WO2018002780A1

WO2018002780A1 - Two-pocket tobacco pouch with interlocking frames

Info

Publication number: WO2018002780A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/053711
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pieter VAN LANCKER; Bart BRUGGEMAN; Thomas VALCKE
Original assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
Priority date: 2016-06-30
Filing date: 2017-06-21
Publication date: 2018-01-04
Also published as: CN109310151A; MX2018015116A; EP3478098A1; AU2017290611A1; US20190183175A1

Abstract

An article (10) has two pockets (12, 14) for independently containing tobacco and two interlocking frames (22, 24) made of a substantially rigid material for maintaining a closed position and for maintaining a tobacco accessory (60). Openings (42, 44) to the pockets may be wide enough for convenient manual access. The pockets may be hermetically sealed. An outward surface (43) of the article may be formed of a flexible material.

Description

TWO-POCKET TOBACCO POUCH WITH INTERLOCKING FRAMES

This disclosure relates to tobacco pouches, such as a two-compartment tobacco pouch with interlocking frames.

Handmade cigarettes are made, usually by the smoker, by wrapping a rectangular sheet of cigarette wrapping paper of the length of the cigarette around loose tobacco. Cigarette papers for hand making, having a moisture activated adhesive strip along one long edge, are usually presented in a small package of card from which one paper protrudes through a slot; the papers are folded longitudinally and interleaved inside the packet so that removal of the protruding paper causes the next paper to protrude through the slot. The wrapping may be done by hand or by use of a cigarette rolling mat or by use of a small hand operated machine. The cigarette may include a filter, or not, according to the smoker's preference.

Tobacco for handmade cigarettes may be supplied in pouch-style containers Once the tobacco pouch is opened, the tobacco may begin to lose moisture and dry out. Some tobacco pouches may be made from a flexible plastic film, and a flap may be lifted to reveal an opening in the film for access to the tobacco. Some tobacco pouches may be a resealable in order to prevent the seeping out of tobacco. For example, some tobacco pouches may be provided with a freshness seal that can be broken open or provided with a plastic zip at the opening that may be resealable. On the other hand, some pouches may be not considered reusable.

A consumer of 'roll your own' or 'make your own' cigarettes may utilize tobacco, cigarette papers, and optionally filters, for example. These may be carried separately from the tobacco, but this may be inconvenient and may result in one of the components being mislaid by the consumer.

If papers or filters are placed in the pouch with the tobacco, they may become mixed with the tobacco and may be hard to find when required. Also, the relatively high moisture level, or humidity, of tobacco may cause the papers to become damp and the adhesive may be activated so that the papers in the packet of papers adhere to one another, making them inconvenient to use.

It would be desirable to provide a convenient tobacco pouch that stores a quantity of loose tobacco and tobacco accessories sufficient to make multiple handmade cigarettes. It may also be desirable to limit the transfer of moisture to and from the tobacco. It may be desirable to provide a stable opening to facilitate easy access to the tobacco and mitigation of accidental spills. Further, it may be desirable to provide a tobacco pouch that may be comfortably kept in and retrieved from a person's pocket or personal bag. A recloseable tobacco pouch may include two pockets, each having an opening. A resealable member may cover each opening to maintain the contents of the pocket. When the tobacco pouch is closed, the openings may face one another. An interlocking frame may be attached adjacent to each opening and configured to separably engage to the other for maintaining the tobacco pouch in a closed position when engaged and to allow the tobacco pouch to move to an open position when separated. In the open position, at least one resealable member may be accessible by a user for unsealing the respective opening.

The tobacco pouch may be ready-to-use, including an amount of tobacco and an optional tobacco accessory. The tobacco accessory may be positioned in a tobacco accessory cavity formed between the interlocking frames when engaged to maintain the tobacco pouch in a closed position. When the interlocking frames are separated and the tobacco pouch is opened, a tobacco accessory tray may be formed in at least one of the interlocking frames.

