Packaging bag

Abstract

To provide a packaging bag capable of filling a larger quantity of contents.SOLUTION: A packaging bag 10 is formed by welding a first side surface sheet 12a, a second side surface sheet 12b, and a bottom surface sheet 11 together at welding parts. The welding part has a left side welding part 13a, a right side welding part 13b, and a bottom side welding part. The bottom side welding part has: a first bottom side welding part 40 that welds the first bottom part which is one of the two-folded bottom surface sheet, to the first side surface sheet 12a, and a second bottom side welding part 50 that welds the second bottom part which is the other of the two-folded bottom surface sheet 11, to the second side surface sheet 12b. The first bottom side welding part 40 and the second bottom side welding part 50 have different shapes, and an upper end of the first bottom side welding part 40 is located higher than an upper end of the second bottom side welding part 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging bag formed from a sheet material. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging bag that includes first and second side sheets that are arranged opposite each other, and a bottom sheet that is folded in half and arranged between the first and second side sheets to form the bottom. The manufacturing process for the packaging bag in Patent Document 1 includes an opening step that separates the bottom edge of the first side sheet from the bottom sheet to form an opening at the bottom end of the packaging bag, a filling step that fills the packaging bag with contents through the opening between the bottom sheet and the first side sheet, and a bonding step that bonds the bottom sheet and the first side sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-162519 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The packaging bag of Patent Document 1 becomes a filled packaging bag by heat-sealing the outer surface of the bottom sheet to the inner surfaces of a pair of first and second side sheets. Here, a heating element is pressed against the first and second side sheets to heat-seal the overlapping portions with the bottom sheet. Therefore, the portions extending from the lower ends of the first and second side sheets in the vertical direction of the bottom sheet cannot accommodate contents. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient filling amount given the size of the pair of first and second side sheets and the bottom sheet that make up the packaging bag.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and its object is to provide a packaging bag that can be filled with a larger amount of contents relative to the size of the sheet that constitutes it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A packaging bag for solving the above problem comprises a first side sheet and a second side sheet arranged opposite each other, and a bottom sheet that is folded in half and is arranged between the first side sheet and the second side sheet to form the bottom surface, the first side sheet, the second side sheet, and the bottom sheet being welded together at a welding portion, the welding portion having a left side welding portion, a right side welding portion, and a bottom side welding portion, the bottom side welding portion having a first bottom side welding portion that welds a first bottom portion, which is one side of the folded bottom sheet, to the first side sheet, and a second bottom side welding portion that welds a second bottom portion, which is the other side of the folded bottom sheet, to the second side sheet, the first bottom side welding portion and the second bottom side welding portion having different shapes, and the upper end of the first bottom side welding portion is located higher than the upper end of the second bottom side welding portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the packaging bag of the present invention, a larger amount of contents can be filled relative to the size of the sheet that constitutes it. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the packaging bag of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the packaging bag of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the packaging bag of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a filling method for the packaging bag of the present embodiment in order. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a packaging bag according to a modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a packaging bag according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the packaging bag according to the present invention will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, packaging bag 10 is formed by combining a plurality of sheet materials. As the sheet materials constituting packaging bag 10, known resin sheets generally used for packaging bags (for example, single-layer or multi-layer resin sheets made of polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyamide, polyester, etc.) can be used. In this embodiment, a resin sheet having a heat-sealable layer made of a heat-sealable resin on only one surface is used as the sheet material.

[0010] 1, the packaging bag 10 includes a horizontally long rectangular bottom sheet 11 that is folded in half vertically with the folded side facing upward, and a first side sheet 12a and a second side sheet 12b that are arranged opposite each other and sandwich the bottom sheet 11. In the following explanation, the surface of the packaging bag 10 on which the first side sheet 12a is arranged is referred to as the front surface, and the surface on which the second side sheet 12b is arranged is referred to as the back surface, and left and right are described based on the view from the front surface.

[0011] (Configuration of bottom sheet 11) As shown in Figure 1, the bottom sheet 11 is folded in half so that the surface having the heat-sealed layer faces outward (facing outward). The folded bottom sheet 11 has a first bottom portion 16a facing the first side sheet 12a and a second bottom portion 16b facing the second side sheet 12b. A pair of semicircular left cutouts 11a is provided at the left end of the folded bottom sheet 11. A pair of semicircular right cutouts 11b is provided at the right end of the folded bottom sheet 11.

