Paper containers

Abstract

Provided is a gable-top type paper container. In order to obtain a paper container that can achieve easiness of stacking during conveyance or the like and space saving of an accommodation place, and that can maintain a resealed state by being tucked into an upper end thereof, an angle formed by upper sides 44 and barrel part forming panels 7 and 9 to which lateral surface forming panels 23 and 24 are connected is set at 2 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, top surface forming panels 16 and 17 have first auxiliary folding lines 32 and 33 directed from right and left positions at a lower end thereof to positions close to the center at an upper end thereof, and a length L1 between intersecting points 34 and 35 at which the first auxiliary folding lines 32 and 33 intersect with lower ends of outside top seal panels 14 and 15 is set at a length equal to 5% to 50% of a horizontal length L2 of the outside top seal panels 14 and 15.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper container for containing liquid contents. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, paper containers for holding liquid contents such as milk or juice have been widely used, which are made of paperboard material with thermoplastic resin laminated on the front and back surfaces, have four body-forming panels, and have edges joined by vertical seal panels to form a square tubular body. The upper ends of the body-forming panels are connected to a pair of opposing top-forming panels, each having an outer top seal panel at its upper part, and a pair of opposing side-forming panels, each having an inner top seal panel at its upper part, one of which serves as a pouring outlet and can be opened. The pair of side-forming panels are folded between the pair of top-forming panels, and the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel are sealed to form a top (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Paper containers with such a top are generally referred to as gable-top or gable-roof type, and the top surface forming the top is highly inclined. Therefore, when attempting to stack a large number of paper containers in a box, for example during transportation, the bottom of the upper paper container rests on the top of the lower paper container's steeply inclined top, making the container unstable and making it difficult to stack the paper containers. Even if the containers are stacked, a large space is created between the upper and lower paper containers, resulting in an unnecessarily large volume for the container box containing the paper containers. It is believed that such problems can be solved by reducing the inclination angle of the top surface forming the top.

[0004] In addition, in the case of paper containers containing highly viscous foods such as yogurt or jelly, it may be difficult to remove the contents by simply pulling out one side panel to open the spout. In such cases, it is necessary to pull out the other side panel as well to open the top completely and then use a spoon or similar to remove the contents. In such cases, when resealing the container after opening, it is not possible to seal the container by simply folding the side forming panels on both sides between the top forming panel, and it becomes necessary to use another method of sealing. In this regard, a paper container has been disclosed in which the gable-top type paper container is configured so that the inner top seal panel facing the sealed top seal portion can be peeled off, the side forming panel can be pulled out to open the spout, and then the spout can be resealed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0005] As shown in FIG. 10, the paper container described in Patent Document 2 comprises a tubular body 50 and a top 51 connected to the upper edge of the tubular body 50. The top 51 is provided with a pair of top forming panels 53 connected to the front and rear body forming panels 52 of the tubular body 50, a pair of side forming panels 55 connected to the left and right body forming panels 54 of the tubular body 50 and folded inward, and a pair of seal portions 56 connected to the upper edge of the top forming panel 53 and the upper edge of the side forming panel 55. The upper parts of the left and right body forming panels 54 are provided with sealing lines 57 that extend in the front-to-rear direction, with both ends connected to the front and rear ends of the upper edges of the left and right body forming panels 54, and protruding downward from the front and rear ends toward the center.

[0006] To reseal after opening, both seal portions 56 are closed and pressed downward, forcing the front and rear top surface forming panels 53 into the upper end of the cylindrical body portion 50. This causes the top portion 51 to bend along the seal portions 56 and become linearly recessed, pressing the seal portions 56 together, making it difficult for the top surface forming panels 53 to return to their original positions, and maintaining the resealed state.

[0007] However, if the front and rear top forming panels 53 are not pushed into the cylindrical body portion 50 to a sufficient extent, the pressure between the seal portions 56 becomes weak, and the top forming panels 53 tend to return to their original positions, making it impossible to maintain a resealed state. To increase the amount by which the front and rear top forming panels 53 are pushed into the cylindrical body portion 50, it is better to increase the angle between the side edge of the top forming panel 53 that forms the top 51 and the upper edges of the left and right body forming panels 54, i.e., the inclination angle of the top forming panel 53. However, if the inclination angle of the top forming panel 53 is large, it becomes difficult to push the front and rear top forming panels 53 into the upper end of the cylindrical body portion 50.

