Pouch with spout

Abstract

To provide a pouch with a spout that can stabilize the orientation of the spout during dispensing. [Solution] A pouch with a spout 10 having a pouch internal control unit 33 located inside the pouch body, a front point fixing part 40A in which the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed to the front film 21 in a virtual region R in which the spout mounting part 32 is moved inward along the axial direction X of the dispensing hole 31a of the spout 30, and a back point fixing part 40B in which the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed to the back film 22 in the virtual region R.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pouch with a spout.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a pouch with a spout in which a spout is attached to a pouch body having a front film and a back film is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a pouch with a spout, at the outer edge seal portion of the pouch body, the spout mounting portion of the spout is disposed between the front film and the back film and heat-sealed, so that it is also well-known that the spout is attached to the pouch body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the pouch with a spout as described above, when the contents are poured out, due to the bending (wrinkling) of the front film or the back film near the spout, the spout may face (move) in an unexpected direction, that is, there is a problem that so-called spout swaying may occur.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention solves these problems, and an object thereof is to provide a pouch with a spout that has a simple structure and can stabilize the direction of the spout during pouring.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One embodiment of the spouted pouch of the present invention is a spouted pouch having a spout attached to a pouch body having a front film and a back film, wherein the spout has a spout attachment portion that is positioned and attached between the front film and the back film at the outer edge sealing portion of the pouch body, and the spouted pouch has an internal pouch control unit disposed inside the pouch body, a front point fixing portion in which the internal pouch control unit is fixed to the front film in a virtual region where the spout attachment portion is moved inward along the axial direction of the dispensing hole of the spout, and a back point fixing portion in which the internal pouch control unit is fixed to the back film in the virtual region, thereby solving the above problem. Another embodiment of the spouted pouch of the present invention is a spouted pouch having a spout attached to a pouch body having a front film and a back film, wherein the spout has a spout attachment portion that is positioned and attached between the front film and the back film at the outer edge sealing portion of the pouch body, the spout attachment portion has a left end and a right end in the left-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the front film, when the spouted pouch is viewed from above, extends from the first location side, which is located in a virtual region where the spout attachment portion is moved inward along the axial direction of the spout's dispensing hole, toward the left end toward the inner end of the pouch. The back film has a left-side bent portion extending outwards and a right-side bent portion extending from the first location toward the inner end of the pouch at the right end, and when the spouted pouch is viewed in plan view, the back film has a left-side bent portion extending from the second location located within the virtual region toward the inner end of the pouch at the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the second location toward the inner end of the pouch at the right end, and the left-side bent portion and the right-side bent portion of the front film and the back film are portions of the film that have been folded in a valley fold shape so that they are concave toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction, thereby solving the above problem. In any of the above spout-equipped pouches, the front-side point fixing portion and the back-side point fixing portion may be formed in positions where at least a portion of them overlap each other when viewed in the front-back direction. It's okay to be there. In any of the above spout-equipped pouches, the front-side point fixing portion and the back-side point fixing portion may be formed on a virtual line extending inward from the central axis of the dispensing hole when the spout-equipped pouch is viewed from above. In any of the above spout-equipped pouches, the internal control unit of the pouch may be connected to the spout attachment portion and formed as part of the spout. In any of the above spout-equipped pouches, the spout attachment portion has a left end and a right end in the left-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the front film has a left-side bent portion extending from the front point fixing portion side toward the inner end of the pouch at the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the front point fixing portion side toward the inner end of the pouch at the right end, the back film has a left-side bent portion extending from the back point fixing portion side toward the inner end of the pouch at the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the back point fixing portion side toward the inner end of the pouch at the right end, and the left-side bent portion and the right-side bent portion of the front film and the back film may be portions in which the film is folded in a valley fold shape so as to be concave toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction. In any of the spout-equipped pouches described above, the pouch internal control unit has a through hole extending along the axial direction, the front point fixing portion is the portion of the pouch internal control unit located on the front side of the through hole that is fixed to the front film, and the back point fixing portion may be the portion of the pouch internal control unit located on the back side of the through hole that is fixed to the back film. In any of the above spout-equipped pouches, the spout attachment portion may have a shape in which its thickness in the front-to-back direction is greatest at the center in the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In any of the above-described spouted pouches, the spout may be equipped with a check valve mechanism that allows the contents to flow out of the pouch through the dispensing hole and prevents outside air from flowing in from outside the pouch through the dispensing hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the orientation of the spout during dispensing can be stabilized with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing a spouted pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram showing the area around the spout. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram showing various modified examples of the control unit inside the pouch. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A spouted pouch 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the spouted pouch 10 is constructed by attaching a spout 30, which functions as a pouring outlet, to a bag-shaped pouch body 20 made by heat-sealing overlapping films (films made of synthetic resins such as polyester or polypropylene) at predetermined locations, and is used to contain liquid condiments such as soy sauce.

