Flexible bags – Bag closure secured by a releasable or frangible bond
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-02
2001-12-04
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
Bag closure secured by a releasable or frangible bond
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325542
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package bag enclosing various objects to be packed, particularly hermetically enclosing foods and seasonings, and also relates to a packaging device, which continuously form such a package bag while enclosing the objects to be packed in the package bag.
2. Discussion of Background
A conventional technique discloses a rectangular package bag, made of a fusion-bondable film, in which an object to be packed is enclosed by thermally sealed portions, provided along three sides or four sides, under a state that the object to be packed is enclosed in an inside of the package bag.
When a sealant layer, which is fusion-bonded so that interfacial peeling, ply separation, or cohesive failure can occur, is formed in an inside of the film configuring this kind of the package bag, it is possible to take the object to be packed out of the package bag by pulling portions of the film on both sides of the package bag so as to break the thermally sealed portion without cutting the package bag.
However, even though the sealant layers, thermally sealed so as to occur the interfacial peeling or the like, are provided in the inside of the film configuring the package bag so that the sealant layer of a film forming a surface of the package bag and the sealant layer of a film forming another surface of the package bag are fusion-bonded in the thermally sealed portion, a sufficient force should be applied to open the package bag since there is a tendency that a tensile force to the films is uniformly applied to entirely of the thermally sealed portion, which is simply formed. Although it is possibly to adopt a method of forming the thermal seal so as to cause the interfacial peeling or the like with a relatively small force, it is difficult to stably maintain an enclosed state of the object to be packed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the conventional technique and to provide a package bag, which can be relatively easily opened by breaking a thermally sealed portion of the package bag upon application of a tensile force in directions of separating both surfaces of the package bag without deteriorating an enclosed state of an object to be packed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging device, which continuously forms such a package bag while successively enclosing the object to be packed into the package bag.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package bag, which is configured by a film including a sealant layer, provided in an inside of the film so as to occur interfacial peeling, ply separation, or cohesive failure, wherein the package bag is in a rectangular shape while enclosing the object to be packed by forming thermally sealed portions in, at least, three sides or four sides under a state that the object to be packed is enclosed in an inside of the package bag, wherein at least one of the thermally sealed portions along at least one of sides of the package bag is a strippable sealed portion, which is formed in a wave-like shape in a part of an edge of the sealed portion directed to a film edge or in a V-like shape protruding toward the film edge under a state that an unsealed portion, as stripping margins, is left between the film edge and the strippable sealed portion in the at least one side.
According to such a structure, it is possible to pull film portions on the both sides of the package bag in the directions of separating the film portions by picking the stripping margins formed in the side of the package bag, which side is provided with the strippable sealed portion.
When the film portions are pulled as such, the tensile force is firstly concentrated on peaks of the wave-like shape or the V-like shape in the edge of the strippable sealed portion, whereby a part of the strippable sealed portion is broken by the interfacial peeling, the ply separation, or the cohesive failure with a relatively small tensile force. Accordingly, once the part of the strippable sealed portion is broken, the other part is easily and continuously broken from the firstly broken portion to the opposite side by a continuous application of a tensile force.
In this package bag according to the present invention, the films are easily separated to an extent necessary for taking out the object to be packed enclosed in the package bag by relatively easily destroying a sealed condition of the side, provided with the strippable sealed portion of the package bag in a rectangular-like shape upon a pulling operation with the stripping margin picked.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging device for continuously forming package bags, enclosing objects to be packed, by continuously providing first thermally sealed portions along with a conveying direction of a film, wherein the film is a continuous film, having a sealant layer to be fusion-bonded on a surface thereof so as to occur interfacial peeling, ply separation, or cohesive failure, which film is conveyed and doubled toward the sealant layer, or two sheets of continuous films, respectively having a sealant layer to be fusion bonded on a surface thereof so as to occur the interfacial peeling, the ply separation, or the cohesive failure, the two sheets of films are conveyed in a state that the sealant layers face each other and provided with second thermal seals in directions perpendicular to the conveying direction with predetermined intervals for enclosing the objects to be packed between the adjacent two second thermal seals comprising: a pair of thermal rolls respectively having an annular protrusion for providing the first thermally sealed portions on the film, transferred between the pair of thermal rolls, wherein the annular protrusion of at least one of the thermal rolls is a rib-like protrusion, which is pressed on the film to form an unsealed portion between an edge of the film and the first thermally sealed portion in the conveying direction of the film and formed in a substantially wave-like shape or a substantially zigzag-like shape along a rotating direction of the thermal roll, or a rib-like protrusion for making a side edge of the film like a zigzag, which rib-like protrusion is in a substantially wave-like shape or a substantially zigzag-like shape along the rotating direction of the thermal roll.
According to such a structure, it is possible to continuously form the first thermally sealed portions to be in a zigzag belt-like shape or a wave-like belt-like shape by the rib-like protrusion, or is possible to form the edge of the sealed portion on the side of the film edge along with the conveying direction of the film to be in a V-like shape or a wave-like shape, wherein such is realized under a state that the unsealed portion between the first thermally sealed portion and the film edge are formed along the conveying direction of the film.
By providing the second thermally sealed portion in the film having the first thermally sealed portion, the package bags with these inner spaces sealed are continuously formed by the first thermally sealed portions in the conveying direction of the film and the pair of second thermally sealed portions in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.
As a result, according to the packaging device according to the present invention, it is possible to continuously and appropriately form the package bags having the first thermally sealed portion in the wave-like belt-like shape or the zigzag belt-like shape, which can be easily pulled for separating these on the both surfaces of the package bags via the unsealed portion as the stripping margins and easily broken by causing the interfacial peeling or the like by the pull or those having the first thermally sealed portion of which edge on the side of the film edge being along the conveying direction of the film, is the V-like shape or the wave-like shape.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3120336 (1964-
Komatsu Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Pascua Jes F.
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