holder

Abstract

To provide a holder capable of holding a pouch with a spout in a reliable manner.SOLUTION: A holder 1 holds a pouch 100 with a spout by hanging it. The holder 1 includes a first opening 20 that allows a spout part 110 of the pouch 100 with a spout to be attached and detached, a second opening 30 formed continued to the first opening 20 for receiving the spout part 110 moved from the first opening 20. and projection parts 40 and 41, which are lock parts for regulating the movement of the spout part 110 at the second opening 30. The projection parts 40 and 41 are provided at the second opening 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for holding a spouted pouch in a suspendable manner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are hooks (holders) that hold spouted pouches so that they can be hung. For example, the holder described in Patent Document 1 has a second opening that is continuous with a first opening and has a claw portion on the opposite side of the first opening. A user passes the spout through the first opening, then moves it to the second opening and fits the second opening into the tubular portion of the spout. When the user moves the spout from the second opening further toward the claw portion, the weight of the spouted pouch acts on both widthwise ends of the second opening. This slightly presses both widthwise ends of the second opening downward, and the end of the claw portion on the second opening side is pressed upward along the tubular portion of the spout. This holds the spouted pouch in the holder.

[0003] When a user removes the holder from the spouted pouch, the user moves the spouted pouch from the second opening toward the first opening and then pulls the spouted pouch downward. In this way, the holder described in Patent Document 1 allows the user to easily attach and detach the spouted pouch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-165534 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes that a user uses the above-mentioned method to attach and remove spout-equipped pouches to holders that have been attached to promotional panels (product shelves) in advance. Therefore, Patent Document 1 is thought to assume that a store clerk will attach the spout-equipped pouches to the holders and that a customer will remove the spout-equipped pouches from the holders. In this case, the above-mentioned work can only be done in front of the product shelves, limiting the working space available for the store clerk to attach the spout-equipped pouches to the holders.

[0006] However, if a store clerk attaches the spouted pouches to the holders in advance at a location other than the product shelves, the efficiency of the work of displaying the spouted pouches can be improved.

[0007] Furthermore, for example, if a customer removes a spouted pouch attached to a holder from a product shelf and hands the spouted pouch to a store clerk, the store clerk will remove the spouted pouch from the holder. This allows the store clerk to collect the holder. This allows the collected holder to be reused.

[0008] In this way, it may be preferable for the holder not to be pre-attached to the shelf.

[0009] As described above, the holder described in Patent Document 1 uses the weight of the spouted pouch to hold the spouted pouch with the claws. However, with the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if a user (a store clerk or customer) holds the spouted pouch upside down, the spouted pouch may separate from the claws, preventing the weight of the spouted pouch from being applied to the claws. In this case, the holder cannot hold the spouted pouch.

[0010] For example, if the position of the spout-equipped pouch changes while the store clerk is carrying the spout-equipped pouch attached to the holder, the holder may not be able to hold the spout-equipped pouch securely. If the spout-equipped pouch comes off the holder, the store clerk must reattach the spout-equipped pouch to the holder, which is a time-consuming task.

[0011] Furthermore, the posture of the spouted pouch may change between the time a customer removes the spouted pouch together with the holder from the shelf and the time the customer hands the spouted pouch to a store clerk. In such cases, the holder may not be able to hold the spouted pouch securely. If the spouted pouch comes off the holder, the store clerk cannot remove the spouted pouch from the holder and cannot collect the holder. This reduces the efficiency of collecting holders.

[0012] As described above, the holder described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to securely hold the spouted pouch depending on the situation in which it is used, and therefore there is room for improvement.

[0013] In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a holder that can securely hold a spouted pouch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A main aspect of the present invention relates to a holder for suspending and holding a spouted pouch. The holder according to this aspect comprises a first opening for detachably attaching a spout portion of a spouted pouch, a second opening formed contiguous with the first opening for receiving the spout portion moved from the first opening, and a locking portion for restricting movement of the spout portion at the second opening.

[0015] With the holder according to this aspect, the spout portion of the spouted pouch that has moved from the first opening to the second opening is restricted from moving within the second opening by the locking portion. That is, the spout portion remains within the second opening. Therefore, with the holder of this configuration, the spouted pouch can be securely held.

[0016] In the holder of this embodiment, the locking portion is a protrusion provided on the second opening, and is configured to be in a direction approximately perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first opening and the second opening, and the widthwise length of the second opening when passing through the top of the protrusion can be shorter than the width of the tubular portion of the spout.

