Food packaging materials

Abstract

To provide a food packaging material from which the sheet can be easily removed in the width direction. [Solution] The food packaging material of the present invention is formed by joining an outer sheet and an inner sheet together to surround a sheet-like food product, and the opening strips are a pair of opening strips that are wavy from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and intersect with each other, and the outer sheet is formed by the intersection of the waveforms of the pair of opening strips and has a first wide portion located at one end and a second wide portion located at the other end, whose width changes continuously due to the waveforms of the pair of opening strips, and the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to packaging materials for food. [Background technology]

[0002] Food packaging materials used to package foods such as rice balls and other cooked rice foods generally have an outer sheet that has a tearing strip running from one longitudinal end to the other in the widthwise center and is divided into a pair of outer sheet pieces by the tearing strip, and an inner sheet that is overlapped on the outer sheet with the sheet food in between and is made up of a pair of inner sheet pieces that have overlapping portions where their inner portions overlap so that they are aligned with the tearing strip, and the outer sheet and inner sheet are joined to surround the sheet food such as seaweed.In addition, a covering strip is provided at the overlapping portion of the inner sheet to prevent moisture from the food packaged in the food packaging from passing through the overlapping portion of the inner sheet pieces and causing the sheet food to become damp.

[0003] When removing food from the food packaging material, the tear strip is first pulled from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction to separate the outer sheet, and then the separated outer sheet and inner sheet are pulled widthwise to remove the outer sheet and inner sheet simultaneously, allowing the packaged food and the sheet-type food to be removed at the same time.

[0004] As an example of such a food packaging material, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a food packaging material having a pair of tear strips that are corrugated from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and intersect with each other. In this food packaging material, the outer sheet is formed by the intersection of the corrugations of the pair of tear strips, and has a first wide portion located at one end and a second wide portion located at the other end, each of which has a width that continuously changes depending on the corrugations of the pair of tear strips. The maximum width of the first wide portion is smaller than the maximum width of the second wide portion. According to this configuration, the tear strip is peeled from the outer sheet by pulling a tab located at one end in the longitudinal direction, and the first wide portion is peeled from the outer sheet, followed by the second wide portion. This results in a wide separation in the outer sheet along the longitudinal direction, allowing the outer sheet and inner sheet to be removed while grasping the food at the separation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-8298 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of the food packaging material described above, when the outer sheet is torn by pulling the tear strip longitudinally to remove it, and then the outer sheet and the inner sheet are torn apart by pulling them widthwise to remove them, friction occurs between the sheets in the widthwise direction. In this case, if the inner sheet has a covering piece, the sheets overlap more, and the friction between the sheets becomes even greater.

[0007] However, in the food packaging material described above, the wide portion at one end is smaller than the wide portion at the other end, so the area of ​​the sheet that can be removed along the longitudinal direction is small, and there is high friction between the sheets at the overlapping portion of the inner sheet in the width direction, or between the inner sheet and the sheet-like food, so it is not sufficiently easy to open.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a food packaging material in which the sheet can be easily removed in the width direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The food packaging material of the present invention has an opening strip arranged from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction and configured to be peelable starting from the one end toward the other end, and comprises an outer sheet divided into a pair of outer sheet pieces by the opening strip, and an inner sheet overlapped on the outer sheet with a sheet-type food sandwiched between them, the inner sheet having the pair of inner sheet pieces, an overlapping portion formed by overlapping the inner sides of the pair of inner sheet pieces, and a covering piece configured to cover the overlapping portion and to sandwich the inner side of one inner sheet piece with the inner side of the other inner sheet piece at the overlapping portion, and the outer sheet and inner sheet are joined together to surround the sheet-type food, The tearing strips are a pair of tearing strips that are wavy from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and cross each other, the outer sheet is formed by the intersection of the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, and includes a first wide portion disposed on one end side and a second wide portion disposed on the other end side, the widths of the first wide portion and the second wide portion being continuously changed according to the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, The maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion.

