Method for manufacturing film packaging material, film packaging material, and long film

Abstract

Provided is a simpler layer structure in which the number of layers is further reduced in the manufacturing of a film packaging material with which variable information cannot be read from the outside of a package.　This method for manufacturing a film packaging material comprises: a first step for unwinding, from a long roll, a raw film that forms a transparent base material (10) positioned on the front side of a film packaging material; a second step for forming, by inkjet printing on the raw film, a first layer (20) having light blocking properties and a design layer (60); and a third step for forming, by inkjet printing, a second layer (30) positioned on the back side of the first layer (20) and having a plurality of divided regions (31). In the third step, the second layer (30) is printed such that different variable information (3) is displayed at a prescribed frequency by the first layer (20) exposed from between the plurality of divided regions (31).

Description

Film packaging material manufacturing method, film packaging material and long film

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a film packaging material, a manufacturing method thereof, and a long film.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging bag in which hidden information such as a unique number cannot be seen from the outside and can only be recognized after opening. The packaging bag is provided with, from the outside, a base film, a letter / picture layer, a base layer, a concealing layer, a print base layer, a print layer, and a sealant layer in this order.

[0003] JP 2009-107692

[0004] However, since the fewer the number of layers provided by printing, the fewer printing steps can be generally provided, a simpler layer structure with even fewer layers is desired.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, a manufacturing method for a film packaging material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first step of unwinding a raw film, which forms a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, from a long roll; a second step of forming a first layer having light-blocking properties and a design layer showing a design on the raw film by inkjet printing; and a third step of forming a second layer located on the back side of the first layer and having a plurality of divided areas by inkjet printing, wherein in the third step, the second layer is printed so that different variable information is displayed at a predetermined frequency by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided areas.

[0006] A film packaging material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a portion in which a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, a first layer having light-blocking properties, and a second layer partially overlapping the first layer are stacked in this order, the second layer having a plurality of divided regions, and variable information is displayed by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided regions.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the number of layers of film packaging material that make it difficult to read variable information from the front side.

[0008] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a plan view of variable information when viewed from the back side of the film packaging material. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the first layer when viewed from the front side of the film packaging material. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is a plan view of variable information when viewed from the back side of the film packaging material. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 19 is a plan view of the first layer when viewed from the front side of the film packaging material. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the film packaging material shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11 is a schematic view for explaining a method of manufacturing a film packaging material in an inkjet printing system. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a long film in which a plurality of film packaging materials are connected.

[0009] [Film packaging material 100] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a film packaging material 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a plan view of variable information 3 as viewed from the back side of the film packaging material 100. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a first layer 20, described below, as viewed from the front side of the film packaging material 100. For the sake of explanation, Figs. 1 to 3 show only a characteristic portion of the present invention formed in a portion of the film packaging material 100. The same applies to Figs. 4 to 11, described below.

[0010] The film packaging material 100 is used for packaging products. The film packaging material 100 has a portion for displaying advertisements, product information, etc. The film packaging material 100 is used, for example, as a packaging bag for food such as confectionery, a shrink label or a wrap-around label attached to a PET bottle for beverages, or a container for daily necessities, but its uses are not limited thereto.

[0011] The film packaging material 100 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20, a second layer 30, and underlayers 40 and 41. In particular, the film packaging material 100 includes a portion in which the substrate 10, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order. The second layer 30 and the underlayer 41 may be formed as the same layer in the actual manufacturing process, but because they have different functions, they are described as separate layers in this embodiment. The substrate 10 side of the film packaging material 100 is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side of the film packaging material 100 from the substrate 10 is referred to as the back side.

[0012] Variable information 3 is displayed on the back side of the film packaging material 100. Variable information is information that can be different for each film packaging material 100. For example, variable information may be the expiration date for each product lot of food or beverage packaged in the film packaging material 100, application guidelines or notices for a limited-time prize campaign, or information that changes for each specific quantity. In particular, variable information is information that can change for each film packaging material 100, such as a prize entry ticket that changes for each product (e.g., coded information that includes a code that awards points for each product and a URL that accesses the application website). Variable information is expressed, for example, by variable printing of machine-readable symbols such as matrix-type two-dimensional codes like QR Code (registered trademark), stack-type two-dimensional codes, barcodes, letters, numbers, etc., as well as letters, designs, etc. that are not machine-readable symbols. A detailed configuration of variable information 3 will be described later.