[0012] 2(a) and 2(b) show the packaging bag 10 after it has been filled with contents by a filling method that will be described later. 2(a) and 2(b), the left and right notches 11a and 11b of the bottom sheet 11 have a width L2 that is the longest in the left-right direction, which is greater than the width L1 of the left and right welded portions 13a and 13b, which will be described later. Here, width L1 refers to the width of the left and right welded portions 13a and 13b in the left-right direction at a position along the folded edge of the bottom sheet 11.

[0013] (Configuration of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b) As shown in Figure 1, the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b are arranged opposite each other with their thermally welded layers facing each other. The first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b have the same shape, and are bell-shaped with the width of the upper edge gradually decreasing toward the top. The bottom sheet 11 is arranged along the lower edges of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b, and the width of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b at the portion where the bottom sheet 11 is sandwiched is set to a length equal to the width of the bottom sheet 11 in the left-right direction (folding direction).

[0014] (Configuration of left welded portion 13a and right welded portion 13b) As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), left and right welded portions 13a and 13b are provided on both sides of the packaging bag 10 along the left and right edges of the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b, respectively, by thermally welding the inner surfaces of the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b together. The left welded portion 13a has a left notch welded portion 60a that welds the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b together through the left notch 11a. The left notch welded portion 60a is larger than the left notch 11a. The right welded portion 13b has a right notch welded portion 60b that welds the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b together through the right notch 11b. The right notch welded portion 60b is larger than the right and left notches 11b. The left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b are each formed from a single weld mark.

[0015] (Configuration of upper edge adhesive portion 14) As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), a top adhesive section 14 is provided along the top edges of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b at the top edge of the packaging bag 10, formed by heat-welding the inner surfaces of the side sheets together at a predetermined width. A spout 20, which serves as a dispensing opening, is fixed integrally to the center of the top adhesive section 14. The spout 20 is composed of a tubular spout 21 that forms a flow path therein and a cap 22 that closes the opening on the upper side of the spout 21. The spout 20 is positioned so that the lower part of the spout 21 is sandwiched between the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b, and is attached at the top adhesive section 14 by heat-welding the outer peripheral surface of the spout 21 to the inner surfaces of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b.

[0016] (Configuration of first bottom side welded portion 40, second bottom side welded portion 50, and third bottom side welded portion 51) As shown in FIG. 2(a), a first bottom-side weld 40 and a third bottom-side weld 51 are provided by thermally welding the outer surface of the first bottom portion 16a to the inner surface of the first side sheet 12a. The first bottom-side weld 40 is formed by welding a portion of the overlapping portion of the first bottom portion 16a and the first side sheet 12a, surrounded by a curved line concave in the vertical direction and the left, right, and bottom edges of the first side sheet 12a. The third bottom-side weld 51 is formed by welding a portion of the overlapping portion of the first bottom portion 16a and the first side sheet 12a, with a constant width in the vertical direction, along the left-right direction. In other words, the first bottom-side weld 40 and the third bottom-side weld 51 have different shapes. The upper end of the first bottom-side weld 40 is located higher than the upper end of the third bottom-side weld 51. The lower end of third bottom weld portion 51 is located above the lower end of first side sheet 12a.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2(b), a second bottom weld 50 is provided, formed by thermally welding the outer surface of the second bottom portion 16b to the inner surface of the second side sheet 12b. The second bottom weld 50 is formed by welding a portion of the overlapping portion of the second bottom portion 16b and the second side sheet 12b along the left-right direction and having a certain width in the up-down direction. The lower end of the second bottom weld 50 is located above the lower end of the second side sheet 12b.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the second bottom side weld 50 and the third bottom side weld 51 have the same shape. The upper end of the first bottom side weld 40 is located higher than the upper end of the second bottom side weld 50. The lower end of the second bottom side weld 50 is located higher than the lower ends of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. The upper ends of the second bottom side weld 50 and the third bottom side weld 51 are located lower than the left notch weld 11a and the right notch weld 11b.

[0019] 3 shows the packaging bag 10 before the contents are filled into the packaging bag 10 by a filling method described later. At this time, the second bottom side welded portion 50 and the third bottom side welded portion 51 are not formed in the packaging bag 10.

