Manufacturing method and manufacturing device for storage container

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing device for a storage container, capable of manufacturing a storage container with excellent cleanliness, safety, storage and transportation properties, and handleability at low cost and with high productivity, without causing enlargement of a facility even when manufacturing a large and strong storage container.SOLUTION: This manufacturing method comprises: a gusset forming step of forming composite sheet materials S1 and S2 into a gusset shape by folding them into a planar shape while overlapping a front face part 110 and a rear face part 120, which can also be expanded from the planar shape into a three-dimensional shape; a heat welding step of processing the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 into a prescribed container pattern 100A by pressing and heating the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, and heat-welding a plurality of base material sheets Sa and Sb at prescribed facing positions; and a mounting member joining step of joining a plurality of mounting members 200, for mounting a storage container 100 inside a container vessel, to a first position P1 and a second position P2 separated in a longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 in the container pattern 100A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a storage container, and in particular to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a storage container that can suppress the intrusion of foreign matter such as bacteria and other substances, and can manufacture storage containers that are highly clean and safe. [Background technology]

[0002] Reducing storage and logistics costs, as well as avoiding storage and logistics accidents, including the introduction of foreign matter, has long been a trend not only in Japan but is becoming a global trend, and various attempts are being made to achieve these goals.

[0003] For example, various pharmaceuticals, industrial raw materials, food raw materials, etc. must be prevented from contamination due to the introduction of bacteria or other foreign matter from the outside, and from quality deterioration, etc., throughout the process from storage, injection, transportation, and even discharge of the raw materials, regardless of whether the substances are harmless or harmful. In particular, there has been a demand for higher quality and reliability in recent years, and even a single accident resulting from these factors can significantly reduce the reliability of a company, and it is not uncommon for this to develop into a matter of life and death for the company. Therefore, there is a greater demand than ever for quality improvement in the storage and transportation of various raw materials and ingredients.

[0004] From the viewpoint of logistics, for example, by storing various materials such as food ingredients and medicines in a transport container with as large a capacity as possible, such as a large tank, and transporting a large amount at once, the costs required for storage and transport can be reduced and management can be simplified. In this case, for example, the various materials are poured into a large tank truck and transported as cargo by truck, train, ship, or the like.

[0005] Meanwhile, in recent years, instead of the above-mentioned method using large tank trucks or the like, a method in which a bag-shaped (cylindrical) storage container (inner bag) made of a resin sheet or the like is placed inside a cylindrical container vessel (outer bag), and this storage container is filled with various materials and transported has become mainstream. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a so-called flexible container in which an inner bag-shaped storage container that is flexible and has an inlet and outlet for the stored items is placed inside a container vessel that is an outer shell having a predetermined rigidity.

[0006] By using a storage container such as that described in Patent Document 1 and using a new storage container each time the container is transported, the labor required for cleaning and the like can be eliminated and contamination of the stored items can be prevented. In addition, although the storage container itself is flexible, the outer shell of the container has a certain degree of rigidity, which allows the container to bear most of the weight and external forces acting on the storage container. At the same time, the container can also bear the impacts applied during installation and removal of the storage container, thereby protecting the storage container. Furthermore, since it has an inlet and outlet for the contained materials, it is possible to directly incorporate the various materials filled in the storage container into the process at the place of use, which has the great advantage of improving handleability, etc.

[0007] The storage containers as described above, which are housed in container vessels and transported in a state filled with various materials, have a large capacity and mass, for example, several hundred kg to 1000 kg (1 ton), and therefore need to be manufactured using resin sheets that are strong and have excellent chemical resistance. Examples of such storage containers made of resin sheets that take strength characteristics into consideration include those made of a composite sheet in which two layers of resin sheets made of different materials are laminated, as disclosed in Patent Document 2 (see FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2, etc.). The composite sheet used in the storage container disclosed in Patent Document 2 is exemplified by a laminated mode of a polyethylene sheet and a polyethylene terephthalate sheet as the materials and combinations of the resin sheets.

[0008] The storage container to be used in a container vessel is manufactured by, for example, partially heat-welding at least two resin films to form a predetermined shape, thereby obtaining a container shape. For example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of manufacturing a bag-shaped storage container by using an inflation film or the like in which a film-like resin extruded into a cylindrical shape is flattened into a two-layer (two-sheet) structure, and heat-welding the spaces between the films at predetermined positions to form a container pattern. Such a storage container is folded flat when manufactured, and deployed three-dimensionally when used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3514980 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6560500 [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-024951 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The storage container as described above, which is housed inside the container vessel and filled with various materials, etc., becomes very large in overall size as the storage capacity increases. In addition, as the storage capacity increases, the mass of the entire storage container when filled with various materials, etc. also becomes very large.

[0011] Here, when the overall size of the storage container is increased, the packaging size of the storage container in an unused state before filling with various materials, etc. is also increased, which leads to problems such as increased labor in handling during transportation and use, increased storage space, etc., resulting in increased operating costs.

[0012] In addition, as the storage container becomes larger, it becomes difficult to fully deploy the storage container without partial deformation when the storage container is placed inside a container vessel, which results in the problem of poor handling.

[0013] In addition, the larger the storage vessel, the greater the mass of the entire storage vessel when filled with the contents, and the weight of the storage vessel may cause a portion of the storage vessel to break or the shape of the vessel to deform when the storage vessel is placed inside the container vessel. If the storage vessel breaks as described above, there is a problem that the contents may leak. If the storage vessel is deformed, the effective storage capacity is reduced, and the contents cannot be filled to their original capacity. In addition, the desired strength characteristics are not obtained, and safety is reduced, which may cause the above-mentioned breakage.

[0014] Furthermore, when manufacturing a large storage container as described above without changing the size, the manufacturing equipment would necessarily become larger and the process time would become longer, which would increase the equipment cost and the overall manufacturing cost of the storage container.

[0015] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing storage containers that can productively and inexpensively produce storage containers that are excellent in capacity maintenance, safety, and storage, transportability, and handleability, without requiring larger facilities, even when manufacturing large, strong storage containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research. As a result, the inventors have found that a storage container excellent in safety, transportability, and handleability can be manufactured without increasing the size of the equipment by first processing a composite sheet material into a shape having a gusset structure, and then heat-welding a plurality of base sheets at predetermined positions in a folded state of the composite sheet material, thereby processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern. Furthermore, the inventors have found that by joining a plurality of mounting members to two positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material in the container pattern, excellent handleability can be obtained when the storage container is placed in a container vessel and deployed, and deformation, breakage, and the like can be prevented when the stored contents are filled, thereby completing the present invention.

[0017] That is, the present invention is a method for manufacturing a storage container to be stored in a cylindrical container vessel by thermally welding and joining a composite sheet material, which is made of a base sheet formed by laminating a plurality of flexible resin sheets and has opposite faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposite faces, the composite sheet material being formed into a cylindrical shape including a front face and a rear face, each made of the base sheet, and arranged so as to face each other, and a pair of side faces arranged so as to face each other between the front face and the rear face, and the pair of side faces being formed into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front face and the rear face, the composite sheet material being formed into a cylindrical shape including a front face and a rear face, each made of the base sheet, and arranged so as to face each other, and a pair of side faces being arranged so as to face each other between the front face and the rear face, the pair of side faces being formed into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front face and the rear face, the composite sheet material is heated while being pressed against the base sheet, thereby heat-sealing the composite sheet material at predetermined opposing positions, thereby processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern; and an attachment member joining step of joining a plurality of attachment members to first and second positions in the container pattern spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material, for attaching the storage container to the inside of the container vessel.

[0018] In the above-mentioned aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, a method can be adopted in which the gusset forming process involves folding positions of the base sheet corresponding to the pair of side portions in a double shape toward the inside of the composite sheet material, and interposing the pair of side portions between positions of the base sheet corresponding to the front portion and the rear portion.

[0019] In the above-mentioned aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, a method can be adopted in which the thermal welding process forms the container pattern so that the cross-sectional area of ​​one end side and the other end side of the container pattern in the longitudinal direction is smaller when expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state than the cross-sectional area of ​​the body portion positioned between the one end side and the other end side.

[0020] In the above-mentioned aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, a method can be adopted in which the thermal welding process forms the container pattern so that an inclined portion is arranged between the body portion and the one end portion and the other end portion, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases when expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state as it moves from the body portion toward the one end portion and the other end portion.

[0021] In the above-mentioned aspect of the method for manufacturing a storage container of the present invention, the thermal welding step can employ a method in which sealing portions for sealing the opening ends are formed near the opening ends of the one end and the other end of the container pattern.

[0022] In the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, in the above-mentioned aspect, the thermal welding step may employ a method in which the sealing portion is formed while evacuating the inside of the container pattern.

[0023] In the above-mentioned aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, the heat welding step can employ a method in which the base comprises a middle plate extending in the vertical direction, the composite sheet material extends in the vertical direction on each of one side and the other side of the base, and each of the composite sheet materials is sandwiched between the base and the protective sheet and heated while being pressed, thereby heat welding the multiple base sheets at predetermined positions on the opposing sides.

[0024] In the above-mentioned aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, the mounting member joining process can employ a method in which the mounting member is joined to the corners between the front portion and the rear portion and each of the pair of side portions at the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction of the container pattern, respectively.

[0025] In the above-described aspect of the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention, the mounting member joining step can employ a method in which the mounting members are joined so as to be positioned at both ends of the body portion in the longitudinal direction of the container pattern.

[0026] In the above-mentioned aspect, the manufacturing method for a storage container of the present invention may further adopt a configuration in which, after the thermal welding process or the mounting member joining process, areas other than the container pattern in the composite sheet material are removed to obtain the storage container, and then the other end side of the storage container is covered with a cylindrical cover.

[0027] In the above-described embodiment of the method for producing a storage container of the present invention, a method may be adopted in which an inflation film is used as the composite sheet material.

