushioning material 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side view of the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the cushioning material 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the cushioning material 100 shown in FIG. 1 with the inside out. Both FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are cross-sectional views of the cushioning material 100 with its openings (upper end opening 30, lower end opening 40) open. FIG. 3A is an explanatory view for explaining a method for manufacturing the cushioning material of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a top view of the cushioning material 100 with its openings (upper end opening 30, lower end opening 40) closed. Note that the slits 50 are omitted from FIG. 3.

[0015] 1 and 2, the cushioning material 100 has a first surface 10 and a second surface 20 opposed to each other, has an upper end opening 30 at least at the upper end, and is capable of containing at least a part of an object to be protected between the upper end opening 30 and the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. In this embodiment, a cylindrical cushioning material 100 having an upper end opening 30 and a lower end opening 40 will be specifically described, but the present invention also encompasses a bag-shaped cushioning material in which the lower end opening 40 is joined and closed.

[0016] The first surface 10 and the second surface 20 are made of a foamed resin sheet, which cushions the collision between the protected object contained inside the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 and other objects. The first surface 10 and the second surface 20 have a plurality of slits 50 penetrating in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the plurality of slits 50 are regularly provided in parallel in the up-down direction on the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. Therefore, when the protected object is contained inside the cylindrical cushioning material 100 from the upper end opening 30, the cushioning material 100 is configured to extend in the lateral direction (left-right direction on the paper in FIG. 1) to follow the shape of the protected object.

[0017] As seen from the side view in FIG. 1, the cushioning material 100 is provided with a joint 60 extending along at least one side (side 18) of the lateral sides (sides 18, 18) of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. More specifically, in this embodiment, the sides 18, 18, which are the lateral sides, connect the end of the upper side constituting the upper end opening 30 and the end of the lower piece constituting the lower end opening 40 formed parallel to the upper end opening 30, and extend in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40 are provided at positions that exactly overlap each other in a top view, so the sides 18, 18 are parallel to each other and extend in the vertical direction, but in a cushioning material in which the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40 are formed at positions that are offset from each other in a top view, the sides 18, 18 may extend in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction in a side view. The first surface 10 and the second surface 20 joined by the joint 60 are disposed opposite to each other. Specifically, in this embodiment, two joints 60 are provided along each of the two sides (sides 18, 18). As shown in FIG. 1, the cushioning material 100 has a protective portion 70 provided along the joint 60 on the opposite side to the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, and as shown in FIG. 2, when the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40 are opened, the expanded first surface 10 and the second surface 20 approach the protective portion 70, so that the protective portion 70 substantially covers the joint 60, and as a result, the joint 60 is prevented from being exposed to the outside. In other words, when the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40 are open, the joint 60 provided on the cushioning material 100 is covered by the protective portion 60, and is prevented from directly contacting other objects. Therefore, when the cushioning material 100 contains an object to be protected, the joint 60 is prevented from contacting any object and damaging the outer surface of the object.

[0018] The cushioning material 100 has multiple slits 50 and can easily contain three-dimensional objects, and can effectively pack spherical fruits such as apples and peaches. In addition, the provision of protective portion 70 makes it possible to prevent contact between the outer surface of fruit, which is easily damaged, and joint portion 60. The cushioning material 100 of this embodiment will be described in further detail below.

[0019] (1st page, 2nd page) The above-mentioned first surface 10 and second surface 20 are formed using a foamed resin sheet. The foamed resin sheet may be any foamed resin sheet that exhibits an appropriate cushioning property in the cushioning material 100, and may be, for example, a foamed resin sheet made of closed cells or a foamed resin sheet made of open cells. From the viewpoint of transportability and storability of the cushioning material 100, it is preferable that the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 are made of a foamed resin sheet made of open cells. A foamed resin sheet made of open cells can be compressed in the thickness direction to reduce its bulk and can be stored compactly, and by removing the external pressure for the compression, the shape (thickness) of the sheet can be restored, making it possible to provide a cushioning material 100 with good cushioning properties.