[0008] For this reason, the paper container described in Patent Document 2 has sealing lines 57 formed on the upper parts of the left and right body forming panels 54, which extend in the front-to-rear direction, with both ends connected to the front and rear ends of the upper edge of the left and right body forming panels 54, and which protrude downward as they move from the front and rear ends toward the center.When both seal portions 56 are pressed downward and the front and rear top forming panels 53 are pressed into the upper end of the tubular body 50, the sealing lines 57 formed on the upper parts of the left and right body forming panels 54 are folded and pushed outward, so that even top forming panels 53 with a large inclination angle can be pressed into the upper end of the tubular body 50. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-123540 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-196191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] As described above, in gable-top paper containers, ease of stacking during transportation and space-saving storage can be achieved by reducing the angle of inclination of the top surface that forms the top. However, in the paper container described in Patent Document 2, which has a format that allows resealing by pushing the top surface-forming panel into the upper end of the cylindrical body, there is a limit to how small the inclination of the top surface that forms the top can be reduced.

[0011] The inventors conducted extensive testing to find a gable-top paper container that would provide satisfactory space savings during transportation and storage, improved effectiveness in store display, and work efficiency, while also providing a resealable state that could accommodate a wide range of contents.They discovered the optimal top surface inclination angle and the top shape that would allow the resealable state to be maintained at that angle by pushing the top surface forming panel into the upper end of the tubular body without the need for a separate clip or zipper, and thus completed the present invention.

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a gable-top paper container that is easy to stack during transportation, saves storage space, is satisfactory in terms of display effectiveness and efficiency of in-store display work, and is not only compatible with conventional resealing methods in which one side is used as a pouring outlet, but can also maintain a resealed state even in applications where the container needs to be fully opened depending on the contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a container made of a paperboard material having thermoplastic resin laminated on both sides thereof, and having four body-forming panels, the edges of which are joined by vertical seal panels to form a rectangular tubular body, and a pair of top-forming panels facing each other and having an outer top seal panel at the top, and a pair of side-forming panels facing each other and having an inner top seal panel at the top, either of which serves as a spout to be opened, are connected to the upper ends of the body-forming panels, and the pair of side-forming panels are folded between the pair of top-forming panels, so that the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel form a seal. In a paper container in which a top is formed by sealing the top, the angle between the side edge of the top forming panel that forms the top and the upper edge of the body forming panel to which the side forming panel is connected is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less, and two inclined first auxiliary fold lines are formed on each of the pair of top forming panels, extending from the left and right positions of the lower end or their vicinity toward the center of the upper end, and the length between two intersections where the two first auxiliary fold lines or virtual lines extending the two first auxiliary fold lines intersect with the lower end of the outer top seal panel is 5% to 50% of the horizontal length of the outer top seal panel. The top seal portion formed by the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel has a notch at the upper edge at the center position in the length direction. It is characterized by:

[0014] According to the invention of claim 1, the angle formed by the side edge of the top surface forming panel that forms the top portion and the upper edge of the body portion forming panel to which the side surface forming panel is connected is 15 Since the thickness is set to 100° or less, when stacking paper containers, the bottom of the uppermost paper container can be placed stably on the top surface forming panel between them, avoiding the top seal portion of the lowermost paper container.In addition, the space between the top of the lowermost paper container and the bottom of the uppermost paper container can be reduced, so paper containers can be obtained that are easy to stack and stable when transporting, and that require less space for storage.

