Package with compartments and method of forming it

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943106-B2
Application number	US-201414905156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A package in the form of a pouch comprises a first flexible sheet part 6 and a second flexible sheet part 7 . The pouch comprises a first permanent seal 14 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 along a first edge 12 of the pouch. The pouch comprises a second permanent seal 15 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 along a second edge 13 of the pouch opposite to the first edge 12 . The pouch comprises a first temporary seal 16 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 , the first temporary seal 16 extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal 14 and the second permanent seal 15 . The pouch comprises a second temporary seal 17 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 , the second temporary seal 17 extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal 14 and the second permanent seal 15 . The pouch comprises a first compartment 20 bounded by the first sheet part 6, the second sheet part 7 , the first permanent seal 14 , the second permanent seal 15 and the first temporary seal 16 and a second compartment 21 bounded by the first sheet part 6, the second sheet part 7 , the first permanent seal 14 , the second permanent seal 15 , the first temporary seal 16 and the second temporary seal 17.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package in the form of a tobacco pouch comprising:
a first flexible sheet part;
a second flexible sheet part;
a first permanent seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part along a first edge of the pouch;
a second permanent seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part along a second edge of the pouch opposite to the first edge;
a first temporary seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part, the first temporary seal extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal and the second permanent seal;
a second temporary seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part, the second temporary seal extending across the pouch from the first permanent seal to the second permanent seal;
a first compartment bounded by the first sheet part, the second sheet part, the first permanent seal, the second permanent seal and the first temporary seal; and
a second compartment bounded by the first sheet part, the second sheet part, the first permanent seal, the second permanent seal, the first temporary seal and the second temporary seal,
wherein the first sheet part is longer than the second sheet part and wherein a portion of the first sheet part which is not overlapped by the second sheet part comprises a flap for the pouch, and
wherein the first and/or the second temporary seal is formed in sealing areas of the first and second flexible sheet part respectively, wherein sealing areas are limited on each of their sides by folding lines and are folded from a wide surface area of the first and second flexible sheet part, wherein each folding line is folded at an angle of 70° to 120° relative to a wide surface area of the first or the second sheet part, respectively.

2. The package according to claim 1 wherein the first sheet part and the second sheet part are parts of a continuous flexible sheet, with the second sheet part folded against the first sheet part or wherein the first sheet part and the second sheet part are separate pieces of flexible sheet and the package further comprises a third permanent seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part along a third edge of the pouch.

3. The package according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first temporary seal and the second temporary seal comprise a peelable adhesive seal, a resealable seal, a resealable adhesive seal, or a resealable fixing.

4. The package according to claim 1 , wherein the first temporary seal comprises or consists of a peelable seal and the second temporary seal comprises or consists of a resealable seal.

5. The package according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first temporary seal and the second temporary seal further comprises a resealable fixing.

6. The package according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible sheet parts comprise adhesive properties which vary according to temperature applied to the sheet parts, wherein the sheet parts have a first adhesion value at a first applied temperature and a second adhesion value at a second applied temperature, wherein the second adhesion value is lower than the first adhesion value and the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

7. The package according to claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises a temporary seal for sealing the flap against the pouch.

8. The package according to claim 1 , wherein the second temporary seal is offset from a free edge of the second sheet part to form a throat of the pouch, wherein the first sheet part is overlapped by the second sheet part at the throat.

9. The package according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compartments comprises a further seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part which divides the compartment into two sub-compartments.

10. A package in the form of a tobacco pouch comprising:
a first flexible sheet part;
a second flexible sheet part;
a first permanent seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part along a first edge of the pouch;
a second permanent seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part along a second edge of the pouch opposite to the first edge;
a first temporary seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part, the first temporary seal extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal and the second permanent seal;
a second temporary seal between the first sheet part and the second sheet part, the second temporary seal extending across the pouch from the first permanent seal to the second permanent seal;
a first compartment bounded by the first sheet part, the second sheet part, the first permanent seal, the second permanent seal and the first temporary seal, the first compartment accessible through an opening created by the first temporary seal and the second temporary seal; and
a second compartment bounded by the first sheet part, the second sheet part, the first permanent seal, the second permanent seal, the first temporary seal and the second temporary seal,
wherein the first sheet part is longer than the second sheet part and wherein a portion of the first sheet part which is not overlapped by the second sheet part comprises a flap for the pouch, and
wherein the first and/or the second temporary seal is formed in sealing areas of the first and second flexible sheet part respectively, wherein sealing areas are limited on each of their sides by folding lines and are folded from a wide surface area of the first and second flexible sheet part, wherein each folding line is folded at an angle of 70° to 120° relative to a wide surface area of the first or the second sheet part, respectively.

11. The package of claim 1 or claim 10 , further comprising sealing areas 81 of the first and second flexible sheet part respectively, wherein sealing areas 81 are limited on each of their sides by folding lines and are folded from a wide surface area of the first and second flexible sheet part, wherein each folding line is folded at an angle of 70° to 120° relative to a wide surface area of the first or the second sheet part, respectively.

Assignees

• Parkside Flexibles Europe Ltd
• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Mccormick Steve
• Shaw Mark
• Little Colin

Classifications

• B65D31/12

  with two or more compartments · CPC title

• B65D33/2508

  using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor · CPC title

• B65D33/16 Primary

  End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices (valves of valve bags {B65D31/14}; closures of filled bags B65D77/10) · CPC title

• A24F23/02 Primary

  Tobacco pouches · CPC title

• B29L2031/7128

  Bags, sacks, sachets (tea bags B29L2031/7122; medical bags B29L2031/7148) · CPC title