[0020] The resin constituting the foamed resin sheet is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyurethane-based resins and polyethylene-based resins. The average thickness of the foamed resin sheet constituting the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of exerting good cushioning properties, it is preferably 3 mm or more and 15 mm or less, and more preferably 4 mm or more and 12 mm or less.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 are rectangular or square. However, the shapes of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 in the present invention are not limited to this, and may be other quadrilaterals such as a trapezoid, an inverted trapezoid, or a parallelogram, although not shown, or may be a non-quadrangle shape such as a triangle when viewed from the side that is open at the top and closed at the bottom.

[0022] (joint part) The joint 60 is a portion that joins the outer edges of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. The cushioning material 100 of the present embodiment, which is quadrilateral, is provided with the joint 60 that extends along two sides (sides 18, 18) of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, excluding the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40, that extend in the vertical direction, when viewed from the side.

[0023] More specifically, the joint 60 is formed by joining the ends of the foamed resin sheets that constitute the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. There are no particular limitations on the method of forming the joint 60, but for example, as shown in Fig. 3A, the first sheet 12, which is a foamed resin sheet, and the second sheet 22, which is also a foamed resin sheet, are placed opposite each other, and the two sheets are heat-welded by heating in a predetermined joining region 62 to form the joint 60 as shown in Fig. 3B, whereby the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 can be disposed opposite each other. The joining area 62 in this embodiment is set to be located slightly closer to the center of the sheets than the outer edge (sheet end 14) of the first sheet 12 and the outer edge (sheet end 24) of the second sheet 22. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, a predetermined area including the outer edges (sheet ends 14, 24) of the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 remains on the opposite side of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 through the joining portion 60 formed by thermal welding, with bubbles of the foamed resin sheet remaining, thereby forming a protective portion 70. More specifically, the protective portion 70 shown in FIG. 3A is composed of two pieces, a protective piece 70A consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 14 of the first sheet 12, and a protective piece 70B consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 24 of the second sheet 22. In this way, in this embodiment, the joining portion 60 can be well covered by providing two protective pieces (protective piece 70A, protective piece 70B).

[0024] Since protective portion 70 is provided along joint portion 60 so as to bulge from the outer edge of joint portion 60 that has shrunk due to thermal welding, protective portion 70 can easily come into close contact with expanded first surface 10 and second surface when upper end opening 30 and lower end opening 40 are open as shown in Fig. 2A, and satisfactorily covers joint portion 60. Therefore, when cushioning material 100 is in use, joint portion 60 that has hardened after thermal melting and become harder than the surrounding foamed resin is prevented from being exposed, and direct contact of joint portion 60 with any item is prevented.

[0025] The method for forming the joint 60 is not limited to the above-mentioned thermal welding, and ultrasonic welding may also be used. Alternatively, for example, the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 may be bonded together in the joint region 62 with an adhesive or the like. Even in such a joining method using an adhesive, the joint 60 becomes harder than the surrounding foamed resin as the adhesive hardens, but the presence of the protective part 70 prevents the joint 60 from coming into direct contact with any object when the cushioning material 100 is used, as in the above-mentioned effect.

[0026] 1, in this embodiment, the joint 60 is composed of joint parts continuously formed along each of two sides (sides 18, 18) extending in the up-down direction of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. The joint 60 formed by continuous joining in this manner is desirable in that it provides high bondability between the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 and good installation stability when the cushioning material 100 is placed on a shelf or the like with an object to be protected inside. However, the joint in the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as a modified example of the joint 60 not shown, the joint 60 may be formed by a joint portion intermittently formed along at least one side (side 18) of the two lateral sides (sides 18, 18) of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. The intermittent joint portion includes, for example, a mode in which the joining portion and the joined portion are continuously provided along the side 18. In the joint 60 intermittently joined in this manner, localized shrinkage occurs at each of the intermittently formed joint portions, and the surrounding foamed resin is pulled in accordance with the localized shrinkage. In other words, the surrounding foamed resin bulges out from each joint portion that is locally shrunk. As a result, each joint portion is covered by the surrounding foamed resin, and exposure of the joint 60 can be more sufficiently prevented.

