Patent Application
20180002062
The present invention relates to a pour spout and a packaging container with the pour spout.
Packaging containers are known having a container body with a pour spout such as that shown in
Such packaging containers can take various forms. One such packaging container has a gable roof panel formed with a cap and a pour spout which are made of, for example, polyethylene. The cap and pour spout allow liquids inside the container to be poured out. For environmental preservation, a used empty container should desirably be sorted and collected, and a pour spout welded to a container body made of a paper sheet material should desirably be separated from it for disposal to reduce the amount of waste. The container and pour spout can be separated by opening the top seal and cutting a sheet material around the pour spout using scissors or the like. However, such packaging containers are usually hard to break down because the top seal is firmly welded thereto, and cutting such packaging containers with scissors or the like is time-consuming. For these reasons, such containers are often discarded without separation of a pour spout.
Against this background, liquid paper containers have been developed having a pour spout readily separable therefrom. PTL 2 discloses a paper package, which is a paper container made with scores and a pour spout having an annular thin-walled portion formed on the inner upper surface of an annulus (flange). The paper package is folded along the scores, which allows the annular thin-walled portion to break, resulting in a cylindrical section of the pour spout separating from the paper container.
PTL 3 discloses a spout assembly formed of a pour spout and a cap. The spout assembly has a breakable thin-walled portion formed on the inner upper surface of a flange extending outwardly from the lower end of the outer surface of a side wall that serves as a pouring passage of the pour spout. The portion of the upper surface extending radially outwardly from the thin-walled portion is bonded to a periphery of an opening of a liquid paper container. When the thin-walled portion breaks, the portion of the flange extending outwardly from the thin-walled portion is completely separated from the side wall.
PTL 1: JP 2003-335362 A
PTL 2: JP 5469421 B
PTL 3: JP 2011-73748 A
However, a pour spout with a thin-walled portion (as described in PTL 2 and 3) has a less rigid flange. Because of the reduced rigidity, when the pour spout is welded to a paper container by ultrasonic welding, the thin-walled portion and its surroundings may deform due to ultrasonic vibrations, or the cylindrical section may rise from the flange, or pinholes may form in the thin-walled portion, or the thin-walled portion may break, or the thin-walled portion may not be broken after welding. In these cases, the pour spout may be improperly welded to the paper container.
With such a pour spout, stable welding has not been achieved even if the shape of a horn of an ultrasonic sealing machine or the intensity of ultrasound is adjusted. For uniform sealing, the intensity of an ultrasonic energy is conventionally high. This approach, however, may deform a flange of the spout assembly, in which case the contents of the paper container are more likely to leak.
The present invention has been made in view of these problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a pour spout that is sufficiently rigid to be prevented from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding and that can still be readily separated from a packaging container being broken down, and a packaging container with the pour spout.
To overcome the problems, an aspect of the present invention provides a pour spout including a cylindrical sidewall and a disk-like flange extending outwardly from one end of the sidewall. The flange has a to-be-cut portion formed with a plurality of recesses that are annularly arranged and separated by a plurality of ribs.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a pour spout including a cylindrical sidewall and a disk-like flange extending outwardly from one end of the sidewall. On the flange's bottom surface opposite the sidewall, the flange has an annular recess and at least one annular projection that is outwardly spaced from the annular recess a predetermined distance.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a packaging container that is formed by folding a sheet material into a box-like shape, and that includes a container body with a pouring opening and the above-described pour spout mounted in the pouring opening, with its flange welded to the sheet material.
The present invention provides a pour spout that is sufficiently rigid to be prevented from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding and that can still be readily separated from a packaging container being broken down, and a packaging container with the pour spout.
The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the drawings, the same or equivalent components are represented by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Further, although the description has been made with reference to a limited number of embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, and modifications of the above embodiments on the basis of the above disclosure is obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art. That is, the present invention may not be limited to the aforementioned embodiments. Design modifications or the like can also be made to the above embodiments on the basis of a knowledge of a skilled person in the art, and such modifications or the like without departing from the principle of the present invention are encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
A pour spout 1 and a packaging container 3 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<Packaging Container>
<Pour Spout>
The sidewall 11 has an outer screw thread 12 on its outer peripheral surface 21. The outer screw thread 12 allows the cap 2, which has a screw thread on its inner peripheral surface, to be screwed from above. Below the outer screw thread 12 are three projections 19 which are formed as part of the outer peripheral surface 21 of the sidewall 11 so as to equally divide the circumference of the sidewall 11. Below the projections 19 is a disk-like flange 15 extending outwardly from the outer peripheral surface 21 of the sidewall 11. A surface of the flange 15 on the sidewall 11 side is joined to the container body 100 by ultrasonic welding. The container body 100 is sandwiched between the projection 19 and the flange 15.
