Opening Means in Pillow Package Bag Provided with Easy Unsealing Means

In a pillow package bag provided with an easy unsealing device, a slit having a rising gradient is provided as the easy unsealing device formed at a back sealing seal. Triangular tabs are formed at the back sealing seal of edges of a torn bag. As a result, it is easy for people having disabled finger tips, elderly people and children to open the unsealed bag by pinching the tabs.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to opening means in a pillow package bag provided with easy unsealing means.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a pillow package bag, both sides of one film are brought toward the center and back fin sealing is performed on the both sides to form a cylindrical shape, and a bottom and mouth are sealed so as to cross this heat-sealed portion after the formation into the cylindrical shape.

When such a pillow package bag is unsealed by tearing the bag from a side of the bag, the tearing stops at the back-sealing sealed portion, as a result of which the bag cannot be further torn. Therefore, it is necessary to use a pair of scissors to unseal the bag.

In order to make it possible to unseal a bag without using scissors, the applicant for the invention proposed a pillow package bag provided with easy unsealing means discussed in Japanese Patent No. 4199024 (Patent Document 1).

The aforementioned publicly known bag is currently widely used and popular, but has one problem.

The aforementioned publicly known bag has made unsealing of a bag easy, but when opening a torn mouth of the unsealed bag, edges 5a and 6a of torn front and back films 5 and 6 of a bag 1 become aligned, as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, even if a person tries to open the mouth of the bag by pinching the edges 5a and 6a with his/her finger tips, he/she cannot pinch the edges 5a and 6a open.

In particular, when the films are highly rigid or a zipper 11 is inserted in the unsealing mouth, the edges 5a and 6a essentially contact each other.

Therefore, there are many cases in which people having disabled finger tips, elderly people and children have difficulties opening a bag, and hence, there is a demand for a proposal that solves this problem. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 3 denotes a back sealing seal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is made in view of the above described problem, and its object is to provide opening means that allows a bag to be easily opened after tearing an unsealing mouth even by people having disabled finger tips, elderly people and children, in a pillow package bag according to the Patent Document 1.

According to the present invention, when a bag is torn and unsealed, pinching tabs are automatically formed at a back sealing portion of the torn edges of the bag, which makes it possible to easily open the bag by pinching the tabs.

To this end, according to a first form of the present invention, there is provided opening means in a pillow package bag provided with easy unsealing means, in which a fin sealing seal is positioned at a center of a back surface of the bag, the easy unsealing means is provided along an end of the fin sealing seal, the fin sealing seal is folded down to one side and is heat-sealed to an outer-side film of the bag, a heat-seal portion is formed at a side end of the bag in a direction in which the fin sealing seal is folded down, and a V-shaped or an I-shaped notch extending in a direction of the fin sealing seal is formed in the heat-seal portion. Here, the easy unsealing means includes a slit having a rising gradient extending toward an unsealing mouth from the end of the fin sealing seal to a portion situated partway into the fin sealing seal, and when tearing of the bag is started horizontally in a straight line from the V-shaped or I-shaped notch toward the fin sealing seal, the tear enters the slit from the end of the fin sealing seal, extends obliquely in a rising direction by the slit, reaches a base of the fin sealing seal, then, extends horizontally in a straight line again, and reaches another side end of the bag, to thereby unseal the bag entirely, as a result of which an opening tab is formed at the fin sealing seal at the torn mouth of the fin sealing seal.

According to a second form of the present invention, in the opening means in the first form, a plurality of the slits are formed.

According to a third form of the present invention, in the opening means in the first form, an angle of the gradient of the slit is set arbitrarily in a range of from 12 degrees to 45 degrees.

According to a fourth form of the present invention, in the opening means in the first form, the slit is formed to bend horizontally from an apex of the gradient.

According to a fifth form of the present invention, in the opening means in the first form, an entrance of the slit is provided with a V-shaped inlet.

According to the present invention, as mentioned above, tabs are formed at the torn edges at the unsealed mouth, and hence the bag can be easily opened by pinching the tabs.

Therefore, the present invention is effective for, in particular, people having disabled finger tips, elderly people and children.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pillow package bag to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a fin sealing portion provided with the easy unsealing means;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the bag is being unsealed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the bag is being opened by pinching tabs;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a first embodiment in which auxiliary slits are formed at upper ends of slits;

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment in which an inlet is formed at an entrance of the slit; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a related pillow package bag provided with easy unsealing means.