[0020] 3, at the bottom edge of the packaging bag 10, the outer surface of the first bottom portion 16a of the bottom sheet 11 and the inner surface of the first side sheet 12a are heat-welded by the first bottom weld 40. The inner surface of the second side sheet 12b and the outer surface of the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11 are not bonded to each other. Furthermore, when the bottom sheet 11 is folded in half, both sides in the left-right direction (folding direction) are bonded to the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b at the left weld 13a and the right weld 13b. Therefore, by separating the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11 from the second side sheet 12b, an opening A can be formed at the bottom end of the packaging bag 10.

[0021] Next, a method for filling the contents into the packaging bag 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The above-mentioned filling method includes an opening process of forming an opening A at the lower end of the packaging bag 10, a filling process of filling the contents through the opening A, and a bonding process of bonding the bottom sheet 11 to the first and second side sheets 12a, 12b.

[0022] (opening process) As shown in Fig. 4(a), the packaging bag 10 is held upside down. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the second side sheet 12b of the packaging bag 10 and the lower part of the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11 are moved in a direction separating them from each other, thereby forming an opening A at the lower end of the packaging bag 10. The above operation in the opening step can be performed using an opening device that has a tip that suction-holds the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b and is equipped with an adsorbing member 31 that can move in the stacking direction of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. An example of an opening device is the opening device disclosed in JP 2012-126054 A.

[0023] (filling process) As shown in Figure 4(c), the filling nozzle 33 is inserted through the opening A of the packaging bag 10 between the second side sheet 12b and the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11. Here, the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11 is shifted toward the first side sheet 12a, ensuring a large gap between the second side sheet 12b and the second bottom portion 16b of the bottom sheet 11. This allows the filling nozzle 33 to be easily inserted into the opening A without interfering with the bottom sheet 11.

[0024] Then, a predetermined amount of contents is filled into the packaging bag 10 from the filling nozzle 33. At this time, there is no folded portion like the bottom sheet 11 on the side of the top edge adhesive portion 14 of the packaging bag 10 located on the lower side. Therefore, the packaging bag 10 easily expands due to the pressure of the filled contents. After filling, the filling nozzle 33 is retracted from inside the packaging bag 10.

[0025] (Adhesion process) 4(d), the lower portions of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b of the packaging bag 10 are moved toward each other to close the opening A at the lower end of the packaging bag 10 and bring the outer surface of the bottom sheet 11 into close contact with the inner surfaces of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. Then, the outer surface of the first bottom portion 16a of the bottom sheet 11 is heat-sealed to the inner surface of the first side sheet 12a, and the outer surface of the second bottom portion 16b is heat-sealed to the inner surface of the second side sheet 12b.

[0026] Specifically, in the packaging bag 10, the central portion in the vertical direction of the overlapping portion between the bottom sheet 11 and the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b, which is not filled with contents, is clamped by the pressing member 34. Then, a heating member 35 is pressed against the outer surfaces of the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b, thereby thermally welding the outer surface of the bottom sheet 11 to the inner surfaces of the first and second side sheets 12a and 12b.

[0027] In this bonding process, the outer surface of the first bottom portion 16a and the inner surface of the first side sheet 12a, which have already been heat-welded as the first bottom weld 40, are heat-welded again to form a third bottom weld 51. The outer surface of the second bottom portion 16b and the inner surface of the second side sheet 12b are heat-welded to form a second bottom weld 50. This bonds the bottom edge of the packaging bag 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(e), the packaging bag 10 becomes a filled packaging bag 70 filled with the contents.

[0028] <Actions and Effects of the Embodiment> Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The packaging bag 10 includes a first side sheet 12a and a second side sheet 12b that are arranged opposite each other, and a bottom sheet 11 that is arranged between the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b when folded in half. The first side sheet 12a, the second side sheet 12b, and the bottom sheet 11 are welded together at welded sections. The welded sections include a left welded section 13a, a right welded section 13b, and a bottom welded section. The bottom welded section includes a first bottom welded section 40 that welds a first bottom portion 16a, which is one side of the folded bottom sheet 11, to the first side sheet 12a, and a second bottom welded section 50 that welds a second bottom portion 16b, which is the other side of the folded bottom sheet 11, to the second side sheet 12b. First bottom side weld (40) and second bottom side weld (50) have different shapes, and the top end of first bottom side weld (40) is located higher than the top end of second bottom side weld (50).

