Abstract
The present invention is directed to a pouch for tobacco comprising a pocket for containing the tobacco and having an opening providing access to the interior of the pocket, wherein the opening of the pocket is provided with a zipper closure for releasably sealing the opening, and wherein the zipper closure comprises two opposing, longitudinally-extending and interlockable rib and groove profiles, characterized in that at least a part of one of the profiles has intermittent structural alterations along the length of the profiles to provide an intermittent sensory perception, like e.g. an audible and/or tactile sensation, when opening or closing the zipper closure of the pouch.
Claims
1. A pouch for tobacco comprising a pocket for containing the tobacco and having an opening providing access to the interior of the pocket, wherein the opening of the pocket is provided with a zipper closure for releasably sealing the opening, and wherein the zipper closure comprises two opposing, longitudinally-extending and interlockable rib and groove profiles, wherein at least a part of one of the profiles has intermittent structural alterations along the length of the profiles to provide an intermittent sensory perception, when opening or closing the zipper closure of the pouch.
2. The pouch of claim 1 further comprising a flap for covering of the pocket of the pouch, and wherein one of the longitudinally extending profiles is arranged on a surface of the flap and the respective opposing longitudinally extending profile is arranged on an outer surface of the pouch.
3. The pouch of claim 1, wherein the intermittent sensory perception is selected from a group consisting of an audible or tactile sensation.
4. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the structural alterations are indentations.
5. The pouch of claim 4, wherein the indentations are crushings or incisions.
6. The pouch of claim 5, wherein a depth of the indentations is at least 10%, preferably 25%, more preferably 50%, even more preferably 75%, most preferably 100% of the height of the profiles.
7. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the indentations are in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the profiles.
8. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the structural alterations are arranged at regular or irregular intervals along the length of the profiles.
9. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the structural alterations are arranged at irregular intervals along the length of the profiles.
10. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the structural alterations are flarings.
11. The pouch of claim 10, wherein the flarings are bulges.
12. The pouch of claim 4, wherein only the groove profile of the zipper closure has the intermittent structural alterations.
13. The pouch of claim 12, wherein the structural alterations are crushings with a depth of 25% to 100% of the height of the profile.
14. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the rib profile and the groove profile of the zipper closure have the intermittent structural alterations.
15. The pouch of claim 14, wherein the structural alterations of the profiles are arranged in an offset position to each other when the zipper closure is closed.
16. The pouch of claim 15, wherein the structural alterations are incisions with a depth of 25% to 100% of the height of the profiles.
17. The pouch of claim 14, wherein the structural alterations of the profiles are arranged in a directly opposing position to each other when the zipper closure is closed.
18. The pouch of claim 17, wherein the structural alterations are flarings and wherein the width of the profile in the area of the flarings is 10% to 200% broader than the width in the adjacent areas of the profiles which do not have flarings.
19. The pouch of claim 3, wherein the zipper closure comprises one or more printed elements arranged on at least one of the surfaces of the zipper closure.
Description
FIGURES
[0075] FIG. 1 shows a front view of one embodiment of the tobacco pouch of the present invention in an open configuration and a cross-sectional line A-A (A). (B) shows a front view of another embodiment of the tobacco pouch of the present invention in an open configuration and a cross-sectional line A-A.
[0076] FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of the pouch of FIG. 1A in a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the pouch in an open configuration (A). (B) shows the embodiment of the pouch of FIG. 1B in a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the pouch in a closed configuration.
[0077] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the zipper of FIG. 2 in a cross-sectional view along the A-A line wherein in (A) the zipper is formed by a rib and a groove profile and in (B) the zipper is formed by a rib and a groove profile having respective supports flanking their bases.
[0078] FIG. 4 shows individual views of one embodiment of a rib profile (A) and a groove profile (B) forming in combination a zipper closure of the pouch for tobacco according to the present invention, wherein the intermittent structural alterations are incisions without removal of material.
[0079] FIG. 5 shows individual views of one embodiment of a rib profile (A) and a groove profile (B) forming in combination a zipper closure of the pouch for tobacco according to the present invention, wherein the intermittent structural alterations of the groove profile are crushings.
[0080] FIG. 6 shows individual views of one embodiment of a rib profile (A) and a groove profile (B) forming in combination a zipper closure of the pouch for tobacco according to the present invention, wherein the intermittent structural alterations are flarings.
EXAMPLES
[0081] In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 a pouch 1 according to the present invention is shown. The A-A line
[0082] indicates a cross-section through the pouch 1 of FIG. 1.