[0017] As described above, the spout of the spout-equipped pouch moves from the first opening to the second opening. At this time, the spout moves to the second opening by passing over the protrusion, which serves as the locking portion. According to the above configuration, the width of the second opening, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first and second openings, as it passes over the top of the protrusion is shorter than the width of the tubular portion of the spout. Therefore, the spout that has moved to the second opening is blocked by the protrusion, restricting its movement from the second opening to the first opening. This holds the spout within the second opening. In other words, the holder can securely hold the spout-equipped pouch.

[0018] In the holder according to this aspect, the protrusion may be configured to have a curved shape that is convex toward the inside of the second opening.

[0019] According to the above configuration, the spout held in the second opening can move smoothly from the second opening to the first opening along the curved portion of the protrusion. Then, when the spout moves from the second opening to the first opening, the spout can retreat from the first opening. In other words, the spout-equipped pouch can be removed from the holder. In this way, the spout-equipped pouch held in the holder can be easily removed from the holder.

[0020] In the holder according to this aspect, the protrusions may be configured to be provided at symmetrical positions with the second opening in between.

[0021] According to the above configuration, at least two protrusions are provided on the second opening as locking portions, which allows the holder to hold the spouted pouch more securely.

[0022] In the holder of this aspect, the locking portion is a notch provided on the opposite side of the second opening through the first opening, and the notch can be formed so as to press the tube portion of the spout portion against the periphery of the second opening when the second opening is bent between the first opening and the notch while receiving the spout portion.

[0023] According to the above configuration, when the spout is held in the second opening, the pipe portion of the spout is pressed against the periphery of the second opening by the notch. This restricts the movement of the spout by the notch. Therefore, even if the position of the spout pouch changes while the user is carrying the spout pouch attached to the holder, the spout pouch is unlikely to come off the holder. Thus, the holder of this configuration can reliably hold the spout pouch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a holder that can securely hold a spouted pouch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a holder according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a spouted pouch held by a holder according to the first embodiment. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a spouted pouch held by a holder according to the first embodiment. Figure 2(b) is a top view schematically showing the shape of a spout portion of a spouted pouch held by a holder according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) and (b) are perspective views for explaining the use of the holder according to the first embodiment. Figure 3(a) is a perspective view showing the state before a spout-equipped pouch is attached to the holder according to the first embodiment. Figure 3(b) is a perspective view showing the state after a spout-equipped pouch is attached to the holder according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the arrangement of the spout portion relative to the holder according to the first embodiment when the holder holds a spout-equipped pouch. Figure 4(a) is a top view schematically showing the holder and spout portion according to the first embodiment. Figure 4(b) is a side view schematically showing the holder and spout portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of a holder according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the arrangement of the holder and the spout portion when the holder according to the second embodiment holds a spout-equipped pouch. Figure 6(a) is a top view schematically showing the holder and the spout portion according to the second embodiment. Figure 6(b) is a side view schematically showing the holder and the spout portion according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, when describing the configuration of the holder and the spout-equipped pouch, for convenience, expressions indicating directions such as "left and right," "up and down," "front," and "rear" are used. These indicate directions on the paper surface of each figure.

[0027] First Embodiment [Holder configuration] Fig. 1 is a plan view of a holder 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the holder 1 is made of a sheet-like backing 10. The backing 10 has a first opening 20, a second opening 30, protrusions 40 and 41, and a hole 50 formed therein.

[0028] The mount 10 is rectangular with four rounded corners, which prevents the user from injuring their hands, fingers, etc. on the corners of the mount 10 when handling the holder 1.

[0029] The material of the mount 10 is not particularly limited as long as it has enough strength to hang and hold the spouted pouch 100. Examples of materials for the mount 10 include synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, and cardboard.

[0030] First opening 20 is a hole for passing spout portion 110 of spout-equipped pouch 100, which will be described later with reference to Figures 2(a) and (b). In this embodiment, first opening 20 is formed in an octagonal shape to match the shape of spout portion 110 (specifically, flanges 113, 114), but the shape is not limited to an octagonal shape and may be a circle or a polygonal shape other than an octagon as long as it can pass spout portion 110 through.

[0031] The second opening 30 is a hole for holding the spout portion 110. The second opening 30 is formed continuously from the first opening 20. In this embodiment, the shape of the second opening 30 is rectangular.

[0032] The protrusions 40, 41 are provided in the second opening 30 near the boundary with the first opening 20. In this embodiment, the protrusions 40, 41 are arranged at positions symmetrical in the left-right direction in FIG.

[0033] Furthermore, the protrusions 40, 41 are formed in a curved shape and convex toward the inside of the second opening 30. The shapes of the protrusions 40, 41 will be described in more detail. The protrusions 40, 41 are divided into curved portions 40A, 41A on the first opening 20 side and curved portions 40B, 41B on the second opening 30 side, with the apex 40a, 41a closest to the inside of the second opening 30 as the boundary. The curvatures of the curved portions 40A, 41A and the curved portions 40B, 41B are the same, or the curvature of the curved portions 40B, 41B is formed to be greater than the curvature of the curved portions 40A, 41A.