[0013] The substrate 10 is a transparent substrate. The substrate 10 may be constructed using a conventionally known film material. The substrate 10 may also be a multilayer film formed of one or more layers. The substrate 10 may be made of a thermoplastic resin, such as a polyester resin (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate), a polystyrene resin (e.g., styrene-butadiene copolymer), a polyolefin resin (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene), a polyamide resin (e.g., nylon), or polyvinyl chloride. When the film packaging material 100 is a heat-shrinkable label, the substrate 10 may be heat-shrinkable in either the longitudinal or transverse direction. Specifically, the substrate 10 may be a uniaxially stretched film of a polyester resin, a uniaxially stretched film of a polystyrene resin, or a multi-layer uniaxially stretched film, such as a two-type or three-layer film having a surface layer of a polyester resin and a central layer containing a polystyrene resin, and having a thickness of 10 μm to 60 μm. When the film packaging material 100 is a flexible packaging material such as a label or a packaging bag that does not shrink due to heat, a non-heat-shrinkable uniaxially or biaxially oriented film, or a non-oriented film may be used as the substrate 10. Specifically, for example, a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film, a biaxially oriented polypropylene film, a biaxially oriented polyamide resin film, or the like, having a thickness of 10 μm to 80 μm, may be used.

[0014] The first layer 20, together with the second layer 30 described below, forms the variable information 3. The first layer 20 is a dark or black layer with light-blocking properties. In this specification, the term "light-blocking" means that the first layer 20 has light-blocking properties to the extent that the variable information 3 displayed on the back side of the film packaging material 100 is difficult to read from the front side of the film packaging material 100. "Difficult to read" refers to light-blocking properties that make the variable information 3 difficult to read when optically read using a device, such as the two-dimensional code or barcode, and light-blocking properties that make the variable information 3 difficult to read when visually inspected by a human. The first layer 20 may be formed using ink of a single color (e.g., black), or, as described in detail in the fifth embodiment, may be formed by overlapping layers of multiple colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, and yellow). The thickness of the first layer 20 may be approximately 0.5 to 6.0 μm. In this specification, "ink" may be interpreted as "ink."

[0015] The base layers 40 and 41 are printed layers that clarify the design of the film packaging material 100 and obscure the backside of the film packaging material 100. The base layers 40 and 41 are preferably formed of a light-colored ink with opacity, and more preferably white ink. The white ink is preferably a white ink with high light reflectance and opacity, particularly an ink containing a white pigment containing titanium oxide (a light color containing a white pigment such as white or milky white). As shown in FIG. 1 , the base layer 41 may be laminated on the back side of the base layer 40, and the base layer 40 may be formed adjacent to the first layer 20, or the base layer 40 may be omitted. The edges of the base layer 41 may overlap the outer edge of the first layer 20, and the overlapping portion may form part of the variable information 3. The thickness of the base layers 40 and 41 may each be approximately 1.0 to 10.0 μm.

[0016] The second layer 30 is a layer that forms the variable information 3 together with the first layer 20. The second layer 30 is formed on the opposite side of the first layer 20 from the side on which the substrate 10 is located. The second layer 30 is formed using a light-colored or white ink. The second layer 30 overlaps a portion of the first layer 20. Furthermore, the second layer 30 has a plurality of divided regions 31. When the second layer 30 and the base layer 41 are formed as the same layer, it can also be interpreted that a portion of the base layer 41 forms the divided regions 31.

[0017] 1 and 2, the dividing regions 31 are regions obtained by dividing the second layer 30 into, for example, rectangular or continuous rectangular shapes in a plan view, so that the first layer 20 is exposed through gaps formed by the separation of the dividing regions 31.

[0018] At this time, when the film packaging material 100 is viewed from the back side, as shown in Fig. 2, the variable information 3 is displayed by the black (dark) parts of the first layer 20 against the white (light) parts of the divided areas 31. On the other hand, when the film packaging material 100 is viewed from the front side, as shown in Fig. 3, it is difficult to visually recognize the divided areas 31. Therefore, it is difficult to read the variable information 3 from the front side of the film packaging material 100.

