How to fill the pouches

Abstract

To provide a method of filling a pouch that reduces dead space inside the pouch during filling and sealing and allows the pouch size to be smaller.SOLUTION: In the method of filling a pouch, where the pouch composed of a laminated body containing sealant layers with a plastic film as a substrate is filled with content with fluidity by an automatic filling machine, the pouch is formed by overlapping two sealant layers of the laminated body face to face and sealing peripheral parts of a trunk part excluding a filling port on the upper side, and enabling the content to be filled inside. When filling the content, the center of the trunk of the pouch is pressed from both side ends by a jig, the horizontal cross section of the trunk of the pouch is swollen in a circle to enlarge the cross-section area. After conducting predetermined filling from the filling port in this condition, the filling port is sealed to tightly seal the pouch, reducing dead space over a liquid level inside the pouch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for filling a pouch, which is one type of packaging material, and in particular to a method for filling a pouch, which is a packaging material made of a plastic film as a base material, that can reduce the dead space involved in filling the pouch with the contents and the subsequent sealing and sealing, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pouch. [Background technology]

[0002] Pouches, a type of packaging material, are widely used and are made of single layer or laminated plastic film as a base material. They come in a variety of shapes and are used for a wide range of purposes, becoming indispensable in modern people's lives.

[0003] Since the plastic film used in pouches is generally water-resistant, they are used, for example, as containers for liquids and are widely used in the food sector, such as for beverages and retort foods. In addition, a wide variety of pouches are also used in the fields of daily necessities and toiletries, with the shelves of supermarkets, drugstores, and convenience stores stocked with products.

[0004] The advantages of pouches compared to containers such as cans and bottles are that they are inexpensive, that detailed material design can be used to meet various quality requirements, and that they are lightweight and space-saving before filling, as well as during distribution and storage. Pouches can also be said to be an environmentally friendly packaging material from the perspective of reducing waste.

[0005] In addition, high-resolution printing on the layer visible from the outside of the pouch can improve the product's image and display necessary information about the contents. Furthermore, printing barcodes, etc., serves as a source of information for product distribution, inventory management, and marketing.

[0006] Among the pouches, some that are self-supporting have been commercialized and are generally called standing pouches. Being self-supporting is advantageous not only for the display and exhibition of products, but also for cooking in a microwave oven, as the product can be cooked while standing upright. In addition, it is convenient, for example, when removing the contents from the pouch.

[0007] Alternatively, pouches with stoppers that allow repeated opening and closing and removal of contents are also highly convenient and have been commercialized and widely used as packaging materials for liquids, jellies, and pastes, such as foods and seasonings.

[0008] Generally, pouches are made by stacking laminates having at least a sealant layer on a plastic film substrate with the sealant layers facing each other and sealing the edges to form a pouch. The contents are filled into the pouch through a filling opening that is left as an unsealed portion, for example, using a nozzle, and then the filling opening is sealed to hermetically seal the pouch.

[0009] When attempting to fill pouches with contents for commercialization, it is common to use an automatic filling machine to fill and mass-produce the product with high productivity; however, when sealing the filling port, if the contents are filled to the top of the pouch's filling port, the seal becomes unstable, resulting in insufficient productivity. In terms of quality, there is a risk that the contents will adhere to the sealed area, causing poor sealing.

[0010] Therefore, the filling amount is reduced to some extent relative to the capacity of the pouch, and the filling opening of the contents is sealed. This has been done to prevent poor sealing due to liquid splashing or adhesion to the inside of the pouch, but this means that dead space is inevitably created inside the pouch, and extra packaging material is used, and the package size is also large, which creates problems of poor storage and transportation efficiency.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic diagram for explaining a general method of filling a pouch. The pouch (100) shown here is substantially rectangular in shape and has a spout (4) at one corner of the upper side. The periphery of the body, excluding the filling port (10) at the upper side, is surrounded by a seal part (1), and the pouch is filled with liquid contents (5).

[0012] The pouch (100) in the example shown here is constructed by sandwiching and sealing the bottom film (2) between the front body portion (8) and the rear body portion (9) at the lower body portion (3), and is a so-called standing pouch that is self-supporting.

[0013] The contents (5) are filled below the liquid level (6) inside the pouch (100), and the space above the liquid level is dead space (7), which is necessary to prevent poor sealing due to splashing or adhesion of the contents (5) by reducing the amount of filling to a certain extent compared to the capacity of the pouch (100).

