Foldable and reclosable package

Abstract

To provide a package capable of compactly resealing an unsealed opening of the unsealed package without using a fastener such as a clothespin or a rubber band, and heating a content in a microwave oven in a resealed state.SOLUTION: In the package 3 formed by overlapping a front film 1 and a back film 2 and thermally fusing their peripheral edges, a branch film 7 projecting to the outside of the package 3 is provided, and a distance (a) from an opening scheduled line 4 to a first folding scheduled line 5 is shorter than a distance (b) from the first folding scheduled line 5 to a second folding scheduled line 6. A length (b) from the first folding scheduled line 5 to the second folding scheduled line 6 is shorter than a length (c) from the second folding scheduled line 6 to the branch starting point 8, and the length (c) from the second folding scheduled line 6 to the branch starting point 8 is equal to a length (d) from a side 9a of both side upper end parts of the tongue-like Cut to the branch starting point 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] To provide a package that can be compactly resealed without using fasteners such as clothespins or rubber bands at the opening of an opened package, and that can control the amount of steam emitted when the contents are heated in a microwave oven in the resealed state. [Background technology]

[0002] The primary purpose of sealed packaging for food, miscellaneous goods, etc. is to protect the contents, but some have multiple functions, such as the ability to reseal after opening or to microwave the contents while they are still wrapped. In recent years, with growing awareness of reducing the burden on the global environment, there is a demand for packaging that can be used multiple times, rather than being simply disposable.

[0003] A common method of providing a package with a resealable function is to provide a zipper near the opening of the package that can be engaged by means of a releasable adhesive or an interlocking resin molded part.

[0004] However, when adhesives are used for resealing, there is a risk of direct contact with the contents, making them unsuitable for packaging foods, beverages, seasonings, etc. from a hygienic standpoint. Furthermore, they are poorly suited to heat treatments such as retort sterilization, boiling sterilization, and microwave heating, limiting their use as packaging.

[0005] On the other hand, when using a zipper for resealing, a material can be selected that is hygienic for the contents and suitable for heat treatment. However, since the film that forms the packaging and the zipper are generally bonded by heat sealing, the materials for both must be the same, which limits the materials that can be used for the packaging.

[0006] Furthermore, in packages that use a zipper for resealing, the area below the closed zipper becomes the storage area for the contents, so the size of the package before opening does not change much when resealed, which can make the package bulky and inconvenient when consuming some of the contents and storing the rest.

[0007] Recently, attention has been drawn to resealable zippered packages that can be used as cooking utensils for microwave cooking by opening a package containing seasonings or the like, adding ingredients, and resealing the package. To prevent the package from bursting during microwave heating and to achieve a steaming and pressurizing effect on the contents, resealable zippered packages require a steam port on the zipper that releases a certain amount of steam generated from the contents, and special processing is required to prevent the contents from leaking from the steam port during distribution. Furthermore, a filling port for filling the contents must be provided on the side not provided with a zipper. In particular, in the case of a self-standing package in which a bottom film is inserted into the package, the filling port is provided on one of the two end edges of the package. In this case, since a zipper or bottom film is attached to both sides of the filling opening by heat sealing, the filling opening becomes narrow and difficult to open, and the appropriate range for the position of the heat-sealed part that seals the filling opening is narrow, requiring precise heat sealing processing.As a result, there is a risk that the suitability for filling machines will be inferior to that of conventional free-standing packages, and improvement measures will need to be taken at the stage of manufacturing the free-standing packages. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-142540 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-95285 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable resealable package that can be used in a wide range of applications. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 provides a packaging body 3 in which a storage section S for storing contents is formed by overlapping a front film 1 and a back film 2 made of soft films and heat-sealing their peripheries, the packaging body 3 comprising an intended opening line 4 provided at an upper portion thereof and tearing to form an opening opening, a first intended fold line 5 provided below the intended opening line 4, a second intended fold line 6 provided below the first intended fold line 5, a branch start point 8 provided below the second intended fold line 6, and a branch film 7 provided on the front film 1 or the back film 2 and protruding from the branch start point 8 to the outside of the packaging body 3 while directing its upper end T2 toward the upper end T1 of the packaging body 3, and wherein a distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended fold line 5 is shorter than a distance b) from the first intended fold line 5 to the second intended fold line 6. , and the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 is shorter than the distance c) from the second planned folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8, and the branching film 7 has a tongue-shaped notch 9 extending from both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch toward the branch starting point 8, a heat-sealed support portion 10 formed from the upper end T2 of the branching film 7 to both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch, a sealed heat-sealed portion 11 formed around the outer periphery of the tongue-shaped notch 9, a flap-shaped hook portion 12 surrounded by the tongue-shaped notch 9 and extending from the lower end of the heat-sealed support portion 10 toward the branch starting point 8, and a heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion formed on the hook portion 12, and the distance c) from the second planned folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8 and the distance d) from both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch starting point 8 are equal.

[0011] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 1, a reinforcing film 14 that can be heat-sealed to the surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2 facing the contents is inserted into the inner surface of the branching film 7, and the reinforcing film 14 is joined to the branching film 7 by the heat-sealing support portion 10, the sealing heat-sealing portion 11, and the heat-sealing portion 13 of the hook portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that in the packaging body 3 described in claims 1 and 2, a temporary fastening portion 15 is formed in the tongue-shaped notch 9, which partially connects the sealed heat-sealed portion 11 and the hook portion 12.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claims 1 and 2, a folding guide processing portion 16 is provided on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 or between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0014] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 3, a folding guide processing portion 16 is provided on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 or between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claims 1 and 2, the packaging body 3 is a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by inserting a folded bottom film 17 into one side that becomes the bottom of the packaging body when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are arranged opposite each other so that the heat-sealable surface is in contact with the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2, and by providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side ends and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

[0016] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 3, the packaging body 3 is a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by inserting a folded bottom film 17 into one side that becomes the bottom of the packaging body when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are arranged opposite each other so that the heat-sealable surface is in contact with the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2, and by providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side ends and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

[0017] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 4, the packaging body 3 is a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by inserting a folded bottom film 17 into one side that becomes the bottom of the packaging body when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are arranged opposite each other so that the heat-sealable surface is in contact with the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2, and by providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

[0018] Furthermore, the invention described in claim 9 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 5, the packaging body 3 is a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by inserting a folded bottom film 17 into one side that becomes the bottom of the packaging body when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are arranged opposite each other so that the heat-sealable surface is in contact with the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2, and by providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side ends and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

[0019] The invention described in claim 10 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 6, one of the hook portions 12 is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the branching film 7, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner dimension width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both side ends.

[0020] The invention described in claim 11 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 7, one of the hook portions 12 is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the branching film 7, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner dimension width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both side ends.

[0021] The invention described in claim 12 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 8, one of the hook portions 12 is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the branching film 7, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner dimension width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both side ends.

