Product packaging bag

Abstract

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a product-containing outer bag that can efficiently wrap a spouted product bag with an outer packaging bag to form a single unit, and can automate the process from bag making to boxing, as well as from unboxing to supplying to a filling machine. [Solution] The product-containing outer bag 100 according to the present disclosure is a product-containing outer bag that is integrated while holding the aligned product bags, by accommodating an aligned product bag 3 in a row along the longitudinal direction X of the outer bag 10A, with the product bags overlapping in part within the storage section 15, while offsetting each other, the product bags, the aligned product bags, the

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outer bag containing products, and particularly to an outer bag containing products in which a plurality of spouted bags, which are product bags, are wrapped with an outer bag for outer packaging to form a single unit while fixing the relative positional relationship between the product bags.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, the form of directly packaging a product intended for sale is called primary packaging. As materials for primary packaging, generally, boxes or bags such as cardboard boxes are adopted. The form of further packaging the product in the form of primary packaging into boxes or bags according to a determined quantity is called secondary packaging. The product is delivered to the consumer in the form of primary packaging or secondary packaging. Furthermore, the form of putting the product in the form of secondary packaging into a packing box or the like for the purposes of bulk handling, warehouse storage, transportation, etc. according to a determined quantity is called tertiary packaging. Also, the product in the form of primary packaging may be in the form of tertiary packaging without being in the form of secondary packaging.

[0003] For a bag manufacturer, the product intended for sale is a bag as a packaging material (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, in order to distinguish between the bag as a product and the bag for primary packaging, the bag as a product may be referred to as a "product bag", and the bag for primary packaging may be referred to as an "outer bag".

[0004] The applicant of the present application proposed an outer bag containing products in which an outer bag for outer packaging is in the form of a cylindrical outer bag with a fitting tool or a cylindrical outer bag, and a plurality of bags continuously stacked in a row so that a part of the bag as a product overlaps is wrapped with the cylindrical outer bag with a fitting tool for outer packaging or the cylindrical outer bag for outer packaging, and integrated while maintaining the stacked state of the bags (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 to 7).

[0005] Furthermore, spouted bags equipped with a spout are known as product bags. Since spouted bags are resealable, they are suitable for applications where the contents are used or refilled in multiple portions. Because the spout portion of a spouted bag is bulkier than the bag body, a stacked structure has been proposed in which the spout portion is offset and the bags are stored in a corrugated cardboard box for primary packaging (see, for example, Patent Document 8). Figure 5 of Patent Document 8 discloses a configuration in which spouted pouches 10 stacked in multiple layers are stored inside a storage box 30 in a simple bag 35. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-8728 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-122939 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-188224 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-188225 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-188226 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-193134 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-193135 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-182461 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Patent documents 2 to 7 exemplify a form in which the product bag is a resealable bag. However, the arrangement when the product bag is a spouted bag has not been considered. Patent document 8 proposes a stacked structure of spouted bags inside a corrugated cardboard box. Furthermore, paragraph 0018 of Patent document 8 describes that the stacked structure makes it possible for an automated retrieval machine to easily and reliably remove each spouted pouch contained in the corrugated cardboard box. However, as described in paragraph 0022 of Patent document 8, the storage of spouted pouches in corrugated cardboard boxes is assumed to be a manual process, and automation of boxing has not been considered.

[0008] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a product-containing outer bag that can efficiently wrap a spouted product bag with an outer packaging bag to form a single unit, and can automate the process from bag making to boxing, as well as from unboxing to supplying to a filling machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The product-containing outer bag according to the present invention comprises an outer bag that is substantially rectangular in plan view and a plurality of product bags, the outer bag having a storage section, and a plurality of product bags stacked in a line along the longitudinal direction of the outer bag while offsetting each other so that a portion of the product bags overlap in the storage section, thereby integrating the aligned product bags while holding them together, the outer bag having a resin film as a base material and a first side extending in the longitudinal direction, a second side parallel to the first side, a third side and a fourth side connecting the opposite ends of the first side and the end of the second side, respectively, and at least one opening provided along the longitudinal direction, the opening being sealed with a sealing section, the product bag being a spout-equipped bag body comprising a bag body that is substantially rectangular in plan view and a spout having a dispensing tube and a base fixed to the bag body, and in the aligned product bags, the spout is aligned at least on the first side side.

[0010] In the product-containing outer bag according to the present invention, the outer bag preferably has two openings, which are located on the first and second sides, respectively, and the sealing portion is preferably the interlocking portion of a fitting device provided on the inner wall side of the base material along the edge of the opening. Because the inner walls of the base material are close together in the outer bag, the position of the product bag is fixed inside the outer bag, which prevents supply errors during the bag-feeding process.

[0011] In the product-containing outer bag according to the present invention, it is preferable that the outer bag has a portion where the inner walls of the base material are in contact with each other. The position of the product bag is fixed within the outer bag, which prevents supply errors during the bag-feeding process.

[0012] In the outer bag containing the product according to the present invention, it is preferable that the inner dimension W1 in the short direction of the storage section is greater than or equal to Wa (Wa + 50 mm) when Wa is the alignment width of the aligned body, and the inner dimension W2 in the long direction of the storage section is greater than or equal to Wb (Wb + 50 mm) when Wb is the alignment length of the aligned body. The position of the product bag is fixed inside the outer bag, which prevents supply errors in the bag feeding process.

[0013] The outer bag containing the product according to the present invention includes a form in which the base is fixed to one of the edges of the bag body, the spouts are aligned only on the first side, and adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the base overlaps a part of the base of an adjacent spout, (2) the end of the base is positioned to overlap the end of the base of an adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction, and (3) the end of the base is positioned to be separated from the end of the base of an adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction.

[0014] In the outer bag containing the product according to the present invention, the base portion includes a central cylindrical portion having a through hole communicating with the inside of the pouring cylinder, a first thin-walled portion connected to one side in the width direction of the base portion of the central cylindrical portion and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion, and a second thin-walled portion connected to the other side in the width direction of the base portion of the central cylindrical portion and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion. In the alignment body, the second thin-walled portion of another product bag covers the first thin-walled portion of one product bag, and the accommodating portion preferably has an inner dimension such that the end portion of the second thin-walled portion of the other product bag is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion side of the one product bag. The position of the product bag is fixed inside the outer bag, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of supply errors in the bag feeding process.

[0015] In the outer bag containing the product according to the present invention, when the distance between the inner edge on the first side side of the accommodating portion and the spout is D1, the distance between the inner edge on the second side side of the accommodating portion and the product bag is D2, and the height of the base portion is D0, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship D1 + D2 < D0. The position of the product bag is fixed inside the outer bag, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of supply errors in the bag feeding process.

[0016] In the outer bag containing the product according to the present invention, the bag body has a first side, a second side facing the first side, third and fourth sides extending between the first side and the second side, an inclined side extending from one end of the first side to one end of the third side, and a first corner portion formed by the other end of the first side and one end of the fourth side. The base portion is fixed to the inclined side. In the alignment body, two product bags overlapped such that the inclined side of another product bag is located above or below the first corner portion of one product bag in the thickness direction are taken as a set, and the set of product bags are sequentially aligned while shifting the position of the first side in the longitudinal direction, including a form in which the spout is aligned on both the first side side and the second side side.