[0010] In the food packaging material having such a configuration, when the outer sheet is separated by pulling and removing the tearing strip in the longitudinal direction, the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion, so that the outer sheet is removed largely along approximately the maximum width of the first wide portion. Therefore, the area where the sheets contact each other in the width direction is reduced, thereby reducing friction and making it easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0011] In the food packaging material according to the present invention, the maximum width of the first wide portion may be greater than the width of the overlapping portion.

[0012] With this configuration of the food packaging material, the area where the overlapping portion is located is where the outer sheet presses down on the inner sheet piece, covering piece, sheet-like food, and food, resulting in the tightest contact and therefore the highest friction.When the packaging is opened, the outer sheet is completely removed, loosening the tight contact and reducing friction, making it even easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0013] The food packaging material of the present invention may be arranged so that the widest point of the first wide portion is positioned at a length that is 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet, starting from one end in the longitudinal direction.

[0014] With this configuration, the width of the sheet removed from the food packaging material is approximately maximum near the bottom of the food, so a larger portion of the sheet is removed, making it easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0015] In the food packaging material according to the present invention, the outer sheet and the inner sheet may be formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, and cutouts may be formed in two or four corners adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0016] With this configuration of the food packaging material, the area of ​​the folded region formed by folding back and overlapping the edges of the sheet on the back side of the food package is smaller, making it easier to remove the opening strip, and therefore making it even easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0017] In the food packaging material according to the present invention, a part of the cutout may be formed in a sawtooth shape.

[0018] According to this configuration of the food packaging material, the sawtooth portion of the cutout serves as the starting point for opening, and when the opening strip is pulled from the sawtooth portion, the opening strip goes almost all the way around the food and is almost completely removed, which makes it easier to almost completely separate the outer sheet, making it even easier to remove the sheet in the width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a food packaging material in which the sheet can be easily removed in the width direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a food packaging material 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of one aspect of food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of a portion of first wide portion 22 of food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment, where the width is greatest. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a diagram showing how food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 5B]FIG. 5B is a diagram showing how food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing how food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 5D] FIG. 5D is a diagram showing how food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing how food X packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is sealed. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing how food X packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is sealed. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a front view of a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a rear view of a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing how a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment is opened. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing how food packaging 10, which is made by packaging food X using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment, is opened. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a diagram showing the state in which food packaging 10, in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment, is being opened. [Figure 8D] FIG. 8D is a diagram showing how food packaging 10, in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment, is opened. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, a food packaging material 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. In this specification, the longitudinal direction means the direction along the long sides of the sheet, and the width direction means the direction along the short sides of the sheet, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0022] In one aspect, the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is formed by joining an outer sheet 2 and an inner sheet 3 together so as to surround a sheet-like food S (in this embodiment, nori seaweed) as shown in FIGS.

[0023] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one aspect of a food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has a pair of opening strips 4, 4 and a sheet-type food product S disposed between an outer sheet 2 and an inner sheet 3. The sheet-type food product S is disposed between the inner sheet 3 and the pair of opening strips 4, 4.

[0024] The food packaging material 1 of this embodiment is formed by sandwiching a sheet-like food S between an outer sheet 2 and an inner sheet 3, overlapping the ends of each sheet, and then joining the ends of the overlapping sheets by heat sealing or the like.

[0025] 2 is a front view of one aspect of food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has outer sheet 2 disposed on the front side.

[0026] The outer sheet 2 is made of a heat-weldable plastic sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0027] The size of the outer sheet 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is large enough to enclose the food X when folded in half lengthwise.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the outer sheet 2 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has cutouts 13 formed at four corners adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0029] Of the cutout portions 13, a pair of cutout portions 13, 13 formed on one end 11 side in the longitudinal direction has a part (specifically, a part on the other end 12 side in the longitudinal direction) formed in a sawtooth shape. Hereinafter, the sawtooth-shaped part of the configuration of the cutout portion 13 will be referred to as a sawtooth portion 14.

[0030] 2, a pair of strip-shaped or linear opening strips 4, 4 are arranged on the inside of the outer sheet 2 (the side of the outer sheet 2 facing the sheet-type food S) from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the pair of opening strips 4, 4 are arranged in the center of the outer sheet 2 in the width direction.

