MXPA99004740A - Packaging for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A pack (1) for smoking articles such as cigarettes has a sealed enclosure of barrier material, with a resealable access aperture to the enclosure. A cover (7) over that aperture has on all its openable edges a permanently tacky surface overlapping over the barrier material there. The cover has a non-adhesive tab (10) to assist opening.

Description

FILE OF ARTICLES FOR SMOKING FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pack of articles for smoking, such as cigars, cigars and cigarettes. This will be referred to as cigars for the sake of clarity and brevity. The object of the present invention is to provide a cigar pack, which acts as an effective barrier against the ingress and egress of moisture or the entry of contaminants during transport and storage of packaged cigars, but which also allows to maintain the property of effective barrier even after the pack has been opened by the user for the first time. In other words, we provide a re-sealable barrier layer in the cigar packaging. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The provision of barrier layers as well as an inner wrapper of a cigar box or an outer wrap or both is very common. The provision is more or less essential if the cigars have a long life in commercial shelves, in areas that have hostile climatic conditions, especially areas of high temperature and high humidity. But as far as we are aware, such barrier layers provided up to now, internal or external, have been destroyed in their barrier function when the user opens the package for the first time. Typically, an outer barrier layer has a tear strip that the user operates to separate the halves of the outer wrapper that is then discarded, or a barrier layer within the cigar box (or surrounding a soft wrapper package) that although it is not usually discarded once the pack is opened, it has a permanent opening formed in it by the user when he first accesses. US-A-4763779 discloses an inner tin foil envelope for a Laubé-type case wherein a flap of the envelope can be lowered over an access opening, and overlaps the edges of the opening. You can have a "peel-seal" connection with the overlapping edges. US-A-5333729 shows, in Figures 11 and 12, a tongue which, when lifted towards a side wall, tears a wrap. The tongue may have a sticky surface to re-close the open hole in the shell. Patent US-A-5511658 shows a pack with a folding lid, the front wall of which extends to overlap a larger face of the pack, in order to close the pack again by joining it to a point of glue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the present invention we provide a re-sealable sealed barrier layer defining in the barrier layer an access opening extending from an end wall to a larger side of a cuboid package, having over the opening and extending beyond all of its opening edges, a cover layer having a permanently sticky surface engageable with the barrier material adjacent the edges of the opening. The cover layer will usually be a separate layer applied to the barrier layer. The opening can be defined by lines of weakening in the package without opening, not penetrating through the thickness of the material, or by real cuts, with or without interruptions. The opening in the barrier layer will preferably be defined by the weakening line or cuts and by an uncut or non-weakened edge, this forming an articulated flap of the barrier material. The cover layer with a permanently tacky surface can itself be formed of barrier material, even if it is separated from the main body of such material, but it can be quite satisfactory to use for that purpose a paper or other sheet material which is preferably continuous from edge to edge, that is, across the full extent of the opening in the barrier layer plus its overlapping edges. The layer may have a tongue or other handle that is free of the permanently adhesive material to allow easier handling. The layer can be found, for example, in the form of a label, a coupon or a separation stamp. The preferred material of the barrier layer will be either a plastic / metal sheet or a metallized plastic material, since any of these offers outstanding barrier properties. The barrier layer can be continuous over a smaller end of the pack or load, and has side joins along both smaller sides of the pack and a similar wrap or fold over the opposite smaller end, the barrier layer does not need to be applied in that way - it can also be applied to be continuous on a smaller side and sealed on both minor ends and a smaller side. Various patterns of heat sealable portions of barrier layer, obtained by the application of rubber, shellac or the like to the barrier material, being heat-sealed with each other or with the barrier material, form a sheath that is as close as possible to hermetic. It is desirable that a non-stick tab be present at an edge of the adhesive layer, to assist in the opening and reopening of the package. It is preferable that the tongue is not flush with the barrier layer, so that it can be more easily held when the package is opened / reopened. This can be achieved by various means, for example by bending in the region where the tongue joins with the adhesive portion of the cover, by applying inks or other means which upon drying distort the covering material or distorting the cover by embossing. More preferably, the tongue is bent backward to lie against (the non-adhesive surface of) the cover and held so that it can be released in place by minor amounts of an adhesive. A re-sealable pack can be included in a Laubé or flat box. Such boxes are well known in the art and are generally rigid, being made of thick cardboard or a similar material, and are articulated along a smaller edge of a larger face, or along a larger middle line of a smaller face . In such embodiments, the opening of the barrier layer is preferably located on the front surface of the pack (ie, the larger surface that is revealed when the Laube type box is opened) and the upper surface (i.e., the surface). which is further from the hinge of the Laubé type box). It may be desirable for the covering to have a tab on the top of the pack, whose tongue may be arranged to protrude between the lips of the Laubé-type box. The barrier layer can be located around the bundle of cigarettes both to produce a wrapping of side joints or a joint on the front and / or back larger faces of the bundle. In addition, flavoring may be provided in the permanently tacky adhesive used for resealing the barrier layer. Thus, a quantity of flavoring will be released each time there is access to the cigars. This contrasts with already known systems (such as that described in US-A-5249676) that releases only a flavor explosion at the initial opening of the pack. In the present invention, the flavor is preferably microencapsulated, with each action of disengagement of the sticky surface of the barrier layer causing the rupture of a proportion of the microcapsules, and thus releasing their content. US-A-4720423, again about a one-time flavor release system, describes how flavor-containing microcapsules can be incorporated into the adhesive. The term "flavoring" refers to any substance that releases, produces, neutralizes, masks or alters odors, for example a perfume or a deodorant. The flavor may alternatively or additionally be incorporated into an entity which is included within the cigarette box, inside the barrier layer. The entity can be a porous substance, for example a pad, a sheet of paper or it can be the internal cardboard structure of a semi-rigid pack. Alternatively, the flavor can be encapsulated or included in a sachet, including the capsule or the sachet inside the pack. The flavoring can permeate the cigars included in the pack, in order to affect the taste or smell of the smoke produced by smoking the cigars. A preferred flavor is menthol. The flavor can be incorporated in a re-sealable adhesive layer (outside the barrier layer) or also in an insert (within the barrier layer). The flavors can be the same, so its effect is reinforced, or different, for example, to provide a flavor when opening the pack, and a different flavor in the cigar. We also disclose an internal structure, particularly suitable for the re-sealable packaging of this invention. Such an internal structure has panels that can be bent relative to each other to form at least four partial faces of a cuboid including a larger face, and, additionally, have a flap or flaps forming a fifth incomplete face of the cuboid. In a preferred configuration, the structure has a major panel, two elongated side wings and an end panel d (lower), and two flaps. The long edges of the lateral wings and the end panel are the major edges and a minor edge, respectively of the larger face. The flaps are located at the upper ends of the side wings. Thus, upon bending, the structure forms a larger face, two elongated side faces and a lower end face of a cuboid, the flaps forming two parts of an incomplete upper end face. It is preferable that the major face is not a complete rectangle, but has a hole in the upper edge. When such a gap is present, it is further preferable that the end panel be such that two unfolded preform structures located end to end are abutting (that is, they may lie side by side without "overlaps or spaces"), thus minimizing the amount of material needed. When this internal structure is used in a re-sealable pack, the opening in the barrier sheet through which the cigars can be accessed preferably rests on the region between the flap / s and the recess in the panel higher. The flaps, being held on the cigarettes that remain in the box (since it is preferable that the length of the lateral edge is similar to that of the cigars), provides an anvil that holds the barrier layer adjacent to it. the opening, allowing the adhesive cover to be pressed firmly against the barrier layer, to assist re-sealing. Of course, the internal structures may have unique folds between the panels (producing sharp edges) or double folds (producing chamfered edges). Alternatively, the sides of the structure can be rounded, for example to be used in so-called "oval" packs. The present invention is not limited only to cigarette attachments. For example, multiple bundles may be wrapped in the re-sealable barrier material and then they may be inserted together in a single outer wrap. Alternatively, the multiple bundles, each within an internal structure, can be over-wrapped together in a sheet that forms a single pack, to form a semi-rigid pack containing multiple bundles. Flavor can be added to the package in the form of panels called "scratch and sniff". That is, the flavor can be coated in the package in a form (for example micro-encapsulated) that allows the release of the flavor when it is shaved. Such scratch and smell panels are well known, for example in the perfume notices found in magazines. The joints of the barrier layer can be formed using thermosealable rubber or strips that are added to the barrier layer, for example, by printing them on it. This is particularly applicable when the barrier layer is a sheet of paper / metal or foil. However, one or more external faces of the plastic or metal sheet can be made of thermo-sealable material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Several embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a generalized embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows an internal structure of a first modality. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the end of the internal structure of Figure 2 assembled around a load of cigarettes. Figure 4 is a plan view of a barrier layer and label to be wrapped around the internal structure of Figure 2 together with its cigar load. Figure 5 is a view from the back and the bottom of the package formed in the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a side view of the internal structure of a second embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the end of the internal structure of the second embodiment assembled around a cigar load.

