CA2968318C

CA2968318C - A pack

Info

Publication number: CA2968318C
Application number: CA2968318A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gary Fallon; Andrew Jonathan Bray
Original assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Priority date: 2014-12-01
Filing date: 2015-11-25
Publication date: 2019-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-25
Also published as: AR102870A1; CA2968318A1; TW201630793A; WO2016087818A1; GB201421287D0

Abstract

Pack (1) comprising a base (3) having a front wall and containing a tobacco industry product (4) wrapped in a barrier layer (5) to form a bundle (6), a lid (2) mounted to the base for rotation between open and closed positions, and an extraction opening (8) in the barrier layer defined by a removable section (5a) through which tobacco industry products may be extracted from the bundle. A label (9) is attached to said removable section and has a peripheral portion that extends beyond the extraction opening and peels away from the barrier layer together with said removable section to open the extraction opening. A flexible insert (32) is attached to the label such that, when the label is peeled away from the barrier layer, the insert is at least partially extracted from the pack.

Description

A Pack Technical Field The present invention relates to a pack for a tobacco industry product such as smoking articles. In particular, the invention relates to a hinged-lid pack having a base containing a bundle of smoking articles and a lid mounted to the base for rotation between open and closed positions to enable access to the bundle of smoking articles to be obtained.
io Background Smoking articles, such as cigarettes, are sold in packs. Known packs often comprise an outer carton made from cardboard which has a base and a hinged lid. The base contains a bundle of smoking articles. The smoking articles are wrapped in a flexible barrier layer having an extraction opening to facilitate removal of a smoking is article from the pack by a consumer when the lid is open. The opening is closed by a flexible cover which extends over the extraction opening and which may be peeled back by a consumer once the lid has been pivoted into an open position to reveal the extraction opening. A peripheral region of the cover may be coated with a non-permanent re-sealable adhesive where it overlaps the barrier layer 20 around the edge of the opening so that the cover can be peeled back and replaced a number of times to re-seal the pack and maintain freshness of the smoking articles remaining in the pack.
It is also known to provide an insert within the pack. The insert is received 25 between the front wall of the pack and the barrier layer that is wrapped around the tobacco industry product. The insert may have information relating to the product printed or otherwise applied to it. The insert is usually longer than the height of the front wall of the base so that an upper edge portion of the insert is visible to a consumer upon opening the lid and can be grasped to enable it to be 30 extracted from the pack.
Summary In accordance with embodiments of the invention, there is provided a pack comprising a base having a front wall and containing a tobacco industry product wrapped in a 35 barrier layer to form a bundle, a lid mounted to the base for rotation between open and closed positions, and an extraction opening in the barrier layer defined by a removable

- 2 -section through which tobacco industry products may be extracted from the bundle,wherein a label is attached to said removable section and has a peripheral portion that extends beyond the extraction opening and peels away from the barrier layer together with said removable section to open the extraction opening, wherein a flexible insert is attached to the label such that, when the label is peeled away from the barrier layer, the insert is at least partially extracted from the pack.
In some embodiments, the insert is received within the bundle and has a portion that lies behind said removable section of the barrier layer.
The portion of the insert may be indirectly attached to said label by being attached to said removable section. Alternatively, the pack may comprise an aperture in said removable section, and the portion of the insert that lies behind said removable section may be directly attached to said label through the aperture.
Preferably, the portion of the insert is attached using a peelable adhesive and the pack is configured so that the insert is initially extracted from said bundle as the label is peeled away from the barrier layer into an intermediate position, further peeling of the label beyond said intermediate position causing the label to peel away from said insert to leave the insert partially extracted from the pack.
In some alternative embodiments, the insert is received between the bundle and the front wall of the pack and has a portion that extends between the label and the barrier layer.
The portion extending between the label and the barrier layer has an outer surface which is preferably attached to an underside surface of the label so that the label is at least partially extracted from the pack when the label is peeled away from the barrier layer.
In a preferred embodiment, the inner surface of the portion extending between the label and the barrier layer is releasably attached to the barrier layer when the lid is closed.
Most preferably, the portion of the insert attached to the underside surface of the label is attached using a peelable adhesive and the pack is configured so that the insert is