[0034] The protrusions 40 and 41 correspond to the "locking portion" described in the claims. The function of the protrusions 40 and 41 will be explained in detail later.

[0035] The hole 50 is a hole through which the holder 1 is passed through a hook or the like when a user displays the spouted pouch 100 on a store shelf. In this embodiment, the hole 50 is a semicircular hole formed so as to be continuous with the first opening 20. The size and shape of the hole 50 are not limited to a semicircular shape as long as it can be passed through the above-mentioned hook or the like.

[0036] Furthermore, the hole 50 does not necessarily have to be formed continuously with the first opening 20. For example, the hole 50 may be formed above the first opening 20.

[0037] [Pouch with spout] Next, the configuration of the spouted pouch 100 suspended and held by the holder 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2(a) and (b). Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing the general configuration of the spouted pouch 100. Figure 2(b) is a top view schematically showing the shape of the spout portion 110 of the spouted pouch 100. In Figure 2(b), the dashed line portion is the tube 112 of the spout portion 110. The spouted pouch 100 in Figure 2(a) is an example of a commonly distributed spouted pouch, and is not limited to this.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2(a), spouted pouch 100 includes spout portion 110 and container 120. Container 120 is a flexible bag-like container filled with, for example, beverages, cosmetics, liquid detergents, etc. Container 120 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, or aluminum.

[0039] Spout 110 is an opening for extracting the contents of container 120 into another container or the like, and is provided on container 120. Spout 110 includes cap 111, tube 112, and flanges 113 and 114. Flanges 113 and 114 are provided along the outer periphery of tube 112 with a predetermined gap between them. As a result, tube 112 and flanges 113 and 114 are configured as a single unit.

[0040] The cap 111 is a screw cap that is screwed onto a male screw (not shown) formed on the upper part of the outer circumferential surface of the tube 112, thereby sealing the container 120.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2(b), in this embodiment, flanges 113 and 114 of spout portion 110 are formed in an octagonal shape and are the same size. Therefore, only flange 113 is shown in Figure 2(b). In addition, the size of the upper surface of cap 111 is slightly smaller than flanges 113 and 114.

[0042] Here, the sizes of the spout portion 110 and the second opening 30 of the holder 1 will be described. The left-right width W1 of the second opening 30 in FIG. 1 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the left-right width D1 of the pipe 112 in FIG. 2(b). Also, the width W2 between the top 40a of the protrusion 40 and the top 41a of the protrusion 41 in FIG. 1 is slightly smaller than the width D1 of the pipe 112 in FIG. 2(b). Furthermore, the width W3 between the end 40b of the protrusion 40 (or the end 41b of the protrusion 41) and the lower end of the second opening 30 in FIG. 1 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the vertical width D2 of the pipe 112 in FIG. 2(b).

[0043] The above-mentioned terminal ends 40b, 41b are the lower ends of the curved portions 40B, 41B of the protrusions 40, 41. The lower end of the second opening 30 is the peripheral edge portion of the outer periphery of the second opening 30 that is located farthest from the first opening 20. Hereinafter, in this specification, the lower end of the second opening 30 will be used in the same sense.

[0044] 2(a) and 2(b), the flanges 113 and 114 are formed in an octagonal shape, but the shape and size are not limited to this. As described above, the first opening 20 of the holder 1 is formed to match the shape of the flanges 113 and 114. In other words, the first opening 20 is formed in an appropriate shape and size depending on the specifications of the spout portion 110 of the spout-equipped pouch 100.

[0045] [Attaching a spouted pouch to the holder] Next, with reference to Figures 3(a) to 4(b), the attachment and detachment of the spouted pouch 100 to and from the holder 1 by a user will be described. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams for explaining the use of the holder 1. Figure 3(a) is a perspective view showing the state before the spouted pouch 100 is attached to the holder 1, and Figure 3(b) is a perspective view showing the state after the spouted pouch 100 has been attached to the holder 1.