As shown in
In the plan view of the flange 15, twenty-four ribs 18 are disposed extending radially from the center of the sidewall 11 so as to equally divide the circumference of the sidewall 11. As shown in
The partition wall 14 is formed near the lower end of the sidewall 11 to separate the interior of the sidewall 11 into a section on the upper end side and a section on the lower end side. The partition wall 14 is connected to the sidewall 11 by a half-cut portion 16, which is a thin outer peripheral portion formed annularly. The upper surface of the partition wall 14 is connected to a pull ring 13 via a pillar. To open the packaging container 3, a user raises the pull ring 13, which causes the partition wall 14 to break along the half-cut portion 16, allowing the user to pull out the broken partition wall 14 from the sidewall 11, which results in the sections on the upper and lower ends of the sidewall 11 communicating with each other.
By appropriately setting the number of ribs 18, the thickness (d1) of a recessed portion of the flange 15, the distance (d2) by which recesses 17 are separated by a rib 18, and the width (d3) of a recess 17, the flange 15 and the sidewall 11 are readily separated from each other along the to-be-cut portion 22, and the flange 15 has greater rigidity that prevents it from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations. For example, the number of the ribs 18 may be in the range from 24 or more to 48 or less, and the d1 and d2 may be in the range from 0.15 mm or more to 0.3 mm or less, especially from 0.2 mm or more to 0.25 mm or less. This configuration prevents breakage of the flange 15 due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding while allowing the flange 15 and the sidewall 11 to be readily separated from each other along the to-be-cut portion 22. When, for example, d1 to d3 satisfy the relationship d2≦d1, the to-be-cut portion 22 breaks in the order d2, d1 during separation, allowing the flange 15 and side wall 11 to be separated from each other more readily. In the case of d1≦d3, for example, a portion near the to-be-cut portion 22 bends or extends appropriately for easier separation.
<Variation 1 on Pour Spout>
The rib 18 can take various shapes.
<Variation 2 on Pour Spout>
Besides the plurality of ribs 181, a plurality of ribs 182 are formed on a pour spout (
<Blank>
<Sheet Material>
Referring to
The cut portion 207a may have any depth that allows the paper substrate layer 202 to provide sufficient strength of the packaging container 3. The cut portion 207a may be formed by half-cutting process or full-cutting process using a cutting die. The cut portions may be perforations to allow the packaging container 3 to have sufficient strength. The cut portion 207b may be formed by laser beam machining after lamination of the barrier layer 204. Before lamination of the barrier layer 204, the cut portion 207b may be formed by half-cutting process or full-cutting process using a cutting die, or by laser beam machining before lamination of the barrier layer 204. The cut portion 207b may also be perforations to allow the packaging container 3 to have sufficient strength.
The thermoplastic resin layer 201 may be formed on the paper substrate layer 202 by extrusion lamination or the like, using low-density polyethylene resin (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene resin (LLDPE), or the like.
The printed layer 208 provided outwardly of the thermoplastic resin layer 201 may show a pattern or product information. The printed layer 208 may be formed by gravure printing, offset printing, or the like using known ink. The adhesion of the thermoplastic resin layer 201 to the printed layer 208 may be increased by corona treatment or the like that facilitates the adhesion therebetween. An overcoat layer may be provided outwardly of the printed layer to increase wear resistance or degree of freedom in surface decoration.
The paper substrate layer 202 may be formed of, for example, base paper for milk cartons. The basis weight and density of a container may be selected depending on the volume, design, or the like thereof.
The adhesive layer of resin 203 is formed of polyolefin resin and provides adhesion between the paper substrate layer 202 and barrier layer 204. Specifically, the adhesive layer of resin 203 may be formed of, for example, high-density polyethylene resin (HDPE), medium-density polyethylene resin (MDPE), LDPE, LLDPE, ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA), ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (EAA), ionomer, polypropylene (PP). For greater adhesion, a surface of the paper substrate layer 202 or barrier layer 204 may be subjected to corona treatment, ozonation, anchor coating, or the like. Another way to increase the adhesion is to use a dry lamination adhesive instead of the adhesive layer of resin.
The barrier layer 204 may be formed of a deposition film including a substrate film 204a and a deposition layer 204b which is formed by depositing silica, alumina, metal such as aluminum, or the like. An alternative is to use a laminated film formed by laminating a metal foil 204c such as of aluminum to the substrate film 204a using dry lamination. In the example shown in
The substrate film 204a may be a resin film formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, polypropylene (PP), or the like. In particular, a biaxially-oriented PET film is preferable because it has low expansion and shrinkage during deposition or lamination.
The adhesive layer 205 may be a dry laminating adhesive or solventless laminating adhesive; instead, an extruded polyolefin resin may be used to provide adhesion.
The sealant layer 206 may be formed of HDPE, MDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, or the like. There may be a layer containing polybutene. In particular, LLDPE is preferable. Preferably, the sealant layer 206 is a non-oriented film formed by T-die extrusion or blown film extrusion. The layer structure of the sheet material 200 and the weakened portion 105 are not limited to the above examples, and can be embodied in various forms.