[0014] As can be seen from the example shown in FIG. 1, the liquid level (6) is spindle-shaped and elongated in the width direction, and its depth is smaller than that of the bottom film (2). Therefore, when attempting to fill a given content (5), the liquid level (6) becomes high, and with the addition of dead space (7), the height of the pouch (100) becomes higher.

[0015] Patent Document 1 proposes a soft packaging container for beverages and a filling method for the container, in which a gusset is formed in the pouch and filling is performed from the side of the pouch for the purpose of easy and quick filling. However, this method requires a large amount of pouch material and a dedicated filling machine that can handle filling and sealing from the side, and has significant drawbacks that prevent it from being put into practical use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-157742 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a pouch, which can reduce the dead space inside the pouch when filling and sealing the pouch, thereby reducing the size of the pouch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] As a means for solving the above problem, the invention described in claim 1 is: In filling a pouch made of a laminate having a plastic film as a base material and a sealant layer with a fluid content by an automatic filling machine, The pouch is made by stacking two laminates with the sealant layers facing each other, and sealing the periphery of the body except for the filling opening on the upper side, so that the contents can be filled between the front body and the rear body. When filling the contents, the center of the body of the pouch is pressed from both side ends with a jig to expand the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area, and in this state, a predetermined amount of contents is filled through the filling opening, and then the filling opening is sealed to hermetically seal the pouch. A method for filling a pouch, characterized in that the dead space above the liquid level inside the pouch is reduced.

[0019] The invention described in claim 2 is as follows: 2. The method for filling a pouch according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is a standing pouch formed by sandwiching and sealing a bottom film between a front body and a rear body at the lower part of the body.

[0020] The invention described in claim 3 is as follows: The method for filling pouches according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two laminates are formed by folding one laminate with the sealant layer on the inside.

[0021] The invention described in claim 4 is as follows: A method for filling a pouch as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when sealing the filling opening to hermetically close the pouch, both sides of the pouch are chucked and pulled left and right at the height between the liquid level of the filled contents and the filling opening on the upper edge of the pouch, and the filling opening on the upper edge is closed and sealed. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for filling a pouch, which can reduce the dead space inside the pouch during filling and sealing, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pouch.

[0023] That is, when filling the pouch with a fluid content, a jig is used to push the center of the pouch body from the seals on both sides to expand the horizontal cross section of the pouch body into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area, and then a predetermined amount of content is filled through the filling opening, which is then sealed to hermetically seal the pouch, making it possible to fill the pouch with a thicker body and increase its capacity.As a result, when a predetermined amount of content is filled, the liquid level can be lowered.

[0024] Therefore, it is possible to maintain the shape of the pouch, leave only the laminate necessary to seal the filling port, and reduce the dead space above the liquid level. In other words, it is possible to reduce the amount of laminate used to compose the pouch, and as a result of being able to make the pouch smaller, transportation efficiency is improved and it is possible to create an environmentally friendly product.

[0025] In particular, according to the invention described in claim 2, the pouch is a standing pouch that is configured by sandwiching and sealing a bottom film between the front and rear body parts at the lower part of the body, and thus has self-supporting properties.

[0026] Being able to stand on its own is advantageous not only for the display and exhibition of products, but also for cooking in a microwave oven, as the product can stand on its own inside the oven. In addition, it is convenient, for example, when removing the contents from the pouch.

[0027] In particular, according to the invention described in claim 3, the two laminates are formed by folding a single laminate with the sealant layer on the inside, which reduces the number of sealing points by one, and is also effective in saving resources.

[0028] In particular, according to the invention described in claim 4, when the filling port is sealed to seal the pouch, both sides of the pouch are chucked and pulled to the left and right at the height between the liquid level of the filled contents and the filling port on the upper side of the pouch, and the filling port on the upper side is closed and sealed, thereby preventing the liquid level of the contents from increasing. It is possible to perform stable sealing and sealing while minimizing dead space without changing the height. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic diagram for explaining a general method of filling a pouch. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic view for explaining one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view (partially see-through) illustrating the state in which the filling port is sealed after filling in one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic view for explaining the state when filling is completed and the effect thereof in one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 2 to 4. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples shown here. The present invention is defined by the claims.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic view for explaining one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention.