[0011] The following describes each component of the spouted pouch 10 based on the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the pouch body 20 comprises a front film 21 and a back film 22 arranged opposite each other in the front-back direction, and a bottom film 23 that is folded in half between the films at the bottom of the pouch. The outer edges of the overlapping films are heat-sealed to form an outer edge seal, thus forming a bag-like structure, which is a so-called standing pouch.

[0013] In this embodiment, the outer edge seal portion includes, as shown in Figure 1, a top seal portion 20a, a side seal portion 20b, a bottom seal portion 20c, and an oblique edge seal portion 20d formed between the top seal portion 20a and one of the side seal portions 20b, extending obliquely with respect to the extending direction of the top seal portion 20a and the extending direction of the side seal portion 20b.

[0014] The spout 30 is made of synthetic resin or the like and, as shown in Figure 1, has a spout body 31 that is attached to the pouch body 20 and a cap portion 34 that is detachably attached to the spout body 31.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spout body 31 has a dispensing hole 31a for dispensing the contents, a spout mounting portion 32 which is positioned and attached between the front film 21 and the back film 22 at the outer edge sealing portion (in this embodiment, the beveled edge sealing portion 20d) of the pouch body 20, and a pouch internal control portion 33 which is positioned inside the pouch body 20 (inside the contents storage portion of the pouch body 20).

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the spout mounting portion 32 has a shape in which its thickness in the front-to-back direction is greatest at the center of the left-to-right direction Y which is perpendicular to the axial direction X of the dispensing hole 31a. More specifically, its cross-sectional shape is a so-called boat shape (specifically, a shape in which roughly triangular protrusions are formed that project outward in the left-to-right direction Y from near both ends of the cylindrical portion). As shown in Figure 2, the spout mounting portion 32 has a left end 32a and a right end 32b in the left-right direction Y.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, at least a part of the in-pouch control unit 33 is disposed within a virtual region R in which the spout mounting portion 32 is moved inward of the pouch along the axial direction X. In the present embodiment, the in-pouch control unit 33 is configured as a cylindrical portion that is connected to the spout mounting portion 32 and formed as a part of the spout 30.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-pouch control unit 33 extends along the axial direction X and has a through hole 33a that communicates with the pouring hole 31a formed in the spout mounting portion 32. This through hole 33a is formed to have the same diameter as the pouring hole 31a, and the central axis of the pouring hole 31a and the central axis of the through hole 33a are made to coincide.

[0019] Further, the spout main body 31 is provided with a check valve mechanism (not shown) that allows the contents to flow out from inside the pouch to outside the pouch through the pouring hole 31a of the spout 30 and blocks the inflow of outside air from outside the pouch to inside the pouch through the pouring hole 31a of the spout 30. This check valve mechanism is arranged to block the pouring hole 31a during normal times (when the pouch main body 20 is not pressurized), and has a valve portion (not shown) that is movable to a position where it does not block the pouring hole 31a when the pouch main body 20 is pressurized from the outside and the pressure inside the pouch main body 20 increases. Note that the specific form of the check valve mechanism is not limited to the above, and any mechanism may be used as long as it allows the contents to flow out from inside the pouch to outside the pouch through the pouring hole 31a of the spout 30 and blocks the inflow of outside air from outside the pouch to inside the pouch through the pouring hole 31a of the spout 30. As described above, the pouch 10 with a spout according to the present embodiment is configured as a so-called pressurized pouch in which a check valve mechanism is provided in the spout 30 and the contents are poured out by pressurizing the pouch main body 20 from the outside.

