NZ544504A - Tobacco pouch with doubled adhesive closure tabs - Google Patents

Abstract

A tobacco pouch is provided with two (or more) layered adhesive fastening tabs 8, 7. When the first tab 8 is "dirtied" after repeated use opening and closing the pouch it can be folded back and adhered behind the closure flap to expose the adhesive surface 15 of the second tab 7 that is then used to keep the flap closed to the pouch until all of the tobacco is used. A similar arrangement is known for use in repeated closing and opening of plastic surfaced disposable diapers.

Description

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 05 DEC 2006 RECEIVED NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 544504 Date: 23 December 2005 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION RECLOSABLE POUCH PACKS Wc, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (NEW ZEALAND) IJMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 66 Wyndham Street, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to resealable packs (particularly pouched packs), closure assemblies of a container, and related uses, methodologies and assemblies.

Many products are supplied in a reservoir provided by a closable container. One form of such closable container is a pouch pack of a kind where, in a bag or other like structure, front and rear panels directly connected to each other at the sides and/or base (or indirectly connected to each other, e.g. via a gusset of the like expansion form at the sides and base or the sides only) is to be sealed by at least one flap or odier extension of one of the panels (e.g. a flat but openable tubular extension). Such a flap or extension hitherto has been folded over the mouth of the chamber (that is to act as the reservoir) and is sometimes held in that condition thereby, to some extent, sealing the chamber by reliance on the fold over being held by self adhesive tape. Where such packs, whether with a single flap, a flap from each of the panels or a full surround as the fold over feature for the reservoir, have been used, there has sometimes been the provision of a self adhesive tab affixed proximally to the fold over (usually on the outside) and adapted to be self adhesively (but releasably) affixed away from its proximal zone to a release material surface of the panel partly being overfolded.

We have evolved a form of closure tab assembly able self adhesively to be affixed to the outside of the fold over (although it could be fixed elsewhere to the fold over) whereby that proximal support is (directly or indirectly) of two or more self adhesive tabs, one tab being protected from unwanted use and contamination by a release surface of the other tab. To enable such a closure assembly to be utilised we have determined there is an advantage in an adhesive free distal zone for each of the tabs whereby there can be initial opening of the container (for example a pouch pack e.g. as for tobacco) by a pulling up of both tabs thereby to release the adhesive hold of die first tab to the outside panel surface whereupon, as and when desired, it can be reattached by that same adhesive zone of the first tab to the outside panel surface, or, alternatively that first tab without being discarded (i.e. total removal from the pack) can be folded under to rely upon its by then less adhesive zone for retention out of the way of the freshly exposed self adhesive surface of the second adhesive tab, itself with a non adhesive distal region, and able to be attached to said outside panel surface.

We have determined that whilst, in some aspect, the tab being superseded is to be adhered back to a surface of the fold over material, in other less desired forms of the present invention (as this would reduce the adhesive area exposed of the second tab for use), there can be a folding back upon itself for its own adhesive to its own adhesive interengagement.

It is therefore to providing a pouch pack, a pouch to be of a pack, a closure assembly for a container, closable containers, tab assemblies, and related methods and uses that the present invention is directed.

In an aspect the invention is also a closure assembly of a container of a kind having a reservoir chamber at least in part defined by first and second panels, the panels extending into flaps or a mouth defining extension of at least the panels, (e.g. a flat tubular extension of at least the two panels) such flaps or mouth defining extension (or a hybrid of both) being adapted by at least one fold over of providing at least some semblance of closure ("closure") to said chamber, wherein there is provided a tab assembly, being of at least two self adhesive tabs, each with a non adhesive distal region, proximally carried (direcdy or indirecdy) by a flap or part of the extension and arranged, whereby, without discard of either tab, first one tab can adhere to a said panel to hold such closure and, as desired, the second tab can have its self adhesive region (previously protected by a release surface of the first tab) exposed to adhere to the said panel to hold such closure.

Preferably the second tab is adhesively overlaying part at least of the first tab.

Preferably die tabs are not positionally staggered but do provide for the distal regions to be distinct i.e. not in register.

