Resealable tobacco pouch

Abstract

A packaged tobacco product includes a pouch and tobacco material disposed in the pouch. The pouch has a front wall and a back wall connected to one another along opposing first and second side edges. The pouch is configured to be opened along a top portion of the pouch to form an opening to provide access to the tobacco material in the pouch. The pouch includes a closure assembly having first and second releasably attachable parts. The first part is on the front wall of the pouch. The second part is on either the front wall or the back wall of the pouch. The second part is closer to the opening than the first part. When the first and second parts are attached, a portion of the back wall wraps around at least a portion of the second part of the closure assembly to seal the pouch.

Claims

1. A packaged tobacco product, comprising: a pouch (i) defining an interior, (ii) having a front wall and a back wall connected to one another along opposing first and second side edges, the front wall having an exterior surface, and (iii) configured to be opened along a top portion of the pouch to form an opening between the front wall, the back wall and the first and second side edges to provide access to the interior of the pouch; tobacco material contained in the interior of the pouch; and a closure assembly comprising first and second parts, wherein the first part is on the exterior surface of the front wall of the pouch and extends substantially from the first side edge of the pouch to the second side edge of the pouch, and wherein the first part is configured to releasably attach to the second part, wherein, as the second part of the closure assembly is moved to attach to the first part of the closure assembly, a portion of the back wall of the pouch wraps around at least a portion of the second part of the closure assembly to seal the interior of the pouch between the front wall and the back wall, wherein a mid-portion of the first part of the closure assembly is configured to deflect upon application of force that causes the first side edge of the pouch to move toward the second side edge of the pouch, and wherein, when the pouch is open, the deflection of the mid-portion of the first part of the closure assembly causes a mid-portion of the front wall of the pouch adjacent the opening to move away from a mid-portion of the back wall of the pouch adjacent the opening.

2. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a living hinge at the mid-portion.

3. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the second part of the closure assembly is on the exterior surface of the front wall of the pouch and extends substantially from the first side edge of the pouch to the second side edge of the pouch, and wherein the second part of the closure assembly is closer to the opening than the first part of the closure assembly.

4. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the second part is on the exterior surface of the back wall of the pouch and extends substantially from the first side of the pouch to the second side of the pouch, and wherein the second part of the closure assembly is closer to the opening than the first part of the closure assembly.

5. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 4, wherein a mid-portion of the second part of the closure assembly is configured to deflect upon application of force that causes the first side edge of the pouch to move toward the second side edge of the pouch, and wherein, when the pouch is open, the deflection of the mid-portion of the second part of the closure assembly causes a mid-portion of the back wall of the pouch adjacent the opening to move away from a mid-portion of the front wall of the pouch adjacent the opening.

6. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 5, wherein the second part of the closure assembly comprises a living hinge at the mid-portion.

7. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein a fluid permeable seal is formed between the front wall and the back wall when the portion of the back wall of the pouch wraps around at least the portion of the closure assembly.

8. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein a hermetic or near hermetic seal is formed between the front wall and the back wall when the portion of the back wall of the pouch wraps around at least the portion of the closure assembly.

9. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the front wall of the pouch and the back wall of the pouch are sealed together at the first and second side edges along the entire length of the first and second sides.

10. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein prior to opening by a consumer, the front wall and the back wall extend beyond the closure assembly to a top edge of the pouch.

11. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 10, wherein front wall and the back wall are sealed together at the top edge.

12. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 10, wherein the front wall comprises a line of weakness between the top edge of the pouch and the closure assembly and wherein the back wall comprises a line of weakness aligned with front wall line of weakness, wherein tearing the pouch along the lines of weakness creates the opening of the pouch.

13. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 12, wherein the front wall and the back wall together form a tearing notch aligned with the lines of weakness of the front and back walls.

14. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a plurality of snap features and the second part of the closure assembly comprises a plurality of complementary snap features configured to mate with the snap features of the first part of the closure assembly when the first part is attached to the second part of the closure assembly.

15. A packaged tobacco product according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a microsuction structure and the second part of the closure assembly comprises a microsuction structure receptor surface, or wherein the second part of the closure assembly comprises a microsuction structure and the first part of the closure assembly comprises a microsuction structure receptor surface; wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive and the second part of the closure assembly comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive receptor surface, or wherein the part of the closure assembly comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive and the first part of the closure assembly comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive receptor surface; wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a magnetic material and the second part of the closure assembly comprises an opposing magnetic material; or wherein the first part of the closure assembly comprises a hook or loop part of a hook and loop fastener and the second part of the closure assembly comprises the opposing loop or hook part of the hook and loop fastener.