[0028] The present invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a storage container to be stored in a cylindrical container vessel by thermally welding and joining a composite sheet material, which is made of a base sheet formed by laminating a plurality of flexible resin sheets, and which is made of a plurality of overlapping base sheets having opposing faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposing faces, the apparatus comprising: a folding means for forming the composite sheet material into a cylindrical shape including a front portion and a rear portion, each of which is made of the base sheet and arranged so as to face each other, and a pair of side portions arranged so as to face each other between the front portion and the rear portion, and a folding means for forming each of the pair of side portions into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion and the rear portion; a gusset forming section for folding the composite sheet material into a flat shape while overlapping the front portion and the rear portion, and forming a gusset shape that can be three-dimensionally expanded from the flat shape; and a folding means for folding the composite sheet material into a gusset shape that can be three-dimensionally expanded from the flat shape while overlapping the front portion and the rear portion. the composite sheet material being sandwiched between the base and the protective sheet in a two-dimensional direction, and a heat sealing device which presses the protective sheet while moving two-dimensionally over the surface of the protective sheet sandwiching the composite sheet material between the base and the protective sheet, wherein the heat sealing device heats the composite sheet material while pressing it, thereby processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern, and an attachment member joining section which joins a plurality of attachment members for attaching the storage container to the inside of the container container at first and second positions in the container pattern spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material, respectively. Effect of the Invention

[0029] According to the method for manufacturing a storage container of the present invention, as described above, a gusset forming step of processing a composite sheet material into a gusset structure, a heat welding step of processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern, and a mounting member joining step of joining a plurality of mounting members to a first position and a second position spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material in the container pattern are adopted. That is, first, the composite sheet material is processed into a shape having a gusset structure, and then, in a folded state, the plurality of base sheets are heat welded at predetermined positions to process the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern, thereby making it possible to manufacture a storage container with excellent cleanliness, safety, storage, transportability, and handling properties using existing equipment. Furthermore, by joining a plurality of mounting members to two positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material in the container pattern, excellent handling properties are obtained when the storage container is placed in a container vessel and unfolded. In addition, when the storage container is placed in the container vessel and filled with the contents to be stored, no deformation or tearing occurs, thereby preventing leakage of the contents or a decrease in the storage capacity, and the strength characteristics are stable. Therefore, even when manufacturing large, strong storage containers, it is possible to produce storage containers with excellent capacity maintenance, safety, storage, transportability, and handling properties at low cost and with good productivity without requiring larger facilities.

[0030] As described above, the storage container manufacturing device of the present invention employs a configuration including a gusset forming section that processes a composite sheet material into a gusset structure, a heat welding section that processes the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern, and an attachment member joining section that joins a plurality of attachment members for attaching the storage container to the inside of a container vessel. As a result, even when manufacturing a large and strong storage container as described above, it is possible to manufacture storage containers that are excellent in capacity maintenance, safety, storage, transportability, handling, etc., with good productivity and at low cost without requiring large-scale equipment.

[0031] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a method and apparatus for producing a storage container according to the present invention, and is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a production apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method and apparatus for producing a storage container according to the present invention, and is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration of the production apparatus 10 shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a side view showing an example of an operation in which a pair of peeling bars constituting the peeling section 30 shown in Figure 2 are moved simultaneously over the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 to peel between the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 and the protective sheet 20. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a plan view of heat-sealed portion 40 shown in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a bottom view of heat-sealed portion 40 shown in FIG. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a rear view of heat-sealed portion 40 shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method and apparatus for manufacturing a storage container according to the present invention, and is a block diagram showing a control system controlled by a control device 70 (not shown in FIG. 1) provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a plan view showing the configuration of a heat-sealing unit 40A having a heating roller head 41A having a shape different from that of the heating roller head 41 provided in the heat-sealing unit 40 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C. [Figure 7A]Figure 7A is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a plan view showing an example of a storage container manufactured by the method or apparatus of the present invention, showing the state in which the storage container is folded flat, based on the gusset structure provided on a pair of side portions. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage container shown in FIG. 7A is three-dimensionally developed from a flat state. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the process of expanding the flat storage container shown in FIG. 7A into a three-dimensional container as shown in FIG. 7B. [Figure 7D] Figure 7D is a diagram for explaining one embodiment of a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a storage container according to the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view showing the process of expanding the flat storage container shown in Figure 7A into a three-dimensional container as shown in Figures 7B and 7C, at the position of the cross-sectional line AA shown in Figure 7C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a method and an apparatus for producing a storage container according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, in order to easily understand the features of the method and device for manufacturing a storage container of the present invention, and the storage container obtained thereby, the drawings used in the following description may show characteristic parts in a slightly enlarged scale, and the dimensional ratios of each component may differ from the actual ones. Furthermore, the materials, dimensions, etc. exemplified in the following description are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and appropriate changes may be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0034] <Containment vessel configuration> The configuration of a storage container obtained by the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment will be described in detail mainly with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D. FIG. 7A is a plan view showing a storage container 100 manufactured by the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, which will be described in detail later, and shows the state in which the storage container 100 is folded into a flat shape using valley folds (gusset portions; gusset structures) 131, 141 provided on a pair of side portions 130, 140 as base points. FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage container 100 shown in FIG. 7A is three-dimensionally developed from a flat state. FIG. 7C is a perspective view illustrating a process of expanding the flat storage container shown in FIG. 7A into a three-dimensional container as shown in FIG. 7B. FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view showing the process of developing the flat storage container 100 shown in FIG. 7A into a three-dimensional state, taken along the cross-sectional line AA shown in FIG. 7C.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 7A to 7D, the storage container 100 manufactured by the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus (see the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 and the like) of this embodiment is made of base sheets Sa and Sb in which a plurality of flexible resin sheets are laminated, although detailed illustration of the laminated structure is omitted. The storage container 100 is generally configured by forming a container pattern 100A by thermally welding a plurality of base sheets having opposite faces that are not joined to each other, i.e., composite sheet materials S1 and S2 in which two base sheets Sa and Sb are laminated in the illustrated example. The storage container 100 is used by being fixed by a mounting member 200 inside a container container having a predetermined rigidity, although illustration is omitted in Figs. 7A to 7D. Examples of the above-mentioned container container include those made of cardboard and those made of resin material.

[0036] The storage container 100 is formed of the above-mentioned base sheets Sa and Sb, and is generally cylindrical, including a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120 that are arranged to face each other, and a pair of side portions 130, 140 that are arranged to face each other between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120. The pair of side portions 130, 140 each have a valley fold (gusset portion) 131, 141, so that the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120 can be folded inward while connecting them. As a result, the storage container 100 is folded flat while overlapping the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and is formed into a gusset shape that can be three-dimensionally deployed from a flat state (see, in particular, Figures 7C and 7D).

[0037] 7A and the like, one end 160 and the other end 170 are arranged on either side of the body 150 in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2. The body 150 is configured in a gusset shape having the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and a pair of side portions 130, 140. The one end 160 and the other end 170 extend from extended base ends 161, 171 on the body 150 side, respectively, and are configured to have a smaller cross-sectional area than the body 150 when expanded three-dimensionally from a flat state.

[0038] 7A to 7C, the storage container 100 has valley folds 131, 141 at the positions of the one end 160 and the other end 170 of the pair of side portions 130, 140, similar to the body portion 150, so as to extend from the position of the body portion 150. In this way, the positions of the one end 160 and the other end 170 of the pair of side portions 130, 140 are also formed with a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, so that the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120 are folded flat while overlapping each other, and are configured into a gusset shape that can be deployed three-dimensionally from a flat state.

[0039] In addition, in the illustrated example, the storage container 100 has inclined sections 180 arranged between the body 150 and one end 160 and the other end 170, whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases when expanded from a flat state to a three-dimensional state as they move from the body 150 toward the one end 160 side and the other end 170 side. As described above, the position of the inclined portion 180 of the storage container 100 is also configured as a gusset structure in which the pair of side portions 130, 140 are formed into a gusset structure so that the storage container 100 can be folded flat and expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state.

[0040] Furthermore, the storage container 100 has a plurality of mounting members 200 bonded by thermal welding at a first position P1 and a second position P2 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 for mounting the storage container inside a container container (not shown). In the illustrated example, the mounting members 200 are provided at a total of eight positions, one at each of the corners between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120 and the pair of side portions 130 and 140 at the first position P1 and the second position P2. In the illustrated example, the first position P1 and the second position P2 are located at both ends of the body portion 150 in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2) of the cylindrical storage container 100 (container pattern 100A), and a total of eight mounting members 200 are provided at four positions on each end of the body portion 150 having a rectangular cross section.

[0041] The multiple mounting members 200 are fastened to a fastening means provided inside (inside) a container vessel (not shown), for example, multiple binding tapes each having a free portion length of about 250 mm and one end side fixed by being sewn into a sewing point inside the container vessel. In this manner, each of the multiple mounting members 200 is bound to each of the multiple binding tapes in a one-to-one relationship, and the storage container 100 is attached (fastened and fixed) inside the container vessel, thereby obtaining the following effects. First, when the folded container vessel is expanded, the bag-shaped storage container 100 attached inside inflates in conjunction with the expansion action of the container vessel. This, combined with the action of the gusset structure described above, has the effect of making it easier to unfold the storage container 100 in a three-dimensional manner. In addition, by fastening the mounting member 200 and the binding tape of the container container at a total of eight points, top and bottom, the storage container 100 expands uniformly, thereby preventing uneven distribution of the storage load within the storage container 100 and a reduction in the storage capacity. Furthermore, when the contained objects are discharged from the storage vessel 100, the trouble of the storage vessel 100 moving in a direction to be discharged from the container together with the contained objects can be prevented.

[0042] The mounting member 200 can be made of, for example, the same resin material as the composite sheet materials S1, S2. Although detailed illustration is omitted in Figures 7A to 7C, an example of the mounting member 200 is a ring-shaped member having an insertion hole, which is attached by thermal welding to predetermined positions (first position P1 and second position P2) on the thermal welding line in the body portion 150.

[0043] Moreover, it is more preferable to use, for example, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), both of which are synthesized using a metallocene catalyst, as the resin material constituting the mounting member 200. By appropriately selecting such polyethylene resins as described above and using them for the mounting member 200, it is possible to more significantly obtain all of the above-mentioned effects of making it easier to deploy the storage container 100, preventing unevenness in the storage load and reduction in storage capacity in the storage container 100, and preventing the storage container 100 from moving together with the discharged contents.

[0044] 7A and the like further includes a fixing member 210 having two string members, in addition to the above-mentioned mounting member 200, which is provided near the extending base end 171 of the other end 170. When the flat folded storage container 100 is further folded at multiple points vertically and horizontally to make it more compact, the fixing member 210 has the function of tying the fixing member 210 to a part of the storage container 100 to fix the relevant part, thereby maintaining the storage container 100 at an easy-to-handle size.

