RESEALABLE CONTAINER INCLUDING RELEASE ELEMENTS

Abstract

A container for consumer goods that comprises a housing (12) comprising a box (14) and a lid (20) hingedly attached to the box. The box comprises a box front wall (16) and an interior box volume. The lid comprises a lid front wall (24). The container also comprises a sealed inner package (30) disposed at least partially within the interior box volume and defining an interior sealed volume for housing consumer goods. The container also comprises a resealable flap (44) configured to open and close the sealed inner package when the lid of the housing is opened and closed. The resealable flap (44) being positioned to cover an access opening (54) in the sealed inner package that extends at least partially across the top wall of the inner package. The container also comprises at least one release element (72) positioned within the interior sealed volume of the sealed inner package even after the sealed inner package has been opened and closed.

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 box front wall and an interior box volume and wherein the lid comprises a lid front wall; a sealed inner package disposed at least partially within the interior box volume and defining an interior sealed volume for housing consumer goods; a resealable flap configured to open and close the sealed inner package when the lid of the housing is opened and closed, wherein the resealable flap is positioned to cover an access opening in the sealed inner package, where the access opening extends at least partially across the top wall of the inner package; at least one release element positioned within the interior sealed volume of the sealed inner package even after the sealed inner package has been opened and closed; and a pressure resistant element positioned inside the sealed inner package, wherein the pressure resistant element and the at least one release element are positioned such that a force applied from the outside of the container can cause the at least one release element to release at least some material therefrom.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the front wall of the box comprises a box front wall upper edge and the front wall of the lid comprises a lid front wall lower edge and the at least one release element is positioned above the box front wall upper edge and above the lid front wall lower edge.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealed inner package further comprises a front wall, a back wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a top wall and a bottom wall and the at least one release element is positioned adjacent at least one of the front wall, the back wall, the right side wall, the left side wall, the top wall, the bottom wall, or a combination thereof.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the pressure resistant element and the at least one release element are positioned adjacent the same wall or walls of the sealed inner package and the at least one release element is located between the sealed inner package and the pressure resistant element.

5. The container according to any of claims 1, wherein the pressure resistant element is an inner frame, an inner stiffener or both.

6. The container according to claims 1, wherein the access opening also extends at least partially across the front wall, the back wall, or both of the sealed inner package.

7. The container according to any of claims 1, wherein the resealable flap comprises a label adhered to the sealed inner package.

8. The container according to any of claims 1, wherein the resealable flap is integrally formed from the sealed inner package.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the release element comprises water or a humidity release agent, a sensory-enhancing agent, or a combination thereof.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the release element has a maximum resistance to breaking of 17 N.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises at least two release elements.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealed inner package comprises an inner surface and an outer surface and the outer surface comprise indicia that locates the at least one release element, identifies the at least one release element, or both.

13. A method of forming a container, the method comprising: forming a sealable inner package, the sealed inner package comprising an access opening that extends at least partially across a top wall of the sealed inner package; disposing at least one release element in or on the sealable inner package; disposing at least one consumer good in the sealable inner package; disposing a pressure resistant element inside the sealed inner package, wherein the pressure resistant element and the at least one release element are positioned such that a force applied from the outside of the container can cause the at least one release element to release at least some material therefrom; positioning a resealable flap to cover the access opening of the sealed inner package, the resealable flap configured to open and close the sealed inner package when the lid of the housing is opened and closed; sealing the sealable inner package so that the at least one consumer good and the at least one release element are contained therein; forming a housing, the housing comprising a box and a lid hingedly attached to the box, wherein the box has an interior box volume, wherein the sealed inner package is disposed at least partially within the interior box volume to form the container.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one release element is disposed the sealable inner package.

15. The container according to claim 9, wherein the release element has a maximum resistance to breaking of 17 N.

16. The container according to claim 9, wherein the container comprises at least two release elements.

17. The container according to claim 11, wherein the sealed inner package comprises an inner surface and an outer surface and the outer surface comprise indicia that locates the at least two release elements, identifies the at least two release elements, or both.

18. The container according to claim 11, wherein the sealed inner package comprises an inner surface and an outer surface and the outer surface comprise indicia that both locates the at least two release elements and identifies the at least two release elements.

Description

[0075] Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the present invention are illustrated.

[0076] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container in an open position, where the container comprises at least one release element.

[0077] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the side of the container of FIG. 1 in an open position.

[0078] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the front of the container of FIG. 1 in a closed position.

[0079] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a container in a closed position where the container comprises indicia to indicate location and identity of the release elements.

[0080] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, 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 FIGS. 1 and 2. The lid 20 has a front wall 24 that has an inner surface 22 and an outer surface 26. The lid 20 also has a lower edge 25.

[0081] An inner package 30 is disposed within the housing 12. The inner package 30 at least partially defines an interior volume or sealed volume for housing consumer goods. The inner package 30 can be 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, a back wall 34, a bottom wall 35, a top wall 36, a right side wall 37 and a left side wall (not shown). The inner package 30 includes an outer surface 33.

[0082] 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 top wall 36 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 of the sealed inner package 30 attached to the flap are separated from the sealed 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 75 such that the flap attaches to the second layer 50 within the sealing region 75 when the flap is in the closed position. FIG. 1 also shows an optional pressure resistant element 70. The pressure resistant element 70 is located within the sealed inner package 30.

[0083] 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 sealed inner package 30 when the flap (and the lid 20) is returned to the closed position.

[0084] 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 when the flap is in the closed position.

[0085] All of the figures also show release elements 72. The release elements 72 are positioned so that they are within the sealed interior volume when the sealed inner package 30 is closed. In the particular embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3, the release elements 72 are positioned above the upper edge 21 of the box 14 and above the lower edge 25 of the lid 20 when the lid is in the closed position (FIG. 3). The release elements 72 are also positioned above the sealing region.

[0086] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show three release elements 72 but any number of release elements can be utilized in disclosed containers.

[0087] FIG. 4 shows release elements 72 positioned adjacent the inner surface of the front wall 16 of the box 14. The outer surface 19 of the front wall 16 of the box 14 includes location indicia 80, 81 and 82 as well as identity indicia 83, 84 and 85.