[0046] 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating the arrangement of spout portion 110 relative to holder 1 when holder 1 holds spouted pouch 100. Fig. 4(a) is a top view schematically illustrating holder 1 and spout portion 110, and Fig. 4(b) is a side view schematically illustrating holder 1 and spout portion 110. For ease of explanation, Fig. 4(a) only illustrates holder 1, tube 112, and flange 113, with holder 1 indicated by a solid line, tube 112 indicated by a dashed line, and flange 113 indicated by a dashed line.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the user passes cap 111 of spout portion 110 through first opening 20 of holder 1 from above (in the direction of dashed arrow X in FIG. 3(a)), and moves holder 1 so that the outer periphery of first opening 20 is positioned between flanges 113 and 114. Next, when the user slides holder 1 in the direction of dashed arrow Y, spout portion 110 fits into second opening 30, as shown in FIG. 3(b). In this way, spout-equipped pouch 100 is attached to holder 1.

[0048] 1 and 2(b), the width W1 of the second opening 30 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D1 of the pipe 112. Furthermore, the width W3 of the second opening 30 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D2 of the pipe 112. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the spout portion 110 (i.e., the pipe 112 located between the flanges 113 and 114) that has moved to the second opening 30 is completely contained within the second opening 30.

[0049] As a result, movement of spout portion 110 within second opening 30 is restricted by protrusions 40, 41, and therefore it is difficult for spout portion 110 to move easily toward first opening 20. Therefore, spout portion 110 is held in second opening 30. In other words, holder 1 holds spout-equipped pouch 100.

[0050] When a user hangs the spout-equipped pouch 100 in this state, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the spout portion 110 tilts downward due to the weight of the spout-equipped pouch 100. As described above, the width W1 of the second opening 30 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D1 of the tube 112. Therefore, when the holder 1 is hung, the contact portion between the tube 112 and the lower end of the second opening 30 (i.e., the portion of the holder 1 on which the weight of the spout-equipped pouch 100 is applied) is less likely to wobble in the left-right direction in FIG. 4(a) (from front to back in FIG. 4(b)). This allows the spout portion 110 to remain substantially fixed within the second opening 30. Therefore, the holder 1 can hold the spout-equipped pouch 100 more reliably.

[0051] When the user removes the spouted pouch 100 from the holder 1, the user simply performs the above-described attachment procedure in reverse. First, while supporting the spout portion 110 of the spouted pouch 100 in the state shown in Fig. 3(b), the user slides the holder 1 toward the first opening 20 (i.e., in the opposite direction to the direction of the dashed arrow Y in Fig. 3(a)). This moves the spout portion 110 from the second opening 30 to the first opening 20.

[0052] When the spout portion 110 moves to the first opening 20, the user moves the holder 1 in the direction opposite to the direction of the dashed arrow X in Figure 3(a). In this way, the user removes the spout-equipped pouch 100 from the holder 1.

[0053] 1 and 2(b), the width W2 of the second opening 30 is slightly smaller than the width D1 of the tube 112. As described above, the holder 1 is made of a flexible backing 10 made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or cardboard. Therefore, when a user applies a predetermined force to the holder 1 and slides the holder 1 relative to the spout 110, the spout 110 can pass through the second opening 30 while pushing the protrusions 40, 41 outward.

[0054] However, if excessive load is applied to the protrusions 40, 41 when the spout 110 passes over them, the protrusions 40, 41 may be damaged, such as being bent outward from the second opening 30.

[0055] In this regard, in holder 1 according to this embodiment, protrusions 40, 41 have curved portions. As described with reference to FIG. 1, when spout 110 moves from first opening 20 to second opening 30, it passes through curved portions 40A, 41A. At this time, curved portions 40A, 41A are formed in a gently curved shape, so spout 110 can move smoothly along curved portions 40A, 41A. Therefore, excessive load is not applied from spout 110 to protrusions 40, 41.

[0056] Furthermore, because spout portion 110 can move smoothly along curved portions 40A, 41A, the user does not need to forcefully slide holder 1, but can slide holder 1 relative to spout portion 110 by simply applying a small amount of force to holder 1. Therefore, the user can easily attach spout-equipped pouch 100 to holder 1.

[0057] Meanwhile, when spout 110 moves from second opening 30 to first opening 20, it passes through curved portions 40B, 41B. At this time, curved portions 40B, 41B are also formed in a gently curved shape, just like curved portions 40A, 41A, so no excessive load is applied from spout 110 to protrusions 40, 41, and spout 110 can move smoothly along curved portions 40B, 41B. Therefore, the user does not need to forcefully slide holder 1, and can easily remove spout-equipped pouch 100 from holder 1 by simply applying a small amount of force to holder 1.

[0058] In this way, the protrusions 40, 41 have the function of smoothly guiding the movement of the spout part 110.

[0059] Furthermore, curved portions 40B, 41B are located on the second opening 30 side, and need to reliably restrict movement of spout portion 110 within second opening 30. In this regard, if curved portions 40B, 41B are set to have a larger curvature than curved portions 40A, 41A in second opening 30, curved portions 40B, 41B will protrude further into second opening 30 than curved portions 40A, 41A. For this reason, in holder 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that curved portions 40B, 41B are set to have a larger curvature than curved portions 40A, 41A in protrusions 40, 41.