- 3 -initially extracted as the label is peeled away from the barrier layer into an intermediate position, further peeling of the label beyond said intermediate position causing the label to peel away from said insert to leave the insert partially extracted from said pack.
In any of the embodiments according to the invention, the label may have a portion which is attached to an inside surface of the lid, so that the label is peeled away from the barrier layer simultaneously with opening of the lid.
In alternative embodiments, the label may have a tab depending from a lower edge of io the periphery of the label which is substantially free of adhesive and which extends over said portion of the insert.
The portion of the insert can be attached to at least a part of a surface of the tab facing the barrier layer. The portion of the insert may also extend beyond said tab and can be attached to a peripheral region of the label from which the tab protrudes in addition to, or instead of, being attached to the tab.
Preferably, there is a gap between an edge of the extraction opening and an upper end of the insert when the pack is closed so that the label adheres directly to the barrier layer in this gap.
The insert preferably has a length such that it is fully extracted from the base before or when the lid reaches its open position.
In some embodiments, a portion of the insert is adhered to the label using permanent adhesive. In this case, the portion may be separable from the remainder of the insert by a line of weakness.
Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of a pack according to an embodiment of the invention, with its lid pivoted into an open position to reveal a wrapped bundle of smoking articles received within it, prior to peeling back of a label that covers an extraction opening, and in which an insert is received within the bundle;

- 4 -FIGURE 2 shows an inner frame in an unfolded condition and which is received within the wrapped bundle received within the pack of Figure 1;
FIGURE 3 shows an end view of the inner frame of Figure 2, after it has been folded about a charge of smoking articles and prior to being wrapped to form the bundle for insertion into the pack of Figure 1;
FIGURE 4 shows a perspective view of a pack according to another embodiment of the invention with the lid open, and which differs only from the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 in that a lower edge of the label is attached to the inside surface of the front wall of the lid so that the label peels back to reveal the extraction opening simultaneously with io opening of the lid;
FIGURE 5 shows a slightly modified version of the pack shown in Figure 4;
FIGURE 6 shows a cross-sectional side elevation of an upper portion of a pack according to Figures 4 or 5 with the lid closed;
FIGURE 7 shows a cross-sectional side elevation of another version of the upper is portion of the pack according to Figure 4 or 5 with the lid closed;
FIGURE 8 shows a perspective view of a pack according to another embodiment of the present invention in which an insert is received in the base of the pack between the front wall of the base and the wrapped bundle, with the lid of the pack being open and the insert being partially extracted from the base;
20 FIGURE 9 shows a partial cross-sectional side elevation of an upper portion of the pack shown in Figure 8 with the lid in an almost completely open position and the insert almost fully extracted from the base of the pack;
FIGURE ma shows a partial cross-sectional side elevation of the upper portion of the pack shown in Figures 8 and 9, with the lid in a closed position; and 25 FIGURE lob is a partial cross-sectional side elevation of part of the upper portion of the pack shown in Figure ma, but with the lid of the pack in a slightly open position.
Detailed Description Reference is made herein to a 'tobacco industry product'. This refers to any item made 30 in, or sold by the tobacco industry, typically including a) cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes);
b) non-smoking products incorporating tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes such as snuff, snus, hard tobacco, tobacco 35 heating devices and electronic cigarettes. This list is not intended to be exclusive, but merely illustrates a range of products which are made and sold in the tobacco industry.