[0017] In the outer bag containing the product according to the present invention, the spout further has a cap attached to the side wall of the pouring cylinder to close the upper end opening of the pouring cylinder, and the adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the cap covers a part of the cap of the adjacent spout; (2) a part of the lower end of the cap is disposed at a position overlapping with a part of the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction; and (3) the lower end of the cap is disposed at a position separated from the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present disclosure, there is provided an outer bag containing a product that can automatically perform operations from bag making to boxing and from case unloading to filling machine supply when efficiently wrapping and bundling a bag body with a spout, which is a product bag, with an outer bag for outer packaging.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a schematic plan view showing a first example of an outer bag containing a product according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic plan view showing an example of a product bag accommodated in the outer bag of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] In the outer bag containing a product shown in FIG. 1, it is a schematic partial plan view for explaining an example of the positional relationship between adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction, where (a) shows a first example, (b) shows a second example, and (c) shows a third example. [Figure 6] It is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is a schematic plan view showing a second example of an outer bag containing a product according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic plan view showing an example of a product bag accommodated in the outer bag of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] This is a schematic plan view illustrating a set of product bags. [Figure 10] Figure 7 shows a schematic partial plan view illustrating an example of the positional relationship between adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction in the outer packaging of the product shown, with (a) being the first example, (b) the second example, and (c) the third example. [Figure 11] This is a schematic plan view showing the first example of the deformation form of the outer bag. [Figure 12] This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the CC line in Figure 11. [Figure 13] This is a schematic plan view showing a second example of the deformation form of the outer bag. [Figure 14] This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the DD line in Figure 13. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments, but the present invention is not to be construed as being limited to these descriptions. Various modifications of the embodiments are possible as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0021] The product packaging outer bags according to this embodiment include the first example product packaging outer bag 100 (shown in Figures 1 to 6), the second example product packaging outer bag 101 (shown in Figures 7 to 10) which has a different product bag shape from the first example product packaging outer bag 100, the third example product packaging outer bag 200 (shown in Figures 11 and 12) which has a different outer bag shape from the first example product packaging outer bag 100, and the fourth example product packaging outer bag 300 (shown in Figures 11 and 12) which has a different outer bag shape from the first example product packaging outer bag 100.

[0022] <Example of product packaging> First, with reference to Figures 1 to 6, the first example of a product-containing outer bag 100 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment comprises an outer bag 10A that is substantially rectangular in plan view and a plurality of product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn, and the outer bag 10A has a storage section 15, and a plurality of aligned product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn are stacked in a line along the longitudinal direction X of the outer bag 10A, with the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn overlapping in part, thereby accommodating an aligned product bag 3 while maintaining its position, and the outer bag 10A has a resin film as its base material and a first side extending in the longitudinal direction X The product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn are spouted bags, as shown in Figure 2, each comprising a bag body 51 which is roughly rectangular in plan view, and a spout 52 which has a dispensing tube 57 and a base 58 fixed to the bag body 51. In the aligned body 3, as shown in Figure 1, the spout 52 is aligned at least on the side of the first side 11.

[0023] Outer bag 10A is an outer packaging bag for primary packaging. Outer packaging refers to the form of packaging multiple units of goods intended for sale (including not only the goods themselves but also goods that have been individually primary packaged) as a single unit (including both secondary and tertiary packaging). Furthermore, outer bag refers specifically to outer packaging that is in the form of a bag.

[0024] The outer bag 10A has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view. A roughly rectangular shape has four sides and has a longitudinal direction X and a transverse direction Y, and includes rectangles or modified rectangular shapes. Modified shapes include, for example, shapes in which at least one corner of a rectangle is rounded or at least one corner is cut off, or shapes in which at least one corner of a rectangle is at an angle other than a right angle.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. The outer bag 10A includes a form in which two base materials 5 (first base material 5a, second base material 5b) are superimposed, as shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the first base material 5a constitutes the front surface (shown surface) in Figure 1, and the second base material 5b constitutes the back surface (not shown surface) in Figure 1. However, the first base material 5a and the second base material 5b are names for convenience, and the second base material 5b may constitute the front surface and the first base material 5a may constitute the back surface.

[0026] The material of the resin film used as the base material 5 may be, for example, polyethylene resin or polypropylene resin, as follows: <1> ~ <29> Any of the examples shown can be adopted, but this embodiment is not particularly limited. <1> High-density polyethylene (HDPE) <2> Medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) <3> Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) <4> Polypropylene (PP) <5> Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) <6> Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) <7> Polystyrene (PS) <8> Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) <9> Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) <10> ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin) <11> AS resin (SAN) <12> Acrylic resin (PMMA) <13> Polyamide (PA) / Product Name: Nylon <14> Polyacetal (POM) <15> Polycarbonate (PC) <16> Modified polyphenylene ether (m-PPE, modified PPE, PPO) <17> Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) <18> Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) <19> Cyclic polyolefins (COP) <20> Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) <21> Polysulfone (PSF) <22> Polyethersulfone (PES) <23> Amorphous polyarylate (PAR) <24> Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) <25> Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) <26> Thermoplastic polyimide (PI) <27> Polyamide-imide (PAI) <28> Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) <29> Fluoropolymer (PTFE) Furthermore, the thickness of the base material 5, which consists of a single-layer film, is preferably about 0.2 to 1.5 mm, and the thickness of the base material 5, which consists of a multi-layer film, is preferably about 0.4 to 2.0 mm.

[0027] The first side 11 and the second side 12 are sides that extend in the alignment direction of the aligned body 3. The alignment direction of the aligned body 3 coincides with the longitudinal direction X of the outer bag 10A. The third side 13 and the fourth side 14 are sides that extend in the short direction Y. Preferably, the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 have an adhesive seal, such as an adhesive portion or heat-welded portion, between the opposing base materials 5a and 5b. The adhesive seal may be provided continuously over the entire third side 13 and the fourth side 14, as shown in Figure 1, or intermittently along the third side 13 and the fourth side 14, such as a spot seal (not shown), or partially on the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 (not shown). Of these, it is more preferable that the adhesive seal is provided continuously over the entire third side 13 and the fourth side 14, as shown in Figure 1, in order to make the storage portion 15 a sealed space. Furthermore, the adhesive seal may be a heat seal with reduced sealing strength, such as a low-temperature heat seal. The adhesive seal includes heat seals using a heat sealer and ultrasonic seals using an ultrasonic welder. The first side 11 and the second side 12 are names for convenience, and either side of the two sides extending in the longitudinal direction X may be the first side 11 or the second side 12. The third side 13 and the fourth side 14 are names for convenience, and either side of the two sides extending in the short direction Y may be the third side 13 or the fourth side 14.