The pour spout 1 is ultrasonically welded to the container body 100 in the following way. First, the sidewall 11 of the pour spout 1 is inserted into the pouring opening 114 of the container body 100 from the inner surface side of the container body 100, and the surface of the flange 15 on the sidewall 11 side is placed against the inner surface of the roof panel 106a. As shown in
<Separating Method>
A method of separating the pour spout 1 will now be described.
<<Flattening Process>>
<<Folding Process>>
Since the crease of the roof panel 106 passes through the pouring opening 114, a portion of the flange 15 of the pour spout 1 mounted in the pouring opening 114 is bent in the same direction as the roof panel 106 when subjected to loads. Since the to-be-cut portion 22 is formed in the pour spout 1, a portion around the pour spout 1 breaks at least partially as shown on the right portion of
<<Process of Separating Pour Spout>>
As described above, the present embodiment provides a pour spout that is sufficiently rigid to be prevented from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding and that is readily separated from a packaging container being broken down, and a packaging container with the pour spout.
The second embodiment of the present invention will now be described.
<Packaging Container>
<Blank>
<Sheet Material>
The sheet material may have a layer structure similar to that of the first embodiment. That is, the sheet material may include a printed layer, thermoplastic resin layer, paper substrate layer, adhesive layer of resin, barrier layer, adhesive layer, and sealant layer in that order from the outside of the packaging container 3.
<Pour Spout>
The sidewall 31 has an outer screw thread 32 on its outer peripheral surface 41. The outer screw thread 32 allows the cap 5, which has a screw thread on its inner peripheral surface, to be screwed from above. Below the outer screw thread 32 are three projections 39 which are formed as part of the outer peripheral surface 41 of the sidewall 31 so as to equally divide the circumference of the sidewall 31. Below the projections 39 is a disk-like flange 35 extending outwardly from the outer peripheral surface 41 of the sidewall 31. A surface of the flange 35 on the sidewall 31 side is joined to the container body 120 by ultrasonic welding. The container body 120 is sandwiched between the projection 39 and the flange 35.
As shown in
In the plan view of the flange 35, fifteen ribs 38 are disposed extending radially from the center of the sidewall 31 so as to equally divide the circumference of the sidewall 31. As shown in
The partition wall 34 is formed near the lower end of the sidewall 31 to separate the interior of the sidewall 31 into a section on the upper end side and a section on the lower end side. The partition wall 34 is connected to the sidewall 31 by a half-cut portion 36, which is a thin outer peripheral portion formed annularly. The upper surface of the partition wall 34 is connected to a pull ring 33 via a pillar. To open the packaging container 6, a user raises the pull ring 33, which causes the partition wall 34 to break along the half-cut portion 36, allowing the user to pull out the broken partition wall 34 from the sidewall 31, which results in the sections on the upper and lower ends of the sidewall 31 communicating with each other.
By appropriately setting the number of ribs 38, the thickness (d7) of a portion of the flange 35 where the recess 37 with the top surface 46 is formed, the circumferential width (d9) of the rib 38, and the radial width (d8) of the recess 37, the flange 35 and the sidewall 31 are readily separated from each other along the to-be-cut portion 42, and the flange 35 has greater rigidity that prevents it from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations.
The number of the ribs 38 may be adjusted depending on the required tensile strength. Preferably, an odd number of the ribs 38 are provided to equally divide the circumference for the following reason. As described later, the user folds the packaging container 6 along a line substantially passing through the diameter of the pour spout 4 when separating the pour spout 4 from the container body 120. The odd number of ribs 38, which each have greater rigidity, will not be located at ends of the pour spout 4's diameter simultaneously, so that separation of the pour spout 4 is not difficult.
Preferably, d7 and d9 are 0.15 mm or more and 0.45 mm or less. With d7 and d9 of 0.15 mm or more, incomplete filling is prevented during integral molding using LDPE, LLDPE, or the like. With d7 and d9 of 0.45 mm or less, a portion around the recess 37 is prevented from breaking due to ultrasonic vibrations while the flange 35 and the sidewall 31 are readily separated from each other along the to-be-cut portion 42. With d7 and d9 set to approximately the same value, an approximately equal load is required to break the recesses 37 and ribs 38. This allows the pour spout 4 to break and separate smoothly with a constant force. More preferably, d7 and d9 are 0.2 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. With d7 and d9 of 0.2 mm or more, poor filling during integral molding is less likely to occur; d7 and d9 of 0.3 mm or less allow easy cutting.
Preferably, d8 is 0.3 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. With d8 of 0.3 mm or more, a mold for integral molding of the pour spout 4 has sufficient strength and is thus durable. With d8 of 1.0 or less, the to-be-cut portion 42 has sufficient strength to prevent deformation and thus improper feeding of the pour spout 4 during use of a capping machine or a filling machine. More preferably, d8 is 0.5 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less. With d8 of 0.5 mm or more, a molding die has sufficient strength; d8 of 0.8 mm or less allows the to-be-cut portion 42 to have sufficient strength.