[0029] Here, for example, in a packaging bag in which the second bottom weld 50 is formed in the same shape as the first bottom weld 40, a heating member is pressed against and heat-welded the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b to the portions where they overlap with the bottom sheet 11. Therefore, the portion extending from the lower ends of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b to the vertical length of the bottom sheet 11 cannot accommodate contents. In contrast, with this configuration, the packaging bag 10 can be filled with contents from the upper end of the packaging bag 10 to the portion where the pressing member 34 is positioned when forming the second bottom weld 50 and the third bottom weld 51. Therefore, compared to a packaging bag in which the second bottom weld 50 is formed in the same shape as the first bottom weld 40, a larger amount of contents can be filled. In particular, the greater the difference between the upper ends of the first bottom weld 40 and the second bottom weld 50, the more contents can be filled. That is, a larger amount of contents can be filled relative to the size of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. Furthermore, after filling the contents into the packaging bag 10 with the first bottom weld 40 formed, the second bottom weld 50 can be formed to obtain a filled packaging bag 10. That is, after filling the contents into the packaging bag 10, the second bottom weld 50 can be formed to seal the packaging bag 10.

[0030] (2) The bottom sheet 11 has a left notch 11a at its left end and a right notch 11b at its right end. The left welded portion 13a has a left notch welded portion 60a that welds the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b together through the left notch 11a. The right welded portion 13b has a right notch welded portion 60b that welds the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b together through the right notch 11b. The upper ends of the second bottom welded portion 50 and the third bottom welded portion 51 are located below the left notch welded portion 60a and the right notch welded portion 60b. This configuration allows a larger amount of content to be filled relative to the size of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b that make up the packaging bag 10.

[0031] (3) The left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b are each formed from a single weld mark. According to the above configuration, the left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b are formed by a single thermal welding operation, which reduces the number of steps required to manufacture the filled packaging bag 10. Therefore, the filled packaging bag 10 can be obtained by a simpler method.

[0032] (4) The lower end of the second bottom weld 50 is located higher than the lower end of the second side sheet 12b. If the second bottom weld 50 is located at the lower end of the second side sheet 12b, the heat welding performed by the heating element 35 when forming the second bottom weld 50 may cause the heat-sealed layer of the second bottom 16b and the heat-sealed layer of the second side sheet 12b to leak out from both lower ends. This configuration prevents the heat-sealed layer of the second bottom 16b and the heat-sealed layer of the second side sheet 12b from leaking out from both lower ends.

[0033] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. In the above embodiment, the width L2, which is the longest width in the left-right direction of the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b of the bottom sheet 11, is greater than the width L1 in the left-right direction of the left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b. However, the configuration of the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 5, the width L2 may be smaller than the width L1. In this case, the left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b are formed by heat-welding a predetermined width between the inner surfaces of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b along both the left and right edges of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b of the bottom sheet 11 are semicircular, but this is not limited to this. The shapes of the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b of the bottom sheet 11 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b may be rectangular.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the top edge portion of the packaging bag 10 is sealed so that an opening can be formed by sandwiching the spout 20 between the top edge adhesive portion 14 of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b, but the configuration of the top edge portion of the packaging bag 10 is not limited to this.

[0036] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, instead of a configuration in which the fitting 20 is attached, a configuration may be adopted in which an upper edge adhesive portion 14 is provided by heat-welding the upper edge portions of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. In this case, the upper end of the upper edge adhesive portion 14 may be located lower than the upper ends of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b. This makes it possible to prevent the upper edge adhesive portion 14 from leaking out from the upper ends of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b.