A tobacco pouch may include a first pocket and a second pocket, each having a back panel and a front panel defining a tobacco cavity between the back and front panels, an amount of tobacco disposed in the tobacco cavity, an opening formed in the front panel for accessing the tobacco in the tobacco cavity, and a sealing member covering the opening to maintain the tobacco within the pocket. The tobacco pouch may further include a first interlocking frame attached to the front panel of the first pocket about the first opening and a second interlocking frame attached to the front panel of the second pocket about the second opening and configured to separably engage with the first interlocking frame. The tobacco pouch may be moveable between an open position and a closed position, such that in a closed position, the first and second interlocking frames may be engaged, and a tobacco accessory cavity may be defined between the first and second interlocking frames. Furthermore, in the open position, the first and second interlocking frames may be separated, and the first and second interlocking frames may define at least one tobacco accessory tray.

The ready-to-use tobacco pouch may include a tobacco accessory. In the closed position, the tobacco accessory may be inaccessible and maintained in the accessory cavity between the first and second interlocking frames. In the open position, the tobacco accessory may be accessible and at least partially maintained in the at least one tobacco accessory tray.

Each sealing member may be configured to form a hermetic seal over the respective opening before a first opening of the respective pocket.

Each sealing member may be configured to reseal the respective pocket after a first opening of the respective pocket.

The first and second pockets may be hingedly attached to pivot between the open and closed positions. A method of using a tobacco pouch of the present disclosure may include releasing the first and second interlocking frames to move the tobacco pouch into the open position; releasing, at least partially, the first sealing member to access the tobacco in the first pocket; sealing the first pocket with the first sealing member to maintain the tobacco in the first pocket; and engaging the first and second interlocking frames to move the tobacco pouch into the closed position.

The method may further include releasing, at least partially, the second sealing member to access the tobacco in the second pocket after the tobacco in the pocket has been expended.

Utilizing a recloseable, ready-to-use tobacco pouch may provide a number of advantages in storing the components for making a cigarette by hand. The tobacco pouch may store both tobacco and tobacco accessories for making multiple handmade cigarettes in a convenient manner. The tobacco accessory volume may be sized to accommodate tobacco accessories, such as a cigarette paper booklet, providing a convenient access to components for making handmade cigarettes in one pouch. By providing multiple factory sealed pockets, the tobacco in one pocket may be used while the other remains factory-sealed, which may help to maintain the freshness of the tobacco over time. The sealing members may facilitate resealing the tobacco in each pocket when not in use, which may also help to maintain the freshness of the tobacco over time. By positioning the interlocking frames in-between the pockets, the interlocking frames may be rigid to define a stable opening without being a rigid touch points for a user when the tobacco pouch is in a closed position, which may facilitate comfortable storage, particularly, when a user places the tobacco pouch into clothing pocket adjacent the user.

The terms "front," "back," "inner," "outer," "upper," "lower," "side," "top," "bottom," and other terms are used to describe relative positions or orientations of the components of the pouch. The terms "front," "back," "inner," "outer," "upper," "longitudinal," "lateral," "left," and "right" may be used with reference to panels or edges of the pouch when viewed. When describing components according to the present invention, these terms are used irrespective of the orientation of the pouch being described.

The term "tobacco" refers to a substance including tobacco, which includes tobacco blends or flavoured tobacco, for example.

The term "loose tobacco" refers to an amount of tobacco that does not retain its shape unless disposed in a pouch or is wrapped, for example, by cigarette paper.

The term "tobacco accessory" refers to a non-tobacco component used in making cigarettes, particularly handmade cigarettes, which includes cigarette paper, a filter tube, a tubing device, a lighter, combinations thereof, or packages or booklets thereof, for example.

The term "hermetic" refers to being airtight, substantially airtight, moisture impermeable, or substantially moisture impermeable, and may be used to describe a seal, a membrane, a compartment, or a volume, for example. A hermetically-sealed compartment or volume may define an interior that is hermetically sealed from an exterior environment, and vice versa.