[0031] The opening strip 4 is a cut tape, which is formed by cutting a heat-weldable plastic sheet such as biaxially oriented polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), or polypropylene (PP) into thin strips.

[0032] The width of the cutting tape is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1.5 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 4 mm or less, or 3 mm or less.

[0033] The pair of tearing strips 4, 4 are attached to the entire length of the outer sheet 2 in a serpentine shape in the longitudinal direction (in this embodiment, the center line in the width direction of the outer sheet 2) so as to form two waves from one end 11 to the other end 12 of the outer sheet 2. The pair of tearing strips 4, 4 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction. As a result, the pair of tearing strips 4, 4 intersect at two points from one end 11 to the other end 12 of the outer sheet 2, forming a first intersection 24 on one end side and a second intersection 25 on the other end side.

[0034] The outer sheet 2 is formed by the intersection of the corrugated shapes of a pair of tearing strips 4, 4, and has a first wide portion 22 located on one end 11 side and a second wide portion 23 located on the other end 12 side. Specifically, the first wide portion 22 is formed between a first intersection portion 24 and a second intersection portion 25, and the second wide portion 23 is formed between the second intersection portion 25 and the other end 12 of the outer sheet 2.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the maximum width of the first wide portion 22 is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion 23 .

[0036] The maximum width of the first wide portion 22 is preferably 5% to 40% of the width of the outer sheet 2, more preferably 8% to 30% of the width of the outer sheet 2, from the viewpoint of increasing the area of ​​the sheet to be removed.

[0037] 2, the length of the first wide portion 22 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the length of the second wide portion 23 in the same direction. From the viewpoint of increasing the area of ​​the sheet to be removed, the length of the first wide portion 22 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 50% to 90% of the length of the outer sheet 2 in the same direction, and more preferably 55% to 85%.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2, the widest point of the first wide portion 22 is located closer to one end 11 in the longitudinal direction than the center of the sheet. Specifically, the widest point of the first wide portion 22 is located at a position that is 30% to 50% of the length of the outer sheet 2, starting from the one end 11 in the longitudinal direction. From the perspective of substantially maximizing the width of the sheet removed near the bottom of the food, the position of this widest point is preferably 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet 2, and more preferably 25% to 55% of the length of the outer sheet 2, starting from the one end 11 in the longitudinal direction.

[0039] In another aspect of the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment, the widest point of the first wide portion 22 is positioned at a length that is 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet 2, starting from one longitudinal end 11.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, a pair of cuts 26, 26 are provided at one end 11 of the outer sheet 2. This forms a tab 5 that serves as a starting point for opening. The shape of the pair of cuts 26, 26 may be a full cut line as shown in Fig. 2, or may be a half cut line, a perforation, or the like.

[0041] The ends of the pair of opening strips 4 are disposed between the pair of notches 26 (inside the tab 5). This makes it possible to peel the pair of opening strips 4 starting from one end 11 toward the other end 12. That is, by pulling down the tab 5, the pair of opening strips 4 break the outer sheet 2 at a predetermined width, and the outer sheet 2 is separated in the width direction, making it separable.

[0042] Of the ends of the pair of cutouts 26, 26, the end point on the other end 12 side is located between the end on the one end 11 side of the sheet food S and the one end 11 of the outer sheet 2. This allows the outer sheet 2 to be opened without damaging the sheet food S.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the outer sheet 2 has a first guide portion 27 on the inside of the gripping portion 5, and also has a pair of second guide portions 28, 28 on the outside of the first wide portion 22 along the width direction near the point where the first wide portion 22 is at its widest.

[0044] The first guide portion 27 is formed to guide the direction in which the opening strip 4 is peeled off, and specifically has a pentagonal shape with a tip that tapers from one end 11 to the other end 12. The pair of second guide portions 28, 28 are formed to guide the direction in which the sheets are removed, and specifically have a pentagonal shape with a tip that tapers in the direction in which the sheets are separated in the width direction. The shapes of the first guide portion 27 and the pair of second guide portions 28, 28 may be, other than the pentagonal shape, for example, an arrow shape.