Figure 8 is a full view of the barrier layer of the second embodiment. Figure 9 is a view from the back and the bottom of a pack formed by the second embodiment. Figure 10 is a plan view of a label of the second embodiment. Figure 11 indicates the assembly of that label with a top view of the barrier layer of the package. Figure 12 shows the internal structure of a third modality. Figure 13 shows a barrier layer for this third embodiment. Figure 14 is a side view of a label for the third embodiment and Figure 15 shows an assembly of this label with a top view of the package of the third embodiment. Figures 16 and 17 show, respectively, a face and assembled view of the fourth form of a label. Figure 18 shows a fourth preferred embodiment of an internal structure. Figure 19 shows the fourth modality already assembled, with the extreme flaps to act as anvils against the re-sealing pressure. Figure 20 shows a fourth embodiment of cut preform of barrier material.

Figure 21 shows a front view of the fourth mode when being assembled, as a container. Figure 22 shows a top plane view of the fourth embodiment when being assembled as a container, with a small separate portion. Figure 23 shows a side view of the fourth embodiment when being assembled as a container. Figure 24 shows the other side view of the fourth mode when being assembled as a container. Figure 25 shows a fifth embodiment of cut preform of barrier material. Figure 26 shows a front view of the fifth mode when being assembled as a container. Figure 27 shows a top plan view of the fifth mode when being assembled as a container, with a small separate portion. Figure 28 shows a side view of the fifth embodiment when being assembled as a container. Figure 29 shows a view of the second side of the fifth embodiment when being assembled as a container. Figure 30 shows thermo-sealable areas on an internal face of a barrier preform. Figure 31 shows thermo-sealable areas on an external face of a barrier preform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a general modality with a rigid cardboard box 1 with a "flip-top" lid 2 (upper part foldable) containing a batch 3 of cigars packed in a barrier layer. The boundaries of an opening to allow access to the cigars are indicated by parallel dotted lines 4 extending from the back of lot 3 where a hinge line is formed over edge 5 through the top of the package and down at the front to the third line 6 parallel to the hinge 5. As will be seen and as it is clearly apparent, other forms of that opening are possible; In addition, the hinge line of the lid does not need to be on the back of the box. The barrier layer forming the pack may be made, for example, of metallized plastics or of a plastic / metal foil. Above its opening lies an element, here in the form of a label 7, which is a layer of material having, under its surface closest to the barrier layer, a permanently sticky material. The permanently tacky material can continuously or intermittently cover all of that sub-surface, or the permanent bonding adhesive can be found in the portion of the sub-surface that does not lie on the edges of the barrier layer, but where it extends the label 7 at the edges 8 and 9 beyond the edges of the opening 4 and 6, the sub-surface must be provided with that permanently sticky material. Beyond an edge of the label 7 is a tab 10 which is, at least in part, free of the permanently sticky material, so that it can be pulled up by the user and used to pull the label to open the pack. Before the first use, the opening edges 4 and 6 may have been defined by the weakening lines in the barrier material or by actual cuts. If it is through the cuts, there will preferably be interruptions, for example, aligned with the front corner 11 of the box and / or at the corners between the edges 4 and 6 of the opening, such that, when first lifting the tongue 11, the user feels that the separation action has occurred. The user is then free to remove the cigarettes from the package through the aperture and, after having performed such action, he can reseal the aperture simply by lowering the tab such that the edge portions 8, 9 are re-adhere to the adjacent portions of the barrier layer material. The flap of the barrier material formed by the separation along those lines when the tab 10 was raised, returns to its previous position and although there will now be a separation line in that barrier layer, this is covered by the adhered edges 8, 9 of the label.