[0015] Furthermore, the angle formed by the side edge of the top surface forming panel that forms the top and the upper edge of the body portion forming panel to which the side surface forming panel is connected is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less, and two inclined first auxiliary fold lines are formed on the pair of top surface forming panels from the left and right positions of the lower end or the vicinity thereof toward the center position of the upper end, and the length between two intersections where the two first auxiliary fold lines or virtual lines extending the two first auxiliary fold lines intersect with the lower end of the outer top seal panel is 5% to 50% of the width length of the outer top seal panel, so that the inner top seal panel facing the sealed top seal part Not only does this make the top forming panel easier to fold when the side forming panel is peeled off, but when resealing the spout after pulling out the side forming panel to open it, the side forming panel that was pulled out is replaced, the peeled inner top seal panel is placed on top of it to close the spout, the entire top seal section is tilted backward, and then the center of the top seal section is pushed down vertically, causing the top seal section to bend vertically at the two intersections or near the center between the two intersections, and the top forming panel to bend vertically from the first auxiliary fold line, crossing the top horizontal fold line and forming a downwardly convex cone shape. The downwardly convex cone shape is difficult to return to its original shape due to resistance from the bent portion of the top seal section and the bent portion of the top forming panel that is bent from the first auxiliary fold line, and the pulled-out inner top seal panel is pressed down and placed on top of it to maintain the closed state of the spout, thereby effectively resealing the opened spout. Also The top seal portion formed by the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel has a notch at the upper edge at the longitudinal center position, so that when the top seal portion is tilted backward and then the center portion is pushed down vertically, the notch makes it easier to push in the center portion of the top seal portion, accelerating and facilitating the vertical valley folding of the top seal portion and the valley folding of the first auxiliary fold line of the top forming panel.

[0018] Claim 2 The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the cutout portion has a width of 1 mm or more and a depth of 1 mm to 4 mm.

[0019] Claim 2According to the invention described in the above, the cutout portion has a width of 1 mm or more and a depth of 1 mm to 4 mm, so that when the container is fully opened, a fold is formed in the center of the top seal portion starting from the cutout portion. As a result, when the top seal portion is pushed backward and the center portion is pushed down vertically, it is possible to push it down with a smaller pushing force, making it even easier to make a valley fold in the vertical direction of the top seal portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the paper container of the present invention is easy to stack during transportation, saves storage space, and is satisfactory in terms of display effectiveness and efficiency of in-store display work.It is not only compatible with the conventional resealing method in which one end is used as the pouring outlet, but can also maintain the resealed state by pushing the top forming panel into the upper end of the cylindrical body even in applications where a full opening is required depending on the contents. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of a paper container according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a carton blank for the paper container shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing another example of the first auxiliary fold line of the paper container shown in FIG. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the length between the two intersections where the first auxiliary fold line or a virtual line extending the first auxiliary fold line of the paper container shown in Figure 1 intersects with the lower end of the outer top seal panel and the width length of the outer top seal panel. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the width and depth of the cutout portion of the paper container shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the paper containers shown in FIG. 1 are stacked and housed in a box. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the process of resealing the paper container shown in FIG. 1 after opening it. [Figure 8]2 is a perspective explanatory view showing the paper container shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it has been resealed after being opened. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA in FIG. 8, with a portion omitted. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional resealable paper container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a paper container according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 9 show an example of an embodiment of a paper container according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the paper container of this example, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a carton blank of the paper container shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing another example of the first auxiliary fold line of the paper container shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the length between two intersections where the first auxiliary fold line of the paper container shown in FIG. 1 or a virtual line extending the first auxiliary fold line intersects with the lower end of the outer top seal panel and the width of the outer top seal panel, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the width and depth of the cutout portion of the paper container shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the paper containers shown in FIG. 1 stacked and stored in a box, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the process of resealing the paper container shown in FIG. 1 after opening, FIG. 8 is an explanatory perspective view showing the paper container shown in FIG. 1 resealed after opening, and FIG. 9 is a partially omitted AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 8.

[0023] The paper container 1 of this example is formed from carton blanks 2, which are paperboard materials with thermoplastic resin laminated on the front and back surfaces as shown in Figure 2. The carton blanks 2 have body-forming panels 6, 7, 8, and 9 connected via body-forming vertical fold lines 3, 4, and 5. When the paper container 1 is formed, the four body-forming panels 6, 7, 8, and 9 are joined to the body-forming panel 9 via body-forming vertical fold line 10 at the edge 12 of the body-forming panel 6 and a vertical seal panel 11 connected to the body-forming panel 9 via body-forming vertical fold line 10, thereby forming a square tubular body 13 of the paper container 1.

[0024] A pair of opposing top surface forming panels 16, 17 having outer top seal panels 14, 15 at their upper portions are connected to the upper ends of the body forming panels 6, 8 via top horizontal fold lines 18, 19. In addition, a pair of side surface forming panels 23, 24 having inner top seal panels 20, 21 at their upper portions are connected to the upper ends of the body forming panels 7, 9 via top horizontal fold lines 25, 26. The side surface forming panel 23 is the side surface forming panel on the opening side. Although one of the pair of side forming panels 23, 24 is opened to form the spout 22, the present invention also contemplates a configuration in which the top is fully opened as described below, in which case both panels serve as spouts 22.

