GB2617809A

GB2617809A - An overwrap

Info

Publication number: GB2617809A
Application number: GB2118043.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mustafa Isaak
Original assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-14
Filing date: 2021-12-14
Publication date: 2023-10-25
Also published as: GB202118043D0

Abstract

An overwrap 5 for a tobacco industry product pack having a tear strip 6 with a tab 7 located at the end of the strip, the tab defined by a cut in the overwrap with ends 10, 11 on opposite sides and spaced away from the tear strip, when the tab is pulled the overwrap tears along the tear strip and from the ends of the cut of the tab. The tear strip may be equally spaced from the ends of the cut with the distance between the ends of the cups being much greater than the width of the tear strip. The ends of the cut may extend in a direction parallel to the tear strip or may converge in a direction towards the tear strip or diverge in a direction away from the tear strip. The overwrap may have a second cut parallel and spaced from the cut. The overwrap may be a film or formed from a paper based product.

Description

An overwrap

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an overwrap for a tobacco industry product pack. A tobacco industry product pack is also disclosed.

Background

Tobacco industry product packs are often wrapped in a overwrap to maintain the freshness of the product contained within the pack. The overwrap is usually removable io from the pack by a tear strip, which when pulled by a user, tears and removes the overwrap.

Summary

According to the present disclosure, there is provided an overwrap for a tobacco /5 industry product pack containing a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, said overwrap comprising a tear strip, and a tab located at an end of the tear strip, the tab being defined by a cut in the overwrap having ends on opposite sides of, and spaced from, the tear strip such that, when the overwrap is wrapped about a tobacco industry product pack and the tab is pulled, the overwrap tears along the tear strip and from said ends of the cut defining the tab.

The tear strip may be equally spaced from the ends of the cut defining the tab.

The width of the tab, defined by the distance between the ends of the cut, may be substantially greater than the width of the tear strip.

The ends of the cut may extend in a direction parallel to the tear strip. The ends of the cut may extend in a direction at an angle to tear strip.

The ends of the cut may converge and extend in a direction towards the tear strip. The ends of the cut may diverge and extend in a direction away from the tear strip.

The tobacco industry product pack may comprise a front wall and a side wall, said tab may extend in a direction along said side wall perpendicular to said front waif The tab may extend beyond the front wall of the tobacco industry product pack.

The overwrap may comprise a second cut, parallel to and spaced from the cut.

The overwrap may be a film overwrap.

The overwrap may be formed from a paper-based material.

/0 According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tobacco industry product pack comprising: a pack outer; a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products received in the pack outer; and an overwrap according to the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a tobacco industry product pack wrapped in an 20 overwrap according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a tobacco industry product pack wrapped in an overwrap according to an embodiment of the invention. The tobacco industry product pack 1 comprises a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3, separated by a pair of side walls 4 and is completely wrapped in an overwrap 5 configured to maintain the freshness of the product contained within the pack 1.

The overwrap 5 comprises a tear strip 6 and a tab 7 located at an end 8 of the tear strip 6. The tab 7 is defined by a cut 9 in the overwrap 5 having ends 10,11 on opposite sides of, and spaced from, the tear strip 6. Therefore, when the overwrap 5 is wrapped about the tobacco industry product pack iand the tab 7 is pulled, the overwrap 5 tears along the tear strip 6 from the ends 10, n of cut 9 defining the tab 7.

The tear strip 6 can be formed by a line of weakening in the overwrap 5, or adjacent multiple lines of weakening. The tear strip 6 can also be formed by some other kind of -3 -weakening of the material which enables it to tear more easily than remaining areas of the overwrap 5. Therefore, when the tab 7 is pulled by a consumer, the overwrap 5 breaks along the tear strip 6. Alternatively, the tear strip 6 includes a layer comprising a narrow ribbon or band of material which is stronger than the material of the overwrap 5 and which is connected to the tab 7. Therefore, when a consumer pulls the tab 7, the ribbon or band is pulled and breaks the weaker overwrap material.