In another aspect the invention is a pouch pack, or pouch to be of a pack, having a pouch region, a closure extension thereof and a tab assembly adapted to hold the closure extension of the pouch region in a closed condition ("closed"), the tab assembly being of at least two self adhesive tabs, each with a non adhesive distal region and arranged, whereby, without discard of cither tab from the pouch, first one can tab adhere (in addition to its proximal direct or indirect adherence) to the pouch region to the pouch to hold the pouch region closed, and as desired, the second tab can have its self adhesive region (previously protected by a release surface of the first tab) revealed to adhere to hold the pouch region closed, preferably with the first tab being folded and adhesively being held eidier (i) back on itself or (ii) under a panel, web or flap of the pouch.

In any of the aforementioned forms of the present invention preferably each tab is rectanguloid and preferably has a deadened adhesive end zone.

Preferably each tab is of a plastics or paper material but not necessarily so (e.g. as for 3M™ POST-IT™ label range). It can optionally be reinforced. Preferably each pouch is of a material with a release surface characteristic as is already being used for prior art tobacco pouches we distribute.

A preferred material for example is polyglass SR2.

The adhesive can be latex adhesive or not a latex adhesive. It can be the adhesive used in the 3M™ POST-IT™ labels or stronger.

Whilst the tabs can be of equal size but be staggered so as preferably to have the distal regions spaced one from the other to better present the second non adhesive distal end to a potential user, that need not be the case. A stagger can be avoided while still providing a differently placed presentation of a non adhesive distal end where the second tab, as a top layer, is of lesser length than is the bottom layer.

The first tab on its non interfacial surface with the second tab has its self adhesive. The self adhesive of the second tab is at the interface between the two tabs. Preferably the second tab is dependent on part of its adhesive interface with the first tab for its proximal (preferably indirect) anchoring to the container or pouch material.

In still another aspect the invention is a closure system for a fold over surround into a pouch reservoir, the system being reliant on a tab assembly of two tabs, one overlying part of the other, each self adhesive and with a non adhesive free end, whereby first one and then the other can be used to hold the surround folded over by adhering to an exterior surface of the pouch reservoir.

Preferably when the overlying tab adheres to said exterior surface, the underlying tab can be adhesively tucked behind part of the fold over (e.g. around an edge or fold defined extremity thereof).

In yet another aspect the invention is a tobacco pack where tobacco is held in a pouch closed by the underlying tab of a closure system as aforesaid.

Preferably the closure system closed pouch is itself sealed in a plastics surround.

In another aspect the invention is a tab assembly of or for a pouch, pouch pack or the like as aforesaid.

In still another aspect the invention is a method of closure reliant on such a tab assembly.

In still another aspect the present invention consist in a pouch pack substantially as herein described with refercncc to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a sealed pouch of tobacco wherein the pouch that has been sealed in an envelope of sealing material is substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a tab assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in, as a marketable commodity, a pouch pack of any of the forms herein described, or a pack, which includes a tab assembly of any of the forms herein before described and also is (preferably) coupled with instructions as to how the adhesive areas of the first and second tabs (there maybe more) are to be serially used.

As used herein "non adhesive" or "adhesive free" includes no adhesive at all, deadened adhesive or masked adhesive.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun includes, as might be appropriate, the singular or plural forms of that noun.

Reference herein to "folded over" and other "fold" or "folding" includes a single or preferably at least two folds as a sequence of folds that add to the closure effect (e.g. to maintain content freshness) but which nonetheless leave an edge or foldline as an extremity to associated by a tab to a pouch reservoir panel.

Preferred forms of the present invention will be determined by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of a tobacco pack in accordance with the present invention, the pouch pack itself being enclosed within a preferably at least partially clear plastics bubble or surround, Figure 2 is the reverse view to that of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an end view showing the front of the pouch pack to the right, Figure 4 is a plan view of the pack of Figures 1 to 3, Figure 5 is a bottom view of the pack of Figures 1 to 4, Figure 6 is a perspective front view of a pack of Figures 1 to 5, Figure 7 is the pack of Figure 1 removed from the plastics surround, Figure 8 is a reverse view to that of Figure 7, Figure 9 is a plan view of the pouch pack of Figures 7 and 8, Figure 10 is a bottom view of the pouch pack of Figures 7 to 9, Figure 11 is an end elevational view, the front being to the right, of a pouch pack of Figures 7 to 10, Figure 11A shows the adhesive/non adhesive areas of Figure 11, Figure 12 is a perspective front view of the pouch pack of Figures 7 to 11, Figure 13 is a similar view to that of Figure 11 but after the first tab has been positioned around the folded extension so as to allow an adhesive region of the second tab to affix to the front panel of the pouch pack, Figure 13A shows the adhesive/non adhesive areas of Figure 13, and Figure 14 is a similar view to that of Figure 12 but this time with the tab assembly in the condition as described widi respect to Figure 13.