- 5 -To enable a consumer to readily peel back a label covering an extraction opening in a barrier layer wrapped about a group of tobacco industry products, and which is releasably adhered to the barrier layer around the periphery of the extraction opening using a re-stick adhesive, the label is provided with a tab that depends from a lower edge of the label to which no re-stick adhesive is applied. This tab can be grasped by a consumer to make it easier to peel the cover away from the access opening once the lid of a pack containing a wrapped bundle has been opened.
/o It is common to provide an insert in the pack that lies between a front wall and the wrapped bundle of smoking articles or more specifically, between an inner frame which is attached to and extends from the open end of the base of the pack, and the wrapped bundle. When the lid is opened, a visible portion of the insert may be grasped by a consumer and pulled upwardly to extract the insert from the pack. However, it is often /5 difficult to provide an insert in the pack during assembly and insertion of the wrapped bundle of smoking articles into the pack and/or the insert is difficult to remove from the pack. Embodiments of the present invention therefore seek to provide an improved pack that seeks to overcome one or more of these issues.
20 Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention that comprises a rigid card pack 1 with a hinged lid 2 and a base 3 containing a group of cigarettes 4 (see Figures 2 to 7) wrapped in a barrier layer 5 to form a bundle 6 that protrudes from the open end of the base 3 of the pack 1. The bounds or edges 7 of an extraction opening 8, formed from a removable section 5a (see Figures 4 and 5) of the barrier layer 5, for allowing access to 25 the cigarettes 4 is indicated by dotted lines extending from the rearside of the barrier layer 5 across the top of the bundle 6 and down the front as far as a lower front wall extraction opening edge 7a. The barrier layer 5, which wraps about the cigarettes 4, may be made of metallized plastics or of a plastics/metal foil laminate. A
label 9 overlies the extraction opening 8 and section 5a. The label 9 is a layer of material 30 having on its undersurface facing the barrier layer 5, and section 5a, a re-stick adhesive.
Alternatively, a permanent bonding adhesive may be applied to the portion of the undersurface of the label 9 that overlaps section 5a but does not extend beyond it.
Where the label 9 extends beyond the edges 7 of the extraction opening 8, the undersurface of the label 9 is provided with a coating of re-stick adhesive.

- 6 -The label 9 has a lower front wall edge lo and includes a tab ii extending from the lower front wall edge 10 which is at least partly free of restick adhesive so that it may be flicked up by the user and used to peel back the label 9 in order to open the extraction opening 8.
On first opening, the edge 7 of the extraction opening 8 separating section 5a from the remainder of the barrier layer 4 may be defined by lines of weakening in the barrier material 5 or by actual cuts (shown by dotted lines in Figure 1). When the label 9 is pulled back, the section 5a of the barrier layer 5, which remains adhered to the io underside of the label 9, separates from the remainder of the barrier layer 5 along the lines of weakening or cuts to open the extraction opening 8. The consumer is then free to remove cigarettes 4 from the bundle 6 through the extraction opening 8 and, after having done so, reseal or close the extraction opening 8 by bringing down the tab 11 so that the edge of the label 9 re-adheres to the barrier layer 5 in a region surrounding the /5 periphery of the extraction opening 8. The section 5a of barrier layer 5 formed by the separation when the tab 11 is lifted is returned to its previous position within the extraction opening 8. Although there is a line of separation in the barrier layer 5, it is covered by the adhered edges of the label 9.
20 To ensure efficient adhesion, an inner frame 13, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is provided within the bundle 6 so that it extends partially around the cigarettes 4 beneath the barrier layer 5. The inner frame 13 provides a reaction surface underneath the barrier layer 5 against the resealing pressure exerted by the label 9 around the periphery of the extraction opening 8. As shown in Figure 2, the inner frame 13, which 25 may be made of card, has a front panel 16, two side flaps 17 and a top flap 18. Score or fold lines 19, 20 form corners as seen in Figure 3 when the wings 17 are folded to right angles with the panel 16. Top flap 18 is also folded to right angles. It can be seen that when the inner frame 13 has been folded there is an aperture 21 formed, which corresponds to the extraction opening 8, and through which cigarettes 4 are accessible, 30 as indicated in Figure 2. The aperture 21 extends to a base edge 23 in the front panel 16.
As the tab ii can be relatively difficult to grasp, in a modified embodiment, the label 9 and/or tab 11 is attached to the inside surface 24 of the front wall of the lid 2 so that the label 9 is peeled back to reveal the extraction opening 8 at the same time the lid 2 is 35 opened. In particular, with the lid 2 in an open position, as shown in Figure 4, section