 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings in particular, the present invention is effective, in particular, when a zipper is inserted in an unsealing mouth. However, it is also applicable to bags in which this zipper is not inserted.

The present invention is also applicable to both gusset bags and non-gusset bags.

The materials of the bag include plastic film composites or plastic films that are composite with aluminum foil films.

Embodiments of inventions of respective first to fifth forms will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

In each figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a pillow package bag, reference numeral 2 denotes a mouth seal of the pillow package bag 1, and reference numeral 3 denotes a fin sealing seal that is positioned at the center of a back surface 6. The fin sealing seal 3 is folded down at the back surface 6 of the bag 1, and is heat-sealed to the front surface of the back film 6.

Reference numerals 4 denote slits that are formed by forming cuts in the fin sealing seal 3 with rising gradients from its end 3a. Ends 4b of the slits 4 stop before reaching a base 3b of the fin sealing seal 3.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a seal portion formed by partly heat-sealing a front film 5 and a back film 6 at the position opposing the slits 4 in a side end 1a of the bag 1 provided in the direction in which the fin sealing seal 3 is folded down. A V-shaped or an I-shaped notch 9 extending toward the slits 4 is formed in the seal portion 8.

As long as an area including the slits 4 or areas above and below the slits 4 are heat-sealed to the back film 6 of the bag 1, there is no problem in unsealing (tearing) the fin sealing seal 3. However, the entire fin sealing seal 3 may be heat-sealed to the back film 6.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a zipper inserted in an unsealing mouth 7.

Unsealing of the bag 1 having the above-described structure will now be explained. As shown in FIG. 3, when the bag 1 is torn from the V-shaped or I-shaped notch 9, the front film 5 and the back film 6 are torn horizontally along a direction a indicated by a dotted line. Eventually, the tear reaches the end 3a of the fin sealing seal 3. Then, the tear enters an entrance 4a of one of the slits 4 from the end 3a, and extends in a rising direction along the inclination of the slit 4. Then, when the slit 4 is torn at an upper end 4b of the slit 4, the tear extends horizontally again at the fin sealing seal 3. Then, the tear extends into the front film 5 and the back film 6 of the bag 1 from the base 3b, and extends horizontally up to a side end 1b of the bag 1. As a result, the bag 1 is fully unsealed.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the torn mouth 7 when the bag 1 is fully unsealed in this way. Triangular tabs 10 are formed between the inclined portion of the slit 4 and the portion where the bag 1 is torn horizontally from the upper end 4b of the slit 4.

Thus, edges 5a and 6a at the torn mouth become easier to pinch at the tabs 10. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the bag 1 can be easily opened by pinching the tabs 10 with the finger tips.

Since the tabs 10 become small when a slit-4 angle is small, the slit-4 angle is at least equal to or greater than 12 degrees. Tearing strength becomes high when the slit-4 angle exceeds 45 degrees, and hence it is practically desirable that the slit-4 angle be approximately 35 degrees. This feature of a preferred angle corresponds to the aforementioned third form.

When auxiliary slits 4c are formed by horizontally bending the upper ends 4b of the slits 4, the front film 5 and the back film 6 that are torn along the slits 4 become easier to tear because a tearing direction is changed to the horizontal direction (transverse direction) by the auxiliary slits 4c. This corresponds to the aforementioned fourth form.

In the above-described structure and operation, the number of slits 4 is not limited, but three to four slits 4 are enough.

If, as shown in FIG. 6, a V-shaped inlet 4d is formed at the entrance 4a of the slit 4, the tear easily enters the slit 4, and the number of the slits 4 may be reduced.

The tabs 10 are certainly convenient, if their existence is indicated by words, such as “pinch here to open”, or by coloring them.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

Claims

1. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with an easy unsealing means, the opening device comprising:

a fin sealing seal positioned at a center of a back surface of the bag, the fin sealing seal being folded down to one side and being heat-sealed to an outer-side film of the bag, wherein the easy unsealing means is provided along an end of the fin sealing seal, the easy unsealing means including a heat-seal portion formed at a side end of the bag in a direction in which the fin sealing seal is folded down, and a V-shaped or an I-shaped notch, extending in a direction of the fin sealing seal, formed in the heat-seal portion, wherein the easy unsealing means includes a slit having a rising gradient extending toward an unsealing mouth from an end of the fin sealing seal to a portion situated partway into the fin sealing seal, and when tearing of the bag is started horizontally in a straight line from the V-shaped or I-shaped notch toward the fin sealing seal, the tear enters the slit from the end of the fin sealing seal, extends obliquely in a rising direction by the slit, reaches a base of the fin sealing seal, then, extends horizontally in a straight line again, and reaches another side end of the bag, to thereby unseal the bag entirely, as a result of which an opening tab is formed at the fin sealing seal at the torn mouth of the fin sealing seal.