[0028] The outer bag 100 containing the product may be a single bag cut at the third side 13 and the fourth side 14 (as shown in Figure 1), or it may be a roll of multiple outer bags 100 connected at the third side 13 and the fourth side 14, with a flattened cross-section, wound onto a bobbin (not shown). The roll may be, for example, a roll, a skein, or zigzag. When zigzag folding the outer bag 100 containing the product, it is preferable to fold it in line with the positions of the third side 13 and the fourth side 14.

[0029] The openings 6 and 7 are, when the base material 5 has two base materials 5a and 5b that are superimposed on each other, the openings between the ends of the two superimposed base materials 5. Also, when the base material 5 has a folded portion (not shown) formed by folding back one base material 5, the openings 6 and 7 are the portions where the folded portion has been cut off. The outer bag 10A shown in Figure 1 has a first opening 6 that opens along the edge of the first side 11 and a second opening 7 that opens along the edge of the second side 12 as the openings 6 and 7.

[0030] The sealing parts 4A and 4B are means for sealing the openings 6 and 7. In Figure 1, as an example, they are shown as interlocking parts 21 and 22 of a fitting device 20 provided on the inner wall side of the base material 5 along the edges of the openings 6 and 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. The sealing parts 4A and 4B may be, for example, adhesive parts or heat-sealed parts that bond the inner walls of the base material 5 together along the edges of the openings 6 and 7. The adhesive parts or heat-sealed parts are preferably easy-peel seals. In this specification, an easy-peel seal means a seal that is easy to open. The method for making an easy-peel seal is not particularly limited and may include, for example, a method of heat-sealing the inner surfaces of the base material 5 together at a relatively low temperature, a method of making the sealant film constituting the inner surface of the base material 5 an easy-peel film, or a method of coating the inner surface of the base material with an easy-peel resin. By providing easy-peel seals at the openings 6 and 7, the openings 6 and 7 can be opened more easily when feeding the bag. Furthermore, if the base material 5 has a folded portion (not shown) formed by folding back a single base material 5, the folded portion may be used as sealing portions 4A and 4B. When the sealing portions 4A and 4B are folded portions, it is preferable that the sealing portions 4A and 4B are provided with fragile portions (not shown) such as perforations, scratches, or half-cuts on the first side 11 and second side 12, respectively. Openings 6 and 7 are formed by cutting open these fragile portions.

[0031] In the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the outer bag 10A has two openings 6 and 7, which are located on the first side 11 and the second side 12, respectively, and the sealing parts 4A(21) and 4B(22) are preferably the interlocking parts 21 and 22 of the fitting device 20 provided on the inner wall side of the base material 5 along the edges of the openings 6 and 7. Because the inner walls of the base material 5 are close together in the outer bag 10A, the positions of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn are fixed within the outer bag 10A, and supply errors can be prevented in the bag feeding process.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the fitting device 20 is fixed to the inner wall of the base material 5. The fitting device 20 may have any structure as long as it has an openable and closable structure that closes when engaged and opens when disengaged. For example, as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the fitting device 20 has a female member 25 having a strip-shaped female base 25a fixed to the inner wall of the first base material 5a and a female part 25b protruding from the female base 25a, and a male member 26 having a strip-shaped male base 26a fixed to the inner wall of the second base material 5b and a male part 26b protruding from the male base 26a, and has a chuck structure that closes when the male part 26b engages with the female part 25b. As shown in Figure 3, the female member 25 and the male member 26 may have the female base 25a and male base 26a bonded to the inner wall surface of the base material 5 (5a, 5b), or they may be integrally molded with the base material 5 (5a, 5b) (not shown). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fitting device 20 is not limited to the chuck structure shown in Figure 3, and may have a structure in which the female parts interlock. In Figure 3, a configuration is shown in which the female member 25 is fixed to the first base material 5a and the male member 26 is fixed to the second base material 5b, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the female member 25 may be fixed to the second base material 5b and the male member 26 may be fixed to the first base material 5a. In addition, in the fitting device 20, the female base parts 25a and female base parts 25a may be heat-fused together.

[0033] The housing section 15 is the space between opposing base materials 5, enclosed by the first side 11, second side 12, third side 13, and fourth side 14, and serves as the housing space for the aligned body 3.

[0034] In the outer product bag 100, product bag p1 is the bag containing the product. Product bags p2, p3, p4, ..., pn are bags having the same structure as product bag p1. As shown in Figure 2, product bag p1 is a spouted bag comprising a bag body 51 and a spout 52 having a dispensing tube 57 and a base 58 fixed to the bag body 51. The bag body 51 is made of film and has at least four edges: a first side (top side) 53, a second side (bottom side) 54, a third side (left side) 55, and a fourth side (right side) 56. The bag body 51 has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view. A roughly rectangular shape includes a rectangle, a square, or a shape in which at least one of the four corners is rounded, cut off, or notched. The material of the film constituting the bag body 51 is not particularly limited, and for example, the resins listed as materials for the resin film as the base material 5 can be used. Furthermore, the film may be a film made by laminating a sheet other than resin, such as paper or metal such as aluminum foil, in addition to the resin film, or the resin film may include a coating layer or a vapor-deposited layer. The bag body 51 may be a self-standing bag in which, for example, a folded bottom film 54a is sandwiched between two opposing resin films that make up the bag body 51 at the second side (bottom side) 54, and the peripheral edges of these are joined. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the EE line in Figure 2. The spout 52 is a member that serves as a pouring spout, and is, for example, a molded resin body. The dispensing cylinder 57 is, for example, cylindrical, and may have screw threads 57a on the outer surface of the side wall for screwing on a cap (not shown). Alternatively, a cap (not shown) may be screwed onto the dispensing cylinder 57. The base 58 is a part connected to the lower end of the dispensing cylinder 57, and is inserted between two opposing films that make up the bag body 51 and fixed by heat fusion or via an adhesive member. Furthermore, the number of spouts 52 is not limited to one; two or more spouts 52 may be provided on a single product bag p1.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the aligned unit 3 includes a state in which multiple product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn are lined up in a row and form a single unit. In product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn, as shown in Figure 4, the portion of the bag body 51 that does not have a spout 52 has a flat structure and its thickness is only about the thickness of the overlapping resin film. In contrast, the thickness of the portion of the bag body 51 that has a spout 52 is much larger than the thickness of the portion that does not have a spout 52. Thus, since product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn contain portions with relatively different thicknesses, when many product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn are aligned and stacked together, the difference between the spout 52 portion and the other portions expands as the number of stacked bags increases, making it difficult to store them as a single unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, multiple product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction X of the outer bag 10A, with only a portion of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4 ..., pn overlapping and the edges of adjacent product bags p1, p2, p3, p4 ..., pn offset from each other. The edges that are offset from each other may be, for example, the left edge and the right edge (as shown in Figure 1), or the top edge and the bottom edge (as shown in Figure 7). In the aligned body 3, the multiple product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn may be arranged continuously along the longitudinal direction X, or they may be arranged intermittently, that is, with breaks in the middle. Of these, it is more preferable that they are arranged continuously in such a way that misalignment of the aligned body 3 is less likely to occur.

