Abstract
A container comprises a housing that comprises a box and a lid that is hingedly attached to the box. The lid comprises a bottom edge. The box comprises a front wall and a rear wall. The container also comprises an inner package disposed at least partially within the housing and at least partially defining an interior volume for housing consumer goods. The inner package is configured to open and close when the lid of the housing is opened and closed. The inner package comprises an access opening and a sealing flap. The sealing flap comprises a tab that has a bottom edge. The bottom edge of the tab is positioned below the bottom edge of the lid when the lid is in a closed position.
Claims
1. A container for consumer goods, comprising: a housing comprising a box and a lid hingedly attached to the box, wherein the box comprises a front wall, a rear wall and the lid comprises a bottom edge; an inner package disposed within the housing and at least partially defining an interior volume for housing consumer goods, the inner package comprising an access opening and a sealing flap, the inner package configured to open and close when the lid of the housing is opened and closed, the sealing flap comprising a tab, the tab comprising a bottom edge, wherein the bottom edge of the tab is positioned below the bottom edge of the lid and below the upper edge of the front wall when the lid is closed, and an information carrier coupled to the bottom edge of the tab.
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner package comprises a first layer and a second layer attached to an inner surface of the first layer.
3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the first layer comprises a line of weakness that defines the sealing flap and the tab.
4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing flap further comprises a releasable adhesive and wherein the tab is adhesive free.
5. The container according to claim 4, wherein the releasable adhesive between the opening and the tab has a height of between about 2 mm and about 10 mm.
6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing flap comprises a resealable label configured to open and close the inner package when the lid of the housing is opened and closed.
7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the resealable label has an outer surface and an inner surface and the inner surface comprises a releasable adhesive and the tab is positioned below the releasable adhesive.
8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the releasable adhesive between the opening and the tab has a height of between about 2 mm and about 10 mm.
9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the tab has a height of between about 2 mm and about 25 mm.
10. The container according to claim 1, wherein opening the container automatically moves the information carrier away from the housing of the container.
11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the tab is positioned at least partially outside the box after initially opening the container.
12. The container according to claim 1, wherein the tab provides leverage for opening the lid of the container after initially opening the container.
13. The container according to claim 1 further comprising the consumer goods, wherein the consumer goods are housed in the interior volume defined by the inner package.
14. The container according to claim 1, wherein the consumer goods are smoking articles.
15. A carton comprising more than one container according to claim 1.
Description
(1) Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the present invention are illustrated.
(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an closed position, where the container comprises a tab under the box of the container.
(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, once opened.
(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2, once closed showing the tab on the outside of the box of the housing.
(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a container that includes a resealable label as a portion of a sealing flap that includes a tab in an open position.
(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an open position that includes an information carrier associated with a tab.
(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an open position that includes an information carrier associated with a tab and a label.
(8) FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 depict an illustrative container before opening (FIG. 1), opened (FIG. 2), and after being closed (FIG. 3). The container 10 includes a housing that includes a box 15 and a lid 20. The box 15 has a front wall 16 and a real wall 18. The front wall 16 of the box has an upper edge 19. The lid 20 is hingedly attached to the box 15 along a hinge line extending across a rear wall of the container (not shown in FIG. 1, 2 or 3). The lid is hingedly attached and can be in a closed position and an opened position. The lid has a front wall 22 and an opposing rear wall. The front wall 22 of the lid 20 has a bottom edge 25. When the container is in the closed position, the bottom edge 25 of the lid and the upper edge 19 of the box are adjacent each other.
(9) The container also includes an inner package, seen in FIG. 2. The inner package 30 is disposed within the housing and at least partially defines an interior volume for consumer goods 35. The inner package is made from a barrier material or materials to hermetically seal the consumer goods before the container is opened for the first time. The barrier material may be a metal foil or a plastic and metal laminate. The inner package 30 can include a front wall and a back wall, as well as an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner package 30 may be made of a first layer and a second layer attached to an inner surface of the first layer.
