Gas-permeable container sealant

Abstract

A gas-permeable container sealant according to one embodiment comprises a support layer and a seal layer formed of a heat-sealable resin. A hole is formed in a certain portion of the gas-permeable container sealant, and a gas-permeable resin is bonded to gas-permeable paper or gas-permeable nonwoven fabric on the upper surface of the support layer where the hole is formed. Accordingly, a sealant is provided that, while maintaining sealing performance, seals a liquid inside a container, allows gas inside the container to permeate outward, and prevents external air from entering the container by means of the gas-permeable resin together with the gas-permeable paper or nonwoven fabric.

Description

Breathable container sealant

[0001] A breathable container seal is provided.

[0002] In general industrial settings, product manufacturers fill and package containers made of various materials, such as plastic, glass, metal, and paper. These containers are sealed to prevent leakage of the contents until the product reaches the consumer, or to ensure consumer protection and reliability through a seal. This sealing technology is widespread, and container seals with various functions and shapes are already widely used. Furthermore, seals with various types of tabs are used for convenient removal from containers.

[0003] When a conventional container sealant has gas permeability, small holes with a diameter of 10 mm or less are formed in a portion of the sealant, and a membrane filter, which is a breathable non-woven fabric that allows gases such as air and water vapor to pass but not liquids, is attached to the inside or outside surface of the area where the holes are formed. Examples of breathable non-woven fabrics include DuPont's Tyvek non-woven fabric and Gore-Tex's Teflon non-woven fabric. In a conventional membrane filter, when the container sealant attached to the container expands due to the gas generated inside the container, the generated gas is discharged to the outside through the membrane filter of the breathable container sealant. However, since the structure of such a conventional membrane filter is made of a fibrous tissue, fine particles contained in the contents may adhere to the fine ventilation holes of 0.2-0.5 mm or less between the fibrous tissue. For example, if the contents are kimchi, fine red pepper powder may adhere to the membrane filter. If such small foreign substances adhere to the membrane filter, the gas discharge function of the membrane filter will not function, and the expansion of gas inside the container may damage the sealing material. Furthermore, in conventional membrane filters, when the gas generated by the contents inside the container is no longer present, air from outside the container may flow into the container through the membrane filter, causing the contents to spoil.

[0004] Conventional breathable container sealants form small holes of approximately 10 mm or less in a portion of a finished sealant of various shapes, and then attach a membrane filter with the aforementioned breathability. This reduces the gas discharge function when foreign matter adheres to the container interior. However, one embodiment maintains the gas discharge function regardless of whether foreign matter adheres to the container interior, while also maintaining the sealing property.

[0005] One embodiment is to provide a breathable container sealant having a structure that allows gas inside the container to escape to the outside through a breathable resin and prevents air from entering the inside, while having excellent sealing properties in a packaging method for containing fermented food and chemical products expected to generate gas in a container.

[0006] In addition to the above-mentioned tasks, embodiments according to the present invention can be used to achieve other tasks not specifically mentioned.

[0007] A breathable container sealant according to one embodiment comprises a support layer and a seal layer (heat-sealing resin), wherein holes are formed in a certain portion of the sealant, and the breathable resin is bonded to the upper surface of the support layer where the holes are formed, together with breathable paper or breathable nonwoven fabric. Accordingly, a sealant is provided that maintains sealing performance while sealing the liquid inside and selectively allowing only a specific gas to pass through the breathable resin bonded to the paper or nonwoven fabric.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a breathable container sealant comprises a support layer and a heat-sealing resin layer, in which relatively large holes of approximately 5% or more of the total area can be formed depending on the amount of gas discharged, and on the upper surface of the support layer where the holes are formed, a breathable resin that selectively transmits only a specific gas but not a liquid is bonded together with breathable paper or non-woven fabric, so that the breathability of the sealant is maintained, and at the same time, the sealing property of the breathable resin can be maintained.