Description

(1) The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the present invention are illustrated.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an example of a sealed tobacco pouch prior to opening by a consumer.

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an example of the tobacco pouch in FIG. 1 showing the pouch opened.

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an example of the tobacco pouch in FIG. 2 showing the back wall folded over the second part of the closure element.

(5) FIG. 4A is a schematic front view of an example of a sealed tobacco pouch prior to opening by a consumer.

(6) FIG. 4B is a schematic back view of an example of the sealed tobacco pouch depicted in FIG. 4A.

(7) Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a stand-up pouch 100 includes a front wall 110 and a back wall 160 sealed along first 120 and second 130 side edges. The pouch 100 includes a reinforced bottom 150. The bottom 150 may be reinforced by, for example, a gusset. The bottom 150 is sealed to the front wall 110 and back wall 160 or is formed from a continuous sheet of material with the front wall 110 and the back wall 160.

(8) Prior to opening by a consumer, the pouch 100 has a sealed top edge 140 formed by sealing the front wall 110 and the back wall 160 (see, for example, FIG. 1). The arrows in FIG. 1 indicate a cut line or a tear line wherein the consumer may cut or tear open the pouch 100 to reveal an opening 170 to the interior of the pouch 100 as shown in FIG. 2.

(9) The pouch 100 includes a closure assembly having a first part 210 and a second part 220. The second part 220 is closer to the opening 170 (or the edge defining the opening 170) than the first part 210. The bottom of the second part 220 is closer to the opening 170 than the top of the first part 210. In the depicted embodiment, the first 210 and second 220 parts are separated by a living hinge. The first 210 and second 220 parts each have a mid-portion 214, 224 configured to deflect away from the interior of the pouch 100 when the closure assembly is pinched between the first 120 and second 130 edges of the pouch 100. The first 210 and second 220 parts may have a living hinge at the mid-portion 214, 224.

(10) The first 210 and second 220 parts are attached to the front wall 110 such that a mid-portion of the front wall 110 in proximity to the opening 170 deflects away from the interior of the pouch 100 when the closure assembly 200 is pinched, due to deflection of the mid-portions 214, 224 of the first 210 and second 220 parts of the closure assembly 200. Thus, a wide opening 170 is created allowing a consumer easy access to tobacco material stored in the pouch 100.

(11) The first 210 and second 220 parts of the closure assembly 200 have complementary mating surfaces that face away from the interior of the pouch 100. In the depicted embodiment, the first part 210 includes female features 212 and the second part 220 includes male features 222 configured to engage the female features 212 of the first part 210. The second part 210 may be rotated about 180 degrees along its longitudinal axis so that the male features 222 may be inserted into the corresponding female 212 features of the first part 210. When the mating surfaces of the first 210 and second 220 part are engaged, a portion of the back wall 160 of the pouch 100 wraps around the second part 220 of the closure assembly 200 to seal the opening 170 (see, for example, FIG. 3).

(12) Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4B, an alternative example of a pouch 100 is shown. The pouch includes a front wall 110 sealed to a back wall 160 along first 120 and second 130 side edges. The pouch 100 also includes a sealed top edge 140 and bottom 150. The front 110 and back 160 include a line of weakness 190 defining a tear line to allow a consumer to tear off a top portion of the pouch 100 to open the pouch. The line of weakness 190 is above the second part 220 of the closure assembly. Alternatively, a marking on the pouch to provide a consumer with a visual cue regarding where the pouch 100 should be cut to open the pouch may be provided rather than the line of weakness 190.

(13) The closure assembly includes first 210 and second 220 parts. After the consumer opens the pouch 100 along line 190, the second part 220 is closer to the opening than the first part 210. The first part 210 is affixed to the front wall 110 and the second part 220 is affixed to the back wall 160. The first 210 and second 220 parts include complementary mating surfaces that each face away from the interior of the pouch 100 when the pouch is open. In the depicted embodiment, the second part 220 includes male features 222 configured to be received by corresponding female features 212 of the first part 210. Rotation of the second part 220 of about 360 degrees along its longitudinal axis allows for insertion of the male features 222 of the second part 220 into the female 212 features of the first part 210. Such rotation causes a portion of the back wall 160 to wrap around the second part 220 and seal the opening. The resulting pouch with sealed opening may appear generally a depicted in FIG. 3.

(14) The additional rotation of the second part 220 due to the second part being on the back wall 160 relative to the second part being on the front wall may result in an enhanced seal about the opening due to an extra fold.

(15) The specific embodiments described above are intended to illustrate the invention. However, other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting.