Pouch manufacturing method, pouch manufacturing device, and tool set for points

The pouch manufacturing method and device use a heat welding process with preheating, point welding, and post-welding techniques to prevent air bubbles in film seals, ensuring a strong and bubble-free seal.

JP2025124373APending Publication Date: 2025-08-26TOYO SEIKAN KAISHA LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024020377
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-02-14
Publication Date
2025-08-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Air bubbles form in the sealed portion of pouches made by heat welding overlapping films, which compromises the integrity of the seal.

Method used

A pouch manufacturing method and device that includes a heat welding process using point tools with specific configurations to prevent air bubbles, involving preheating, point welding, and post-welding processes to ensure proper film contact without the end separation portion, and using flexible and metal tools to maintain sealing integrity.

Benefits of technology

Prevents air bubbles from entering the sealed portion with a simple configuration, ensuring a strong and bubble-free seal.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a pouch manufacturing method for suppression of entry of air bubbles to a seal portion, a pouch manufacturing device, and a tool set for points.SOLUTION: In a pouch manufacturing method including a thermal welding step of applying thermal welding to a first film F1 and a second film F2 having been overlapped, the pouch manufacturing method is characterized by that the first film F1 includes a film overlapping part F1a and a film single part F1b, the film single part F1b has an end adjacent part F1d and an end distanced part F1e, and the thermal welding step includes a point welding treatment of applying thermal welding in a range that does not include an end distanced part F1e in a seal planned region and includes an end adjacent part F1d and a film overlapping part F1a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pouch manufacturing method, a pouch manufacturing device, and a pointing tool set that include a heat welding process for heat welding a first film and a second film that have a film overlap portion formed by overlapping multiple films. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Pouches made of resin films have been known as packaging containers for packaging various fluid contents such as foodstuffs (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also known is a pouch formed by heat welding a first film and a second film that have a film overlapping portion formed by overlapping a plurality of films. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-302983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the applicant was developing the pouch described above, it was discovered that air bubbles were forming in the sealed portion formed by heat welding the first film and the second film together, which had a film overlap portion.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve these problems and provide a pouch manufacturing method, a pouch manufacturing device, and a pointing tool set that have a simple configuration and prevent air bubbles from entering the sealed portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pouch manufacturing method of the present invention is a pouch manufacturing method including a heat welding step of heat welding overlapped first and second films, wherein the first film includes a film overlap portion where multiple films are overlapped, and a single film portion adjacent to the film overlap portion in the short direction of the film, and the single film portion has an end adjacent portion adjacent to the overlap portion side end portion, which is the end portion of the single film portion on the film overlap portion side, and an end separation portion distant from the overlap portion side end portion, and the heat welding step includes a point welding process of heat welding an area in the intended sealing area that does not include the end separation portion but includes the end adjacent portion and the film overlap portion, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem. The pouch manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a pouch manufacturing apparatus for carrying out a pouch manufacturing method including a heat sealing step of heat sealing overlapping first and second films, wherein the first film comprises a film overlapping portion where multiple films are overlapped, and a single film portion adjacent to the film overlapping portion in the short direction of the film, and the single film portion has an end adjacent portion adjacent to the overlapping portion side end which is the end of the single film portion on the film overlapping portion side, and an end separation portion away from the overlapping portion side end, and the pouch manufacturing apparatus comprises a first point tool arranged outside the first film and a second point tool arranged outside the second film, and the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool are configured to perform heat sealing in an area including the end adjacent portion and the film overlapping portion but not the end separation portion in the area to be sealed, thereby solving the above problem. The point tool set of the present invention is a point tool set for performing point welding processing on overlapping first and second films, and comprises a first point tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second point tool arranged on the outside of the second film, wherein one of the press sections of the first point tool and the second point tool has a press surface that has a convex curved surface that curves along the longitudinal direction of the film at least in the center of the short side of the film, and the other of the press sections of the first point tool and the second point tool has a flat surface at the center of the longitudinal direction of the film at least in the center of the short side of the film, thereby solving the above problem.

