Flexible bags – Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag... – Line of weakness delineates substantially the entire tearing...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-08-14
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag...
Line of weakness delineates substantially the entire tearing...
C206S494000, C229S125350, C229S169000, C229S245000, C229S122200, C383S210000, C383S042000, C383S066000, C383S067000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273610
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package of a soft sheet for packaging a content such as dry tissues, wet tissues, wipes, sanitary napkins, granular articles, foods or the like or even liquids.
2. Related Art
The package of the soft sheet is generally exemplified by a lengthwise pillow type.
FIG. 11
is a perspective view showing the lengthwise pillow type package of the prior art for packaging wet tissues.
The package shown in
FIG. 11
is manufactured by: jointing the edge portions of packaging materials (
1
) of a soft sheet having laminated aluminum foils and resin films in a joining state to form a longitudinal sealing portion in a cylindrical shape; and sealing the two longitudinal end portions of the cylindrical packaging material (
1
) to form side sealing portions (
2
) and (
3
). Generally, with one side sealing portion (
2
) being formed, the packaging material (
1
) is charged with a content from the other opening, and this opening is closed to form the side sealing portion (
3
).
The package shown in
FIG. 11
is formed with an opening (
4
) in a portion of the packaging material (
1
), and the wet tissues (
5
) as the content can be taken out one by one from the opening (
4
). The opening (
4
) is covered with a cover sheet (
6
). The cover sheet (
6
) is adhered to the surface of the packaging material (
1
) through an adhesive layer which can be repeatedly peeled and adhered. The package can be air-tightly sealed by closing the opening (
4
) with the cover sheet (
6
), when the wet tissues (
5
) is not to be taken out.
In the package shown in
FIG. 11
, the so-called “gusset folds” (
7
,
7
) are formed on the two sides of the side sealing portions (
2
) and (
3
). The height size of the package becomes so gradually thinner at the gusset folds (
7
,
7
) as to merge into the side sealing portions (
2
) and (
3
). When a cubic content such as stacked wet tissues is packaged, therefore, it cannot be accommodated in a portion of a size L containing the gusset folds (
7
,
7
). This makes the entire volume of the package larger than the content volume. In the longitudinal direction of the package, moreover, the side sealing portions (
2
) and (
3
) protrude to enlarge the outer size of the package more.
As a result, there arises a problem that when a small-sized package for packaging a stack of small-folded wet tissues (
5
) is to be formed, the size of the entire package cannot be sufficiently reduced.
On the other hand, if a package is formed into the box shape for packaging the cubic content, no wasteful space is left in the package, and the large projections such as the side sealing portions (
2
) and (
3
) can be eliminated.
The box-shaped package of this kind can be formed by vacuum- or pressure-forming a hard PET resin sheet. However, this forming method requires a forming step using a mold so that it raises the cost. Since the emptied package is hard, moreover, it increases the volume of waste when disposed.
In the food packaging field, on the other hand, there exists a package which is formed from paper into a box shape. However, this paper package has its strength lost when charged with a wet content.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provides a package comprising a box body having an opening and a cover member for closing the opening of the box body, the box body being formed of a packaging material of a soft sheet having a monolayer of a resin film or a multi-layer structure having a resin film and having:
(a) a rectangular bottom face portion;
(b) four side face portions folded from the four sides of the bottom face portion;
(c) corner sealing portions formed by jointing the inner faces of the side face portions at corner portions between the adjoining side face portions;
(d) flange portions folded outward of the box body from the upper ends of the side face portions substantially at a right angle thereto and with a predetermined width size; and
(e) flange jointing portions jointing the flange portions folded from the side face portions without any clearance between each other at the upper ends of the corner portions between the adjoining side face portions,
the cover member being formed of a packaging material of a soft sheet having a monolayer of a resin film or a multi-layer structure having a resin film and jointed to the upper surfaces of the flange portions and the flange jointing portions which are formed continuously along the upper ends of the side face portions and the upper ends of the corner portions.
For example, the corner sealing portions as mentioned at (c) above may be formed to extend along the corner portions between the adjoining side face portions with a predetermined width size, and in the flange jointing portions as mentioned at (e) above, jointed sealing portions may be formed continuing to the corner sealing portion, so that each jointed sealing portion extends from the corner portion outward of the box body at an obtuse angle to the respective side face portions adjoining to each other and joins the flange portions of the adjoining side face portions. Here, if the width sizes of the flange portions are the same, the jointed sealing portion has an angle of about 135° to the respective side face portions.
Preferably, at least the inner surface of the box body is formed of a weldable packaging material so that the aforementioned sealing portions are formed by a heat sealing method, an ultrasonic sealing method or a high-frequency sealing method. Alternatively, the sealing portions may be formed by adhering the overlapping surfaces of the soft sheet together with e.g., a hot-melt adhesive.
The packaging material of the soft sheet of the box body may be of higher rigidity than the packaging material of the cover member, and the cover member may be jointed to the flange portions and the flange jointing portions by an easy peeling type sealant layer.
The cover member may be formed with perforations along which the cover member can be torn to open the package.
Alternatively, the cover member may be formed with an opening, and a cover sheet for closing the opening of the cover member may be adhered to the surface of the cover member repeatedly separably therefrom.
As a further alternative, the box body may be formed at the bottom face portion with an opening from which the content can be taken out so that the package is to be used while the cover member is directed downward. In this case, preferably, a cover sheet for closing the opening formed at the bottom face portion is adhered to the surface of the bottom face portion repeatedly separably therefrom.
One flange portion folded from any one of the side face portions may be larger in width size than the other flange portions, and the flange portion with a larger width size may be holed or slotted to form a hook portion.
A plurality of box bodies may be connected to one another through the flange portions. In this case, perforations are preferably formed between the connected flange portions for facilitating the separation of the box bodies.
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pat
Bando Takeshi
Iida Yukiko
Koyama Yasuhiro
Saitou Ikuya
Darby & Darby
Garbe Stephen P.
Uni-Charm Corporation
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