TW201817660A - Reinforced resealable container for consumer articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for consumer goods comprises a resealable package of consumer goods, wherein the resealable package is formed from folding a blank to form a tubular wrapping about a group of consumer goods, side ends of the tubular wrapping being brought together and sealed to form side fin seals. Further, the container comprises a reinforcing member lying against an outer surface of at least a wall of the package. The reinforcing member comprises a pair of reinforcing member side walls and at least one reinforcing member back wall depending from a respective side wall.

Description

 Enhanced resealable container for consumer products  

The present invention relates to a container for consumer products comprising a resealable closure member for sealing. The container according to the invention is particularly useful as a container for elongate consumer products such as smoking articles.

Smoking articles are typically packaged in a rigid hinged lid container that includes a box and a lid hinged to the box along a hinge line extending across the back wall of the container. A pack of smoking articles contained in a box is typically packaged in a liner or inner wrap of metallized paper, metal foil or other flexible sheet.

A container is known, for example, from the international patent application No. WO-A-2008/142540, in which a smoking article is packaged in an inner package having a removable opening that is recloseably covered by a cover label, the cover label being detachable Ground to the inner lining. Such a package may be housed in a hinged lid container that is permanently and non-removably adhered to the inner surface of the front wall of the lid such that opening and closing of the lid simultaneously opens and closes the cover label, thereby The extraction port is revealed.

Typically, the sealed inner package is formed with a transverse fin seal across the front, bottom or back wall of the package. With regard to the sides, two side seals are typically formed along the side walls of the package. These may be envelope seals or back seals, and back seals are preferred in view of the generally better sealing properties of the back seals. The two fin side seals can be folded toward the front wall of the package or toward the rear wall of the package. Furthermore, the two back side seals can be folded onto the side wall of the package and, in some cases, alternatively or additionally, folded onto the front wall of the package or alternatively folded onto the back wall of the package. As an example, it may be the case that a side fine seal is substantially formed at the edge between the front wall of the package and the side wall of the package.

If the lid is interlocked with the side back seal, the lid of the hinged lid container containing more than one such inner package may not be well closed. In addition, the side back seal may damage the appearance of the container, especially when the container is open when it is visible on the top of the package.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a novel and improved container for consumer products that includes a resealable adhesive label that addresses the above disadvantages. In particular, it would be desirable to provide such a container for consumer products that can be easily manufactured without major modifications to existing equipment. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a method for making such improved consumer product containers.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a container for a consumer product is provided that includes a resealable consumer package. The resealable package comprises a set of consumer products and is formed by folding a blank into a tubular package around a set of consumer products, the side ends of the tubular package being brought together and sealed to form a side Back seal. Further, the container includes a reinforcing member that rests on an outer surface of at least one wall of the package. The reinforcing member includes at least a pair of reinforcing member side panels and at least one reinforcing member rear panel, the at least one reinforcing member rear panel being attached to a corresponding reinforcing member side panel, the reinforcing member rear panel being substantially parallel to the rear wall of the packaging member.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a container for a consumer product, comprising: providing a set of consumer products; forming a resealable package by folding a blank, wherein the step of folding the blank comprises Forming a tubular package surrounding the set of consumer products, bringing the side ends of the tubular package together so that they overlap and seal the overlapping side ends to form a side back seal of the resealable package; The reinforcing member abuts against an outer surface of at least one wall of the package, the reinforcing member comprising a pair of reinforcing member side plates and at least one reinforcing member rear plate, the at least one reinforcing member rear plate being attached with a corresponding reinforcing member side plate; folding the Reinforcing the member side panels such that the reinforcing member rear panel is substantially parallel to the rear wall of the package and the side back seal of the resealable package is folded toward the front or back of the resealable package and held against The side wall of the package can be resealable.

It will be understood that any feature described in relation to one aspect of the invention is equally applicable to any other aspect of the invention.

As used herein, when the container is in an upright position and the inlet and outlet of the container are at the top of the container, the terms "front", "back", "above", "below", "top", "bottom" and " "Side" means the relative position of the portion of the container and its components in accordance with the present invention. When describing a container in accordance with the present invention, the use of these terms is independent of the orientation of the container being described. It will be understood that the components of the container described by the same term in such terms are substantially parallel to each other. In particular, a panel of the reinforcing member will be parallel to a corresponding package wall. As an example, a reinforcing member side panel is parallel to a package side wall. The rear wall of the hinged lid housing contains the walls of the hinge line.

