Packaging materials for rice balls and packaged rice balls

Abstract

To provide a packaging material for rice balls and a packaged rice ball easy to open.SOLUTION: A packaging material 1 for rice balls includes a substantially rectangular shaped sheet 2, an opening area 5 provided at a center part of the sheet along a length direction, and a cover sheet 9 for covering the opening area 5 so that air is not allowed to flow in / out via a cutting part provided on an outer surface of the sheet. A closed loop is formed, which has two parallel opening lines 6 and end part opening lines 7 for connecting the upper end parts and the lower end parts of the two parallel opening lines 6 to each other so that the opening area 5 is surrounded by the two parallel opening lines 6 and the end part opening lines 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a packaging material for pressed rice balls.

Background Art

[0002] A widely popular packaging material for pressed rice balls is one that stores a seaweed sheet between an outer sheet and an inner sheet, and when packaging the pressed rice ball, the seaweed sheet is prevented from contacting the pressed rice ball. The inner sheet is provided such that two sheets overlap along the center line at the edges, and this overlapping portion is either not adhered or has a weak connection that can be easily separated. On the other hand, the outer sheet has an opening assistance line such as a cut tape provided along the center line, allowing the outer sheet to be cut left and right when opening. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe an outer packaging film for rice balls, where an opening assistance tape is attached to a rectangular film body, and this outer packaging film for rice balls is used to package a disk-shaped rice ball. When eating, it is opened by this opening assistance tape. In addition to this, the packaging materials for pressed rice balls that have been put into practical use so far are made of plastic film.

[0003] Patent Document 3 describes a packaging material for pressed rice balls in which a surface layer made of paper or non-woven fabric is provided on an outer film 1. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 5 describe packaging materials for rice balls using glassine paper.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] Conventional packaging materials for rice balls consisted entirely of plastic film. However, plastic containers must be separated from combustible waste and disposed of after use. Furthermore, plastic that is not collected is released into the environment, becoming one of the causes of marine pollution and raising concerns about its negative impact on ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need for rice ball packaging materials that use less plastic.

[0006] The food packaging material described in Patent Document 3 uses Japanese paper for its outer film. However, the entire outer film is not made of paper or nonwoven fabric; the base of the outer film is made of synthetic resin, and only the surface layer is made of paper or nonwoven fabric. Therefore, the amount of plastic used has not decreased, and in fact, the amount of waste has increased due to the paper or nonwoven fabric surface layer.

[0007] The rice ball packaging materials described in Patent Documents 4 and 5 use glassine paper for the outer sheet. However, paper is harder than plastic film and has no directionality, making it difficult to cut. In Patent Documents 4 and 5, a cut tape or cut thread is provided in the center of the outer sheet, but even with this, it is difficult to cut the paper without considerable force. Glassine paper is not strong enough as a rice ball packaging material, but using a stronger paper would make opening it even more difficult.

[0008] This invention aims to provide a packaging material for rice balls and packaged rice balls that reduces the amount of plastic used and is easy to open. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the rice ball packaging material of this invention comprises a roughly rectangular outer sheet made of paper, an inner sheet connected along the outer circumference of the outer sheet, a nori sheet stored between the outer sheet and the inner sheet, an opening line provided along the length of the center of the outer sheet, and a cover sheet provided on the outer surface of the outer sheet to cover the opening line. Two parallel opening lines may be provided along the length of the center of the outer sheet, and an opening area may be formed between the two parallel opening lines. Furthermore, in addition to the two parallel opening lines, end opening lines connecting their upper ends and their lower ends, and notches provided from the center of each end opening line to the outside of the opening area may be provided.

[0010] Furthermore, the packaged rice ball of this invention is packaged in a rice ball packaging material that has a rectangular outer sheet which is a paper sheet, an inner sheet which is connected along the outer circumference of the outer sheet, a nori sheet which is stored between the outer sheet and the inner sheet, an opening line which is provided along the length in the center of the outer sheet, and a cover sheet which covers the opening line which is provided on the outer surface of the outer sheet, and the opening line and cover sheet are provided across the two triangular surfaces of the triangular rice ball and the bottom surface between them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In this invention, a paper sheet is used for the outer sheet instead of plastic, significantly reducing the amount of plastic used and minimizing the environmental impact. An opening line and cover sheet are provided across the two triangular surfaces of the triangular rice ball and the bottom surface between them, allowing the outer sheet to be easily separated into left and right halves when opened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the first example of packaging material for rice balls. [Figure 2] This is the rear view. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the same AA. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the first example of an outer sheet. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the state where the pressed rice is placed on the packaging material for pressed rice. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the packaged pressed rice. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing a second example of the packaging material for pressed rice. [Figure 8] It is a plan view showing a second example of the outer sheet.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] The mode for carrying out this invention will be described based on the drawings.Figure 1 is a plan view showing a first example of the packaging material for pressed rice, Figure 2 is the same plan view, and Figure 3 is the same cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A. The packaging material 1 for pressed rice has a substantially rectangular outer sheet 2 which is a paper sheet, an inner sheet 3 connected along the outer periphery of the outer sheet 2, and a nori sheet 4 stored between the outer sheet and the inner sheet.