[0060] Let us consider a case where the protrusion is not curved but V-shaped (i.e., has an edged shape). In this case, when the spout 110 moves from the first opening 20 to the second opening 30, or from the second opening 30 to the first opening 20, it gets caught on the apex (corner) of the protrusion, making it difficult to move forward.

[0061] Furthermore, as described above, when spout 110 passes through the protrusion, a force is applied to the protrusion in an outward direction from second opening 30. If the top of the protrusion is V-shaped, it comes into point contact with spout 110, and excessive force is applied to the top of the protrusion, causing a greater load to be applied outward from second opening 30 than if the protrusion were curved, which could damage the protrusion.

[0062] For this reason, it is extremely useful that the protrusions 40 and 41 have a curved shape in the holder 1 according to this embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, if the difference in curvature between curved portions 40A, 41A and 40B, 41B is large, apexes 40a, 41a located at the boundaries between curved portions 40A, 41A and 40B, 41B will have an edged shape. In this case, the problems described above (i.e., getting caught near apexes 40a, 41a and breakage of protrusions 40, 41) may occur. For this reason, the difference in curvature between curved portions 40A, 41A and 40B, 41B is set to be small. Such curvature is appropriately set depending on the size and weight of spout-equipped pouch 100 to be held and the size and shape of spout portion 110.

[0064] Note that, as long as the movement of spout 110 can be restricted and the movement of spout 110 can be smoothly guided, the curvature of curved portions 40A, 41A and curved portions 40B, 41B may be set to be the same.

[0065] [Example of holder usage] Next, an example of use of the holder 1 as described above will be described, where the user of the holder 1 is a store clerk in a retail store or the like. For example, the store clerk attaches spout-equipped pouches 100, which are products, to the holder 1 in the above-described procedure in the back room, and then displays the spout-equipped pouches 100 on a product shelf. At this time, the store clerk hangs the spout-equipped pouches 100 on the product shelf by hooking the holes 50 of the holder 1 onto a hook or the like on the product shelf (see FIG. 3(b)).

[0066] When a customer purchases a spouted pouch 100 that has been displayed in this manner, the customer takes the spouted pouch 100 together with the holder 1 and hands it over to a store clerk. The store clerk removes the spouted pouch 100 using the procedure described above. The store clerk then hands the spouted pouch 100, which is a product, to the customer and collects the holder 1. In this way, the holder 1 can be reused for another spouted pouch 100.

[0067] In the above example, the work of attaching the spouted pouch 100 to the holder 1 is performed by the store clerk in the back room, but this is not limited to this, and the work can be done anywhere as long as the store clerk has free time. Therefore, there is no need to select a location for the attachment work. Also, the customer may remove the spouted pouch 100 from the holder 1 themselves, but if the customer hands the spouted pouch 100 together with the holder 1 to the store clerk as in the above example, the store clerk can reliably collect the holder 1, which leads to a significant reduction in costs.

[0068] [Effects of the embodiment] 1, 2(b), and 4(a), second opening 30 of holder 1 is provided with protrusions 40, 41 that function as locking portions for restricting movement of spout portion 110 of spouted pouch 100 toward the inside of second opening 30. Width W2 of second opening 30 is smaller than width D1 of tube 112. Width W3 of second opening 30 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than width D2 of tube 112.

[0069] With this configuration, spout portion 110 passed through first opening 20 of holder 1 moves through protrusions 40, 41, which serve as locking portions, to second opening 30. Spout portion 110 that has moved to second opening 30 is blocked by protrusions 40, 41, and movement from second opening 30 to first opening 20 is restricted. This allows spout-equipped pouch 100 to be securely held in second opening 30, i.e., holder 1.

[0070] For example, the posture of spouted pouch 100 may change while a user is carrying spouted pouch 100 attached to holder 1. In particular, if spouted pouch 100 is turned upside down, spouted pouch 100 is likely to come off holder 1 if protrusions 40, 41 are not provided.

[0071] However, since the holder 1 of this configuration is provided with the protrusions 40, 41, the holder 1 can reliably hold the spouted pouch 100 even if the posture of the spouted pouch 100 changes.

[0072] 1, 2(b), and 4(a), the protrusions 40, 41 are formed in a curved shape that protrudes toward the inside of the second opening 30. More specifically, the protrusions 40, 41 have, with the apexes 40a, 41a as the boundary, curved portions 40A, 41A on the first opening 20 side and curved portions 40B, 41B on the second opening 30 side.