<Pour Spout>
With the flange 35 welded to the container body 120, the flange 35 is prevented from rising from the to-be-cut portion 42 toward the sidewall 31 due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding when d4 (diameter), d5 (diameter), and d6 (diameter) satisfy Formula 1 for the reason given later, where d4 is an outer diameter of the sidewall 31 at a portion facing the inner peripheral surface of the pouring opening 134, d5 is an inner diameter of the pouring opening 134, and d6 is an outer diameter of the sidewall 31 at a portion connecting the first wall surface 44 to the top surface 46.
d4+d6>2×d5 (Formula 1)
The pour spout 4 is ultrasonically welded to the container body 120 in the following way. First, the sidewall 31 of the pour spout 4 is inserted into the pouring opening 134 of the container body 120 from the inner surface side of the container body 120, and the surface of the flange 35 on the sidewall 31 side is placed against the inner surface of the roof panel 126a. Then, an anvil (not shown) is inserted inside the container body 120, and is placed on the under surface of the roof panel 126a. An ultrasonic horn 209 is placed on the upper surface of the roof panel 126a on the flange 35, and ultrasonic vibrations are produced to weld the roof panel 126 and flange 15.
With d4, d5, and d6 set to satisfy Formula 1, as long as the pour spout 4 is inserted into the pouring opening 134, the pouring opening 134 will not have an inner diameter D2 on the outside of an outer diameter D3 of the first wall surface 44 at any mounting location. With this configuration, the sheet material of the container body 120 covers the top surface 46 of the recess 37 to serve as a bracer, allowing the pour spout 4 to be properly welded without deformation due to ultrasonic vibrations during welding. Further, during distribution, or storage, for example, the recess 37 is protected by the sheet material, providing for a packaging container 6 which will not suffer from unintended breakage.
Formula 1 is derived in the following way. When the pour spout 4 is inserted into the pouring opening 134, with the flange 35 in contact with the sheet material, the clearance between the inner peripheral surface of the pouring opening 134 and a portion of the sidewall 31 facing the inner peripheral surface has a value of 0 or more and (d5−d4) or less, depending on the amount of misalignment between the central axis of the pour spout 4 and the central axis of the pouring opening 134. If the clearance has a maximum value (d5−d4) less than or equal to the distance ([d6−d4]/2) between the outer periphery of the sidewall 31 and the outer periphery of the first wall surface 44, that is, if the formula, (d5−d4)≦(d5−d3)/2, holds, the sheet material of the container body 120 will cover the top surface 46 of the recess 37. Formula 1 is a rearrangement of this formula.
If Formula 1 does not hold, a large amount of misalignment between the central axes of the pour spout 4 and pouring opening 134 leads to the sheet material of the container body 120 not covering and protecting the top surface 46 of the recess 37, as indicated by the dotted line in
The pour spout of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications of, for example, the cross-section of the recess 37 are possible.
<Separating Method>
A method of separating the pour spout 4 will now be described.
<<Flattening Process>>
<<Folding Process>>
Since the crease of the roof panel 126 passes through the pouring opening 134, a portion of the flange 35 of the pour spout 4 mounted in the pouring opening 134 is bent in the same direction as the roof panel 126 when subjected to loads. Since the to-be-cut portion 42 is formed in the pour spout 4, a portion around the pour spout 4 breaks at least partially.
<<Process of Separating Pour Spout>>
The right portion of
The processes are merely illustrative, and are susceptible to various modifications. For example, the packaging container 6 may be provided with a weakened line as appropriate, and folded along it. Further, before or after separation of the pour spout, there may be a process of separating the packaging container 6 into two or more parts.
A fourth embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in a cross-sectional view (upper) of
The sidewall 82 has on its outer side a male thread 821 onto which a cap 88 is screwed, and on its inner side a closure plate 831 of a pull tab 83. The closure plate 831 is connected with the inner side of the sidewall via a weakened line 830, and has a pull ring 8311 connected to the closure plate 831 via a pillar 8312 on the spout side of the closure plate 831. At the lower end of the sidewall 82 is a pedestal 84. The flange 871 is welded into an opening 86 of the paper container 1, extending horizontally from the lower end of the pedestal 84 to the outer side.
The flange 871 has a plurality of concentrically arranged annular recesses 811 in its bottom surface opposite the sidewall. An outer annular recess 8111 has an arched top surface with a large radius of curvature R when viewed in transverse cross-section. With this configuration, the outer annular recess 8111 is less likely to break due to vibrations during ultrasonic welding. The outer annular recess absorbs ultrasonic vibrations produced during welding so that they are not delivered to an inner annular recess. Thus, the outer annular recess prevents breakage of the inner annular recess, and absorbs excess portions of the flange which are melted during welding to the container.