The term "liner" refers to monolayer materials or multilayer materials comprising for example two, three, four, five, or more different materials that allow for forming a pocket. Suitable three-layer liners include an upper layer of polyethylene, a core of low density foam, or a lower layer of polyethylene. Optionally, the liner may include a layer of adhesive that sticks to the interlocking frame when pressure is applied to secure the closure in a way that the liner will be sealed to the frame. Other suitable liner materials include, cellulosic fibers, such as pulpboard, wax, metal, or polymeric foils. Hermetic sealing through a liner may also be obtained by using a polymer coating suitable for heat-induction sealing. Optionally, the liner may be formed of a biodegradable material, such as a biodegradable polymer.

This disclosure relates to tobacco pouches, such as a two-pocket tobacco pouch with interlocking frames. The tobacco pouch may include first and second pockets and an interlocking frame coupled to each of the pockets. Each pocket may have one or more panels defining a tobacco cavity and an opening formed in the one or more panels.

The tobacco pouch may include components for making handmade cigarettes, such as an amount of tobacco and an optional tobacco accessory At least one pocket may contain tobacco material. Preferably, both pockets may contain tobacco material in respective tobacco cavities within the pockets. The optional tobacco accessory may be disposed between the pockets and maintained separately from the tobacco material in a tobacco accessory cavity.

The tobacco pouch may include pockets of various combinations of sizes or volumes. Preferably, the pockets may define the same or substantially equal volumes or cavities for tobacco. The pockets may be symmetric to, or mirrors of, one another. An even distribution of tobacco between the pockets may facilitate the prolonged freshness of the total amount of tobacco in the tobacco pouch. For example, each half of the total amount of tobacco may be exposed to air for roughly the same amount of time before being expended.

The pockets may be described as soft, deformable, or flexible, for example, to provide a semi-malleable experience when handled or stored by a user. A soft pocket may provide a pressure-distributed, gentle touch point for a user, particularly when keeping the tobacco pouch in a pocket adjacent the user's body, which may enhance comfort during handling and storage. A flexible panel material and the presence of loose tobacco may contribute to the characteristics of the pocket's soft feel.

The relative sizes of the pockets and the tobacco accessory cavity may depend upon the volume of handmade cigarette components so that all or substantially all of the components may be used up at about the same time. For example, the reclosable tobacco pouch may contain an amount of tobacco enough to make about five, ten, fifteen, or more handmade cigarettes and may contain a number of tobacco accessories enough to make about the same number of handmade cigarettes. In other words, when all of the tobacco accessories have been used, all or nearly all of the tobacco may also have been used.

The reclosable tobacco pouch may include a pocket that is sealed before first use to control the amount of moisture in the tobacco before a user first opens the pocket. The seal may be hermetic. The pocket may also be resealable to control the amount of moisture after a user opens and closes the pocket. The pocket may be resealed hermetically. The amount of time that the pocket is open may be reduced by placing tobacco in two or more pockets, which may preserve the amount of moisture in the tobacco remaining in unopened pockets until the user is ready to access the tobacco therein. The hermetic seal may be imperfect and still mitigate the loss of moisture in the tobacco, for example, to the ambient environment.

The first and second pockets may be hingedly attached to pivot relative to one another between a closed position and an open position of the tobacco pouch. The pockets may pivot around one or more folding lines disposed at an edge of each pocket. One folding line may be included. For example, a folding line may be formed by a weld, adhesive, a seam, or any combination thereof.

A foldable portion may be formed between edges of the pockets. The foldable portion may define a distance between the pockets that facilitates pivoting one pocket with respect to the other. For example, a foldable portion may be formed by multiple folding lines, a wide weld, an adhesive, or any combination thereof. The foldable portion may be formed of the same or different material than panels forming the pockets.

The first and second pockets may each include a front panel and a back panel. Each panel may be formed of a liner material. The liner may be formed of a flexible material contributing to the enhanced comfort of the tobacco pouch when stored. The liner material may at least partially form a hermetic seal around a tobacco cavity. The first and second panels may be formed by different portions of the same liner sheet or different liner sheets. The first and second panels may be formed of the same material. Alternatively, the panels may be formed of different materials.