[0083] The pouch 1 is formed of a blank which can be a rectangle of flexible thermoplastics sheet, e.g., polyethylene, which has been folded back along itself to form a base 2 and sealed along side edges 3 and 4, for instance, by thermal welding. The pouch has a pocket portion 5 and a flap portion 7. The flap 7 is shown in an open configuration although this will normally be folded over the pocket 5 when access to the pocket 5 is not required (FIG. 1).
[0084] FIG. 2 shows the different embodiments of the pouch 1 of FIG. 1 in a cross-sectional view along the line A-A, wherein in FIG. 2A the pouch (1) of FIG. 1A is shown with a flap in opened configuration and in FIG. 2B the pouch (1) of FIG. 1B is shown with a flap in closed configuration.
[0085] The pocket 5 has an opening 6 to allow access to the pocket 5. As depicted in FIG. 2A the inner side of the opening 6 comprises a zipper closure 8 which can reclosably seal the opening 6. The zipper closure 8 comprises two opposing rib and groove profiles 9 and 10 which are fixed to the respective opposing surfaces of the opening 6 of the pocket 5 by e.g. thermal welding. The complementary rib and groove profiles 9 and 10 of the zipper closure 8 get interlocked when pressed together thereby closing the opening 6 of the pocket 5. The end sections of the profiles 9, 10 may be permanently sealed e.g. by ultrasonically crushing, in order to prevent an opening of the zipper closure 8 from its ends.
[0086] As illustrated in FIG. 2B the zipper closure 8 can reclosably seal the pouch 1. The zipper closure 8 comprises two opposing rib and groove profiles 9 and 10. The rib or groove profile 9 or 10 is arranged on a surface of the flap 7 and the respective opposing profile 9 or 10 is arranged on an outer surface of the pouch 1 by e.g. thermal welding. The complementary rib and groove profiles 9 and 10 of the zipper closure 8 get interlocked when pressed together thereby closing the pouch 1.
[0087] In FIG. 3 different embodiments of the zipper closure 8 are shown in a closed configuration.
[0088] FIG. 3A illustrates the closed zipper 8 wherein the rib profile 9 and the groove profile 10 are interlocked. The rib profile 9 comprises a stem 9.1 and a thickened protrusion 9.2. The groove profile 10 comprises a mouth 10.1 and a cavity 10.2 for enclosing the thickened protrusion 9.2 of the rib profile 9.
[0089] The rib profile 9 and the groove profile 10 may further comprise a respective support 11 and 12 (FIG. 3B). Such supports comprise a larger surface compared to the bases of the profiles 9 and 10. The former can be an advantage for the fixation of the profiles 9 and 10 on the opposing surfaces of the opening 6 of the pocket 5.
[0090] In FIG. 4, a first embodiment of the zipper 8 of the inventive pouch 1 for tobacco is shown.
[0091] FIG. 4A shows the rib profile 9 which comprises a support 11. The profile 9 has structural alterations in the form of incisions at regular intervals along its length which are in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the profile 9. For these incisions no material has been removed from the rib profile 9. The side of the support 11 from which the rib profile 9 rises, the support 11 further comprises elevations 15 in the form of ribs which are situated substantially parallel to the rib profile 9.
[0092] The opposing groove profile 10 is illustrated in FIG. 4B. The profile 10 also comprises a support 12 and has structural alterations in the form of incisions at regular intervals along the length of the profile. These incisions are in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the profile 10 and no material has been removed from the profile 10. The side of the support 12 from which the groove profile rises, the support 12 further comprises elevations 15 which are situated substantially parallel to the groove profile 10. The elevations 15 are ribs.
[0093] In FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the zipper 8 of the inventive pouch 1 for tobacco is depicted.
[0094] FIG. 5A shows a rib profile 9 of the zipper closure 8 wherein the rib profile 9 is formed of continuous material and therefore does not comprise any directly visible structural alterations. The rib profile 9 comprises a support 11. The support 11 does not comprise any further modifications.
[0095] The corresponding groove profile 10 of the zipper closure 8 is shown in FIG. 5B. The groove profile 10 is sequentially altered by crushings 13 which are arranged at regular intervals along the length of the groove profile 10. The groove profile comprises a support 12 which does not comprise any further modifications.
[0096] In FIG. 6, a third embodiment of the zipper 8 of the inventive pouch 1 for tobacco is shown.
[0097] FIG. 6A shows the rib profile 9 of the zipper closure 8 which comprises a support 11. The rib profile 9 has flarings 14 as intermittent structural alterations which are arranged at regular intervals along the length of the rib profile 9. The support 11 comprises no further modifications.
[0098] The complementary groove profile 10 is shown in FIG. 6B. The groove profile 10 comprises a support 12 which does not comprise further modifications. The groove profile 10 has flarings 14 along its length which are arranged at regular intervals along the longitudinal extension of the groove profile 10.
