Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOBACCO POIICH
The invention relates to a tobacco pouch provided with
a front wall and a back wall manufactured from plastic film
and with a flap attached to the back wall, whereby the
front wall and back wall are connected to one another at
side edges and whereby the tobacco pouch is further
provided with connecting means for closing off the tobacco
pouch by releasably connecting the flap to the front or
1o back wall, the connecting means comprising a first part
which is fastened to the flap and comprising a second part
which is fastened to the front or back wall, one of the two
parts being provided with hooks which can be releasably
fastened to co-operating means provided on the other of the
two parts.
A tobacco pouch of such a type is known, for example,
from German Utility Model DE 295 13 893 registered on February 1, 1996 and
can be realised in the form of a block-bottom pouch or a wrapping pouch.
In this utility model the first part consists of a
rectangular material, the lengthwise direction of which is
directed perpendicular to the side edges, said material
being provided with hooks. Moreover, the second part
consists of a rectangular area of felt-like material
comprising loops, the lengthwise direction of which is
likewise directed perpendicular to the side edges.
One disadvantage of the known tobacco pouch is t-hat it
is not easy, either in the case of an entirely filled pouch
or in the case of an almost empty pouch, to position the
first part easily on the second part prior to closing the
tobacco pouch. Moreover, when it is realised in the form
of a block-bottom pouch, the tobacco pouch has the
disadvantage that the flap does not close off the tobacco
pouch well when the latter is not filled completely. In
the closed state the flap is located in each instance
opposite approximately the same position of the front wall,
so that the opening on the upper side of the pouch is not
closed off well by the flap.
According to the present invention there is provided a
tobacco pouch provided with a front wall and a back wall
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manufactured from plastic film and with a flap attached to
the back wall, whereby the front wall and back wall are
connected to one another at side edges and whereby the
tobacco pouch is further provided with connecting means for
closing off the tobacco pouch by releasably connecting the
flap to the front or back wall, the connecting means
comprising a first part which is fastened to the flap and
comprising a second part which is fastened to the front or
back wall, one of the two parts being provided with hooks
l0 which can be releasably connected to loops pertaining to
another of the two parts, characterised in that the first
and/or second part consists of a strip-shaped area, the
lengthwise direction of which is at least substantially
directed parallel to the side edges when the flap is
connected to the front wall.
By virtue of the fact that the first and/or second
parts consist of a strip-shaped area, the lengthwise
direction of which is at least substantially directed
parallel to the side edges, it is ensured that the flap,
viewed in the direction of the side edges, can be connected
to the front wall in various positions with respect to the
front wall when the tobacco pouch is realised in the form
of a block-bottom pouch. In other words, depending on the
degree of filling of the pouch, the flap can be passed over
the front wall to a greater or lesser extent in order to be
fastened to said front wall. According to the invention,
the pouch may at the same time be employed as a wrapping
pouch. In this case the flap is passed over the front wall
prior to the pouch being closed and is turned over at the
underside of the front wall towards the back wall, in order
subsequently to be fastened to the back wall. The second
part of the fastening means is then also fastened to the
back wall. Preferably said co-operating means also
comprises hooks.
It is preferably the case that the first part consists
of the aforementioned strip-shaped area. Moreover it is
the case that the second part preferably consists of a
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strip-shaped area, the lengthwise direction of which is at
least substantially directed perpendicular to the side
edges. This latter case has the advantage that the flap can
still be connected easily to the front wall even when the
flap is turned over in a direction perpendicular to the side
edges, shifted with respect to the front or back wall.
According to another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a tobacco pouch provided with a front wall
and a back wall manufactured from plastic film and with a
flap attached to the back wall, whereby the front wall and
back wall are connected to one another at side edges and
whereby the tobacco pouch is further provided with
connecting means for closing off the tobacco pouch by
releasably connecting the flap to the front or back wall,
the connecting means comprising a first part which is
fastened to the flap and comprising a second part which is
fastened to the front or back wall, one of the two parts
being provided with hooks which can be releasably connected
to co-operating means provided on the other of the two
parts, wherein at least one of the first and second parts
consists of a strip-shaped area, the lengthwise direction of
which is substantially parallel to the side edges when the
flap is connected to the front or back wall.
The invention will now be elucidated in more
detail on the basis of the drawing, in which there are
shown:
Fig. la: a view of a first embodiment of the
tobacco pouch according to the invention in the opened
state;
Fig. lb: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. la
when said tobacco pouch is only partially filled and is
closed;
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Fig. lc: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. la
when said tobacco pouch is almost entirely filled with
tobacco and is closed;
Fig. 2a: a second embodiment of the tobacco pouch
according to the invention in the opened state;
Fig. 2b: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. 2a in
the closed state;
Fig. 3a: a third embodiment of the tobacco pouch
according to the invention in the opened state;
Fig. 3b: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. 3a in
the closed state;
Fig. 4a: a fourth embodiment of the tobacco pouch
according to the invention in the opened state;
Fig. 4b: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. 4a in
the closed state;
Fig. 5a : the front of a f i f th embodiment of the
tobacco pouch according to the invention in the opened
state;
Fig. 5b: the back of the tobacco pouch according
to Fig. 5a; and
Fig. 5c: the tobacco pouch according to Fig. 5a in
the closed state.
In Fig. la a tobacco pouch in the form of a block-
bottom pouch according to the invention is indicated by
reference numeral 1. The tobacco pouch is provided with a
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front wall 2 and a back wall 4 manufactured from plastic
film and with a flap 6 attached to the back wall. The
front wall 2 and the back wall 4 are connected to one
another at the side edges 8 of the front wall 2 and back
wall 4. In this example the aforementioned side edges 8
are connected to one another via side walls 10.