A tobacco cavity may be formed between the front and back panels of the respective pocket. Each tobacco cavity may define a volume substantially equal to the volume in the other tobacco cavity. The tobacco cavity may be hermetically sealed before a first opening of the respective pocket. For example, before a user first accesses the tobacco in a tobacco cavity, the tobacco cavity may be hermetically sealed to preserve freshness. The tobacco cavity may be resealable after the first opening. Resealing may provide a hermetic seal around the tobacco cavity.

In a closed position of the tobacco pouch, the front panels of each pocket may be disposed opposite each other. The front panels may be facing in opposite directions. The first and second pockets may pivot, such that each front panel faces the other front panel in the closed position of the tobacco pouch. The front panels may be disposed between the back panels in the closed position. The back panels may be facing in opposite directions.

The front panels of each pocket may at least partially form an inward surface of the tobacco pouch, and the back panels of each pocket may at least partially form an outward surface of the tobacco pouch, in the closed position. At least the back panels may be formed of flexible material contributing to the soft-touch of the tobacco pouch when closed.

In an open position of the tobacco pouch, the front panels of each pocket may be disposed adjacent each other. The front panels may be disposed substantially in the same plane in a fully open position. The front panels may be facing in the same direction. The back panels of each pocket may also be disposed adjacent each other and/or substantially in the same plane in a fully open position. The back panels may be facing in the same direction. I n a partially open position, the panels may not be disposed substantially in the same plane and/or be facing in the same direction, but may still provide access to the tobacco, tobacco accessory, and/or sealing member.

A pocket may include a side edge. The respective front and back panels of the pocket may be at least partially joined at a side edge. The tobacco cavity may be defined between the front and back panels and at least one side edge. The tobacco cavity may be defined between the front and back panels and two, three, four, or more side edges.

A folding line may be defined at or between side edges of two pockets. A foldable portion may be defined between side edges of two pockets. A side edge may be formed by adhesive, welding (e.g., heat welding), any other suitable form of hermetically sealing panel material together, or any combination thereof. A side edge may be formed by folding over a sheet of material, for example, when the front and back panels are formed by the same sheet of material.

An opening may be defined in one or more panels of a pocket. An opening may be defined in the front panel of a pocket. The opening preferably may be sized for a user to manually extract tobacco. For example, a user may be able to pinch loose tobacco to extract it from the respective compartment in an amount sufficient for at least partially making a handmade cigarette by providing a sufficient opening for the fingertips of the user's hand to pass through. The maximum depth of the pocket, which may vary if a panel is formed of a flexible material, may require the opening to be wide enough to accommodate a user's hand in a grasping position to extract tobacco from the pocket by providing a sufficient opening for the palm of the hand of the user to extract an amount of loose tobacco.

Each pocket may be formed of two liners joined together and an opening may be formed, for example, by cutting a sheet of liner material, before sealing the liner sheets together or folding a liner sheet to form the pocket. An opening may also be formed after sealing the liner sheets together or folding a liner sheet to form the pocket.

A sealing member may cover one or more openings to maintain the tobacco in the respective pocket. When attached to a pocket, the sealing member may form a hermetic seal before a first opening. The sealing member may be resealable and form a hermetic seal after a first opening.

The sealing member may be, at least partially, releasably attached to the front panel and/or an interlocking frame, for example. The sealing member may be lifted away from the respective opening to open the respective pocket to access the tobacco therein. The sealing member may be releasably attached to the front panel by adhesive. When at least partially released, the sealing member may allow access by a user to tobacco through the opening.

The sealing member may further be at least partially fixedly attached to the front panel or an interlocking frame. The sealing member may be fixedly attached to the front panel by adhesive or welding. A fixed portion may remain fixedly attached to the front panel or interlocking frame, as applicable, while a releasable portion may be releasably attached to allow access to tobacco within the respective tobacco cavity.

The sealing member may be formed of the same or different material as one or more panels. For example, the sealing member may be formed of a liner material.