[0045] The storage container 100 of the example shown in FIG. 7A etc. has a cylindrical cover 300 provided to cover the other end 170 side. The position of the fixed end 301 of the cylindrical cover 300 of the illustrated example is fixed in the vicinity of the extended base end 171 of the other end 170 in the body part 150 by heat welding using a fixed seal 310. In addition, the cylindrical cover 300 has a sealing part 303 formed by heat sealing the vicinity of the opening end 302 arranged on the opposite side to the fixed end 301. With the above configuration, the storage container 100 of the illustrated example has a double structure in which the other end 170 side is covered by the cylindrical cover 300. Also, as shown in FIG. 7B and FIG. 7C, in the storage container 100, the cylindrical cover 300 is also folded in a plane while overlapping the front part and the rear part, like the other end 170, and is configured in a gusset shape that can be three-dimensionally deployed from a plane.

[0046] The composite sheet materials S1 and S2 that are the material of the storage container 100 are made of base sheets Sa and Sb, which are made by laminating a plurality of flexible resin sheets, as described above. For example, an inflation film that is extrusion molded into a cylindrical shape and folded into a flat shape can be used as such composite sheet materials S1 and S2. That is, the inflation film described above can be used as the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 in which the base sheets Sa and Sb are overlapped and have opposing faces that are not joined to each other.

[0047] The material of the base sheets Sa, Sb constituting the composite sheet materials S1, S2 is not particularly limited, but may be a thermoplastic and flexible material that can be bonded to each other by heat welding. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) such as OPP, nylon, and resin sheets made of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA), ionomer, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, when the base sheet Sa of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 is disposed on the inner surface side of the storage container 100 and the base sheet Sb is disposed on the outer surface side of the storage container 100, a polyethylene (PE) sheet can be used as the base sheet Sa, and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet can be used as the base sheet Sb. In this way, by forming the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 into a laminated structure in which the base sheet Sa made of PE with few impurities is disposed on the inner surface side of the container, the cleanliness of the inner surface side of the storage container 100 is maintained. Furthermore, by disposing the base sheet Sb made of PET on the outer surface side of the container, the strength of the entire storage container 100 can be ensured and resistance to external forces can be increased.

[0049] On the other hand, the material and lamination structure of the base sheets Sa, Sb constituting the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are not limited to those mentioned above, and for example, the material and lamination structure can be appropriately changed depending on the purpose of use of the storage container 100. That is, the material and lamination structure of the base sheets Sa, Sb constituting the composite sheet materials S1, S2 can be appropriately determined while considering, for example, safety, corrosion resistance, light blocking, mechanical strength, printability, etc., as well as tensile strength and peel strength at the joints joined by thermal welding. In addition, it is also possible to appropriately change the mechanical properties of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 by making the base sheets Sa, Sb have different thicknesses or the same thickness. In addition, it is also possible to configure the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to have functions that complement each other by adopting materials with different properties in combination for the base sheets Sa, Sb.

[0050] As is known to those skilled in the art, the tensile strength and peel strength of the joints made by heat welding depend on the thickness of the composite sheet materials S1, S2, or the thickness of the base sheets Sa, Sb that make them up, as well as the heat welding temperature, heating method, heating time, etc., and are not necessarily uniquely defined.

[0051] When using the storage container 100 obtained by the manufacturing method and manufacturing device of this embodiment, detailed illustration is omitted, but first, the opposite side of the opening end 162 in the sealing part 163 of one end 160 is cut off with scissors or the like to open the one end 160 side. This makes it possible to take in air into the storage container 100 folded flat (see especially Figs. 7C and 7D). In the example described in this embodiment, the one end 160 serves as an inlet side for introducing an object to be contained (not shown) into the storage container 100. In addition, in the example shown in Figures 7B and 7C, for convenience of illustration and explanation, in addition to one end 160, the other end 170 is also shown in an open state, but at this stage, the other end 170 is maintained in a sealed state without cutting off the sealing portion 173.

[0052] Next, the pair of side portions 130, 140 folded in a gusset shape are unfolded by pulling out the valley folds (gusset portions) 131, 141 to form a generally flat plate shape, thereby unfolding the storage container 100 so that air is taken in. At this time, as described above, since the one end portion 160 is in an open state, the inside of the storage container 100 folded in a flat shape is released from the vacuum state, and the storage container 100 can be unfolded freely. As described above, in the stage of provisionally expanding the storage container 100, it is not necessary to expand the storage container 100 until the cross section of the storage container 100 becomes rectangular. In addition, in this stage, the expansion of the storage container 100 may be performed inside a container vessel (not shown) or outside the container vessel.

[0053] Next, the storage container 100 is fixed inside the container by fastening a fastening means provided inside the container (not shown) to the mounting member 200. At this time, by firmly binding the mounting member 200 to the fastening means (not shown) without loosening, the storage container 100 is fixed in an expanded state so that its cross section is rectangular.

[0054] Next, the contents are introduced from one end 160 side, thereby filling the storage vessel 100 with the contents. Thereafter, although detailed illustration is omitted, one end 160 is resealed by thermal welding or adhesive to seal the inside of the storage vessel 100. This makes it possible to store or transport the contents in a state in which the contents are filled inside the storage vessel 100 fixed inside the container vessel.

[0055] When the object to be contained is to be removed from the storage vessel 100 fixed inside the container vessel and used, first, the container vessel (storage vessel 100) is transported and set up at the place of use in a factory or the like. Next, the opposite side of the opening end 302 of the sealing portion 303 of the cylindrical cover 300 is cut off with scissors or the like to open the cylindrical cover 300 and expose the other end 170 side to the outside.

[0056] Next, in a state where the other end 170 side and the cylindrical cover 300 side are arranged opposite to a receiving pipe (not shown), the opposite side of the opening end 172 of the sealing part 173 of the other end 170 is cut off to open the other end 170 side. This makes it possible to introduce the contents from the other end 170 to the receiving pipe (not shown) and use it for manufacturing the desired product.

[0057] According to the storage container 100 described in this embodiment, first, in an unused state before filling with contents, the storage container can be stored and transported in a flat folded form due to the gusset structure, which provides excellent transport efficiency and space efficiency in storage. This makes it possible to reduce costs required for logistics and storage, and also increases the degree of freedom in handling. In addition, since the pair of side portions 130, 140 are gusseted, the degree of freedom in designing the size of the container, etc. is also increased.

[0058] Moreover, according to the storage container 100 having the above configuration, the mounting member 200 as described above is provided, and a plurality of the mounting members 200 are provided at the first position P1 and the second position P2 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2. As a result, when the storage container 100 is stored in a container container (not shown) and attached, the fastening means (not shown) provided inside the container container and the mounting member 200 can be firmly and stably fastened, so that even if the storage container 100 is configured to be large, excellent handleability can be obtained when the storage container 100 is deployed inside the container container. In addition, it is possible to prevent the storage container 100 from being distorted in shape and to ensure excellent strength characteristics. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deformation of the storage container 100 due to the weight when the contents are stored, so that it is possible to prevent the storage capacity from decreasing while securing a large storage capacity. In addition, by suppressing deformation of the storage container 100, it is possible to prevent breakage and the like from occurring, so that it is possible to prevent leakage of the contents and the like from occurring.

[0059] More specifically, by providing the mounting members 200 at four positions each at first positions P1 at four corners that form the shoulders of the body 150 and at second positions P2 at a corner that forms the waist of the body 150, the storage container 100 can be fixed and supported in a balanced manner at a total of eight positions inside the container vessel. This prevents extra stress from being applied to the storage container 100, and thus prevents the above-mentioned deformation, and prevents leakage due to breakage, etc., while maintaining a large storage capacity.

[0060] The fastening means provided inside the container (not shown) is not particularly limited, but for example, when the mounting member 200 of the storage container 100 is configured in a ring shape as described above, the fastening means may be configured from one or two string members. With such a configuration, the mounting member 200 functions as a "ring" and the fastening means functions as a "threading string", so that by tying these together, it is possible to firmly fasten and fix them with a simple operation. Furthermore, the material of the fastening means is not particularly limited, and for example, the same material as the mounting member 200 of the storage container 100 can be used.

[0061] Furthermore, when the container vessel (not shown) is configured to be foldable in a square tube shape, the structure in which the storage vessel 100 is fastened at four corners allows the storage vessel 100 to be smoothly deployed in conjunction with the container vessel, for example. This provides excellent handling when the storage vessel 100 is deployed inside the container vessel.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the storage container 100, by providing the above-mentioned sealing portions 163, 173, 303, it is possible to create a vacuum and seal the interior, thereby preventing impurities from entering the interior of the storage container 100 before it is used.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the storage container 100, by providing the inclined portion 180 as described above, when the contained items are discharged to the outside, the contained items can be discharged efficiently without remaining in the container.

[0064] The sealing portion provided in the storage container of this embodiment is not limited to the one utilizing the thermal welding action as described above, and it is also possible to adopt a sealing structure using, for example, a fastener (not shown) or the like. When such a configuration is adopted, opening and closing operations at one end and the other end of the storage container are simplified, so that the handling is improved when filling the storage container with the contents and resealing the one end, or when opening the other end at the place of use such as a factory to take out the contents.

[0065] The object (content) to be stored and transported in the storage container 100 obtained by the manufacturing method and manufacturing device of the present embodiment and supplied as a raw material or the like in various factories and the like is not particularly limited, and various things can be stored and transported regardless of liquid, powder, etc. As described above, the storage container 100 described in this embodiment can ensure the cleanliness of the inner surface, has excellent strength characteristics, and can be folded compactly when not in use and stored and transported while having a large capacity. Therefore, the storage container 100 is very suitable for applications where it is necessary to avoid the inclusion of impurities as much as possible, such as various materials such as resin materials for coating used in the manufacture of high-voltage power cables, chemicals, etc., and applications where storage and transportation in a large capacity is required.

[0066] <Production method and production device for storage container> Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a storage container of this embodiment and a manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment that can be used in this manufacturing method will be described mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 6 (also refer to Figures 7A to 7D which explain storage container 100 as necessary).