An inner annular recess 8112 has a top surface with a corner having a radius of curvature of 0 or less than the above radius of curvature R when viewed in transverse cross-section. Further, the inner wall of the inner annular recess 8112 is formed near a standing wall 841 of the pedestal 84. Preferably, the inner wall of the inner annular recess 8112 is formed near the position directly under the standing wall 841, or formed inwardly of the standing wall 841. A horn for ultrasonic welding is configured so that it is not positioned directly above the inner annular recess 8112 when the pour spout 87 is welded to a container 81. This configuration prevents breakage of the annular recess due to ultrasonic vibrations of the horn. Thus, the corner of the inner annular recess 8112 on its end breaks first when the pour spout 87 is broken and separated. The horn delivering ultrasonic vibrations to weld the pour spout 87 to the container 81 is basically designed to be in contact with a portion outward of the outer annular recess 8111 or the inner outer recess 8112.
The lower portion of
The outer annular recess 8111 and the inner annular recess 8112 are provided with a plurality of ribs. An outer annular rib 81110 of the outer annular recess 8111 and an inner annular rib 81120 of the inner annular recess 8112, which are adjacent to each other, are offset from each other. That is, these ribs are formed at the positions in different directions as viewed from the center of the flange. Accordingly, the outer annular rib 81110 and the inner annular rib 81120 of the annular recesses are preferably equal in number. With regard to the rib configuration of the plurality of the annular recesses, an outer annular rib thickness d11 of the outer annular recess is set greater than an inner annular rib thickness d10 of the inner annular recess. This is done to increase the strength of the flange of the outer annular recess and to thus prevent the outer annular recess from being easily broken due to ultrasonic vibrations.
A flange thickness d12 at the outer annular recess and a flange thickness d13 at the inner annular recess are set less than the inner annular rib thickness d10 of the inner annular recess, and less than a ring width d14 of the inner annular recess. The flange thicknesses d12 and d13 of the annular recesses are each 0.2 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less. This is because a flange thickness of less than 0.2 mm may result in formation of cracks during ultrasonic welding of the flange to the container body, and a flange thickness of more than 0.3 mm makes cutting difficult. A preferable thickness is 0.23 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.
An outer annular recess width d15 and an inner annular recess width d14 are 0.3 mm or more, preferably 0.5 mm or more. This is because a width of less than 0.3 mm may result in an injection mold having low strength and thus low durability.
The requirements for the material of the pour spout 87 is that it have good weldability to a sealant layer used in a container body, have high resistance to stress cracking so as to be less affected by the contents, and have appropriate rigidity that allows easy capping. The pour spout 87 is preferably formed of a material having a density of 0.900 g/cm3 or more to 0.950 g/cm3 or less, such as low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, or the like. Examples of the material of the pour spout 87 include medium-density polyethylene, mixed resin of low- and high-density polyethylene, ionomer resin, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer added thereto and mixed. In particular, linear low-density polyethylene is preferable. For practical use, such resins are subjected to a test for environmental stress cracking. For this test, pour spouts are molded with various resins, and are each welded to a paper container having the contents with which such containers are intended to be filled. Then the test is conducted, and appropriate material is selected from such resins.
A paper container of the present invention has a substrate formed primarily of paper. The substrate is made of a cardboard having a basic weight of 200 g/m2 to 800 g/m2. For a surface of the substrate to be printed, a coated manila board, coated board, ivory board, or the like that is white on one side may be used. For heat sealing to a portion around an opening of the container, a laminated sheet is used having a sealant layer on its rear surface formed of a thermoplastic film with good sealability, such as a thin polyethylene film, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer film, or polypropylene film, with the thickness of such films set to 15 μm to 100 In particular, the sealant layer is preferably formed of linear low-density polyethylene having a density of 0.925 g/cm3 or less, a melt flow rate of 4 g/10 min or more, and a thickness of 30 to 100 μm. To protect an edge of the paper container, such a sealant layer is preferably disposed on the front surface side as well. Between the paper substrate and the sealant layer, there may be a film that is a laminate of, for example, a high barrier aluminum foil, aluminum deposited polyethylene terephthalate, metal oxide deposited polyethylene terephthalate, saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, or polyamide resin with high resistance to breakage. Examples of the layer structure may include the following from the outside: polyethylene, paper, and polyethylene; polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, inorganic oxide deposited polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene; polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, aluminum deposited polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene; polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, aluminum foil, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene; polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and polyethylene; and polyethylene, paper, polyethylene, adhesive resin, polyamide, adhesive resin, and polyethylene. These structures can be easily made by dry laminating machine, extrusion laminating machine, or the like.
The pour spout according to the present embodiment has good ultrasonic weldability, which enables rapid welding and thus high productivity. Further, the pour spout can be removed for disposal without using cutting tools such as a knife, thus making it safe to use and reducing the burden on a person disposing of it. With the ease of breaking it down, more people are expected to remove the pour spout when disposing of it. Further, since a mold for the present invention is made by adding only an annular recess to a pour spout mold, the mold can be produced in high volume, and the existing production facilities can be used. Thus the present invention offers great advantages.