- 7 -5a of the barrier layer 5 is drawn back to reveal the extraction opening 8 and enable a consumer to readily extract a cigarette 4 from the bundle 6.
To achieve simultaneous opening of the lid 2 and label 9, the label 9 has a region adjacent to its lowermost edge that is designated as a tab 25. The tab 25 is folded back on itself about a fold-line 26 that separates the tab 25 from the remainder of the label 9 so that a surface 27 of the tab 25 lies against or faces an outer surface of the label 9 when the lid 2 is closed. The opposite face 29 of the tab 25, which faces outwardly, is attached to an inner surface 24 of the lid 2 using a permanent adhesive. It will also be io appreciated that the outer surface 29 of the tab 25 can be permanently adhered to the inner surface 24 of the lid 2 without folding it back prior to gluing. In this arrangement, the tab 25 will be folded back relative to the remainder of the label 9 only when the lid 2 is in an open position.
/5 When the lid 2 is pivoted about hinge 4 into its open position, the label 9 is also pulled due to the connection between the tab 25 and the lid 2. This results in the label 9 being peeled back or rolled away from the extraction opening 8 with the section 5a of the barrier layer 5 also being lifted away from the extraction opening 8 together with the label 9. If the pack 1 is being opened for the first time, then region 5a will also separate 20 from the remainder of the barrier layers along the line of weakening that separates region 5a from the remainder of the barrier layers, as the lid 2 is opened. As the lid 2 opens, the tab 25 pivots relative to the remainder of the label 9 about the fold-line 26.
It will be appreciated that, when the lid 2 is rotated about the hinge 4 back into its 25 closed position, the label 9 will roll back across the extraction opening 8 and the region of the barrier layer 5a will re-position itself within the extraction opening

8. The peelable adhesive coating the peripheral region of the label 9 will also re-adhere to the barrier layer 5 surrounding the extraction opening 8, thereby closing the pack 1.
30 In either of the embodiments of the pack 1 described above, an insert 32 is received in the pack 1 and is located inside the bundle 6, i.e. so that it lies between the smoking articles 4 and a front wall of the barrier layers. If an inner frame 13 is received in the bundle 6, the insert 32 can be located either between the smoking articles 4 and the inner frame 13 or, between the inner frame 13 and the barrier layer 5. The insert 32 has 35 an upper end portion 32a that protrudes beyond a lower front wall edge 7a of the extraction opening 8.

