Reclosable container

• US 9,359,124 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lutzig, Bodo-Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, JEFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US12/645,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,358 Days
• Field of Search: 220/495.01, 220/23.87, 220/62.11, 220/62.22, 220/495.05, 206/264, 206/242, 206/274, 229/160.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/586 with means for reclosing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/563 Laminated linings; Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/662 the container being provided with an internal frame or the like for maintaining the lid in the closed position by friction
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5838 combined with separate fixed tearing means, e.g. tabs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1027 Opening devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1045 having a cap-like lid hinged to an edge

Abstract

A reclosable container for consumer items includes a box, a lid hingedly connected to the box, an inner liner wrapped around the consumer items, the inner liner including a section defining an opening for allowing access to the consumer items, means to open and reclose the opening, and an inner frame attached to the box. The inner frame includes a free inner frame portion protruding from the box towards the opening in the inner liner. The free inner frame portion includes a cut out and the inner frame is attached to the inner liner proximate to the cut out.

Claims

1. A reclosable container for consumer items, the reclosable container comprising:

a box; and

a lid, the lid being hingedly connected to the box;

the reclosable container containing;

an inner liner for wrapping consumer items therein, the inner liner including a removable inner liner section defining an opening for allowing internal access and bounded by at least one line of weakness, said inner liner further including a top panel, a front panel, and a back panel arranged opposite of the front panel, wherein the removable inner liner section comprises a first portion of the top panel and a first portion of the front panel;

an inner frame attached to the box, wherein the inner frame includes a free inner frame portion protruding from the box towards the opening in the inner liner; and

a label operable to open and reclose the opening, the label including a permanent attachment portion permanently attached to the removable inner liner section with a high tack adhesive and a tacky portion which is releasably attached with a low tack adhesive to a second portion of the top panel surrounding the first top panel portion of the removable inner liner section and releasably attached to a second portion of the front panel surrounding the first front panel portion of the removable inner liner section, the tacky portion being operable to reseal the inner liner, the permanent attachment portion operable to be removed together with the removable inner liner section along the at least one line of weakness when opening the opening, and wherein the label extends over substantially an entire width of the to panel of the inner liner,

wherein the free inner frame portion comprises an inner frame edge portion defining a cut out and wherein the inner liner is attached along the inner frame edge portion proximate to the cut out such that the label is spaced from the inner frame, said attachment being adjacent said second front panel portion so as to stabilize said inner liner during opening and reclosure; and

wherein the inner liner is reliably reclosable and resealable around the opening after multiple openings and is made from a paper material having an aluminum layer; and

wherein the inner frame is arranged between the inner liner and an outer front wall of the box wherein the inner frame is glued to the inside of the outer front wall, and the inner liner is glued to the inner frame along the cut out.

2. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the inner liner comprises a layer of paper having a weight ranging from about 80 grams per square meter to about 150 grams per square meter and a layer of aluminum having a thickness ranging from about 8 μ

m to about 20 μ

m.

3. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the paper material of the inner liner comprises a three component laminate of polypropylene—

aluminum—

polypropylene, the polypropylene having a paper weight ranging from about 20 grams per square meter to about 50 grams per square meter and the aluminum layer having a thickness ranging from about 8 μ

m to about 20 μ

m.

4. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the label includes a tab that is not attached to the inner liner.

5. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the paper material has a sufficient bending stiffness to support resealing and is free of a separate back-up panel.

6. The reclosable container of claim 5, wherein the inner liner is made from a material with a bending stiffness ranging from about 5 N/m to about 7 N/m.

7. The reclosable container of claim 2, wherein a paper layer of the label has a lower weight that the layer of paper of the inner liner.

8. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the label superposes only the top panel and the front panel, the inner liner having a rectangular perimeter when in an unfolded condition, the label disposed within the perimeter when the inner liner is in the unfolded condition.

9. A reclosable container for consumer items, the reclosable container comprising:

a box; and

a lid, the lid being hingedly connected to the box;

the reclosable container containing;

an inner liner for wrapping consumer items therein, the inner liner including a removable inner liner section defining an opening for allowing internal access and bounded by at least one line of weakness, said inner liner further including a top panel, a front panel, and a back panel arranged opposite of the front panel, wherein the removable inner liner section comprises a first portion of the top panel and a first portion of the front panel;

an inner frame attached to the box, wherein the inner frame includes a free inner frame portion protruding from the box towards the opening in the inner liner; and

a label operable to open and reclose the opening, the label including a permanent attachment portion permanently attached to the removable inner liner section with a high tack adhesive and a tacky portion which is releasably attached with a low tack adhesive to a second portion of the top panel surrounding the first top panel portion of the removable inner liner section and releasably attached to a second portion of the front panel surrounding the first front panel portion of the removable inner liner section, the tacky portion being operable to reseal the inner liner, the permanent attachment portion operable to be removed together with the removable inner liner section along the at least one line of weakness when opening the opening, and wherein the label extends over substantially an entire width of the top panel of the inner liner.

10. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the free inner frame portion comprises an inner frame edge portion defining a cut out and wherein the inner liner is attached along the inner frame edge portion proximate to the cut out such that the label is spaced from the inner frame, said attachment being adjacent said second front panel portion so as to stabilize said inner liner during opening and reclosure.

11. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the inner liner is made from a paper material having an aluminum layer.

12. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the inner frame is arranged between the inner liner and an outer front wall of the box wherein the inner frame is glued to the inside of the outer front wall, and the inner liner is glued to the inner frame along the cut out.

13. The reclosable container of claim 11, wherein the paper material has a sufficient bending stiffness to support resealing and is free of a separate back-up panel.

14. The reclosable container of claim 13, wherein the inner liner is made from a material with a bending stiffness ranging from about 5 N/m to about 7 N/m.

15. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the inner liner comprises a layer of paper having a weight ranging from about 80 grams per square meter to about 150 grams per square meter and a layer of aluminum having a thickness ranging from about 8 μ

m to about 20 μ

m.

16. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the inner liner comprises a three component laminate of polypropylene—

aluminum—

polypropylene, the polypropylene having a paper weight ranging from about 20 grams per square meter to about 50 grams per square meter and the aluminum layer having a thickness ranging from about 8 μ

m to about 20 μ

m.

17. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the label includes a tab that is not attached to the inner liner.

18. The reclosable container of claim 15, wherein a paper layer of the label has a lower weight that the layer of paper of the inner liner.

19. The reclosable container of claim 9, wherein the label superposes only the top panel and the front panel, the inner liner having a rectangular perimeter when in an unfolded condition, the label disposed within the perimeter when the inner liner is in the unfolded condition.