To ensure efficient adhesion as much as possible, an internal structure within the package offers a reaction surface below the barrier layer against the resealing pressure exerted on the edges 8 and 9. In the embodiments described, the package 3 is a Removable separate entity from the outer box. The latter can be of any suitable type and in particular can be of the type called "shell and slide" (protection and sliding) where the box can be pressed from one end of the box to protrude through the other to expose the cigars for a easier access for the user. In addition, the aforementioned packet, and those to be described, can be an independent entity, that is, they can be sold without a rigid box surrounding them, at least, if, preferably, such means as a celluloid overwrap were provided. Conventional transparent to provide additional protection and to prevent accidental alterations of the tongue 10. The resealable barrier layer can also be found on a rigid box. The specific modalities of both the structure and the resealable barriers will now be described with reference to the remaining drawings. Any of these modalities can be used in any of the contexts already mentioned and (in principle) with any other of them.

In Figure 2 we see an internal cardboard structure 15 which has a front panel 16, two side flaps 17 and a top flap 18. Notches or fold lines 19, 20 form corners as seen in Figure 3 when the flaps 17 they are bent at right angles to the panel 16. The top flap 18 is also bent at right angles. It can be seen that, when the internal structure has been bent for assembly in that way, an opening 21 is formed through where the majority of the load 22 of (here) twenty cigarettes will be accessible as indicated in diagram form in Figure 2. The opening 21 extends to a base edge 23 on the front panel. Figure 4 is a side view of a sheet 25 which will form an overwrap barrier layer around the cigar load contained in the internal structure 15. The fold lines 26 show where the sheet to be folded over will be folded over. side panels 17 of the structure, and dotted lines 27 show where it will be bent to lie on top flap 18. In the lower part of the pack formed around the internal structure and its load (an operation that can be carried out in standard machines), and adjacent to the top of the pack form diamond-shaped bends 28, 29, as indicated in Figure 4, and this and the side joints are sealed in any suitable way, such as for example reciprocating, sliding, pulling or sealing by bands or induction. An opening of the barrier layer is defined by the slots 30, 31. There is a discontinuity between these slots in 32. The slots 30, 31 which are pre-cut through the entire thickness of the barrier material correspond to the side edges of the opening 21 in the internal structure and its base edge 23 in the front panel respectively. In line 27 a hinge portion 33 is formed in an uncut area. To keep the flap formed by the cuts 30, 31 in place secured, and to avoid any transfer of moisture except by carelessness, through the barrier, a layer 34 is applied over the opening formed in the barrier layer. It is in the form of a label, usually a film of plastic material, whose lower surface is covered with a permanent adhesive, ie a permanently sticky material so that it adheres to the barrier layer and can adhere to it again . In this embodiment, the label extends beyond all edges of the opening, that is, both formed in the barrier layer by the slots 30., 31 and that formed by the hinge 33, by marginal portions 35 on the sides, 36 on the lower part and 37 on the rear respectively. If the slots 30 ended near the line 27 it would not be necessary for the portion 37 to be located at the rear of the package. Beyond the portion 36 is a tab 38 that is free of adhesive material. As can be seen, the package, once assembled, can be inserted into a box and can be used in a manner generally described in relation to Figure 1. When the user first lifts the tab 38, he should obtain the distinctive signal cut discontinuities 32 for the first time. When he has removed one or more cigars, he can reseal the pack by applying the edge portions 35 and the lower portion 36 once more to the barrier material surrounding it, with the edge portions of the structure 15 around the opening 21 acting like an anvil against the pressure exerted. Provided that the barrier layer is correctly back in its position, which is assisted by the hinge portion 33, the entire barrier layer after opening and resealing should be as good as before. In the second embodiment as seen in Figures 6-11 an internal structure 15 'is sized for a smaller load 40 of cigarettes, here ten, but in other aspects it is equal to the internal structure 15. The equal parts have been named with the same reference numbers and do not need additional description. The barrier layer used