In the preferred form of the present invention an outer plastics enclosure 1 is provided preferably of at least partially clear plastics material (cellophane or another equivalent material) so as to protect its content which is a pouch pack of, for example, roll your own tobacco.

Figures 7 to 12 show the pouch pack content of the marketable commodity of Figures 1 to 6. This itself is itself a marketable commodity. As can be seen the reservoir which is shown as 2 in the end view of Figure 11 is substantially closed by die fold over extension flap regions 3 of the pouch pack and the distal extremity of that fold over arrangement 4 is itself held against a panel 5 defining at least in part the pouch reservoir 2. As shown in Figure 11 there is a tab assembly 6 which comprises an overlying second tab 7 and an underlying first tab 8. Each has a distal region 9 and 10 respectively which is substantially non adhesive or adhesive free as herein defined. The proximal end 11 of the first tab 8 is directly adhered to a surface of that part 12 of the material from which the pouch is defined, that part being a flap or a surround extension adapted to achieve closure in more or less a conventional manner for a tobacco pouch. Also distally affixed is the region 13 of the second self adhesive tab 13.

Such stagger as there is of the tags 7 and 8 preferably arises from no deliberate lapping beyond of one of the other at the proximal end region 14 but rather the disparity in length to the non adhesive zones 9 and 10 of the tabs 7 and 8 respectively.

In use the tab assembly can be uplifted so as to allow access into the reservoir 2. Flenceforth that same adhesive surface 16 interfacing with the panel 5 directly can be used for reclosure holding of the fold over arrangements. This is as shown in Figure 12.

In time however contaminational loss of adhesive property means it then becomes desirable to expose for the first time the self adhesive face 15 with its adliesive 17 by folding the non adhesive distal region 10 of the tag 8 about the flap extremity 4 thereby to allow continued refixing to closure in a manner as shown in Figures 13 and 14.

The present invention by its very elegance of similarly dimensioned tabs, each self adhesive save for its distal region which preferably is staggered, better allows continued closure of the pouch pack.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the variations diat can exist for the flaps, access opening extensions etc. that might be used.

Persons also skilled in the art will appreciate the variety of different materials that can be used for the pouch pack and/or any surfacing thereof to which a self adhesive label is to be attached or to reattach. Preferably siliconising of any release surfaces can be avoided by appropriate material and adhesive choices.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the types of adhesives and release surfaces preferably used for the tabs themselves so as to free the interfacial adhesive of the second tab as well as for the fixing face of the panel of the pouch reservoir.

Use of the present invention means that once the surround 1 has been removed and discarded, preferably to a rubbish bin, there is no need to discard anything more of the pack until all of the contents have been removed from the pouch as a result of there being the capability of . moving serially from use of the adhesive region 16 of the underlying tab 8 to die adhesive region 17 of die overlying tab 7 of die tab assembly 6.

During manufacture a preassembled tab assembly 6 would simply be applied to the product by appropriate tab applying apparatus in a tobacco pouch fill line.

Whilst our preferred embodiment is a pack of tobacco, other content(s) for the reservoir are contemplated. These range from, say, confectioner)- products to putty or caulking products.

Claims (5)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A pouch pack of tobacco, there being a pouch containing tobacco and an extension or extensions from the mouth of the pouch adapted with at least one fold line or fold zone of effecting at least a substantial closure of the pouch, wherein there is provided a tab assembly of the or an extension adapted to a fix to the outside of the pouch to hold the pouch at least substantially closed, and wherein the tab assembly is of two self adhesive tabs each with a non-adhesive distal region and arranged whereby, without discard of eidier tab from the pouch pack, first one tab can adhere to the outside of the pouch and, as desired, the second tab can have an adhesive region previously protected by a release surface of the first tab revealed and adhered to the pouch.

2. A pack as claimed in claim wherein each tab is rectangular

3. A pack as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein each tab has a deadened adhesive end zone.

4. A pack of any one of the preceding claims wherein the second tab is dependent on part of its adhesive interface with the first tab for its proximal anchoring to the pouch.

5. A pouch pack as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein substantially as herein after described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.