When describing a container according to the present invention, the term "longitudinal" means the direction from the bottom to the top, and vice versa, and the term "lateral" means the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. For example, "the longitudinal axis of the container" is the axis extending from the bottom to the top and vice versa.

The term "width" is used to describe the dimensions of the components of the blank panel or container wall as measured in the transverse direction. The term "panel" is used throughout the specification to mean a portion of a blank used to form a wall in an assembled container. A panel can be attached to more than one other panel along more than one fold line. The term "polyline" means a crease between two adjacent panels. When the container is formed, adjacent panels are folded along their common fold line, which fold line can define the edge of the container or a portion of the container. In an assembled container, a "wall" can be formed by one or several overlapping panels. In the case of several overlapping panels, these panels can be attached to each other, for example by means of an adhesive. Furthermore, one wall may be formed by more than two adjacent or overlapping panels.

The term "height" is used to describe the dimensions of one such component measured in a direction perpendicular to the width of the component. When describing an element of the blank, the element is typically referred to in the flat state of the blank.

The term "inner surface" is used throughout the specification to mean the surface of an assembly of assembled containers facing the interior of the container (e.g., facing the consumer product) when the container is in the closed position. The term "outer surface" is used throughout the specification to mean the surface of the container that faces the exterior of the container. For example, the front wall of the container has an interior surface facing the interior of the container and the consumer product and an exterior surface facing away from the consumer product. It should be noted that the inner or outer surface does not necessarily equate to a certain side of the blank used in the assembly of the container. Depending on how the blank is folded around the consumer product, the area on the same side of the blank may face the interior of the container or face the exterior of the container.

The term "hinged line" means a line in which the cover can be pivoted about the line to open the hinged cover. The hinge line can be, for example, a fold line or score line in a panel forming the back wall of the container.

The term "attachment" is used herein to describe the physical connection between two elements of a container in accordance with the present invention. In more detail, the term "attachment" is used to mean that there is material continuity between two elements such as a wall or panel of a container or blank. This includes two cases, where one wall or panel directly attaches to an adjacent A wall or panel, and wherein one of the intermediate walls or panels effectively joins the two walls or panels. By way of example, the reinforcing member rear panel is located in a plane substantially parallel to the plane defined by the rear wall of the package. It does not matter whether the reinforcing member rear panel directly attaches to the reinforcing member side panel or whether the reinforcing member includes an intermediate panel connecting the reinforcing member rear panel and the reinforcing member side panel.

As an example, the side walls or side panels may directly attach adjacent front or front panels. In such cases, the wall or panel typically follows adjacent walls along the fold line. As an alternative, particularly in containers with curved or sloping edges, the side walls or side panels may indirectly adhere to the front wall or front panel. In such cases, the curved or sloped edge walls or panels join the side walls or side panels to the front or front panel. In the case of a slanted edge, the side wall or side panel and the front or front panel may be attached to the inclined edge wall or panel along individual fold lines. This also applies to the assembly of the container according to the invention, for example for reinforcing members arranged in the form of an inner frame.

The term "lines of weakness" is used herein to describe a portion of the surface of a package (or a blank used to form a package), wherein the structure of the material used to form the package (or blank) Strength has been impaired by, for example, any suitable technique for bending, folding or tearing along the line of weakness. For example, the line of weakness can be formed as a score line, a crease line, an ablation line, or a perforation line. By removing the material, by displacing the material, by extruding the material, by locally reducing the force holding the material together, for example, by breaking the fibers in the fibrous material and by combining all of the above. Create a weakening line. The lines of weakness may be straight, curved, segmented or continuous, or a combination thereof. In many cases, the line of weakness is used to assist in the positioning of the fold line in the blank. The line of weakness can also be used to strengthen the material in a direction perpendicular to the line of weakness, for example by extrusion. In addition, the weakening line can be used for decorative purposes.

The term "notch line" is used to describe a line formed by partially cutting the material of the blank. The score line can be formed by removing material from the blank (in this case, the score line forms a groove or groove in the blank). Alternatively, the score line can be formed without removing any material from the blank, which typically involves piercing the material by a non-zero thickness tool, causing partial lateral displacement and compression of the material. The depth of the score line will be less than the thickness of the blank.