[0027] (Protection Department) As described above, the protective portion 70 is provided along the joint 60. In this embodiment, the protective portion 70 is provided continuously along the joint 60, but the protective portion 70 may have a discontinuous portion within a range in which exposure of the joint 60 is sufficiently suppressed when the cushioning material 100 is used. From the viewpoint of allowing the protective parts 70 to adequately cover the joints 60 in the cushioning material 100 in use, when viewed from the side in the closed state (see FIG. 1), it is preferable that the average width dimension W1 of the protective parts 70 is equal to or larger than the average width dimension W2 of the joints 60, it is more preferable that the average width dimension W1 is larger than the average width dimension W2, it is even more preferable that the average width dimension W1 is 1.2 times or more the average width dimension W2, and it is particularly preferable that the average width dimension W1 is 1.5 times or more. The average width dimensions W1 and W2 are obtained by measuring the actual width dimensions of the protective parts 60 and the joints 70 at 10 randomly selected points in the cushioning material 100 and calculating the arithmetic average of the actual measurements.

[0028] As described above, the protective portion 70 in this embodiment is configured by a predetermined region including the sheet ends 14, 24 of the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 that constitute the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. However, the protective portion in the present invention is not limited to this, and includes appropriate modified forms within the scope of being provided along the joint portion, substantially covering the joint portion when the cushioning material is used, and suppressing contact between the joint portion and other objects. Some modified forms of the protective portion 70 will be described below. Note that the cushioning materials 110, 112, 114, and 116, which are modified forms described later, are all different from the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment in the method of forming the joint portion 60 and the protective portion 70 formed together with the joint portion 60, but the other configurations are the same as the cushioning material 100, and the description of the first embodiment is referred to as appropriate.

[0029] (Modification of the protective part) Modified examples of the protective portion 70 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Note that the slits are not shown in Figures 4 to 7. Fig. 4A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a cushioning material 110 which is a first modified example of the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment, and is observed from the upper end side of the sheet. Fig. 4B is a top view of the first modified example of the cushioning material 110 in an opened state. In order to manufacture the cushioning material 110, as shown in FIG. 4A, a first sheet 12 which is a foamed resin sheet and a second sheet 22 which is a foamed resin sheet are prepared, and the end regions 16, 26 of the sheets are folded inward so that the sheet ends 14, 24 of the two sheets are positioned between the two opposing sheets. Then, the positions corresponding to the middle parts of the end regions 16, 26 are made into the joining region 62, and heat welding is performed. As a result, the joining portion 60 and the protective portion 70 formed by heat welding are formed as shown in FIG. 4B. In the cushioning material 110, the protective portion 70 provided on the opposite side of the joining portion 60 from the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 is composed of protective pieces (protective pieces 70A and 70B) on two sides corresponding to the ring parts formed by folding the end regions 16, 26 of the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 shown in FIG. 4A.

[0030] Furthermore, in the cushioning material 110, a protective part 80 is provided on the opposite side of the joint 60 from the protective part 70, in which predetermined areas including the sheet ends 14, 24 of the end regions 16, 26 are removed from the joint region 62 and remain in a state in which air bubbles are maintained. The protective part 80 is composed of two pieces: a protective piece 80A consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 14 of the sheet 12, and a protective piece 80B consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 24 of the sheet 22. In the cushioning material 110 in use, the protective portion 80 is located between the joint portion 60 and the object to be protected (not shown) contained in the cushioning material 110, and prevents contact between the object to be protected and the joint portion 60. Normally, even without the protective portion 80, the joint portion 60 and the object to be protected contained in the cushioning material 110 are unlikely to come into contact with each other, but if the width dimension of the object to be protected is large and the slit 50 (not shown) provided in the cushioning material 110 is significantly expanded in the lateral direction, the joint portion 60 may be exposed toward the inside. However, by providing the protective portion 80, contact between the object to be protected and the joint portion 60 is prevented even when the cushioning material is significantly expanded in the lateral direction.