[0008] In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the point welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first point tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second point tool arranged on the outside of the second film, and at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool may be formed from a flexible material. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the point welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first point tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second point tool arranged on the outside of the second film, and at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool may have a press surface formed in a shape that is more bulging in the center than at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the film, at least in the center in the short direction of the film. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool may have a press surface that has a convex curved surface at the center of the film longitudinal direction that curves along the film longitudinal direction. In any of the above pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the convex curved surface may be formed as a curved surface having a curvature radius of 4 to 30 mm. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool may be formed from metal and its press surface may have the convex curved surface, and the other of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool may be formed from a flexible material. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the press portion of the second point tool may be formed from metal and its press surface may have the convex curved surface, and the press portion of the first point tool may be formed from a flexible material. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or pointing tool sets, at least one of the press portion of the first pointing tool and the press portion of the second pointing tool may have a press surface formed in a shape that is more bulging in the center than at both ends in the short direction of the film, at least in the center in the longitudinal direction of the film. In any of the above-described pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the heat welding step may include a preheating process, prior to the point welding process, in which preheating is performed on an area in the intended sealing area that includes at least the end adjacent portion and the film overlap portion. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the preheating treatment is carried out by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first preheating tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second preheating tool arranged on the outside of the second film, and the press portion of the first preheating tool and the press portion of the second preheating tool may be formed from metal. In any of the above-described pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing apparatuses, or pointing tool sets, the press portion of the first preheating tool and the press portion of the second preheating tool may have a flat surface in the center of the film longitudinal direction as their press surfaces. In any of the above-described pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the heat welding step may include a post-welding process that, after the point welding process, performs heat welding on an area that includes the end separation portion, the end adjacent portion, and the film overlap portion in the intended sealing area. In any of the above-mentioned pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or point tool sets, the post-welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first post-welding tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second post-welding tool arranged on the outside of the second film, and at least one of the press portion of the first post-welding tool and the press portion of the second post-welding tool may be formed from a flexible material. In any of the above-described pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or pointing tool sets, the end adjacent portion may be a portion whose width dimension in the short direction of the film is 3 mm + 3T + to 20 mm + 3T, where T (mm) is the thickness of the first film. In any of the above pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing apparatuses, or point tool sets, the region to be sealed may be a region to be side-sealed. In any of the above-described pouch manufacturing methods, pouch manufacturing devices, or pointing tool sets, the film overlap portion may be a portion formed by folding the film in a Z-shape in the short direction of the film. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from entering the sealed portion with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a first film and a second film. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pouch manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a press part of a first point tool. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a processing region in each process. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pouch to be manufactured. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified example of the first film. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified example of the first film. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the results of a test to confirm an appropriate width dimension of the end adjacent portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A pouch manufacturing apparatus 10 and a pouch manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" used in this specification refer to the upstream and downstream in the film transport direction.

[0012] The pouch manufacturing apparatus 10 successively performs heat welding processes on the heat-sealed portions of the long first film F1 and second film F2 that are stacked and fed along the conveying path in a heat-sealing area set up on the conveying path, thereby continuously manufacturing pouches P as bag-shaped packaging containers made by heat-sealing flexible resin films at predetermined locations.

[0013] The first film F1 is made of a flexible resin film having a heat-seal layer, and as shown in Figure 1, has a film overlap portion F1a where multiple films are overlapped, and a single film portion F1b adjacent to the film overlap portion F1a in the film's short direction Y.

[0014] The film overlap portion F1a is a portion where a part of the first film F1 overlaps, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 5(a), it is formed as a portion having two folds formed by folding the film in a Z shape in the film's short direction Y.

[0015] In this embodiment, the film single portion F1b is formed on both sides of the film overlap portion F1a in the film short direction Y, and as shown in Figure 5(a), it has an end adjacent portion F1d adjacent to the overlap portion side end portion F1c, which is the end portion of the film single portion F1b on the film overlap portion F1a side, and an end separation portion F1e adjacent to the end adjacent portion F1d and separated from the overlap portion side end portion F1c. As shown in Figure 5(a), the end adjacent portion F1d is a portion adjacent to the overlapping portion side end portion F1c, and when the thickness of the first film F1 is T (mm), the width dimension in the film's short direction Y is 3 mm + 3T + to 20 mm + 3T (more preferably 5 mm + 3T to 15 mm + 3T). The second film F2 is made of a flexible resin film having a heat seal layer, and as shown in FIG. 1, is a flat film material that has not been folded or otherwise processed.

[0016] Although FIG. 1 shows the first film F1 superimposed on the upper side of the second film F2, the first film F1 may be disposed below the second film F2. The region indicated by the symbol Rp in FIG. 1 is a region that schematically represents a pouch-prepared region Rp that will become the pouch P after cutting processing.