[0025] The side forming panels 23, 24 have fold lines 27, 28, 29, 30 for folding the side forming panels 23, 24, and when the paper container 1 is formed, the side forming panels 23, 24 are folded between the top forming panels 16, 17, and the outer top seal panels 14, 15 and the inner top seal panels 20, 21 are sealed to form a gable top 31 as shown in Figure 1.

[0026] Furthermore, two first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 are formed on the top forming panels 16, 17 at the left and right positions of the bottom end, i.e., from both ends of the top horizontal fold lines 18, 19, toward the center of the top end. In a normal paper container, one first auxiliary fold line is formed on each side of the spout on one side of the top forming panels 16, 17, and serves the function of inducing folding when folding the top forming panels 16, 17 when the side forming panels are pulled out to open the spout, but in the present invention, two more first auxiliary fold lines are added, making two first auxiliary fold lines each, which in addition to this function also serves the effect of effectively maintaining the spout 22, described below, closed.

[0027] In addition, the formation of two first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 on each of the top forming panels 16, 17 contributes to improving the ease of opening when not only one side forming panel but also the other side forming panel is pulled out to open (to fully open the top). In this example, the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 are formed from both end positions of the top horizontal fold lines 18, 19, but they may also be formed from the vicinity of both end positions.

[0028] In addition, in this example, the tips of the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 are connected to the upper ends of the top surface forming panels 16, 17, but as shown in Figure 3, they do not necessarily have to be connected as long as they are near the upper ends of the top surface forming panels 16, 17.

[0029] In addition, the intersections (not shown) of the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 or the imaginary lines S1, S2 extending from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 are located above the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15, and the length L1 between the two intersections 34, 35 that intersect with the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 (the upper ends of the top surface forming panels 16, 17) is 5% to 50% of the width length L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 (see Figure 4).

[0030] Furthermore, the outer top seal panels 14, 15 located above the top surface forming panels 16, 17 protrude further than the inner top seal panels 20, 21 located above the side surface forming panels 23, 24, and a recess 36 is formed at the upper edge of the longitudinal center of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 to provide a notch at the upper edge of the longitudinal center of the top seal portion formed by the sealed outer top seal panels 14, 15 and inner top seal panels 20, 21, which will be described later. The depth of this recess 36 is set so that it does not reach the upper edges of the inner top seal panels 20, 21. The shape, width, and depth of this recess 36 will be the same as the shape, width, and depth of the notch at the upper edge of the central position in the longitudinal direction of the top seal portion described later, and will be explained in detail in the explanation of the top seal portion.

[0031] Furthermore, the opening-side body forming panel 7, to which the opening-side side surface forming panel 23 is connected via the top horizontal fold line 25, has a downward arc-shaped second auxiliary fold line 37 whose end is arranged to connect the intersection or the vicinity of the end of the body vertical fold lines 3, 4 on both sides and the end of the top horizontal fold line 25. In this example, the end of the second auxiliary fold line 37 is slightly away from the intersection of the end of the body vertical fold lines 3, 4 and the end of the top horizontal fold line 25, and is located near the intersection.

[0032] In this example, bottom forming panels 38, 39 are connected to the lower ends of the body forming panels 6, 8, and inner panels 40, 41 are connected to the lower ends of the body forming panels 7, 9. The inner panels 40, 41 are folded inside the bottom forming panels 38, 39 and their abutting surfaces are bonded together to seal the bottom of the tubular body 13, thereby forming the bottom 42 of the paper container 1.

[0033] The paper container 1 formed from the carton blank 2 configured in this manner has an angle θ (hereinafter referred to as the gable angle) between the side edge 43 of the top surface forming panels 16, 17 that form the top 28 and the upper edge 44 of the body forming panels 7, 9 that are connected to the side surface forming panels 23, 24 and form the tubular body 13, which is greater than or equal to 2 degrees and less than or equal to 20 degrees.

[0034] The value of this gable angle θ was obtained from tests and research conducted to satisfy conditions such as ease of stacking when transporting the paper container 1, space saving for storage, and maintaining the resealable state of the spout after opening, as well as evaluations through sensory tests of actual stacking.