First and second interlocking frames may be separably engageable. The interlocking frames may meet and engage by pivoting the first and second pockets toward a closed position. The interlocking frames may separate by pivoting the first and second pockets toward an open position.

The engagement of the interlocking frames may form a hermetic seal. However, a hermetic seal due to engagement of the interlocking frames may not be necessary. For example, the sealing members may provide a hermetic seal for the tobacco, whereas the interlocking frames may maintain a tobacco accessory, which may not need to be hermetically sealed from the ambient environment to prolong its useful life.

The interlocking frames may be substantially rectangular in shape. However, any suitable shape for complementary engagement by the interlocking frames may be used.

The tobacco pouch may include a closure mechanism. Either or both of the first and second interlocking frames may include a closure mechanism for maintaining the tobacco pouch in a closed position. An interlocking frame may include a protrusion or recess that engages a complementary recess or protrusion in the other interlocking frame. However, any other suitable structures for maintaining a shape-fit, snap-fit, or friction-fit seal between the interlocking frames may be used.

The interlocking frames may define a male-female connection including an inserting portion and a receiving portion. Each interlocking frame may include an engaging portion in the form of a wall and including the male-female connection. The engaging portion may at least partially extend around, or surround, the opening to form a rim. The engaging portion may at least partially define a height of the tobacco accessory cavity. The engaging portion may at least partially define a side of a tobacco accessory tray for maintaining a tobacco accessory relative to the interlocking frame. The height of the tobacco accessory tray may be substantially equal to or less than the height of the engaging portion. The height of the tobacco accessory cavity may be substantially equal to or less than the height of two engaging portions.

A lip portion of the interlocking frame may extend inwardly from the engaging portion, for example, at the base of the wall. The lip portion may at least partially extend around, or surround, the opening. The lip portion may define a front surface that also serves as a bottom of a tobacco accessory tray. The sealing member may be releasably and/or fixedly attached to the lip portion.

An aperture may be formed in each interlocking frame inward from the engaging portion and the lip portion. The aperture may be positioned co-extensive, at least partially, with an opening in the front panel of a pocket.

The aperture may be smaller, the same, or larger than the opening. The sealing member may be attached to the lip portion when the aperture is smaller than the respective opening. The sealing member may be attached to the front panel when the aperture is larger than the respective opening.

A back surface may be defined, at least partially, by the engaging portion and the lip portion. The interlocking frame may be attached to the front panel at the back surface. The interlocking frame may be attached to the front panel by welding, adhesive, or any other suitable technique to hermetically seal the interlocking frame to the front panel.

The interlocking frame may also include a release tab extending outwardly for manual engagement by the user to help engage and/or separate the frames. The release tab may extend outwardly beyond an edge of the pocket (e.g., a side edge) to be accessible by a user when the tobacco pouch is closed. The release tab may be substantially rigid or flexible. A substantially rigid release tab may impart enhanced tactile feedback for engaging or releasing the interlocking frames. However, a substantially flexible release tab may impart additional comfort for a user during storage. The interlocking frames may be formed of a substantially rigid material. For example, the interlocking frame may be formed of a polymer. The polymer may be biodegradable. The rigid form of the interlocking frames provides stable access to the respective opening, for example, while sealing and resealing. Because in a closed position, the interlocking frames are disposed between the pockets, the rigidity of the interlocking frame material does not contribute substantially to discomfort when the tobacco pouch is stored. Alternatively, one or both of the interlocking frames may be formed of a substantially flexible material for increased comfort.

Each interlocking frame may at least partially define a tobacco accessory tray when the tobacco pouch is in the open position. Each tobacco accessory tray may be at least partially defined by the engaging portion and the lip portion. The tobacco accessory tray preferably may maintain, at least partially, a tobacco accessory. For example, a tobacco accessory may rest upon the lip portion of the interlocking frame and be restricted from significant lateral movement by the engaging portion of the interlocking frame, which may at least partially surround the tobacco accessory.