[0017] Each component of the pouch manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] First, the pouch manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a film conveying device (not shown) that conveys the films F1 and F2 along the film conveying direction, a heat sealing mechanism 20 that applies heat sealing processing to the films F1 and F2, a cutting mechanism (not shown) that applies cutting processing to the films F1 and F2, and a control unit (not shown) that consists of a personal computer having a CPU or the like, a PLC, or the like that controls each part of the pouch manufacturing apparatus 10.

[0019] The heat sealing mechanism 20 includes the following tools for heat-sealing the films F1 and F2 to form the side seal portion P3a: preheating tools 30A and 30B installed in the preheating area A1, point tools 40A and 40B installed in the point welding area A2, and post-welding tools 50A and 50B installed in the post-welding area A3, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] The preheating tools 30A, 30B perform preheating treatment on the films F1, F2 by sandwiching the films F1, F2 between the press sections 31A, 31B, which are set to a high temperature (approximately 200°C in this embodiment), and include a first preheating tool 30A that is positioned on the outside of the first film F1 and a second preheating tool 30B that is positioned on the outside of the second film F2, as shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, at least one preheating tool 30A, 30B is installed in each preheating area A1.

[0021] The press sections 31A and 31B of the preheating tools 30A and 30B are formed from a metal such as aluminum, brass, or cast iron, and as shown in Figure 3(c), their press surfaces (at least in the center of the film's short-side direction Y) include flat surfaces 31Aa and 31Ba formed in the center of the film's longitudinal direction X and perpendicular to the film's front-to-back direction (up-and-down direction), and inclined surfaces 31Ab and 31Bb formed on both sides of the flat surfaces 31Aa and 31Ba in the film's longitudinal direction X (which are convexly curved and inclined so as to move away from the film as they extend outward). The width of flat surfaces 31Aa, 31Ba of preheating tools 30A, 30B in the longitudinal direction X of the film is set to about 90 to 99% of the width of the entire press surface of preheating tools 30A, 30B in the longitudinal direction X of the film.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5(d), the press sections 31A and 31B of the preheating tools 30A and 30B are formed to preheat (heat at a temperature that does not cause thermal welding) a range that includes at least the end adjacent section F1d and the film overlap section F1a (in this embodiment, a range that includes the end separation section F1e, the end adjacent section F1d, and the film overlap section F1a) of the sealing area (side sealing area Rs) of the films F1 and F2.

[0023] The pointing tools 40A, 40B perform point welding processing on the films F1, F2 by clamping the films F1, F2 from the front to the back of the film using press sections 41A, 41B set to a high temperature, and as shown in Figure 2, include a first pointing tool 40A that is positioned on the outside of the first film F1 and a second pointing tool 40B that is positioned on the outside of the second film F2. The first point tool 40A and the second point tool 40B constitute a point tool set for performing point welding processing on the overlapping first film F1 and second film F2.

[0024] At least one of the press parts 41A, 41B of the pointing tools 40A, 40B is formed from a flexible material such as rubber (synthetic rubber) such as silicone rubber or synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, the press part 41B of the second pointing tool 40B is formed from a metal such as aluminum, brass or casting, and the press part 41A of the first pointing tool 40A is formed from a flexible material (rubber such as silicone rubber). The processing temperature of the press part 41B made of metal is set to a high temperature (approximately 230°C in this embodiment), and the processing temperature of the press part 41A made of flexible material is also set to a high temperature (approximately 120°C in this embodiment).