To aid in extraction of the insert 32, an upper end portion 32a of the insert 32 is adhered to the inside surface of the section 5a of the barrier layer 5 which separates from the remainder of the barrier layer 5 and is peeled back together with the label 9 when the tab 11 is pulled (in the embodiment of Figure 1) or, when the lid 2 is opened (in the embodiment of Figures 4 to 6). Figure 6 most clearly shows the arrangement when the upper end portion 32a of the insert 32 is adhered to the inside surface of section 5a (using an adhesive marked `A'). Alternatively, and irrespective of whether the label 9 is attached to the inside surface 24 of the lid 2, the section 5a of the barrier io layer 5 may be provided with an aperture 33 in it so that the upper portion 32a of the insert 32 can be adhered directly to the undersurface of the label 9 through the aperture 33. The aperture 33 can be formed by making the section 5a stop short of the lower front wall extraction opening edge 7a, as most clearly illustrated in the cross-sectional side elevation of Figure 7. Irrespective of whether the insert 32 is attached to the /5 section 5a or to the label 9 through an aperture 33 in section 5a, it will be appreciated that the insert 32 will be pulled out of the bundle 6 when the label 9 is peeled back, either by pulling on the tab 11 or, by opening of the lid 2.
The adhesive, which is used to glue the insert 32 to the section 5a or to the label 9, is 20 releasable so that the insert 32 can be peeled away and separated from the section 5a or label 9 and the insert 32 removed altogether. Whilst this may be done manually after peeling the label 9 to open the bundle 6, i.e. after the lid 2 has been pivoted into the open position as shown in Figure 4, in which the insert 32 is shown still attached to the inside surface of section 5a, it is envisaged that the friction that acts to retain the insert 25 .. 32 within the bundle 6 and the strength of the releasable adhesive sticking it to the section 5a, or to the inside surface of the label 9, will be such that the insert 32 will initially be pulled out of the bundle 6 together with the label 9 but then the adhesive will separate prior to the label 9 being fully peeled back. This will leave the insert 32 in a partially extracted position, but unattached to section 5a or to the label 9 when the 30 label 9 has been fully peeled back, so that a consumer can easily grasp the partially extracted insert 32 and remove it from the bundle 6 without have to peel it away from section 5a or from the inside surface of the label 9 beforehand. Whilst Figure 4 shows the insert 32 still attached to the label 9 with the lid 2 in an open position, Figure 5 shows the alternate arrangement in which the insert 32 and label 9 have separated from 35 each other prior to the lid 2 reaching the fully open position, so as to leave the insert 32 partially extracted.

- 9 -The upper end of the insert 32, which is received within the bundle 6, is shown in Figure 1 in dotted lines. A hatched area 34 also indicates where the upper end 32a of the insert 32 is releasably glued to the inside surface of section 5a or, directly to the label 9, through an aperture 33 in section 5a, so that the insert 32 will be at least partially extracted from the bundle 6 when the label 9 is peeled by pulling on the tab ii.
In any embodiment, the insert 32 may be rectangular in shape and it may have a width ('W' in Figure 4) that is less than the width of the extraction opening 8 measured in a io direction extending across the front wall of the bundle 6, to enable the insert 32 to be easily extracted through the extraction opening 8, initally by peeling back the label 9 but also by pulling on the insert 32 directly once the insert 32 and label 9 or section 5a have become separated from each other. The insert 32 may also be folded prior to insertion so that the width of a folded section of the insert 32 is less than the width of /5 the extraction opening 8, thereby enabling it to be easily removed through the extraction opening 8 prior to unfolding it.
Another embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. In this embodiment, the insert 32 is received in the pack 1 and lies between the 20 bundle 6 and the front wall 3a of the base 3 of the pack 1. The insert 32 has an upper end 32a that protrudes beyond the upper edge 3c of the front wall 3a of the base 3 of the pack 1, when the pack 1 is closed, and extends between a periphery 9a of the label 9 and the barrier layer 5. An outer surface of the upper end 32a of the insert 32 that faces away from the barrier layer 5 is secured to the rear face of the label 9 using adhesive. In 25 a preferred arrangement, the upper end 32a is detatchably secured to the periphery 9a of the label 9 using a releasable adhesive so that the insert 32 may be completely detatched from the label 9 once the lid 2 is open. However, it is also envisaged that the upper end 32a could be spaced from the remainder of the insert 32 by a line of weakness (not shown) and that the remainder of the insert 32 may be detached from its 30 upper end 32 a in order to remove it, leaving the upper end 32a behind and attached to the periphery 9a of the label 9.
The insert 32 has a rear surface 32c that faces the barrier layer 5. A
releasable and, preferably, re-stickable adhesive may be applied to the rear surface 32c of the upper 35 end 32a of the insert 32 so that, when the lid 2 is closed, the rear surface 32c of the upper end 32a adheres to the barrier layer 5. If adhesive is applied to a rear surface 32c