[0019] According to the above configuration, when forming a film packaging material that makes it difficult to read the variable information from the front side, it is not necessary to provide a shielding layer that makes it difficult to read the variable information 3 from the front side, separate from the first layer 20. Therefore, the number of layers that are provided by printing can be reduced.

[0020] The variable information 3 is easier to read the more clearly the contrast between the color of the information display portion (code display such as a bar) of the variable information 3 and the color of the blank portion (space). In the above description, the first layer 20 is dark or black, and the second layer 30 is light or white. However, the colors of the first layer 20 and the second layer 30 need only provide a contrast sufficient to allow the variable information 3 to be read. Therefore, the colors of the first layer 20 and the second layer 30 may be determined relatively, taking into account the contrast. When the film packaging material 100 is a shrink label or wrap-around label for a container such as a PET bottle, it can be used with the base layer 41 exposed as described above. However, when the film packaging material 100 is used for bags for packaging food, daily necessities, etc., it may be used by laminating a heat-sealable sealant layer such as a polyethylene film via an adhesive layer such as a dry laminate, or an intermediate layer such as a barrier film depending on the contents. In this case, the laminated film or film has transparency.

[0021] [Embodiment 2] Another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0022] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 101 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The film packaging material 101 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20, a second layer 30, foundation layers 40 and 41, a surface medium layer 50, and a back medium layer 51. In particular, the film packaging material 101 has a portion in which the surface medium layer 50, the substrate 10, the first layer 20, the second layer 30, and the back medium layer 51 are laminated in this order. The film packaging material 101 is a packaging material used for shrink labels and the like that do not have a sealant layer or the like laminated on the back side.

[0023] The surface medium layer 50 is a coating layer that protects the surface of the film packaging material 101 or provides abrasion resistance, heat resistance, and a glossy or matte finish (matte finish). Similarly, the back medium layer 51 is a coating layer that protects the back surface or provides abrasion resistance, slipperiness, etc. The surface medium layer 50 and the back medium layer 51 are transparent (including translucent, allowing for see-through). The surface medium layer 50 and the back medium layer 51 are formed by coating a solution or aqueous dispersion containing a resin component and a lubricant, etc., to a thickness of approximately 0.5 to 5.0 μm using a known method.

[0024] Variable information 3 or designs printed on the film may be subject to friction during processing or product transportation, which can cause the print to peel off. The above configuration reduces the risk of the print peeling off. Furthermore, because the backing medium layer 51 is transparent, the division regions 31 and the first layer 20 exposed through the gaps between the division regions 31 are visible, making the variable information 3 readable.

[0025] In addition, the film packaging material 101 may have a configuration in which it has a surface medium layer 50 but does not have a back medium layer 51, or a configuration in which it does not have a surface medium layer 50 but has a back medium layer 51.

[0026] [Embodiment 3] Another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 102 according to another embodiment.

[0027] The film packaging material 102 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20, a second layer 30, foundation layers 40 and 41, and a design layer 60. In particular, the film packaging material 102 includes a portion where the substrate 10, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order, and a portion where the substrate 10, the design layer 60, the foundation layer 40, and the foundation layer 41 are laminated in this order.

[0028] The design layer 60 is a layer on which the design of the film packaging material 102 is printed. The design layer 60 here is a layer for displaying desired characters, figures, patterns, or combinations thereof. The design layer 60 is formed by printing with ink of any color. In order to express the design of the design layer 60, ink of one or more colors can be used.

[0029] 5 , the design layer 60 is formed around the periphery of the first layer 20. As a result, the film packaging material 102 may have the design layer 60 in a position that does not overlap the first layer 20 in a plan view. The base layer 40 and the base layer 41 are layers that serve as bases for the design layer 60. The second layer 30 and the base layer 41 are located on the back side of the film packaging material 102 relative to the first layer 20 and the design layer 60.

[0030] In the above configuration, for example, consider a case where the first layer 20 and the design layer 60 are printed using three ink colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. When forming the design layer 60, these three colors can be appropriately overlapped (multiplied) to create multiple colors. In this case, the first layer 20 may be formed by overlapping the three colors and printing them in a dark color. This configuration allows the first layer 20 and the design layer 60 to be printed in parallel, improving the work efficiency of producing the film packaging material 102.

