JP3260189B2 - Liquid container and planar passage member - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid container, and more particularly to a liquid container formed of a flexible sheet material. Also,
The present invention relates to a planar passage member used for the liquid container, which makes it possible to take out the contents well and reduce the residual amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a flexible inner bag made of a plastic film or the like is housed in an outer box made of paper, cardboard, plastic, or the like, and a spout fixed to the inner bag is placed outside the outer box. A bag-in-box in which liquid contents such as juice are stored in the inner bag is used. In this bag-in-box, the spout is normally connected to a connector connected to the pump, and the contents are sucked out from the spout to take out the contents. The inside volume of the bag is reduced. Usually, a four-side seal bag was used for the inner bag.

[0003]

However, since the bag-in-box requires an outer box to protect the inner bag,
There was a problem that the cost was high. If the outer box is omitted, the cost can be reduced, but the shape of the inner bag containing the liquid becomes unstable, which causes a problem that handling becomes difficult.

Further, the conventional bag-in-box has a problem in taking out the contents. That is, if the contents of the inner bag are simply suctioned out from the spout, the contents in the inner bag are locally suctioned, the inner bag is more easily wrinkled, and the inner bag is removed before the entire contents are taken out. A part of the bag may stick to the spout to confine the contents, or a part of the inner bag may stick to a part of the inner bag at a position away from the spout to confine the contents. There was a problem that it was not possible to take things out. In particular, when a high-viscosity material such as ink is contained as the content, this problem becomes prominent.

Therefore, in order to prevent the spout from being closed by the inner bag, a passage plate having a large number of convex portions formed on one side of the flat plate portion covers the spout, and the convex portion is formed on the spout side. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-242565). In the liquid container disclosed in this publication, as the contents are taken out, even if a part of the inner bag moves toward the spout, a part of the inner bag is supported by the flat plate portion of the passage plate, and A passage is secured between the projections, and the contents can be discharged well. However, even in this liquid container, when the inner bag is deformed in accordance with the removal of the contents, the top plate portion facing the passage plate of the inner bag is not deformed so as to move uniformly toward the passage plate. In some cases, the inner bag is deformed non-uniformly, and the top plate of the inner bag is stuck to the side surface to confine the contents, and there is a problem that the residual amount in the inner bag cannot be reduced sufficiently.

[0006] Further, in the conventionally used passage plate, since the opposite side of the convex portion is a concave portion, there is a problem that the contents entering the concave portion remain as it is, and the residual amount increases. In order to prevent this problem, a film or the like may be attached to the surface of the passage plate and the entrance of the concave portion on the opposite side of the convex portion may be closed, but in that case, an extra process of attaching the film is required, and cost is reduced. This raises the problem of becoming high. Further, if the convex portion is solid, no concave portion is formed on the opposite side, so that the residual amount of the content is reduced. However, in this configuration, a large amount of material for forming the passage plate is required, which also increases the cost. I will. It is to be noted that although the material can be reduced by making the protrusions thinner, the passage formed between the protrusions becomes large, and the amount of contents remaining in this portion increases, which is not preferable.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the cost is reduced by omitting an outer box. In addition, a flexible bag is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape when the contents are contained. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid container which can be easily handled, can be taken out even from contents such as high-viscosity ink, and can reduce the residual amount.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a passage plate, that is, a planar passage member without a concave portion in which contents are stored without increasing the cost.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a gusset bag formed of a flexible sheet material and having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape when inflated is provided inside the gusset bag on one side. When the gusset bag is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the planar passage member is attached at a position to be one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped and both end surfaces thereof. A convex passage, a planar passage member having a plurality of through holes formed in the flat plate portion, and a spout attached to one surface to which the planar passage member of the gusset bag is attached; When the gusset bag is inflated into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the passage member has elasticity so that both ends thereof are elastically curved in accordance with the deformation of the gusset bag, and the gusset bag is pushed toward both ends to apply tension. Characterized by The liquid container and gist.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present application provides a flat plate portion, a plurality of cylindrical protrusions formed on one surface of the flat plate at a constant height, and a plurality of cylindrical protrusions on the flat plate portion. The cylindrical convex portion has a hollow shape with a closed flat plate side and an open end, and at least the vicinity of both ends of the flat plate portion is elastic at a substantially right angle. The gist of the present invention is a planar passage member characterized by being able to bend in a horizontal direction.