[0073] With the above configuration, when spout 110 moves between first opening 20 and second opening 30, it passes through second opening 30 while pushing curved portions 40A, 41A and curved portions 40B, 41B outward. At this time, spout 110 can move smoothly along the curved shapes of protrusions 40, 41 (i.e., curved portions 40A, 41A and curved portions 40B, 41B). This allows spout 110 to easily move between first opening 20 and second opening 30 without the user having to apply excessive force to slide holder 1.

[0074] Therefore, the user can easily perform the work of attaching the spouted pouch 100 to the holder 1 and the work of removing the spouted pouch 100 from the holder 1.

[0075] In particular, the curvature of curved portions 40A, 41A and curved portions 40B, 41B is the same, or the curvature of curved portions 40B, 41B is set to be slightly larger than that of curved portions 40A, 41A. With this configuration, curved portions 40B, 41B function as a path for guiding spout portion 110 to first opening 20, and can reliably restrict the movement of spout portion 110 within second opening 30.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4(a), the protrusions 40 and 41 are arranged at positions symmetrical in the left-right direction in the second opening 30.

[0077] With this configuration, when spout portion 110 moves to second opening 30, the two protrusions 40, 41 can restrict the movement of spout portion 110. Therefore, spout portion 110 cannot easily return from second opening 30 to first opening 20. As a result, spout-equipped pouch 100 is more securely held by second opening 30, i.e., holder 1.

[0078] Furthermore, with protrusions 40, 41 positioned as described above, spout 110 abuts against protrusions 40, 41 at the same time as it moves from first opening 20 to second opening 30. This allows spout 110 to evenly apply a force to protrusions 40, 41 that presses them outward from second opening 30. This allows spout 110 to move protrusions 40, 41 more smoothly and further reduces the risk of protrusions 40, 41 being damaged.

[0079] [Example of change] In the holder 1 according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4(a), the protrusions 40, 41 are arranged at positions symmetrical in the left-right direction on the second opening 30, but they do not necessarily have to be arranged symmetrically. For example, when two protrusions are arranged on the second opening 30 so that the curved convex portions face each other, one protrusion may be arranged closer to the first opening 20 than the other protrusion. Even in this case, the spout 110 can move from the first opening 20 to the second opening 30 via each of the two protrusions. Then, the movement of the spout 110 that has moved to the second opening 30 is restricted by at least the protrusion arranged on the second opening 30 side. This allows the holder 1 to hold the spout-equipped pouch 100.

[0080] When the protrusions are arranged as described above, even if the spout portion 110 held within the second opening 30 moves beyond the protrusion arranged on the second opening 30 side toward the first opening 20, the spout portion 110 can be blocked by the protrusion arranged on the first opening 20 side.

[0081] Alternatively, at least one protrusion that restricts the movement of spout portion 110 may be provided on holder 1. In this case, since there is only one protrusion, spout portion 110 can move more smoothly from first opening 20 to second opening 30. However, in terms of restricting the movement of spout portion 110, it is preferable that protrusions 40, 41 be arranged at positions symmetrical in the left-right direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 4(a).

[0082] 1 and 4(a), the second opening 30 is formed in a rectangular shape. However, the lower end of the second opening 30 may be formed in a curved shape that bulges outward from the second opening 30.

[0083] 1 and 2(b), as long as the relationship between the width W1 of second opening 30 and the width D1 of tube 112, and the relationship between the width W2 of second opening 30 and the width D1 of tube 112 can be maintained, second opening 30 may be tapered from the lower end to the ends 40b, 41b of protrusions 40, 41. Even if second opening 30 has these shapes, the movement of spout 110 that has moved to second opening 30 is restricted by protrusions 40, 41. Therefore, holder 1 can hold spouted pouch 100.

[0084] If the width of the lower end of the second opening 30 is larger than the width D1 of the pipe 112, the pipe 112 (more specifically, the pipe portion 112 located between the flanges 113 and 114) abutting the lower end of the second opening 30 is likely to wobble along the lower end of the second opening 30 (that is, in the left-right direction in FIG. 4(a), and in the front-to-back direction in FIG. 4(b)). For this reason, it is preferable that the width of the lower end of the second opening 30 be formed to be approximately the same as the width D1 of the pipe 112.

[0085] Second Embodiment [Holder configuration] The holder 1 according to the first embodiment is provided with protrusions 40, 41 at the second opening 30 as locking portions that restrict movement of the spout portion 110. The holder 2 according to the second embodiment is provided with a notch portion 70 instead of the protrusions 40, 41. The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 to 6(b).