[0025] As shown in Figures 3(b) and 4, at least one of the press sections 41A, 41B of the pointing tools 40A, 40B (in this embodiment, the press section 41B of the pointing tool 40B) has a press surface formed in a shape that is more bulging at the center than at both ends in the longitudinal direction X of the film, at least in the center in the short direction Y of the film, and specifically has a convex curved surface 41Ba in the center of the longitudinal direction X of the film (in this embodiment, across the entire longitudinal direction X of the film) that curves along the longitudinal direction X of the film so as to be convex toward the film side. The convex curved surface 41Ba is formed as a curved surface of a single arc having a curvature radius of 4 to 30 mm.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, at least one of the press sections 41A, 41B of the pointing tools 40A, 40B (in this embodiment, the press section 41B of the pointing tool 40B) has a press surface formed in a shape that bulges outward more at the center than at both ends in the short direction Y of the film, at least in the center in the longitudinal direction X of the film, and specifically has inclined surfaces 41Bb (which are convexly curved and inclined so as to move away from the film as they go outward) at both ends in the longitudinal direction X of the film. At the center in the film longitudinal direction X, the width dimension of the inclined surface 41Bb in the film transverse direction Y is set to about 10 to 50% of the width dimension in the film transverse direction Y of the entire pressing surface of the pointing tool 40B.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(b), the press section 41A of the other first point tool 40A has, as its press surface (at least in the center of the film's short direction Y), a flat surface 41Aa formed in the center of the film's longitudinal direction X and perpendicular to the film's front-to-back direction (up-and-down direction), and inclined surfaces 41Ab (convexly curved and inclined so as to move away from the film as they extend outward) formed on both sides of the flat surface 41Aa in the film's longitudinal direction X. The width of flat surface 41Aa of first point tool 40A in the film longitudinal direction X is set to about 85 to 99% of the width of the entire press surface of first point tool 40A in the film longitudinal direction X.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5(c), the press sections 41A and 41B of each point tool 40A and 40B are formed to perform heat welding in the area of ​​the films F1 and F2 to be sealed (side sealing area Rs) that does not include the end separation section F1e but includes the end adjacent section F1d and the film overlap section F1a.

[0029] The post-welding tools 50A, 50B perform post-welding processing on the films F1, F2 by clamping the films F1, F2 from the front to the back of the films using press sections 51A, 51B set to a high temperature, and as shown in Figure 2, include a first post-welding tool 50A that is positioned on the outside of the first film F1 and a second post-welding tool 50B that is positioned on the outside of the second film F2.

[0030] At least one of the press parts 51A, 51B of the post-welding tools 50A, 50B is made of a flexible material such as rubber (synthetic rubber) such as silicone rubber or synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the press parts 51A and 51B other than those described above are made of metal such as aluminum, brass, or casting. The processing temperature of the press parts 51A and 51B made of metal is set to a high temperature (approximately 230°C in this embodiment), and the processing temperature of the press parts 51A and 51B made of flexible material is also set to a high temperature (approximately 120°C in this embodiment).

[0031] As shown in Figure 3(a), the press sections 51A and 51B of the post-welding tools 50A and 50B have, as their press surfaces (at least in the center of the film's short-side direction Y), flat surfaces 51Aa and 51Ba formed in the center of the film's longitudinal direction X and perpendicular to the film's front-to-back direction (up-and-down direction), and inclined surfaces 51Ab and 51Bb formed on both sides of the flat surfaces 51Aa and 51Ba in the film's longitudinal direction X (which are convexly curved and inclined so as to move away from the film as they extend outward). The width of the flat surfaces 51Aa, 51Ba of the post welding tools 50A, 50B in the longitudinal direction X of the film is set to about 85 to 99% of the width of the entire press surface of the post welding tools 50A, 50B in the longitudinal direction X of the film.

[0032] In addition, the press sections 51A and 51B of the post-welding tools 50A and 50B are formed to perform heat welding in the area of ​​the intended sealing region (intended side sealing region Rs) of the films F1 and F2, including the end separation portion F1e, the end adjacent portion F1d, and the film overlap portion F1a, as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0033] In addition, in addition to the tools 30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, and 50B for forming the side seal portion P3a described above, the heat sealing mechanism 20 is also equipped with tools (not shown) for forming various other seal portions, and in this embodiment, is equipped with a tool (not shown) for forming the steam release seal portion P5 and a tool (not shown) for forming the top seal portion P3b. These tools (not shown) are also configured to perform heat welding processing at predetermined locations on the films F1 and F2 by sandwiching the films F1 and F2 from the front to the back using a press section (not shown) set to a high temperature. In this embodiment, the bottom seal portion is a portion that is formed after the pouch is filled with the contents.

[0034] The order in which the steam release seal portion P5, the top seal portion P3b, the side seal portion P3a, etc. are formed may be set arbitrarily. 1, 2 and 5, for the sake of convenience, the steam release seal portion P5 and the top seal portion P3b are not depicted.