(10) The inner package 30 includes an access opening 40 through which the consumer goods can be removed. The access opening 40 is covered by a sealing flap 45 when the flap is in the closed position (FIGS. 1 and 3). Further, the access opening 40 is at least partially uncovered with the flap 45 in the open position (FIG. 2). The inner package 30, through the access opening 40 and the flap 45, is configured to open and close when the lid 20 of the housing is opened and closed (opening action depicted by the arrow in FIG. 2). The flap 45 can be made up of the outer film of a two film inner package, a resealable label, releasable adhesive, or any combination thereof.
(11) The sealing flap 45 includes a tab 47, specifically denoted in FIG. 1, but visible in all figures. The tab 47 has a bottom edge 49 that is positioned below the bottom edge 25 of the lid 20 when the lid 20 is closed, as seen in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 1, the bottom edge 49 of the tab 47 can be inside the housing of the container before the container is initially opened (indicated by dashed line) and as seen in FIG. 3, resides outside the container 10 after the container is initially opened even after being closed. The tab 47 can have a height 55, as measured from below the resealable adhesive to the bottom edge 49 of the tab that is between about 2 mm and about 25 mm, or more preferably between about 8 mm and about 20 mm
(12) Referring to FIG. 1, where the inner package includes a first layer and a second layer attached to the inner surface of the first layer, the first layer can include a line of weakness that defines the sealing flap and the tab. The sealing flap 45 can further include a releasable adhesive area 51. The tab 47 does not contact the adhesive area 51 even when the box is closed, as it is positioned below the releasable adhesive area 51. The releasable adhesive area 51 is positioned around the periphery of the access opening 40. The releasable adhesive area 51 can include adhesive on the upper portion 51a of the flap, on the lower portion 51b of the flap, or on both.
(13) The releasable adhesive area 51 has vertical regions and horizontal regions (where the vertical regions are substantially in a plane along the top to the bottom of the container and the horizontal regions are in a plane parallel to the bottom of the container or box). The vertical regions can have a width, as seen in FIG. 2 as 53 that is at least about 2 mm. The region of the releasable adhesive area 51 that forms the transition 52 from a horizontal region to a vertical region (or vice versa) can have a thickness of at least about 1 mm. The horizontal region, for example the horizontal region of the resealable adhesive that is between the access opening and the tab can have a height, along an axis from the top to the bottom of the box or container that is from about 2 mm to about 10 mm.
(14) FIG. 4 depicts a container that includes a resealable label as a portion of a sealing flap. The resealable label 60 functions to open and close the inner package of the container 10 when the lid 20 is open and closed. The inner package also includes a tab 47 that extends beyond the resealable label 60 even when the resealable label has sealed the inner package once the container has been closed. The tab 47, once the container is initially opened exists outside the housing (similar to FIG. 3), to afford a pull tab to allow for an easier access to the container.
(15) FIG. 5 depicts a container that includes an optional information carrier. The container 10 includes a lid 20 and an inner package including a tab 47. Coupled to the tab 47 is an information carrier 70, The information carrier 70 in this specific example is coupled only to the bottom edge of the tab 47. The information carrier 70 can be made of any useful material, can have any useful dimensions, and can optionally be folded either transversally or longitudinally or both longitudinally and transversally. The information carrier 70 can be extensive with the tab, laminated to the tab, adhered to the tab, or otherwise. The information carrier is coupled to the tab 47 via a line of weakness 65 in this specific container. Upon initial opening of the container 10, the lid 20 moves about the hinge line and the information carrier, because it is coupled to the tab, automatically moves away from the housing of the container. The line of weakness 65 can then be broken to remove the information carrier 70 from the container 10. The tab 47 then remains outside the housing of the container once the container is closed, thereby sealing the inner package (similar to FIG. 3).
(16) FIG. 6 depicts another container that includes an optional information carrier. The container 10 includes a lid 20 and an inner package including a tab 47. Coupled to the tab 47 is an information carrier 70. The information carrier 70 in this specific example is coupled to the bottom edge of the tab as well as to the exposed sides 63 of the tab 47. The line of weakness 65 forms the entire periphery of the tab 47 and a portion of the sealing flap. Once the container is initially opened, the information carrier automatically moves away from the housing of the container. The line of weakness 65 can be broken, liberating the information carrier from the container. Breaking the line of weakness 65 also defines the tab 47, which can then be utilized to assist in subsequent opening of the container.