in the second embodiment is, however, different in detail, although identical in function. Sheet 41 in Figure 8 is to be folded completely around the base of the internal structure and loaded and sealed only on the sides and top. It has front and rear forming panels 42, indicating lines 43 where the barrier layer will bend around the base of the load as indicated in Figure 9. Lines 44 indicate where the side panels 45 are defined, which will be sealed together in a joint on each side of the box formed. When the layer is wrapped on the line of the pack 47 and is brought to the line 46, the lines 48 and 49 indicate the fold position around the leading and trailing edges, respectively, of the upper part of the load. An opening in the barrier layer is formed by a slot 50 in the shape of a narrow U whose ends extend just through line 47. There may be discontinuities in the slot such as discontinuity 32 described with reference to the first embodiment . The discontinuous slots 51 cross the line 46. The distance between the slots 51 is different than that between two parallel slot positions 50 where both will overlap in the assembled package (see Figure 11). This avoids a need for accurate registration of slots at the respective ends of the sheet when they are joined in the wrapping and sealing operation. In the portion forming the front panel 42 of the laminate, the opening defined by the slot 50 widens and the parallel portions 52 correspond in position with the edges 21 'of the opening in the internal structure 15'. A paper label 55 has a sub-surface which is permanently tacky and has a base portion 56 that covers almost the entire upper surface of the pack. A flap portion 57 of the tag extends above and beyond the edges of the flap defined by the slot 50 in the barrier layer, providing edge portions 58, 59 and 60 for adhesion to the adjacent portions of this layer of barrier, as indicated in Figure 11. As in the first embodiment, there is a tab 61 free of sticky material, to assist handling and resealing by the user of the package formed. In a third embodiment seen in Figures 12 to 15, the internal structure seen in Figure 12 is identical to the internal structure 15 of Figure 2 and will not be described in an ad hoc manner. The foil 65 seen in Figure 13 is very similar to the foil 41 of Figure 6, but a different conformation of the groove and hence of the opening is shown. Here, an opening for the pack to be formed by a sheet is defined by parallel straight line grooves 66, transverse lines 47 'and 49', and which, after an interruption 67, are continued to a base groove 68.; the grooves together define a flap that can be opened in a type of hinge formed by the label in the region behind the lines 46 '. The interrupted slots 51"cross the line 46 'and are at a different separation from the lines 66. The label seen in Figure 14 is assembled to the formed package, the upper part of which is shown in Figure 15: the front flaps and The back of the pack is sealed together in the region 69 to effectively form a single flap A top flap of the internal structure (if provided) can be adhered to the barrier layer, in terms of its conformation and function, the label is similar to the label described in relation to Figures 10 and 11 and is designated 55. Figures 16 and 17 show another conformation of the label 70 suitable for any of the modalities already described in which, instead of a base portion such as 56 or 56 'in Figures 10 or 14, here the flap 71 which will cover and extend beyond the portion forming the opening of the barrier layer, is flanked on both sides as well as t also in the hinge portion by permanently sticky label material 73, 74, except for its non-sticky flap 72. Labels such as those shown in the Figures 10-17 may have interruptions in the slots that define their flaps to provide a forcing function. Such interruptions can also help in the machine feeding of labels. Figures 18 and 19 show a usable structure with any type of barrier layer described, and has the advantage of end flaps, on the upper face. An internal structure 101 such as that shown in Figure 18 is formed from a rigid cardboard preform sheet or a similar material that can be folded. A major panel 102, which is generally rectangular, has elongate rectangular side flaps 104 extending from the two major edges 106, the long edges of the side flaps coextensive with the major edges 106. A generally rectangular end panel 108 extends from a lower edge 110 (the "lower" edge) of the larger panel, the long edge of the end panel being coextensive with the lower edge. At the upper ends of the lateral fins are small rectangular flaps 12, which are effectively continuations of the lateral fins, along the upper edges 14 of the lateral fins. Figure 19 shows the internal structure bent inwardly along the lines 106, 110, 114, the panels and fins 