[0031] Fig. 5A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a cushioning material 112 which is a second modified example of the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment, and is observed from the upper end side of the sheet. Fig. 5B is a top view of the second modified example of the cushioning material 112 in an opened state. In order to manufacture the cushioning material 112, as shown in FIG. 5A, a first sheet 12 which is a foamed resin sheet and a second sheet 22 which is a foamed resin sheet are prepared, and a third sheet 82 is placed between the first sheet 12 and the second sheet 22 at both ends of the opposing sheets. The third sheet 82 is a long foamed resin sheet of a predetermined width and at least approximately the same length as the vertical length of the cushioning material 112, which is placed at a position including the region where the joint 60 is to be formed. The position corresponding to the middle part of the region where the first sheet 12, the second sheet 22, and the third sheet 82 are laminated is set as the joint region 62, and heat welding is performed. As a result, the joint 60 is formed by heat welding as shown in FIG. 5B. Furthermore, in the cushioning material 112, on the opposite side of the joint 60 from the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, predetermined areas including the sheet end 14 of the first sheet 12, the sheet end 24 of the second sheet 22, and the sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82 are removed from the joint area 62 and remain in a state in which air bubbles remain, thereby forming a protective portion 70. More specifically, the protective portion 70 in the cushioning material 114 is composed of three pieces: a protective piece 70A consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 14 of the first sheet 12, a protective piece 70B consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 24 of the second sheet 22, and a protective piece 70C consisting of a predetermined area including the sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82.

[0032] Furthermore, in the cushioning material 112, on the opposite side to the protective section 70 across the joint 60, a predetermined region including a sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82 remains outside the joint region 62 with air bubbles remaining. This remaining region is located between the object to be protected (not shown) contained in the cushioning material 112 and the joint 60, and constitutes the protective section 80 that prevents contact between the object to be protected and the joint 60.

[0033] Fig. 6A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a cushioning material 114 which is a third modified example of the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment, and is observed from the upper end side of the sheet. Fig. 6B is a top view of the cushioning material 114 which is the third modified example in a used state. 6A, a first sheet 12 which is a foamed resin sheet and a second sheet 22 which is a foamed resin sheet are prepared, and a third sheet 82 is placed between the opposing first sheet 12 and second sheet 22 at both ends thereof in the same manner as in the manufacture of the cushioning material 112 which is the second modified example described above. However, in this modified example, unlike the manufacture of the cushioning material 112, a joining region 62 is set at a position where the first sheet 12, the second sheet 22, and the third sheet 82 are laminated, and includes the sheet end 14 of the first sheet 12 and the sheet end 24 of the second sheet 22, and thermal welding is performed. As a result, the joint 60 is formed by thermal welding as shown in Fig. 6B. In addition, in the cushioning material 114, a predetermined region including the sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82 is left outside the joint region 62 on the opposite side of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 via the joint 60, with air bubbles remaining, thereby forming the protective portion 70. That is, in this modification, the predetermined region including the sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82 forms the protective piece 70C, and the protective portion 70 is composed only of the protective piece 70C. The protective portion 70 in this modification is composed of one piece of protective piece 70C, but the protective piece 70C is formed in a line extending in the width direction of the joint 60 when viewed from above, so that even one piece can adequately cover the joint 60.

[0034] On the other hand, on the opposite side of the joint 60 from the protective part 70, a predetermined area including a sheet end 84 of the third sheet 82 remains outside the joint area 62 with air bubbles remaining. This remaining area is located between the object to be protected (not shown) contained in the cushioning material 114 and the joint 60, and constitutes the protective part 80 that prevents contact between the object to be protected and the joint 60.