[0031] Furthermore, when printing using four colors, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, the first layer 20 may be printed using only black, and the black used for the design layer 60 may be printed in the same process (i.e., simultaneously) as the printing process for the first layer 20, and then combined with the cyan, magenta, and yellow to form the four-color design layer 60. Alternatively, the design layer 60 may be formed using only black, and combined with the white of the base layers 40 and 41 to create a black and white design. In this case, the black design layer 60 can also be printed simultaneously with the printing of the first layer 20.

[0032] In the film packaging material 102, the design layer 60 is located around the first layer 20 at the same level as the first layer 20, and the base layer 40 is formed so that the boundary between the design layer 60 and the first layer 20 coincides with the edge of the base layer 40. The base layer 41 is formed so as to overlap the base layer 40 and the first layer 20. If the shielding properties of the base layer 41 are sufficiently high, or if the film packaging material 102 is to be used for a white container or light-colored contents, the base layer 40 can be omitted. The design layer 60 may be absent, and some parts of the base layer 40 may be exposed. In this case, part of the base layer 40 will be located at the same level as the first layer 20.

[0033] The film packaging material 102 may include a surface medium layer 50 and / or a back medium layer 51. The film packaging material 102 may also include a sealant layer, or an intermediate layer such as various barrier films, as in the first embodiment.

[0034] [Embodiment 4] Another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 103 according to another embodiment.

[0035] The film packaging material 103 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20, a second layer 30, foundation layers 40 and 41, and a design layer 61. In particular, the film packaging material 103 includes a portion where the substrate 10, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order, a portion where the substrate 10, the design layer 61, the foundation layer 40, and the foundation layer 41 are laminated in this order, and a portion where the substrate 10, the foundation layer 40, and the foundation layer 41 are laminated in this order.

[0036] The design layer 61 may be a printed layer that is formed by the same printing method as the design layer 60 and has the same function as the design layer 60, except that the design layer 61 is formed at a different position. As shown in Figure 6, in the film packaging material 103, the end of the base layer 40 may be interposed between the design layer 61 and the first layer 20.

[0037] With this configuration, in a plan view, the black or dark first layer 20 can be surrounded by the white or light-colored base layer 40, and the first layer 20 and the design layer 61 can be harmonized in design. As long as the light-blocking properties are maintained, the first layer 20 may have a design. For example, the first layer 20 may have a pattern of black and dark blue.

[0038] The film packaging material 103 may have a surface medium layer 50 and / or a back medium layer 51 .

[0039] [Embodiment 5] Another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 104 according to another embodiment. Figure 8 is a plan view of the film packaging material 104 as viewed from the front side.

[0040] The film packaging material 104 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20A, a second layer 30, and underlayers 40 and 41. The film packaging material 104 includes a portion in which the substrate 10, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7 , the first layer 20A of the film packaging material 104 includes multiple layers of different colors, including a cyan layer 21, a magenta layer 22, and a yellow layer 23. The cyan layer 21 is a cyan layer, the magenta layer 22 is a magenta layer, and the yellow layer 23 is a yellow layer. By stacking these three primary color ink layers, the first layer 20A is formed into a black or dark color close to black, thereby realizing a light-blocking portion. Note that the light-blocking portion preferably overlaps the three primary colors in a substantially solid print, but scattered non-overlapping portions between the halftone dots of each color may also be acceptable. It is sufficient for the first layer 20A to have a light-blocking property to the extent that it is difficult to read the variable information 3 displayed on the back side of the film packaging material 104 from the front side of the film packaging material 104. Therefore, the configuration of the different color layers included in the first layer 20A is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 7 , and the first layer 20A may include four or more different color layers. For example, the first layer 20A may be formed by laminating layers of orange, green, and violet in addition to layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow.