[0011]

Since the liquid container having the above-described structure is formed of a gusset bag, when the contents are filled and inflated, the liquid container has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, since the planar passage member is not only located on one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped, but also extends to a surface which is substantially perpendicular to both ends of the surface, the both ends are elastically curved to be approximately perpendicular by the gusset bag. It will be in the state of being made. For this reason, in the planar passage member, a portion located on one surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped gusset bag keeps its surface flat, and elastically curved portions at both ends apply tension to the gusset bag. As a result, the substantially rectangular parallelepiped gusset bag is less likely to be deformed during handling during transportation and storage, and can be easily stored and transported without using an outer box. Thus, the same handleability as that of the conventional bag-in-box can be obtained. Next, at the time of taking out the contents, a passage is formed between the projections of the planar passage member provided so as to cover the spout, and a passage is formed from a through hole formed in the flat plate portion or a peripheral edge of the passage plate. A passage to the outlet is formed, and the contents are suctioned relatively uniformly from the entire bag. In addition, at this time, the surface opposite to the surface on which the planar passage member is provided is tensioned by the elastic force of both ends of the planar passage member. In the direction approaching the planar passage member as a whole. For this reason, most of the contents in the bag can be taken out without the bag being deformed unevenly and confining the contents.

In the planar passage member having the above-described structure, a plurality of cylindrical convex portions are formed at a certain height on one surface of the flat plate portion. By inserting the convex portion into the bag and fixing the cylindrical convex portion to the inner surface of the bag, the passage through which the contents pass between the flat plate portion and the inner surface of the bag and outside the cylindrical convex portion. Can always be secured,
The contents in the bag can be taken out favorably. Moreover, since both ends of the planar passage member can be elastically curved, the tension can be applied to the bag by attaching the both ends so that the both ends are elastically curved by the bag. In addition, it is possible to prevent unstable deformation of the bag at the time of taking out the contents and to take out the contents well. Here, the flat plate side of the cylindrical projection is closed, and the opening at the tip is sealed by the inner surface of the bag, so that the contents do not enter therein and stay there, and the material used is reduced. Since it is possible to form a large cylindrical protrusion while reducing the amount of residue in the passage by reducing the passage formed between the protrusions, it is possible to reduce the amount of residual content after all. Can be. Further, since the cylindrical convex portion formed on the flat plate portion has an open end, the planar passage member having this configuration can be manufactured at low cost by molding a resin.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a liquid container according to an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a container for storing ink, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a planar passage member used in the liquid container, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid container. A liquid container, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, includes a gusset bag 2 made of a flexible sheet material, a spout 3 and a cap 4 attached to the gusset bag 2, and attached inside the gusset bag 2. And a planar passage member 5.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gusset bag 2 is made of a cylindrical sheet material, and the front and back flat surfaces 2a, 2b
Are formed so as to form a folded portion 2c therebetween, and at both ends thereof, a seal portion 7 is formed which is entirely sealed, and a seal portion 8 is formed by sealing the surfaces 2a, 2b and the folded portion 2c opposed thereto in an oblique direction. When the contents are put into the container and expanded, as shown in FIG. 4, the container has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As the sheet material constituting the gusset bag 2, a commonly used soft packaging material, for example, a laminated material of a resin film is used. However, unlike the conventional bag-in-box, the gusset bag 2 may be used without an outer box, so that a gusset bag having a necessary strength is used. The layer configuration of the laminated material used for the gusset bag is specifically selected in consideration of necessary strength, barrier properties, heat sealing properties, and the like.
/ Laminated material of polyethylene 60μ, polypropylene 60μ
/ Nylon 15μ / polyethylene 60μ, etc., and a metal foil may be put in the lamination as required. The gusset bag 2 made of a soft wrapping material alone tends to be rounded when inflated, and tends to be deformed due to the weight of the contents. Since it is reinforced by the member 5, there is no problem.