[0032] The present invention relates to a method for filling a pouch (100) composed of a laminate having a plastic film as a base material and a sealant layer, using an automatic filling machine.

[0033] The pouch (100) to which the filling method of the present invention is applied is made of a plastic film with a sealant layer. In other words, it is made of a laminate using a plastic film as a substrate and having a sealant layer. In addition, the laminate may contain layers having necessary functions, such as a gas barrier layer for the purpose of improving the storage stability of the contents (5).

[0034] The plastic film is a film made of a polymer resin composition, and examples of the plastic film that can be used include polyolefin (polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, etc.), polyamide (nylon-6, nylon-66, etc.), polyimide, etc., and is appropriately selected depending on the application of the pouch (100).

[0035] In particular, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate are preferred as plastic films in terms of film strength and cost. In addition, when a stretched polyamide film is used in the laminate, it is possible to impart the laminate with strength against punctures and impacts.

[0036] The plastic film can be laminated with other layers via an adhesive layer to form a laminate. The layer structure, material structure, thickness, etc. of the laminate can be appropriately designed depending on the quality required for the pouch (100).

[0037] The pouch (100) is made by stacking two laminates with the sealant layers facing each other, and sealing the peripheral edge of the body except for the filling port (10) on the upper edge, so that the inside sandwiched between the front body portion (8) and the rear body portion (9) can be filled with contents (5).

[0038] At this time, the two laminates were folded with one laminate facing inward with the sealant layer. In this case, the number of sealing points can be reduced by one, which is also effective in saving resources.

[0039] The pouch (100) of the example shown in Fig. 2 has a substantially rectangular shape similar to the example shown in Fig. 1, and has a stopper (4). Moreover, the periphery of the body is surrounded by a sealed portion (1) except for a filling port (10) on the upper side, and the pouch is filled with the contents.

[0040] In the example shown here, the pouch (100) is constructed by sandwiching and sealing the bottom film (2) in an expandable manner between the front body portion (8) and the rear body portion (9) at the lower part of the body portion (3), and is a so-called standing pouch that is self-supporting.

[0041] The pouch (100) is able to stand on its own when the pouch is filled with the contents (5), as the bottom film (2) expands under its own weight to the state shown in Figure 2, forming a boat-shaped bottom.

[0042] The method for filling a pouch (100) according to the present invention provides a method for filling a pouch (100) that can reduce the size of the pouch (100) by reducing the dead space (7) above the liquid level (11) inside the pouch (100) during filling and sealing of the pouch (100).

[0043] That is, when filling the contents (5), the center of the body of the pouch (100) is pushed from both side ends in the direction of the arrow with a jig (20), causing the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch (100) to expand into a circular shape, increasing the cross-sectional area and increasing the storable volume, and after a predetermined amount of filling is carried out through the filling opening (10), the filling opening (10) is sealed to hermetically seal the pouch (100). In the example shown in Fig. 2, both side ends form sealed sections (1).

[0044] As can be seen from FIG. 2, when filling the contents (5), the center of each side end of the body of the pouch (100) is pushed in the direction of the arrow with a jig (20), so that the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch (100) is expanded into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area.

[0045] This has the effect of making the liquid level (11) move downward in the direction of the arrow (12) and become closer to a circle, compared to the spindle-shaped liquid level (6) shown in Figure 1 if the body is not pressed in this way.

[0046] In this way, by lowering the liquid level (11), the dead space (7) becomes longer in the vertical direction, and there is a space therein where the height of the pouch (100) can be reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pouch (100), which is an object of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view (partially see-through) illustrating the state in which the filling port is sealed after filling in one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention.

[0048] The method for filling a pouch according to the present invention is characterized in that, when filling the contents (5), the center of the body of the pouch is pressed from both side ends with a jig (20) to expand the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area, and then a predetermined amount of content is filled through the filling opening (10), which is then sealed to hermetically seal the pouch (100), thereby making it possible to reduce the dead space (7) above the liquid level inside the pouch.

[0049] In the example shown in FIG. 3, a predetermined amount of contents (5) has been filled, and the filling port is sealed by the seal portion (13). In this example, both sides of the pouch (100) are chucked with zippers (21) at the height between the liquid level of the contents (5) and the filling opening (10) on the top edge of the pouch and pulled to the left and right, and the filling opening (10) on the top edge is closed and sealed.