[0009] Unlike the conventional method of venting gas in a breathable sealant that uses a non-woven membrane to ventilate through micropores, a breathable container sealant according to one embodiment ventilates from a side with high humidity to a side with low humidity by having water vapor particles adsorbed or adhered to the particles of the breathable resin and then venting the water vapor particles to the outside where humidity is low. In this way, due to the characteristic of the breathable resin that ventilates from a side with high humidity to a side with low humidity, the breathable container sealant according to one embodiment can function as a one-way valve that vents gas in only one direction. For example, in the case of food containing liquid or high moisture content, such as kimchi contained in a container, only gas is vented toward the outside of the container by the breathable resin according to one embodiment, and conversely, gas does not enter toward the inside of the container, so the breathable container sealant according to one embodiment can have a one-way valve function. And carbon dioxide and other gases emitted from contents such as kimchi can be emitted together with water vapor through the breathable resin, and outside air does not enter the container through the breathable resin.

[0010] A breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment can be configured as a breathable container sealing material having a surface layer by bonding a film or paper made of a polyester or polyolefin plastic material to an upper layer of a breathable base layer for the purpose of surface printing or surface finishing.

[0011] A breathable container sealant according to one embodiment may be configured as a breathable container sealant in which a backing layer composed of a film or foam film made of a polyester-based, polycarbonate-based, nylon-based, or polyolefin-based material is additionally adhered to a breathable base layer, or an activated carbon resin layer composed of a film or foam film mixed with activated carbon and polyolefin resin for the purpose of absorbing odors. Furthermore, the upper surface of the backing layer may be finished with a surface layer made of a plastic film or paper for printing or surface finishing.

[0012] In one embodiment, a breathable container sealant may include a film layer folded in two or more layers to facilitate opening of the breathable container sealant. The folded film layer may be formed to be positioned between a portion of a support layer of the sealant and a portion of a breathable substrate layer. In addition, the folded film layer is positioned on the outermost side of the breathable container sealant, the lowermost layer of the folded film layer is adhered to the support layer, and the uppermost layer of the folded film layer is adhered to the breathable substrate layer. Accordingly, the uppermost layer of the folded film layer and the breathable substrate layer are combined to form an opening tab, and the breathable container sealant can be easily opened by holding and lifting the opening tab.

[0013] For a breathable container sealant composed of a heat-sealing resin layer with a hole processing, a support layer, a breathable resin layer, and a breathable base layer, various types of breathable sealants can be formed by additionally bonding and laminating various materials on the upper surface of the breathable container sealant according to the purpose and function.

[0014] According to one embodiment, a container sealing material can exhibit a performance in which gas inside the container escapes to the outside and gas outside does not enter, while maintaining a sealing function, through a breathable resin bonded to paper or non-woven fabric.

[0015] According to one embodiment, a container sealant can maintain the seal of the container sealant without bursting or deforming the container by discharging the expanded gas resulting from the generation of gas from the contents within the container due to fermentation or other chemical action.

[0016] A container sealing material according to one embodiment can improve packaging by improving the problem of kimchi, pickled vegetables, pickles or other fermented foods bursting due to gas generation after packaging.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the container sealant may be provided with a handle for removing the sealant, if necessary, to increase ease of use for the consumer.

[0018] According to one embodiment, a container sealant uses carbon barking containing activated carbon in the outermost barking layer, if necessary, to discharge gas generated from a product through a breathable resin bonded with paper or non-woven fabric, and the discharged gas is absorbed by the activated carbon in the carbon barking layer, thereby removing odor caused by the discharged gas.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically illustrating a breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0030] Fig. 12 is a plan view schematically illustrating a breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 13 is a photograph showing a breathable container sealant according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0032] FIG. 14 is a photograph showing a breathable container seal according to one embodiment attached to a container.

[0033] Figure 15 is a photograph showing a conventional breathable container seal (Type A) attached to a container containing kimchi.

[0034] Fig. 16 is a photograph showing a breathable container sealing material (type B) according to one embodiment attached to a container containing kimchi.

[0035] Figure 17 is a photograph taken 15 days after the conventional breathable container sealing material (Type A) of Figure 13 was sealed and packaged.