The term "crease line" is used to describe a line formed by displacing a portion of a material perpendicular to the plane of the blank, which forms a groove or groove in the blank. Displacement may involve extrusion and typically involves the use of a squeeze tool like a roller. Alternatively or additionally, the material in the crease line can be displaced to at least partially protrude from the opposite side of the blank. Typically, no material is removed when the crease line is formed.

The term "ablation line" is used to describe a line formed by ablation (eg, by a laser beam or a blade) to remove material from the surface of the blank to a predetermined depth.

The term "perforation line" is used to describe a row or a series of discrete holes or slits in a blank. The holes can be formed by pushing an article into and through the blank. This may result in the removal of material from the blank, for example by stamping. Alternatively, the holes can be formed by simply pushing the material outwardly from the center of the hole without removing the material. As a further alternative, the holes can be formed by an electric beam.

The term "polyline" is used to describe any line that a blank can be folded about as a center. The fold line can be defined by a line of weakness to aid in the folding action. Alternatively, the creases may be formed without the presence of weakened wires, depending on, for example, the flexibility of the blank material and other material properties.

A container for a consumer product in accordance with the present invention includes a resealable consumer package and a reinforcing member that rests on an outer surface of at least one wall of the package. This type of reinforcing member is also commonly referred to as an inner frame. More specifically, the reinforcing member of the container according to the present invention comprises at least a pair of side panels and at least one rear panel, the at least one rear panel being attached to a corresponding side panel. However, one such reinforcing member may have a more complicated structure. For example, the reinforcing member may additionally include a front panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, or a combination thereof. In embodiments where the reinforcing member comprises one or more of a top panel, a front panel and a bottom panel, the side panels may also be attached to the top panel, the front panel or the bottom panel.

In the container according to the invention, the reinforcing member side panels are advantageously used to retain the envelope side back seals that are folded over the side walls of the packages. Due to the reinforcing member, there is a structural connection between the side and the back of the package, which advantageously counteracts the resilience of the back seal. The side back seals can be folded over the side walls of the package or the rear wall of the package on the side walls of the respective package.

Thus, it is particularly easy to accommodate the container according to the invention in a hinged lid housing, or it is particularly easy to form a hinged lid housing around one such container, since the jamming due to the presence of the side back seals advantageously And it has been significantly reduced.

Additionally, in those embodiments in which one such container is housed in a hinged lid housing, the hinged lid housing can be easily and reliably closed because of undesirable interference between the lid and the side back seals. The ground was prevented. Moreover, the side back seals can be effectively hidden under the consumer's line of sight. In some preferred embodiments, the stiffener side panels extend longitudinally up to the top wall of the package. This may be desirable as it can provide a container with an improved appearance.

Finally, the container according to the invention is easy to manufacture and does not require any extensive modification of existing packaging machines.

A resealable package of a container in accordance with the present invention is formed by folding a blank of the web into an overlapping portion of a bundle of consumer products and sealing (e.g., heat sealing) the folded blank. The resealable container is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped comprising two wider walls separated by two narrower walls.

Preferably, the web of resealable package comprises metal foil or metallized paper. The web can be formed as a laminate of a metallized polyethylene film and a lining. In a preferred embodiment, the web comprises a laminate of an aluminum layer sandwiched between two layers of oriented polypropylene. The aluminum layer provides the desired barrier properties of the resealable package and, therefore, helps maintain the desired moisture content within the resealable package. In this regard, it has been discovered that such a three-layer laminate web exhibits better barrier properties than conventional metallized films. The web may also be a super-calendered glassine paper. Furthermore, the web may have a print-receptive top coating.

More specifically, the blank is typically folded around the set of consumer products, for example to define a first short flap and a slave that rests entirely against the first wall of the set (eg, the front wall) A second long flap of the second wall (eg, the rear wall) of the set opposite the first wall. The second flap is then folded over the first wall of the set to substantially form a tubular wrap around the set. The side ends of such tubular packages are brought together so that they overlap and are sealed into a side back seal. The first and second flaps of the blank that are folded over the first (front) wall of the set are also sealed into a transverse seal. Such transverse seals can generally be formed prior to sealing the side ends of the tubular wrapper into the side back seals. However, it may also be reversed, and thus, in some methods, the side back seals may be formed prior to forming a transverse seal on the first wall of the assembly.