[0035] Because the gable angle θ is 20 degrees or less, when paper containers 1 are stacked, the bottom 42 of the uppermost paper container 1 is placed stably on the top surface 31a formed by the top surface forming panels 16, 17 of the top 31, avoiding the top seal portion of the lowermost paper container 1, and the space between the top 31 of the lowermost paper container 1 and the bottom 42 of the uppermost paper container 1 in the stack is reduced (see Figure 6).

[0036] If the gable angle θ exceeds 20 degrees, when stacking paper containers 1, the edge of the bottom 42 of the upper paper container 1 that is in contact with the top surface 31a of the top 31 of the lower paper container 1 may slide off the top surface 31a of the top 31 of the lower paper container 1, causing the container to lose its posture, resulting in a lack of stability and making it difficult to stack satisfactorily.In addition, the space between the top 31 of the lower paper container 1 and the bottom 42 of the upper paper container 1 in the stack is not sufficient to save space.

[0037] Furthermore, if the gable angle θ exceeds 20 degrees, a large force is required to vertically push down the center of the top seal portion described below when resealing. In addition, the larger the θ, the longer the side edge 43 of the top surface forming panels 16, 17 that form the top 28 becomes, so that the side edge 43 is more likely to distort when pushed down vertically, and the repulsive force in the opening direction becomes stronger when pushed down, making it difficult to maintain the spout 22 closed after it has been recessed into a cone shape.

[0038] Furthermore, because the gable angle θ is 2 degrees or more, when resealing after peeling off the opposing inner top seal panels 20, 21 of the top seal portion 45 formed by sealing the outer top seal panels 14, 15 and the inner top seal panels 20, 21 and pulling out the side forming panel 23 that forms the spout 22 to open the spout 22, the peeled-off inner top seal panels 20, 21 are placed on top of each other to close the spout 22, and then the top seal portion 45 is pushed down from front to back (see Figure 7), and the center of the top surface 31a is pushed down vertically, so that the center of the top seal portion 45 is pushed in while being bent in a valley fold, and the top surface forming panels 16, 17 are valley-folded from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and the top portion 31 is recessed into a cone shape with its lowest point between the two intersections 34, 35 at the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 (see Figures 8 and 9).

[0039] In this series of operations, the top 31 changes from an upwardly convex shape in the initial state to a concave cone shape, and when pushed in, it can be closed with a click feeling, giving the feeling of resealing.

[0040] The cone-shaped recessed top 31 is difficult to return to its original shape due to resistance from the bent portion of the top seal portion 45 that is bent in the center and the bent portion of the top surface forming panels 16, 17 that become the top surface 31 that is bent in the valley from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and the pulled-out inner top seal panels 20, 21 are pushed in and overlapped, maintaining the spout 22 in a closed state. Furthermore, when the top 31 is recessed into a cone shape, by pinching the left and right sides of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 and applying a light force upward or toward the center of the top 31, it is possible to further press down the lowest point of the cone shape, thereby maintaining a more firmly closed state.

[0041] If the gable angle θ is less than 2 degrees, the cone-shaped recessed top 31 will have weak resistance to the return direction of the folded portions of the top seal portion 45 which is bent vertically from the two intersections 34, 35, and the folded portions of the top surface forming panels 16, 17 which form the top surface 31 which is bent from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and the recessed top 31 will return to its original state, making it impossible to push in and overlap the pulled-out inner top seal panels 20, 21 to maintain the closed state of the spout 22.

[0042] In the paper container 1 of the present invention, the gable angle θ is 2 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, but it is particularly preferable that the gable angle θ is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less. When the gable angle θ is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less, the above-mentioned properties can be obtained more effectively.

[0043] In addition, in this example, the length L1 between the two intersections 34, 35 where the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 or the imaginary lines S1, S2 extending from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 intersect with the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 is 5% to 50% of the horizontal length L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15.Therefore, when the central part of the top seal portion 45 is tilted backward and pushed down vertically, the lowest point becomes a downward-facing cone shape located below the top horizontal fold lines 18, 19, 25, 26.This provides strong resistance in the return direction to the folding parts of the valley-folded top seal portion 45 and the folding parts of the top surface-forming panels 16, 17 that form the valley-folded top surface 31 from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and this makes it possible to push in and overlap the pulled-out inner top seal panels 20, 21, effectively maintaining the spout 22 closed.