[0050] By sealing the filling port (10) at the top edge by chucking it closed, it is possible to perform stable sealing and sealing without changing the height of the liquid level (11) of the contents. At this time, the jig (20) is still pressing the center of the body of the pouch (100) in the direction of the arrow.

[0051] That is, according to the method of filling a pouch (100) of the present invention, the center of the body of the pouch (100) is pressed with a jig (20) from the seal portions (1) on both sides, causing the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch (100) to expand into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area, and then a predetermined amount of filling is carried out through the filling opening (10), and the filling opening (10) is sealed with the seal portion (13) to hermetically seal the pouch (100).

[0052] This allows the pouch (100) to be filled with a sufficient thickness, thereby increasing the pouch's capacity, and as a result, when a predetermined amount of the contents (5) is filled, the liquid level (11) can be kept low.

[0053] In order to stably seal the filling port (10), a certain height is required for the dead space (7) from the liquid level (11) to the seal portion (13). This is shown as the dead space (7) in FIG. 3. However, as the liquid level (11) drops, the height of the pouch (100) can be reduced by an amount corresponding to the arrow (14) from the original height (15) of the pouch (100), allowing the pouch (100) to be made smaller.

[0054] Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of laminate used to make the pouch (100), and the pouch (100) can be made smaller. As a result, not only is there a direct cost reduction due to the reduced material used, but inventory and transportation efficiency is also improved, making it an environmentally friendly product.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a perspective (partially see-through) schematic view for explaining the state when filling is completed and the effect thereof in one embodiment of the pouch filling method according to the present invention.

[0056] As described above, the method of filling a pouch according to the present invention allows the height of the pouch (100) to be reduced from the original pouch height (15) by an amount indicated by the arrow (14) in the figure, resulting in a smaller pouch (100).

[0057] After sealing the filling port (10) at the top edge, the chucking by the zipper (21) and the pressing of the jig (20) are released, and the liquid level (11) of the contents rises inside the pouch (100). Therefore, the vertical length of the dead space (7) is reduced, and its volume can also be reduced.

[0058] That is, according to the method of filling a pouch of the present invention, it is possible to fill a pouch with a predetermined amount of contents (5) and to reduce dead space (7).

[0059] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for filling a pouch, which makes it possible to reduce the dead space inside the pouch during filling and sealing, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the pouch. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Seal part 2. Bottom film 3. Lower torso 4...Plug 5...Contents 6...liquid level 7. Dead Space 8. Forward body 9. Rear torso 10. Filling port 11...liquid level 12...Arrow 13. Seal part 14...Arrow 15...Original pouch height 20... Jig 21. Chuck 100 pouches

Claims

1. In filling a pouch made of a laminate having a plastic film as a base material and a sealant layer with a fluid content by an automatic filling machine, The pouch is made by stacking two laminates with their sealant layers facing each other, and sealing the periphery of the body part except for the filling opening on the upper side, so that the pouch can be filled with contents between the front body part and the rear body part. When filling the contents, the center of the body of the pouch is pressed from both side ends with a jig to expand the horizontal cross section of the body of the pouch into a circular shape to increase the cross-sectional area, and in this state, a predetermined amount of contents is filled through the filling opening, and then the filling opening is sealed to hermetically seal the pouch. When sealing the filling opening to seal the pouch, both sides of the pouch are chucked and pulled left and right at the height between the liquid level of the filled contents and the filling opening at the top edge of the pouch, and the filling opening at the top edge is closed and sealed. When both sides of the pouch are chucked and pulled to the left and right, and the filling opening at the top edge is closed and sealed, the state in which the center of the body of the pouch is pressed from both side ends by the jig is maintained, A method for filling a pouch, comprising reducing the dead space above the liquid level inside the pouch.

2. 2. The method for filling pouches according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is a standing pouch formed by sandwiching and sealing a bottom film between front and rear body portions at a lower portion of the body portion.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the two laminates are formed by folding one laminate with the sealant layer on the inside.

4. A method of filling a pouch as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the central part of the pouch body is pushed from both side ends with the jig without gripping both side ends of the pouch body with the jig.

5. A method for filling a pouch as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the plastic film is a polyolefin film, a polyester film, a polyamide film, or a polyimide film.

6. A method for filling a pouch as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the plastic film is a polypropylene film, a polyethylene terephthalate film, or a stretched polyamide film.

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