[0042] Furthermore, the order in which the layers of different colors are stacked to form the first layer 20A is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 7, as long as it is not subject to restrictions imposed by the printing device.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7 , the film packaging material 104 has a first region 24 and a second region 25, which are distinguished from the viewpoint of whether the variable information 3 displayed on the back side can be recognized when viewed from the front side. The first region 24 is a region in which the substrate 10, cyan layer 21, magenta layer 22, yellow layer 23, and second layer 30 are laminated in this order, and is a region in which it is difficult to recognize the display of the variable information 3 from the front side. The second region 25 is a region in which the substrate 10, cyan layer 21, and second layer 30 are laminated in this order, and is a region in which it is possible to recognize the display of the variable information 3 from the front side. The third region 26 is a region in which the substrate 10, base layer 40, and base layer 41 are laminated in this order, and is a region in which the base layer 40 can be seen from the front side. Although not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the third region 26 may have a design layer on which a design of the film packaging material is printed.

[0044] In the film packaging material 104, the information display portion (code display such as a bar) of the variable information 3 is composed of a portion (first region 24) where the cyan layer 21, the magenta layer 22, and the yellow layer 23 are laminated, and a portion (second region 25) consisting of only the cyan layer 21. The blank portion (space) of the variable information 3 is composed of the divided region 31 of the second layer 30, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0045] Therefore, in the film packaging material 104, the variable information 3 is displayed not by a contrast between two colors such as black and white, but by a contrast between a dark color (dark color) part represented by black and cyan and a light color (light color) part represented by the white division area 31.

[0046] In the first region 24, the first layer 20A has a high light-blocking property due to the stacking of the cyan layer 21, the magenta layer 22, and the yellow layer 23, making it difficult to view the second layer 30 from the front side. As a result, it is difficult to read the variable information 3 from the front side in the first region 24. In the second region 25, the first layer 20A includes only one layer, the cyan layer 21, and therefore does not have a high light-blocking property, making it possible to view only a portion of the second layer 30 through the first layer 20A. As a result, it is possible to recognize from the front side that the variable information 3 is displayed in the second region 25.

[0047] In the example shown in Figure 7, the cyan layer 21 has a larger area in plan view than the magenta layer 22 and the yellow layer 23. The magenta layer 22 and the yellow layer 23 have the same area in plan view. The difference in area between these three layers is not limited to the example shown in Figure 7, and the area of ​​the cyan layer 21 may be gradually smaller than the areas of the magenta layer 22 and the yellow layer 23. The area of ​​the magenta layer 22 or the yellow layer 23 may be the largest. Furthermore, the three layers may be stacked in the second region 25 as well, and the halftone dots of each color may be made smaller to reduce the light blocking ability (to the extent that the presence of the variable information 3 can be partially recognized from the front side).

[0048] Furthermore, in the first layer 20A, the highly light-blocking portion where the above three layers are stacked, i.e., the first region 24, does not need to be located in the center of the first layer 20A. The first region 24 only needs to be present in a part of the first layer 20A so that it is difficult to read the variable information 3 from the front side. A plurality of first regions 24 may be formed in the first layer 20A.

[0049] The arrangement of the divided areas 31 in the second layer 30 is determined based on the variable information 3 to be displayed. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the divided areas 31 and the cyan layer 21, magenta layer 22, and yellow layer 23 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 7 and can vary in various ways.

[0050] According to the film packaging material 104, when a user looks at it from the front side, a portion of the variable information 3 can be seen in the second area 25, so the user can recognize that the variable information 3 is displayed on the back side of the film packaging material 104.

[0051] The film packaging material 104 may have a surface medium layer 50 and a back medium layer 51, and when used for bag-making processing, a transparent sealant layer or the like may be laminated on it.

[0052] Sixth Embodiment An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 105 according to another embodiment. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the film packaging material 105 as viewed from the front side.

[0053] The film packaging material 105 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20, a second layer 30, underlayers 40 and 41, and a display layer 70. In particular, the film packaging material 105 includes a portion where the substrate 10, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order, and a portion where the substrate 10, the display layer 70, the first layer 20, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order.

