Resealable container including insert

Abstract

A container comprises a housing 12 that comprises a box 14 and a lid 20 that is hingedly attached to the box. The lid 20 comprises a front wall 24 that has an inner surface 22, an outer surface 26 and a bottom edge. The box comprises a front wall 16 that has an upper edge 21 and an access region 62. At least some portion of the upper edge 21 of the box is formed by at least some portion of the access region 62. The container also comprises an inner package 30 disposed at least partially within the housing and at least partially defining an interior volume for housing consumer goods. The inner package 30 comprises a first layer 40 and a second layer 50. The first layer 40 comprises a flap 44 which is attached to the inner surface of the lid and is configured to be releasably attached to a sealing region 72 of the second layer 50 to open and close the inner package by opening and closing the lid of the container. The container also comprises an insert 60 positioned between the inner surface 17 of the front wall 16 of the box and the outer surface 32 of the front wall 31 of the inner package. The insert 60 has an upper edge 35 which is accessible via the access region 62.

Claims

1. A container (10) for consumer goods, comprising: a housing (12) comprising a box (14) and a lid (20) hingedly attached to the box, the lid comprising a front wall (24), wherein the front wall of the lid has an inner surface (22), an outer surface (26) and a bottom edge (25), the box comprising a front wall (16), wherein the front wall of the box has an upper edge (21); an inner package (30) disposed within the housing and at least partially defining an interior volume for housing consumer goods, the inner package having an outer surface, the inner package comprising a first layer (40) and a second layer (50), the first layer comprising a flap (44), the flap attached to the inner surface of the lid and the flap configured to be resealably attached to a sealing region (72) of the second layer to open and close the inner package by opening and closing the lid, and wherein the inner package has a front wall; and an insert (60) positioned between the inner surface of the front wall of the box and the outer surface of the front wall of the inner package, the insert having an upper edge (35), the container characterized by the front wall of the box having an access region (62), wherein at least some portion of the upper edge of the box is formed by at least some portion of the access region, the upper edge of the insert being accessible via the access region, and the entire insert being positioned below the bottom edge of the lid when the container is closed.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the access region has a semicircular shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, a semi-oval shape, a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, an irregular shape, or some combination thereof.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the access region comprises a portion of the front wall having a line of weakness (64) and a tear away portion (63).

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the tear away portion is removed from the container along with the insert.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the tear away portion is affixed to the insert.

6. The container of claim 4, wherein the tear away portion is not affixed to the insert.

7. The container of claim 3, wherein the tear away portion is affixed to the flap of the first layer of the inner package, the lid of the container, or both.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the tear away portion is removed when the container is opened the first time.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the box comprises a semicircle portion that forms the access region.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the access region extends not more than 10 millimeters down from the upper edge of the box.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the access region extends not more than 20 millimeters along the upper edge of the box.

12. The container of claim 1 further comprising the consumer goods, wherein the consumer goods are housed in the interior volume defined by the inner package.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the consumer goods are smoking articles.

14. A carton comprising a lid and at least one sidewall, the carton containing at least one container of 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 open position, where the container comprises an access region comprising a line of weakness and an insert.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the side of the container of FIG. 1 in an open position.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the front of the container of FIG. 1 in a closed position.

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an open position, where the container comprises an access region and an insert.

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an open position, where the container comprises an access region comprising a line of weakness and an insert.

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an insert with a tear away portion attached thereto.

(8) Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a container 10 for consumer goods is depicted. The container includes a housing 12 that includes a box 14 and a lid 20 hingedly attached to the box via a hinge line (not shown). The box has a front wall 16 and a rear wall 18. The front wall of the box has an upper edge 21. The box also has an inner surface 17 and an outer surface 19. The hinge line extends across the back wall 18 of the box 14 of the container 10, and acts to allow the lid 20 to be moved from a closed position (FIG. 3) to an open position as shown in FIG. 1. The lid 20 has a front wall 24 that has an inner surface 22 and an outer surface 26 (FIG. 2).

(9) An inner package 30 is disposed within the housing 12. The inner package 30 at least partially defines an interior volume for housing consumer goods. The inner package 30 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 includes a front wall 32 and a back wall 34 (seen in FIG. 2). The inner package 30 includes an outer surface 33. The inner package also includes a first layer 40 and a second layer 50 attached to an inner surface of the first layer.

(10) The inner package 30 includes an access opening 54 through which the consumer goods (not shown) can be removed. The access opening 54 is covered by the flap 44 when the flap is in the closed position (FIG. 3). Further, the access opening 54 is at least partially uncovered when the flap 44 is in the open position. The flap can include or be coupled with a label. The label includes a sealing area and a non-sealing area. The flap and the label are not distinguishable in the figures and element 44 can be considered as referring to both of them. The flap 44 can be attached to the first layer 40 along a hinge line 49 (FIG. 2). The flap 44 is also attached to an inner surface 22 (FIG. 2) of the front wall 24 of the lid 20 such that upon opening the lid the flap and a portion 55 of the second layer 50 attached to the flap are separated from the inner package 30 along first and second lines of weakness (not shown herein) to reveal the access opening 54. The flap 44 is adapted to overlap the access opening 54 into a sealing region 72 such that the flap attaches to the second layer 50 within the sealing region 72 when the flap is in the closed position.

(11) Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic cross-section view of the container 10 of FIG. 1 is depicted with the lid 20 and the flap 44 in the open position. The inner package 30 is shown disposed within the box 14 of housing 12. The flap 44 is attached to the lid 20. In the open position, the flap 44 forms an S-shape. The geometry of the container 10 is such that the flap 44 is automatically resealed to the inner package 30 when the flap (and the lid 20) is returned to the closed position.

(12) Referring to FIG. 3, a schematic perspective view of the container 10 of FIG. 1 is depicted. The lid 20 of the container 10 and the flap 44 of the inner package 30 are in the closed position. The flap 44 is attached to the second layer 50 (FIG. 4) when the flap is in the closed position.

(13) All of the figures also show an insert 60. The insert 60 is positioned between the inner surface 17 of the front wall 18 of the box and the outer surface 32 of the front wall 31 of the inner package 30. The insert has an upper edge 35 that is accessible via an access region 62. The insert 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 entire insert 60 is positioned below the bottom edge 25 of the lid when the container 10 is closed.

(14) Disclosed containers also include an access region 62. The access region 62 can be a portion of the front wall 16 of the box 14 that is cut or notched out or it can include a line of weakness and a tear away portion. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the access region 62 includes a line of weakness 64 and a tear away portion 63. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the access region 62 is cut out of the front wall 16 of the box 14. Such an access region affords egress and ingress of the insert 60 without additional action or modification of the container.

(15) FIG. 3 shows the container 10 of FIG. 1 in a closed state. The access region in this container included a line of weakness 64 and a tear away portion 63. The line of weakness 64 has already been broken or perforated and the tear away portion 63 removed to afford access to the insert 60. The tear away portion 63 in this embodiment was not affixed to any portion of the container so that once the line of weakness was broken, the tear away portion 63 was entirely free of the container 10.

(16) In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the tear away portion of the access region 62 was affixed to the label 44. When the container 10 was opened, the tear away portion 63 of the access region 62 was removed and remains affixed to the label 44. The insert 60 is now accessible.

(17) FIG. 6 shows an insert 60 that could have been removed from the embodiment of FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the tear away portion 63 was affixed to the insert 60. Once the line of weakness 64 of the access region 62 was broken, the tear away portion 63, affixed to the insert, was pulled out of the container 10 along with the insert 60.