[0045] The surfaces of the first guide portion 27 and the pair of second guide portions 28, 28 are printed with instructions indicating the order in which the food packaging material 1 should be opened. Specifically, the surface of the first guide portion 27 is printed with instructions indicating that the opening operation should be performed first. Of the pair of second guide portions 28, 28, the second guide portion 28 that faces the covering piece 33 described below is printed with instructions indicating that the opening operation should be performed second. Of the pair of second guide portions 28, 28, the second guide portion 28 that does not face the covering piece 33 is printed with instructions indicating that the opening operation should be performed third. Note that the order indicated in the printing on the pair of second guide portions 28, 28 may be reversed.

[0046] 3 is a rear view of one aspect of food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. Food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has an inner sheet 3 arranged on the rear side.

[0047] The inner sheet 3 is made of a plastic sheet having heat-weldability, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0048] The size of the inner sheet 3 is the same as that of the outer sheet 2 when the inner portions of a pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 described below are overlapped with each other.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, the inner sheet 3 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has cutouts 13 formed at four corners adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0050] The cutout portion 13 has a sawtooth portion 14 formed therein, similar to the outer sheet 2 .

[0051] 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of the widest portion of the first wide portion 22 in one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4A, the inner sheet 3 has a pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31, an overlapping portion 32 formed by overlapping the inner portions of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31, and a covering piece 33 configured to cover the overlapping portion 32 and sandwich the inner portion of one inner sheet piece 31 between the inner portions of the other inner sheet piece at the overlapping portion 32.

[0052] The overlapping portion 32 is formed over the entire area from one end 11 to the other end 12 in the longitudinal direction.

[0053] 4A, the overlapping portion 32 is configured into three layers by sandwiching the inner side of one of the inner sheet pieces 31 between the inner side of the covering piece 33 and the inner side of the other inner sheet piece 31. Specifically, the inner side of the covering piece 33 is positioned in contact with the sheet-type food S, and the inner sides of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 are arranged so as to be stacked on the inner side of the covering piece 33. As a result, none of the inner sides of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 comes into contact with the sheet-type food S due to the presence of the inner side of the covering piece 33. With this configuration, water vapor emitted from the food X is unlikely to enter the space containing the sheet-type food S through the overlapping portion 32, making it difficult for the water vapor to come into contact with the sheet-type food S, and as a result, the sheet-type food S is less likely to become damp.

[0054] 4B is an enlarged view of FIG. 4A. As shown in FIG. 4B, the overlapping portion 32 is formed between the pair of opening strips 4, 4 at the widest point of the first wide portion 22. That is, the widest point of the first wide portion 22 is greater than the width of the overlapping portion 32.

[0055] From the viewpoint of facilitating removal of the sheet, the width of the overlapping portion 32 is preferably 40% to 100% of the maximum width of the first wide portion 22, and more preferably 50% to 90%.

[0056] The covering piece 33, like the inner sheet 3, is made of a heat-weldable plastic sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0057] The covering piece 33 has a strip shape that is long along the longitudinal direction.

[0058] The covering piece 33 has a length that spans the entire area from one end 11 to the other end 12 of the inner sheet 3 .

[0059] 1 and 4A, the covering piece 33 is disposed between the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 and the sheet-type food S. As a result, the covering piece 33 comes into contact with the sheet-type food S over substantially the entire area.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4A, the covering piece 33 is arranged in the overlapping portion 32 so that the longitudinal edge of the covering piece 33 coincides with the edge of the inner portion of one of the inner sheet pieces 31.

[0061] The covering piece 33 is joined to one of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the covering piece 33 is joined to the inner sheet piece 31 by heat sealing at one of the longitudinal ends of the covering piece 33 that does not face the overlapping portion 32, thereby forming a joint 34. Note that the method for forming the joint 34 is not limited to a heat sealing method, and may also be a method using, for example, an adhesive or the like.