[0067] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. More specifically, Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining a state in which two composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are loaded into the manufacturing apparatus 10, a portion of each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 is folded by a gusset forming unit 90 to form a gusset shape, and then each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 is welded by a heating roller head 41, which is a heat and pressure bonding device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the outline of the overall configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of an operation in which a pair of peeling bars constituting the peeling section 30 shown in FIG. 2 are moved simultaneously over the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to peel between the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the protective sheet 20. 4A is a plan view of the heat-welded portion 40 shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4B is a bottom view of the heat-welded portion 40 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4C is a rear view of the heat-welded portion 40 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control system of the control device 70 (not shown in FIG. 1) provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the configuration of heat welding unit 40A having a heating roller head 41A having a different shape from heat welding unit 40 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C.

[0068] [Configuration of the storage container manufacturing equipment] First, the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 10 that can be used in the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0069] 1 to 6, the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is configured to thermally weld and join composite sheet materials S1, S2, each of which is made of base sheets Sa, Sb stacked with a plurality of flexible resin sheets, and in which the base sheets Sa, Sb are stacked with opposite faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposite faces. In this way, the manufacturing apparatus 10 manufactures a storage container 100 (see also FIGS. 7A to 7D) that is to be stored in a cylindrical container vessel (not shown) for use.

[0070] More specifically, the manufacturing apparatus 10 is generally configured to include a sheet conveying section 50 that conveys the composite sheet materials S1, S2 that are the material for the storage container 100, a gusset forming section 90 that folds multiple base sheets Sa, Sb in the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to form a gusset shape, a heat welding section 40 that processes the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A, and an attachment member joining section 95 that joins multiple attachment members 200 by heat welding to attach the storage container 100 to the inside of a container container not shown.

[0071] As described above, each of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 is composed of base sheets Sa, Sb in which a plurality of resin sheets are laminated, and the facing surfaces between the base sheets are not joined to each other. The manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment first forms the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a gusset shape, and then heat-welds the base sheets Sa, Sb of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in a predetermined pattern to form the container pattern 100A.

[0072] The manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment has a relay roller 2, an introduction roller 3, and an output roller 4 for transporting the composite sheet materials S1, S2 fed from the raw sheet feed section 1 (see also the sheet transport section 50 shown in the block diagram of Figure 5).

[0073] 1, two original rolls of composite sheet materials S1 and S2 wound in a roll shape are each attached to original roll pay-out section 1, and one end of each original roll is pulled out and conveyed from original roll pay-out section 1. In the example described in this embodiment, each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 is overlapped by relay roller 2, and extends through relay roller 2 to introduction roller 3 while remaining overlapped.

[0074] The gusset forming section 90 is positioned downstream of the relay roller 2, and folds the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a flat shape while overlapping the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and forms a gusset shape that can be expanded three-dimensionally from the flat shape, and is equipped with a folding means not shown. That is, the two rolls of composite sheet material S1, S2 superimposed by the relay roller 2 are first introduced into the gusset forming section 90, and although detailed illustration is omitted, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are each individually folded and processed to form a gusset shape as described above.

[0075] The gusset forming unit 90 forms the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a tubular shape including a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120 that are made of base sheets Sa, Sb and are arranged to face each other, and a pair of side portions 130, 140 that are arranged to face each other between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and forms the pair of side portions 130, 140 into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120. That is, the gusset forming unit 90 forms valley folds 131, 141 in the pair of side portions 130, 140 by folding parts of the base sheets Sa, Sb by a folding means not shown.

[0076] The folding means (not shown) provided in the gusset forming portion 90 is not particularly limited, and for example, in addition to a flat plate member, a means using a wire or the like can also be used.

[0077] In the example shown in Figure 1, for the sake of space on the drawing and convenience of explanation, the width of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 before being introduced into the gusset forming section 90 is the same as the width after being extracted, but in reality, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 processed into a gusset shape will be narrower in width than they were before processing.

[0078] In addition, in the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, for example, it is possible to omit the gusset forming section as described above, and instead prepare a raw roll in which a composite sheet material processed into a gusset shape is wound in advance, and use this raw roll by placing it in the raw roll pay-out section.

[0079] The heat welding section 40 heats the composite sheet materials S1, S2 while pressing them, and heat welds the multiple base sheets Sa, Sb at predetermined opposing positions, thereby processing the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A.

[0080] The heat welding section 40 provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment has a base 6 interposed between the inlet roller 3 and the outlet roller 4 and extending in the vertical direction, a sheet conveying means for sending out composite sheet materials S1, S2 to the base 6, a protective sheet 20 that sandwiches the flat folded composite sheet materials S1, S2 therebetween, and a heating roller head (heat pressing device) 41 that heats and presses the protective sheet 20 while sandwiching the composite sheet materials S1, S2 between the base 6.

[0081] As described above, the base 6 is interposed between the lead-in roller 3 and the lead-out roller 4, and is disposed so that the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are adjacent to one surface 6a and the other surface 6b. The base 6 is not particularly limited, but may be a flat plate-shaped member made of a material having rigidity and heat resistance.

[0082] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned introduction roller 3 and discharge roller 4 function as a sheet conveying means for feeding the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to the base 6. This allows the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to be fed vertically from above downward to at least one side of the base 6, that is, both sides of one side 6a and the other side 6b in the illustrated example.

[0083] The protective sheet 20 is configured to cooperate with at least one surface (both surfaces in the illustrated example) of the base 6 to sandwich the flat folded composite sheet materials S1, S2 therebetween, and in the illustrated example, a pair is arranged on each of both surfaces of the base 6. The protective sheet 20 is provided to efficiently transfer heat from the heat-welded portion 40, the details of which will be described later, to the composite sheet materials S1 and S2.

[0084] The protective sheet 20 is not particularly limited, but is preferably heat-resistant so as not to melt when heated by the heat-sealed portion 40, flexible so that the pressing force of the heat-sealed portion 40 can be easily transmitted to the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the base 6, and further made of a material and with a thickness that allows the heat from the heat-sealed portion 40 to be easily transmitted to the composite sheet materials S1, S2.

[0085] As a necessary characteristic of the protective sheet 20, which will be described in detail later, it is important that the protective sheet 20 does not twist excessively in response to the movement or change in direction of the heat-sealing part 40, particularly the heating roller head 41, on the protective sheet 20 when the heating roller head 41 is used as the heat-sealing part 40. In other words, it is more preferable to adopt a protective sheet 20 that has strength and slipperiness to such an extent that it does not impede the heat welding of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2.

[0086] The heating roller head 41 moves in two dimensions over the surface of the protective sheet 20, which has the composite sheet materials S1, S2 sandwiched between it and the base 6, while pressing the protective sheet 20. The heating roller head 41 heats the composite sheet materials S1, S2 while pressing them, and thermally welds the multiple base sheets Sa, Sb at predetermined opposing positions, thereby processing the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A.

[0087] In the example described in this embodiment, one surface 6a of the two surfaces of the base 6 is used for welding the base sheets Sa and Sb of the composite sheet material S1, and the other surface 6b of the two surfaces of the base 6 is used for welding the base sheets Sa and Sb of the composite sheet material S2. In other words, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, each consisting of two base sheets Sa and Sb, are configured so that they can be thermally welded simultaneously in a single conveyance process, with the base 6 disposed between them serving as a support member.

[0088] In the example described in this embodiment, the two composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are heat-welded simultaneously using both sides of the base 6, thereby enabling efficient formation of the container pattern 100A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to use only one side of the base and transport the composite sheet material only to one side so that heat welding of the composite sheet material can be performed on that side.

[0089] The manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment can adopt a configuration that includes, in addition to the gusset forming section 90 described above, a pair of heat-sealing sections 40 arranged symmetrically with respect to each other via a base 6 for the composite sheet material S1 and the composite sheet material S2 in order to heat-seal the base sheets Sa and Sb that constitute the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, a pair of protective sheets 20 interposed between the heat-sealing sections 40 and each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 in the heat-sealing process and transmitting heat generated from the heat-sealing sections 40 to the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, a pair of peeling sections 30 for peeling off the adhesion between the protective sheets 20 and the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, and an attachment member joining section 95, the details of which will be described later.

[0090] In addition, Figure 2 conceptually shows the adhesive state between the protective sheet 20 and the composite sheet materials S1, S2 after the heat welding process by the heat welding section 40 has been completed, so the actual size ratios of each part in Figure 2 and the appearance of each sheet part, etc., differ from the actual situation.

[0091] In the example described in this embodiment, the composite sheet materials S1, S2, which are previously configured with a plurality of base sheets Sa, Sb, more specifically, an inflation film, are set in the raw roll unwinding section 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. As can be understood from the above description, for example, a raw roll of a plurality of base sheets (e.g., four base sheets) may be set in the raw roll unwinding section 1, and in the process of conveying the raw roll to the gusset forming section 90 or the base 6 side, a process of overlapping the respective base sheets so that the plurality of base sheets constitute the composite sheet materials S1, S2 (e.g., so that each of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 is composed of two base sheets Sa, Sb) may be added.

[0092] The transport path of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, that is, the relay rollers 2, the lead-in rollers 3, and the lead-out rollers 4 will be described in more detail. The introduction rollers 3 shown in Fig. 1 can be configured as a combination of multiple rollers as shown in Fig. 2. That is, the introduction rollers 3 can be configured from a first introduction roller 3A, a second introduction roller 3B, and a third introduction roller 3C.

[0093] Each of the first to third introduction rollers 3A, 3B, and 3C can be composed of a pair of rollers arranged symmetrically with respect to each other via an axis along the vertical direction. In this embodiment, for convenience, each pair of rollers is indicated by a reference character L and R, and is represented as the first introduction roller 3A (R, L), the second introduction roller 3B (R, L), and the third introduction roller 3C (R, L). The above-mentioned rollers are arranged parallel to the above-mentioned vertical direction, and are provided so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0094] The first introduction rollers 3A (R, L) are disposed in the upper part of the manufacturing apparatus 10, and have the function of changing the orientation of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 introduced from the relay rollers 2 and causing them to hang down.

[0095] The first introduction rollers 3A(R,L) are arranged to sandwich the composite sheet materials S1, S2 between the rollers (R,L) and rotate about axes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The first introduction rollers 3A(R,L) convey the composite sheet materials S1, S2 toward the next introduction rollers 3, the second introduction rollers 3B(R,L).

[0096] The second introduction roller 3B(R,L) is disposed below and adjacent to the first introduction roller 3A(R,L) and functions as an auxiliary roller for re-separating the composite sheet materials S1, S2 introduced from the first introduction roller 3A(R,L). In the example shown in Fig. 2, the composite sheet material S1 of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 is fed to the outer surface of one of the second introduction rollers 3B(R,L), and the other composite sheet material S2 is fed to the outer surface of the second introduction roller 3B(L) on the opposite side.