- 10 -of the upper end 32a of the insert 32, it may be applied such that it does not extend all the way to a point at which the barrier layer 5 meets the top edge 3c of the front wall 3a of the base 3 of the pack 1 when the lid 2 is in its closed position, i.e.
there may be an area between the adhesive applied to the rear surface 32c of the upper end 32a of the insert 32 and the top edge 3c of the front wall 3a to which no adhesive of any kind is applied. This may make it easier to pivot the lid 2 out of its closed position during initial opening of the lid 2.
The insert 32 has an upper edge 32e. Preferably, the upper edge 32e is spaced from a io lower edge 7b of the extraction opening 8 when the lid 2 is closed. A
releasable, preferably re-stickable, adhesive may also be applied to the periphery 9a of the label 9 in the region between the lower edge 7b of the extraction opening 8 and the upper edge 32e of the insert 32, so that the periphery 9a of the label 9 will releasably adhere to the barrier layer 5 in this region.
As will be apparent from Figures 8 to 10, when the lid 2 is pivoted into its open position, the insert 32 is pulled upwardly and out of its pocket between the bundle 6 and the front wall 3a of the base 3 of the pack 1, due to the connection between the upper end 32a of the insert 32 and the periphery 9a of the label 9. Figures 8 and 9 show a pack 1 according to an embodiment of the invention in which the lid 2 has almost reached its fully open position and in which the insert 32 has almost been completely removed from the base 3. In some embodiments, the insert 32 may be completely extracted from the base 3 once the lid 2 has reached its fully open position and in other embodiments it may be completely extracted from the base 3 when the lid 2 has been partially opened. It will be appreciated that the point at which the insert 32 is completely removed from the base 3 of the pack 1 is dependent on the overall length of the insert 32. If the insert 32 is not fully extracted from the base 3 of the pack 1, a consumer may use their fingers to pull the remaining portion of the insert 32 from the base 3 and either detatch it from the label 9 or, lift it up out of the way to enable access to the extraction opening 8 to be obtained. A consumer may then re-insert a lower edge 32b of the insert 16 back into its pocket between the bundle 6 and the front wall 3a of the base 3 of the pack 1 when the pack 1 is closed, although it is anticipated that a consumer will be more likely to remove the sheet 32 altogether prior to closing the lid 2 of the pack 1.

- 11 -As has already been described with reference to the embodiments of Figures 1 to 7, in the embodiment of Figures 8 to 10 the releasable adhesive that attaches the insert 32 to the label 9 may also release when the lid 2 has been partially opened so as to leave the insert 32 partially extracted from the pack 1. This may happen when the force required to pull the insert 32 out of the pack 1 is greater than the strength of the adhesive gluing the insert 32 to the label 9, resulting in the insert 32 peeling away from the label 9 as the label 9 continues to peel away from the barrier layer 5.
Figure ma shows a cross-sectional side elevation of an upper portion of the pack 1 /o shown in Figures 8 and 9 with the lid 2 closed, and from which it can be seen that the upper end 32a of the insert 32 is received between a lower edge of the label 9 and the barrier layer 5, with the upper end 32a of the insert 32 stuck to the label 9 so that the insert 32 will be extracted as the label 9 is peeled back. Figure lob shows the pack 1 of Figure ma after the lid 2 has just begun to open, to show how the insert 32 is drawn out is of the base 3 of the pack 1, in the direction of arrow X.
Whilst Figures 8 to lo show an embodiment in which the label 9 is stuck to the inside surface 24 of the lid 2, it will be appreciated that the label 9 may not be stuck to the lid 2 in the embodiment of Figures 8 to 10. In this variation, the label 9 is similar to the 20 label 9 of Figure 1 and the upper end 32a of the insert 32 extends behind the tab 11 so that it is stuck to at least a part of the tab ii and/or to the rear surface of the label 9.
Preferably, part of a lower edge of the tab 11 is left free and is not stuck to the insert 32 so that a user can still grasp the tab 11 to peel the label 9. When the tab 11 is pulled, the insert 32 is lifted up together with the label 9 and so at least begins to slide out of the 25 pack 1. As previously described, the insert 32 may remain attached to the label 9 for manual removal once the label 9 has been fully peeled back or, the glue attaching the insert 32 to the label 9 may separate before the label 9 has been fully peeled back to leave the insert 32 partially extracted. This can be achieved by controlling the strength of the adhesive that sticks the insert 32 to the label 9 and/or tab ii relative to the force 30 required to overcome the friction holding the insert 32 within the pack 1. When the label 9 is initially opened, the strength of the adhesive may be greater than the frictional force so that the frictional force is overcome and the insert 32 begins to slide out of the pack 1 as the label 9 is peeled back. When the label 9 has reached an intermediate position, the frictional force may overcome the strength of the adhesive 35 holding the insert 32 glued to the label 9 so that the insert 32 and label 9 will separate from each other prior to the label 9 reaching its fully open position. The insert 32 is