[0036] Fig. 18 is a photograph taken 15 days after sealing and packaging the breathable container sealant (Type B) according to one embodiment of Fig. 14.

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and the same reference numerals are used throughout the specification for identical or similar components. In addition, detailed descriptions of widely known and publicly known technologies are omitted.

[0038] Throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0039] In order to clearly represent various layers and regions in the drawings, the thicknesses are enlarged. When a part such as a layer, membrane, region, plate, or film is said to be "on" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly on" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. On the other hand, when a part is said to be "directly on" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Conversely, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, plate, or film is said to be "below" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly below" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. On the other hand, when a part is said to be "directly below" another part, it means that there is no other part in between.

[0040] Then, a breathable container sealing material according to one embodiment will be described in detail.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 14, a breathable container sealant according to one embodiment has a configuration for sealing the entrance of a container (2), and includes a heat-sealing resin layer (11) located on the lowermost layer of the sealant (1) and heat-sealing to the entrance of the container (2). A support layer (12) is bonded to the upper portion of the heat-sealing resin layer (11). The heat-sealing resin layer (11) and the support layer (12) form a seal membrane layer (10). A breathable resin layer (21) having heat-sealing properties and breathability and containing a synthetic resin is formed on the upper portion of the seal membrane layer (10), and a breathable base layer (22) is bonded on the breathable resin layer (21). For example, the breathable base layer (22) is breathable paper or non-woven fabric. The breathable base layer (22) together with the breathable resin layer (21) form a breathable backing (gas permeable backing) layer (20). In the configuration of the sealant (1), the seal membrane layer (10) including the heat-sealing resin layer (11) and the support layer (12) has one or more holes (19) formed in it. For example, the size of the one or more holes (19) may be approximately 5% or more of the total area of ​​the sealant (1). On the support layer (12), which is the upper layer of the seal membrane layer (10) in which one or more holes (19) are formed, a breathable base layer (22) including paper or non-woven fabric is bonded with a breathable resin layer (21) having heat adhesiveness, thereby forming the sealant (1). This sealant (1) has a structure in which a gas (4) inside the container (2) can be discharged to the outside of the container (2) through the breathable resin layer (21) and the breathable base layer (22) having breathable properties while maintaining the sealing performance for the container (2). The gas (4) inside the container (2) may include gas generated from the contents (3), gas contained inside the container (2) when sealed, or both. For example, the gas (4) may be discharged through the front, back, and side surfaces of the breathable resin layer (21) and the breathable substrate layer (22).

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, a backing layer (30) composed of a polyester-based, polycarbonate-based, nylon-based, or polyolefin-based film or foam film can be adhered to the breathable substrate layer (22) by an adhesive layer (91).

[0043] Referring to Fig. 4, an activated carbon resin layer (40) composed of a film, foam film, or sheet form in which activated carbon with a deodorizing function and polyolefin resin are synthesized can be formed on a breathable base layer (22).

[0044] When bonding the breathable substrate layer (22) and the activated carbon resin layer (40), the adhesive (92) used therefor is partially applied in a stripe or dot form, so that it has a structure in which the gas generated inside the container and the activated carbon can effectively come into contact.

[0045] Referring to Fig. 5, a surface layer (50) composed of one of a polyester film, a polypropylene film, a nylon film, or paper for surface finishing and printing can be formed on the activated carbon resin layer (40). The surface layer (50) can be adhered to the activated carbon resin layer (40) by an adhesive layer (93).

[0046] In the seal membrane layer (10), the heat-sealing resin layer (11) is formed by coating or laminating a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic film capable of heat sealing on the lower surface of the support layer (12). For example, the thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic film has heat adhesive properties for plastic containers or glass containers.

[0047] In the seal membrane layer (10), the support layer (12) may be composed of a non-metallic plastic film layer containing only plastic material, an aluminum foil layer, or a metal composite film layer combining the two.