[0054] The display layer 70 is a layer that displays arbitrary information on the front side of the first layer 20. Information displayed by the display layer 70 is referred to as display information. The display layer 70 has a series or multiple display areas 71 corresponding to arbitrary display information such as letters, figures, symbols, or numbers. The first layer 20 and the display layer 70 have a difference in brightness or color that allows the display information to be visually readable.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 10 , when the film packaging material 105 is viewed from the front side, display information is displayed based on the brightness or color difference between the display area 71 and the first layer 20. For convenience, FIG. 10 illustrates the display area 71 labeled "display," but the display information displayed by the display area 71 may be any information. For example, the display layer 70 may indicate, on the front side of the first layer 20, that the variable information 30 is displayed on the back side (the presence of the variable information 30) or its location, such as "QR code on the back side." The display layer 70 may be configured as part of the first layer 20. For example, the first layer 20 may be formed in black, and the display layer 70 may be provided with a difference in density. Alternatively, the first layer 20 may be formed of a layer of cyan, magenta, and yellow, and the display layer 70 may be provided by adjusting the density (halftone dots) of each color to provide a color difference in the display area 71.

[0056] According to the above configuration, by disposing the display layer 70 on the front side of the first layer 20, it is possible to effectively utilize the black or dark area where the first layer 20 is located as an area showing display information. By utilizing this configuration, it is possible to notify the user of the existence and position of the variable information 3.

[0057] Seventh Embodiment A modification of the film packaging material 104 shown in Fig. 7 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a film packaging material 106 which is a modification of the film packaging material 104 shown in Fig. 7.

[0058] The film packaging material 106 includes a substrate 10, a first layer 20B, a second layer 30, and foundation layers 40 and 41. The film packaging material 106 includes a portion in which the substrate 10, the first layer 20B, and the second layer 30 are laminated in this order. A design layer may also be present between the substrate 10 and the foundation layer 40.

[0059] The first layer 20B of the film packaging material 106 includes a black layer 27 and a cyan layer 21. The black layer 27 is formed of black ink and has light-blocking properties. The cyan layer 21 is formed of cyan ink.

[0060] Unlike the film packaging material 104, the film packaging material 106 has a first region 24B that corresponds to the first region 24 and is formed using only the black layer 27. Similarly to the film packaging material 104, the film packaging material 106 also has a portion (second region 25) that is made up of only the cyan layer 21. If the cyan layer 21 alone is insufficient in terms of light blocking properties (insufficient density, etc.), a thin black layer may be superimposed on the cyan layer 21 (printed with small halftone dots in black ink). Similarly to the film packaging material 104, the second region 25 may not be made up of only a cyan layer, but may instead be made up of two or more layers of cyan, magenta, yellow, etc., superimposed with the density (halftone dots, etc.) adjusted.

[0061] According to film packaging material 106, like film packaging material 104, when viewed from the front side, a portion of variable information 3 can be seen in second area 25, so the user can recognize that variable information 3 is displayed on the back side of film packaging material 106.

[0062] Eighth Embodiment Next, a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described using the film packaging material 102 as an example. Inkjet printing is used to manufacture (print) the film packaging material 102. Inkjet printing is a type of plateless printing method that prints without using a plate, and does not require the creation of a plate for each design, making it easy to change the print design.

[0063] 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing method of a film packaging material 102 in a UV (ultraviolet) inkjet printing system 300. The raw film 10A unwound from a long roll 301 passes through an inkjet nozzle unit 302, a chiller 303, and a UV irradiator 304 in that order, and is then wound up by a winder 305. The inkjet nozzle unit 302 includes a plurality of nozzles that spray inks of various colors, for example, black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and white, in that order to perform a predetermined printing operation.

[0064] First, a long strip-shaped raw film 10A forming the transparent substrate 10 located on the front side of the film packaging material 102 is unwound from a long roll 301 set on an unwinder (first step).

[0065] Ink is sprayed onto the unwound raw film 10A, i.e., onto the back side of the substrate 10, by the inkjet nozzle unit 302 to form the first layer 20 and the design layer 60 (second step).

[0066] For example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are sprayed in sequence using ink jet nozzles to form the design layer 60 together with the first layer 20 .

[0067] The first layer 20 may be formed with ink of one color (e.g., black) or may be formed by overlapping inks of multiple colors (e.g., cyan, magenta, and yellow) to provide light blocking properties. When black is used, a design such as letters can be printed in black around the periphery of the first layer 20. When multiple colors are used, a design can also be printed in these colors.

[0068] Alternatively, the first layer 20 may be formed by stacking inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, green, and violet. When the first layer 20 is formed by stacking inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow, printing may be performed in the order of cyan, magenta, and yellow.