Preferably, the resealable package has an access opening through which the consumer product can be removed, and the resealable package includes a sealable resealable closure member that closes the access opening such that the cover member is A closed position and an open position in which the cover member covers at least the access opening, and in the open position, the cover member is detached from the outer surface of the package.

In some embodiments, the sealing cover member can be configured as a resealable adhesive label that extends beyond the perimeter of the access opening of the package. In more detail, the resealable adhesive label is permanently affixed to the package by a permanent adhesive provided on the rear hinge region of the inner surface of the resealable adhesive label. Additionally, the resealable adhesive label is at least partially detachably secured thereto by a resealable adhesive provided on a second region of the inner surface of the repeatable adhesive label extending at least around the leading edge of the inlet and outlet Package. The entrance and exit in the package can be defined by all the mouths. Alternatively, a weakening line such as a crease line, a score line, a stripping line, a perforation line, and a pre-cut line may be formed in the package to define a package portion of the seal covering member such that the sealing cover member The package portion can be partially separated from the remainder of the package to effectively form the access. In this case, the resealable adhesive label is provided by a permanent adhesive provided on a first region of the inner surface of the resealable adhesive label extending over at least a portion of the encapsulating portion of the sealing cover member Permanently secured to the encapsulation portion of the seal cover member.

In other embodiments, the seal cover member can include a resealable adhesive label comprising at least a bottom layer of label material and a top layer of label material. The bottom layer includes a cutout portion at least partially aligned with the entrance and exit of the package, and is secured to the first permanent adhesive provided on the first region of the inner surface of the bottom layer extending around the periphery of the inlet and outlet The package. The top layer is permanently affixed to the bottom layer by a portion of the permanent adhesive provided on the rear hinge region of the inner surface of the top layer. Further, the top layer is at least partially detachably fixed to the bottom layer by a second adhesive provided on the peeling region of the inner surface extending away from the top of the hinge region, so that the top layer can be removed from a closed position and An open position movement in which the top layer covers at least the access opening, and in the open position, the top layer is separated from the bottom layer to reveal the cutout portion.

In an alternative embodiment, the package may be formed from a multi-layer laminate and the seal cover member may be formed in the outermost layer of the laminate. More specifically, one such laminate includes at least one outer layer and one inner layer. In order to separate the cover member from the remainder of the package when the lid is opened for the first time, a line of weakness is formed in all layers of the laminate structure. The line of weakness in the outer layer defines an outer panel covering the cover flap, and the line of weakness in the inner layer defines an inner panel covering the flap, the outer panel covering the flap directly covering and securing to the cover flap Inner plate. The lines of weakness in the outer layer and the inner layer are configured such that the outer panel covering the flap extends beyond the perimeter of the inner panel covering the flap. Thus, the inlet and outlet defined in the inner layer has a smaller surface area than the inlet and outlet defined in the outer layer when the cover flap is moved to the open position when the cover flap is moved to the open position. Further, when the cover flap is moved to the open position, the peripheral portion of the outer panel covering the flap extends around the entrance and exit defined in the inner layer. This is advantageous because it helps provide a better closure of the package so that it is easier to prevent dust or other substances from entering the package and to prevent any contents from being lost from the package. Moreover, such an embodiment has the advantage that no additional adhesive elements are required to cover the package, which simplifies the manufacturing process.

In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing member further includes a reinforcing member front plate, the reinforcing member side plates are attached to the reinforcing member front plate; the reinforcing member further includes a pair of strong member rear plates defining the back of the reinforcing member, each The rear panel of the reinforcing member is attached to a corresponding reinforcing member side panel. This is advantageous because one such reinforcing member can at least partially enclose a large number of consumer products packaged in a parallelepiped package on all four sides and thus can improve the strength of the container. Moreover, due to the continuity of the blank material from the front to the back of the package, it is particularly easy to hold the side back seal of the package in place with one such reinforcing member and to have good stability.

As an example, the reinforcing member side panels may directly attach the reinforcing member front panel along respective longitudinal fold lines. Alternatively, the reinforcing member may include a connecting edge portion extending between the front panel and the side panels such that the reinforcing member side panels may indirectly adhere to the reinforcing member front panel. The reinforcing member rear panel can directly attach a corresponding side panel along a corresponding longitudinal fold line. Alternatively, the reinforcing member may include a connecting edge portion extending between the reinforcing member rear plate and the reinforcing member side plate.