[0014] The outer sheet 2 will be described. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the outer sheet. The outer sheet 2 is generally rectangular. It does not have to be completely rectangular. For example, cutout portions may be provided at the four corners so that there is less folding at the four corners when the pressed rice is packaged. And in this invention, the outer sheet 2 is a paper sheet. The paper sheet is not particularly limited as long as it can safely package food and has sufficient strength. Also, in order to obtain a certain degree of waterproofness and smoothness of the surface, it is preferable to perform surface treatment such as plastic coating on both sides thereof.

[0015] An opening line 6 is provided along the center line of the outer sheet 2. In this example, two parallel opening lines 6 are provided at a predetermined distance along the center line, and the area sandwiched therebetween becomes the opening area 5. Further, as the opening lines forming the opening area 5, in addition to these two parallel opening lines 6, end opening lines 7 connecting the upper ends and the lower ends thereof are provided, and a closed loop surrounding the opening area 5 is formed by these two parallel opening lines 6 and the end opening lines 7. And a cut portion 8 provided from the central portion of each end opening line 7 to the outside of the opening area 5 is also provided. Here, the opening line is a line that has been processed to facilitate cutting, and here, a perforation in which the cut portions and the connection portions are periodically repeated is provided. Also, as will be described later in another example, it also includes a line that is cut over a long distance.

[0016] Next, the inner sheet 3 will be described. The inner sheet 3 has a substantially elongated shape having the same outer shape as the outer sheet, and is made of a thin plastic film. It is configured to be easily separated left and right along the center line. In this example, the left and right are each two separate substantially rectangular sheets, and they overlap at the center. This overlapping portion may be weakly adhered, but in this example, they are not connected.

[0017] The outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 are connected to each other along both side edges. Also, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 may be connected at the edge portions along the upper and lower sides, and in this example, they are connected. And a rectangular nori sheet 4 for wrapping the sushi rice is placed between the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3.

[0018] A cover sheet 9 is provided on the outer surface of the outer sheet 2, over the opening area 5, to cover the opening area 5. The cover sheet 9 may be a plastic sheet that is easy to adhere to, provides a tight seal, and is easy to peel off when opening, but the amount of plastic used can be reduced by using a paper sheet. A tab 10 is provided at one end of the cover sheet 9. The outer sheet 2 and the cover sheet 9 are connected in a way that provides a tight seal, makes them difficult to peel apart during packaging, and allows them to be easily peeled off when opening. For example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive such as polyester, acrylic, or rubber can be applied to the cover sheet 9, excluding the tab 10, to connect them. In particular, it is preferable to provide an adhesion-reducing treatment area on the outside of the opening area 5 by applying a coating to smooth the surface, making the adhesion weaker than on the inside of the opening area 5.

[0019] Next, an example of a packaged rice ball wrapped in the aforementioned rice ball packaging material will be described. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a rice ball placed on top of the rice packaging material. Place the rice packaging material 1 with the side containing the inner sheet 3 facing upwards, so that the bottom surface of the triangular rice ball x is located in the center. Then, fold the rice packaging material 1 in half along the bottom surface of the rice ball x to cover the triangular surface of the rice ball x, and then fold the remaining portion at the top and wrap it around to the back of the rice ball x, and then attach a seal or something similar to secure the folded end. This wrapping method is no different from conventional rice ball packaging methods.

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of packaging material for rice. The rice ball x is wrapped in a nori sheet, separated by an inner sheet 3, and then wrapped in an outer sheet 2. The cover sheet 9 appears on the triangular surface of the rice ball, passes over the bottom surface, and extends to the opposite triangular surface. The tab portion 10 at the top edge of the cover sheet 9 is located at the upper corner of the triangular surface.

[0021] This explains how to open the packaged rice ball. First, pinch the tab on the cover sheet 9 with your fingers. The tab 10 is not glued to the outer sheet 2, so it can be easily pinched. Pull it downwards to peel the cover sheet 9 from the outer sheet 2. The cover sheet 9 can be easily peeled off. At this point, the opening area 5 of the outer sheet 2 is glued to the cover sheet 9, so it is pulled away from the outer sheet 2 while still attached to the cover sheet 9 and cut along the opening line. After the cover sheet 9 has been completely removed, the opening area 5 is revealed in an open state across both triangular surfaces and the bottom surface of the rice ball. Most of the outer sheet 2 is divided into left and right halves, but a connected portion remains near the upper corner of the rice ball. However, this can also be divided by pulling the remaining rice packaging material 1 to the left and right. Only a small portion of the connection remains, and since a notch 8 is provided from the center of the end opening line toward the outside of the opening area, the crack progresses from this notch 8 as the starting point, and even though the paper is stiff, the remaining portion can be easily separated. In this way, the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 connected to it can be removed from the rice ball x. The seaweed sheet 4 remains on top of the rice ball x, resulting in a rice ball wrapped in seaweed.