A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described.
As shown in
The sealing is achieved by ultrasonic sealing. The mounting procedure will be described below. First, a trunk portion and a side portion are formed. Then the spout assembly 900 is put into the container body from its upper end opening, and the sidewall 911 of the spout assembly 900, which is fitted with the cap 2, is inserted into a spout assembly-mount opening.
Then, the flange 912 is brought into contact with the perimeter area of the spout-plug-mount opening on the inside of the container body. The flange 912 is then pressed against the perimeter area from inside by a sealing-receiving anvil of an ultrasonic sealing machine, followed by ultrasonically vibrating the container body from outside using an ultrasonic sealing horn to thereby achieve ultrasonic sealing.
When the flange 912 with this cross-sectional shape is ultrasonically sealed to the container body 902 as mentioned above, the annular projections 914 are brought into contact with the sealing-receiving anvil, with the rest of the flange not being in contact therewith. Also, since the annular projections 914 each have a greater thickness, the vibration energy of the ultrasonic waves is concentrated on the annular projections 914 for melting and sealing. Consequently, melting and sealing are unlikely to occur between the annular projections 914. In addition, no sealing occurs at the annular recessed portion 913.
Accordingly, the thin annular recessed portion 913 remains unchanged even after the flange 912 has been mounted to the container body by ultrasonic sealing. Thus, when the container is discarded after consumption of the contents, the sidewall 11 can be detached from the container body 902 by breaking the annular recessed portion 913. Thus, the container body 902 can be collected for paper recycling, contributing to enhancing ecology.
Since the annular projections 914 are melted and adhered in a concentrated manner, the sealing properties are unlikely to be adversely affected even if the conditions for normally conducted ultrasonic sealing are eased. With the eased ultrasonic sealing conditions, the flange 912 will not be deformed by heat, and the contents are thus prevented from leaking due to insufficient sealing which would otherwise occur due to the deformation.
With regard to the asperity of the flange 912, it is preferred that d16≧d17≧d18 is satisfied, where d16 is the width of the annular recessed portion 913, d17 is a distance from the annular recessed portion 913 to the nearest annular projection 914 that is immediately outside the annular recessed portion 913, and d18 is the width of each annular projection 914.
In particular, the width d18 of the annular projection 914 is preferably small. With this configuration, the ultrasonic vibration energy is likely to be concentrated on the annular projections 914 to easily melt the projections 914. In addition, the energy is unlikely to be transferred to the annular recessed portion 13, eliminating the occurrence of leakage of the contents due to otherwise insufficient sealing.
It is preferred that d19≦d20≦d21 is satisfied, where d19 is the thickness of the annular recessed portion 913, d20 is a recess depth of the annular recessed portion 913, and d21 is a height of the annular projections 914 outside the annular recessed portion 913. When the height d21 of the annular projections 914 is large, energy is likely to be concentrated on the projections 914 to easily melt the projections 914. The annular recessed portion 913, when having a small thickness d19, can be easily cut off and separated when the packaging container is discarded.
The thickness d19 is preferably 0.20 mm or more, and more preferably 0.25 mm or more. If the thickness is less than this, the flange 912 may come off when the cap is opened for example. When an inner lid to be opened by a pull ring is provided to an end of the sidewall, the thickness d19 is preferably greater than the thickness of the thin and easily-broken portion provided along the perimeter of the inner lid. Otherwise, the annular recessed portion 913 may be broken when the inner lid is opened by pulling the pull ring.
The pour spout 91 and the cap 92 of the spout assembly 900 can be produced by injection molding or the like. The pour spout 91, which is for sealing to the inner surface of the container body, is formed by molding a thermoplastic resin that is sealable with a thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene, that forms the inner surface of the container body. The cap 92 preferably has flexibility sufficient to cap the pour spout 91. Preferably, a thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, is used as a material for the cap 92.
The container body 902 to which the spout assembly 900 is mounted is made of a laminate material that is a paper board, such as milk carton base paper, with a thermoplastic resin provided to both the inner and outer surfaces of the paper board. If the laminate material is required to have gas barrier properties, a barrier layer is provided between the paper board and the thermoplastic resin on the inner surface thereof.
An inorganic oxide deposited film is preferably used as the barrier layer. Silica, alumina, or the like is preferably used as the inorganic oxide to be deposited. Examples of materials that can be used for the base of the inorganic oxide deposited film include resin films such as of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, or polypropylene. In particular, a biaxially-oriented resin film is preferably used because such a film is less stretchable during bonding, deposition, or the like. Although not suitable for paper recycling, an aluminum foil may be used as the barrier layer.
The shape of the packaging container in
Since the spout assembly 900 of the present embodiment is provided with the annular projections 914 on the flange 912, the ultrasonic sealing conditions when the spout assembly 900 is mounted to the container body 902 can be eased as described above. The conventional spout assemblies with a flange having flat front and back surfaces have been sealed under standard sealing conditions. Compared with this, the spout assembly 900 of the present embodiment can allow the sealing conditions to be eased as shown in Table 1.