[0022] The invention described in claim 13 is characterized in that, in the packaging body 3 described in claim 9, one of the hook portions 12 is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the branching film 7, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner dimension width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both side ends. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 1, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 10(a), after opening the package 3 composed of the front film 1 arranged on the front side and the back film 2 arranged on the back side along the opening planned line 4 to form the opening 23, the branch film 7 is tilted downward toward the front side on the branch starting point 8, and then folded downward toward the front side (branch film 7) on the first folding planned line 5, and then folded downward toward the front side (branch film 7) on the second folding planned line 6. By folding the package 3 above the branch starting point 8 in two steps, the opening 23 is closed. Next, the branch film 7 is lifted, and while covering and hooking the hook portion 12 provided on the branch film 7 at the two-folded portion of the package 3, the folding resealing portion 25 is formed. Since the sealing heat fusion portion 11 and the hook portion 12 in the branch film 7 sandwich the front film 1 and the back film 2 in the folded state, the folding resealing portion 25 functions to suppress the repulsive force that attempts to unfold the fold due to the restoring force of the front film 1 and the back film 2 generated on the first folding planned line 5 and the second folding planned line 6. Therefore, the opening 23 is maintained in a closed state, and the package 3 can be resealed.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1(a), 10(b) and 10(c), on the front film 1 and the back film 2, the opening planned line 4, the first folding planned line 5, the second folding planned line 6, and the branch starting point 8 are arranged in this order from the upper end T1 of the package 3 downward. By setting the relationship of the distance a) from the opening planned line 4 to the first folding planned line 5, the distance b) from the first folding planned line 5 to the second folding planned line 6, and the distance c) from the second folding planned line 6 to the branch starting point 8 as a) < b) < c), the folded films do not interfere with each other, and the front film 1 and the back film 2 can be folded in two steps in a state of being wound around the opening 23, so that the folding resealing operation of the package 3 becomes easy.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 10(b), the branch film 7 branches off from the front film 1 or the back film 2 so that the upper end T2 of the branch film 7 faces the upper end T1 of the packaging body 3. This provides tongue-shaped notches 9 extending from the upper ends 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch toward the branch starting point 8, thereby allowing the folded front film 1 and back film 2 to be hooked and fixed by being inserted into the flap-shaped hook portion 12, thereby maintaining the resealed state of the packaging body 3.

[0026] As described above, the packaging body 3 folds the front film 1 and the back film 2 near the opening 23 in two stages during the resealing operation, so that the size of the packaging body 3 can be reduced when resealed and stored after a certain amount of contents has been consumed. Furthermore, since the hook portion 12 provided on the packaging body 3 functions as a fastener, there is no need to separately prepare or use fasteners such as clothespins or rubber bands.

[0027] The branching film 7 can be provided on either the front film 1 or the back film 2, as it can be adapted by changing the folding direction. Furthermore, the position where the branching film 7 is provided can be freely set according to the amount and shape of the contents, as long as it satisfies the conditions set forth in claim 1. For example, if it is set further down in the packaging bag 3, the amount of folding when resealing will be greater, and the packaging body 3 can be resealed and stored more compactly.

[0028] Here, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are folded downward toward the front side (branch film 7) along the first planned folding line 5, and then folded along the second planned folding line 6, the second planned folding line 6 becomes the apex of the folding. Furthermore, the distance c) from the second planned folding line 6 to the branch start point 8 is equal to the distance d) from both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch start point 8, so that when the hook portion 12 is hooked onto the front film 1 and the back film 2 folded in two stages, no extra gap is created between the apex of the folding on the second planned folding line 6 and both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch, and the films are in close contact with each other. Therefore, when and after the folded front film 1 and back film 2 are fixed with the branch film 7, their restoring force can be easily suppressed.

[0029] The heat-sealed support portion 10 formed from the upper end T2 of the branching film 7 to the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch has the function of supporting the entire branching film 7 including the hook portion 12, and by heat-sealing the entire surface, it is given high rigidity and improves supporting force. By increasing the rigidity of the heat-sealed support portion 10, the action of sandwiching the folded front film 1 and back film 2 between the branch film 7 including the sealed heat-sealed portion 11 below the heat-sealed support portion 10 and the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends and the hook portion 12 is strengthened, with the tongue-shaped notch at both upper ends 9a as fulcrums. The thermal fusion support part 10 can be given higher rigidity by forming it into an uneven shape such as a checkerboard pattern or a wave pattern.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), a heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the tongue-shaped notch 9 that forms the periphery of the hook portion 12, and the tip of the hook portion 12 is heat-sealed and integrated, making it easier for the user to handle when resealing the bag.

[0031] By making the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch have the shapes shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(d), the force applied when lifting the hook portion 12 is dispersed, and the branching film 7 is prevented from tearing at the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(b), a sealed heat-sealed portion 11 is provided around the outer periphery of the tongue-shaped notch 9, so that the storage portion S of the packaging body 3 is isolated from the outside world and can be kept sealed. The heat-sealed sealing portion 11 may be provided on the entire surface of the branching film 7 in the transverse direction, as shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0033] The resealing function can also be achieved by providing two or more tongue-shaped notches 9 and hook portions 12 as shown in FIG. 4(b). In this case, the user has to hook multiple hook portions 12 when resealing the container, which is a disadvantage as it requires more effort, but the advantage is that even if one hook portion 12 comes off, the other hook portions 12 will remain in place. Furthermore, the shapes of the tongue-shaped notch 9 and the hook portion 12 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. 4(c).

[0034] The material composition of the film that forms the packaging body 3 is not particularly limited, and it can be designed as usual to suit the intended use, and can also be used for heat treatment of the contents and packaging body 3, such as boiling sterilization and retort sterilization.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 2, a reinforcing film 14 that can be heat-sealed to the surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2 facing the contents is inserted inside the branching film 7, and the reinforcing film 14 is joined to the branching film 7 by the heat-sealing support portion 10, the sealing heat-sealing portion 11, and the heat-sealing portion 13 of the hook portion, so that high rigidity can be imparted to the heat-sealing support portion 10 regardless of the material of the films that make up the front film 1 and the back film 2.

[0036] If the film forming the packaging body 3 is highly rigid, when the front film 1 and the back film 2 are folded along the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, respectively, the repulsive force that tries to unfold the film due to the film's restoring force becomes stronger, and there is a risk that this repulsive force will make it easier for the hook portion 12 to come off the film when resealed. However, by inserting a reinforcing film 14 and making the rigidity of the branching film 7 higher than the rigidity of the front film 1 and the back film 2, the repulsive force of the folded film when resealed can be suppressed.

[0037] The material of the reinforcing film 14 may be any film that can be heat-sealed to the surface of the package 3 facing the contents, and may be a single film or a laminate film made of two or more layers of film. Naturally, the stiffness of the reinforcing film 14 increases as its thickness increases, but even with the same thickness, a multi-layer laminate film can impart greater stiffness to the heat-sealing support part 10 than a single-layer film, and furthermore, a three-layer laminate film can be imparted with a stretched film, metal foil, or paper as the middle layer to impart greater stiffness.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 3, the tongue-shaped notch 9 is formed with a temporary fastening portion 15 that partially connects the sealed heat-sealed portion 11 and the hook portion 12, so that the hook portion 12 does not come off the branching film 7 and rise up when the contents are filled and packaged or when the product is distributed. This reduces the risk of pinholes and tearing of the packaging body 3 caused by the hook portion 12 getting caught on equipment on the filling and packaging line or by packaging bodies 3 filled with contents getting caught on each other during transportation.