[0022] A second example of packaging material for rice balls will be described. Figure 7 is a plan view showing the second example of packaging material for rice balls, and Figure 8 is a plan view showing the second example of the outer sheet. In this second example, the opening line 6 is a single line formed on the center line of the outer sheet. It can also be formed by perforations in which the cut and connect sections are repeated periodically, and the cut sections may be made longer to facilitate opening of the stiff paper sheet. Furthermore, the opening line 6 may be connected only by a few connecting sections, or the entire section may be formed in a cut state. By making the cutting line 6 a single line in this way, manufacturing can be made easier.

[0023] The cover sheet 9 is attached to the outer surface of the outer sheet, over the opening line 6. The cover sheet 9 may be the same as in the first example, but since it only covers one opening line 6, it may be thinner as shown in Figure 7.

[0024] In this example, as in the first example, the opening line 6 is completely covered and sealed by the cover sheet 9 from the outside of the outer sheet. Therefore, even if a large cut is made in the opening line 6, air cannot enter or exit through that cut. In addition, the cover sheet 9 on the outside protects the opening line 6. Even when handling the rice ball packaging material or packaged rice balls by hand, fingers will not touch the opening line 6, preventing accidental tearing.

[0025] The packaging of the rice ball in this example can be the same as in the first example. In the resulting packaged rice ball, the opening line and cover sheet are located across the two triangular faces of the triangular rice ball and the bottom surface between them. To open, pinch the tab on the cover sheet 9 with your fingers and pull it downwards to peel the cover sheet 9 from the outer sheet 2. After removing the cover sheet 9 completely, the opening line appears across both triangular faces and the bottom surface of the rice ball. Pulling the outer sheet 2 to the left and right will divide it almost completely along the opening line 6. Pulling the remaining rice packaging material 1 to the left and right will completely divide it, and the outer sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 connected to it can be removed from the rice ball x. The nori sheet 4 remains on top of the rice ball x, resulting in a rice ball wrapped in nori. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 1. Packaging material for rice balls 2. Outer seat 3. Inner seat 4. Seaweed sheet 5. Opening area 6. Opening Line 7. End opening line 8. Cut section 9. Cover sheet 10. Knob x. rice ball

Claims

1. The device comprises a roughly rectangular sheet made of paper, an opening area provided along the length of the sheet in the center, and a cover sheet that covers the opening area to prevent air from entering or exiting through the cut section on the outer surface of the sheet. It has two parallel opening lines and end opening lines connecting the upper and lower ends of the two parallel opening lines, and a closed loop is formed by the two parallel opening lines and the end opening lines surrounding the opening area. The two parallel opening lines and the end opening line are formed by the periodic repetition of cut sections and connection sections. The cover sheet has a tab, and pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the area excluding the tab. The area outside the opening region of the sheet has a coating that smooths the surface, reducing adhesion, and the adhesion is weaker than inside the opening region. A packaging material for rice balls in which, when the cover sheet is peeled off, the opening area of ​​the sheet is separated from the cover sheet while remaining attached to it, and is then cut along the opening line.

2. It has a roughly rectangular outer sheet made of paper, an inner sheet connected along the outer circumference of the outer sheet, a nori sheet stored between the outer and inner sheets, and a cover sheet that covers the opening area to prevent air from entering or exiting through a cut section on the outer surface of the outer sheet, and a closed loop is formed surrounding the opening area by two parallel opening lines and an end opening line. The two parallel opening lines and the end opening line are formed by the periodic repetition of cut sections and connection sections. The cover sheet has a tab, and pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the area excluding the tab. The outer edge of the opening area of ​​the outer sheet has a coating that smooths the surface, creating an area with reduced adhesion, resulting in weaker adhesion than the area inside the opening area. A packaging material for rice balls in which, by peeling off the cover sheet, the opening area of ​​the outer sheet is separated from the outer sheet while remaining attached to the cover sheet, and is then separated along the opening line.

3. The outer sheet is a roughly rectangular paper sheet, the inner sheet is connected along the outer circumference of the outer sheet, the nori sheet is stored between the outer and inner sheets, and the outer sheet has a cover sheet that covers the opening area to prevent air from entering or exiting through a cut section on the outer surface of the outer sheet. A closed loop is formed surrounding the opening area by two parallel opening lines and an end opening line, which are formed by the periodic repetition of cut sections and connecting sections. The cover sheet has a tab, and pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied except for the tab, and the outer surface of the opening area of ​​the outer sheet is smoothed. This is a packaged rice ball containing a triangular rice ball, in which an adhesive-reducing treatment area is provided by a coating, making the adhesion weaker than the inside of the opening area, and when the cover sheet is peeled off, the opening area of ​​the outer sheet is pulled away from the outer sheet while remaining attached to the cover sheet and is separated along the opening line, and an opening line and cover sheet are provided across the two triangular faces of the triangular rice ball and the bottom surface between them, and a tab is provided at one end of the cover sheet that is not attached to the outer sheet, and the tab is located at the upper corner of the triangular face.

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