[0037] The configuration of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b that form the packaging bag 10 is not limited to that of the above embodiment. For example, the opposing first side sheet 12a and second side sheet 12b may be formed by folding a single sheet material in half or in thirds. The shapes of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b may be rectangular.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the lower end of the second bottom weld 50 is located above the lower ends of the first and second side sheets 12a, 12b, but this is not limiting. The lower end of the second bottom weld 50 may be located at the same position as the lower ends of the first and second side sheets 12a, 12b.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b are each composed of a single weld mark, but this is not limiting. The left welded portion 13a and the right welded portion 13b may be composed of a weld mark formed by heat welding a predetermined width of the inner surfaces of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b along both the left and right sides of the first side sheet 12a and the second side sheet 12b, and a weld mark formed by the left notch welded portion 60a and the right notch welded portion 60b.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the upper ends of second bottom side weld 50 and third bottom side weld 51 are located below left notch weld 60a and right notch weld 60b, but this is not limited thereto. The upper ends of second bottom side weld 50 and third bottom side weld 51 may be located overlapping left notch weld 60a and right notch weld 60b. The shape of second bottom side weld 50 and third bottom side weld 51 may be, for example, arc-shaped, as long as they overlap first bottom side weld 40. The upper ends of second bottom side weld 50 and third bottom side weld 51 are located below the uppermost end of the entire first bottom side weld 40.

[0041] The shapes of first bottom-side weld 40, second bottom-side weld 50, and third bottom-side weld 51 are not limited to those described in the above embodiment. In particular, the vertical widths of second bottom-side weld 50 and third bottom-side weld 51 do not have to be constant. For example, the upper edges of second bottom-side weld 50 and third bottom-side weld 51 may be curved in a concave shape.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the bottom sheet 11 has a left notch 11a at its left end and a right notch 11b at its right end, but this is not limited thereto. The bottom sheet 11 may omit at least one of the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b. When the bottom sheet 11 does not have the left notch 11a or the right notch 11b, it is preferable to adopt, for example, the following configuration. The bottom sheet 11 has a first thermal seal layer on the side that will become the outer surface when folded in half and a second thermal seal layer on the inner surface that has a melting point higher than that of the first thermal seal layer. The left and right seal portions 13a and 13b are formed by welding at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the second thermal seal layer, thereby welding both sides of the outer surface of the bottom sheet 11 to the inner surfaces of the left and right seal portions 13a and 13b, and welding the inner surfaces of both sides of the bottom sheet 11 to each other. In the welding process, welding is performed at a temperature lower than the melting point of the second thermal welding layer but higher than the melting point of the first thermal welding layer so as to prevent welding of the inner surfaces of the bottom sheet 11. This makes it possible to obtain a packaging bag 10 similar to that in which the left notch 11a and the right notch 11b are provided.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the pressing member 34 is used in the bonding step, but the pressing member 34 may be omitted. Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.

[0044] (i) A filling device for filling the contents into the packaging bag, comprising: an opening device that pulls the second side sheet and the second bottom of the bottom sheet in a direction away from each other to form an opening at the lower end of the packaging bag; a nozzle that fills the contents into the packaging bag; and a bonding device that bonds the bottom sheet to the first side sheet, and the bottom sheet to the second side sheet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10...Packaging bag 11...Bottom sheet 12a...First side sheet 12b...Second side sheet 13a…left side melt zone 13b…right side melt zone 16a…Bottom 1 16b…2nd bottom 40…1st bottom side melted part 50…2nd bottom side melted part 51…3rd bottom side melted part

Claims

1. A packaging bag comprising a first side sheet and a second side sheet arranged opposite to each other, and a bottom sheet that is folded in half vertically and is arranged between the first side sheet and the second side sheet to form a bottom surface, the first side sheet, the second side sheet, and the bottom sheet being welded together at a welding portion, the welds include a left weld, a right weld, and a bottom weld; the bottom-side welded portion includes a first bottom-side welded portion that welds a first bottom portion, which is one of the folded bottom sheets, to the first side sheet, and a second bottom-side welded portion that welds a second bottom portion, which is the other of the folded bottom sheets, to the second side sheet, The first bottom weld and the second bottom weld have different shapes, and the upper end of the first bottom weld is located higher than the upper end of the second bottom weld.

2. the bottom sheet has a left notch at its left end and a right notch at its right end, the left welded portion has a left notch welded portion that welds the first side sheet and the second side sheet together via the left notch, the right side welded portion has a right notch welded portion that welds the first side sheet and the second side sheet via the right notch, The packaging bag according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the second bottom weld portion is located lower than the left notch weld portion and the right notch weld portion.

3. The packaging bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left welded portion and the right welded portion are each formed from a single weld mark.

4. The packaging bag according to claim 3 , wherein a lower end of the second bottom weld is located above a lower end of the second side sheet.

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