[0036] In the aligned body 3, the spouts 52 are aligned at least on the first side 11 side. Figure 1 shows an example of an aligned body 3A in which the spouts 52 are aligned only on the first side 11 side, but the present invention is not limited to this and includes an aligned body 3B in which the spouts 52 are aligned on both the first side 11 side and the second side 12 side (for example, shown in Figure 7). The configuration in which the spouts 52 are aligned on both the first side 11 and the second side 12 in the aligned body 3 is not particularly limited. In addition to the configuration shown in Figure 7, which will be described later, for example, in the aligned body 3A shown in Figure 1, product bags p1 and p3 may be arranged with the spouts 52 facing the first side 11 as shown in Figure 1, and product bags p2 and p4 may be arranged with the spouts 52 facing the second side 12, with product bag p1 having the spouts 52 facing the first side 11 and product bag p2 having the spouts 52 facing the second side 12 being arranged alternately.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the outer bag 100 containing the products has a base material 5, with a second base material 5b superimposed on a first base material 5a, and encloses the alignment body 3. The fitting device 20 is positioned on the spout 52 side of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn and on the side (second side 54) opposite the side (first side 53) where the spout 52 is provided, and engages with the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn, thereby integrating the outer bag 10A while holding the alignment body 3. Holding the alignment body 3 means that it is preferable that the positions of the multiple product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn are not disturbed, but it also includes cases where the positional relationship between adjacent product bags p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn is slightly misaligned.

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic partial plan view illustrating an example of the positional relationship between adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction in the outer product bag shown in Figure 1, with (a) being the first example, (b) the second example, and (c) the third example. In Figure 5, product bags p1 and p2 are shown as adjacent product bags as an example, with product bag p1 designated as "-1" and product bag p2 designated as "-2". In Figures 5(a) to (c), a portion of product bag p2 is located below product bag p1 in the thickness direction, and the portion of product bag p2 located below product bag p1 in the thickness direction is shown by a dotted line. In the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the base portion 58 is fixed to one of the edges 53 of the bag body 51, and as shown in Figure 1, in the aligned body 3, the spouts 52 are aligned only on the first side 11 side, and adjacent spouts 52 along the longitudinal direction X include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the base portion 58-1 overlaps a part of the base portion 58-2 of the adjacent spout 52-2, as shown in Figure 5(a), (2) the end of the base portion 58-1 is positioned to overlap with the end of the base portion 58-2 of the adjacent spout 52-2 in the longitudinal direction X, and (3) the end of the base portion 58-1 is positioned to be separated from the end of the base portion 58-2 of the adjacent spout 52-2 in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0039] In Figure 5, the edge to which the base portion 58 is fixed is shown as the first edge 53 as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, the second edge 54, the third edge 55, or the fourth edge 56.

[0040] State (1) is a state in which a part of the base 58-1 of product bag p1 overlaps a part of the base 58-2 of product bag p2, as shown in Figure 5(a). Here, the overlapping state means that a part of the base 58-1 of product bag p1 is above a part of the base 58-2 of product bag p2 in the thickness direction of the base material 5, and includes a state in which the outer surface of the bag body 51-1 to which the base 58-1 is fixed and the outer surface of the bag body 51-2 to which the base 58-2 is fixed are in contact, and a state in which the outer surface of the bag body 51-1 to which the base 58-1 is fixed and the outer surface of the bag body 51-2 to which the base 58-2 is fixed are separated.

[0041] State (2) is a state in which the end of the base 58-1 of product bag p1 and the end of the base 58-2 of product bag p2 coincide in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in Figure 5(b). State (2) includes states in which the films of the bag body 51-1 and 51-2 are in contact with each other and states in which they are separated at the ends of the bases 58-1 and 58-2.

[0042] State (3) is a state in which the end of the base 58-1 of product bag p1 and the end of the base 58-2 of product bag p2 are positioned at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in Figure 5(c). State (3) includes states in which the films are in contact with each other and states in which they are separated at the edges of the bag bodies 51-1 and 51-2 on which the bases 58-1 and 58-2 are provided.

[0043] In states (1) to (3), it is preferable that the positions of the bases 58-1 and 58-2 in the short direction Y are generally aligned for adjacent spouts 52-1 and 52-2. The state in which the positions of the bases 58-1 and 58-2 in the short direction Y are generally aligned includes the state in which the upper end of base 58-1 (the end on the spout 52-1 side) and the upper end of base 58-2 (the end on the spout 52-2 side) are on the same straight line (as shown in Figures 5(a) to (c)), and the state in which the upper ends of base 58-1 and base 58-2 are on different straight lines, but the straight line passing through the upper end of base 58-1 coincides with base 58-2, or the straight line passing through the upper end of base 58-2 coincides with base 58-1. Furthermore, the aligned body 3 includes a form that includes only state (1), a form that includes only state (2), a form that includes only state (3), a form that includes both state (1) and state (2), a form that includes both state (1) and state (3), a form that includes both state (2) and state (3), or a form that includes state (1), state (2), and state (3). In addition, the aligned body 3 may include states other than states (1) to (3). A state other than states (1) to (3) is, for example, a state in which the base portion 58-1 is positioned offset in the short direction Y from the base portion 58-2 of the adjacent spout 52-2, and a straight line passing through the upper end of the base portion 58-1 does not overlap with the base portion 58-2, and a straight line passing through the upper end of the base portion 58-2 does not overlap with the base portion 58-1. However, considering the resistance of the aligned body 3 to disorder, it is more preferable that the positions of the bases 58-1 and 58-2 in the short direction Y are roughly aligned for adjacent spouts 52-1 and 52-2.

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 1. In the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment, the base portion 58 has a central cylindrical portion 58a having a through hole 58a1 that communicates with the inside of the dispensing cylinder 57 (shown in Figure 2), a first thin-walled portion 58b connected to one side of the base portion 58 in the width direction of the central cylindrical portion 58a and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion 58a, and a second thin-walled portion 58c connected to the other side of the base portion 58 in the width direction of the central cylindrical portion 58a and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion 58a, and in the aligned body 3, the second thin-walled portion 58c of another product bag p1 is placed over the first thin-walled portion 58b of one product bag p2, and it is preferable that the storage portion 15 has internal dimensions such that the end of the second thin-walled portion 58c of the other product bag p1 is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion 58a side of one product bag p2.

[0045] In the product bag p1, as shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the base portion 58 has a central cylindrical portion 58a, a first thin-walled portion 58b, and a second thin-walled portion 58c. The central cylindrical portion 58a is the portion that communicates directly below the dispensing cylinder 57 (shown in Figure 2). The through hole 58a1 of the central cylindrical portion 58a is a hole that connects the inside of the dispensing cylinder 57 to the inside of the bag body 51. The first thin-walled portion 58b is a portion that has a tapered shape that protrudes in one radial direction from the through hole 58a1. When the base portion 58 is attached to the bag body 51, the first thin-walled portion 58b is positioned, for example, on the left side 55 of the central cylindrical portion 58a. The second thin-walled portion 58c is a portion that has a tapered shape that protrudes in the direction opposite to the first thin-walled portion 58b side in the radial direction from the through hole 58a1. The second thin-walled portion 58c is positioned, for example, on the right side 56 of the central cylindrical portion 58a when the base portion 58 is attached to the bag body 51. Here, the tapered shape refers to a shape in the bottom surface of the base portion 58 that becomes narrower as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion 58a.