[0035] The protective portion 70 of each of the above-described cushioning materials 100, 110, 112, and 114 is provided on two opposing sides (sides 18, 18) that extend in the vertical direction of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 that are disposed opposite each other. However, the present invention also encompasses an embodiment in which the protective portion 70 is provided on only one end of the two sides (sides 18, 18) of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, as in the case of a cushioning material 116 that is a fourth modified example described below.

[0036] Fig. 7A is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a cushioning material 116 which is a fourth modified example of the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment, and is observed from the upper end side of the sheet. Fig. 7B is a top view of the cushioning material 116 which is the fourth modified example in use. 7A, in order to manufacture the cushioning material 116, one fourth sheet 86 which is a foamed resin sheet is prepared, and the fourth sheet 86 is folded in half so that sheet ends 87, 87 of the fourth sheet 86 face each other. Then, predetermined areas near the sheet ends 87, 87 are made into joining areas 62 and thermal welding is performed. As a result, a joint 60 is formed by thermal welding as shown in Fig. 7B. In addition, in the cushioning material 116, a protective part 70 having a configuration similar to that of the protective part 70 in the cushioning material 100 is formed on the opposite side of the joint 60 from the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. In this manner, the cushioning material of the present invention may have only one joint 60, and the protective part 70 may be formed along the one joint 60. The first surface 10 and the second surface 20 in the cushioning material 116 are formed from a single fourth sheet 86, but when the cushioning material 116 is folded flat to close the opening so that the joint 60 forms a peak, the two surfaces that correspond to each other are called the first surface 10 and the second surface 20.

[0037] Although the first to fourth modified examples have been used to explain examples of the joint and protective parts of the present invention, the joint and protective parts of the present invention are not limited to these, and appropriate modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, it is also possible to use the third sheet 82 explained in the second and third modified examples, and also use one foamed resin sheet as in the fourth modified example, and dispose the third sheet 82 between both opposing ends of the one foamed resin sheet, thereby forming a protective part consisting of three pieces on only one of the two sides 18, 18 of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. In addition, although the first to third modified examples all show an embodiment in which protective portion 70 and protective portion 80 are provided via joint 60, in these modified examples, the formation of protective portion 80 may be omitted. Although the above-mentioned protective parts are all made of a foamed resin sheet, the protective parts may be made of a material other than a foamed resin sheet as long as the desired cushioning properties are exhibited according to the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of the above-mentioned third sheet 82 made of a foamed resin sheet, the protective part 70 may be made of a sheet piece made of a three-dimensional network structure as disclosed in JP-A-2007-229288 and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3213018.

[0038] (slit) A plurality of slits 50 are provided on the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 described above. The length and number of the slits 50 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the slits 50 are formed in a direction parallel to the vertical direction of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, which are rectangular or square. However, as a modified example not shown, the slits 50 may be formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction at a moderate angle, and the angle is preferably 45 degrees or less with respect to the vertical direction. Also, as a modified example not shown, the plurality of slits 50 may be a mixture of slits with different angles with respect to the vertical direction. 1, in this embodiment, the uppermost slit 50 provided at the uppermost position reaches the upper end opening 30 and forms the cut-out end 32. As a result, when the upper end opening 30 is opened, the opening diameter of the upper end opening 30 is substantially expanded by the amount that the uppermost slit 50 extends laterally. On the other hand, the lowest slit 50 provided at the very bottom does not reach the bottom opening 40, but terminates just before it. This prevents the bottom opening 40 from widening too much in the lateral direction, and when the cushioning material 100 is placed on a shelf or the like with an object to be protected inside, good installation stability can be easily obtained.

[0039] In this embodiment, a plurality of first slits 50A are provided above the vertical middle parts of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, and a plurality of second slits 50B are provided below the vertical middle parts, and the first slits 50A are designed to be longer than the second slits 50B. In other words, in this embodiment, a long slit region 52 including the first slits 50A is provided above the vertical middle parts of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, and a short slit region 54 including the second slits 50B is provided below this. In this manner, the relatively long first slit 50A is provided on the upper end opening 30 side, and the relatively short second slit 50B is provided on the lower end opening 40 side, so that when an object having a large width dimension at the middle part in the vertical direction, such as a sphere, is enclosed in the cushioning material 100, the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 can be attached well to the outer surface of the object.