[0097] A third lead-in roller 3C(R,L) is further provided below the second lead-in roller 3B(R,L). The third lead-in roller 3C(R,L) functions as an auxiliary roller that feeds each of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 separated by the second lead-in roller 3B(R,L) to the vicinity of both sides of the base 6 arranged below.

[0098] The base 6 is arranged so that its roughly planar surface is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the lead-in roller 3, hangs down from the vicinity of the lead-in roller 3 located at the top of the manufacturing apparatus 10, and extends toward the lead-out roller 4 located below the manufacturing apparatus 10.

[0099] Of the output rollers 4, the third output rollers 4C (R, L) function as auxiliary rollers that receive each of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 that pass over each surface of the base 6 and are conveyed.

[0100] The composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are close to the inner surfaces of the third output rollers 4C(R,L) so that they can be made to crawl on each other. It is preferable that the inner surfaces of the paired rollers, such as the third output rollers 4C(R,L) and the third lead-in rollers 3C(R,L) arranged above them, are arranged so that they are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 extending in the advancing direction by the conveying operation of the manufacturing device 10 move downward in a state separated from each other along the opposing inner surfaces of the third lead-in rollers 3C(R,L). Then, each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 moves approximately parallel to the vicinity of each surface of the base 6 and is conveyed to the opposing inner surfaces of the third output rollers 4C(R,L).

[0101] Since the paired surfaces (the inner surfaces of each roller) of the third introduction roller 3C(R,L) and the third discharge roller 4C(R,L) are spaced apart from each other, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 supported by each auxiliary roller are not conveyed while rubbing against each surface of the base 6, and therefore the composite sheet materials S1, S2 can be conveyed smoothly without being damaged. Naturally, the tension of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 can be appropriately changed according to the required specifications of the precision of the resulting storage container, and for example, it is possible to convey the composite sheet materials in a slightly loose state, but even in such a case, the paired rollers spaced apart as described above can suppress the degree and frequency of contact with the base 6 and suppress damage caused by friction.

[0102] Moreover, since the base 6 separates the two composite sheet materials S1, S2, even if at least one of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 becomes charged with static electricity due to some cause, it is possible to prevent the two sheets from affecting each other. Also, the space between the base 6 and the composite sheet materials S1, S2 on both sides can be adjusted more easily because the force of each sheet hanging down due to its own weight can be used.

[0103] In addition, in order to adjust the distance between the base 6 and the composite sheet materials S1, S2, it is preferable that the third introduction roller 3C (R, L) and the third discharge roller 4C (R, L) are configured so that the distance between each pair of rollers can be adjusted. This makes it possible to flexibly and optimally respond to composite sheet materials having various materials and thicknesses. Of course, for each of the other rollers, including the rollers described below, the distance between each pair of rollers and the pressing force between the rollers when they are in contact with each other may be appropriately adjusted in order to adjust the tension of each of the composite sheet materials S1, S2. Also, the rollers for which the position is to be adjusted may be appropriately selected and designed.

[0104] The composite sheet materials S1, S2 that have passed through the base 6 and are received by the third output rollers 4C(R,L) are conveyed toward the second output rollers 4B(R,L) disposed below. The second output rollers 4B(R,L) are similar to the second lead-in rollers 3B(R,L) in that the outer surfaces of the second output rollers 4B(R,L) are disposed farther outward to maintain the distance between the composite sheet materials S1, S2 received by the third output rollers 4C(R,L).

[0105] The composite sheet materials S1, S2 are further transported toward the first output rollers 4A (R, L) located below the second output rollers 4B (R, L), where the transport direction is changed by approximately 90° and then further transported.

[0106] The mounting member joining portion 95 joins, by heat welding, a plurality of mounting members 200 for mounting the storage container 100 inside a container container not shown to a first position P1 and a second position P2 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in the container pattern 100A formed in the composite sheet materials S1, S2 by the heat welding portion 40.

[0107] Although detailed illustration is omitted, the mounting member joint 95 can be configured, for example, to have a heating and pressing means, so that the mounting member 200 can be thermally welded to predetermined positions (first position P1 and second position P2) of the composite sheet materials S1, S2.

[0108] Furthermore, the mounting member joining portion 95 provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment can also be configured to simultaneously thermally weld and join the mounting member 200 to the fixing member 210 provided in the storage container 100 shown in FIG. 7A, for example.

[0109] As is clear from Fig. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 10 described in this embodiment may be configured to have a width sufficient to allow multiple composite sheet materials to be conveyed side by side so that multiple sheets can be heat-sealed simultaneously. That is, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 may be, for example, wider composite sheet materials, or multiple composite sheet materials adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of each roller described above. This allows heat welding processing for wide composite sheet materials, thereby expanding the versatility of the manufacturing apparatus 10, and allowing multiple composite sheet materials to be set side by side in the longitudinal direction of the rollers, thereby significantly improving production efficiency.

[0110] The composite sheet materials S1 and S2 may be a two-layer film made by flattening a film-like resin extruded into a cylindrical shape. In addition to the blown film described above, films widely known as tubular films or blown films (hereinafter collectively referred to as "blown films") can be used.

[0111] The above-mentioned blown film is provided in a two-layered form in advance, and is therefore widely used as a raw material for various sheet-like products such as packaging films. On the other hand, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are not limited to being sheets of at least two layers of film prepared in advance, such as blown films. For example, multiple film sheets may be placed in the raw roll payout section 1, or the film sheets conveyed from the raw roll payout section 1 may be overlapped during the conveying process to form the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 each formed by combining multiple layers.

[0112] Here, the heat welding unit 40 provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is for thermally melting and joining the base sheets Sa and Sb constituting the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 at any desired location between them. Therefore, the base sheets Sa and Sb constituting the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 may themselves be made of a material having thermal melting properties, or may be configured such that a material having thermal melting properties is added or applied to the desired joining location, or that the material is attached in the form of a film.

[0113] Next, the relationship between the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the heat-welded portion 40 will be described in detail. 2, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 hang down from the lead-in roller 3 to the lead-out roller 4, sandwiching the base 6. Furthermore, in the heat welding section 40, a protective sheet 20 is disposed at the opposite position (on the outer surfaces of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2) so as to sandwich the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 with the base 6 at the center. The surfaces of the protective sheet 20 are approximately parallel to both sides of the base 6.

[0114] It is preferable that the protective sheet 20 is inserted and loosely stretched around protective sheet rollers 21 located near the lead-in roller 3 and the lead-out roller 4. When the heat-sealing unit 40 is in a standby position before pressing and heating so that the protective sheet 20 can be pressed against the base 6 to thermally weld the base sheets Sa, Sb that constitute the composite sheet materials S1, S2, the base 6 and the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the protective sheet 20 do not necessarily need to be in close contact with each other.

[0115] 1 and 2, the protective sheet 20 is configured to be able to be fed by passing through four protective sheet rollers 21 on each of the left and right sides (L, R), but is not limited to such a configuration. For example, two protective sheet rollers 21 for each of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 may be provided near the introduction roller 3 and the discharge roller 4 arranged above and below in the vertical direction in the manufacturing apparatus 10, and the protective sheet 20 may be wound around the protective sheet rollers 21, so that the protective sheet 20 is stretched along the surface of the base 6. Furthermore, the protective sheet rollers 21 may be provided with a mechanism that exerts, for example, a spring action, in order to loosely stretch the protective sheet 20.

[0116] 2 and 3, the peeling unit 30 is composed of a peeling bar, the axis of which is arranged substantially parallel to the axial direction of the third lead-in roller and the fourth lead-out roller which are arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction on the surface of the base 6. The peeling unit 30 is also composed of a peeling bar having a length equal to or greater than the width of the base 6, for example.

[0117] 3 shows the process in which, after the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are welded together, a peeling unit 30 made of a peeling bar is moved from below to above, peeling off the portions of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 that have been thermally bonded to the protective sheet 20. Experiments conducted by the present inventors have revealed that the use of a configuration including such a peeling unit 30 makes it possible to perform a rapid peeling process. As a result of trial and error investigation by the inventors into various techniques, it became clear that the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the protective sheet 20 can be easily peeled off without affecting the welded points by simply moving the peeling section 30 across the entire area in which the specified container pattern 100A is formed between the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the protective sheet 20.

[0118] Furthermore, the peeling section 30 is preferably composed of a cylindrical peeling bar arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2, or, more preferably, of at least a peeling bar whose surface in the moving direction for peeling the composite sheet materials S1, S2 and the protective sheet 20 is approximately cylindrical.

[0119] When the composite sheet material is heated by the heating roller head, adhesion may occur between the protective sheet and the composite sheet material, but if the composite sheet material is transported in this state, the composite sheet material or the protective sheet may be twisted, which is undesirable in terms of the quality of the storage container manufactured. On the other hand, the manufacturing device 10 of this embodiment employs a configuration including the peeling unit 30 as described above, so that even if adhesion occurs between the protective sheet 20 and the composite sheet material, they can be effectively peeled off, preventing the above-mentioned twisting and the like from occurring, which also leads to stabilization of the quality of the storage container manufactured.

[0120] An example of the heat welding section 40 including a heating roller head 41 that is a heat and pressure bonding device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C.

[0121] The manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with two sliding bars 61, 62 that extend perpendicular to each other. The sliding bars 61, 62 are disposed as a pair on both sides of the base 6 so as to be spaced apart at equal intervals.

[0122] The heat welding unit 40 has heating head support sliding members 43a, 43b configured to slide on sliding bars 61, 62. The heating head support sliding members 43a, 43b are integrally assembled to support the heating roller head 41, and are configured so that the heating roller head 41 can be moved approximately parallel to the surfaces of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in two-dimensional directions (X and Y directions) by a drive device (not shown).

[0123] The driving device for applying a moving force in the XY directions to the heating roller head 41 as described above can be configured, for example, by a motor capable of rotating forward and backward for each of the XY directions and capable of position control, and a belt 45 for transmitting the rotation of the motor, thereby driving and moving the heating head support sliding members 43a, 43b. As the motor as described above, for example, a servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like, or other structures capable of applying a power capable of position control may be adopted.