[0086] Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of a holder 2 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the holder 2 is made up of a sheet-like backing 11. The backing 11 is formed in a rectangular shape, and in Fig. 5, a folding line 60 is provided at a position that divides the backing 11 into approximately two equal parts in the vertical direction. The backing 11 is divided into a surface 3 and a surface 4 via the folding line 60.

[0087] The surface 3 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the holder 1 according to the first embodiment. That is, the surface 3 has a first opening 20, a second opening 30, and a hole 50 formed therein, similar to the holder 1. Therefore, a description of the configurations of the first opening 20, the second opening 30, and the hole 50 will be omitted. As described above, the holder 2 does not have protrusions 40, 41. Furthermore, the four corners of the surface 3 are formed to be rounded.

[0088] 5, the surface 4 is formed so that the four corners are rounded. The surface 4 also has a notch 70 and a hole 51.

[0089] The cutout portion 70 is formed on the surface 4 on the opposite side of the second opening 30 across the folding line 60. The cutout portion 70 is rectangular, and two corners 71 of the cutout portion 70 that continue to the surface 4 are formed to be rounded.

[0090] 5, the width W4 in the left-right direction of the deepest part of the cutout 70 is formed to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D1 (see FIG. 2(b)) of the pipe 112. Furthermore, the width W5 from the corner 71 of the cutout 70 to the deepest part is about half the size of the width D2 (see FIG. 2(b)) of the pipe 112.

[0091] Similar to the hole 50, the hole 51 is a hole for passing the holder 2 through a hook or the like on a product shelf when the spouted pouch 100 is displayed on the shelf. The hole 51 is formed in a circular shape.

[0092] [Attaching a spouted pouch to the holder] Next, with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and (b), a method for attaching the spouted pouch 100 to the holder 2 by a user will be described. Note that for portions that overlap with the description of the holder 1 according to the first embodiment, reference will also be made to FIG. 3(a). FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining the arrangement of the spout portion 110 relative to the holder 2 when the holder 2 is holding the spouted pouch 100. FIG. 6(a) is a top view that schematically shows the holder 2 and the spout portion 110, and FIG. 6(b) is a side view that schematically shows the holder 2 and the spout portion 110. Note that for ease of explanation, only the holder 2 and the tube 112 are shown in FIG. 6(a), with surface 3 of the holder 2 indicated by a solid line, surface 4 indicated by a dashed line, and the tube 112 indicated by a dashed line.

[0093] 3(a), similar to the holder 1 according to the first embodiment, the user first passes the first opening 20 of the holder 2 over the cap 111 of the spout 110 (in the direction of the dashed arrow X) and slides it toward the second opening 30 (in the direction of the dashed arrow Y). This moves the spout 110 from the first opening 20 to the second opening 30.

[0094] Then, the user places face 4 of holder 2 on the back side of face 3 (in FIG. 5, the back side of the paper is the back side of face 3; the same applies below) along folding line 60. At this time, the user slightly bends face 4 and places face 4 on face 3 so that the deepest part of cutout 70 abuts against pipe 112 (that is, pipe 112 located between flanges 113 and 114).

[0095] When surface 3 and surface 4 are overlapped in this manner, hole 50 of surface 3 overlaps hole 51 of surface 4. This allows hole 50 and hole 51 to communicate with each other, allowing the user to hang holder 2 on a hook on a product shelf or the like.

[0096] 2(b) and 5, the width W4 of the cutout 70 is formed to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D1 of the tube 112. Furthermore, the width W5 of the cutout 70 is formed to be approximately half the width D2 of the tube 112. Therefore, when face 4 is placed on the back side of face 3, the tube 112 abuts against the inner peripheral edge of the cutout 70, and approximately half of the tube 112 fits into the cutout 70.

[0097] As a result, the rear portion of tube 112 (the rear portion in FIG. 2(a) and the left portion of tube 112 in FIG. 6(b) - the same meaning will be used hereinafter) is sandwiched in notch 70. As a result, the movement of spout portion 110 is restricted by notch 70, and it cannot move toward first opening 20. As a result, spout portion 110 is held in second opening 30. In other words, holder 2 can hold spout-equipped pouch 100.

[0098] Furthermore, similar to the holder 1 according to the first embodiment, the width W1 of the second opening 30 is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the width D1 of the tube 112. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the holder 2 is suspended, the weight of the spouted pouch 100 causes the spout portion 110 to tilt so that it faces diagonally downward, and the contact portion between the tube 112 and the lower end of the second opening 30 is less likely to wobble. This allows the spout portion 110 to remain substantially fixed within the second opening 30. This allows the holder 2 to hold the spouted pouch 100 more reliably.