[0040] The ratio of the long slit region 52 to the short slit region 54 in the vertical direction is not particularly limited, but the distance from the upper end opening 30 to the lower end of the first slit 50A provided at the lowermost position in the vertical direction of the long slit region 52 is preferably 50% to 85% and more preferably 60% to 75% of the 100% vertical length dimension of the cushioning material 100. Within this numerical range, the cushioning material 100 can be expanded well in the lateral direction in the middle part where the spherical protected object bulges greatly, and the lateral expansion of the cushioning material 100 below that can be suppressed or limited, thereby improving the installation stability during use.

[0041] The ratio of the length of the first slit 50A to the length of the second slit 50B is not particularly limited, but by making the length of the first slit 50A:the length of the second slit 50B approximately 1.1:1 to 2.5:1, it is possible to produce a significant difference in the lateral spread of the cushioning material 100 below and above the middle part in the vertical direction, which enables, for example, a spherical object to be protected to be well accommodated.

[0042] 1, all of the slits 50 provided in the long slit region 52 are the same length, and all of the slits 50 provided in the short slit region 54 are the same length. However, the long slit region 52 may include slits 50 of different lengths, and the short slit region 54 may include slits 50 of different lengths. In such a case, it is sufficient that the average length of each slit 50 provided in the long slit region 52 is longer than the average length of each slit 50 provided in the short slit region 54.

[0043] The method of forming slits 50 in first surface 10 and second surface 20 is not particularly limited. For example, first sheet 12 and second sheet 22 may be arranged opposite each other and stacked as shown in FIG. 3A, and slits 50 may be formed through first sheet 12 and second sheet 22 in the thickness direction, followed by bonding by thermal welding or the like. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3A , first sheet 12 and second sheet 22 may be placed opposite each other, and first joined by thermal welding or the like to form joint 60. After first surface 10 and second surface 20 are defined, slits 50 may be formed through first surface 10 and second surface 20 in the thickness direction.

[0044] Incidentally, in the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment described above, the protective portion 70 is disposed on the outside of the cushioning material 100, and the bonding portion 60 covered by the protective portion 70 is prevented from coming into contact with any item and damaging the item. On the other hand, when it is desired to sufficiently protect the object to be protected contained in the cushioning material 100 itself, or when it is desired to further improve the appearance when the object to be protected is contained therein, the cushioning material 100 shown in Fig. 2A can be used with the front facing out. That is, the present invention encompasses a cushioning material in which the protective part 70 is provided on the inside of the cushioning material 100 (i.e., the side facing the object to be protected) as shown in Fig. 2B.

[0045] [Second embodiment] The cushioning material according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 8 is a side view of the cushioning material 120 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 shows the side of the cushioning material 120 in a state in which the upper end opening 30 and the lower end opening 40 are closed. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the use state of the cushioning material 120.

[0046] The cushioning material 120 differs from the cushioning material 100 of the first embodiment described above in terms of the aspect of the formation of the slits 50 on the first surface 10 and the second surface 20, but is otherwise configured in the same manner as the cushioning material 100. Therefore, in terms of the second embodiment other than the aspect of the formation of the slits 50, the description of the first embodiment is referred to as appropriate.

[0047] 8, the cushioning material 120 has a non-slit region 56 that does not have slits 50 in the lower end region of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. A region in which the slits 50 are formed is provided above the non-slit region 56. In this embodiment, a short slit region 54 is provided above the non-slit region 56, and a long slit region 52 is provided further above that. Since the non-slit area 56 does not expand laterally due to the slits 50, as shown in Figure 9, when the cushioning material 120 containing the protected object 90 is placed on a shelf or the like, the installation stability is good, and the lower end of the protected object 90 is prevented from reaching the lower end opening 40, making it possible to prevent the lower end of the protected object 90 from contacting the installation surface.