[0046] In FIG. 6, a preferred arrangement example in the alignment body 3 will be described by taking adjacent product bags p1 and p2 as an example. In the alignment body 3, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 overlaps the first thin portion 58b of the adjacent product bag p2. The state where the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 overlaps the first thin portion 58b of the adjacent product bag p2 means a state where a part of the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 is above the thickness direction of the base material 5 than a part of the first thin portion 58b of the product bag p2, and the outer surface of the bag body 51 to which the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 is fixed and the outer surface of the bag body 51 to which the first thin portion 58b of the product bag p2 is fixed are in contact, and the state where the outer surface of the bag body 51 to which the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 is fixed and the outer surface of the bag body 51 to which the first thin portion 58b of the product bag p2 is fixed are separated are included.

[0047] The accommodating portion 15 preferably has an inner dimension such that the end portion of the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion 58a side of the adjacent product bag p2. By having such an inner dimension, the bases 58 are pressed against each other, and the arrangement of the alignment body 3 is less likely to be disturbed.

[0048] In the outer bag 100 containing products according to the present embodiment, when the distance between the inner edge on the first side 11 side of the accommodating portion 15 and the spout 52 is D1 (shown in FIG. 1), the distance between the inner edge on the second side 12 side of the accommodating portion 15 and the product bag p1 is D2 (shown in FIG. 1), and the height of the base 58 is D0 (shown in FIG. 2), it is preferable to satisfy the relationship D1 + D2 < D0 (Condition 1). D1 is, for example, the distance between the sealing portion 4A (the engaging portion 21 in FIG. 1) and the upper end of the spout 52. D2 is, for example, the distance between the sealing portion 4B (the engaging portion 22 in FIG. 1) and the lower side 54 of the bag body 51 (shown in FIG. 2). D0 is the length of the base 58 in the axial direction of the pouring cylinder 57. By satisfying Condition 1, even if the positions in the short side direction Y of the adjacent product bags p1 and p2 are displaced, a state where a part of the base 58 of the product bag p1 overlaps a part of the base 58 of the product bag p2 is maintained, so that the end portion of the second thin portion 58c of the product bag p1 is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion 58a side of the adjacent product bag p2, and the arrangement of the alignment body 3 is less likely to be disturbed.

[0049] In the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the inner dimension W1 of the storage section 15 in the short direction Y is greater than or equal to Wa (Wa + 50 mm) when the alignment width of the alignment body 3 is Wa, and the inner dimension W2 of the storage section 15 in the long direction X is greater than or equal to Wb (Wb + 50 mm) when the alignment length of the alignment body 3 is Wb (Condition 2). By satisfying Condition 2, the end of the second thin-walled portion 58c of the product bag p1 is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion 58a of the adjacent product bag p2, so that the positions of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn are fixed inside the outer bag 10A, and supply errors can be prevented in the bag-feeding process. Also, by satisfying Condition 2, the outer bag 10A can have a holding force sufficient to prevent the alignment of the alignment body 3 from collapsing when the fitting device 20 is engaged. The stacked state of the aligned bodies 3 can be maintained while being more integrated, and since excess air does not enter the inside of the outer bag 10A, an increase in bulk can be suppressed. As shown in Figure 1, when the outer bag 10A has sealing portions 4A and 4B on both the first side 11 side and the second side 12 side, the inner dimension W1 of the housing portion 15 in the short direction Y is the distance between the sealing portions 4A and 4B. The inner dimension W2 of the housing portion 15 in the long direction X is the distance between the boundary line of the adhesive seal on the third side 13 on the housing portion 15 side and the boundary line of the adhesive seal on the fourth side 14 on the housing portion 15 side. As shown in Figure 2, when product bag p1 has a spout 52 on its first side 53, the alignment width Wa of the alignment body 3 is the distance between the spout 52 and the second side 54, and the alignment length Wb of the alignment body 3 is the distance between the third side 55 of product bag p1 positioned adjacent to the third side 13 and the fourth side 56 of product bag pn positioned adjacent to the fourth side 14. The inner dimension W1 of the storage section 15 in the short direction Y is more preferably Wa or greater (Wa + 20 mm) or less. Also, the inner dimension W2 of the storage section 15 in the long direction X is more preferably Wb or greater (Wb + 20 mm) or less.

[0050] In the product-containing outer bag 100 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the outer bag 10A has a portion where the inner walls of the base material 5 are in contact with each other. The positions of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn are fixed within the outer bag 10A, preventing supply errors during the bag-feeding process. The state in which the inner walls of the base material 5 are in contact with each other is, for example, a state in which the air inside the outer bag 10A is removed, or in other words, a state in which the pressure inside the outer bag 10A is reduced. By creating such a state, the cross-section of the outer bag 10A becomes flattened, and the contact state between the inner wall of the outer bag 10A and the product bags p1, as well as the contact state between the product bags p1 themselves, is less likely to shift during transportation. Therefore, when removing the product bags p1, the state in which the product bags p1 were packed can be reproduced exactly as it was. Here, a flattened cross-section means that the flat surfaces of the multiple product bags p1 contained in the outer product bag 100 are in contact with the inner wall surface of the base material 5, and the cross-section is elongated, reflecting the cross-sectional shape of the multiple product bags p1.

[0051] The outer product bag 100 not only allows for the handling of multiple product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn as bulk when transporting, storing, or both, but also allows for the fixing of the arrangement of the bags produced sequentially from the bag-making machine, thus enabling the reproduction of an in-line system even if the bag-making machine and the filling machine are located in different places.

[0052] <Example of product packaging (second example)> Next, with reference to Figures 7 to 10, the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101 will be described. The second example of the product-containing outer bag 101 has the same basic configuration as the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100, except that the product bag q11 and the alignment of the product bag q11 in the alignment unit 3 are different. For this reason, this description will focus on the configuration that differs from the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100, and the configuration that is common to the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 will be omitted.

[0053] In the product-containing outer bag 101 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the bag body 51 has a first side 53, a second side 54 opposite the first side 53, a third side 55 and a fourth side 56 extending between the first side 53 and the second side 54, an inclined side 50 extending from one end of the first side 53 to one end of the third side 55, and a first corner portion 59 formed by the other end of the first side 53 and one end of the fourth side 56, and the base portion 58 is fixed to the inclined side 50, and in the aligned body 3, as shown in Figure 9, one product bag q2 Two product bags q11 and q21 are stacked so that the inclined edge 50-1 of one product bag q11 is positioned above or below the first corner 59-2 of one product bag 1 in the thickness direction. As shown in Figure 7, a set of product bags q11 and q21, q12 and q22, q13 and q23, q14 and q24...q1n and q2n are sequentially aligned while shifting the position of the first edge 53 in the longitudinal direction X, and the spout 52 is aligned on both the first side 11 side and the second side 12 side. In Figure 9, product bags q11 and q21 are shown as an example of a set of product bags, with product bag q11 designated as "-1" and product bag q21 designated as "-2". In Figures 7 and 9, the inclined edges 50 and spouts 52 of the other product bag q21, q22, q23, q24, ... q2n, located below the first corner 59 in the thickness direction of one of the product bags q11, q12, q13, q14, ... q1n, ... q2n, are shown by dotted lines.