[0124] Furthermore, the heat welding unit 40 has a pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42 configured to support the heating roller head 41 and move the heating roller head 41 between a pressing position and a standby position in order to change the orientation of the heating roller head 41. The pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42 is configured to incorporate, for example, an electrically controllable solenoid, and to be able to move the heating roller head 41 back and forth between the pressing position and the standby position by turning the solenoid on and off.

[0125] In addition, in order to allow for more precise adjustment of the pressing force of the heating roller head 41 and the position of the heating roller head 41 from the protective sheet 20, the pressing / standby position adjustment section 42 may be configured to be adjustable in two or more stages or to be continuously extendable and retractable.

[0126] By configuring the heat welding unit 40 to be capable of delicately adjusting the position of the heating roller head 41, even if each surface of the base 6 is not flat, for example, even if the base 6 has a curved surface in response to the specification requirements of the resulting storage container, it is possible to press and heat weld along the curved surface. The curved surface of the base 6 is preferably symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the base 6 in the longitudinal direction, but it does not have to be symmetrical. As described above, in this embodiment, in addition to the base 6 that can be used on both sides, even if a base that is pressed by the heating roller head from only one side is used, it is possible to perform heat welding in the same manner as above. Moreover, by having a position adjustment function in the Z direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, even if the surface of the base is changed in the Z direction, the position is adjusted to follow the change, so that heat welding without breaks or joints is possible.

[0127] The pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42, which also serves as a support for the heating roller head 41, is attached to the heating head support sliding members 43a, 43b so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the XY plane and passing through the axis of the heating roller head 41. The pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42 rotates about the rotation axis 42a, so that the heating roller head 41 can freely change its orientation on the protective sheet 20.

[0128] In order to adjust the orientation of the heating roller head 41 more finely and accurately, a motor 46 whose rotation angle can be controlled, such as a DC stepping motor, is attached to the heating head support sliding members 43a, 43b, and the rotational force of the motor 46 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 42a of the pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42 via a belt 45.

[0129] Heating roller head 41, shown as a suitable example of a head (heat compression device) that performs heat welding in heat welding section 40, has its roller orientation changed in accordance with the movement direction of heating roller head 41 in the two-dimensional direction by rotating the above-mentioned pressure / standby position adjustment section 42.

[0130] For example, when performing heat welding in a curved pattern on a plane, it is preferable to change the direction of heating roller head 41 on protective sheet 20 so that it faces the moving direction according to the movement along the curved pattern (included in container pattern 100A). When performing welding in a right-angled pattern (included in container pattern 100A), the movement of heating roller head 41 is stopped at a corner on protective sheet 20 corresponding to the right angle, and the orientation of heating roller head 41 is changed at a right angle according to the pattern. At this time, the pressing force of heating roller head 41 against protective sheet 20 is adjusted in advance so that protective sheet 20 is not excessively twisted as the orientation of heating roller head 41 on protective sheet 20 changes.

[0131] By configuring the heat pressing device from heating roller head 41, it is possible to heat protective sheet 20 while rotating in a substantially vertical direction, and by rotating the roller around a central axis perpendicular to composite sheet materials S1, S2, it becomes easy to change the orientation of the roller. This also makes it easy to move the heating roller head 41, which is disposed opposite to the base 6, so that it becomes possible to simultaneously perform welding processing in the same pattern on each of composite sheet materials S1, S2.

[0132] Furthermore, by configuring the heating roller head 41 to move along sliding bars 61, 62 that are provided perpendicular to each other, the heating roller head 41 can move on the protective sheet 20 in two-dimensional directions. Furthermore, by configuring the heating roller head 41 to move between a pressing position where it presses against the surface of the base 6 and a standby position where it is positioned away from the base 6, it becomes easier to place the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 on the surface of the base 6.

[0133] Also, for the protective sheet 20 itself, a material that does not cause large friction with the heating roller head 41, or a material that has been subjected to an appropriate surface treatment is selected. From this viewpoint, it is preferable to use, for example, a glass fiber sheet impregnated with Teflon (registered trademark) as the protective sheet 20.

[0134] As described above, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are sandwiched between a pair of heating roller heads 41, and the heating roller heads 41 are allowed to move smoothly over the protective sheet 20 under sufficient pressure and heating conditions, making it possible to perform welding processing on the pair of composite sheet materials S1, S2 arranged on the underlying side in the desired container pattern 100A.

[0135] In the example described in this embodiment, a pair of heating roller heads 41 arranged on the left and right sides of the paper surface of FIG. 2 are configured to move in two-dimensional directions while facing each other, so that the container pattern 100A having the same heat welding pattern can be formed on both of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2. This basic configuration described in this embodiment can further increase the productivity of the container. For example, the longitudinal dimension of each of the rollers 2, 3, and 4 can be configured to be longer, and multiple composite sheet materials can be placed adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and processed. In this case, a pair of additional heat welding parts 40 can be provided for the adjacent composite sheet materials, and configured to slide on the same sliding bars 61 and 62, making it possible to process multiple large-sized container patterns 100A with the same quality and pattern at the same time.

[0136] In addition, by using a pair of heating roller heads 41 to heat and press from one side or both sides of the hanging base 6, it is possible to weld the heat-weldable composite sheet materials S1, S2 set on one side 6a of the base 6, or on both one side 6a and the other side 6b, into a predetermined container pattern 100A.

[0137] Furthermore, since the base 6 can also support each other's heating roller heads 41, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 on both sides can be supported by the same base 6 and welded with the same degree of pressure, making it possible to manufacture both composite sheet materials S1, S2 with the specified quality.

[0138] 5 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of a control device 70 provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the manufacturing apparatus 10 is provided with a protective sheet 20, a peeling unit 30, a heat welding unit 40, a sheet conveying unit 50, a gusset forming unit 90, and an attachment member joining unit 95, each of which is electrically connected to the control device 70.

[0139] The control device 70 is configured to have a memory 80 for storing an operation program, and in accordance with the operation program, controls a winding drive unit 20a for tensioning the protective sheet 20; a peeling drive unit 30a for operating the peeling unit 30 to peel the composite sheet materials S1, S2 from the protective sheet 20; a drive unit 40a for two-dimensionally moving the heat welding unit 40 in the XY directions, moving between the pressurizing and standby positions (or performing stepwise or continuous position adjustment), rotating, and heating; The functions of the protective sheet 20, peeling unit 30, heat welding unit 40, sheet conveying unit 50, gusset forming unit 90 and mounting member joining unit 95 can be achieved by integrally controlling each of the following: a conveying drive unit 50a that performs conveying drive for conveying; a gusset forming unit 90 that folds multiple base sheets Sa, Sb of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to form a gusset shape; and an attachment member joining unit 95 that joins multiple attachment members 200 by thermal welding to attach the storage container 100 to the inside of a container container not shown.

[0140] The control device 70 may be a general PC (personal computer), a tablet terminal, or a conventionally known sequence device, etc., without any restrictions, and may control the driving of each peripheral device using a general-purpose interface. In the example described in this embodiment, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are transported by the rotation of the introduction roller 3 and the lead-out roller 4, but may be configured to be transported by rollers other than the introduction roller 3 and the lead-out roller 4. In the example described in this embodiment, the introduction roller 3 and the lead-out roller 4 are configured as a combination of multiple rollers, but this is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the transport drive of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 may be configured to rotate only one set of the rollers, for example, the first introduction roller 3A (R, L) and the first lead-out roller 4A (R, L), by the power of a motor or the like, or other main rollers may be provided as rollers for transport drive.

[0141] An example of a process for thermally welding the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 by executing an operation program by the control device 70 will be described below.

[0142] In the initial stage, the heat welding unit 40 is disposed in a standby position. The composite sheet materials S1, S2 pulled out from the original roll pay-out unit 1 are introduced into the gusset forming unit 90 via the relay roller 2, and are then set between the base 6 and the protective sheet 20 via the introduction roller 3, and then onto the delivery roller 4, whereby the heat bonding operation can begin. At this time, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are folded into a gusset shape in the gusset forming unit 90, and the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are introduced into the introduction roller 3.

[0143] When the control device 70 starts the heat bonding control, the control device 70 supplies power for heating to the heating means in the heat welding section 40. The heating means in this case can be, for example, a heater built in the heating roller head 41, and the surface of the heating roller head 41 is heated to a temperature at which the sheet can be heat-welded by the heater supplied with power. The heating roller head 41 is also provided with a sensor (not shown) for detecting the heating temperature, and the heating temperature generated by the heater is controlled so that the temperature is within a predetermined range suitable for heat welding by stopping heating when the heating section reaches a predetermined temperature or higher and heating when the heating section reaches a predetermined temperature or lower. Note that, since the melting temperatures differ depending on the materials of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 used, the temperature range may be configured to be arbitrarily changeable by a program.

[0144] When the control device 70 detects that the heating roller head 41 has reached a temperature range suitable for thermal welding, it moves a pair of heat welding units 40 arranged opposite each other so as to weld the target pattern (container pattern 100A).

[0145] FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a heat-sealing unit 40A having a heating roller head 41A having a different shape from the heating roller head 41 of the heat-sealing unit 40 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C. The above-mentioned heating roller head 41 is configured so that the entire surface of the roller is used as a heating portion while rotating on an axis like a vehicle tire, but the inventors have repeatedly conducted experiments to find the optimal shape of the heating roller head. As a result, it has been found that the types of composite sheet materials S1 and S2 used, the material and surface treatment of the protective sheet 20 used, and the pressing force of the heat welding part 40 can be optimally combined. As a result, it has become clear that even when a heating roller head with a shape that does not roll on the heating surface is used, the protective sheet 20 does not shift, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 underneath do not peel off, or wrinkles do not occur, and the heating roller head can smoothly run over the protective sheet 20 made of heat-resistant glass cloth or the like, and can be effectively thermocompressed.

[0146] In this way, it is possible to use a heating roller head having a different shape from the above depending on the purpose of use. That is, the heating roller head may be of a non-rotating structure as described above, and the width of the roller used for heating may be configured to vary depending on the conditions of use. The heating roller head may have a hemispherical tip shape as shown in FIG. 6, or may be a spherical head attached to a heating head support member so as to be rotatable about its axis, although detailed illustration is omitted. In addition, for example, a spherical head shape like the tip of a ballpoint pen or a head shape having a polygonal shape such as an ellipse, rectangle, or triangle in the shape of the contact surface with the protective sheet 20 may be adopted, and the width of the contact surface in the direction in which the heating roller head advances may be configured to vary. Also, for example, the pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42 supporting the heating roller head 41 via the belt 45 shown in FIG. 4B may be rotated to intentionally change the line width of the welded portion in the direction in which the heating roller head 41 advances.