[0048] In the support layer (12), the non-metallic plastic film layer may be composed of a single layer made of one of a polyolefin film or a polymer type material such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, or ethylene vinyl acetate. Alternatively, the support layer (12) may be composed of a non-metallic composite film layer formed by laminating a plurality of non-metallic plastic film layers.

[0049] The gas permeable resin layer (21) is composed of a resin that is thermoplastic and heat-sealing, and has permeability to water vapor gas. In addition, the gas permeable resin layer (21) has low oxygen permeability. For example, the gas permeable resin may be composed of one of the resins made of a polymer such as an ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer or a co-polyester, or may be composed of a resin in which these two types of resins are appropriately mixed to control the amount of water vapor permeability.

[0050] The breathable substrate layer (22) may include one or more of a paper or a plastic nonwoven fabric such as a polyester or polyolefin-based fabric that allows ventilation in any direction of the front, back, or side.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 10, a breathable container sealant (1) may include a film layer (60) folded in two or more layers to facilitate opening of the breathable container sealant (1). For example, the folded film layer (60) may be composed of a polyester-based, polycarbonate-based, nylon-based, or polyolefin-based film. The folded film layer (60) may be formed to be positioned between a portion of the seal membrane layer (10) of the sealant (1) and a portion of the breathable barking layer (20). The folded film layer (60) may be adhered between the seal membrane layer (10) and the breathable barking layer (20) by an adhesive layer (94). In addition, the folded film layer (60) is positioned on the outermost side of the breathable container sealant (1). For example, the folded film layer (60) may have a planar shape including a straight portion (69) and a curved portion (68), and this planar shape may constitute the planar shape of the opening tab (70). For example, if the container entrance is circular, the opening tab (70) may have a semicircular shape, and if the container entrance is square, the opening tab (70) may have a square shape. The lowermost layer of the folded film layer (60) is bonded to the seal membrane layer (10), and the uppermost layer of the folded film layer (60) is bonded to the breathable barking layer (20). Accordingly, the uppermost layer of the folded film layer (60) and the breathable barking layer (20) are combined to form the opening tab (70), and the breathable container sealant (1) can be easily opened by holding and lifting this opening tab (70).

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the breathable container sealant (1) can form the breathable base layer (22) in a band shape by utilizing the adhesiveness of the breathable resin layer (21) without a separate adhesive layer for adhering the surface layer (50), and can adhere the surface layer (50) directly on the breathable resin layer (21). Accordingly, the planar area of ​​the breathable base layer (22) can be smaller than the planar area of ​​the surface layer (50). In addition, the support layer (12) can be adhered directly under the breathable resin layer (21) by utilizing the adhesiveness of the breathable resin layer (21) without a separate adhesive layer for adhering the breathable resin layer (21) to the support layer (12). Accordingly, since the adhesive layer is not necessary, the bonding process can be omitted, and gas discharge can occur more easily through the space of the band-shaped breathable base layer (22).

[0053] The thickness of the breathable resin layer (21) may be about 0.010 mm to about 0.100 mm.

[0054] The sealing material (1) including the heat-sealing resin layer (11) and the support layer (12) includes a single or multiple holes (19), and the sum of the areas of these holes (19) may be about 5% to about 90% of the inlet area of ​​the entire container (2).

[0055] Referring to Fig. 13, a breathable container sealing material (1) has a single hole (19) formed therein, and seals the container (2) so that ventilation can be achieved through the single hole (19).

[0056] Referring to Fig. 14, a breathable container sealant (10) is formed with an opening tab including a straight portion (69), and an activated carbon resin layer (40) is also formed under a surface layer (50) as shown in Fig. 10.

[0057] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the following examples are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0058] Comparative example (Type A sealant)

[0059] A conventional breathable container sealant (Type A) is used, using a Gore-Tex Teflon membrane. The sealant is circular and approximately 85 mm in diameter. A single circular ventilation hole is formed in the sealant, and the diameter of the ventilation hole is approximately 40 mm. After covering the container containing kimchi with the Type A sealant, a photograph is taken, as shown in Figure 15.