102, 104, 108 forming four cuboid faces, the flaps 112 forming two ends of an incomplete fifth side. The major panel 102 is not a complete rectangle, having a gap in its upper edge. The lower panel has a shape coinciding with the hollow, in such a way that, as can be seen in Figure 18, two non-bent structures placed end to end would be butted. In the semi-rigid re-sealable pack, the larger face forms the front of the pack, with the opening for access to the cigars on the hollow in the larger face and the space in the upper face between the two flaps. The two flaps 112, when held by the cigars remaining in the pack, provide an anvil against which the adhesive cover of the resealable barrier layer can be pressed to ensure a good re-seal. The length of the major edges of the larger face of the major panel 102 is similar to that of the cigars it will contain, so that the cigars are supported, and can be tightened gently longitudinally, wrapping the flaps by virtue of the fact that the latter they find themselves surrounded by the barrier layer. An entity containing flavor may be included within the barrier layer, for example a sachet, a capsule, or a porous sheet. Alternatively the internal structure may be made of cardboard, which is coated with, or in which it is included, a flavoring, for example, menthol. It may be included that they contain flavor in the permanently sticky adhesive, such that the flavor is released each time the cigars are accessed. A suitable adhesive is available in Sessions of York, Huntington Road, York Y03 9HS, England. Figure 20 shows a preform cut to form a barrier seal around the load of smoking articles, usually contained in an internal structure. This preform is generally applicable in all situations contemplated above and can be made of any of the aforementioned materials, but differs in that it is designed to be applied by bending it around a smaller side edge of the load and of any internal structure rather than around from a minor end. The preform has larger panels 201 and 202 which are respectively the front and rear panels of the manufactured package. An intermediate panel 203 will be continuous around one of the minor side edges of the load. The end panels 204 and 205 will overlap one another on the other side panels of the load and will be heat sealed in a joint. On one edge of the panels 201 to 205 are respective end flaps 206 and 207 found on the larger panels and the reinforcement brackets 208., 209 and 210 in the smaller panels. First, the panels 206 and 207 are bent inwardly, and the reinforcement brackets 208, 209 and 210 are bent outwardly. The end panels and reinforcement brackets are then sealed, usually, as with the side joint between the panels 204 and 205, by heat sealing, and then the reinforcement brackets are inserted to lie along the side panels, where they can be sealed. be held in position. On the other edge of the panels 201 to 205 are the other end flaps and the reinforcement brackets 210 to 214, respectively, which generally correspond to the reinforcing flaps and brackets 206 to 210 but which, in the flaps 210 and 211, they are divided so as to form an access flap that can be opened for the user of the package to have access to its contents. The flap 210 is interrupted by parallel cuts 215 starting just before the free edge of the flap, and extending to the front main panel 201, and to a narrow bridge 216. A U-shaped cut 217 extends from a bridge to another in the main panel 201. In the end flap 211 parallel cuts 218 extend to a potential fold line dividing the panel 202 from the flap 211 being folded into a J shape at 219.

Adjacent to the end edge of the flap 211 are the bridges 220 and after the bridges 220, there are small final cuts 221 co-linear with the cuts 218 and extending to the free edge of the flap 211. Figure 21 shows how the panel main 201 and cuts 215 and 217, and bridges 216 may appear when the pack is armed. Of course, since the pack is resealable, the cuts will not be visible, since they will be superimposed by the permanently resealable adhesive layer. In addition, the pack can be contained within an external box of any suitable type and / or can be wrapped. Figure 22 shows a top view of the barrier wrap when being assembled around a load, the tongue 210 being heat sealed in the region 22 on the tongue 211. It can be seen that the separation of the cuts 215 is slightly larger than that of the cuts 218, so that they do not coincide in the armed pack, thus achieving a continuity of the action of barrerá. The flap 210 has been cut to show in some way the position of the bridge 220 between the cuts 218 and 221. Figure 23- shows a heat-sealed side region 223 between the side flaps 204 and 205, forming the reinforcement brackets 209, 210, 213, 214, the folds 224, 225 at the upper and lower ends of the lower edge of the pack.