[0035] Next, the pouch manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0036] First, the pouch manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a heat-sealing step of heat-sealing the overlapping first film F1 and second film F2. This heat-sealing step is a process for forming the side seal portion P3a by sandwiching the first film F1 and second film F2 with preheating tools 30A and 30B to preheat the film F1 in a region to be sealed (in this embodiment, the region to be side sealed Rs) in a range including at least the end adjacent portion F1d and the film overlapping portion F1a (in this embodiment, the range including the end separating portion F1e, the end adjacent portion F1d, and the film overlapping portion F1a). The process includes a preheating process in which heat is applied, a point welding process which is carried out after the preheating process and which involves clamping the film F1 with point tools 40A and 40B to heat-seal the area of ​​the film F1 to be sealed, but not including the end separation portion F1e, and including the end adjacent portion F1d and the film overlap portion F1a, and a post-welding process which is carried out after the point welding process and involves clamping the film F1 and F2 with post-welding tools 50A and 50B to heat-seal the area of ​​the films F1 and F2 to be sealed, but including the end separation portion F1e, the end adjacent portion F1d, and the film overlap portion F1a.

[0037] In addition, when the end separated portion F1e is also preheated in the preheating process, it is possible to stabilize the sealing state, reduce the number of sealing steps, and lower the sealing temperature.

[0038] In this heat welding process, the films F1 and F2 are moved intermittently by a film conveying device (not shown), and the same side seal intended area Rs is subjected to one or more preheating treatments, one or more point welding treatments, and one or more post-welding treatments in that order. More specifically, in the preheating area A1, the same side seal intended region Rs is subjected to preheating treatment once or multiple times. Next, the same side seal region Rs is subjected to point welding once or multiple times in the point welding area A2. Next, the same side seal intended region Rs is subjected to one or more post-welding processes in a post-welding area A3.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the preheating process, the point welding process, and the post-welding process are performed, but the number of times each of these processes is performed may be set arbitrarily depending on the embodiment.

[0040] In addition, the heat sealing process of the pouch manufacturing method in this embodiment includes, in addition to the process for forming the side seal portion P3a described above, processes for forming various seal portions other than the side seal portion P3a (steam release seal portion P5, top seal portion P3b).

[0041] Next, the pouch P manufactured by the pouch manufacturing method (pouch manufacturing apparatus 10) of this embodiment will be described below.

[0042] As shown in Figure 6, the pouch P has a first film P1 with a film overlapping portion P4 where multiple films are overlapped (in this embodiment, the film is formed by folding the film in a Z shape), and a second film P2, and is formed into a bag shape by heat-welding the first film P1 and the second film P2 at a predetermined location (a bag-making seal portion P3 where the films P1 and P2 are heat-welded at their outer peripheries). The first film P1 is formed by cutting the first film F1, and the film overlap portion P4 is a portion corresponding to the film overlap portion F1a. Each film constituting the pouch P, that is, the first film P1 (first film F1) and the second film P2 (second film F2), is formed as a flexible resin film having a heat seal layer.

[0043] The pouch P shown in Figure 6 has a steam release seal portion P5 and a slit-shaped or hole-shaped steam release portion P6 formed in the film overlap portion P4, and is configured as a pouch in such a manner that when heated in a microwave oven or the like, steam generated inside the pouch peels off the steam release seal portion P5, allowing steam inside the pouch P to be released through the steam release portion P6. However, the specific form of the pouch P manufactured by the pouch manufacturing method (pouch manufacturing apparatus 10) of this embodiment may be any, as long as it comprises a first film P1 having at least one film overlap portion P4, such as one that utilizes the change in shape of the first film P1 that occurs in the film overlap portion P4 due to steam generated inside the pouch when heated as a stand.

[0044] In the pouch manufacturing method (pouch manufacturing apparatus 10) of this embodiment obtained in this manner, the heat welding process includes a point welding process in which heat welding is performed in an area that does not include the end separation portion F1e but includes the end adjacent portion F1d and the film overlap portion F1a, thereby preventing air bubbles from entering between the end adjacent portion F1d of the first film F1 and the second film F2. In other words, if one attempts to perform heat welding by pressing the press part of a heat welding tool against the area including the end separation portion F1e, end adjacent portion F1d, and film overlap portion F1a without performing the above-mentioned point welding process, due to the step formed between the film overlap portion F1a and the single film portion F1b, good contact can be achieved between the end separation portion F1e, which is located away from the step, and the second film F2, and between the film overlap portion F1a and the second film F2, during the heat welding process, but the end adjacent portion F1d adjacent to the step does not make good contact with the second film F2, resulting in the problem that air bubbles can get in between the end adjacent portion F1d of the first film F1 and the second film F2. Therefore, in the pouch manufacturing method (pouch manufacturing apparatus 10) of this embodiment, by performing the above-mentioned point welding process, it is possible to heat-weld the end adjacent portion F1d to the second film F2 in good contact with the second film F2, thereby preventing air bubbles from getting between the end adjacent portion F1d of the first film F1 and the second film F2.