- 12 -then left partially extracted from the pack 1 and easily accessible, and removable from the pack 1, by a consumer.
In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide a superior pack for smoking articles.
The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that /0 advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Various /5 embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A pack comprising a base having a front wall and containing a tobacco industry product wrapped in a barrier layer to form a bundle, a lid mounted to the base for rotation between open and closed positions, and an extraction opening in the barrier layer defined by a removable section through which tobacco industry products may be extracted from the bundle, wherein a label is attached to said removable section and has a peripheral portion that extends beyond the extraction opening and peels away from the barrier layer together with said removable section to open the extraction opening, wherein a flexible insert is attached to the label such that, when the label is peeled away from the barrier layer, the insert is at least partially extracted from the pack.

2. The pack according to claim 1, wherein said insert is received within the bundle and has a portion that lies behind said rermovable section of the barrier layer.

3. The pack according to claim 2, wherein said portion is indirectly attached to said label by being attached to said removable section.

4. The pack according to claim 2, comprising an aperture in said removable section, wherein the portion of the insert that lies behind said removable section is directly attached to said label through the aperture.

5. The pack according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said portion of the insert is attached using a peelable adhesive and the pack is configured so that the insert is initially extracted from said bundle as the label is peeled away from the barrier layer into an intermediate position, further peeling of the label beyond said intermediate position causing the label to peel away from said insert to leave the insert partially extracted from the pack.

6. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the insert is received between the bundle and the front wall of the pack and has a portion that extends between the label and the barrier layer.

7. The pack according to claim 6, wherein the portion extending between the label and the barrier layer has an outer surface which is attached to an underside surface of the label so that the label is at least partially extracted from the pack when the label is peeled away from the barrier layer.

8. The pack according to claim 7, wherein the portion extending between the label and the barrier layer has an inner surface which is releasably attached to the barrier layer when the lid is closed.

9. The pack according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said portion of the insert attached to the underside surface of the label is attached using a peelable adhesive and the pack is configured so that the insert is initially extracted as the label is peeled away from the barrier layer into an intermediate position, further peeling of the label beyond said intermediate position causing the label to peel away from said insert to leave the insert partially extracted from said pack.

10. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the label has a portion attached to an inside surface of the lid, so that the label is peeled away from the barrier layer simultaneously with opening of the lid.

11. The pack according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the label has a tab depending from a lower edge of the periphery of the label which is substantially free of adhesive and which extends over said portion of the insert.

12. The pack according to claim 11, wherein said portion of the insert is attached to at least a part of a surface of the tab facing the barrier layer.

13. The pack according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said portion of the insert extends beyond said tab and is attached to a peripheral region of the label from which the tab protrudes.

14. The pack according to claim 13, comprising a gap between an edge of the extraction opening and an upper end of the insert when the pack is closed so that the label adheres directly to the barrier layer in this gap.

15. The pack according to claim 1, wherein the insert has a length such that it is fully extracted from the base before or when the lid reaches its open position.

16. The pack according to any one of claims 2 to 4, 6 to 8 and 10, wherein the portion of the insert is adhered to the label using permanent adhesive, said portion being separated from the remainder of the insert by a line of weakness such that said remainder is separable from said portion.