The length and width of the tobacco accessory may be smaller than the length and width of the tobacco accessory tray. The length and width of the tobacco accessory tray may be sized to fit the tobacco accessory without allowing for significant lateral shifting or movement of the tobacco accessory when placed therein.

The height of each tobacco accessory tray may be less than the height of a tobacco accessory to be maintained therein. The height of the tobacco accessory tray may be about half of or greater than half of the height of the tobacco accessory. The height of the tobacco accessory tray may be greater than half the height of an associated cigarette paper booklet but less than the full height.

The interlocking frames may at least partially define a tobacco accessory cavity when the tobacco pouch is in the closed position. The tobacco accessory cavity may have a volume about equal to or less than the volume of two tobacco accessory trays. The tobacco accessory cavity preferably may maintain a tobacco accessory in lateral and vertical directions. The height of the tobacco accessory cavity may be about equal to or greater than the height of the tobacco accessory. A tobacco accessory cavity may maintain a tobacco accessory between the lip portions of the interlocking frames to restrict significant vertical movement and inward from the engaging portions to restrict significant lateral movement.

With the above being described, the tobacco pouch may be understood to have a closed position. In the closed position, the tobacco, sealing members, and the tobacco accessory may be inaccessible. The back panels may form an outward surface of the tobacco pouch. The outward surface may be flexible. The front panels may face each other. Tobacco stored within each pocket may be hermetically sealed from the ambient environment, and the tobacco pouch may have only soft touch-points for storage.

The tobacco pouch may also be understood to have an open position. In the open position, the sealing members may be independently accessible. For example, the tobacco in a pocket may be accessible while resting in a tobacco accessory tray of an interlocking frame of the other pocket. The tobacco accessory may be removed from the tobacco accessory tray of the other pocket and optionally placed in the tobacco accessory tray of the pocket in order to provide access to tobacco in the other pocket. The front panels may be laterally adjacent one another. The back panels may be laterally adjacent one another.

A method of using a tobacco pouch having two pockets and two interlocking frames may provide easy access to and storage of the components needed to make a handmade cigarette. A user may release the interlocking frames to facilitate opening of a factory-made tobacco pouch. Before accessing tobacco in a pocket, an optional tobacco accessory in a tobacco accessory tray associated with the other pocket may be accessed. A sealing member of the pocket may be released, at least partially, to access the tobacco in the pocket.

Once a user extracts the needed tobacco, the pocket may be resealed to maintain the remaining tobacco within the pocket. The resealing may be hermetic to preserve freshness. The interlocking frames may then be engaged to maintain the tobacco pouch in a closed position. The user may then store the tobacco pouch comfortably in a clothing pocket or in a personal bag, for example.

After the tobacco in the other pocket has been expended (e.g., due to unsatisfactory freshness or being completely used), the pocket may be sealed. Also, the tobacco accessory may be moved to the tobacco accessory tray of the pocket corresponding to the expended tobacco. The sealing member of the other pocket may then be released, at least partially, to access tobacco in the other pocket. Once a user extracts the needed tobacco, the other pocket may be resealed to maintain the remaining tobacco within the pocket. The resealing may be hermetic to preserve freshness. Once tobacco in a pocket has been expended, the user may refill the pocket with fresh tobacco for later use.

All scientific and technical terms used herein have meanings commonly used in the art unless otherwise specified. The definitions provided herein are to facilitate understanding of certain terms used frequently herein.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" encompass plural referents, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, "or" is generally employed in its sense including "and/or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and/or" means one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements.

As used herein, "have", "having", "include", "including", "comprise", "comprising" or the like are used in their open ended sense, and generally mean "including, but not limited to". It will be understood that "consisting essentially of, "consisting of, and the like are subsumed in "comprising," and the like.

The words "preferred" and "preferably" refer to aspects of the invention that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other aspects may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferred aspects does not imply that other aspects are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other aspects from the scope of the disclosure, including the claims.