[0045] FIG. 9 shows the results of a test conducted to check the width of the end adjacent portion F1d in the short-side direction Y of the film to prevent the formation of the air bubbles. In this test, in a manner (method) similar to that shown in Figure 5, preheating treatment and point welding treatment were performed by varying the width dimension of the end adjacent portion F1d and the thickness of the first film F1, as shown in Figure 9, and the presence or absence of air bubbles in the end adjacent portion F1d was confirmed.

[0046] The film conditions used in this test are as follows: First film F1, 0.097 mm thick: "12 μm vapor-deposited PET / 15 μm NY / 60 μm CPP", i.e., a film formed by laminating, in order from the outside, a 12 μm film made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) with an alumina vapor-deposited layer formed on the outer surface, a 15 μm film made of NY (nylon), and a 60 μm film made of CPP (cast polypropylene) (also called unstretched polypropylene or cast PP), with each layer bonded together. First film F1, 0.115 mm thick: "12 μm PET / 12 μm vapor-deposited PET / 15 μm NY / 70 μm CPP", i.e., a film formed by laminating, from the outside, a 12 μm thick film made of PET, a 12 μm thick film made of PET with an alumina vapor-deposited layer formed on the outer surface, a 15 μm thick film made of NY, and a 70 μm thick film made of CPP, with each layer adhesively bonded together. First film F1, 0.196 mm thick: "12 μm PET / 12 μm vapor-deposited PET / 15 μm NY / 150 μm LLDPE", i.e., a film formed by laminating, from the outside, a 12 μm thick film made of PET, a 12 μm thick film made of PET with an alumina vapor-deposited layer formed on the outer surface, a 15 μm thick film made of NY, and a 150 μm thick film made of LLDPE (low-density polyethylene), with each layer bonded together.

[0047] The second film F2 used in the test for the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.097 mm is the same film (film with the same layer structure and thickness) as the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.097 mm, the second film F2 used in the test for the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.115 mm is the same film (film with the same layer structure and thickness) as the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.115 mm, and the second film F2 used in the test for the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.196 mm is the same film (film with the same layer structure and thickness) as the first film F1 having a thickness of 0.196 mm. In either case, the first film F1 and the second film F2 are arranged in a stacked state with the films made of CPP on the inner layer side facing each other.

[0048] Other test conditions are as follows: Dimensions of film overlap F1a in the film's short-side direction Y: 15 mm Number of preheating treatments: 2 times Preheating temperature: 200℃ Preheating time: 0.2 seconds Seal width in the film longitudinal direction X during preheating: 16 mm Number of times point welding process: 1 Heating temperature for point welding: 230℃ Heating time for point welding: 0.2 seconds Seal width in the film longitudinal direction X during preheating: 16 mm

[0049] From the above test results, it was found that the width dimension of the end adjacent portion F1d in the film's short direction Y is preferably set to 3 mm + 3T + to 20 mm + 3T, and more preferably set to 5 mm + 3T to 15 mm + 3T, where T (mm) is the thickness of the first film F1.

[0050] Furthermore, at least one of the press sections 41A, 41B of the pointing tools 40A, 40B is formed from rubber (synthetic rubber) such as silicone rubber, which ensures that the end adjacent section F1d comes into contact with the second film F2 when the point welding process is performed, thereby reliably preventing air bubbles from getting between the end adjacent section F1d and the second film F2.

[0051] Furthermore, at least one of the press sections 41A, 41B of the point tools 40A, 40B has a press surface that has a convex curved surface 41Ba at the center of the film longitudinal direction X, which curves along the film longitudinal direction X. This ensures that the end adjacent portion F1d comes into contact with the second film F2 when the point welding process is performed, and reliably prevents air bubbles from getting between the end adjacent portion F1d and the second film F2.

