Reseal label for box in a box re-sealable pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086987-B2
Application number	US-201715668822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A container of consumer goods includes a rigid outer box and a rigid inner box wherein a pull tab is configured to reseal a pre-cut opening in the inner box. The pull tab includes a cover layer larger than the pre-cut opening. The cover layer can be a piece of bundle wrap with a paper layer of the bundle wrap contacting the consumer goods inside the box. The outer box has a hinged lid permanently attached to a connecting tab of the pull tab whereby opening the hinged lid simultaneously opens the pre-cut opening in the inner box by lifting the pull tab. The connecting tab includes adhesive which is partially deadened to decrease adhesion of the connecting tab to the inner box. The pull tab can also include one or more machine readable markings to enhance automated application of the pull tab to an inner box blank during manufacturing of the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pull tab for sealing an opening in a rigid inner box for consumer goods, wherein the inner box fits within a rigid outer box having a hinged lid configured to provide access to an inner volume of the outer box and the rigid inner box has a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, a single opening extending across the top wall and part way down the front wall, the opening configured to provide access to consumer goods in an inner volume of the inner box, the pull tab comprising:
a rectangular sheet of polymer material including a zone of re-stick adhesive on an underside thereof, the re-stick adhesive configured to provide a seal around the opening when the hinged lid is closed and allowing the pull tab to be peeled away from the inner box when the hinged lid is opened;
a paper liner adhered to a central portion of the pull tab, the paper liner having an outer periphery inwardly of an outer periphery of the pull tab, the outer periphery of the paper liner extending beyond the opening and overlying portions of the inner box surrounding the opening when the hinged lid is closed; and
a line of weakening forming a connecting tab at a lower end of the rectangular sheet of polymer material, the re-stick adhesive covering the connecting tab and deadened in at least one region of the connecting tab to promote peeling of the pull tab from the inner box
wherein the pull tab includes re-stick adhesive in a single zone and permanent adhesive in first and second zones, the first zone located at an upper portion of an inner surface of the pull tab and the second zone located at a lower portion of an outer surface of the pull tab, the single zone of re-stick adhesive includes an upper border parallel to the upper edge of the pull tab, side borders parallel to the side edges of the pull tab, and a lower border parallel to the lower edge of the pull tab, and the deadened region of re-stick adhesive increases in size in a direction towards the lower edge of the pull tab.

2. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the paper liner comprises a substantially square piece of bundle wrap adhered to the pull tab by the re-stick adhesive such that a paper side of the bundle wrap is exposed.

3. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab comprises a film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

4. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the paper liner comprises a piece of paper laminated to metal foil.

5. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab is a rectangular shaped sheet with a width of about 50 mm and a length of about 65 mm.

6. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the paper liner is a rectangular shaped sheet with a width of about 34 mm and a length of about 36 mm.

7. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab includes one or more machine readable markings on an inner surface and/or outer surface.

8. The pull tab of claim 7 , wherein the one or more machine readable markings includes an eyemark across an upper portion of the pull tab.

9. The pull tab of claim 8 , wherein the one or more machine readable markings further includes an eyemark at each bottom corner of the pull tab.

10. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the connecting tab is defined by a rectilinear line of 2.5 mm long perforations located about 8 mm from a lower edge of the pull tab.

11. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the re-seal adhesive is deadened in a pattern which is trapezoidal across a center of the connecting tab.

12. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab is rectangular in shape with parallel upper and lower edges and parallel side edges, the side edges having a length greater than a width of the upper and lower edges, the first zone of permanent adhesive having a rectangular shape extending about 30% of the length of the pull tab, the single zone of re-stick adhesive having a substantially rectangular shape extending about 70% of the length of the pull tab.

13. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the first zone of permanent adhesive is separated from the single zone of re-stick adhesive by a uniform gap about 1 to about 2 mm wide.

14. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the re-seal adhesive is deadened in a sawtooth pattern of triangular regions extending from a lower edge of the connecting tab.

15. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein an adhesive-free border extends completely around the inner surface of the pull tab, the adhesive-free border extending no more than about 2 mm from the outer periphery of the pull tab.

16. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the re-seal adhesive is deadened in a sawtooth pattern with triangular regions of deadened re-seal adhesive extending about 7.5 mm form a bottom edge of the connecting tab.

17. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein an adhesive-free border extends completely around the inner surface of the pull tab, the adhesive-free border extending no more than about 2 mm from the outer periphery of the pull tab.

18. A pull tab for sealing an opening in a rigid inner box for consumer goods, wherein the inner box fits within a rigid outer box having a hinged lid configured to provide access to an inner volume of the outer box and the rigid inner box has a front wall, a back wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls, a single opening extending across the top wall and part way down the front wall, the opening configured to provide access to consumer goods in an inner volume of the inner box, the pull tab comprising:
a rectangular sheet of polymer material including a zone of re-stick adhesive on an underside thereof, the re-stick adhesive configured to provide a seal around the opening when the hinged lid is closed and allowing the pull tab to be peeled away from the inner box when the hinged lid is opened;
a paper liner adhered to a central portion of the pull tab, the paper liner having an outer periphery inwardly of an outer periphery of the pull tab, the outer periphery of the paper liner extending beyond the opening and overlying portions of the inner box surrounding the opening when the hinged lid is closed; and
a line of weakening forming a connecting tab at a lower end of the rectangular sheet of polymer material, the re-stick adhesive covering the connecting tab and deadened in at least one region of the connecting tab to promote peeling of the pull tab from the inner box
wherein (a) the re-seal adhesive is deadened in two spaced apart triangular regions at the lower corners of the connecting tab, each of the triangular regions having a length at one end about equal to the length of the connecting tab and decreasing in area in a direction towards a center of the connecting tab, (b) the re-seal adhesive is deadened in two spaced apart arcuate regions located at the lower corners of the connecting tab, each of the arcuate regions having a length greater than a length of the connecting tab and decreasing in area in a direction towards a center of the connecting tab, (c) the re-seal adhesive is deadened in two triangular regions located at lower corners of the connecting tab, each of the triangular regions having a length about equal to a length of the connecting tab and decreasing in area from an outer edge of the connecting tab to the center of the connecting tab, (d) the re-seal adhesive is deadened in two arcuate regions located at lower corners of the connecting tab, each of the arcuate regions having a length about equal to the length of the connecting tab and decreasing in area from the outer edge of the connecting tab to the center of the connecting tab, (e) the re-seal adhesive is deadened in a sawtooth pattern of triangul

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Bellamah Stephen
• Bigelow James S

Classifications

• B65D85/00

  Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials (bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport B65D71/00) · CPC title

• B65D85/1027

  Opening devices · CPC title

• B65D77/003

  Articles enclosed in rigid or semi-rigid containers, the whole being wrapped · CPC title

• B65D77/042

  the inner container being of polygonal cross-section formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks, e.g. carton · CPC title

• B65D75/68 Primary

  extending through wrapper closure or between wrapper layers · CPC title