[0062] The joint 34 is formed in a strip shape across the entire area from one end 11 to the other end 12 of the inner sheet 3. The width of the joint 34 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

[0063] 4A and 4B, the joint portion 34 is formed so as not to overlap the end of the covering piece 33 that is not facing the overlapping portion 32. As a result, a strip-shaped free portion 35 that is not joined to the inner sheet piece 31 is formed between the end of the covering piece 33 and the joint portion 34. The provision of the free portion 35 in the inner sheet 3 prevents the heat seal bar from coming into contact with the inner sheet piece 31 and the adhesive or the like from adhering to the sheet-type food S when joining the inner sheet piece 31 and the covering piece 33 during production.

[0064] As shown in Figure 1, the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment is formed by sandwiching a sheet-like food S between an outer sheet 2 and an inner sheet 3, overlapping the ends of each sheet, and then joining the ends of the overlapped sheets by heat sealing or the like.

[0065] 2 and 3, the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is formed by overlapping one end 11 and the other end 12 of the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 together, and then heat-sealing or the like along the width direction at one end 11 or the other end 12 of each of the overlapping sheets, excluding one end and the other end of the overlapping portion 32, to form an end joint 15. Note that in the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment, the two end joints 15 are arranged parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction, but the number, shape, arrangement, length, width, etc. of the end joints 15 are not particularly limited.

[0066] 2 and 3, the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has side joints 16 formed by overlapping both side edges of the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 and heat-sealing them along the longitudinal direction. The food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has multiple side joints 16 formed therein, and these multiple side joints 16 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. This forms areas between adjacent side joints 16 where the sheets are not joined, and these areas allow ventilation between the inside and outside of the food packaging material 1.

[0067] The food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has the above-described configuration.

[0068] A method for packaging food X using food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D.

[0069] 5A to 5D are diagrams showing how food X is packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. The food X packaged using the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is a rice ball (hereinafter referred to as rice ball X) in the shape of a substantially equilateral triangle. The length of each side of the rice ball X is substantially the same as the width of the sheet-type food S.

[0070] First, as shown in Figure 5A, rice ball X is placed on the surface of the food packaging material 1 facing the inner sheet 3 so that the triangular surface of the rice ball X is in contact with the surface of the inner sheet 3. At this time, the rice ball X is placed so that it is evenly spaced widthwise, and one corner (vertex) of the rice ball X faces the grip portion 5.

[0071] Next, as shown in Figure 5B, food packaging material 1 is folded longitudinally so that the surfaces of inner sheets 3 face each other, and food packaging material 1 is then folded along the edges of rice ball X to encase it. At this time, the inner sheets 3 overlap each other, forming a pair of overlapping sheet portions A1, A1 in the width direction of food packaging material 1, which will become folded-back region A described below. In addition, first wide portion 22 and second wide portion 23 are positioned so as to face each other with rice ball X in between.

[0072] Then, as shown in Fig. 5C, the pair of overlapping sheet portions A1, A1 are folded toward the surface where the second wide portion 23 is located to form a pair of folded-back regions A, A, thereby packaging the rice ball X as shown in Fig. 5D. Note that, because notches 13 are formed in the four corners of the food packaging material 1, the pair of folded-back regions A, A overlap only at their respective tips as shown in Fig. 5D. Furthermore, because sawtooth portions 14 are formed in parts of the notches 13, the sawtooth portions 14 are arranged opposite each other as shown in Fig. 5D.

[0073] A method for sealing rice balls X packaged using food packaging material 1 of one aspect according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0074] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing how food X packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment is sealed.

[0075] First, as shown in Figure 6A, the surfaces of the pair of folded regions A that face the rice ball X are joined with a point seal or the like (joint B), and the pair of folded regions A are fixed so as to maintain the state in which the rice ball X is wrapped in the food packaging material 1. Note that the shape, size, number, arrangement, etc. of the joint B are not particularly limited as long as it can fix the pair of folded regions A.

[0076] Then, as shown in Figure 6B, a label C is attached so as to cover the pair of joints B, B. This forms a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment shown in Figures 7A and 7B. Note that there are no particular restrictions on the shape, size, number, placement, etc. of the label C, as long as it is capable of covering the pair of joints B, B.