More preferably, the reinforcing member rear panels are fixed to the rear panel by attachment means provided on the inner surface of the at least one reinforcing member rear panel or on the outer surface of the package rear wall or both Repeat the back wall of the sealed package. This is advantageous because it further increases the stability and strength of the container and ensures that the side back seals are securely held in place in their folded configuration. By way of example, the attachment means may comprise a permanent adhesive disposed on the inner surface of the back panel or on the outer surface of the back wall of the package or both. Other suitable attachment means are heat sealable or heat activated materials including varnishes, coatings, adhesives.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing member includes a reinforcing member front plate, a reinforcing member rear plate, and a reinforcing member bottom plate extending between the reinforcing member front plate and the reinforcing member rear plate, the reinforcing member side plates being attached Any one of the reinforcing member front plate, the reinforcing member rear plate, and the reinforcing member bottom plate. Such an arrangement also further increases the stability and strength of the container while maintaining the side back seals in place.

In another alternative embodiment, the reinforcing member is formed only by a reinforcing member rear panel and a pair of reinforcing member side panels, each reinforcing member side panel being attached to the reinforcing member rear panel on a respective side. The reinforcing member side panels can be secured to the side walls of the resealable package. In this embodiment, the reinforcing member substantially surrounds the resealable package only on the back and sides while still ensuring that the side back seals are folded against the side walls of the resealable package. Preferably, in those embodiments in which the reinforcing member includes a front panel, the reinforcing member front panel includes a reinforcing member central front panel portion and a reinforcing member side front panel portion extending laterally from the reinforcing member central front panel portion. The top edge of the central front panel portion of the reinforcing member is higher than the top edge of the reinforcing member side front panel portion. This is advantageous because the reinforcing member front panel covers less surface of the front wall of the resealable package, which can be used to increase the size of the access opening so that the consumer product can be removed more easily. Moreover, for embodiments in which an insert between the resealable envelope and the reinforcing member is included in front of the container, the visible surface of the insert can be advantageously increased. This can help the consumer remove the insert. Again, this can aid in the handling and placement of the insert during production of the package.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing member side panels are attached to the reinforcing member rear panel along respective longitudinal first fold lines.

In the container according to the invention, the reinforcing member has a back side width defined by a combined width of each of the at least one reinforcing member rear panel. By way of example, in those embodiments in which the reinforcing member rear panel extends from one reinforcing member side panel to the other reinforcing member side panel, the backing width of the reinforcing member substantially corresponds to the width of such a single reinforcing member back panel. In other embodiments in which the reinforcing member comprises a pair of rear panels, each of the rear panels is attached to a respective reinforcing member side panel and extends laterally to an intermediate position between the reinforcing member side panels, the backing width of the reinforcing member being substantially Corresponds to the sum of the widths of the two back plates.

Preferably, the back side of the reinforcing member has a back side width that is at least 15% of the width of the rear wall of the package. More preferably, the back side of the reinforcing member has a back width that is at least 20% of the width of the wall behind the package. Additionally or alternatively, the back panel width of the reinforced back panel is preferably less than about 30% of the back wall of the package. More preferably, the back side of the reinforced back panel is about 25% of the back wall of the package. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the back panel has a back side width that is from about 20% to about 25% of the back wall of the package. This advantageously ensures that the benefits of jamming due to the side back seals are prevented without excessively increasing the amount of material used to make the container. This is desirable in terms of cost effectiveness. Further, the reinforcing member having such a back surface width is more easily formed and attached during manufacture.

Preferably, the reinforcing member rear panel has a width of at least 5 mm. Preferably, the reinforcing member rear panel has a width of at least about 10 mm. Further, the width of the rear panel of the reinforcing member is less than about 20 mm. More preferably, the width of the rear panel of the reinforcing member is less than about 15 mm. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the reinforcing member rear panel has a width of from about 10 mm to about 15 mm.

In some embodiments, the width of the rear panel of the reinforcing member is substantially equal to the width of the wall behind the package.