When the tab 7 is pulled, a tear in the overwrap 5 propagates from the ends to, 11 of the cut 9. The tear continues to propagate as a consumer continues to pull the tab 7 to open /.0 the pack 1. As seen in Figure 1, the ends to, 11 of the cut 9 extend in a direction parallel to the tear strip 6. However, it is to be appreciated that the cut 9 may be shaped such that the ends to, 11 of the cut 9 extend in a direction at an angle to the tear strip 6. The ends to, n of the cut 9 may converge in a direction towards the tear strip 6. Therefore, the tear propagating from the ends to, 11 of the cut 9 will propagate towards and eventually contact the tear strip 6. The tear may then continue to propagate along the tear strip 6. Alternatively, the ends 10, 11 of the cut 9 may diverge in a direction away from the tear strip 6. Here the tear may remove a large portion of the overwrap 5 with minimal effort. The tear may intercept the tear strip 6 and the overwrap 5 will continue to tear along the tear strip 6.

The tear strip 6 is equally spaced from the ends to, 11 of the cut 9 defining the tab 7. In other words, the tear strip 6 is arranged substantially centrally in relation to the tab 7. As seen in Figure 1, the width of the tab 7, defined by the distance between the ends 10, 11 of the cut 9, is substantially larger than the width of the tear strip 6. The allows a or consumer to more easily grasp the tab 7 when removing the overwrap 5.

Additionally, the tab 7 extends in a direction along the side wall 4 of the tobacco industry product pack 1, perpendicular to the front wall 2 of the tobacco industry product pack 1. As seen in Figure 1, the tab 7 extends beyond the front wall 2 of thc tobacco industry product pack 1. This also allows the tab 7 to be more easily grasped by a consumer when removing the overwrap 5.

The overwrap 5 further comprises a second cut 12, parallel to and spaced from the cut 9. Once the tab 7 has been pulled by a consumer and a tear in the overwrap 5 has propagated from the ends to, 11 of the cut 9, the second cut 12 provides further guidance for the tear to propagate in the same direction as the tear strip 6. This ensures that the tear in the overwrap 5 follows the direction of the tear strip 6. -4 -

The overwrap 5 is a film overwrap. Alternatively, the overwrap 5 maybe formed from a more environmentally friendly material such as a paper-based material.

Although the overwrap is described in relation to a single tobacco industry product pack, it is to be appreciated that the overwrap may be applied to a collation of tobacco industry product packs to retain the packs within the collation.

The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in io understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is also to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications maybe made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future. -5 -

Claims

Claims 1. An overwrap for a tobacco industry product pack containing a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, said overwrap comprising a tear strip, and a tab located at an end of the tear strip, the tab being defined by a cut in the overwrap having ends on opposite sides of, and spaced from, the tear strip such that, when the overwrap is wrapped about a tobacco industry product pack and the tab is pulled, the overwrap tears along the tear strip and from said ends of the cut defining the tab.
2. An overwrap according to claim 1, wherein the tear strip is equally spaced from the ends of the cut defining the tab.
3. An overwrap according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the width of the tab, defined by the distance between the ends of the cut, is substantially greater than the width of the tear strip.
4. An overwrap according to any of claims ito 3, wherein the ends of the cut extend in a direction parallel to the tear strip.
5. An overwrap according to any of claims ito 4, wherein the ends of the cut extend in a direction at an angle to tear strip.
6. An overwrap according to claims, wherein the ends of the cut converge and extend in a direction towards the tear strip.
7. An overwrap according to claim 5 wherein the ends of the cut diverge and extend in a direction away from the tear strip.
8. An ovcrwrap according to any preceding claim, wherein the tobacco industry product pack comprises a front wall and a side wall, said tab extending in a direction along said side wall perpendicular to said front wall.
9- An overwrap according to claim 8, wherein the tab extends beyond the front wall of the tobacco industry product pack.
10. An overwrap according to any preceding claim, wherein the overwrap comprises a second cut, parallel to and spaced from the cut.it An overwrap according to any of claims ito 5, wherein the overwrap is a film overwrap.12. An overwrap according to any of claims i to 5, wherein the overwrap formed from a paper-based material./o 13. A tobacco industry product pack comprising: a pack outer; a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products received in the pack outer; and an overwrap according to any preceding claim.