[0077] A food package 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as food package 10) obtained by packaging rice balls X using food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0078] Fig. 7A is a front view of a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7A, food package 10 has a tab 5 located at the top of the front, and a portion of first wide portion 22 extending longitudinally from tab 5. Also, a first guide portion 27 is located on the inside of tab 5 on the front of food package 10, and a pair of second guide portions 28, 28 are located on the outside of first wide portion 22 along the width direction at the point where first wide portion 22 is at its widest. Furthermore, a pair of tabs 17, 17 is formed on the bottom of food package 10 along the width direction.

[0079] 7B is a rear view of a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using one aspect of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7B, on the rear surface of the food package 10, a portion of the first wide portion 22 is disposed below and a second wide portion 23 is disposed above, with a portion of the first wide portion 22 and a portion of the second wide portion 23 connected at a second intersection 25. The pair of folded-back regions A, A overlap each other near the second intersection 25. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the label C is arranged so as to cover a portion of the pair of folded-back regions A, A and the second intersection 25. At this time, the pair of sawtooth portions 14, 14 forming one side of the pair of folded-back regions A, A are covered by the label C.

[0080] A method for opening food package 10 will be described with reference to Figures 8A to 8D.

[0081] 8A to 8D are diagrams showing how a food package 10 in which food X is packaged using food packaging material 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment is opened.

[0082] 8A, the gripping portion 5 is pinched and the pair of opening strips 4, 4 is pulled from above to below the food package 10 (from one end 11 to the other end 12 of the sheet), thereby peeling off the outer sheet 2 along the pair of opening strips 4, 4. Then, as the pair of opening strips 4, 4 pass over the widest portion of the first wide portion 22, the outer sheet 2 is peeled off in a width substantially equal to the widest portion of the first wide portion 22.

[0083] Next, as shown in Figure 8B, the pair of opening strips 4, 4 are pulled upward from below the food package 10, whereby the outer sheet 2 is peeled off together with part of the label C while maintaining a width substantially the same as the maximum width of the first wide portion 22. Then, when the pair of opening strips 4, 4 reach the apex of the food package 10, the pair of opening strips 4, 4 are removed together with part of the outer sheet 2. This causes the outer sheet 2 to split, forming a pair of outer sheet pieces 21, 21.

[0084] 8C and 8D, the pair of tabs 17, 17 are then pinched while grasping the food package 10 and pulled in sequence along the widthwise direction, thereby removing the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 and the covering piece 33 along with the pair of outer sheet pieces 21, 21. This opens the food package 10, and the sheet-type food S and the rice ball X can be simultaneously removed from the food package 10.

[0085] The food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment has a tearing strip 4 arranged from one end 11 to the other end 12 in the longitudinal direction and configured to be peelable starting from the one end 11 toward the other end 12, an outer sheet 2 divided into a pair of outer sheet pieces 21, 21 by the tearing strip 4, and an inner sheet 3 overlapped on the outer sheet 2 with a sheet-type food S sandwiched therebetween, the inner sheet 3 having a pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 and an overlapping portion 32 formed by overlapping the inner portions of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31, and a covering piece 33 configured to cover the overlapping portion 32 and to sandwich the inner portion of one of the inner sheet pieces 31, 31 between the inner portions of the other inner sheet pieces 31, 31 at the overlapping portion 32, and the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are joined together to surround the sheet-type food S, The tearing strips 4 are a pair of tearing strips 4, 4 that are wavy and intersect with each other from one end 11 to the other end 12 in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet 2, the outer sheet 2 is formed by the intersection of the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips 4, 4, and includes a first wide portion 22 located on one end 11 side and a second wide portion 23 located on the other end 12 side, the widths of which vary continuously according to the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips 4, 4, The maximum width of the first wide portion 22 is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion 23 .

[0086] With this configuration, when the outer sheet 2 is divided by pulling and removing the opening strip 4 in the longitudinal direction of the food packaging material 1 according to this embodiment, the maximum width of the first wide portion 22 is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion 23, and therefore the outer sheet is removed largely along approximately the maximum width of the first wide portion 22. Therefore, the area where the sheets come into contact with each other in the width direction is reduced, which reduces friction and makes it easier to remove the sheets in the width direction.

