Reseal label for box in a box re-sealable pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235919-B2
Application number	US-202016943151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

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 configured to close an opening in an inner box for consumer goods, wherein the inner box fits within an outer box, the outer box including a hinged lid configured to provide access to an inner volume of the outer box, the pull tab comprising:
a sheet of polymer material including a zone of re-stick adhesive on an underside thereof, the zone of re-stick adhesive configured to releasably adhere to an area of a top wall of the inner box and an area of a front wall of the inner box when the hinged lid is closed; and
a line of weakness forming a connecting tab near an end of the sheet of polymer material, the zone of re-stick adhesive on the underside of the sheet of polymer material including one or more areas of re-stick adhesive on an underside of the connecting tab, areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive between the line of weakness and the end of the sheet of polymer material having a first adhesion, areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive including the line of weakness having a second adhesion, and areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive beyond the line of weakness having a third adhesion, the third adhesion being greater than the second adhesion, and the second adhesion being greater than the first adhesion.

2. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive form a pattern.

3. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of polymer material includes rounded corners.

4. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the line of weakness includes a row of perforations.

5. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive include different-sized areas.

6. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive include four areas.

7. The pull tab of claim 1 , further comprising a zone of permanent adhesive on the underside of the sheet of polymer material at an end of the sheet of polymer material opposite the end of the connecting tab.

8. The pull tab of claim 7 , wherein the zone of permanent adhesive has a rectangular shape.

9. The pull tab of claim 7 , wherein the zone of permanent adhesive extends about 30% or less of a length of the pull tab.

10. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of polymer material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

11. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of polymer material has a width of about 50 mm and a length of about 65 mm.

12. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab includes at least two or more machine readable markings.

13. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the line of weakness includes a line of about 2.5 mm long perforations.

14. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the line of weakness is located about 8 mm from a lower edge of the pull tab.

15. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein a length of the pull tab is greater than a width of the pull tab.

16. The pull tab of claim 1 , further comprising one or more machine readable markings.

17. The pull tab of claim 16 , wherein the one or more machine readable markings includes an eyemark across an upper portion of the pull tab.

18. The pull tab of claim 17 , wherein the one or more machine readable markings further includes an eyemark at each bottom corner of the pull tab.

19. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the underside of the connecting tab further includes one or more areas of deadened re-stick adhesive.

20. The pull tab of claim 1 , wherein the underside of the connecting tab includes one or more areas of deadened re-stick adhesive between the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive and a free end of the connecting tab.

21. A pull tab configured to close an opening in a box for consumer goods, the pull tab comprising:
a sheet of polymer material including a zone of re-stick adhesive on an underside thereof, the zone of re-stick adhesive configured to releasably adhere to an area of a top wall of the box and an area of a front wall of the box; and
a line of weakness forming a connecting tab at an end of the sheet of polymer material, the zone of re-stick adhesive on the underside of the sheet of polymer material including one or more areas of re-stick adhesive on an underside of the connecting tab, areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive between the line of weakness and the end of the sheet of polymer material having a first adhesion, areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive including the line of weakness having a second adhesion, and areas of the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive beyond the line of weakness having a third adhesion, the third adhesion being greater than the second adhesion, and the second adhesion being greater than the first adhesion.

22. The pull tab of claim 21 , wherein the underside of the connecting tab further includes one or more areas of deadened re-stick adhesive adjacent the one or more areas re-stick adhesive.

23. The pull tab of claim 21 , wherein the underside of the connecting tab includes one or more areas of deadened re-stick adhesive between the one or more areas of re-stick adhesive and a free end of the connecting tab.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Bellamah Stephen
• Bigelow James S

Classifications

• B65D77/003

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

• 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

• B65D77/042

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

• B65D85/10568

  opening of the lid opens simultaneously an inner package within the container · CPC title