Pouch for tobacco with revertable pockets

Abstract

A pouch for tobacco with revertable pockets, wherein the pouch comprises a first pocket comprising a front wall, a back wall, a first opening and a flap formed by an elongated part of the back wall to close the first opening; a second pocket comprising a front wall, a back wall and a second opening; wherein the first and the second pocket are connected to each other along a reverting line such that the first pocket and the second pocket are foldable relative to each other along said reverting line in order to revertably oppose the front walls of the first and second pocket or to oppose the back walls of the first and second pocket.

Claims

1. A pouch for tobacco with revertable pockets, wherein the pouch comprises: a first pocket comprising a front wall, a back wall, a first opening and a flap formed by an elongated part of the back wall to close the first opening; a second pocket comprising a front wall, a back wall and a second opening; wherein the first pocket and the second pocket are connected to each other along a reverting line such that the first pocket and the second pocket are revertably foldable relative to each other along said reverting line between a first position, in which the front wall of the first pocket and the front wall of the second pocket are positioned adjacent and opposed to one another, and a second position, in which the back wall of the first pocket and the back wall of the second pocket are positioned adjacent and opposed to one another; wherein the pouch further comprises one or more first releasable adhesive means on at least one of the front walls of the first pocket or the second pocket to allow releasably fixing the front walls of the first pocket and the second pocket in a position opposing each other; wherein, with the first and second pockets in the first position, the flap is positioned over both the first opening and the second opening to close the first and second pockets; wherein the first pocket and the second pocket are connected such that the first opening and the second opening are aligned to each other and are both closable by the flap of the first pocket when the front walls of the first pocket and the second pocket oppose each other; and wherein the first pocket or the second pocket comprises a temporary seal to close the first opening or the second opening.

2. The pouch of claim 1, wherein the flap comprises closing means to releasably close the first opening, the second opening or both the first and second openings, when the front walls of the first pocket and the second pocket oppose each other.

3. The pouch of claim 2 further comprising openings, pockets or flaps which are either exposed or covered by reverting the first pocket and the second pocket relative to each other.

4. The pouch of claim 3 further comprising one or more second releasable adhesive means on at least one of the back walls of the first pocket or the second pocket to releasably fix the back walls of the first pocket and the second pocket in a position opposing each other.

5. The pouch of claim 4, wherein the flap has a height which does not exceed at least one of a height of the first pocket or a height of the second pocket.

6. The pouch claim 5, wherein the height of the first pocket exceeds the height of the second pocket, and the height of the second pocket exceeds the height of the flap.

7. The pouch of claim 5, wherein the height of the first pocket equals the height of the second pocket.

8. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the first releasable adhesive means comprises at least one of a hook-and-loop/velcro fastener, a press-button, a snap-fastener and a releasable adhesive.

9. The pouch of claim 8, wherein the first releasable adhesive means comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

10. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the first and second openings are closable by sealing the flap of the first pocket against an outside surface of the pouch by sealing the flap of the first pocket against an outside surface of the back wall of the second pocket.

11. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the first and second pocket are formed of a single blank.

Description

FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 discloses a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the pouch of the present invention, wherein in A the pouch is shown in an open configuration, in B the pouch is shown in a first folded configuration, and in C the pouch is shown in a second folded configuration.

(2) FIG. 2 discloses a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the pouch of the invention in a folded configuration.

EXAMPLES

(3) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the pouch of the invention. In FIG. 1A a pouch 1 for tobacco is depicted in open configuration, wherein the pouch 1 comprises revertable pockets.

(4) The pouch 1 comprises a first pocket 10. The first pocket 10 exhibits a front wall 11, a back wall 12, a first opening 13 allowing access to the interior of the first pocket 10 and a flap 14, wherein the flap 14 is formed of an elongated part of the back wall 12. The flap 14 is configured to close the first opening 13. The first pocket 10 further comprises a first releasable adhesive means 40 on the front wall 11. Optionally, first pocket 10 can also include a temporary seal 15, which may be resealable or not, arranged to seal the first opening 13.