Comparison was made after ultrasonic sealing, in terms of flange sealing deformation and adhesion. The comparison revealed that the conventional spout assembly sealed under the standard sealing conditions had a large deformation in the flange, which would lead to possible leakage of the contents due to the insufficient sealing. In contrast, the spout assembly of the present embodiment sealed under the eased sealing conditions had only a small deformation in the flange, which meant there was substantially no probability of leakage.
In the sealed flange, the thin annular recessed portion 913 remained unchanged. Thus, when the cap of the spout assembly was held and obliquely pulled up, with the container body crushed, the annular recessed portion 913 was broken, and the cap 92 and the sidewall 911 of the pour spout 91 were removed.
To check adhesion, the remaining flange was pulled off from the container body. At this time, the paper board of the container body was delaminated to cause picking. This meant that adhesion had been achieved with uniform sealing, even under the eased sealing conditions.
As described above, the pour spout of the present embodiment, which is provided with the annular projections, enables uniform sealing and is reliably sealed to the container body. In addition, when the pour spout is sealed to the container body, no pin hole is formed in the annular recessed portion due to heat, which prevents leakage of the contents. After use, the pour spout can be easily detached from the container body by breaking the annular recessed portion, and thus is suitable for paper recycling.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be implemented with appropriate modifications. For example, the pour spout of the first embodiment may be combined with the container body of other embodiments.
<Evaluation 1>
Pour spouts of Examples 1 and 2, and Comparative Example were made, for comparison of the sealing conditions therebetween with which the pour spouts were each appropriately sealed to the container body. Table 2 shows the obtained sealing condition.
As Example 1, the pour spout 1 (
As Example 2, the pour spout 1 according to Variation 1 was made. In the pour spout 1, as shown in a plan view (
As Comparative Example, the pour spout 1 was made that had no recesses 17 and no ribs 18.
Appropriate conditions necessary for ultrasonic sealing were determined for the pour spouts of Examples 1 and 2, and Comparative Example, in respect of ultrasonic energy and amplitude (percentage relative to a predetermined amplitude), air pressure when the ultrasonic horn is used, and the time. As shown in Table 1, the ultrasonic energy and amplitude required for sealing was minimized in Examples 1 and 2, compared to Comparative Example. It was confirmed that, in Examples 1 and 2, there was no breakage caused by the ultrasonic vibration in the pour spout after sealing. Also, the pour spouts were easily detached from the respective packaging containers.
<Evaluation 2>
Pour spouts for Examples 3, 4 and 5 were made and evaluated.
A laminate sheet was made with a layer structure including the following from the outside: polyethylene (20 μm in thickness)/paper (400 g/m2 in basis weight)/polyethylene (20 μm in thickness)/silicon oxide deposit (60 μm in deposition thickness)/polyethylene terephthalate (12 μm in thickness)/polyethylene (20 μm in thickness)/linear low-density polyethylene (40 μm in thickness). Based on the developed view (
The same laminate sheet as that of Example 3 was made, and, based on the developed view shown in
The same laminate sheet as that of Example 3 was made, and, based on the developed view shown in
The pout spout 87 with only one annular recessed portion as shown in
<Evaluation Tests>
The paper containers of Examples 3, 4 and 5 were tested, and comparatively evaluated.
<Deformation of Pour Spout>
It was confirmed whether deformation would occur in the entirety of the pour spout or in the flange at the annular recessed portion due to vibrations during ultrasonic sealing.
The mark ++ indicates that deformation occurred neither in the entirety of the pour spout, nor in the flange at the annular recessed portion.
The mark − indicates that deformation occurred both in the entirety of the pour spout and in the flange at the annular recessed portion.
The mark + indicates that deformation occurred either in the entirety of the pour spout, or in the flange at the annular recessed portion.
<Leakage from Pour Spout>
Five paper containers with a pour spout were made for each Example to confirm the occurrence of breakage and split, or formation of a hole in each pour spout, due to vibrations during ultrasonic sealing. Specifically, water was filled in each paper container, placed upside down, and left standing for 3 days to confirm the occurrence of leakage. The mark + indicates that none of the five paper containers suffered leakage. The mark − indicates that at least one of the five paper containers suffered leakage.
<Breakage of Pour Spout When Dismantled (Ease of Breakdown)>
Three paper containers with a pour spout for each Example, that is, a total of nine paper containers with a pour spout, were tested by each of three ordinary housewives to confirm whether the pour spout was broken in the annular recessed potion of the flange and easily detached from the paper container by folding the paper container along the score passing through the center of the pour spout. The mark ++ indicates successful breakdown of eight or more paper containers, the mark + indicates successful breakdown of five or more and seven or less paper containers, and the mark − indicates successful breakdown of four or less paper containers, all within 15 seconds.