[0054] In the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101, the outer bag 10A is the same as the product-containing outer bag 100 of the first example shown in Figure 1, differing in that, instead of the product bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn shown in Figure 1, product bags q11, q12, q13, q14...q1n and q21, q22, q23, q24...q2n are housed in the outer bag 10A as shown in Figure 7. The product bag q11 shown in Figure 8 differs from the product bag p1 shown in Figure 2 in that, in addition to the four edges of the first side (top side) 53, the second side (bottom side) 54, the third side (left side) 55, and the fourth side (right side) 56, it also has an inclined side 50, and the base 58 of the spout 52 is fixed to the inclined side 50, but the basic structure is the same as the product bag p1. The product bag q11 has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, with one corner of the rectangular shape cut out, specifically the corner formed by the extension of the first side 53 and the extension of the third side 55. The first corner portion 59 is a region including the vertex formed by the first side 53 and the fourth side and the outer surface of the bag body 51 around the vertex. Figure 8 shows an example where the cap 60 is screwed onto the dispensing cylinder 57, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cap 60 does not have to be screwed onto the dispensing cylinder 57. The shape of the cap 60 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be rhombus, circular, elliptical, or a variation thereof in plan view. A variation is, for example, a rhombus with rounded corners. When the cap 60 is screwed on, it is preferable that, for example, the first side 53 is not glued and serves as the filling opening when filling the product bag q11 with contents. Product bags q12, q13, q14...q1n and q21, q22, q23, q24...q2n shown in Figure 7 are bags with the same structure as product bag q11 shown in Figure 8.

[0055] In the aligned product bag 3, two product bags q11 and q21 are stacked so that the inclined edge 50-1 of one product bag q11 is positioned above the first corner 59-2 of one product bag q21 in the thickness direction, forming a set (as shown in Figure 9), or two product bags q11 and q21 are stacked so that the inclined edge 50-1 of one product bag q11 is positioned below the first corner 59-2 of one product bag q21 in the thickness direction, forming a set (not shown). In a set of product bags q11 and q21, it is preferable to align the first side 53-1 of product bag q11 with the first side 53-2 of product bag q21, align the second side 54-1 of product bag q11 with the second side 54-2 of product bag q21, align the third side 55-1 of product bag q11 with the fourth side 56-2 of product bag q21, and align the fourth side 56-1 of product bag q11 with the third side 55-2 of product bag q21.

[0056] In the aligned body 3, as shown in Figure 7, one set of product bags q12 and q22 is positioned below one set of product bags q11 and q21 with the position of the first side 53 shifted, another set of product bags q13 and q23 is positioned below one set of product bags q12 and q22 with the position of the first side 53 shifted, and so on, in a sequential alignment. At this time, the spout 52 of one product bag q11 of a pair of product bags q11 and q21 is positioned on the first side 11 side, and the spout 52 of the other product bag q21 of the pair of product bags q11 and q21 is positioned on the second side 12 side, so that the spouts 52 of the pair of product bags q11 and q21, q12 and q22, q13 and q23, q14 and q24...q1n and q2n are aligned in order, so that the spouts 52 are aligned on both the first side 11 side and the second side 12 side.

[0057] Figure 10 is a schematic partial plan view illustrating an example of the positional relationship between adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction in the outer product bag shown in Figure 7, where (a) is the first example, (b) is the second example, and (c) is the third example. Figures 10(a) to (c) show a state in which product bag q11 and product bag q12 overlap via product bag q21, with product bag q11 designated as "-1" and product bag q12 designated as "-2". In Figures 10(a) to (c), product bag q11, product bag q21, product bag q12, and product bag q22 overlap from top to bottom in the thickness direction. More specifically, the spout 52-1 of product bag q11 is located above the first corner of product bag q21. A part of the spout 52-2 of product bag q12 and its surrounding portion are located below the first corner of product bag q21 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the spout 52-2 of the product bag q12 is located above the first corner of the product bag q22 in the thickness direction. In the outer bag containing the product according to this embodiment, the spouts 52-1 and 52-2 further have caps 60-1 and 60-2 attached to the side walls of the dispensing tubes 57-1 and 57-2 to close the upper end openings of the dispensing tubes 57-1 and 57-2, and adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction X include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the cap overlaps a part of the cap of the adjacent spout, as shown in Figure 10(a); (2) a part of the lower end of the cap is positioned to overlap a part of the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 10(b); and (3) a part of the lower end of the cap is positioned to be separated in the longitudinal direction from the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout, as shown in Figure 10(c).

[0058] In Figures 10(a) to (c), adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction X are either spouts 52-1 and 52-2 aligned on the first side 11 side, or spouts (not shown) aligned on the second side 12 side, from a pair of product bags adjacent along the longitudinal direction X (for example, a pair of product bags q11 and q21 and a pair of product bags q12 and q22). Furthermore, the first corner of product bag q21, which is paired with product bag q11, is interposed between adjacent spouts 52-1 and 52-2.

[0059] State (1) is a state in which a part of the cap 60-1 of product bag q11 overlaps a part of the cap 60-2 of product bag q12, as shown in Figure 10(a). Here, "overlapping" means that a part of the cap 60-1 of product bag q11 is higher in the thickness direction of the base material 5 than a part of the cap 60-2 of product bag q12.

[0060] In state (2), as shown in Figure 10(b), a portion of the lower end of the cap 60-2 of product bag q12 coincides with a portion of the upper end of the cap 60-1 of product bag q11 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0061] State (3) is a state in which the lower end of the cap 60-2 of product bag q12 and the upper end of the cap 60-1 of product bag q11 are positioned at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in Figure 10(c).

[0062] Figures 10(a) to (c) illustrate an example of a spout aligned to the first side 11, but the same configuration is also included for a spout aligned to the second side 12. Furthermore, the aligned body 3 includes configurations that include only state (1), only state (2), only state (3), configurations that include both state (1) and state (2), configurations that include both state (1) and state (3), configurations that include both state (2) and state (3), or configurations that include state (1), state (2), and state (3). In addition, the aligned body 3 may include states other than (1) to (3). A state other than (1) to (3) is, for example, a state in which the entire cap 60-1 of product bag q11 covers the entire cap 60-2 of product bag q12.

[0063] <Third example of product packaging> Next, the third example of the product-containing outer bag 200 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figures 11 and 12 omit the illustration of the alignment members. The alignment members contained in the third example of the product-containing outer bag 200 are, for example, the alignment member 3A shown in Figure 1, or the alignment member 3B shown in Figure 7. The third example of the product-containing outer bag 200 has the same basic configuration as the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101, except that the outer bag 10B is different. For this reason, this explanation will focus on the configurations that differ from the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101, and will omit the explanation of the configurations that are common to the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101.