[0020] Furthermore, the spouted pouch 10 has, as shown in Figure 2, a front point fixing portion 40A which is fixed to the front film 21 by partially heat welding the pouch internal control unit 33 within a virtual region R, and a back point fixing portion 40B which is fixed to the back film 22 by partially heat welding the pouch internal control unit 33 within a virtual region R, as a part that controls the state of the film near the spout 30.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the front point fixing portion 40A is the portion of the pouch internal control unit 33 located on the front side of the through hole 33a that is fixed (heat-sealed) to the front film 21, and the back point fixing portion 40B is the portion of the pouch internal control unit 33 located on the back side of the through hole 33a that is fixed (heat-sealed) to the back film 22.

[0022] Furthermore, the front-side point fixing portion 40A (the first location located within the virtual region R described later) and the back-side point fixing portion 40B (the second location located within the virtual region R described later) are formed in positions where at least a portion of each other overlaps when viewed in the front-back direction (in this embodiment, where the entirety of each other overlaps), as shown in Figure 2. Also, when the spouted pouch 10 is viewed from above (viewed in the front-back direction), it is formed on a virtual line L that extends the central axis of the dispensing hole 31a of the spout 30 inward towards the inside of the pouch.

[0023] The point fixing portions 40A and 40B are formed as so-called point seals in which the pouch internal control unit 33 is partially fixed (heat-sealed) to the front film 21 or the back film 22. Specifically, the front point fixing portion 40A is formed as a portion in which a part of the front surface (the surface on the front film 21 side) of the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed (heat-sealed) to the front film 21, and the front point fixing portion 40A is formed as a portion in which a part of the back surface (the surface on the back film 22 side) of the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed (heat-sealed) to the back film 22. The shapes of the front-side point fixing portion 40A and the back-side point fixing portion 40B may be any shape when viewed in the front-back direction, such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, or a linear shape. Furthermore, in this embodiment, one point fixing portion 40A and 40B are formed for each point fixing portion. However, the number of point fixing portions 40A and 40B is not limited to one and may be multiple. For example, two front point fixing portions 40A and two back point fixing portions 40B may be formed side by side in the axial direction X. At least one of the front point fixing portions 40A or back point fixing portions 40B may be formed in multiples (for example, two) side by side in the axial direction X or left-right direction Y. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the point fixing parts 40A and 40B are fixed to the front film 21 or back film 22 by heat welding the pouch internal control unit 33, but the specific fixing method may be other than heat welding, such as ultrasonic welding or adhesive bonding.

[0024] Furthermore, the front film 21 and the back film 22 have the following bent portions 21a, 21b, 22a, and 22b formed on them, respectively.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the front film 21 has a left-side bent portion 21a that extends linearly from the front point fixing portion 40A side (the first location located within the virtual region R) toward the inner end of the pouch (near the inner end of the pouch) of the left end 32a of the spout attachment portion 32 when the spout pouch 10 is viewed from above, and a right-side bent portion 21b that extends linearly from the front point fixing portion 40A side (the first location located within the virtual region R) toward the inner end of the pouch (near the inner end of the pouch) of the right end 32b of the spout attachment portion 32. As shown in Figure 2, these left-side bent sections 21a and right-side bent sections 21b extend diagonally with respect to the axial direction X such that the distance between them increases as they move toward the spout 30.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the back film 22 has a left-side bent portion 22a that extends linearly from the back point fixing portion 40B side (the second location located within the virtual region R) toward the inner end of the pouch (near the inner end of the pouch) of the left end 32a of the spout attachment portion 32 when the spout pouch 10 is viewed from above, and a right-side bent portion 22b that extends linearly from the back point fixing portion 40B side (the second location located within the virtual region R) toward the inner end of the pouch (near the inner end of the pouch) of the right end 32b of the spout attachment portion 32. As shown in Figure 2, these left-side bent sections 22a and right-side bent sections 22b extend diagonally with respect to the axial direction X such that the distance between them increases as they move toward the spout 30.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the left-side folded portion 21a of the front film 21 and the left-side folded portion 22a of the back film 22 are formed to overlap in the front-back direction, and the right-side folded portion 21b of the front film 21 and the right-side folded portion 22b of the back film 22 are formed to overlap when viewed in the front-back direction.