As can be clearly understood from FIG. 5, the spout 3 is attached to one surface 2a of the gusset bag 2, and the planar passage member 5 is disposed almost over the entire surface 2a to which the spout 3 is attached. ing. Therefore, this planar passage member 5 is
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the contents 1
3, when filled and expanded into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, substantially the entire area of one surface (hereinafter referred to as a first surface) 2A of the rectangular parallelepiped;
The first surface 2A is located on a part of the surfaces 2B, 2B which are substantially perpendicular to both ends.

The planar passage member 5 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 9, a flat plate portion 5a,
a of a plurality of cylindrical protrusions 5b of a certain height formed on one side of
And a plurality of through holes 5c formed in the flat plate portion 5a so as to avoid the positions where the plurality of cylindrical protrusions 5b are formed. The cylindrical convex portion 5b is hollow, and its flat plate portion side is closed.
The tip is left open, allowing molding.
These cylindrical convex portions 5b and through holes 5c are formed at a substantially constant pitch over the entire area of the flat plate portion 5a. The planar passage member 5 is usually formed by molding resin. The planar passage member 5 is formed to have a greater rigidity than the sheet material constituting the gusset bag 2 so as to keep the first surface 2A of the gusset bag 2 flat, but as shown in FIG. When inflated into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, both ends have elasticity such that they can be bent substantially at right angles and elastically. In this specification, “elasticity” does not necessarily mean elasticity in a strict sense that completely returns to the original state when the load is released, but returns to the original state after being deformed as shown in FIG. This means a characteristic having a repulsive force in the direction (arrow B direction).

The planar passage member 5 is disposed by pressing the cylindrical convex portion 5b against the inner surface of the gusset bag 2, and the tip of the cylindrical convex portion 5b is adhered to the inner surface of the gusset bag 2 by heat sealing or the like. Installed. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the space 10 in the cylindrical convex portion 5b is closed by the gusset bag 2, and the contents accommodated in the gusset bag 2 do not enter therein. On the other hand, the space 11 outside the cylindrical convex portion 5b communicates vertically and horizontally between the flat plate portion 5a and the gusset bag 2 and also communicates with the spout 3 and is formed in the flat plate portion 5a. The through hole 5c communicates with the upper side of the flat plate portion 5a. Thus, the space 11 has the flat plate portion 5a.
Constitutes a passage for communicating the upper part of the container with the spout 3, and is hereinafter referred to as a passage. This passage 11 is provided with the gusset bag 2
This is for allowing the contents to flow when the contents are sucked and taken out through the spout 3 from the inside, and it is preferable that the contents be large in order to make the contents easy to be taken out. In this respect, the smaller the better, the better. The dimensions of the passage 11 (accordingly, the height and diameter of the cylindrical protrusion 5b, the gap between adjacent cylindrical protrusions, etc.) are determined in consideration of these. The dimensions such as the height, diameter, and gap of the cylindrical convex portion 5b vary depending on physical properties such as viscosity of the content, but generally, the height is 1 to 5 mm and the diameter is 5 to 1 mm.
0 mm and the gap is selected to be about 3 to 6 mm. However, it is not a limited value. Note that the shape of the cylindrical projection 19 is not limited to the illustrated cylindrical shape, and can be variously changed, such as a rectangular cylindrical shape.

Next, a method of using the liquid container 1 having the above configuration will be described. The gusset bag 2 is filled with the contents 13 such as ink, and the whole is expanded. As a result, the gusset bag 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIGS. At this time,
Since the planar passage member 5 is attached to almost the entire area of the first surface 2A of the rectangular parallelepiped, it is kept flat. Further, since the curved end portions of the planar passage member 5 have elastic force in the direction indicated by the arrow B, the forces in both end directions (the direction of the arrow B) are applied to the surfaces 2B, 2B at both ends of the gusset bag 2. The tension is applied to the gusset bag 2 in the directions indicated by arrows D and E. For this reason, a surface (hereinafter, referred to as a second surface) 2C facing the first surface 2A is also held flat or a curved surface having a large radius. Thus, even if the gusset bag 2 is made of a soft sheet material, the gusset bag 2 is not deformed in an unstable manner and the whole is kept in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this state, storage, transportation, and the like of the liquid container 1 are performed. Here, as described above, the entire liquid container 1 is kept substantially in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and is hardly deformed, so that handling such as storage and transportation is easy. If necessary, one liquid container 1 may be packed in one box for handling, or a plurality of liquid containers 1 may be packed in one box for handling.