The reinforced package described above can be housed in a housing comprising a box portion and a lid portion, wherein the lid portion is hinged to the box portion along a hinge line extending across a rear wall of the housing. Thus, a hinged lid container is obtained.

The repeatable closure member of the resealable package is preferably permanently affixed to the inner surface of the lid portion such that upon opening the lid portion, the repeatable closure member moves from the closed position toward the open position, To at least partially reveal the entrance. In this type of container, it is particularly advantageous to provide reinforcement of the package, while at the same time ensuring that the reinforcing member does not interfere with the resealable adhesive label and, in particular, the portion of the label that is secured to the cover The interference between the reinforcing members. Again, it is particularly important that the lid can be closed repeatedly as appropriate to improve the repetitive sealing of the package. Therefore, it is highly advantageous to ensure that the side back seals do not interfere with the lid at any time during the opening and closing of the container.

The outer casing is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped comprising two wider walls separated by two narrower walls, and the outer casing may be formed from a sheet blank of any suitable material or combination of materials, including but not Limited to cardboard, cardboard, plastic, metal or a combination thereof. Preferably, the blank is a sheet cardboard blank having a weight of between about 100 grams per square meter and about 350 grams per square meter.

Preferably, the reinforcing member includes a reinforcing member front panel, and a top edge of the reinforcing member front panel is at least partially higher than a top edge of the front wall of the box portion. Even more preferably, the top edge of the front panel of the reinforcing member is also partially lower than the top edge of the front wall of the box portion.

Thus, the reinforcing member front panel provides a surface in which the front wall of the lid portion can rest in the closed position. This is advantageous because the front wall of the lid is easily aligned with the front wall of the box portion such that the hinged lid housing provides a generally flat front surface for the consumer. Moreover, such an embodiment increases the available consumer communication space.

In an alternative embodiment, the stiffening member includes a stiffening member front panel and the top edge of the stiffening member front panel is substantially entirely lower than the top edge of the front wall of the box portion. This advantageously facilitates the gluing operation of securing the resealable closure member to the surface of the lid during manufacture.

Preferably, the reinforcing member side panels extend longitudinally above the top edge of the side wall of the box portion. More preferably, at least a portion of each of the reinforcing member side panels extends longitudinally up to the top wall of the sealed package. Accordingly, the reinforcing member side panels advantageously cover the tops of the envelope side back seals such that the side back seals are invisible to the consumer. This improves the appearance of the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing member includes a reinforcing member front plate; a pair of reinforcing member side plates attached to the reinforcing member front plate; and a pair of reinforcing member rear plates, each reinforcing member rear plate attached to a corresponding A reinforcing member side panel; wherein the reinforcing member rear panel extends longitudinally above a top edge of the rear wall of the box portion.

The hinged lid container may optionally comprise an overwrap paper, preferably a transparent polymeric film such as high or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, extended polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, cellulose film or combinations thereof. And use the outer wrapper in a conventional manner. The outer wrapper may include a tear tape. In addition, the outer wrapper may be printed with images, consumer information or other materials.

The container according to the invention is particularly suitable for use as a container for elongate smoking articles, such as cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos or other aerosol generators which are heated, for example by an electric heat source or a carbon heat source, rather than burning tobacco. It will be appreciated that the container according to the present invention may be designed for use with different numbers of conventional, extra large, super oversized, elongated or ultra-slim cigarettes via appropriate selection of dimensions. Alternatively, other consumer products can be contained inside the container.

Depending on the size, the container according to the invention can be designed to accommodate a different total number of smoking articles or smoking articles of different configurations. For example, the container according to the present invention is designed to accommodate a total of ten to thirty smoking articles via appropriate selection of dimensions. Smoking items can be configured with different ordering rules depending on the total number of smoking items.

A container for a consumer product according to the present invention can be manufactured by a method comprising the steps of: providing a set of consumer products; forming a resealable package by folding a blank, wherein the step of folding the blank comprises Forming a tubular package surrounding the set of consumer products, bringing the side ends of the tubular package together so that they overlap and seal the overlapping side ends to form a side back seal of the resealable package; The reinforcing member abuts against an outer surface of at least one wall of the package, the reinforcing member comprising a pair of reinforcing member side panels and a reinforcing member rear panel attached to at least one of the reinforcing member side panels; folding the reinforcing member side panels The side back seals are folded toward the front or back of the resealable package and held against the side walls of the resealable package.