[0069] The design layer 60 may be formed around the first layer 20 by spraying ink onto the backside of the substrate 10 where the first layer 20 is not formed. Alternatively, the design layer 60 may be printed using cyan, magenta, yellow, orange, green, and violet inks.

[0070] After the first layer 20 and the design layer 60 are formed, the base layer 40 is formed by spraying white or light-colored ink onto the design layer 60 .

[0071] Next, the inkjet nozzle unit 302 sprays white or light-colored ink onto the first layer 20 and the base layer 40 to form the second layer 30 and the base layer 41 (third step). When forming the second layer 30, in order to express the variable information 3 in detail, the printer controls which areas are to be ink-applied and which areas are not, thereby forming multiple divided areas 31 located on the back side of the first layer 20. The divided areas 31 are formed by applying white or light-colored ink to areas excluding the display of the variable information 3 (portions of the barcode or two-dimensional code that are displayed in dark colors). When the film packaging material 102 is viewed from the back side after the third step, the variable information 3 is displayed by the first layer 20 exposed between the divided areas 31.

[0072] Furthermore, when a medium layer is provided, a nozzle for spraying the medium may be provided in the inkjet nozzle section 302, or the medium layer may be provided by another coating device after printing each color ink.

[0073] 13 is a plan view showing a portion of a long film 102A, which is a long film packaging material in which a plurality of film packaging materials 102 are connected, and is a view of the long film 102A as seen from the back side. As shown in FIG. 13 , according to this embodiment, a long film 102A is manufactured, which is a long film packaging material in which a plurality of film packaging materials 102 are connected in a strip shape. At least some of the plurality of variable information 3 displayed on the long film 102A are different from the other variable information 3.

[0074] 13 , variable information 3A is displayed on the film packaging material 102 on the left side, and variable information 3B is displayed on the film packaging material 102 on the right side. In this way, the second layer 30 is printed so that different variable information 3 is displayed at a predetermined frequency on the long film 102A. For example, the variable information 3 may be different for each of the three film packaging materials 102, or the variable information 3 of all the film packaging materials 102 may be different. How the variable information 3 is made different is determined in advance by a program or the like, and the variable information 3 may be made different based on the program or the like.

[0075] Furthermore, a different code may be printed for each print of an entry ticket for a prize campaign, etc., as the variable information 3. In this case, all data of the printed variable information 3 is stored and can be used to check whether the entry is valid or not by comparing it with the information read by the applicant during the campaign.

[0076] The ink sprayed by the inkjet nozzle unit 302 is cured by ultraviolet light emitted by a UV irradiator 304. After printing, the long film 102A is wound up by a winder 305, thereby producing a roll of film packaging material 102.

[0077] The inkjet printing machine (system) that can be used in this embodiment is not limited to the UV inkjet printing machine (system) that uses the above-mentioned UV (ultraviolet) curable ink, but may also be a type that uses water-based ink or solvent-based ink and dries it. Also, a UV irradiator 304 or drying device that cures or dries the ink may be provided for each color of printing.

[0078] Furthermore, since the design layers 60 and 61 are also printed by inkjet printing without using specific plates, it is possible to change not only the variable information mentioned above but also the design (multiple designs can be changed at a predetermined frequency to print packaging materials with a variety of designs in combination with a variety of variable information).

[0079] As described above, all printing steps can be performed by inkjet printing, and each of the above steps can be performed using a single printing machine. Furthermore, by continuously printing on the raw film 10A as described above, it is possible to produce a roll product, for example, by winding up a long film packaging material 102 with a large number of heat-shrinkable labels or the like in succession. Such a roll product can have a mixture of multiple designs, and each unit of packaging material (each sheet of heat-shrinkable label) can have different variable information 3.

[0080] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may also be applied to the manufacturing of film packaging material 100, film packaging material 101, film packaging material 103, film packaging material 104, and film packaging material 105.

[0081] According to this embodiment, the first layer 20 having light-blocking properties can be formed by stacking layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, rather than using a single color of black ink. The variable information 3 can be displayed by stacking the second layer 30 (plurality of divided regions 31) formed using white ink on this first layer 20. In this configuration, efficient printing can be achieved by forming the first layer 20 and the design layer 60 in parallel using black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, or by forming the second layer 30 and the base layer 41 in parallel as the same layer using white ink.

