# US 7,743,642 B2 · Moisture absorbent material with indicator function, humidity indicator and packaging bag

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- Number: US 7,743,642 B2
- Document ID: US7743642B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/580,933
- Filed: 2004-11-26
- Published: 2009-01-15
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2003-12-03
- Assignees: Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Eisuke Chiba; Tatsuya Ogawa; Shinichi Koizumi; Saori Takahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743642B2

## CPC

- G09F 3/00: Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means (medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40); Seals; Postage or like stamps
- B01D 53/261: {by adsorption}
- B01D 53/28: Selection of materials for use as drying agents
- B32B 15/08: of synthetic resin
- B32B 15/085: comprising polyolefins
- B32B 15/20: comprising aluminium or copper {(B32B15/016 and B32B15/017 take precedence)}
- B32B 27/08: of synthetic resin
- B32B 27/20: using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
- B32B 27/32: comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)}
- B32B 27/36: comprising polyesters
- B65D 31/02: {with laminated walls}
- B65D 79/02: Arrangements or devices for indicating incorrect storage or transport ({B65D79/005 takes precedence } ; measuring devices G01)
- B65D 81/267: {the absorber being in sheet form}
- G01N 31/222: {for investigating moisture content}
- B01D 2253/108: Zeolites
- B32B 2264/102: Oxide or hydroxide
- B32B 2307/4023: on the layer surface, e.g. ink
- B32B 2307/412: Transparent
- B32B 2307/416: Reflective
- B32B 2307/7242: Non-permeable
- B32B 2307/7246: Water vapor barrier
- B32B 2307/726: Permeability to liquids, absorption
- B32B 2307/728: Hydrophilic
- B32B 2307/75: Printability
- B32B 2439/46: Bags
- B32B 2439/70: Food packaging
- B32B 2439/80: Medical packaging
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A moisture absorbent material (drying material) with an indicator function is provided without the use of cobalt chloride containing a heavy metal, low molecular organic substance and the like; and a humidity indicator permitting a state of humidity to be found in a simple manner is also provided. The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function (10) includes a resin layer (11) containing 5 to 80 wt % zeolite which is provided on at least one surface thereof with a printed layer including a character, shape, picture or the like, so that the printed layer may visibly appear due to the resin layer becoming transparent by moisture absorption. The humidity indicator (20) is formed by laminating a film (21) made of a zeolite-containing resin composition, a polyolefin film (22) having patterns (24) printed thereon that include characters, symbols, lines or the like, which are printed to have a difference in the print density, and an aluminum foil (26) through an adhesive, so that the patterns (24) may be made sequentially visible due to the film (21) made of the zeolite-containing resin composition becoming transparent by moisture absorption.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A moisture absorbent material with an indicator function, characterized in that the material comprises: a resin layer containing 5 to 80% zeolite by weight; and a printed layer including a character, shape, picture or the like and disposed on at least one side of said resin layer, so that said printed layer is made to visibly appear due to said resin layer becoming transparent by moisture absorption, wherein said printed layer is so formed that patterns constituted by characters, symbols, lines or the like have a difference in the print density relative to the resin layer to appear visible when the resin layer becomes transparent by moisture absorption.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that another resin layer containing 5 to 80% zeolite by weight is superposed on the side of said resin layer at which said printed layer is disposed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that the material has a barrier film superposed on at least one surface thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 3, characterized in that an ink of one color selected from white, black, red, blue, green, yellow, indigo, cyan and magenta or an ink of mixed colors selected therefrom is applied between said barrier film and said printed layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that an ink of one color selected from white, black, red, blue, green, yellow, indigo, cyan and magenta or an ink of mixed colors selected therefrom is applied to an opposite side of said resin layer which is provided with said printed layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that said resin layer exhibits light transmittance of 70% or more when moisture absorption of said resin layer reaches a saturation state.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that a film having a reflecting surface is superposed on at least one side of the moisture absorbent material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that an ink used for said printed layer has a weight ratio of pigment or dye to resin within a range of 0.05 to 50 wt %.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 8, characterized in that said printed layer has an ink film thickness of 0.3 to 100 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1, characterized in that the material is so constructed that a printed pattern appears when a difference in optical density values between a whitish turbid state and a transparent state of said resin layer is rendered 0.05 or more.

### Claim 11

A humidity indicator characterized in that a film using a zeolite-containing resin composition, a polyolefin film having a pattern printed thereon, and a film having a reflecting surface are laminated on one another, so that said pattern is rendered visible by utilizing a change of said film using the zeolite-containing resin composition from a whitish turbid state to a transparent state due to moisture absorption.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The humidity indicator according to claim 11, characterized in that a thermoplastic resin is superposed on said film using the zeolite-containing resin composition so as to regulate the rate of moisture absorption, to thereby control an increase rate of visibility of the pattern.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The humidity indicator according to claim 12, characterized in that a paint for enlarging an angle of visibility is applied to a surface of said thermoplastic resin.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The humidity indicator according to claim 12, characterized in that a film having a low refractive index is interposed between said polyolefin film having said pattern printed thereon and said film having said reflecting surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The humidity indicator according to claim 12, characterized in that a laminate constituted of said film using the zeolite-containing resin composition, said polyolefin film having said pattern printed thereon and said film having said reflecting surface is entirely interposed between films having a width larger than that of said film using the zeolite-containing resin composition and then subjected to a heat lamination process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The humidity indicator according to claim 15, characterized in that said films used for the heat lamination have a water vapor transmission rate ranging from 0.1 to 100 g/m2/day.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The humidity indicator according to claim 15, characterized in that a color sample is printed on a film layer of said films used for the heat lamination so as to be able to judge a state of said pattern which appears with moisture absorption.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The humidity indicator according to claim 11, characterized in that said pattern is formed to have a difference in the print density of characters, symbols, lines or the like so that the degree of visibility may change, whereby the humidity of a space is clearly indicated.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A packaging bag characterized in that the bag is formed in a bag shape using a film provided on the whole of or on part of a face thereof with a moisture absorbent material with an indicator function according to claim 1.