<Sealing Between Pour Spout and Paper Container>
Five paper containers were made for each example and 1-liter of water was filled in each of the paper containers. The paper containers were placed upside down, and left standing for 7 days to check for the occurrence of leakage. The mark +++ indicates that none of five paper containers suffered leakage for 7 days. The mark ++ indicates that four paper containers suffered no leakage for 7 days, and one suffered no leakage for 5 or more days. The mark + indicates that three paper containers suffered no leakage for 7 days, and two suffered no leakage for 3 or more days. The mark − indicates that more leakage was caused than in the above.
<Evaluations>
In Example 3, neither pour spout deformation nor leakage was found, and there was no problem in adhesion. Further, in terms of ease of breakdown, the pour spouts of the nine paper containers were reliably detached.
In Example 4, neither pour spout deformation nor leakage was found. Only one paper container suffered little leakage on the 7th day. Further, in terms of ease of breakdown, the pour spouts of the nine paper containers were detached.
In Example 5, the pour spout was deformed to cause strain in the upper plate of the paper container to which the pour spout was mounted. Although there was no leakage, non-uniformity was found in the adhesion test, that is, a problem was found in adhesion. In the breakdown test, the pour spouts were not easily broken at all. Cutters, such as scissors or a knife, were required to be used for detachment.
The pour spouts of Examples 3 and 4 are considered to enhance adhesion to the paper container more than in Examples 1 and 2, owing to the sealing at high temperature and large amplitude. The pour spout of Example 5 was highly evaluated in all evaluation items, under sealing conditions similar to those of Example 1.
The present invention is useful for a paper packaging container or the like for containing liquid or the like.
1. Pour spout; 2. Cap; 3. Packaging container; 11. Sidewall; 12. Outer screw thread; 13. Pull ring; 14. Partition wall; 16. Half-cut portion; 15. Flange; 17. Recess; 18, 181, 182. Rib; 19. Projection; 20. Bottom surface; 21. Outer peripheral surface; 22. To-be-cut portion; 23. Top surface of rib; 100. Container body; 101. Top section; 102. Body section; 103. Bottom section; 105. Weakened portion; 106, 106a, 106b. Roof panel; 107. Fold-back panel; 108. Fold-inward panel; 110. Blank; 111. Side panel; 112. Bottom panel; 113. To-be-sealed section; 114. Pouring opening; 200. Sheet material; 201. Thermoplastic resin; 202. Paper substrate layer; 203. Adhesive layer of resin; 204. Barrier layer; 204a. Substrate film; 204b. Deposition layer; 204c. Metal foil; 205. Adhesive layer; 206. Sealant layer; 207a, 207b. Cut portion; 208. Printed layer; 4. Pour spout; 5. Cap; 6. Packaging container; 31. Sidewall; 32. Outer screw thread; 33. Pull ring; 34. Partition wall; 36. Half-cut portion; 35. Flange; 37. Recess; 38. Rib; 39. Projection; 40. Bottom surface; 41. Outer peripheral surface; 22. To-be-cut portion; 23. Top surface of rib; 44. First wall surface of recess; 45. Second wall surface of recess; 46. Top surface of recess; 47. Rounded section; 120. Container body; 121. Top section; 122. Body section; 123. Bottom section; 126, 126a, 126b. Roof panel; 127. Fold-back panel; 128. Fold-inward panel; 130. Blank; 131. Side panel; 132. Bottom panel; 133. To-be-sealed section; 134. Pouring opening; 209. Ultrasonic horn; 81. Packaging container; 800. Score; 810. Top part; 815. Upper inclined surface; 814. Upper rear inclined surface; 822. Front-side surface; 824. Rear-side surface; 86. Opening; 87. Pour spout; 871. Flange; 811. Annular recess; 8111. Outer annular recess; 81110. Outer annular rib; 8112. Inner annular recess; 81120. Inner annular rib; 82. Sidewall; 821. Male thread; 83. Pull tab; 830. Weakened line; 831. Closure plate; 8311. Pull ring; 8312. Pillar; 84. Pedestal; 841. Standing wall; 842. Thinned portion; 85. Inner annular recess (welded side); 851. Outer annular recess (welded side); 852. Inner annular recess (welded side); 853. Rib (welded side); 88. Cap; 900. Spout assembly; 91. Pour spout; 911. Sidewall; 912. Flange; 913. Annular recessed portion; 914. Annular projection; 92. Cap; 902. Container body.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-068389 | Mar 2015 | JP | national |
| 2015-106682 | May 2015 | JP | national |
| 2015-164623 | Aug 2015 | JP | national |
| 2015-175024 | Sep 2015 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) claiming the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §§120 and 365(c) of International Application No. PCT/JP2016/001804, filed on Mar. 28, 2016, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-068389, filed on Mar. 30, 2015, Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-106682, filed on May 26, 2015, Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-164623, filed on Aug. 24, 2015, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-175024, filed on Sep. 4, 2015, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2016/001804 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 15707775 | US |