[0147] Furthermore, the heating roller head may be made replaceable by being detached from the pressing / standby position adjustment unit 42, so that it can be adapted to various composite sheet materials each having a different purpose. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this specification that the heating roller head may employ any heating method as long as the heating temperature can be controlled by supplying electric power.

[0148] Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2, the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment can adopt a configuration in which a cylindrical cover joint is provided to cover the other end 170 side of the storage container 100 with a cylindrical cover 300 (see Figure 7A, etc.).

[0149] According to the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, for composite sheet materials S1, S2 of very large size, for example, 2 m wide and 5 m long, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 can be easily set near one surface 6a and / or the other surface 6b of the base 6 by transporting the composite sheet materials S1, S2 while utilizing the force of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 stretching in the up and down vertical direction due to their own weight. This makes it possible to easily sandwich the composite sheet materials S1, S2 between each surface of the base 6 and the protective sheet 20.

[0150] Furthermore, with the manufacturing apparatus 10, it is possible to provide a seamless storage container 100 (see FIG. 7A, etc.) that is thermally welded in a freely curved shape by the two-dimensionally moving heating roller head 41 for extremely large sized composite sheet materials S1, S2. For example, in a storage container that has a large three-dimensional shape, the portions that will be the inlet and outlet for the contents can be created in a single stroke by the heating roller head 41. This allows a safe and inexpensive storage container to be manufactured.

[0151] In addition, by providing the protective sheet 20, direct contact between the heating roller head 41 and the composite sheet materials S1, S2 can be prevented, so that it is possible to prevent parts of the thermally melted base material sheets Sa, Sb from adhering to the heating roller head 41 and being carried away, which would cause holes to be made in the composite sheet materials S1, S2 or cause the thicknesses of the layers of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to become uneven.

[0152] In particular, when the heating roller head 41 is configured as a head whose orientation can be changed, even if the orientation of the heating roller head 41 is changed to perform thermal welding with a predetermined container pattern 100A, the welded portion will not be twisted and holes will not be made, and the welded portion will not become thin, due to the heating roller head 41. In addition, it becomes possible to more flexibly control the heating for thermal welding.

[0153] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are processed into a gusset shape in the gusset forming section 90 and are introduced into the heat welding section 40 (40A) in a folded state, so that the heat welding section 40 (40A) does not become large. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the entire apparatus from becoming large, and it is possible to reduce the apparatus cost and, ultimately, the overall cost related to manufacturing.

[0154] [Manufacturing method of storage container] Next, a method for manufacturing a storage container of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to an example in which the storage container 100 is manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment described above, with appropriate reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 and 7A to 7D, as described above. In the following description, the manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment and the storage container 100 obtained thereby are given the same reference numerals as those already described, and will be described with reference to the same drawings. In addition, in the description of the manufacturing apparatus 10 and the storage container 100, detailed description of the contents already described may be omitted.

[0155] The manufacturing method of this embodiment is a method for manufacturing a storage container 100 that is to be contained in a cylindrical container vessel and used by thermally welding and joining composite sheet materials S1, S2, which are made of base sheets Sa, Sb formed by stacking a plurality of flexible resin sheets and have opposing faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposing faces.

[0156] The manufacturing method of this embodiment at least includes the following steps (1) to (3) in order. (1) A gusset forming process in which the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are formed into a tubular shape including a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120 arranged opposite each other, each of which is made of a base sheet Sa, Sb, and a pair of side portions 130, 140 arranged opposite each other between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and the pair of side portions 130, 140 are formed into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, thereby forming the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a gusset shape that can be folded flat while overlapping the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and can be expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state. (2) A thermal welding process in which the flatly folded composite sheet materials S1, S2 are sandwiched between a base 6 and a protective sheet 20, and a heating roller head (thermocompressor) 41 moves in two dimensions over the surface of the protective sheet 20 while pressing the protective sheet 20, thereby heating the composite sheet materials S1, S2 while pressing them, and thermally welding the multiple base sheets Sa, Sb at predetermined opposing positions, thereby processing the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A. (3) An attachment member joining process for joining a plurality of attachment members 200 for attaching the storage container 100 to the inside of a container vessel to a first position P1 and a second position P2 in the container pattern 100A, the first position P1 and the second position P2 being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2.

[0157] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which, in addition to the steps (1) to (3) above, a cylindrical cover joining step (4) is further included. (4) After the thermal welding process or the mounting member joining process, areas other than the container pattern 100A are removed from the composite sheet materials S1, S2 to obtain the storage container 100, and then a cylindrical cover joining process is performed to cover the other end 170 side of the storage container 100 with a cylindrical cover 300.

[0158] The procedures and conditions for each of the steps (1) to (4) above will be described in detail below.

[0159] (1) Gusset formation process In the gusset forming process, as described above, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are folded flat while overlapping the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120, and are formed into a gusset shape that can be deployed three-dimensionally from the flat state.

[0160] Specifically, in the gusset forming process, long composite sheet materials S1, S2 unwound from a raw material roll are formed into a shape including a gusset structure. That is, for example, a cylindrically formed inflation film is folded flat to form a two-layer structure consisting of base sheets Sa and Sb, and the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are used as the composite sheet materials S1 and S2. Then, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are respectively paid out from two original rolls (see original roll payout section 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2) around which the composite sheet material S1 or the composite sheet material S2 is wound.

[0161] 1 and 2, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are formed into a tubular shape including a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120, which are respectively made of base sheets Sa, Sb and are arranged to face each other, and a pair of side portions 130, 140, which are arranged to face each other between the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120. At the same time, in the gusset forming process, the pair of side portions 130, 140 are formed into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion 110 and the rear portion 120.

[0162] More specifically, for example, the base sheets Sa and Sb are folded in half at positions corresponding to the pair of side portions 130 and 140 on the inside of the composite sheet materials S1 and S2, respectively. At this time, a valley fold (gusset portion) 131 is formed approximately near the center in the width direction of the side portion 130, and a valley fold (gusset portion) 141 is similarly formed approximately near the center in the width direction of the side portion 140.

[0163] Then, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are processed into a gusset shape by interposing a pair of side portions 130, 140 between positions corresponding to the front portion 110 and the rear portion of the base sheets Sa, Sb, respectively, and these composite sheet materials S1, S2 are folded into a flat shape and transported to the next process, which is the heat welding process.

[0164] (2) Heat welding process In the heat welding step, as described above, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 are processed into a predetermined container pattern 100A.

[0165] Specifically, in the thermal welding process, the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 folded flat in the gusset forming process are sandwiched between the base 6 and the protective sheet 20. Then, a heating roller head (thermocompression device) 41 moves two-dimensionally on the surface of the protective sheet 20 while pressing the protective sheet 20. At this time, the heating roller head 41 heats the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 while pressing them through the protective sheet 20, and heat-welds the multiple base sheets Sa and Sb at predetermined opposing positions, i.e., at positions that become the outline of the container pattern 100A (storage container 100). This gives the shape of the container pattern 100A to the composite sheet materials S1 and S2.

[0166] In the example described in this embodiment, container pattern 100A is formed so that one end 160 side and the other end 170 side of container pattern 100A in the longitudinal direction of composite sheet materials S1, S2 have a smaller cross-sectional area when expanded three-dimensionally from a flat state than body portion 150 located between one end 160 side and the other end 170 side (see Figure 7B, etc.).

[0167] In addition, in the example described in this embodiment, container pattern 100A is formed so that inclined portions 180, whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases when expanded three-dimensionally from a flat state, are disposed between body portion 150 and one end portion 160 and the other end portion 170 as they move from body portion 150 toward one end portion 160 and the other end portion 170 (see also FIG. 7B).

[0168] In the above-described heat welding process, it is preferable to further form sealing portions 163, 173 for sealing opening ends 162, 172 in the vicinity of opening ends 162, 172 of one end 160 and the other end 170 of container pattern 100A. In this manner, for example, by sealing one end 160, which is the introduction side for the contained object, and the other end 170, which is the discharge side for the contained object, with sealing portions 163, 173, respectively, it is possible to prevent impurities and the like from entering the inside of the container during manufacture and during unused period.

[0169] Furthermore, when sealing portion 303 is formed in the thermal welding step, it is more preferable to form it while drawing a vacuum inside container pattern 100A. This allows the inside of completed storage container 100 to be in a substantially vacuum state, making it possible to eliminate impurities and the like remaining inside to the greatest extent possible.

[0170] As described in the description of the manufacturing apparatus 10, in the thermal welding process, the base 6 is made of a vertically extending middle plate, the composite sheet material S1 or the composite sheet material S2 is vertically extended on each of the one surface 6a and the other surface 6b of the base 6, and each composite sheet material S1, S2 is sandwiched between the base 6 and the protective sheet 20 and heated while being pressed. By making the thermal welding process a process including the above-mentioned processing method and thermally welding a plurality of base sheets Sa, Sb at predetermined opposing positions, it is possible to form a container pattern 100A having excellent strength characteristics and appearance characteristics at the thermally welded portions, and ultimately to manufacture a storage container 100 having excellent capacity maintenance and safety.

[0171] (3) Mounting component joining process In the attachment member joining step, as described above, a plurality of attachment members 200 for attaching the storage container 100 to the inside of a container container are joined to the first position P1 and the second position P2 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in the container pattern 100A. In the attachment member joining step of the example described in this embodiment, as in the example shown in Figures 7A to 7B, the attachment members 200 are joined so as to be disposed at both ends of the body portion 150 in the longitudinal direction of the container pattern 100A (the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2).

[0172] More specifically, in the mounting member joining step of the example described in this embodiment, the mounting member 200 is joined at the first position P1 and the second position P2 to the corners between the front surface portion 110 and the rear surface portion 120 and the pair of side portions 130, 140. That is, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C, the mounting member 200 is joined at a total of eight locations, including four locations at the first position P1 and four locations at the second position P2.

[0173] As described in the explanation of the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, in the mounting member joining process, the mounting member 200 can be thermally welded to each of the above-mentioned positions using the mounting member joining portion 95 to the container pattern 100A formed on the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 in the thermal welding process.

[0174] In the mounting member joining step, for example, the fixing member 210 provided in the storage container 100 shown in FIG. 7A may also be joined to the composite sheet materials S1 and S2 by heat welding at the same time as the mounting member 200.