2. An opening means in the pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 1, wherein at least one additional slit is provided such that a plurality of the slits are formed.

3. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the gradient of the slit is in a range of from 12 degrees to 45 degrees.

4. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 1, wherein the slit is formed to bend horizontally from an apex of the gradient.

5. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 1, wherein an entrance of the slit is provided with a V-shaped inlet.

6. An opening device in a pillow package bag, the opening device comprising:

a fin sealing seal positioned at a center of a back surface of the bag, the fin sealing seal being folded down to one side and being heat-sealed to an outer-side film of the bag;
an easy unsealing means provided along an end of the fin sealing seal, the easy unsealing means including a heat-seal portion formed at a side end of the bag in a direction in which the fin sealing seal is folded down, and a V-shaped or an I-shaped notch, extending in a direction of the fin sealing seal, formed in the heat-seal portion, wherein the easy unsealing means includes a slit in the of the fin sealing seal, the slit having a rising gradient from an end of the fin sealing seal to a portion situated partway into the fin sealing seal, the gradient of the slit rising from the end of the fin sealing seal toward a torn mouth which is formed when the bag is fully unsealed wherein when tearing of the bag is started horizontally from the V-shaped or I-shaped notch toward the fin sealing seal, the tear enters the slit from the end of the fin sealing seal, extends obliquely in a rising direction following the slit, reaches a base of the fin sealing seal, then, extends horizontally again, and reaches another side end of the bag, to thereby unseal the bag entirely, as a result of which an opening tab is formed at the fin sealing seal at the torn mouth of the fin sealing seal.

7. An opening means in the pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 6, wherein at least one additional slit is provided such that a plurality of the slits are formed.

8. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 6, wherein an angle of the gradient of the slit is in a range of from 12 degrees to 45 degrees.

9. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 6, wherein the slit is formed to bend horizontally from an apex of the gradient.

10. An opening device in a pillow package bag provided with the easy unsealing means according to claim 6, wherein an entrance of the slit is provided with a V-shaped inlet.

11. A pillow package bag comprising:

plastic films or a plastic film composite forming a surface of the bag;
a mouth seal closing a bag mouth;
a fin sealing seal positioned at a center of a back of the surface of the bag, the fin sealing seal being folded down to one side and being heat-sealed to an outer-side film of the bag;
an easy unsealing means provided along an end of the fin sealing seal, the easy unsealing means including a heat-seal portion formed at a side end of the bag in a direction in which the fin sealing seal is folded down, and a V-shaped or an I-shaped notch, extending in a direction of the fin sealing seal, formed in the heat-seal portion, wherein the easy unsealing means includes a slit in the of the fin sealing seal, the slit having a rising gradient from an end of the fin sealing seal to a portion situated partway into the fin sealing seal, the gradient of the slit rising from the end of the fin sealing seal toward a torn mouth which is formed when the bag is fully unsealed wherein when tearing of the bag is started horizontally from the V-shaped or I-shaped notch toward the fin sealing seal, the tear enters the slit from the end of the fin sealing seal, extends obliquely in a rising direction following the slit, reaches a base of the fin sealing seal, then, extends horizontally again, and reaches another side end of the bag, to thereby unseal the bag entirely, as a result of which an opening tab is formed at the fin sealing seal at the torn mouth of the fin sealing seal.

12. A pillow package bag according to claim 11, wherein at least one additional slit is provided such that a plurality of the slits are formed.

13. A pillow package bag according to claim 11, wherein an angle of the gradient of the slit is in a range of from 12 degrees to 45 degrees.

14. A pillow package bag according to claim 11, wherein the slit is formed to bend horizontally from an apex of the gradient.

15. A pillow package bag according to claim 11, wherein an entrance of the slit is provided with a V-shaped inlet.

Patent History
Publication number: 20120213456
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 17, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 23, 2012
Inventors: Shinichiro SUGIYAMA (Seto-shi), Eri Hibino (Seto-shi), Nobuyuki Kawai (Seto-shi)
Application Number: 13/029,718
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Line Of Weakness Delineates Substantially The Entire Tearing Path (383/207)
International Classification: B65D 33/00 (20060101);