The opposite minor edge, as seen in Figure 24, shows the continuity of the barrier material around it, and the folds 226, 227 formed by the reinforcement brackets 208 and 212. In the fifth embodiment of the preform, seen in FIG. the Figures 25 to 29, different bending means are provided, giving a cleaner effect to the side walls of the reinforced box, but in some way restricting the width available for the formation of an access flap. In this form of preform main panels 230 and 231, there are front and rear panels, respectively, and are joined by the side panel 232 which will pass continuously around a minor side edge of the load of the smoking articles and any internal structure. In the armed pack, panels 233, 234 overlap and are sealed with each other at the opposite minor side edge. The end flaps 235 to 239 are respectively joined to panels 230 to 234 with potential fold lines indicated in dotted lines. In particular, the diagonal fold lines 240 interrupt the larger of the end flaps, ie the flaps 235 and 236. On the other edge of the main panels 230 to 234 are the end flaps 241 to 245, respectively, which they generally correspond to the flaps 235 to 239, and to fold lines 246 which generally correspond to the fold lines 240. However, as in the fourth embodiment, the major end flaps 241 and 242 are interrupted by the cut lines that define the access flap to the sealed envelope formed by this preform around a load of smoking articles. The cuts 247 run parallel through the flap 241 from very closely adjacent to its free edge to the main panel 230 and to the ridges 248 from one to the other of which runs a U-shaped cut 249 in the main panel. In the end flap 242 are J-shaped cuts 250 extending from near the free edge of the flap to its potential bending line with the panel 231, and leading to the adjacent bridges 251 to which the cuts 252 lead to the free edge of the flap. Figure 26 shows a front view of the preform of Figure 25 made as a box, and Figure 27 a top view where again it is noted that the cuts 247 and 251 do not coincide, although in contrast to the fourth embodiment, the cuts 250 are further apart in their flap than cuts 247. Again, the drawings have a small relief on flap 241, so that bridge 251 can be seen in cut 250. Figure 28 shows side junction 253 formed between panels 233 and 234, and Figure 29 shows panel 232 on the other smaller side of the load. You can see the clean effect of the sides, due to the formation of bends only at the lower and upper ends of the load. Other preform embodiments of the barrier layer can be seen in Figures 30 and 31. The contour thereof is only schematic - for example they can be of any of the specific forms of preform described above, wherein the barrier is continuous on a lower end of the load and the internal structure, and an actual or potential access opening will be formed therein. In Figures 30 and 31 the major panels 260, 261 are joined by a base panel 262 and lead to the upper flaps 263, 264. The side and end flaps 265 to 269 are located along each side of the panels. panels and flaps 260 to 264. The shading shows areas 270 on the face (Figure 30) intended to be internal, and 271 (Figure 31) on the face intended to be external in the reinforced package, and are areas of lacquer or heat-sealable rubber; alternatively the heat sealable areas of a plastic composition of the barrier material itself complement each other to form a continuous seal around all the joints and folds of the sealed barrier envelope.

Claims (11)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the foregoing invention, it is considered as a novelty, and therefore, property is claimed as contained in the following: CLAIMS 1. A cuboid pack of smoking articles having two large faces, two walls side walls, and two end walls, the package including a sealed envelope of a layer of barrier material around a load of the smoking articles, openable edges, of an access opening defined in the layer of barrier material , to extend from an end wall to a larger face of the package, and having over the aperture and extending beyond the defined definable edges, a cover layer having a permanently tacky surface that can be engaged with the layer of barrier material adjacent to the openable edges of the opening, whereby, after opening the opening, the envelope can be returned to seal by reattaching the permanently sticky surface with the layer of barrier material adjacent these edges.
2. 2. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the access opening of the sealed envelope is defined by weakening lines that do not penetrate through the thickness of the material of the barrier layer.
3. 3, A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the access opening is defined as a flap in the barrier material, with a separate cover layer applied over the flap, and extending beyond its edges that can be opened.
4. 4. A pack according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover layer is applied to the barrier layer prior to the formation of the envelope around the load.
5. 5. A package according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the cover layer is a label.
6. 6. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover layer additionally has a non-adhesive tab beyond at least part of the permanently sticky surface.
7. 7. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that it has, outside the load of smoking articles but inside the envelope, an internal structure that defines a tray for the load, and that has at least one larger face and two side flaps on the opposite parallel side walls of the package.
8. 8. A package according to claim 7, characterized in that the internal structure additionally has upper flaps adjacent to each lateral side of the access opening.
9. 9. A pack according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that it has free edges of both lateral flaps, at its remote edges of the larger side.
10. 10. A pack according to claim 1 in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the permanently sticky surface includes microcapsules of a flavoring.
11. 11. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the wrapper includes within it, a source of flavoring.