(5) The pouch 1 further comprises a second pocket 20. The second pocket 20 comprises a front wall 21, a back wall 22, and a second opening 23 allowing access to the interior of the second pocket 20. Optionally, second pocket 20 can also include a temporary seal 25, which may be resealable or not, arranged to seal the second opening 23.

(6) In the pouch 1 of FIG. 1, the first pocket 10 and the second pocket 20 are connected to each other along a reverting line 30 such that the first pocket 10 and the second pocket 20 are foldable relative to each other along said reverting line 30. The first pocket 10 and the second pocket 20 are connected to each other such that the first opening 13 and the second opening 23 are aligned to neighbor each other and are both closable by the flap 14 of the first pocket 10 when the front walls 11, 21 of the first and the second pocket 10, 20 oppose each other. In such an arrangement, first and second openings 13, 23 are oriented in parallel to each other and are accessible independently from each other from the same direction. In this embodiment, the first pocket 10 and the second pocket 20 are connected via a base 60 bridging an edge portion of the front walls 11, 21 of the first and second pocket 10, 20 defining the first and second opening 13,23 respectively. The reverting line 30 is located at the connection between the front wall 11 of the first pocket 10 and the front wall 21 of the second pocket 20.

(7) In FIG. 1 B the pouch 1 of FIG. 1A is shown in a first folded configuration. The pouch 1 has been folded along the reverting line 30 such that the back wall 12 of the first pocket 10 opposes the back wall 22 of the second pocket 20. In this configuration, the outer surfaces of the back walls 12, 22 face each other and, to the extent covered by one another, are not visible to the consumer. The outer surfaces of the front walls 11 and 21 of the first and second pocket 10, 20 are exposed and visible to the consumer. In order to stabilize this folding configuration, the pouch 1 may optionally comprise a second releasable adhesive means 42 on at least one of the back walls 12, 22 of the first and/or the second pocket 10, 20 in order to allow releasable fixing the back walls 12, 22 of the first and second pocket 10, 20 in a position opposing each other.

(8) In FIG. 1C the pouch 1 of FIG. 1A is shown in a second folded configuration. The pouch 1 has been folded along the reverting line 30 such that the front wall 11 of the first pocket 10 opposes the front wall 21 of the second pocket 20. In this configuration, the outer surfaces of the front walls 11, 21 face each other and, to the extent covered by one another, are not visible to the consumer. Now, the outer surfaces of the back walls 12 and 22 of the first and second pocket 10, 20 are exposed and visible to the consumer. In order to stabilize this folding configuration, the pouch 1 comprises a first releasable adhesive means 40 on at least one of the front walls 11,21 of the first and/or the second pocket 10, 20 in order to allow releasable fixing the front walls 11, 21 of the first and second pocket 10, 20 in a position opposing each other.

(9) Depending on the folding configuration, the consumer is confronted with different outer surfaces of the pouch which allows for multiple options with regard to communication with the consumer.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the pouch of the invention. The basic composition of the pouch 1 of FIG. 2 is the same as the one for the pouch 1 of FIG. 1. Thus, in the following only those features are described in further detail which are shown in FIG. 2 for the first time. Pouch 1 of FIG. 2 differs from pouch 1 of FIG. 1 in that the height H1 of the first pocket 10 exceeds the height H2 of the second pocket 20 and the height H2 of the second pocket 20 exceeds the height Hf of the flap 14 of the first pocket 10. The Heights H1, H2 and Hf are measured from the upper tip 50 of the folded pouch 1 to the bottom of the first pocket 10 for height H1, from the upper tip 50 of the pouch 1 to the bottom of the second pocket 20 for H2 and from the upper tip 50 of the pouch 1 to the distal end of the flap 14 for height Hr. By doing so, the pouch 1 exhibits a stepped appearance. When regarded from the side facing the second pocket 20, the pouch 1 reveals a two-stepped surface which allows for various design options for communication with the consumer.