[0039] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the temporary fastening portion 15 is provided in part of the tongue-shaped notch 9, or by providing multiple tongue-shaped notches 9 in the form of perforations, thereby partially fixing the sealed heat-sealed portion 11 and the hook portion 12. Therefore, the user can easily separate the heat sealed portion 11 from the hook portion 12 with his or her fingers, and use the hook portion 12 when resealing the bag.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the inventions described in claims 4 and 5, by providing a folding guide processed portion 16 on or between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, when a user reseals the packaging body 3, the folding positions of the front film 1 and the back film 2 can be guided to the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0041] Examples of the folding guide processing portion 16 include a heat-sealed portion folding guide notch 16a provided within the heat-sealed portion 18 at both ends, a folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b provided between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, and a half-cut mechanism 16c or a folding habit 16d provided on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, as shown in Figure 7.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7(a), the heat-sealed portion folding guide notch 16a is a linear notch provided in the short direction within the heat-sealed portions 18 at both end points on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.When the package 3 near the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 is folded vertically, the heat-sealed portions 18 at both end points bend starting from the heat-sealed folding guide notch 16a, so that the folding position on the heat-sealed portions 18 at both end points can be guided to the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7(b), the folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b is a heat-sealed portion provided between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, adjacent to the content side of the package 3 of the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.The rigidity of the folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b is higher than that of the non-heat-sealed portions on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, making it difficult to fold on the folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b.Therefore, folding between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 is suppressed, and the folding position can be guided to the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6. The shape of the fusion-sealed anti-folding portion 16b is not particularly limited.

[0044] Here, it is preferable that the position of the anti-folding heat-sealed portion 16b in the vertical width direction of the packaging body 3 is such that the upper end of the anti-folding heat-sealed portion 16b is located approximately 2 mm below the first planned folding line 5, and the lower end of the anti-folding heat-sealed portion 16b is located approximately 2 mm above the second planned folding line 6. The position of the anti-folding portion 14 in the width direction of the packaging body 3 can be achieved by independently positioning the anti-folding portion 14 at the center of the packaging body 3, away from the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends, but this would hinder filling the contents into the storage section S of the packaging body 3 or removing the contents from the storage section S, so the anti-folding portion 14 is positioned adjacent to the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.

[0045] Furthermore, although not shown, the anti-folding heat-sealed portion 16b is additionally provided at a position adjacent to the storage section S side of the packaging bag 3 at the heat-sealed portions 18 on both sides above the first planned folding line 5 and below the second planned folding line 6, so that the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 are sandwiched between them, which makes it easier and more effective to guide the bag.

[0046] As shown in Figure 7(c), the half-cut mechanism 16c is applied by irradiating the surface of the front film 1 and / or back film 2 on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 with a laser or by pressing a blade against the surface. Since only the surface layer of the film constituting the front film 1 and / or back film 2 is removed, it is possible to make it easier to fold along the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0047] As shown in Figure 7(d), the fold 16d is created by deforming the front film 1 and / or the back film 2 on the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6 into a concave shape toward the branching film 7, making it easier to fold along the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0048] By combining a heat-sealed portion folding guide notch 16a within the heat-sealed portion 18 at both ends, a folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b between the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6, and a half-cut mechanism 16c or a folding habit 16d on the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6, a higher folding guidance effect onto the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6 can be achieved.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the inventions described in claims 6 to 9, the inventions described in claims 1 to 5 can be applied to a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by arranging the front film 1 and the back film 2 opposite each other, inserting a folded bottom film 17 so that the heat-sealable surface is in contact with the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2 on one side that will become the bottom of the packaging body 3, and providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, the area around the filling port 22 of the self-standing packaging body 21 is not specially processed, so the filling and sealing operations on the content filling and packaging line are not hindered, and the content can be filled and packaged in the same way as conventional self-standing packaging bodies.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the inventions described in claims 10 to 13, in the self-standing packaging body 21 described in claims 6 to 9, as shown in Figures 9 and 10(a), one hook portion 12 is provided in the center of the branching film 7 in the left-right direction of the branching film 7 of the self-standing packaging body 21. As a result, when the contents contained in the folded and resealed self-standing packaging body 21 are heated in a microwave oven, steam is generated, and the steam fills the self-standing packaging body 21, causing the volume of the self-standing packaging body 21 to expand. As shown in Figures 11(a), 11(b) and 11(c), the folded portions of the front film 1 and the back film 2 unfold within the upper width e) of the hook portion 12, starting from approximately the center of the upper width e) of the hook portion 12 while the hook portion 12 remains hooked, and become flared at the bottom. As a result, the opening 23, which was closed by folding the front film 1 and the back film 2, rolls up to the side where the branching film 7 is provided and faces upward, so that a part of it is formed as a steam vent 26 within the range of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12. Then, the steam inside the self-standing packaging body 21 is discharged to the outside of the self-standing packaging body 21 through the steam port 26.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10(c) and 11(c), the folded resealable portion 25 has the front film 1 and back film 2 folded in two stages so as to be rolled inward, and exposed to the outside of the branching film 7 through the tongue-shaped notch 9, so that the steam generated by microwave heating is not blocked by the branching film 7 when it is discharged outside the self-standing packaging body 21 through the steam vent 26.

[0053] As mentioned above, when the contents are heated in a microwave oven in a folded and resealed state, the range of movement in which the steam vent 26 can be formed in the folded front film 1 and back film 2 is within the range of the upper width e) of the hook portion 12, and therefore the size at which the steam vent 26 is formed can be adjusted by setting the respective dimensions so that the sum of the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned fold line 5 and the distance b) from the first planned fold line 5 to the second planned fold line 6 is 10% to 45% of the upper width e) of the hook portion 12, and so that the upper width e) of the hook portion 12 is 70% to 90% of the internal width f).

[0054] Here, the sum of the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 corresponds to the distance from the inside of the self-standing package 21 to the steam vent 26, and if this distance is too long in relation to the width e) of the upper end of the hook portion 12, when the package is heated in a microwave oven in a folded and resealed state, the front film 1 and back film 2 that have been folded and held down by the hook portion 12 will unravel, causing the hook portion 12 to come off before the steam vent 26 is formed, and the opening opening 23 will be completely open, making it impossible to maintain the folded and resealed state. Conversely, if the distance is too short, the contents will easily leak out, and it will be difficult to fold the bag along the first and second planned folding lines 5 and 6 with your fingers. Taking these factors into consideration, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is set to a dimension in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12.

[0055] In addition, by setting the upper end width e) of hook portion 12 within the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f), when the contents contained in resealed self-standing packaging body 21 are heated in a microwave oven, steam vent 26 is formed while maintaining the state of folded resealable portion 25 by hook portion 12, so that steam generated within self-standing packaging body 21 can be exhausted to the outside of self-standing packaging body 21 while providing a steaming effect and a pressurizing effect to the contents.

[0056] If the upper end width e) of hook portion 12 is less than 70% of the internal width f), the range of motion in which steam vent 26 can be formed becomes narrow, preventing the steam generated during microwave heating from being smoothly discharged, causing the folded front film 1 and back film 2 to come off hook portion 12 and opening opening 23 to be released, preventing the contents from being properly steamed and pressurized.

[0057] Conversely, if the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is 90% or more of the internal width f), the range of motion in which the steam vent 26 can be formed becomes too wide, making the steam vent 26 too large and similarly preventing the appropriate steaming and pressurizing effects on the contents.

[0058] Furthermore, if the sum of the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 is 35% to 45% of the width e) of the upper end of the hook portion 12, and the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 is 70% or more but less than 100% of the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6, then if the rigidity of the heat-sealing support part 10 is low, there is a risk that the hook part 12 will come off before the steam vent 26 is formed in the folded reseal part 25 due to the volume expansion inside the self-standing package 21 when heated in a microwave oven. Therefore, it is advisable to adopt a method of imparting high rigidity to the heat-sealing support part 10, such as making the heat-sealed shape of the heat-sealing support part 10 uneven or inserting a reinforcing film 14 on the inner surface of the branching film 7. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0059] [Figure 1]1(a) is a front view showing the foldable and resealable packaging body 3 according to claim 1. FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory view showing the branching film 7 provided in the packaging body 3. FIG. [Figure 2] 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion is provided only on the peripheral portion of the hook portion 12. FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion is provided on the entire surface of the hook portion 12. [Figure 3] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the shape pattern of the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch. FIG. [Figure 4] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a branching film 7 in which a sealed heat-sealed portion 11 is provided across the branching film 7. (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a branching film 7 in which there are two tongue-shaped notches 9. (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a branching film 7 in which the tongue-shaped notches 9 are trapezoidal. [Figure 5] 10 is a front view showing the foldable and resealable package according to claim 2, in which a reinforcing film 14 is inserted into the branching film 7. FIG. [Figure 6] 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a branching film 7 in which a temporary fastening portion 15 is provided in a part of a tongue-shaped notch 9. FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a branching film 7 in which a temporary fastening portion 15 is formed by making the tongue-shaped notch 9 have a perforated shape. [Figure 7] (a) is an explanatory diagram showing a package 3 in which heat-sealed portion folding guide notches 16a are provided in heat-sealed portions 18 at both end edges on the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6. (b) is an explanatory diagram showing a package 3 in which a fold prevention heat-sealed portion 16b is provided between the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6. (c) is an explanatory diagram showing a package 3 in which half-cut mechanisms 16c are provided on the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6. (d) is an explanatory diagram showing a package 3 in which fold creases 16d are provided on the first planned fold line 5 and the second planned fold line 6. [Figure 8] 1 is a front view showing that the foldable and resealable package according to claim 1 is a self-standing package 21. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the upper end width e) and the inner width f) of the hook portion 12 of the self-standing packaging body 21. FIG. [Figure 10](a) A photograph of the self-standing package 21 in a folded and resealed state. (b) A photograph showing the folded and resealed portion 25 with the branching film 7 facing the back side. (c) A photograph showing the folded and resealed portion 25 with the branching film 7 facing the front side. [Figure 11] (a) Photograph taken from the front (branching film 7 side) of the self-standing packaging body 21a in a folded and resealed state in which the steam vent 26 was formed by heating in a microwave oven, used in Example 3. (b) Photograph taken from the top of the self-standing packaging body 21a in a folded and resealed state in which the steam vent 26 was formed by heating in a microwave oven, used in Example 3. (c) Photograph taken obliquely with the branching film 7 facing the front, of the self-standing packaging body 21a in a folded and resealed state in which the steam vent 26 was formed by heating in a microwave oven, used in Example 3. [Figure 12] 1(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the laminate film constituting the three-sided bag 20 and the three-sided bag 20b used in Examples 1 and 2. FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the laminate film constituting the self-standing packaging body used in Examples 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. [Figure 13] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminated film constituting a reinforcing film 13 used in Examples 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. FIG. [Figure 14] (a) is a photograph of the three-sided bag 20a in Example 1 containing 100 g of resin pellets 31 and resealed with the folded reseal part 25 facing downwards. (b) is a photograph of the three-sided bag 20b in Example 2 containing 100 g of resin pellets 31 and resealed with the folded reseal part 25 facing downwards. [Figure 15] (a) A photograph taken from the front of the three-sided bag 20a in Example 1, with 150 g of resin pellets 31 placed inside and the resealed bag with the foldable resealable portion 25 facing downwards. (b) A photograph taken from the side of the three-sided bag 20a in Example 1, with 150 g of resin pellets 31 placed inside and the resealed bag with the foldable resealable portion 25 facing downwards. (c) A photograph of the three-sided bag 20b in Example 2, with 150 g of resin pellets 31 placed inside and the resealed bag with the foldable resealable portion 25 facing downwards. [Figure 16]10 is a photograph showing that when the self-standing package 21b in Example 4 is heated in a microwave oven in a resealed state, the hook portion 12 comes off and the steam vent 26 opens widely. [Figure 17] 10 is a photograph showing that the folded resealable portion 25 is detached when the self-standing package 21c in Example 5 is heated in a microwave oven in a resealed state. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a self-standing packaging body 21 provided with two hook portions 12. [Figure 19] (a) is a photograph taken from the back (the side where branching film 7 is not provided) showing the state in which steam vent 26 is formed when self-standing packaging body 21d in Example 6 is heated in a microwave oven in a resealed state. (b) is a photograph taken of the vicinity of steam vent 26 formed when self-standing packaging body 21d in Example 6 is heated in a microwave oven in a resealed state. [Figure 20] 10 is a photograph showing that the folded resealable portion 25 is opened when the self-standing package 21e in Example 7 is heated in a microwave oven in a resealed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0060] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. [Example]

[0061] In Example 1, the packaging form was a three-sided bag 20a as shown in Figure 1(a), with dimensions of 150 mm in width and 180 mm in height, and the three-sided bag 20a was formed by applying 10 mm heat-sealed portions 18 at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealed portion 19 to the front film 1 and the back film 2 using a heat sealing method. The upper end of the three-sided bag 20a is not heat-sealed in order to serve as a filling opening 22.

[0062] Using the upper end T1 of the three-sided bag 20a as a reference, the intended opening line 4 is located 15 mm below, the first intended folding line 5 is located 30 mm below, the second intended folding line 6 is located 50 mm below, and the branch starting point 8 is located 75 mm below. Therefore, the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 is 15 mm, the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 is 20 mm, and the distance c) from the second planned folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8 is 25 mm.

[0063] The branching film 7 is provided on the front side of the three-sided bag 20a by folding a part of the front film 1 in a mountain fold so that its upper end T2 faces the upper end T1 side of the three-sided bag 20a, and the length from the upper end T2 to the branch starting point 8 is 35 mm. In addition, the entire surface of the branching film 7 was heat-sealed for 30 mm from the top end, and then a tongue-shaped notch 9 with a vertical width of 15 mm and horizontal widths of 100 mm at both the top and bottom ends was created in the center of the width of the branching film 7 so that the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch were positioned 10 mm below the top end of the branching film 7, thereby simultaneously forming a heat-sealed support portion 10, a sealed heat-sealed portion 11, a hook portion 12, and a heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion within the branching film 7, as shown in Figures 2(b) and 4(a). Therefore, the vertical width of the heat-sealing support portion 10 is 10 mm, and the distance d) from the upper ends 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch starting point 8 is 25 mm, which is the same as the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8.

[0064] The shape of the tongue-shaped cutouts on both sides of the upper end portion 9a is as shown in FIG. 3(c), which makes it difficult for the branching film 7 to tear when the hook portion 12 is lifted to reseal the bag.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7(a), as the folding guide processed portion 16, four heat-sealed portion folding guide notches 16a are provided on each side, each at a central 5 mm of the 10 mm width of the heat-sealed portion 18 at both ends that overlaps the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6, and further, as shown in Figure 7(b), a folding prevention heat-sealed portion 16b having a vertical width of 15 mm and a horizontal width of 5 mm is provided between the first planned folding line 5 and the second planned folding line 6.

[0066] In this embodiment, each heat-sealed portion is formed by a heat sealing method, but the three-sided bag 20 and the self-standing packaging body 21 can also be formed by known methods other than the heat sealing method, such as an ultrasonic sealing method or a cold sealing method.

[0067] As shown in Figure 12(a), the films that make up the three-sided bag 20a are a 12 μm thick biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter referred to as PET27) film for the outermost layer, which is resistant to thermal shrinkage and has high dimensional stability, and a 40 μm thick unstretched polypropylene film (hereinafter referred to as CPP29) film for the innermost layer, which serves as a sealant film that can be heat-sealed to each other, and are laminated using a dry lamination method using a urethane-based two-component curing adhesive layer 28. The three-sided bag 20a was formed using this laminated film, and a sample for verifying the folding and resealing function was obtained. [Example]

[0068] In Example 2, as shown in FIG. 5, a three-sided bag 20b having a reinforcing film 14 inserted in a branching film 7 was produced with the same dimensions and film material configuration as the three-sided bag 20a produced in Example 1.

[0069] The material composition of the film constituting the reinforcing film 14 used in the three-sided bag 20b was, as shown in Figure 13, CPP29 (film thickness 40 μm) / adhesive layer 28 / PET27 / adhesive layer 28 / CPP29 (film thickness 40 μm) in that order from the side in contact with the sealant film of the three-sided bag 20b, and was laminated using the dry lamination method.

[0070] The dimensions of the reinforcing film 14 inserted into the branching film 7 of the three-sided bag 20b were set to 150 mm in width and 30 mm in length so as to fit within the branching film 7, which was 150 mm in width and 35 mm in length. When inserting the reinforcing film 14 into the branching film 7, the reinforcing film 14 needs to fit within the range of the heat-sealing support portion 10, so the reinforcing film 14 was positioned so that the upper end of the reinforcing film 14 was located based on the upper end T2 of the branching film 7. It is more preferable that the reinforcing film 14 extends up to both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped cuts, since this can prevent the branching film 7 from being torn by the tongue-shaped cuts 9. On the other hand, if the reinforcing film 14 extends over the branch starting points 8, the reinforcing film 14 becomes an obstacle to folding when the branching film 7 is formed by folding over the branch starting points 8, which is not preferable.

[0071] The inserted reinforcing film 14 was heat-sealed to the front surface of the branching film 7 from the upper end T2 to 30 mm using a heat sealing method, as in the three-sided bag 20a of Example 1.After that, a tongue-shaped notch 9 with a vertical width of 15 mm and the same horizontal width of 100 mm at the upper and lower ends was made in the center of the width of the branching film 7 so that the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch were positioned 10 mm below the upper end T2 of the branching film 7, thereby simultaneously forming the heat-sealed support portion 10, the sealed heat-sealed portion 11, and the heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion. The shape of the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped cutout is the same as that of the three-sided bag 20a of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3(c).

[0072] When the reinforcing film 14 is heat-sealed to the branching film 7, the amount of heat required for heat-sealing is greater than when the reinforcing film 14 is not used. Therefore, depending on the material composition of the films that make up the packaging body 3 and the reinforcing film 14, the thermal shrinkage of the branching film 7 due to heat-sealing may be greater. In this case, the amount of heat required for heat sealing can be reduced by providing a non-heat-sealable portion as shown in FIG. 1(b) or FIG. 2(a), or by using a highly heat-resistant material such as PET27 for the intermediate layer as in the reinforcing film 14 used in this embodiment, thereby preventing the occurrence of thermal shrinkage of the branching film 7.

[0073] The resealing effect of the three-sided bag 20a and the three-sided bag 20b thus produced will be confirmed as follows.

[0074] Resin pellets 31 are placed in the three-sided bag 20a and the three-sided bag 20b as verification dummies, and the filling port 22 is sealed by heat sealing. The amount of resin pellets 31 to be contained was prepared in two patterns, 100 g and 150 g, taking into consideration the volume of the three-sided bag 20a and the three-sided bag 20b in the folded and resealed state.

[0075] First, the film is torn along the intended opening line 4 from the opening notch 24 to form an opening opening 23, then the branching film 7 is folded downward toward the front side at the branch starting point 8, and in this state the front film 1 and back film 2 are folded downward toward the front side (branching film 7) in the order of the first intended folding line 5 and the second intended folding line 6, after which the branching film 7 is raised and the hook portion 12 is hooked onto the folded front film 1 and back film 2 to form a folded resealable portion 25, and the three-sided bag 20a and three-sided bag 20b are resealed.

[0076] The state of the folded resealable portion 25 of the resealed three-sided bag 20a and three-sided bag 20b was checked when the folded resealable portion 25 was held facing downward. Figure 14(a) shows a three-sided bag 20a containing 100g of resin pellets 31, Figure 14(b) shows a three-sided bag 20b containing 100g of resin pellets 31, Figures 15(a) and (b) show a three-sided bag 20a containing 150g of resin pellets 31, and Figure 15(c) shows a three-sided bag 20b containing 150g of resin pellets 31.

[0077] When the three-sided bag 20a of Example 1 contains 100 g of resin pellets 31, as shown in Figure 14(a), the resealed state of the folded resealable portion 25 is maintained even when the folded resealable portion 25 is held and hung by hand with the folded resealable portion 25 facing downwards. In contrast, when the amount of resin pellets 31 contained was 150 g, as shown in Figures 15(a) and 15(b), it was confirmed that the weight of the resin pellets 31 caused the folding resealing portion 25 to expand, causing the film on the second planned folding line 6 to begin to open and the hook portion 12 to begin to come off.

[0078] On the other hand, in the three-sided bag 20b of Example 2, as shown in Figures 14(b) and 15(c), it was confirmed that the resealed state of the folded resealable portion 25 was maintained regardless of whether the amount of resin pellets 31 contained was 100g or 150g.

[0079] The above-described Examples 1 and 2 have demonstrated the resealing effect of the folded resealable portion 25 in the three-sided bag 20 according to the present invention. It was also confirmed that by inserting the reinforcing film 14 into the branching film 7 and increasing the rigidity of the heat-sealing support portion 10, the folding resealing portion 25 can withstand its own weight even when the contents contain a large amount of material, thereby improving the resealing function. [Example]

[0080] In Examples 3, 4, and 5, in order to verify the dimensional conditions described in claim 10, the packaging form was based on a self-standing packaging body 21 as shown in FIG. 9, and in Example 3, a self-standing packaging body 21a that satisfies the requirements of claim 10 was produced, while in Examples 4 and 5, a self-standing packaging body 21b and a self-standing packaging body 21c that do not satisfy the requirements of claim 10 were produced. Then, when each container was resealed and heated in a microwave oven, it was confirmed whether or not steam vent 26 was formed and steam was properly discharged.

[0081] Furthermore, in Examples 6 and 7, it was confirmed whether the self-standing packaging body 21 provided with two hook portions 12 as shown in FIG. 18 can simultaneously achieve the resealing function in the folded and resealed state and the function of forming the steam vent 26 and properly discharging steam when heated in a microwave oven.

[0082] The dimensions of the self-standing packaging body 21a used in Example 3 were a width of 220 mm, a height of 180 mm, and a folded width of the bottom film 17 of 45 mm. The self-standing packaging body 21a was formed by heat-sealing the front film 1, the back film 2, and the bottom film 17 using a heat-sealing method with 10 mm-wide heat-sealed portions 18 at both side edges and a 5 mm-wide bottom heat-sealed portion 19. The upper end of the self-standing packaging body 21a is not heat-sealed because it is intended to be the filling port 22.

[0083] Using the upper end T1 (filling port 22) of the self-standing packaging body 21a as a reference, the intended opening line 4 is located 15 mm below, the first intended folding line 5 is located 30 mm below, the second intended folding line 6 is located 50 mm below, and the branch starting point 8 is located 75 mm below. Therefore, the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 is 15 mm, the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 is 20 mm, and the distance c) from the second planned folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8 is 25 mm, which are the same dimensional conditions as the three-sided bag 20a described in Example 1.

[0084] The branching film 7 is provided by folding a portion of the front film 1 in a mountain fold so that its upper end T2 faces the upper end T1 of the self-standing packaging body 21a, and the length from the upper end T2 to the branching start point 8 is 35 mm. Each element in the branching film 7 was heat-sealed over its entire surface from the upper end T2 of the branching film 7 to 30 mm, and then a tongue-shaped notch 9 with a vertical width of 15 mm and the same horizontal width at the upper and lower ends of 145 mm was created in the center of the width of the branching film 7 so that the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch were positioned 10 mm below the upper end T2 of the branching film 7, thereby simultaneously forming a heat-sealed support portion 10, a sealed heat-sealed portion 11, a hook portion 12, and a heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion within the branching film 7. Therefore, the vertical width of the heat-sealing support portion 10 is 10 mm, and the distance d) from the upper ends 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch starting point 8 is 25 mm, which is the same as the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8. From the above, the inner width f) of the self-standing packaging body 21a is 200 mm, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 35 mm, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is 145 mm, so the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 24.14% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is 72.5% of the inner width f), thereby satisfying the requirements of claim 10.

[0085] As shown in Figure 12(b), the films that make up the self-standing packaging body 21a are laminated using a dry lamination method with an outermost layer of PET27 film with a thickness of 12 μm, an intermediate layer of biaxially oriented nylon (hereinafter referred to as Ny30) film with high impact resistance with a thickness of 15 μm, and an innermost layer of CPP29, with an adhesive layer 27.

[0086] A reinforcing film 14 having a width of 220 mm and a length of 30 mm is inserted into the branching film 7 of the self-standing packaging body 21a. As shown in Figure 13, the films constituting the reinforcing film 14 are stacked by dry lamination in the order CPP29 (film thickness 50 μm) / adhesive layer 28 / PET27 / adhesive layer 28 / CPP29 (film thickness 50 μm) from the side in contact with the sealant film of the self-standing packaging body 21a.

[0087] The dimensions of the reinforcing film 14 were 220 mm in width, the same as the width of the self-standing packaging body 20a, and 30 mm in height, and it was inserted into the branching film 7 and joined to the branching film 7 at the heat-sealing support portion 10, the sealed heat-sealing portion 11, and the heat-sealing portion 13 of the hook portion. [Example]

[0088] In Example 4, a self-standing packaging body 21b was used in which the bag dimensions and the material composition of the front film 1, back film 2, bottom film 17 and reinforcing film 14 were the same as those of the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, but the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 was changed to 120 mm.

[0089] The inner width f) of the self-standing packaging body 21b is 200 mm, the same as that of the self-standing packaging body 21a, so the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, 120 mm, is 60% of the inner width f) of 200 mm, which does not fall within the range of 70% to 90% set forth in claim 10 and does not satisfy the requirements of claim 10.

[0090] On the other hand, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 35 mm, the same as that of the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, and is 29.17% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, which is 120 mm, so this satisfies the key points of claim 10. [Example]

[0091] In Example 5, a self-standing packaging body 21c was used, which had the same material composition as the front film 1, back film 2, bottom film 17, and reinforcing film 14 as the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, and the bag dimensions were 150 mm wide, 180 mm high, and the folded width of the bottom film 17 was 35 mm.The self-standing packaging body 21c was formed by heat-sealing the front film 1, back film 2, and bottom film 17 using a heat-sealing method with 5 mm wide heat-sealed portions 18 at both side edges and a 5 mm wide bottom heat-sealed portion 19. Therefore, the inner width (f) of the self-standing packaging body 21c is 140 mm.

[0092] The dimensions of the reinforcing film 14 were 150 mm in width, the same as the width of the self-standing packaging body 20c, and 30 mm in height, and it was inserted into the branching film 7 and joined to the branching film 7 at the heat-sealing support portion 10, the sealed heat-sealing portion 11, and the heat-sealing portion 13 of the hook portion.

[0093] Using the upper end T1 (filling port 22) of the self-standing packaging body 21c as a reference, the intended opening line 4 is located 15 mm below, the first intended folding line 5 is located 35 mm below, the second intended folding line 6 is located 65 mm below, and the branch starting point 8 is located 100 mm below.

[0094] On the other hand, the length of the branching film 7 from its upper end T2 to the branching starting point 8 was 45 mm, and the entire surface of the branching film 7 was heat-sealed from the upper end T2 to 40 mm, and then a tongue-shaped notch 9 with a vertical width of 25 mm and a horizontal width of 100 mm at the upper and lower ends was created in the center of the width of the branching film 7 so that the upper end portions 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch were located 10 mm below the upper end T2 of the branching film 7, thereby simultaneously forming a heat-sealed support portion 10, a sealed heat-sealed portion 11, a hook portion 12, and a heat-sealed portion 13 of the hook portion within the branching film 7. Therefore, the vertical width of the heat-sealing support portion 10 is 10 mm, and the distance d) from the upper ends 9a on both sides of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch starting point 8 is 35 mm, which is the same as the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8.