The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the present invention are illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a tobacco pouch in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the tobacco pouch of FIG. 1 in an open position with the pockets pivoted along the foldable portion from the closed position.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an alternative tobacco pouch in an open position having a tobacco accessory.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a cross-section of the tobacco pouch of FIG. 1 showing more detail of the first and second interlocking frames, in particular, as the tobacco pouch is closing or just after opening, for example.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a tobacco pouch 10 in a closed position. The tobacco pouch 10 may include a first pocket 12 and a second pocket 14. The pockets 12, 14 may be pivotally attached via a foldable portion 30 at side edges 16, 18 of the pockets 12, 14, respectively. The pockets 12, 14 may be maintained in a closed position with a closure mechanism 20 including a first interlocking frame 22 and a second interlocking frame 24 that may be separably engaged. In the closed position, each pocket 12, 14 may define an inner panel that faces the other inner panel and an outer panel that at least partially forms an outward surface of the tobacco pouch 10. In the closed position, the interlocking frames 22, 24 may be capable of maintaining a tobacco accessory 60 (shown in FIG. 3) between the pockets 12, 14 in a tobacco accessory cavity 66. Once the interlocking frames 22, 24 are separated, the tobacco pouch 10 may be opened by pivoting the pockets 12, 14 along the foldable portion 30. In the open position, each pocket 12, 1 may define a front panel and a back panel. The front panel may be defined as the inner panel in the closed position. The back panel may be defined as the outer panel in the closed position. The front panels may be adjacent each other and may face in the same direction in a fully open position. The back panels may be adjacent each other and may face in the same direction in a fully open position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the tobacco pouch 10 in an open position with the pockets 12, 14 pivoted along the foldable portion 30 from the closed position shown in FIG. 1. Although not shown in FIG. 1 , an optional release tab 26 may extend outwardly from interlocking frame 24. Additionally or alternatively, the release tab 26 may extend from interlocking frame 22.

As illustrated, the first pocket 12 may include a front panel 41 (e.g., inner panel) and a back panel 43 (e.g., outer panel). The second pocket 14 may include a front panel 45 and a back panel 47. An opening 42 may be formed in the front panel 41 , and an opening 44 may be formed in the front panel 45. The interlocking frames 22, 24 may be disposed about the respective openings 42, 44.

Each opening 42, 44 may be sealed by a respective sealing member 52, 54. As shown, the sealing member 52 may be closed (covering opening 42 shown in broken lines), and the sealing member 54 may be opened (shown in transparently in broken lines for illustrative purposes). Also, as shown, sealing member 54 may include a releasable portion 56, which may be releasably attachable to the interlocking frame 24, and a fixed portion 58, which may be fixedly attached to the interlocking frame 24. The releasable portion 56 may be releasably attachable to the front panel 45. When open, the sealing members 52, 54 may allow a user to access tobacco 32 contained within each respective pocket 12, 14.

Each of the interlocking frames 22, 24 may define a tobacco accessory tray 62, 64 for maintaining a tobacco accessory 60 (shown in FIG. 3) in an open position of the tobacco pouch 10.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an alternative tobacco pouch 110 in an open position having a tobacco accessory 60. Some aspects of tobacco pouch 110 and tobacco pouch 10 may be substantially the same and some aspects may be substantially different but interchangeable. For example, the tobacco accessory 60 may be used with tobacco pouch 10 in the same manner as described below for tobacco pouch 110.

The first pocket 112 may include a tobacco accessory tray 162 that maintains a tobacco accessory 60, such as a cigarette paper booklet. As shown, the cigarette paper booklet may have a flap that is openable to retrieve cigarette papers contained within the booklet. The second pocket 114 may also include a tobacco accessory tray 164. While the tobacco accessory 60 rests in a tobacco accessory tray 162, 164, the respective sealing member may be inaccessible and thus the tobacco contained in the respective pocket may also be inaccessible. However, the tobacco in the other pocket may be accessible. The tobacco accessory 60 may be moved between the tobacco accessory trays 162, 164 to selectively access the tobacco in the other pocket.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a cross-section of the tobacco pouch 10 showing more detail of the first and second interlocking frames 22, 24, in particular, as the tobacco pouch 10 is closing or just after opening, for example. As illustrated, each of the interlocking frames 22, 24 may include an aperture 21 defined by a lip portion 25 and an engaging portion 27 forming a male-female complementary engagement between the interlocking frames 22, 24.