Next, in order to take out the contents 13 from the liquid container 1, the liquid container 1 is set downward on a machine such as a printing apparatus as shown in FIG. And the contents 13 are sucked out of the spout 3 and taken out. At this time, the contents 13 in the gusset bag 2 are inserted into the through holes 5c of the flat plate portion 5a of the planar
And enters the passage 11 below the flat plate portion 5a through the peripheral edge of the flat portion 5a. Therefore, the contents on the planar passage member 5 are relatively uniformly sucked from a large area, and the upper surface of the gusset bag 2, that is, the second surface 2 </ b> C
Is pulled to both sides as shown by the arrow E, so that the second surface 2C of the gusset bag 2 becomes a two-dot chain line 2 as the inner volume of the gusset bag 2 decreases in accordance with the suction of the contents.
As shown in C ', the lowering member is lowered in a substantially flat state and substantially parallel to the planar passage member 5. Thus, the contents in the gusset bag 2 are sucked out of the spout 3 well. Further, since wrinkles are not easily generated on this surface, it is unlikely that the contents are locally confined in the gusset bag 2. Thus, the contents are sucked until the second surface 2C of the gusset bag 2 is in close contact with the entire upper surface of the planar passage member 5, and most of the contents contained in the gusset bag 2 are sucked and taken out. As described above, in the liquid container 1, the upper surface 2C of the gusset bag 2 descends in a state substantially parallel to the bottom surface in accordance with the suction of the contents, so that the displacement of the upper surface 2B is stable. There is little variation between products and reproducibility is extremely high. Therefore, the contents can be satisfactorily discharged from any of the products, and the residual amount can be reduced.

The planar passage member 5 used in the above embodiment has a cylindrical convex portion 5b and a through hole 5c formed at the same pitch on the entire surface thereof, and the thickness of the flat plate portion is constant. The present invention is not limited to this configuration, and can be appropriately changed.
For example, the end faces 2B, 2B of the gusset bag 2 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape
The cylindrical convex portion 5b and the through hole 5c facing the surface may be omitted. Also, the bent portion of the planar passage member 5, that is, the portion that is bent by the gusset bag 2 when the gusset bag 2 is inflated, has a thickness different from that of the other portions so as to exert an appropriate elastic force. Alternatively, corrections such as changing the pitch of the cylindrical convex portion 5b or the through hole 5c may be made.

Further, in the above embodiment, the spout 3 and the planar passage member 5 are shown as separate parts.
It is also possible to make the and the planar passage member 5 an integral structure. FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show an embodiment in that case.
The main part of the planar passage member 15 provided with a spout is shown.
The planar passage member 15 also has a flat plate portion 15a, a plurality of cylindrical protrusions 15b formed so as to protrude on one surface of the plate portion 15a, and a plurality of through holes 15c formed in the plate portion 15a. The flat plate portion 15a
A protrusion 15d having a height substantially equal to that of the cylindrical protrusion 15b is formed, and a spout 15e is integrally formed at the center thereof. Further, on the opposite side of the spout 15e, a cylindrical portion 15f
And a groove 15g is formed in the cylindrical portion 15f.
The planar passage member 15 having this configuration is attached to the inner surface of the gusset bag 2 by heat sealing the protruding portions 15d and the tips of the cylindrical convex portions 15b, and is used in the same manner as the embodiment of FIG.
Here, when the inner surface of the gusset bag is deformed and approaches the spout 15e, the cylindrical portion 15f supports that portion to prevent the spout 15e from being closed. The planar passage member 15 having a configuration in which the spout is integrated with the planar passage member has an advantage that the number of components constituting the liquid container can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

Although the liquid container of the above embodiment uses the planar passage members 5 and 15 provided with the cylindrical projections, the planar passage member used in the liquid container of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the planar passage member used for the liquid container of the present invention may have a flat plate portion, a plurality of convex portions protruding from the flat plate portion on one surface, and a plurality of through holes formed in the flat plate portion. The shape of the convex portion is arbitrary. However, as in the illustrated embodiment, the planar passage member provided with the hollow cylindrical convex portion 5b or 15b having a closed rear end and an open distal end is formed by connecting the distal end of the cylindrical convex portion 5b or 15b to the gusset bag 2. By adhering to the inner surface of the gusset by heat sealing or the like, there is an advantage that the content does not enter and accumulate in the cylindrical convex portion, and the residual amount in the gusset bag can be reduced.