[0087] In the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment, the maximum width of the first wide portion 22 is greater than the width of the overlapping portion 32. Therefore, in the area where the overlapping portion 32 is located, the outer sheet 2 presses down on the inner sheet piece 31, covering piece 33, sheet-like food S, and food X, resulting in the tightest contact and therefore the highest friction. However, when the packaging is opened, the outer sheet is completely removed, loosening the tight contact and reducing friction, making it even easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0088] In the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment, the widest point of the first wide portion 22 is positioned at a length that is 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet, starting from one end in the longitudinal direction.This means that the width of the sheet removed near the bottom of the food X is approximately at its widest, making it even easier to remove a larger portion of the sheet in the width direction.

[0089] In the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in plan, and cutout portions 13 are formed in two or four adjacent corners in the width direction.As a result, the area of ​​the folded region A formed by folding back and overlapping the ends of the sheets on the back side of the food package 10, which overlaps with the opening strip 4, is smaller, making it easier to remove the opening strip 4 and making it even easier to remove the sheets in the width direction.

[0090] In the food packaging material 1 of this embodiment, a portion of the cutout 13 is formed in a sawtooth shape, so that the sawtooth portion of the cutout 13 (sawtooth portion 14) becomes the starting point for opening, and when the opening strip 4 is pulled starting from the sawtooth portion, the opening strip 4 goes almost all the way around the food and is almost completely removed, which makes it easier to almost completely separate the outer sheet 2, making it even easier to remove the sheet in the width direction.

[0091] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified in various ways.

[0092] For example, in the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are made of heat-sealable plastic sheets such as polyethylene and polypropylene. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be made of other materials, such as paper or paper-like sheets. Furthermore, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 may not only be made of a single material, but also be laminated sheets made of multiple materials. Furthermore, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 may be made of multiple sheets, such as two sheets joined at their edges, or three sheets joined at their edges. Furthermore, the sheets may be made of different materials. For example, some sheets may be made of paper or paper-like sheets instead of plastic sheets.

[0093] For example, in the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment, the food X is a triangular rice ball, and the sheet-type food S is nori seaweed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the food X may be, for example, a rice ball, sushi, sandwich, or the like, other than a triangular shape. The type and shape of the food X are not limited. The sheet-type food S may also be, for example, a sheet of kelp, folded sardines, or the like. The type and shape of the sheet-type food S are not limited.

[0094] For example, the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment is in a sheet form, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be in a bag form, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0095] For example, in the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment, the opening strip 4 is a cutting tape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the opening strip 4 may be, for example, a thread or the like.

[0096] For example, in the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment, the cutouts 13 are formed in the four corners where the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are adjacent in the width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cutouts 13 may be formed, for example, in two corners where the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are adjacent in the width direction.

[0097] For example, in the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment, a pair of notches 13, 13 formed at one end in the longitudinal direction among the notches 13 have a portion (specifically, a portion on the other end in the longitudinal direction) formed in a sawtooth shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a pair of notches 13, 13 formed at both end sides in the longitudinal direction may have a portion (specifically, a portion on the other end 12 in the longitudinal direction) formed in a sawtooth shape.

[0098] For example, the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment has a cutout 13. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the cutout 13 does not have to be formed.

[0099] For example, the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment has a plurality of side joints 16 formed therein, which are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the side joints 16 may be formed continuously from one end 11 to the other end 12 along the longitudinal direction.

[0100] For example, a label C is affixed to the back of a food package 10 obtained by packaging food X using the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment. However, food packages 10 obtained by packaging food X using this food packaging material are not limited to this, and for example, the label C may not be affixed.

[0101] For example, at least one of the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 and the covering piece 33 may have a matte surface to ensure smooth sliding of the food X or sheet-type food S.