Each aperture 21 may be disposed co-extensively over a respective opening 42, 44 of the front panels 41, 45. Each sealing member 52, 54 may be attached to a respective lip portion 25 of the interlocking fitments 22, 24 to maintain a respective amount of tobacco 32 within the tobacco cavities 61 , 63 of the pockets 12, 14, respectively.

The tobacco accessory cavity 66 may be defined by the interlocking frames 22, 24 and the sealing members 52, 54. As illustrated, the tobacco accessory 60, which has multiple cigarette papers, may be maintained between the lip portions 25 of the interlocking frames 22, 24 and the sealing members 52, 54 in a vertical direction and inward from the engaging portions 27 of the interlocking frames 22, 24 in a lateral direction. The tobacco accessory cavity 66 may be just larger in volume than the volume of the tobacco accessory 60 to allow the interlocking frames 22, 24 to engage for closing the tobacco pouch 10 while preventing significant movement.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A tobacco pouch comprising:

a first pocket and a second pocket, each pocket comprising:

a back panel and a front panel defining a tobacco cavity between the back and front panels,

an amount of tobacco disposed in the tobacco cavity,

an opening formed in the front panel for accessing the tobacco in the tobacco cavity, and

a sealing member covering the opening to maintain the tobacco within the pocket; a first interlocking frame attached to the front panel of the first pocket about the first opening; and

a second interlocking frame attached to the front panel of the second pocket about the second opening and configured to separably engage with the first interlocking frame; wherein the tobacco pouch is movable between an open position and a closed position, such that:

in the closed position,

the first and second interlocking frames are engaged, and

a tobacco accessory cavity is defined between the first and second interlocking frames; and

in the open position,

the first and second interlocking frames are separated, and

the first and second interlocking frames define at least one tobacco accessory tray. 2. The tobacco pouch of claim 1 , further comprising:

a tobacco accessory;

wherein, in the closed position, the tobacco accessory is maintained in the accessory cavity between the first and second interlocking frames; and wherein, in the open position, the tobacco accessory is accessible and at least partially maintained in the at least one tobacco accessory tray.

3. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, in the closed position, the sealing members are inaccessible, and in the open position, the sealing members are independently accessible.

4. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each sealing member includes a releasable portion and a fixed portion, wherein the releasable portion is configured to be lifted away from the respective opening to open the respective pocket to access the tobacco.

5. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each sealing member is configured to form a hermetic seal over the respective opening before a first opening of the respective pocket.

6. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each sealing member is configured to reseal the respective pocket after a first opening of the respective pocket. 7. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second pockets are hingedly attached to pivot between the open and closed positions.

8. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the back panels of the first and second pockets comprise a flexible material and at least partially define a flexible outward surface of the tobacco pouch in the closed position.

9. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first and second interlocking frames includes a release tab configured to be manually engaged to move the tobacco pouch between the open and closed positions.

10. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each interlocking frame comprises a biodegradable polymer.

11. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each interlocking frame is attached to the respective front panel by welding or an adhesive.

12. The tobacco pouch according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second pockets define equal volumes. 3. A method of using the tobacco pouch of any one of the preceding claims comprising: releasing the first and second interlocking frames to move the tobacco pouch into the open position;

releasing, at least partially, the first sealing member to access the tobacco in the first pocket;

sealing the first pocket with the first sealing member to maintain the tobacco in the first pocket; and

engaging the first and second interlocking frames to move the tobacco pouch into the closed position. 14. A method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing a tobacco accessory with the tobacco pouch in the open position.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 and 14, further comprising:

releasing, at least partially, the second sealing member to access the tobacco in the second pocket after the tobacco in the first pocket has been expended.