[0048] The first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and parts of the configuration can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, while the first and second embodiments have been described as having both open upper and lower ends of the cushioning material, the present invention encompasses cushioning material having an open upper end and a closed lower end forming a bag shape.

[0049] The technical idea disclosed by the present invention includes a non-slit cushioning material 200 (see FIG. 10) characterized in that the cushioning material has a first surface 10 and a second surface 20 made of a foamed resin sheet facing each other and at least an upper end thereof is open (upper end opening 30), the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 are joined by a joint 60 extending along at least one of two lateral sides in a side view of the cushioning material, and a protective part 70 is provided on the opposite side to the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 via the joint 60 and extending along the joint 60. The non-slit cushioning material 200 having no slits as shown in FIG. 10 also exhibits the excellent effect of having the configuration of "protective part 70 extending along the joint 60 on the opposite side to the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 via the joint 60" disclosed by the present invention, as in the first and second embodiments. The non-slit cushioning material 200 is suitable for protecting items such as cylindrical bottles, and the presence of the protective portion 70 prevents the joint portion 60 from being exposed, thereby preventing damage to the item or to labels affixed to the surface of the item from being caused by the joint portion 60. For the non-slit cushioning material 200, the explanations other than the slits 50 in the first and second embodiments of the present invention described above can be appropriately referred to.

[0050] The present invention described above encompasses the following technical ideas. (1) A foamed resin sheet is formed on a first surface and a second surface on which a plurality of slits are formed, The first surface and the second surface are joined by a joint portion extending along at least one of two lateral sides of the first surface and the second surface in a side view, and are disposed opposite each other with at least an upper end open; A cushioning material characterized in that it has a protective portion provided along the joint on the opposite side of the joint from the first surface and the second surface. (2) The slit includes a first slit provided above and a second slit provided below the vertical intermediate portion of the first surface and the second surface, The cushioning material according to (1) above, wherein the first slit is longer than the second slit. (3) The cushioning material according to (1) or (2) above, wherein a non-slit area having no slits is provided in the lower end areas of the first surface and the second surface. (4) The cushioning material according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the protective portion is disposed on the inside of the cushioning material. (5) A first surface and a second surface are made of a foamed resin sheet, The first surface and the second surface are joined by a joint portion extending along at least one of two lateral sides of the first surface and the second surface in a side view, and are disposed opposite each other with at least an upper end open; A cushioning material characterized in that it has a protective portion provided along the joint on the opposite side of the joint from the first surface and the second surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10...Front page 12 First sheet 14, 24...Sheet end 16, 26...end area 18... sides 20...Second side 22...Second sheet 30...Top opening 32....Cutting end 40...Bottom opening 50...Slit 50A...First slit 50B...Second slit 52...Long slit area 54 Short slit area 56 Non-slit region 60...joint 62...joining area 70...protection section 70A, 70B...protective piece 80...Second Protection Department 80A, 80B...protective piece 82 Third seat 84... Sheet end of third sheet 86... 4th seat 87... Sheet edge of fourth sheet 89...Bending part 100, 110, 112, 114, 116, 120...Buffer material 200···Non-slit cushioning material W1, W2: Average width dimensions

Claims

1. The insulating sheet has a first surface and a second surface on which a plurality of slits are formed, the first surface and the second surface being made of a foamed resin sheet; The first surface and the second surface are joined by a joint extending along at least one of two lateral sides of the first surface and the second surface in a side view, and are disposed opposite each other with at least an upper end open; A cushioning material characterized in that it has a protective portion provided along the joint on the opposite side of the joint from the first surface and the second surface.

2. The slit includes a first slit provided above and a second slit provided below a vertical intermediate portion of the first surface and the second surface, The cushioning material according to claim 1 , wherein the first slit is longer than the second slit.

3. 3. The cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein a non-slit area having no slits is provided in lower end areas of the first surface and the second surface.

4. The cushioning material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective portion is disposed on an inner side of the cushioning material.

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