[0052] Furthermore, since the press sections 31A, 31B of the preheating tools 30A, 30B are formed from metal, there is no need to consider deformation of the press sections 31A, 31B due to heat, unlike when at least one of the press sections 31A, 31B is formed from rubber or the like. Therefore, it is possible to raise the temperature of both press sections 31A, 31B and heat the film from both the first film F1 side and the second film F2 side, thereby enabling the preheating process to be carried out with high thermal efficiency.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as defined in the claims, such as configuring a pouch manufacturing method or pouch manufacturing apparatus 10 by arbitrarily combining the respective configurations of the above or following embodiments and modified examples.

[0054] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the area to be sealed where the preheating treatment, point welding treatment, and post-welding treatment are performed is described as being the side sealing area Rs, but the specific form of the area to be sealed is not limited to the side sealing area Rs, and may be, for example, a top sealing area or a bottom sealing area.

[0055] The number of sets of preheating tools 21A, 21B, pointing tools 40A, 40B, post-welding tools 50A, 50B, etc. may be set arbitrarily, such as one or more. Furthermore, when multiple sets of pointing tools 40A, 40B are provided, it is preferable that the seal width (heat welding width) in the film conveying direction (film longitudinal direction X) by each set be wider toward the downstream side (for example, the seal width of the second heat welding is wider than that of the first heat welding).

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(b), at least one of the press surfaces of the press sections 41A, 41B of the pointing tools 40A, 40B is formed in a shape that bulges out more at the center than at both ends in the longitudinal direction X of the film, and is formed to have a convex curved surface 41Ba. However, when at least one of the press surfaces of the press sections 41A, 41B is formed in a shape that bulges outward in the center relative to both ends in the film longitudinal direction X, the center of the press surface in the film longitudinal direction X may be formed as a flat surface, and both sides of the flat surface in the film longitudinal direction X may be inclined surfaces (convexly curved and inclined so as to move away from the film side as they extend outward). In this case, it is preferable to set the width of the flat surface in the longitudinal direction X of the film to approximately 75% or less of the width of the entire press surface of pointing tools 40A, 40B in the longitudinal direction X of the film.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first film F1 has been described as having one film overlap portion F1a in its short direction as shown in FIG. 1, but the specific form of the first film F1 may be any as long as it has at least one film overlap portion F1a, and for example, it may have multiple film overlap portions F1a in the film short direction Y as shown in FIG. 7. The first film F1 shown in FIG. 7 is divided into three parts in the widthwise direction Y of the film by cutting, that is, three pouch-intended regions Rp are arranged in the widthwise direction Y of the film in an uncut state.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first film F1 is described as consisting of a single continuous film material, but as in the modified example shown in Figure 8, the first film F1 may also be consisting of multiple separate film materials F1-1, F1-2. The modified example shown in Figure 8 is a so-called standing pouch in which the second film portion F1-2 of the first film F1 is folded in half and placed between the first film portion F1-1 of the first film F1 and the second film F2 at the bottom of the pouch, and a side seal S, a top seal, and a bottom seal are formed to form a bag shape. In this modified example, as shown in Figure 8, a portion of the first film portion F1-1 of the first film F1 and the second film portion F1-2 of the first film F1 constitute a film overlap portion F1a, and the other portion of the first film portion F1-1 of the first film F1 constitutes a film single portion F1b. The pouch manufacturing method and pouch manufacturing device of the present invention can also be applied as a method and device for forming the side seal S of the standing pouch shown in FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 Pouch manufacturing equipment 20 Heat sealing mechanism 30A ··· First preheating tool 31A Press Section 31Aa ··· Flat surface 31Ab... Inclined surface 30B Second preheating tool 31B Press Department 31Ba ··· Flat surface 31Bb... Inclined surface 40A ··· Tool for first point 41A Press Section 41Aa ··· Flat surface 41Ab... Inclined surface 40B ··· Second point tool 41B Press Department 41Ba...Convex curved surface 41Bb... Inclined surface 50A... 1st post welding tool 51A Press Section 51Aa ··· Flat surface 51Ab... Inclined surface 50B...Second post welding tool 51B Press Department 51Ba ··· Flat surface 51Bb... Inclined surface F1 Film 1 F1a Film overlap F1b Single film section F1c... Overlapping part side end F1d: Adjacent to the end F1e... End separation part F2: Second film Rp Pouch area Rs: Side seal area (seal area) P··· Pouch P1: First film P2: Second film P3 Bag making and sealing section P3a Side seal part P3b Top seal part P4: Film overlap P5: Steam release seal P6 Steam release section X: Longitudinal direction of film Y: Short side of film