[0099] When the user removes the spouted pouch 100 from the holder 2, the user simply performs the reverse of the above-described attachment procedure. First, the user supports the spout portion 110 of the spouted pouch 100 and stretches the surface 4 of the holder 2 while slightly bending it. Then, as with the holder 1, the user slides the holder 1 toward the first opening 20 (i.e., in the opposite direction to the direction of the dashed arrow Y in FIG. 3(a)). This moves the spout portion 110 from the second opening 30 to the first opening 20.

[0100] The use of the holder 2 is similar to that of the holder 1 described above.

[0101] [Effects of the embodiment] As shown in Figures 5 to 6(b), a notch 70 is formed on the surface 4 of the holder 2. As a result, when the spouted pouch 100 is attached to the holder 2, the rear portion of the tube 112 of the spout 110 is sandwiched within the holder 2. As a result, the movement of the spout 110 within the second opening 30 is restricted by the notch 70. This allows the holder 2 to hold the spouted pouch 100 more securely.

[0102] [Example of change] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6(a), in the second embodiment, the notch 70 is formed in a rectangular shape. However, any shape other than rectangular is acceptable as long as the notch 70 can hold the spout 110 by sandwiching the rear portion of the tube 112 when the holder 2 is attached to the spout-equipped pouch 100. For example, the deepest portion of the notch 70 may be formed in an arc shape (however, in FIG. 5, this arc bulges out toward the first opening 20). In this case, the notch 70 is formed so that the width of the notch 70 in the left-right direction in FIG. 5 is equal to the width D1 of the tube 112. This is to ensure that the rear portion of the tube 112 is sandwiched in the notch 70.

[0103] In the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 6(b), the width W5 of the notch 70 is approximately half the width D2 of the pipe 112. However, this is not particularly limited as long as the rear portion of the pipe 112 is configured to be sandwiched in the notch 70. For example, the width W5 of the notch 70 may be formed to be approximately the same as the width D2 of the pipe 112. In this case, the pipe 112 fits into the notch 70. Therefore, the holder 2 can hold the spout 110 more reliably.

[0104] If the width W5 of the cutout portion 70 is short, the pipe 112 is less likely to be sandwiched in the cutout portion 70. This may result in the holder 2 being unable to adequately hold the spout portion 110. For this reason, as in the second embodiment, it is preferable that the width W5 of the cutout portion 70 be at least approximately half the width D2 of the pipe 112.

[0105] Moreover, the holder 2 of the second embodiment may be provided with the protrusions provided on the holder 1 of the first embodiment. In this case, the holder 2 may be provided with two protrusions 40, 41 (see FIG. 1), or may be provided with only one of the protrusions 40, 41.

[0106] Furthermore, the holder 1 according to the first embodiment and the holder 2 according to the second embodiment may be provided with a handle. For example, in the case of the holder 1 according to the first embodiment, in Fig. 1, a recess may be provided in each of the two longitudinal directions of the backing 10 (not shown). This allows the user to place their fingers in the recesses to perform work, making it easier to slide the holder 1.

[0107] In the case of the holder 2 according to the second embodiment, in Fig. 5, recesses are provided in the longitudinal direction of each of the surfaces 3 and 4 (not shown). In other words, a total of four recesses are provided in the holder 2. Specifically, it is necessary to provide the recesses in the holder 2 so that when the surfaces 3 and 4 are overlapped, the recesses provided in the same longitudinal direction on the surfaces 3 and 4 overlap each other.

[0108] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0109] The present invention is particularly useful for holders that hang pouches with spouts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1, 2 holder 20 First Opening 30 Second Opening 40, 41 Protrusion (lock part) 70 Notch (locking part) 100 spouted pouches 110 Spout

Claims

1. A holder for suspending and holding a spout-equipped pouch, a first opening that allows the spout portion of the spout-equipped pouch to be attached and detached; A second opening formed continuously with the first opening and configured to receive the spout portion moved from the first opening; a locking portion at the second opening that restricts movement of the spout portion toward the first opening, The holder is characterized in that the locking portion is located midway when the spout portion moves from the first opening to the second opening.

2. the locking portion is a protrusion provided in the second opening, 2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the widthwise length of the second opening when passing through the top of the protrusion in a direction approximately perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first opening and the second opening is shorter than the width of the tubular portion of the spout portion.

3. The holder according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion has a curved shape that is convex toward the inside of the second opening.

4. The holder according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusions are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the second opening.

5. The holder according to claim 3 , wherein the protrusions are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the second opening.

6. the locking portion is a notch portion provided on the opposite side of the first opening from the second opening, 2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the notch is formed so as to press the pipe portion of the spout portion against the peripheral edge of the second opening when the second opening is bent between the first opening and the notch while receiving the spout portion.

Images