[0028] The folded portions 21a, 21b, 22a, and 22b of the front film 21 and the back film 22 are formed as valley folds where the film is folded in a way that creates a concave shape toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction.

[0029] In the spouted pouch 10 obtained in this embodiment, the pouch internal control unit 33 is arranged inside the pouch body 20, and it has a front point fixing part 40A in which the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed to the front film 21 within a virtual region R, and a back point fixing part 40B in which the pouch internal control unit 33 is fixed to the back film 22 within a virtual region R. This makes it possible to control the way the film bends (creases) in the front film 21 and back film 22 near the spout 30, thereby stabilizing the orientation of the spout 30 when dispensing the contents and enabling smooth dispensing of the contents.

[0030] Furthermore, even when the spouted pouch 10 is configured as a so-called pressurized pouch in which a check valve mechanism is provided in the spout 30 and the contents are dispensed by pressurizing the pouch body 20 from the outside, the spouted pouch 10 of this embodiment allows for good control of the orientation of the spout 30 when dispensing the contents. In other words, in the pressurized pouch described above, the pouch body 20 is pressurized when dispensing, causing deep folds (wrinkles) in the front film 21 and back film 22 near the spout 30, which can easily cause the spout 30 to orient (move) in an unintended direction. However, in this embodiment, by forming the point fixing parts 40A and 40B described above, the way in which the film folds in the front film 21 and back film 22 near the spout 30 is controlled effectively, and the orientation of the spout 30 can be stably controlled.

[0031] Furthermore, since the front-side point fixing portion 40A and the back-side point fixing portion 40B are formed in positions where at least a portion of them overlap each other in the front-back direction, it is possible to make the folding position of the front-side film 21 and the folding position of the back-side film 22 the same (or nearly the same), thereby enabling good control over the orientation of the spout 30.

[0032] Furthermore, since the front point fixing portion 40A and the back point fixing portion 40B are formed on a virtual line L that extends the central axis of the dispensing hole 31a of the spout 30 inward when the spout pouch 10 is viewed from above, the folding patterns of the films 21 and 22 are symmetrical with respect to the virtual line L. As a result, the orientation of the spout 30 can be well controlled so that the direction of dispensing of the contents from the spout 30 coincides with the virtual line L when the spout pouch 10 is viewed from above.

[0033] Furthermore, since the pouch internal control unit 33 is connected to the spout mounting portion 32 and formed as part of the spout 30, the position of the pouch internal control unit 33 within the pouch can be stabilized. This allows for stable control of the state of the front film 21 and the back film 22, and also facilitates the installation of the pouch internal control unit 33 into the pouch body 20 during manufacturing.

[0034] Furthermore, since the front film 21 and the back film 22 have left-side bent portions 21a, 22a and right-side bent portions 21b, 22b, and these bent portions 21a, 21b, 22a, and 22b are parts where the film is folded in a valley fold shape so that it becomes concave toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction, it is possible to reliably control the way the film is bent in the front film 21 and the back film 22 near the spout 30, and thus the orientation of the spout 30 when dispensing the contents can be reliably controlled.

[0035] Furthermore, since the pouch internal control unit 33 has a through hole 33a extending along the axial direction X, the front point fixing portion 40A is the portion of the pouch internal control unit 33 located on the front side of the through hole 33a that is fixed to the front film 21, and the back point fixing portion 40B is the portion of the pouch internal control unit 33 located on the back side of the through hole 33a that is fixed to the back film 22, the installation of the pouch internal control unit 33 can be prevented from obstructing the dispensing of the contents.

[0036] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims, such as constructing a spouted pouch 10 by arbitrarily combining the configurations of the above or below embodiments or modified examples.

[0037] For example, in the embodiment described above, the pouch control unit 33 was described as being formed as part of the spout 30, but as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(c), the pouch control unit 33 may be formed separately from the spout 30 and placed inside the pouch body 20.

[0038] Furthermore, although the pouch internal control unit 33 was described as being formed as a cylindrical portion in the above-described embodiment, the specific form of the pouch internal control unit 33 can be anything as long as it is arranged inside the pouch body 20. For example, as shown in Figures 3(b) and 3(c), the pouch internal control unit 33 may be formed to have the same cross-sectional shape as the spout mounting portion 32, or as shown in Figure 3(d), the pouch internal control unit 33 may be formed from a pair of trough-shaped pieces arranged apart in the front-back direction.