[0102] 1 and 4A, the food packaging material 1 according to the above embodiment is disposed between a pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 and the sheet-type food S. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration as long as it covers the overlapping portion 32 and sandwiches the inner side of one inner sheet piece 31 between the inner side of the other inner sheet piece at the overlapping portion 32. For example, the covering piece 33 may be disposed on the opposite side of the sheet-type food S, sandwiching the pair of inner sheet pieces 31, 31 (not shown). With this configuration, the covering piece 33 does not come into contact with the sheet-type food S over substantially the entire surface.

[0103] The present invention includes the following aspects. [1] A food packaging material comprising an outer sheet having a tear strip arranged from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction and configured to be peelable starting from the one end toward the other end, the outer sheet being divided into a pair of outer sheet pieces by the tear strip, and an inner sheet being overlapped on the outer sheet with a sheet-type food sandwiched between them, the inner sheet having a pair of inner sheet pieces, an overlapping portion formed by overlapping the inner sides of the pair of inner sheet pieces, and a covering piece configured to cover the overlapping portion and sandwich the inner side of one inner sheet piece with the inner side of the other inner sheet piece at the overlapping portion, the outer sheet and the inner sheet being joined together to surround the sheet-type food, The tearing strips are a pair of tearing strips that are wavy from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and cross each other, the outer sheet is formed by the intersection of the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, and includes a first wide portion disposed on one end side and a second wide portion disposed on the other end side, the widths of the first wide portion and the second wide portion being continuously changed according to the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, A packaging material for food, wherein the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion. [2] The food packaging material according to [1], wherein the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the width of the overlapping portion. [3] A food packaging material as described in [1] or [2], wherein the widest point of the first wide portion is positioned at a length that is 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet, starting from one end in the longitudinal direction. [4] A food packaging material described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the outer sheet and the inner sheet are formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and cutouts are formed in two or four adjacent corners in the width direction. [5] The food packaging material according to [4], wherein a portion of the cutout is formed in a sawtooth shape.

[0104] The food packaging material according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the food packaging material according to the present invention is not limited by the effects of the above-described embodiments. In other words, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the above description. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Food packaging materials 11 One end of the sheet 12 Other end of the sheet 13 Notch 14 Serrated section 15 End joint 16 Side joint 17. Pick 2 outer seat 21 Outer sheet piece 22 First wide section 23 Second wide section 24 First Intersection 25 Second intersection 26 Cutout 27 First Information Department 28 Second information section 3 Inner seat 31 Inner sheet piece 32 Overlapping section 33 Covering piece 34 Joint 35 Free part 4 Opening strip 5. Knob 10 Food packaging A. Folding area A1 overlapping sheet section B joint C Label S Sheet food X Food

Claims

1. a food packaging material comprising: an outer sheet having a tear strip disposed from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction and configured to be peelable starting from the one end toward the other end, the outer sheet being divided into a pair of outer sheet pieces by the tear strip; and an inner sheet being overlapped on the outer sheet with a sheet-type food therebetween, the inner sheet having the pair of inner sheet pieces, an overlapping portion formed by overlapping the inner sides of the pair of inner sheet pieces, and a covering piece configured to cover the overlapping portion and to sandwich the inner side of one inner sheet piece between the inner side of the other inner sheet piece at the overlapping portion, the outer sheet and the inner sheet being joined together to surround the sheet-type food, The tearing strips are a pair of tearing strips that are wavy from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the outer sheet and cross each other, the outer sheet is formed by the intersection of the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, and includes a first wide portion disposed on one end side and a second wide portion disposed on the other end side, the widths of the first wide portion and the second wide portion being continuously changed according to the corrugations of the pair of tearing strips, A packaging material for food, wherein the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the maximum width of the second wide portion.

2. The food packaging material according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum width of the first wide portion is greater than the width of the overlapping portion.

3. The food packaging material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the widest point of the first wide portion is located at a position that is 20% to 60% of the length of the outer sheet, starting from one end in the longitudinal direction.

4. 3. The food packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the outer sheet and the inner sheet are formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and cutouts are formed in two or four adjacent corners in the width direction.

5. The food packaging material according to claim 4, wherein the notch is partially formed in a sawtooth shape.

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