Claims

1. A pouch manufacturing method including a heat sealing step of heat sealing a first film and a second film that are stacked together, The first film includes a film overlap portion in which a plurality of films are overlapped, and a single film portion adjacent to the film overlap portion in the film short direction, The single film portion has an end adjacent portion adjacent to an overlapping portion side end portion, which is an end portion of the single film portion on the film overlapping portion side, and an end separating portion distant from the overlapping portion side end portion, A pouch manufacturing method characterized in that the heat sealing process includes a point welding process in which heat sealing is performed in an area that does not include the end separation portion in the intended sealing area but includes the end adjacent portion and the film overlap portion.

2. the point welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first point tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second point tool arranged on the outside of the second film; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool is made of a flexible material.

3. the point welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first point tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second point tool arranged on the outside of the second film; The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the press surface of at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool is formed in a shape that is more bulging in the center than at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the film, at least in the center in the short direction of the film.

4. 4. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool has a press surface that has a convex curved surface that curves along the longitudinal direction of the film at the center of the longitudinal direction of the film.

5. 5. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the convex curved surface is formed as a curved surface having a radius of curvature of 4 to 30 mm.

6. one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool is made of metal, and its press surface has the convex curved surface; 5. The method for manufacturing a pouch according to claim 4, wherein the other of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool is made of a flexible material.

7. the pressing portion of the second point tool is made of metal, and the pressing surface thereof has the convex curved surface; 7. The method for manufacturing a pouch according to claim 6, wherein the press portion of the first point tool is made of a flexible material.

8. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool has a press surface formed in a shape that is more bulging in the center than at both ends in the short direction of the film, at least in the center in the long direction of the film.

9. 2. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the heat sealing step includes a preheating process for preheating an area in the intended sealing area that includes at least the end adjacent portion and the film overlap portion, prior to the point welding process.

10. the preheating treatment is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first preheating tool arranged outside the first film and a second preheating tool arranged outside the second film; 10. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the press portion of the first preheating tool and the press portion of the second preheating tool are made of metal.

11. 10. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the press portion of the first preheating tool and the press portion of the second preheating tool have a flat surface at the center in the longitudinal direction of the film as their press surfaces.

12. 2. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the heat sealing step includes a post-welding process, which is performed after the point welding process, to apply heat sealing to an area including the end separation portion, the end adjacent portion, and the film overlap portion in the intended sealing area.

13. the post-welding process is performed by sandwiching the first film and the second film between a first post-welding tool arranged on the outside of the first film and a second post-welding tool arranged on the outside of the second film, The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the press portion of the first post-welding tool and the press portion of the second post-welding tool is formed from a flexible material.

14. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the end adjacent portion is a region having a width dimension in the short direction of the film of 3 mm + 3T + to 20 mm + 3T, where T (mm) is the thickness of the first film.

15. 2. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the region to be sealed is a region to be side-sealed.

16. 2. The pouch manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the film overlap portion is a portion formed by folding the film in a Z-shape in the short direction of the film.

17. A pouch manufacturing apparatus for carrying out a pouch manufacturing method including a heat welding step of heat welding a first film and a second film that are stacked together, The first film includes a film overlap portion in which a plurality of films are overlapped, and a single film portion adjacent to the film overlap portion in the film short direction, The single film portion has an end adjacent portion adjacent to an overlapping portion side end portion, which is an end portion of the single film portion on the film overlapping portion side, and an end separating portion distant from the overlapping portion side end portion, The pouch manufacturing device includes a first point tool disposed on the outside of the first film and a second point tool disposed on the outside of the second film, A pouch manufacturing device characterized in that the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool are formed to perform heat welding in an area that does not include the end separation portion in the intended sealing area but includes the end adjacent portion and the film overlap portion.

18. A point welding tool set for performing a point welding process on overlapping first and second films, comprising: a first pointing tool disposed on the outside of the first film and a second pointing tool disposed on the outside of the second film; one of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool has a press surface that has a convex curved surface at the center in the film longitudinal direction, at least at the center in the film short-side direction, that curves along the film longitudinal direction; A point tool set characterized in that the other of the press portion of the first point tool and the press portion of the second point tool has a press surface that has a flat surface in the center of the film's longitudinal direction, at least in the center of the film's short direction.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Plastic pouch

    JP2008302983A