[0064] In the product-containing outer bag 200 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the outer bag 10B includes a first side 11, a second side 12 opposite to the first side 11, a third side 13 and a fourth side 14 connecting the ends of the opposing first side 11 and the ends of the second side 12, and an opening 6 provided along the edge of the first side 11, with the opening 6 being sealed by a sealing portion 4. Comparing the outer bag 10A shown in Figure 1 or Figure 7 with the outer bag 10B shown in Figures 11 and 12, the outer bag 10A has two openings 6 and 7, one each on the first side 11 and the second side 12, while the outer bag 10B has only one opening 6 on the first side 11. The other configurations are the same as the outer bag 10A.

[0065] The outer bag 10B shown in Figures 11 and 12 preferably has only one opening 6 on the first side 11, and a fitting device 20 provided on the inner wall side of the base material 5 along the edge 6a of the opening 6, with the occlusal portion 21 into which the fitting device 20 engages forming a sealing portion 4. Alternatively, the sealing portion 4 may be, for example, an adhesive portion or a heat-sealed portion that bonds the inner walls of the base material 5 together along the edge of the opening 6.

[0066] The outer bag 10B shown in Figures 11 and 12 may have a second side edge 12 that is a folded portion of the base material 5 (as shown in Figure 12) or a bonded portion (not shown) where the inner walls of the base material 5 are bonded together. The second side edge 12 may be provided with a fragile area such as perforations, scratches, or half-cuts. The second side edge 12 serves as an outlet for multiple bags during the bag supply process in the bag feeding device.

[0067] In the second example of the outer bag 200 containing the product, if the sealing portion 4 is the interlocking portion 21 of the fitting device 20, it is preferable that the outer bag 10B is integrated with the interlocking portion 3 (3A, 3B) by folding one base material 5 in half to enclose the alignment body 3 (3A, 3B) (shown in Figure 1 or Figure 7), and the fitting device 20 is positioned on either the left or right side end of the alignment body 3 (3A, 3B) and interlocking. Alternatively, in the second example of the outer bag 200 containing the product, if the sealing portion 4 is an adhesive portion or a heat-sealed portion, the outer bag 10B may be integrated with the alignment body 3 (3A, 3B) by folding one base material 5 in half to enclose the alignment body 3 (3A, 3B) and bonding the inner walls of the base material 5 together along the edge of the opening 6.

[0068] <Fourth example: outer packaging of the product> Next, the fourth example of the product-containing outer bag 300 will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figures 13 and 14 omit the illustration of the alignment elements. The alignment elements contained in the fourth example of the product-containing outer bag 300 are, for example, the alignment element 3A shown in Figure 1, or the alignment element 3B shown in Figure 7. The fourth example of the product-containing outer bag 300 has the same basic configuration as the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101, except that the outer bag 10C is different. For this reason, this explanation will focus on the configurations that differ from the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101, and will omit the explanation of the configurations that are common to the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100 or the second example of the product-containing outer bag 101.

[0069] In the product-containing outer bag 300 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the outer bag 10C includes a first side 11, a second side 12 opposite to the first side 11, a third side 13 and a fourth side 14 connecting the ends of the opposing first side 11 and the end of the second side 12, an upright portion 16 located in the portion sandwiched between the first side 11 and the second side 12 and running parallel to the first side 11 and the second side 12, and an opening 6 provided along the edge of the upright portion 16, wherein the opening 6 is sealed by a sealing portion 4. Comparing the outer bag 10A shown in Figure 1 or Figure 7 with the outer bag 10C shown in Figures 13 and 14, the outer bag 10A has two openings 6 and 7, one on the first side 11 and one on the second side 12, while the outer bag 10C has a vertical section 16 and only one opening 6 is provided on the vertical section 16. The other configurations are the same as those of the outer bag 10A.

[0070] The outer bag 10C shown in Figures 13 and 14 preferably has only one opening 6 in the upright portion 16, and a fitting device 20 provided on the inner wall side of the base material 5 along the edge 6a of the opening 6, with the interlocking portion 21 into which the fitting device 20 engages serving as the sealing portion 4. Alternatively, the sealing portion 4 may be provided with a gusset seal, such as an adhesive portion or a heat-sealed portion that adheres the inner walls of the base material 5 together along the edge of the opening 6.

[0071] The outer bag 10C shown in Figures 13 and 14 may have either one or both of the first side 11 and the second side 12 forming a folded portion of the base material 5 (as shown in Figure 14), or it may have an adhesive portion (not shown) where the inner walls of the base material 5 are bonded together. The first side 11 and the second side 12 may be provided with fragile areas such as perforations, scratches, or half-cuts. The first side 11 and / or the second side 12 serve as multiple bag outlets in the bag supply process of the bag feeding device.

[0072] The upright section 16 is the part in which the inner wall surfaces of the base material 5 are arranged facing each other, and is located on the stacking surface of the aligned body.

[0073] In the fourth example of the product-containing outer bag 300, if the sealing portion 4 is the interlocking portion 21 of the fitting device 20, it is preferable that the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) (shown in Figure 1 or Figure 7) are wrapped in a gusset-like manner by a single base material 5, and the fitting device 20 is positioned on the stacking surface of the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) and interlocks, thereby integrating the outer bag 10C with the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) included. In the first example of the product-containing outer bag 100, if the sealing portion 4 is a gusset seal, the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) may be wrapped in a gusset-like manner by a single base material 5, and the upright portion 16 is positioned on the stacking surface of the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B), and the outer bag 10C may be integrated with the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) included by a seal along the upright portion 16.

[0074] In the second, third, and third examples, the outer bags 101, 200, and 300 containing the products of the third example preferably satisfy condition 2, similar to the outer bag 100 containing the product of the first example. In condition 2, as shown in Figure 11, when the outer bag 10B has a sealing portion 4 only on the first side 11 side, the inner dimension W1 of the storage portion 15 in the short direction Y is the distance between the sealing portion 4 and the second side 12. As shown in Figure 13, when the outer bag 10C has a sealing portion 4 on the upright portion 16, the inner dimension W1 of the storage portion 15 in the short direction Y is the distance between the first side 11 and the second side 12. As shown in Figure 7, when product bag q11 has a spout 52 on the inclined side 50, the product width Wa of the alignment unit 3B is the distance between the third side 55 and the fourth side 56, and the alignment length Wb of the alignment unit 3B is the distance between the second side 54 of the pair of product bags q11 and q21 positioned adjacent to the third side 13 and the first side 53 of the pair of product bags q1n and q2n positioned adjacent to the fourth side 14.