[0082] Conventionally, a method has been used in which the parts other than the variable information are printed by flexographic printing or gravure printing, and the variable information is printed by inkjet printing. Therefore, after printing the parts other than the variable information on the long strip-shaped raw film that will become the base material of the film packaging material, it is necessary to set it in a different printing machine, such as an inkjet printer, that can print variable information. When setting it in a different printing machine, there are cases in which the unwound and core parts of the printed raw film must be discarded.

[0083] According to this embodiment, since the variable information and other parts can all be printed by inkjet printing, loss of raw film due to changing printers can be reduced. This effect also contributes to the achievement of, for example, Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocated by the United Nations, "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns."

[0084] [Summary] The manufacturing method of the film packaging material according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure includes a first step of unwinding a raw film, which forms a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, from a long roll; a second step of forming a first layer having light-blocking properties and a design layer showing a design on the raw film by inkjet printing; and a third step of forming a second layer, which is located on the back side of the first layer and has a plurality of divided regions, by inkjet printing, wherein in the third step, the second layer is printed so that different variable information is displayed at a predetermined frequency by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided regions.

[0085] A method for manufacturing a film packaging material according to aspect 2 of the present disclosure is the same as the process of forming the first layer by stacking layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks by inkjet printing in the above-described aspect 1, in which the design layer is formed by inkjet printing using the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, and a base layer that serves as a base for the design layer and the multiple divided areas are inkjet printed using white ink.

[0086] The film packaging material according to aspect 3 of the present disclosure includes a portion in which a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, a first layer having light-blocking properties, and a second layer partially overlapping the first layer are stacked in this order, the second layer having a plurality of divided regions, and variable information is displayed by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided regions.

[0087] The film packaging material according to aspect 4 of the present disclosure is the same as aspect 3, in that only a portion of the divided region can be seen from the front side through the first layer.

[0088] The film packaging material of aspect 5 of the present disclosure is, in the above-mentioned aspects 3 or 4, a display layer on the front side of the first layer that indicates that the variable information is displayed on the back side thereof, and the first layer and the display layer have a brightness or color difference that allows the display on the display layer to be visually readable from the front side.

[0089] The long film according to aspect 6 of the present disclosure is a long film in which any one of the film packaging materials according to aspects 3 to 5 above is connected in a strip-like shape, and at least some of the displayed variable information are different from the other variable information.

[0090] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0091] 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 Film packaging material 102A Long film 10 Substrate 20 First layer 21 Cyan layer 22 Magenta layer 23 Yellow layer 24 First region 25 Second region 26 Third region 30 Second layer 31 Divided region 40, 41 Base layer 50 Front medium layer 51 Back medium layer 60, 61 Design layer 70 Display layer 301 Long roll

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a film packaging material, comprising: a first step of unwinding a raw film, which is a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, from a long roll; a second step of forming a first layer having light-blocking properties and a design layer showing a design on the raw film by inkjet printing; and a third step of forming a second layer, which is located on the back side of the first layer and has a plurality of divided regions, by inkjet printing, wherein in the third step, the second layer is printed so that different variable information is displayed at a predetermined frequency by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided regions.

2. A method for manufacturing a film packaging material as described in claim 1, wherein, in the same process as forming the first layer by laminating layers of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks by inkjet printing, the design layer is formed by inkjet printing using the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, and a base layer that serves as a base for the design layer and the multiple divided areas are inkjet printed using white ink.

3. A film packaging material comprising a portion in which a transparent substrate located on the front side of the film packaging material, a first layer having light-blocking properties, and a second layer partially overlapping the first layer are laminated in this order, the second layer having a plurality of divided regions, and variable information being displayed by the first layer exposed between the plurality of divided regions.

4. The film packaging material according to claim 3, wherein only a portion of the divided region can be seen through the first layer from the front side.

5. A film packaging material as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the front side of the first layer has a display layer that indicates that the variable information is displayed on the back side thereof, and the first layer and the display layer have a brightness or color difference that allows the display on the display layer to be visually readable from the front side.

6. A long film in which the film packaging material according to claim 3 or 4 is connected in a strip-like shape, and at least some of the multiple pieces of variable information displayed on the long film are different from the other pieces of variable information.

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