[0095] As a result, the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 is 20 mm, the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 30 mm, and the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch starting point 8 is 35 mm.The sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 50 mm, which is 50% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, which is 100 mm.This does not fall within the condition of 10% to 45% set forth in claim 10, and does not satisfy the requirements of claim 10.

[0096] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the upper width e) of the hook portion 12 of the self-standing packaging body 21c is 100 mm, which is 71.4% of the inner width f) of the self-standing packaging body 21a, which is 140 mm, so the ratio of the upper width e) of the hook portion 12 to the inner width f) is within the range of 70% to 90% as defined in claim 10. [Example]

[0097] In Example 6, a self-standing packaging body 21d was used, which had the same bag dimensions and the same material composition of the front film 1, back film 2, bottom film 17, and reinforcing film 14 as the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, and was provided with two hook portions 12 as shown in Figure 18.

[0098] When two or more hook portions 12 are provided, the width e) of the upper end of each hook portion 12 is inevitably shorter. Therefore, when heated in a microwave oven in a folded and resealed state, unlike self-standing packaging body 21a, self-standing packaging body 21b, and self-standing packaging body 21c which have one hook portion 12, the folding within a distance g) of the non-hook portion, which is the portion of folded resealable portion 25 that is not fixed by hook portion 12, unfolds, forming steam vent 26.

[0099] Therefore, in the self-standing packaging body 21d, the distance g) of the non-hook portion is the range in which the steam port 26 is formed, and corresponds to the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 in the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, which has one hook portion 12. By adjusting the distance g) of this non-hook portion to 140 mm, which is the same as the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 of the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, it is made equivalent to the requirement described in claim 10.

[0100] In addition, the sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is 35 mm, the same as that of the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, and satisfies the requirements described in claim 10.

[0101] 18, the two hook portions 12 provided on the stand-alone packaging body 21d have the same dimensions and shape, and are U-shaped with an upper end width e) of 27 mm and a vertical width of 15 mm, and are provided 3 mm away from the heat-sealed portions 18 on both left and right sides toward the center of the bag. Note that, as with the stand-alone packaging body 21a described in Example 3, each heat-sealed portion in the branching film 7 is formed at once by heat-sealing the entire surface of the branching film 7 from the upper end T2 to 30 mm. [Example]

[0102] In Example 7, a self-standing packaging body 21e was used, which was configured in the same manner as the self-standing packaging body 21d described in Example 6, except that the upper end width e) of the two hook portions 12 was wide and the distance g) of the non-hook portions was short.

[0103] The two hook portions 12 provided on the self-standing packaging body 21e are both of the same size and shape, and are U-shaped with an upper end width e) of 50 mm and a vertical width of 15 mm, and are located 10 mm toward the center of the bag from the heat-sealed portions 18 on both left and right sides. Therefore, the distance g) of the non-hook portion is 80 mm.

[0104] Next, 200 ml of water was poured into the storage section S of each of the self-standing packaging bodies 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, and 21e produced in Examples 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and then the film was torn along the intended opening line 4 from the opening notch 24 to form an opening opening 23. Next, the branching film 7 was folded downward toward the front side above the branch starting point 8, and in this state, the front film 1 and the back film 2 were folded downward toward the front side (branching film 7) in the order of the first intended folding line 5 and the second intended folding line 6. Then, the branching film 7 was raised, and the hook portion 12 was hooked onto the folded front film 1 and back film 2 to form a folding and resealing portion 25, and the self-standing packaging bodies 21a, 21, 21c, 21d, and 21e were resealed.

[0105] The thus obtained self-standing packaging bodies 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d and 21e in a folded and resealed state containing water were heated in a microwave oven at 600W for 3 minutes, and it was confirmed whether or not steam vent 26, through which steam generated from the water is released to the outside while maintaining the internal pressure within each self-standing packaging body 21, was formed in the appropriate shape.

[0106] First, after about 2 minutes of heating, the water in each of the packages 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, and 21e began to turn into steam, and after a further 20 seconds of heating, each of the packages 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, and 21e was filled with steam and the volume expansion exceeded its limit, causing the front film 1 and back film 2 to unfold, forming a steam vent 26, and steam continued to be released from the steam vent 26 for the remaining 40 seconds or so.

[0107] In the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, as shown in FIG. 11, it was confirmed that steam generated by microwave heating formed a steam port 26 with a minimum area in the center of the top surface of the self-standing packaging body 21a. It was also confirmed that the front film 1, back film 2 and bottom film 17 that make up the self-standing packaging body 21a were stretched and deformed due to the volume expansion within the self-standing packaging body 21a during microwave heating. From these facts, it can be seen that the internal pressure within the self-standing packaging body 21a was maintained while steam was being discharged.

[0108] Therefore, it was confirmed that when the self-standing package 21a is heated in a microwave oven in a folded and resealed state, it is possible to exhaust steam to the outside while providing a steaming effect and a pressurizing effect to the contents.

[0109] In stand-alone packaging body 21b described in Example 4, as shown in FIG. 16, the upper end width e) of hook portion 12 is shorter than the internal width f), and therefore when volume expansion occurs due to heating in a microwave oven, there is not enough space in folding and resealing portion 25 to unfold the folded state and form steam vent 26, so hook portion 12 comes off before the steam generated inside stand-alone packaging body 21b can be released. Although it is possible to heat the contents in a microwave oven, because the steam vent 26 is wide open, it is not possible to apply internal pressure to the contents or to suppress the amount of water released as steam.

[0110] In the self-standing packaging body 21c described in Example 5, as shown in FIG. 17 , the sum of the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6, which are the distances through which steam generated by microwave heating passes, is too long compared to the width e) of the upper end of the hook portion 12, so there is no room for the steam vent 26 to be formed from the folded front film 1 and back film 2 due to volume expansion within the self-standing packaging body 21c, and steam is discharged when the hook portion 12 is detached and the package is completely open.

[0111] As a result, in stand-alone package 21c, the function of folding and resealing part 25 to control the amount of steam emitted during microwave heating did not work.

[0112] From Examples 3, 4 and 5, it was confirmed that, as described in claims 10 to 13, the self-standing packaging body 21 has a sum of the distance a) from the planned opening line 4 to the first planned folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, and the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is set in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends, so that the steam generated during microwave heating can be discharged from the steam vent 26, while the contents can be heated, steamed and pressurized.

[0113] In the self-standing packaging body 21d described in Example 6, as shown in Figures 19(a) and 19(b), similar to the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, a steam port 26 is formed in the center of the top surface of the self-standing packaging body 21d to a minimum extent, due to the steam generated by microwave heating, and it was confirmed that the steam was being properly discharged.

[0114] However, as shown in Figure 19(b), in the self-standing packaging body 21d, the film folded downward toward the branching film 7 within the distance g) of the non-hook portion is unwound to form the steam vent 26, and the steam discharged toward the branching starting point 8 is blown thereto, causing high-temperature moisture to accumulate. Therefore, when removing the hook portion 12 to take out the contents, the hot water is likely to come into contact with the user's fingers, which may result in burns. In contrast, the self-standing packaging body 21a described in Example 3, which has one hook portion 12, does not have this risk because the steam port 26 is formed outside the branching film 7 through the tongue-shaped notch 9 when heated in a microwave oven.