[0075] The manufacturing method for the product-containing outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but they can be manufactured using, for example, a manufacturing apparatus as shown in Figures 16 to 19 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-122939. The manufacturing method for the product-containing outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 according to this embodiment comprises: a first step of preparing the outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C; a second step of disengaging the fitting device 20 and spreading out the outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C; and a third step of stacking the product bags (p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn or q11, q12, q13, q14... q1n and q21, q22, q23, q24... q2n) in a line on the base material 5, either continuously or intermittently, so that parts of the product bags overlap, thereby forming an aligned body 3 (3A, 3B); and a third step of stacking the product bags (p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn or q11, q12, q13, q14... q1n and q21, q22 Preferably, the process includes: a third step of creating non-placement sections at predetermined intervals where product bags (p1, p2, p3, p4, ..., pn or q11, q12, q13, q14 ..., q1n and q21, q22, q23, q24 ..., q2n) are not placed each time a predetermined number of q23, q24 ..., q2n are stacked; a fourth step of moving the base material 5 on which the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) are placed in the longitudinal direction X of the base material 5, while wrapping the aligned bodies 3 (3A, 3B) with the base material 5 and engaging the fitting device 20; a fifth step of providing adhesive seals in the areas corresponding to the non-placement sections; and a sixth step of cutting the areas where the adhesive seals provided in the fifth step are placed to obtain product outer bags 100, 101, 200, 300. The resulting product-filled outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 are preferably picked up by, for example, a suction arm and automatically packed into boxes in predetermined quantities. In this way, the product-filled outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 can be manufactured and packed into boxes automatically.

[0076] The method for supplying product bags using the product-filled outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 according to this embodiment can be performed by supplying the bags using a bag-feeding device such as the one shown in Figure 20 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-122939. The method for supplying product bags using the product-filled outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 according to this embodiment preferably includes a step A in which the outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C of the product-filled outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 are pulled out and an opening is made in the sealing portion 4 or in a portion of the outer bag other than the sealing portion 4, and a step B in which the product bags inside the opened outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C are sequentially supplied to a filling machine. When opening a portion of the outer bag other than the sealing portion 4, a cutter may be used. Also, if a weak portion is provided in a portion of the outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C other than the sealing portion 4, the bags may be opened from the weak portion. Figure 20 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-122939 shows a case where the outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 containing the products are in a roll. However, if the outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 containing the products are individual bags, it is preferable, for example, in process A, to place the outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 containing the products on a conveying means such as a belt conveyor, insert a jig into the sealing part 4 to open them, and in process B, to sequentially supply the product bags inside the opened outer bags 10A, 10B, and 10C to the filling machine. In this way, the outer bags 100, 101, 200, and 300 containing the products can be automatically processed from unpacking to supplying to the filling machine. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 3(3A,3B) array 4A(21),4B(22) Sealing part 5(5a,5b) Base material 6,7 Opening 10A, 10B, 10C outer bag 11 First side 12 Second side 13 Third side 14 4th side 15. Storage area 16. Erecting section 20 Fittings 21,22 Occlusal area 25 Female component 25a female base 25b Female part 26 Male member 26a male base 26b Male part 50 Inclined edges 51 Bags 52 Spout 53. First side (top side) 54. Second side (bottom side) 54a Bottom film 55 Third side (left side) 56. Fourth side (right side) 57 Pour tube 57a Screw thread 58 Base 58a Central cylinder part 58a1 Through hole 58b 1st thin section 58c 2nd thin section 59 1st corner 60 caps 100, 101, 200, 300 Product outer bags p1, p2, p3, p4...pn, q11, q12, q13, q14...q1n and q21, q22, q23, q24...q2n Product Bags X Longitudinal direction Y-short direction

Claims

1. The product-filled outer bag comprises an outer bag that is roughly rectangular in plan view and a plurality of product bags, the outer bag having a storage compartment, and a plurality of product bags stacked in a line along the longitudinal direction of the outer bag, with the product bags slightly overlapping each other within the storage compartment, thereby integrating the product-filled outer bag while maintaining the alignment of the product bags. The outer bag has a resin film as its base material and includes a first side extending in the longitudinal direction, a second side parallel to the first side, a third side and a fourth side connecting the opposite ends of the first side and the second side, respectively, and at least one opening provided along the longitudinal direction, the opening being sealed with a sealing portion. The aforementioned product bag is a spout-equipped bag comprising a bag body that is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and a spout having a dispensing cylinder and a base fixed to the bag body. The product packaging bag is characterized in that, in the aligned body, the spouts are aligned at least on the first side.

2. The outer bag has two openings, which are located on the first and second sides, respectively. The outer bag containing the product according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing portion is an interlocking portion of a fitting device provided on the inner wall side of the base material along the edge of the opening.

3. The outer bag containing the product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer bag has a portion where the inner walls of the base material are in contact with each other.

4. The inner dimension W1 in the shorter direction of the housing is greater than or equal to Wa (Wa + 50 mm) when the alignment width of the aligned bodies is Wa, and The outer bag containing the product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner dimension W2 in the longitudinal direction of the storage section is Wb or greater than or equal to (Wb + 50 mm) when the aligned length of the aligned bodies is Wb.

5. The base is fixed to one of the edges of the bag body. In the aforementioned aligned body, the spouts are aligned only on the first side, and The outer bag containing the product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the base overlaps a part of the base of the adjacent spout; (2) the end of the base is positioned to overlap with the end of the base of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction; and (3) the end of the base is positioned to be separated from the end of the base of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction.

6. The base portion comprises a central cylindrical portion having a through hole communicating with the inside of the dispensing cylinder, a first thin-walled portion connected to one side of the base portion in the width direction of the central cylindrical portion and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion, and a second thin-walled portion connected to the other side of the base portion in the width direction of the central cylindrical portion and becoming thinner as it moves away from the central cylindrical portion. In the aforementioned alignment, the second thin-walled portion of one product bag is placed over the first thin-walled portion of another product bag. The outer bag containing the product according to claim 5, characterized in that the storage portion has internal dimensions such that the end of the second thin-walled portion of the other product bag is pressed toward the central cylindrical portion of the one product bag.

7. The product outer bag according to claim 6, characterized in that when the distance between the inner edge of the first side of the storage portion and the spout is D1, the distance between the inner edge of the second side of the storage portion and the product bag is D2, and the height of the base is D0, the relationship D1 + D2 < D0 is satisfied.

8. The bag body has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side and a fourth side extending between the first side and the second side, an inclined side extending from one end of the first side to one end of the third side, and a first corner formed by the other end of the first side and one end of the fourth side. The base is fixed to the inclined edge, The product outer bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aligned body consists of two product bags stacked on top of each other such that the inclined edge of one product bag is positioned above or below the first corner of the first corner of the other product bag in the thickness direction, and the set of product bags are sequentially aligned while shifting the position of the first edge in the longitudinal direction, so that the spout is aligned on both the first side and the second side.

9. The spout further includes a cap that is attached to the side wall of the dispensing cylinder and closes the upper end opening of the dispensing cylinder. The product outer bag according to claim 8, characterized in that adjacent spouts along the longitudinal direction include at least one of the following states: (1) a part of the cap of the adjacent spout overlaps a part of the cap of the adjacent spout; (2) a part of the lower end of the cap is positioned to overlap a part of the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction; and (3) the lower end of the cap is positioned to be separated from the upper end of the cap of the adjacent spout in the longitudinal direction.

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