[0175] (4) Cylindrical cover joining process As described above, the manufacturing method of this embodiment may include a cylindrical cover joining step of covering the other end 170 side of the storage container 100 with a cylindrical cover 300 after the thermal welding step or the mounting member joining step.

[0176] Specifically, in the cylindrical cover joining step, the regions of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 other than the container pattern 100A are removed to obtain the outer shape of the storage container 100, and then the cylindrical cover 300 is joined to the storage container 100 using a heat welding means not shown. At this time, the position of the fixed end 301 of the cylindrical cover 300 is joined to the vicinity of the extended base end 171 of the other end 170 of the body 150 of the storage container 100 by heat welding using a fixed seal 310.

[0177] In addition, in the cylindrical cover joining process, the cylindrical cover 300 is joined to the storage container 100 using the above-mentioned procedure, and a sealing portion 303 is formed by heat sealing the vicinity of the opening end 302 located on the opposite side to the fixed end 301 of the cylindrical cover 300.

[0178] As described above, the method of obtaining the outer shape of the storage container 100 by removing the areas of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 other than the container pattern 100A as burrs is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known burr removal method and device may be used.

[0179] Furthermore, the method for heat-welding the cylindrical cover 300 to the storage container 100 is not particularly limited, and for example, a general heater or the like can be used.

[0180] In addition, in the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the order in which the cylindrical cover joining process is performed is not particularly limited as long as it is after the areas other than the container pattern 100A in the composite sheet materials S1, S2 have been removed to form the shape of the storage container 100, and it may be after the thermal welding process (before the mounting member joining process) or after the mounting member joining process.

[0181] [Effects] As described above, the manufacturing method for the storage container 100 of this embodiment employs a method including a gusset forming step of processing the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a gusset structure, a heat welding step of processing the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A, and an attachment member joining step of joining a plurality of attachment members 200 to a first position P1 and a second position P2 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the container pattern 100A. That is, first, the composite sheet materials S1, S2 are processed into a shape having a gusset structure, and then, in a folded state, the plurality of base sheets Sa, Sb are heat welded at predetermined positions to process the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into the predetermined container pattern 100A, thereby making it possible to manufacture a storage container 100 that is excellent in cleanliness, safety, and storage, transportability, and handleability using equipment of existing size. Furthermore, by joining a plurality of mounting members 200 to two positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet materials S1, S2 in the container pattern 100A, excellent handleability can be obtained when the storage container 100 is stored in a container vessel and unfolded. Also, when the storage container 100 is stored in a container vessel and filled with contents, no deformation or breakage occurs, so leakage of the contents and reduction in storage capacity can be prevented, and strength characteristics are also stabilized. Therefore, even when manufacturing a large, strong storage container 100, it is possible to produce the storage container 100 with excellent capacity maintenance, safety, storage, transportability, and handling properties at low cost and with good productivity without requiring larger equipment.

[0182] Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of the storage container 100 of this embodiment, as described above, a configuration is adopted that includes a gusset forming section that processes the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a gusset structure, a heat welding section that processes the composite sheet materials S1, S2 into a predetermined container pattern 100A, and an attachment member joining section 95 that joins a plurality of attachment members 200 for attaching the storage container 100 to the inside of a container vessel. As a result, even when manufacturing a large and strong storage container 100 as described above, it is possible to manufacture the storage container 100 that is excellent in capacity maintenance, safety, storage, transportability, handling, etc., without incurring an increase in the size of the equipment, and with good productivity and at low cost.

[0183] [Modifications of the present invention] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the method and apparatus for manufacturing a storage container of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention and the scope of the appended claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0184] The method for producing a storage container of the present invention is a method that can produce a storage container that is clean, safe, and easy to store, transport, handle, etc., at a high productivity and at a low cost, without requiring larger equipment or more complicated processes, even when producing a large, strong storage container. Therefore, the production method of the present invention is very suitable for applications in which various medicines, industrial materials, food ingredients, etc. are stored, transported, and even used in a container during the process of using the ingredients. [Explanation of symbols]

[0185] 10...Manufacturing equipment (container manufacturing equipment) 1…Roller roll feeding section 2...Relay roller 3. Introduction roller 3A(R,L)…First lead-in roller 3B(R,L)…Second lead-in roller 3C(R,L)…Third lead-in roller 4...Outlet roller 4A(R,L)…First lead-out roller 4B(R,L)…Second lead-out roller 4C(R,L)…Third outlet roller 6… Foundation 6a…One side 6b…The other side 20(R,L)…Protective sheet 20a... Winding drive section 21(R,L)…Protection sheet roller 30(R,L)…Peeling section (peeling bar) 30a…Peeling drive unit 40(R,L),40A…heat welding part 40a...Drive unit 41...Heating roller head (heat pressing device) 42…Pressing and standby position adjustment section 42a...Rotating shaft 43a, 43b...heating head support sliding member 45…Belt 46…Motor 50...Sheet transport section 50a...Transport drive unit 61,62...Sliding bar 70...Control device 80…Memory 90…Gusset forming section 95…Mounting component joint S1, S2: Composite sheet material Sa, Sb: Base sheet 100…container 100A…Container pattern 110...Front section 120...Rear section 130, 140...A pair of side portions (side portions) 131, 141…Valley fold (gusset) 150…Torso 160...One end 161...Extended proximal end 162…Open end 163…Sealing part 170...Other end 171...Extending proximal end 172…Open end 173…Sealing part 180…Slope part 200…Mounting material 210...Fixing member 300…Cylindrical cover 301…Fixed end 302…Open end 303…Sealing part 310…Fixed seal P1: First position P2: Second position

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a storage container to be used in a cylindrical container vessel by thermally welding a composite sheet material made of a base sheet formed by laminating a plurality of flexible resin sheets, the composite sheet material being formed by overlapping a plurality of the base sheets having opposing faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposing faces, the method comprising the steps of: a gusset forming process for forming the composite sheet material into a tubular shape including a front portion and a rear portion, each of which is made of the base sheet and arranged to face each other, and a pair of side portions arranged to face each other between the front portion and the rear portion, and forming each of the pair of side portions into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion and the rear portion, thereby forming the composite sheet material into a gusset shape that can be folded into a flat state while overlapping the front portion and the rear portion, and can be expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state; a heat welding process in which the flatly folded composite sheet material is sandwiched between a base and a protective sheet, and a heat pressing device is moved in a two-dimensional direction over the surface of the protective sheet while pressing the protective sheet, thereby heating the composite sheet material while pressing it, and heat welding the plurality of base sheets at predetermined positions on the opposing surfaces, thereby processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern; a mounting member joining process for joining a plurality of mounting members for mounting the storage container inside the container container to first and second positions in the container pattern that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material.

2. The method for manufacturing a storage container as described in claim 1, characterized in that the gusset forming process folds the positions of the base sheet corresponding to the pair of side portions in a double-fold shape toward the inside of the composite sheet material, and interposes the pair of side portions between the positions of the base sheet corresponding to the front portion and the rear portion.

3. The method for manufacturing a storage container as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the thermal welding process forms the container pattern so that one end side and the other end side of the container pattern in the longitudinal direction have a smaller cross-sectional area when expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state than a body portion arranged between the one end side and the other end side.

4. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 3, characterized in that the thermal welding process forms the container pattern so that an inclined portion is arranged between the body portion and the one end portion and the other end portion, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases when expanded three-dimensionally from the flat state as it moves from the body portion toward the one end portion and the other end portion.

5. 4. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 3, wherein the heat welding step forms sealing portions for sealing the opening ends in the vicinity of the opening ends of the one end and the other end of the container pattern.

6. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 5 , wherein the heat welding step forms the sealing portion while drawing a vacuum inside the container pattern.

7. The method for manufacturing a storage container as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the heat welding process includes a step of: the base being made of a middle plate extending in a vertical direction; extending the composite sheet material in the vertical direction on each of one side and the other side of the base; sandwiching each of the composite sheet materials between the base and the protective sheet and heating them while pressing them together, thereby heat welding the multiple base sheets at predetermined positions on the opposing sides.

8. 3. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the mounting member joining process joins the mounting member to corners between the front portion and the rear portion and each of the pair of side portions at the first position and the second position in the longitudinal direction of the container pattern, respectively.

9. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 8, characterized in that the mounting member joining process joins the mounting members so that they are positioned at both ends of a body portion that is located between one end and the other end of the container pattern in the longitudinal direction.

10. The method for manufacturing a storage container as described in claim 3, further comprising a cylindrical cover joining process, which includes, after the thermal welding process or the mounting member joining process, removing areas other than the container pattern in the composite sheet material to obtain the storage container, and then covering the other end side of the storage container with a cylindrical cover.

11. 3. The method for manufacturing a storage container according to claim 1, wherein an inflation film is used as the composite sheet material.

12. A device for manufacturing a storage container to be used in a cylindrical container vessel by thermally welding and joining a composite sheet material, which is made of a base sheet formed by laminating a plurality of flexible resin sheets and has opposing faces that are not joined to each other, at predetermined positions on the opposing faces, the device comprising: a gusset forming section which forms the composite sheet material into a tubular shape including a front portion and a rear portion, each of which is made of the base sheet and arranged to face each other, and a pair of side portions arranged to face each other between the front portion and the rear portion, and which is provided with folding means for forming each of the pair of side portions into a gusset structure that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion and the rear portion, and which forms the composite sheet material into a gusset shape that can be folded inward while connecting the front portion and the rear portion, and which is folded into a flat shape while overlapping the front portion and the rear portion, and which can be expanded three-dimensionally from the flat shape; a heat welding section including a base having at least one surface extending in a vertical direction, a sheet conveying means for feeding the composite sheet material from above to below in the vertical direction toward at least one surface of the base, a protective sheet configured to cooperate with at least one surface of the base to sandwich the flat folded composite sheet material therebetween, and a heat compression bonder for pressing the protective sheet while moving in a two-dimensional direction on the surface of the protective sheet sandwiching the composite sheet material between the base and the protective sheet, the heat compression bonder pressing the composite sheet material while heating it to heat-seal the multiple base sheets at predetermined positions on the opposing sides, thereby processing the composite sheet material into a predetermined container pattern; The storage container manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that it comprises: mounting member joints at first and second positions in the container pattern spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the composite sheet material, the mounting members joining the storage container to the inside of the container container, respectively.

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