The step of forming a tubular wrapper around the set of consumer products preferably includes the step of forming a transverse seal across the front wall of the set of consumer products. Alternatively, the cross-sealing may also be formed across the top wall of the set of consumer products or the bottom wall of the set of consumer products. In some embodiments, the cross seal can also be formed at the edge between the bottom wall and the front wall of the set of consumer products.

In some preferred embodiments of the method, the side ends of the tubular package are sealed into a side back seal after the transverse seal is formed. Alternatively, however, the side ends of the tubular package may be sealed into a side back seal prior to forming the cross seal.

Preferably, the method further comprises the step of securing the inner surface of the reinforcing member to the outer surface of the wall behind the resealable package.

100‧‧‧ blanks

102‧‧‧ front board

104‧‧‧ side panels

106‧‧‧ side panels

108‧‧‧ longitudinal fold line

110‧‧‧ longitudinal fold line

112‧‧‧ Back panel

114‧‧‧Back board

116‧‧‧Central front panel

118‧‧‧ side front panel

120‧‧‧ side front panel

122‧‧‧Top edge of the central front panel

124‧‧‧Top edge of the front panel

126‧‧‧ top edge of the front front panel

300‧‧‧ container

302‧‧‧Strengthened components

304‧‧‧Package

306‧‧‧ Covering components

308‧‧‧ Entrance

312‧‧‧Reinforcement member rear panel

400‧‧‧Hinged lid container

402‧‧‧Shell

404‧‧‧Box Department

406‧‧‧ Cover Department

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a blank for forming a reinforcing member of a container according to the present invention; A schematic perspective view of a container of the invention; and Figure 3 is a schematic partial perspective view of a hinged lid container including the container of Figure 2 received in a box portion of the outer casing.

The reinforcing member of the container according to the present invention may be formed from the sheet blank 100 shown in FIG. More specifically, the sheet blank 100 of Figure 1 forms a reinforcing member for at least partially enclosing a set of consumer products (e.g., a plurality of smoking articles) that are packaged to form a parallelepiped. Inside the lining of the package. An example of one such configuration is depicted in Figure 2, which shows a container 300 in accordance with the present invention. The container 300 includes a reinforcing member 302 formed by folding the blank 100 and a sealed package 304 of a consumer product.

The sheet blank 100 includes a front panel 102 for forming a reinforcing member front panel and side panels 104, 106 for forming a reinforcing member side panel. The side panels 104, 106 are attached to the front panel 102 along respective longitudinal fold lines 108, 110. Further, the sheet blank 100 includes a pair of rear panels 112, 114 for forming a rear panel of the reinforcing member.

In the assembled container 300, the reinforcing member 302 at least partially encloses the package 304 of the consumer product on all four sides. The side panels of the stiffening member 302 advantageously hold the side back seals of the package 304 in place such that they are folded against the side walls of the package.

The front panel 102 includes a central front panel portion 116 and side front panel portions 118, 120 that extend laterally from the central front panel portion 116. The top edge 122 of the central front panel portion 116 is higher than the top edges 124, 126 of the side front panel portions 118, 120.

The rear wall of the package 304 has a width of about 60 millimeters, and each of the rear panels 112, 114 has a width of about 9 millimeters. Thus, the back width of each of the reinforcing member back panels 112, 114 is about 15% of the width of the wall behind the package.

Additionally, the package 304 has an access opening through which the consumer product can be removed, and the package 304 includes a repeatable closed sealing cover member 306 for closing the access opening. In more detail, the cover member 306 is movable from a closed position in which the cover member 306 covers at least the entrance and an open position in which the cover member 306 is detached from the outer surface of the package.

The open position is depicted in FIG. 3, which shows a detail of the hinged lid container 400, which includes a housing 402 that includes a box portion 404 and a lid portion 406, and the container 300 is received in the box portion. The lid portion 406 is hinged to the box portion 404 along a hinge line that extends across the rear wall of the outer casing. The repeatable closure cover member 306 is permanently affixed to the inner surface of the lid portion 406 such that upon opening the lid portion 406, the resealable closure member 306 is moved from the closed position toward the open position to at least partially reveal the inlet 308.

