Inner liner for container for consumer articles

Abstract

A container for consumer goods comprises a package of consumer goods, the package being formed from a sheet blank. The sheet blank comprises a base layer comprising a fibrous cellulosic material; a metal-containing layer provided on an outer side of the base layer; and a first sealable layer comprising a sealable polymeric material provided on at least a seal area of an inner side of the base layer, wherein the first sealable layer is substantially transparent.

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods comprising: an outer housing comprising a box and a lid, the lid being hinged to the box along a hinge line extending across a back wall of the outer housing; and a package of consumer goods received within the box, the package having an access opening through which the consumer goods can be removed and being formed from a sheet blank comprising: a base layer comprising a fibrous cellulosic material; a metal-containing layer provided on a first side of the base layer, wherein, in the assembled container, the first side of the base layer defines an outer surface of the package; and a first sealable layer comprising a sealable polymeric material and provided on at least a seal area of a second side of the base layer opposite the first side, wherein, in the assembled container, the second side of the base layer defines an inner surface of the package, and wherein the first sealable layer is substantially transparent, wherein the package is formed by folding the blank such that ends of the blank are brought together so as to overlie to form a wrapping about the consumer goods; wherein the seal area extends at least partly over the overlying ends of the blank and the overlying ends of the blank are sealed together.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first sealable layer extends substantially over the whole base layer.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the blank further comprises a second sealable layer comprising a sealable polymeric material and provided on at least a seal area of an outer side of the metal-containing layer.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second sealable layer extends substantially over the whole metal-containing layer.

5. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing layer is from about 2 micrometres to about 10 micrometres.

6. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein a basis weight of the base layer is at least about 25 grams per square metre.

7. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises at least 30 percent by weight of the fibrous cellulosic material.

8. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the package comprises lines of weakness formed in the base layer, the metal-containing layer and the first sealable layer of the sheet blank, the lines of weakness delimiting a cover member of the package that is at least partially separable from the remainder of the package to make the access opening available for removing consumer goods from the package.

9. A container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the package comprises a reclosable sealing cover member occluding the access opening, such that the cover member is movable from a closed position, wherein the cover member overlies at least the access opening, and an open position, wherein the cover member is lifted off the outer surface of the package; and wherein the reclosable cover member is permanently affixed to an inner surface of the lid, such that upon opening the lid the reclosable cover member is moved from the closed position towards the open position to at least partly reveal the access opening.

10. A container in accordance with claim 9, wherein the reclosable sealing cover member comprises a reclosable adhesive label extending beyond the periphery of the access opening; the reclosable adhesive label being at least partly permanently affixed to the package by a permanent adhesive provided on a back hinge area of the inner surface of the reclosable adhesive label, and at least partly releasably affixed to the package by a resealable adhesive provided on a second area of the inner surface of the reclosable adhesive label extending at least about a front edge of the access opening.

11. A container in accordance with claim 9, wherein the reclosable sealing cover member comprises a reclosable adhesive label extending beyond the periphery of the access opening and comprising at least a bottom layer and a top layer; the bottom layer being affixed to the package by means of a permanent adhesive provided on a first area of the inner surface of the bottom layer extending about the periphery of the access opening, the bottom layer comprising a cut-out portion at least partly aligned with the access opening of the package; the top layer being at least partly permanently affixed to the bottom layer by means of a permanent adhesive provided on a back hinge area of the inner surface of the top layer, and at least partly releasably affixed to the bottom layer by means of a second adhesive provided on a peeling area of the inner surface of the top layer extending distal from the hinge area, such that the top layer is movable from a closed position, wherein the top layer overlies at least the access opening, and an open position, wherein the top layer is lifted off the bottom layer to reveal the cut-out portion.

12. A container in accordance with claim 9, wherein the reclosable sealing cover member comprises: a cover member base layer comprising a fibrous cellulosic material; a cover member metal-containing layer provided on an outer side of the cover member base layer; and a first cover member sealable layer comprising a sealable polymeric material provided on an inner side of the cover member base layer.

13. A container in accordance with claim 12, wherein the reclosable sealing cover member further comprises a second cover member sealable layer comprising a sealable polymeric material between the cover member metal-containing layer and the cover member base layer.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic partial side sectional view of a package of container in accordance with the present invention.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a container 10 in accordance with the present invention. The container 10 comprises an outer housing 12 which is a rectangular parallelepiped and includes a box 14 and a lid 16. The lid 16 is hinged about a hinge line extending across a back wall of the housing 12 and is pivotable between an open position (shown in FIG. 1) and a closed position. Further, the container 10 comprises an inner package 18 containing a group of smoking articles and housed in the box 14.

(5) The package 18 is formed from a sheet blank 100. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sheet blank 100 comprises a base layer 102 comprising a fibrous cellulosic material; a metal-containing layer 104 provided on an outer side of the base layer 102; and a first sealable layer 106 comprising a sealable polymeric material provided on at least a seal area of an inner side of the base layer 102. In more detail, the base layer 102 is formed from a sheet of a paper-based material having a thickness of about 65 micrometres and a base weight of about 50 grams per square metre. The metal-containing layer 104 is formed from an aluminium foil having a thickness of about 12 micrometres and a base weight of about 32 grams per square metre. The base layer 102 is adhered to the metal-containing layer 104 by means of an adhesive 108 provided between the two layers. The first sealable layer 106 comprises a polyolefin based material, preferably polyethylene, and is substantially transparent. The package 18 is formed by folding the sheet blank 100 about a group of smoking articles so as to form a wrapping with the base layer 102 facing towards the smoking articles and the metal-containing layer facing away from the smoking articles. Overlapping ends of the wrapping are sealed together by means of the sealable polymeric material of the first sealable layer 106, for example by applying heat to the overlapping ends of the wrapping.

(6) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the sheet blank 100 further comprises a second sealable layer 110 comprising a sealable polymeric material and provided on at least a seal area of an inner outer side of the metal-containing layer 104. The second sealable layer 110 comprises a polyolefin based material, preferably polyethylene, and is substantially transparent.

(7) In addition, the sheet blank 100 comprises a gloss layer 112 extending over the inner surface of the base layer 102. The gloss layer comprises one or more pigments adapted to impart the base layer a smooth finish and gloss.

(8) The package 18 comprises an access opening 20 extending across the top wall and the front wall of the inner package. The smoking articles contained in the inner package 18 can be removed through the access opening when the lid 16 is in the open position. The inner package 18 comprises a reclosable cover member 22 occluding the access opening 20 of the package and extending beyond the periphery of the access opening of the package. The cover member 20 is movable from a closed position, wherein the cover member overlies at least the access opening, and an open position (illustrated in FIG. 1), wherein the cover member is lifted off the outer surface of the package 18.

(9) Further, the reclosable cover member 22 is permanently affixed to an inner surface of the lid 16, such that upon opening the lid 16 the reclosable cover member 22 is moved from the closed position towards the open position to at least partly reveal the access opening 20.

(10) In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the reclosable sealing cover member 22 comprises a reclosable adhesive label extending beyond the periphery of the access opening 20. The reclosable adhesive label is at least partly permanently affixed to the package by a permanent adhesive provided on a back hinge area of the inner surface of the reclosable adhesive label. Further, the reclosable adhesive label is at least partly releasably affixed to the package 18 by a resealable adhesive provided on a second area of the inner surface of the reclosable adhesive label extending at least about a front edge of the access opening 20.