[0044] If the length L1 between the two intersections 34, 35 is less than 5% of the horizontal length L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15, the lowest point when pushed down vertically will be located below the top horizontal fold lines 18, 19, 25, 26, but will have a shallow cone shape, so the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 will become shallow valley folds without corners, and sufficient resistance will not be obtained in the return direction of the concave top 31, and it may not be possible to push in and overlap the pulled-out inner top seal panels 20, 21 to maintain the spout 22 closed.

[0045] In addition, the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 also serve to induce bending of the top forming panels 16, 17 when the side forming panels 23, 24 are pulled out to open the spout 22, but if the length L1 between the two intersections 34, 35 exceeds 50% of the width L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15, the position at which the top forming panels 16, 17 bend when opening the spout 22 will be different from the position suitable for opening, making it difficult to open.

[0046] The length L1 between two intersections 34, 35 where the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 or virtual lines S1, S2 extending from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 intersect with the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 is 5% to 50% of the width L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15, but is particularly preferably 15% to 40%. The above-mentioned characteristics can be more effectively obtained when the length is 15% to 40%.

[0047] A top seal portion 45 formed by sealing the outer top seal panels 14, 15 and the inner top seal panels 20, 21 has a notch 46 at the upper edge at the center position in the length direction.

[0048] When the top seal portion 45 is fully opened, a crease is formed in the center of the top seal portion 45 starting from the notch portion 46, and therefore when the spout 22 is resealed, the force bending the top seal portion 45 toward the center is weakened when the center of the top seal portion 45 is pressed down vertically, making it easier to press the center and to fold the top seal portion 45 vertically from the two intersections 34, 35.

[0049] The cutout 46 is constituted by a recess 36 formed in the upper edge of the outer top seal panel 14, 15 at the longitudinal center. The shape of the cutout 46 is not particularly limited, but a shape with a space in the center, such as a semicircular or V-shape, is preferable. In this example, the cutout 46 is semicircular. When the cutout 46 has a shape with a space in the center, such as a semicircular or V-shape, the width W of the cutout 46 is preferably 1 mm or more, and more preferably 2 mm or more. Furthermore, the depth D is desirably as deep as possible without reaching the upper edge of the inner top seal panel 20, 21, and is preferably 1 mm to 4 mm, and more preferably 2 mm to 3 mm (see FIG. 5).

[0050] When the top 31 is fully opened, the formation of the cutout 46 causes a crease to form in the center of the top seal 45, starting from the cutout 46. Then, when the top 31 is to be depressed into a cone shape, the pre-crease in the center of the top seal 45 clarifies the depression point and makes it easier to press down.

[0051] According to the paper container 1 of this example configured as described above, the gable angle θ is 20 degrees or less, so when the paper containers 1 are stacked, the bottom 42 of the uppermost paper container 1 can be placed stably on the top surface 31a of the top 31 of the lowermost paper container 1, and since the space between the top 31 of the lowermost paper container 1 and the bottom 42 of the uppermost paper container 1 is small, it is possible to obtain paper containers 1 that are easy to stack during transportation, etc., and that require less space for storage.

[0052] Furthermore, since the gable angle θ is 2 degrees or more, the length L1 between the two intersections 34, 35 where the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 formed on the top surface forming panels 16, 17 or the imaginary line extending the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33 intersect with the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15 is 5% to 50% of the width L2 of the outer top seal panels 14, 15. Therefore, when resealing after peeling off the opposing inner top seal panels 20, 21 of the top seal portion 45 formed by sealing the outer top seal panels 14, 15 and the inner top seal panels 20, 21 and opening the spout 22, the peeled inner top seal panels 20, 21 are overlapped to close the spout 22, and the top seal portion 45 is tilted backward and the center portion is pushed down vertically. As a result, the top seal portion 45 is valley-folded vertically near the center between the two intersections 34, 35, and consequently the top surface forming panels 16, 17 are valley-folded from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and the apex 31 is recessed into a cone shape with its lowest point between the two intersections 34, 35 at the lower ends of the outer top seal panels 14, 15. The cone-shaped recessed apex 31 is difficult to return to its original shape due to resistance from the folded parts of the top seal portion 45 that are valley-folded vertically from the two intersections 34, 35 and the folded parts of the top surface forming panels 16, 17 that are valley-folded from the first auxiliary fold lines 32, 33, and the pulled-out inner top seal panels 20, 21 are pushed in and overlapped, maintaining the closed state of the spout 22, and the opened spout 22 can be resealed.