The reinforcing member side panels extend longitudinally above the top edge of the side wall of the box portion 404. In more detail, at least a portion of each of the reinforcing member side panels extends longitudinally up to the top wall of the sealed package 304. Again, FIG. 3 illustrates how the stiffening member back panel 312 extends across a portion of the wall behind the package 304. Because the reinforcing members effectively enclose the package 304 on the front, back, and sides, the risk of interference between the side back seal under the reinforcing members and the cover member 306 and the cover portion 406 is advantageously greatly reduced.

Claims (15)

 A container for a consumer product comprising: a resealable package comprising a set of consumer products, wherein the resealable package is formed by folding a blank into a tubular package surrounding the set of consumer products, The side end of the tubular package is sealed as a side back seal; a reinforcing member resting on an outer surface of at least one wall of the package; wherein the reinforcing member comprises a pair of reinforcing member side panels and at least one reinforcing member The panel, the at least one reinforcing member rear panel is attached to a corresponding reinforcing member side panel, the reinforcing member rear panel being substantially parallel to the rear wall of the package.    The container of claim 1, wherein the resealable package has an access opening through which the consumer product can be removed, and the resealable package comprises a repeatable closed sealing cover member that closes the access opening, such that The cover member is movable from a closed position in which the cover member covers at least the access opening, and an open position in which the cover member is detached from the outer surface of the package.    The container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the reinforcing member further comprises a reinforcing member front panel, the reinforcing member side panels attached to the front panel; the reinforcing member further comprising at least one reinforcing member rear panel defining a back surface of the reinforcing member The reinforcing member rear plate is attached to a corresponding reinforcing member side plate.    The container of claim 3, wherein the at least one reinforcing member rear panel is disposed on an inner surface of the at least one reinforcing member rear panel or on an outer surface of the package rear wall or both The attachment means is secured to the rear wall of the resealable package.    The container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a reinforcing member front plate, a reinforcing member rear plate, and a reinforcing member bottom plate extending between the reinforcing member front plate and the reinforcing member rear plate, The reinforcing member side plates are attached to any one of the reinforcing member front plate, the reinforcing member rear plate, and the reinforcing member bottom plate.    The container according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the reinforcing member front plate comprises a central front plate portion and a side front plate portion extending laterally from the central front plate portion, the top of the central front plate portion The edges are higher than the top edges of the side front panels.    The container of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member side panels are attached to the reinforcing member rear panel.    The container of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the back side of the reinforcing member has a back width that is at least 15% of the width of the wall behind the package.    The container of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reinforcing member rear plate has a width of at least 5 mm.    A hinged lid container for consumer products, comprising: a casing comprising: a box portion; a lid portion hinged to the box portion along a hinge line extending across a rear wall of the casing; The container of any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the repeating closure member is permanently fixed to an inner surface of the lid portion such that the repeatable closure member is from the lid portion when the lid portion is opened The closed position moves toward the open position to at least partially reveal the entrance.    The hinged lid container of claim 10, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a reinforcing member front panel, and a top edge of the reinforcing member front panel is at least partially higher than a top edge of the front wall of the outer casing.    The hinged lid container of claim 11, wherein the reinforcing member side panels extend longitudinally above a top edge of the side wall of the box portion.    The hinged lid container of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of each reinforcing member side panel extends longitudinally up to a top wall of the sealed package.    The hinged lid type container according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a reinforcing member front plate; a pair of reinforcing member side plates attached to the reinforcing member front plate; and a pair of reinforcing members The panels, each of the reinforcing member rear panels are attached to a respective reinforcing member side panel; wherein the reinforcing member rear panels extend longitudinally above the top edge of the rear wall of the box portion.    A method of making a container for a consumer product, comprising: providing a set of consumer products; forming a resealable package by folding a blank, wherein folding the blank comprises forming a tubular package surrounding the set of consumer products Placing the side ends of the tubular package together such that they overlap and seal the overlapping side ends to form a side back seal of the resealable package; providing a reinforcing member against at least one of the packages On the outer surface of the wall, the reinforcing member includes a pair of reinforcing member side plates and at least one reinforcing member rear plate, the at least one reinforcing member rear plate is attached to at least one of the reinforcing member side plates; and the reinforcing member side plates are folded such that The rear panel of the reinforcing member is substantially parallel to the rear wall of the package and the side back seal of the resealable package is folded toward the front or back of the resealable package and held against the resealable package On the side wall.