[0115] Furthermore, the distance g) of the non-hook portion in the center of the bag of self-standing packaging body 21d is long, and the resealed state is easily released when the weight of the contents is concentrated in the center of folding and resealing portion 25. Therefore, after folding and resealing, if self-standing packaging body 21d is accidentally knocked over and folding and resealing portion 25 faces downward, the contents are likely to leak out.

[0116] In the case of the self-standing packaging body 21e described in Example 7, the distance g) of the non-hook portion is short and the area in which the folded film can be unwound is narrow, so that, as shown in FIG. 20, due to volume expansion caused by heating in the microwave oven, one side of the hook portion 12 detached before the steam vent 26 was formed, resulting in a similar result to that of the self-standing packaging body 21b described in Example 4.

[0117] On the other hand, it was confirmed that the self-standing package 21e has a wide hook portion 12, so that the folded resealable portion 25 is difficult to unravel, and is excellent in maintaining the resealed state.

[0118] As seen from Examples 6 and 7, when two or more hook portions 12 are provided, it can be said that it is difficult to achieve both the proper steam release function during microwave heating and the function of maintaining the resealed state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1 Front film 2 Rear film 3 Packaging 4 Opening schedule 5 First folding line 6 Second folding line 7 Branching film 8 Branching point 9 Tongue-shaped notch 9a Tongue-shaped notch on both sides 10 Heat fusion support part 11 Sealed heat seal part 12 Hook part 13 Heat-sealed part of hook 14 Reinforcement film 15 Temporary fastening part 16 Folding guide processing section 16a Heat-sealed part folding guide notch 16b Folding prevention heat sealing part 16c Half-cut mechanism 16d Folding habits 17 Bottom film 18 Heat-sealed portions at both ends 19 Bottom heat fusion part 20 three-way bag 21 Self-supporting packaging 22 Filling port 23 Opening mouth 24 Opening notch 25 Folding and resealing section 26 Steam vent 27 PET 28 Adhesive layer 29 CPP 30 New York 31 Resin pellets S storage section T1 Top of package T2 Top end of branching film a) Distance from the opening line 4 to the first folding line 5 b) Distance from the first planned folding line 5 to the second planned folding line 6 c) Distance from the second folding line 6 to the branch start point 8 d) Distance from the upper ends 9a of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch start point 8 e) Upper end width of the hook portion 12 f) Inner width g) Non-hook distance

Claims

1. A packaging body (3) in which a storage section (S) for storing contents is formed by overlapping a front film (1) and a back film (2) made of soft films and heat-sealing their peripheries, The packaging body 3 includes an opening line 4 provided at an upper portion thereof and tearing to form an opening opening, a first folding line 5 provided below the opening line 4, a second folding line 6 provided below the first folding line 5, a branch starting point 8 provided below the second folding line 6, and a branching film 7 provided on the front film 1 or the back film 2 and protruding from the branch starting point 8 to the outside of the packaging body 3 with its upper end T2 facing toward the upper end T1 of the packaging body 3, The distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 is shorter than the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6, and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is shorter than the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch start point 8, The branching film 7 includes a tongue-shaped notch 9 extending from both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch toward the branching starting point 8, a heat-sealing support portion 10 formed from the upper end T2 of the branching film 7 to both upper end portions 9a of the tongue-shaped notch, a sealed heat-sealing portion 11 formed around the outer periphery of the tongue-shaped notch 9, a flap-shaped hook portion 12 surrounded by the tongue-shaped notch 9 and extending from the lower end of the heat-sealing support portion 10 toward the branching starting point 8, and a heat-sealing portion 13 of the hook portion formed on the hook portion 12, A foldable and resealable package characterized in that the distance c) from the second intended folding line 6 to the branch start point 8 and the distance d) from both upper ends 9a of the tongue-shaped notch to the branch start point 8 are equal.

2. 2. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing film (14) capable of being heat-sealed to the surfaces of the front film (1) and the back film (2) facing the contents is inserted into the inner surface of the branching film (7), and the reinforcing film (14) is joined to the branching film (7) by the heat-sealing support portion (10), the sealing heat-sealing portion (11), and the heat-sealing portion (13) of the hook portion.

3. 3. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 1, wherein the tongue-shaped notch (9) is formed with a temporary fastening portion (15) that partially connects the heat-sealed sealing portion (11) and the hook portion (12).

4. 3. A foldable and resealable package according to claim 1, wherein a folding guide processing portion is provided on the first folding line and the second folding line or between the first folding line and the second folding line.

5. 4. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 3, wherein a folding guide processing portion is provided on the first folding line and the second folding line or between the first folding line and the second folding line.

6. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the packaging body 3 is a self-standing packaging body 21 formed by arranging the front film 1 and the back film 2 opposite each other, inserting a folded bottom film 17 into one side that will become the bottom of the packaging body so that the heat-sealable surface thereof contacts the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film 1 and the back film 2, and providing heat-sealable portions 18 at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion 19.

7. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 3, characterized in that the packaging body (3) is a self-standing packaging body (21) formed by arranging the front film (1) and the back film (2) opposite each other, inserting a folded bottom film (17) into one side that will become the bottom of the packaging body so that the heat-sealable surface thereof contacts the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film (1) and the back film (2), and providing heat-sealable portions (18) at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion (19).

8. 5. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 4, wherein the packaging body (3) is a self-standing packaging body (21) formed by arranging the front film (1) and the back film (2) opposite each other, inserting a folded bottom film (17) into one side of the packaging body that will be the bottom so that the heat-sealable surface thereof contacts the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film (1) and the back film (2), and providing heat-sealable portions (18) at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion (19).

9. 6. The foldable and resealable packaging body according to claim 5, wherein the packaging body (3) is a self-standing packaging body (21) formed by arranging the front film (1) and the back film (2) opposite each other, inserting a folded bottom film (17) into one side of the packaging body that will be the bottom so that the heat-sealable surface thereof contacts the heat-sealable surfaces of the front film (1) and the back film (2), and providing heat-sealable portions (18) at both side edges and a bottom heat-sealable portion (19).

10. One of the hook portions 12 is provided at the center of the branching film 7 in the left-right direction, The sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, The upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.

7. The foldable reclosable package of claim 6.

11. One of the hook portions 12 is provided at the center of the branching film 7 in the left-right direction, The sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, The upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.

8. The foldable reclosable package of claim 7.

12. One of the hook portions 12 is provided at the center of the branching film 7 in the left-right direction, The sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, The upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.

9. The foldable reclosable package of claim 8.

13. One of the hook portions 12 is provided at the center of the branching film 7 in the left-right direction, The sum of the distance a) from the intended opening line 4 to the first intended folding line 5 and the distance b) from the first intended folding line 5 to the second intended folding line 6 is in the range of 10% to 45% of the upper end width e) of the hook portion 12, The upper end width e) of the hook portion 12 is in the range of 70% to 90% of the inner width f) excluding the heat-sealed portions 18 at both ends.

10. The foldable reclosable package of claim 9.

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