[0053] In this example, top seal portion 45, formed by sealing outer top seal panels 14, 15 and inner top seal panels 20, 21, has notch 46 at the upper edge in the longitudinal center, so that when fully opened, a fold is formed in the center of top seal portion 45, starting from notch 46. When apex 31 is then depressed into a cone shape, the pre-creased fold in the center of top seal portion 45 clarifies the depression point and makes it easier to press.

[0054] In this example, the cutout portion 46 is semicircular, and the width W of the cutout portion 46 is 1 mm or more and the depth D is 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less. Therefore, when the central portion of the top seal portion 45 is pressed down vertically, the bending force acting toward the center of the top seal portion 45 is effectively weakened, the point to be recessed becomes clear, and the pressing becomes even easier.

[0055] In addition, in this example, the opening-side body forming panel 7, to which the opening-side side face forming panel 23 is connected via the top horizontal fold line 25, has a downward arc-shaped second auxiliary fold line 37 formed at the intersection or near the intersection of the ends of the body vertical fold lines 3 and 4 on both sides and the end of the top horizontal fold line 25, so that the opening side can be identified at a glance. Furthermore, when opening, the top corner 47 of the tubular body 13 formed by the top horizontal fold line 25 is pushed into the inside of the paper container 1, the body forming panel 7 is mountain-folded from the second auxiliary fold line 37, and the top corner 47 is curved inward of the paper container 1, and the upper part of the body forming panel 7 between the top horizontal fold line 25 and the second auxiliary fold line 37 is recessed into the inside of the paper container 1, thereby forming a wide space between the body forming panel 7 and the side face forming panel 23, and a finger can be inserted into this space to easily open the paper container.

[0056] In this example, the second auxiliary score 37 is formed only on the body forming panel 7 on the opening side, but the second auxiliary score may also be formed on the body forming panel 9 on the opposite side in a similar manner, which contributes to improving the ease of opening when the top 31 is fully opened. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Paper containers 2 Carton Blanks 3,4,5 Vertical fold lines on the body 6,7,8,9 Body forming panels 10. Body vertical fold line 11 Vertical Seal Panel 12 Edge 13 Cylindrical body 14,15 Outer top seal panel 16,17 Top forming panel 18,19 Top horizontal fold line 20,21 Inner top seal panel 22 Spout 23,24 Side forming panels 25,26 Top horizontal fold line 27, 28, 29, 30 Folding lines 31 Top 31a top surface 32,33 1st auxiliary fold line 34,35 intersection 36 Recess 37 2nd auxiliary fold line 38,39 Bottom forming panel 40,41 Inner panel 42 Bottom 43 side 44 Top 45 Top seal part 46 Notch 47 Top corner θ Gable angle S1, S2 virtual line L1: The length between two intersections L2 Width of top seal W Width of the notch D Depth of notch

Claims

1. A paper container made of a paperboard material laminated with a thermoplastic resin on both sides, the container having four body-forming panels, the edges of which are joined by vertical seal panels to form a rectangular tubular body, and the upper ends of the body-forming panels are connected to a pair of opposing top-forming panels having an outer top seal panel at their upper parts, and a pair of opposing side-forming panels having an inner top seal panel at their upper parts, one of which serves as a spout to be opened, and the pair of side-forming panels are folded between the pair of top-forming panels, and the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel are sealed to form a top. The angle between the side edge of the top surface forming panel that forms the top and the upper edge of the body portion forming panel to which the side surface forming panel is connected is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less, and two inclined first auxiliary fold lines are formed on each of the pair of top surface panels, extending from the left and right positions of the lower end toward the center position of the upper end, and the length between two intersections where the two first auxiliary fold lines or virtual lines extending from the two first auxiliary fold lines intersect with the lower end of the outer top seal panel is 5% to 50% of the horizontal length of the outer top seal panel, A paper container characterized in that a top seal portion formed by the outer top seal panel and the inner top seal panel has a notch formed at the upper edge at the center position in the length direction.

2. A paper container as described in claim 1, characterized in that the cutout portion has a width of 1 mm or more and a depth of 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less.

Images