PARTIAL EASY-PEEL POUCH AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0024810, filed Feb. 21, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a partial easy-peel pouch, and more particularly, to a packaging pouch having an easy-peel film sealed only to an area that requires opening, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

In general, a packaging pouch is formed into an envelope shape by sealing three sides of the front and rear films. After placing a product inside the pouch, the top is sealed. The pouch may be cut either by using a notch formed on one side of the top or using scissors.

In the case of a pouch with a notch, when opening using the notch, there are issues where the thicker the film, the more force is required, and opening becomes difficult due to slipping when there is moisture, oil, or other substances on the hands. In the case of a pouch containing liquid, the contents may spill or splash around.

When a pouch with a notch is opened by cutting, the cut surface becomes irregular, making it difficult to discharge the contents. Furthermore, since the cutting separates the packaging into two portions, a user needs to discard the cut portion after opening and then discard the remaining packaging once again (twice in total) after consuming the product, which is inconvenient.

In the case of a zipper-equipped three-side seal and zip product, when the opening portion is cut, the area just above the zipper is cut, leaving insufficient grip to open the zipper, which makes it difficult to open and may potentially damage or detach the zipper.

To address the inconveniences described above, a packaging pouch (hereinafter referred to as an “easy-peel pouch”) using an easy-peel film is provided. This easy-peel pouch may maintain an appropriate heat-seal strength that allows for manual opening, thereby satisfying both the protective properties of the packaged product and the convenience of easy opening.

However, in conventional easy-peel pouches, as shown in FIG. 1, the easy-peel film is sealed to the top, bottom, left and right sides of the front and rear films, which results in high production costs. In the case of heavy products, the heat-seal strength may be weak, leading to issues such as bursting under impact load.

The related art of the easy-peel pouch is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1194780 (published on Oct. 19, 2012).

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing an easy-peel pouch that includes an easy-peel film only in an area that requires opening, thereby enhancing economic efficiency and convenience.

Technical Solution

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an easy-peel pouch includes a sealing portion provided on right and left edges of front and rear films, an opening portion having a designated area on top of the front and rear films, an easy-peel film heat-sealed to inner surfaces of the front and rear films on the opening portion, and an opening handle provided on both corners or top of the opening portion.

Advantageous Effects

The partial easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure is manufactured by heat-sealing an easy-peel film only to an area that requires opening, thereby reducing production costs. In addition, this pouch may prevent bursting caused by impact loads applied to the product during packaging, resolve concerns about moisture splashing when opening a product containing moisture, and it is convenient as the pouch only needs to be discarded once after the product is used.

In addition, since the easy-peel pouch is opened by gripping the upper opening portion thereof, the original shape of the packaging is maintained, and it is convenient to reseal the easy-peel pouch as a bundle. In the case of an easy-peel pouch with a zipper, the gripping area is sufficient, allowing the zipper to be easily opened and closed, and there is less concern about damaging the zipper or contents.

This pouch also provides various forms of opening portions that allow a user to conveniently open the pouch, making it easy for the user to do so.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional easy-peel pouch.

FIG. 2 is a view describing the concept of the easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a composition of an easy-peel film of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an easy-peel pouch using the easy-peel film of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a view showing various embodiments of the easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure.

MODE FOR DISCLOSURE

FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional easy-peel pouch. FIG. 2 is a view describing the concept of the easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a view showing a composition of an easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a view showing an easy-peel pouch using the easy-peel film of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a view showing various embodiments of the easy-peel pouch of the present disclosure.

A configuration of a partial easy-peel pouch 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

The partial easy-peel pouch 100 of the present disclosure is a packaging pouch having an easy-peel film 130 sealed only to an area that requires opening. As shown in FIG. 2, this pouch includes a sealing portion 140 provided on the right and left edges of front and rear films 110 and 120, an opening portion 100b having a designated area on the top of the front and rear films 110 and 120, the easy-peel film 130 heat-sealed to inner surfaces of the front and rear films 110 and 120 on the opening portion 100b, and an opening handle 100a provided on both corners or the top of the opening portion 100b.

In addition, a zipper 150 may be provided below the easy-peel film 130. In this case, the upper portion of the zipper does not need to be cut as in the conventional case, so a sufficiently wide opening handle is formed. Accordingly, a user may conveniently open and close the zipper 150 by gripping the sufficiently wide opening handle 100a, without concern for damage to the zipper 150 or the contents.

As such, the easy-peel pouch 100 of the present disclosure may reduce production costs by sealing the easy-peel film 130 only to an area that requires opening, and prevent bursting caused by impact loads applied to the product during packaging. The pouch may also be easily opened, so there is no concern about moisture splashing when opening a product containing moisture, and it is convenient as the pouch only needs to be discarded once after the product is used.

Furthermore, since the easy-peel pouch 100 is opened by gripping the upper opening handle 100a, the original shape of the packaging is maintained, and it is convenient to reseal the easy-peel pouch in a bundle. In the case of an easy-peel pouch with a zipper, the gripping area is sufficient, allowing the zipper to be easily opened and closed, and there is less concern about damaging the zipper or contents.

In addition, the easy-peel pouch 100 may be provided in a suitable form depending on the application, such as a three-side seal pouch, a three-side seal zipper pouch, or a stand-up pouch. In addition to the form, the easy-peel pouch 100 may have additional functions such as a micro-hole airflow system and a complete insect-proof airflow system.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a composition of the easy-peel film 130 of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the easy-peel film 130 of the present disclosure includes an easy-peel layer 130c (EPL film layer), a strength reinforcement layer 130b provided on an outer surface of the easy-peel layer 130c, and a sealing layer 130a provided on an outer surface of the strength reinforcement layer 130b.