The liquid container of the present invention can be used not only for storing the above-described ink but also for storing any other liquid.

[0024]

As described above, according to the liquid container of the first aspect of the present invention, the planar passage member is attached to one surface of the gusset bag, and when the gusset bag is filled with the contents and inflated, the gusset bag is filled. Since both ends of the planar passage member are configured to be elastically curved, one surface of the planar passage member can be kept flat by the planar passage member when the contents are filled, and the surface opposed thereto is a planar passage member. By applying the tension, it can also be kept flat, and the whole can be made almost rectangular and hardly deformed. For this reason, the outer box can be omitted without impairing the handleability, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional bag-in-box. Further, when the contents are taken out, the suction can be performed from a wide portion of the planar passage member, and a tension is applied to the opposing surface to reduce wrinkles. Has an effect that the contents can always be taken out stably without being unstablely deformed, and the residual amount in the gusset bag can be extremely reduced.

Further, according to the planar passage member of the second aspect of the present invention, the liquid container of the first aspect of the present invention can be constituted by being used in combination with a gusset bag. It can be taken out satisfactorily and with a very small residual amount. Moreover, the convex portion formed in the planar passage member has a hollow shape with the flat plate side closed and the end opened, so that the end is adhered and attached to the inner surface of the gusset bag, so that the contents are contained therein. Can be formed, and because it is hollow, large protrusions can be formed without increasing the amount of material used, the passage between the protrusions can be reduced, and the amount of content remaining in the passage can be reduced. It is possible to reduce the residual amount of the material, and in the production, there is an effect that the production can be performed in one step by molding without using many materials and the production can be performed at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a liquid container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a planar passage member used in the liquid container shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the planar passage member.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid container described above.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the above-described liquid container in a state before filling the contents.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a joint portion between the planar passage member and the gusset bag in the liquid container at a position passing through the center of a cylindrical convex portion of the planar passage member.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a joining portion between the planar passage member and the gusset bag in the liquid container at a position passing through the center of a through hole of the planar passage member.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic bottom view showing a part of a planar passage member used in the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of a planar passage member integrally provided with a spout.

FIG. 11 is a schematic top view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid container 2 Gusset bag 2A 1st surface 2B 2nd surface 3 Injection port 5 Planar passage member 5a Flat plate part 5b Cylindrical convex part 5c Through hole 11 Passage (space) 13 Contents

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-6058 (JP, A) JP-A-4-242565 (JP, A) JP-A-59-134171 (JP, A) 84168 (JP, U) Actually open 63-101567 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65D 33/36-33/38 B65D 30/20 B65D 83/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A gusset bag formed of a flexible sheet material and having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape when inflated, one side of the gusset bag inside one side of the gusset bag and one side of the rectangular parallelepiped when the gusset bag is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A planar passage member attached to a position serving as a surface at both ends thereof, a flat plate portion, and a plurality of convex portions projecting from the flat plate portion toward the inner surface of the gusset bag,
A planar passage member having a plurality of through holes formed in the flat plate portion; and a spout attached to one surface of the gusset bag to which the planar passage member is attached, wherein the planar passage member is a gusset. When the bag is inflated in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, both ends are elastically curved in accordance with the deformation of the gusset bag, and the gusset bag has elasticity so as to push the gusset bag toward both ends to apply tension. Liquid container. 2. A flat plate portion, a plurality of cylindrical convex portions formed on one surface of the flat plate portion at a constant height, and a plurality of cylindrical convex portions formed on the flat plate portion so as to avoid the positions where the plurality of cylindrical convex portions are formed. It has a through hole,
A planar passage member, wherein the cylindrical convex portion has a hollow shape with a flat plate portion side closed and an open end, and at least the vicinity of both ends of the flat plate portion can be elastically bent at a substantially right angle.