[0060] Example (Type B sealant)

[0061] A sealant is manufactured using an ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer (EMC) breathable resin. The breathable resin has a thickness of approximately 0.03 mm. The sealant is circular and has a diameter of approximately 85 mm. A single circular ventilation hole is formed in the sealant, and the diameter of the ventilation hole is approximately 40 mm. After covering the container containing kimchi with the B-type sealant, a photograph is taken as in Fig. 16.

[0062] Breathability test results

[0063] For containers using sealants according to the comparative example (type A sealant) and sealants according to the example (type B sealant), photographs are taken of each sealant 15 days after sealing and packaging.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 17, the sealant according to the comparative example (Type A sealant) is always ventilated by air through the Teflon membrane, so no pressure difference occurs between the inside and outside of the sealant. The inside of the container expands due to the pressure increase caused by the fermentation gas generated as the contents ferment, and the fermentation gas escapes through the Teflon membrane. When the fermentation is completed and the generation of the fermentation gas decreases, air flows into the container, causing the contents to begin to rot.

[0065] However, referring to Fig. 18, in the sealant according to the embodiment (type B sealant), the inside of the container expands due to the increase in pressure caused by the fermentation gas, but the carbon dioxide generated as the fermentation gas of the kimchi is dissolved in the water and water vapor contained in the contents of the container, and then is adsorbed by the ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer and then discharged out of the container together with the water vapor. Accordingly, the ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer blocks the inflow of air into the container, causing a vacuum phenomenon to occur inside the container, resulting in the sealant being sucked into the container. The breathable resin according to one embodiment has breathability for water vapor gas, but has low breathability for oxygen, which is mainly contained in air. Therefore, the principle of ventilation in only one direction is applied by ventilation occurring from a side with high humidity to a side with relatively low humidity. Accordingly, the contents of the container are prevented from reacting with oxygen contained in the air and spoiling, thereby extending the preservation period.

[0066] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Sealing the container entrance, a seal membrane layer including one or more holes, and A gas permeable backing layer positioned on the seal membrane layer, covering the one or more holes, and having breathability Including, The above seal membrane layer includes a heat-sealing resin layer that is heat-sealed to the container inlet, and a support layer that is adhered on the heat-sealing resin layer. A breathable container sealant, wherein the breathable barking layer comprises a breathable resin layer containing a synthetic resin and having breathability (gas permeable resin layer), and a breathable base layer (gas permeable base layer) adhered on the breathable resin layer and containing paper or non-woven fabric.

2. In paragraph 1, A breathable container sealant further comprising a backing layer positioned on the breathable substrate layer and composed of a polyester-based, polycarbonate-based, nylon-based, or polyolefin-based film or foam film.

3. In paragraph 1, A breathable container sealing material, further comprising an activated carbon resin layer positioned on the breathable substrate layer and composed of a synthetic resin film or foam film containing activated carbon.

4. In paragraph 3, A breathable container sealant, wherein the adhesive used when the breathable substrate layer and the activated carbon resin layer are bonded is partially applied in a striped or dotted form.

5. In paragraph 1, A breathable container sealing material further comprising a surface layer formed of one of polyester film, polypropylene film, nylon film or paper, positioned on the breathable substrate layer and finishing the surface.

6. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned support layer is a breathable container sealing material composed of a non-metallic plastic film layer containing only plastic material, an aluminum foil layer, or a metal composite film layer combining the two.

7. In paragraph 1, A breathable container sealant further comprising a film layer folded in two or more layers to assist in opening the breathable container sealant.

8. In paragraph 7, A breathable container sealant, wherein the folded film layer is bonded between the seal membrane layer and the breathable barking layer.

9. In paragraph 7, A breathable container sealant having a structure in which the folded film layer and the breathable barking layer are combined to form a tear tab.

10. In paragraph 1, A breathable container sealant, wherein the breathable base layer has a band shape, the support layer is directly bonded to the heat-sealing resin layer, and further includes a surface layer directly bonded on the heat-sealing resin layer.

Images