The easy-peel layer 130c may be an easy-peelable film (EPL film) layer. The principle of easy peel involves adjusting the heat seal strength by blending special resins to enable easy opening. To achieve this, an incompatible resin may be micro-dispersed into a compatible resin to control the heat seal strength.

In addition, the strength reinforcement layer 130b is a layer designed to reinforce the easy-peel film 130, which may stretch due to tension during the pouch-making process and may be made of one of the following materials: polyamide (NY: nylon), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or oriented polypropylene (OPP). This strength reinforcement layer 130b is a film layer that has already been stretched and may not be stretched any further.

In addition, the sealing layer 130a is a layer designed to be fully sealed to one side of the front or rear films 110 and 120, and may be a polyethylene (PE) film, a polypropylene (PP) film, or a polyethylene (PE) coating layer. Specifically, the sealing layer 130a may be a linear low density polyethylene (L-LDPE) film layer, a low density polyethylene (LDPE) coating layer, or a polypropylene (PP) film layer.

The easy peel film 130, which includes the easy peel layer 130c, the strength reinforcement layer 130b, and the sealing layer 130a, may be made in the form of a tape. The width and thickness thereof may be adjusted depending on the shape of the opening portion 100b of the easy-peel pouch 100, and the peel strength may be maintained to protect the contents from being damaged.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the easy-peel pouch 100 using the easy-peel film 130 of the present disclosure.

The easy-peel pouch 100 of the present disclosure may have the easy-peel film 130 sealed to an inner surface of one of the front and rear films 110 and 120 facing each other, or the easy-peel film 130 sealed to both inner surfaces of the front and rear films 110 and 120.

After the left and right sides of the front film 110 and the rear film 120 are sealed by the sealing portion 140, and the front film 110 and the rear film 120 are bonded by the easy-peel film strip, the end portion of the front film 110 and the end portion of the rear film 120 become the opening handle 100a. That is, the opening handle 100a is composed of a front handle and a rear handle. Specifically, the front handle is formed by the end portion of the front film 110, and the rear handle is formed by the end portion of the rear film 120.

When the user grips the opening handle 100a of the easy-peel pouch 100, which is sealed as described, and pulls the pouch apart to both sides, the easy-peel layer 130a of the easy-peel film 130 is peeled off, thus opening the pouch by the size of the opening portion 100b.

FIG. 5 (a) to FIG. 5 (c) show various forms of the opening portion 100b of the partial easy-peel pouch 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The easy-peel pouch 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), has the left and right sides of the front film 110 and rear film 120 sealed by the sealing portion 140, with the easy-peel film 130 having rounded corners sealed to the upper opening portion 100b, which allows for packaging or retrieving a product. As a result, the corner areas of the front and rear films 110 and 120 naturally separate, thus forming the opening handle 100a on both corners of the opening portion 100b.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), cutting the corner of a front handle 110a of the opening handle 100a may result in the formation of a triangular lip-shaped rear handle 120a.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the rear handle 120a may be formed higher (approximately 10-15 mm higher) than the front handle 110a. Accordingly, the rear handle 120a functions as a lip, allowing the user to grip the sufficiently wide lip and open the pouch. The rear handle (120a) and the front handle (110a) can be configured with different heights, and/or the size of the rear handle (120a) and the front handle (110a) can also be made different.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 (c) shows a different form of the opening handle 100a. In FIG. 5 (c), the width of the opening handle 100a is formed narrower than the width of the easy-peel pouch 100. In addition, the rear handle 120a is formed higher (approximately 1-3 mm higher) than the front handle 110a, so that the rear handle 120a functions as a lip. The user may grip the front and rear handles 110a and 120a with both hands and pull them apart to open the easy-peel pouch 100.

The easy-peel pouch 100 is opened by gripping the opening handle 100a, allowing the original shape of the packaging to be The structure allows the packaged product to be 10 maintained. easily resealed, and the opening handle 100a is formed wide enough for the user to grip, providing the advantages of reduced contamination and improved preservation of the packaged product.

This easy-peel pouch 100 of the present disclosure may be used for various products such as refrigerated foods (e.g., Vienna sausages, imitation crab meat, dairy products like butter and margarine), frozen foods, dessert products (e.g., jelly, cream, yogurt, jam), and snacks (e.g., chocolates, ice cream, sandwiches, sweet red bean jelly, etc.).

The manufacturing process of the partial easy-peel pouch according to the present disclosure now is described below.

First, the left and right edges of the front and rear films are sealed. This step is referred to as the “Sealing Step (S1).”

Next, the inner surface of the sealed film undergoes a process where the easy-peel film is taped and heat is applied to form the pouch. This step is referred to as the “Pouch Processing Step (S2).” In the pouch processing step (S2), when taping the easy-peel film to the inner surface of the sealed film, the easy-peel film may be taped at a certain distance from the top of the sealed film.

After the pouch processing step (S2), opening handles are formed on both corners or the top of the upper part of the film. This step is referred to as the “Opening Handle Cutting Step (S3).” In the “Opening Handle Cutting Step (S3),” the opening handles may be cut into various shapes suitable for handles, such as rectangular, rounded rectangular, triangular, circular, or elliptical shapes. Furthermore, it is preferable that the front handle and rear handle comprising the opening handles are cut to have different sizes and/or heights.

The present disclosure described above with reference to the accompanying drawings may be changed and modified in various ways by those skilled in the art, and these changes and modifications, not limited by the claims, should be construed as falling within the scope of the present disclosure.