[0039] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained assuming that the spout 30 is attached to the beveled edge seal portion 20d, the attachment position of the spout 30 (spout attachment portion 32) may be any other, such as the top seal portion 20a or the side seal portion 20b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 ··· Pouch with spout 20... Pouch body 20a ··· Top seal section 20b ··· Side seal section 20c ··· Bottom seal section 20d ··· Beveled edge seal section 21 ··· Front film 21a...Left side bending section 21b... Right side bending section 22 ··· Backside film 22a...Left side bending section 22b... Right side bending section 23... Bottom film 30 ··· Spout 31... Spout body 31a... Outlet hole 32 ··· Spout mounting area 32a... Left end 32b...Right side end 33... Pouch internal control unit 33a... Through hole 34 ··· Cap part 40A ··· Front side point fixing part 40B ··· Backside point fixing part X... Axial direction Y...Left and right direction R ··· Virtual Area L ··· virtual line

Claims

1. A spouted pouch having a front film and a back film, with a spout attached to the pouch body, The spout has a spout mounting portion that is positioned and attached between the front film and the back film at the outer edge sealing portion of the pouch body. The spouted pouch is characterized by having an internal pouch control unit disposed within the pouch body, a front point fixing portion in which the internal pouch control unit is fixed to the front film within a virtual region in which the spout mounting portion is moved inward along the axial direction of the spout's dispensing hole, and a back point fixing portion in which the internal pouch control unit is fixed to the back film within the virtual region.

2. The spout pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that the front side point fixing portion and the back side point fixing portion are formed in positions where at least a portion of them overlap each other when viewed in the front-back direction.

3. The spout pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that the front side point fixing portion and the back side point fixing portion are formed on a virtual line extending the central axis of the dispensing hole inward when the spout pouch is viewed in plan.

4. The pouch with a spout according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal control unit of the pouch is connected to the spout attachment portion and is formed as part of the spout.

5. The spout mounting portion has a left end and a right end in the left-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction, The front film has a left-side bent portion extending from the front point fixing portion side toward the inner pouch end side of the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the front point fixing portion side toward the inner pouch end side of the right end, The back film has a left-side bent portion extending from the back point fixing portion side toward the inner pouch end side of the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the back point fixing portion side toward the inner pouch end side of the right end, The spout pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that the left-side folded portion and the right-side folded portion of the front film and the back film are portions in which the film is folded in a valley fold shape so as to be concave toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction.

6. The pouch internal control unit has a through hole extending along the axial direction, The aforementioned front-side point fixing portion is the portion of the pouch internal control unit located on the front side of the through hole that is fixed to the front-side film. The spout pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that the back side point fixing portion is a portion of the pouch internal control unit located on the back side of the through hole and the back side film that are fixed together.

7. The spout pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that the spout is equipped with a check valve mechanism that allows the contents to flow out of the pouch from inside to outside through the dispensing hole, and prevents outside air from flowing into the pouch from outside through the dispensing hole.

8. A spouted pouch having a front film and a back film, with a spout attached to the pouch body, The spout has a spout mounting portion that is positioned and attached between the front film and the back film at the outer edge sealing portion of the pouch body. The spout mounting portion has a left end and a right end in the left-right direction perpendicular to the axial direction, The front film has a left-side bent portion extending from a first location side toward the left inner end of the pouch, when the spout-equipped pouch is viewed in plan, in a virtual region where the spout mounting portion is moved inward along the axial direction of the spout's dispensing hole, and a right-side bent portion extending from the first location side toward the right inner end of the pouch. The back film has, when the spouted pouch is viewed in plan view, a left-side bent portion extending from the second location located within the virtual region toward the inner end of the pouch at the left end, and a right-side bent portion extending from the second location toward the inner end of the pouch at the right end. A spout pouch characterized in that the left-side folded portion and the right-side folded portion of the front film and the back film are portions of the film that have been folded in a valley fold shape so as to be concave toward the inside of the pouch in the front-back direction.

Images