The tobacco pouch is further provided with fastening
means 12, 14 for closing the tobacco pouch by releasably
connecting the flap 6 to the front wall 2. The fastening
lo means comprise a first part 12 which is fastened to the
flap 6 and a second part 14 which is fastened to the front
wall. In this example the first part 12 consists of a
strip-shaped area, the lengthwise direction of which,
indicated in the drawing by the dotted line 16, is directed
at least substantially parallel to the side edges 8 of the
flap when the flap is connected to the front wall, as shown
in Figs. lb and lc.
Here it is the case that one of the two parts is
provided with hooks 18 (in this example the first part 12)
which can be releasably connected to hooks 20 provided on
the other of the two parts (in this example the second part
14). The fastening means are made, in this example, from
the hook part of a material that is known as a hook-and-
loop strip and is marketed under the brand name VELCRO .
The loop part of the hook-and-loop strip is not however
used in this example.
In this example it is moreover the case that the
second part consists of a strip-shaped area, the lengthwise
direction of which (indicated in the drawing by dotted line
22) is at least substantially directed perpendicular to the
side edges 8 when the flap is connected to the front wall
2, as shown in Figs. lb and lc.
In this example it is the case that the first part is
fastened to an inside 24 of the flap which is formed in the
closed state of the tobacco pouch. It is moreover the case
that the first part extends partly outside the contours of
the flap 6.
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The flap can be closed in various positions with
respect to the front wall 2. These positions may vary as
regards the height of the tobacco pouch, that is to say in
the direction of the side edges 8. When, for example, the
5 tobacco pouch is almost entirely empty, as shown in Fig.
lb, the flap can be pulled far over the front wall 2 and
the tobacco pouch can be closed by connecting the first
part, that is to say a part of the first part, to the
second part 14. Because the first part 12 is realised in
the form of a strip, there is always a section of the first
part 12 that makes contact with the second part 14 when the
flap is closed.
Also when the flap 6 is not completely pulled over the
front wall 2, the pouch can be closed by connecting the
first part 12 to the second part 14. This is also due to
the fact that the lengthwise direction 16 of the strip-
shaped area of the first part 12 in the closed state is at
least substantially directed parallel to the side edges 8.
In addition, due to the fact that it is the case that the
lengthwise direction 22 of the second part is directed
transverse to the side edges 8, the first part 12 will
likewise make contact with the second part 14 when the
first part 12, that is to say the flap 6, is, for whatever
reason, not passed over the front wall 2 precisely in the
middle of the front wall 2 but has a deviation in, for
example, the direction of one of the side edges 8.
In other words, the flap 6 can be adjustably connected
to the front wall 2 in the direction of the arrow 26 in
Fig. la. This is handy for closing the tobacco pouch in
the case of a varying degree of filling. Besides this, the
flap 6 can be connected to the front wall 2 varying in the
direction of the arrow 28.
In Figs. 2a and 2b an alternative embodiment of the
tobacco pouch is shown in which components corresponding to
Figs. la-lc are provided with the same reference numerals.
Now it is the case that the first part 12 is situated over
its full length within the contours of the flap 6. In this
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case the second part 14 may possibly be placed closer to a
top side of the tobacco pouch, so that also when the
tobacco pouch is entirely filled the first part 12 can be
manipulated easily on the second part 14 when the flap 6 is
used in order to close the tobacco pouch, as shown in Fig.
2b. In the closed state it is the case that both the first
part 12 and the second part 14 are hidden from view, which
may be regarded as an advantage.
As shown in Figs. 3a and 3b, it is also possible that
the first part 12 is fastened to an outside 30 of the flap
which is formed in the closed state of the tobacco pouch.
In this case the second part 14 may, in addition, be
fastened to the front wall 2 somewhat lower down with
respect to the situation in Fig. la. This is by reason of
the fact that only the section of the first part 12 that
extends outside the contours of the flap 6 can be utilised
for closing the flap 6.
Also, on the basis of the embodiment according to
Figs. 4a and 4b it is shown that it is also possible for
the second part to consist of a strip-shaped area, the
lengthwise direction of which is at least substantially
directed parallel to the side edges 8 when the flap 6 is
connected to the front wall 2. In addition, in this
example it is the case that the first part likewise
consists of a strip-shaped area, the lengthwise direction
16 of which is at least substantially directed
perpendicular to the side edges 8 when the flap is closed.
Also in this example the flap can be closed variably in
the directions 26 and 28, depending on the degree of
filling of the tobacco pouch and the accuracy with which
the flap 6 is folded over.
On the basis of Figs. 5a to 5c an application of the
invention is shown in the case of a tobacco pouch in the
form of a so-called wrapping pouch. The wrapping pouch is
provided with a front wall 2 and a back wall 4 manufactured
from plastic film and with a flap 6 attached to the back
wall. In this example the aforementioned front wall 2 and
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back wall 4 are connected to one another at the side edges
8 of the front wall 2 and the back wall 4. In a manner
entirely analogous to that discussed in connection with the
preceding Figures, the tobacco pouch is further provided
with fastening means which comprise a first part 12 which
is fastened to the flap 6 and comprise a second part 14
which is now fastened to the back wall 4 instead of to the
front wall 2.
Once again it is the case that both of the two parts
12, 14 are provided with hooks, which can be releasably
connected to each other. For this purpose, as shown in
Fig. 5c, the flap 6 is folded over the front wall 2 and
folded down on the underside of the front wall 2 in the
direction of the back wall. In this case the first part 12
of the fastening means can subsequently be fastened to the
second part 14. Once again it is the case that the flap
can be closed in various positions with respect to the back
wall. In this example it is moreover the case that the
second part consists of a strip-shaped area, the lengthwise
direction of which, indicated in the drawing by dotted line
22, is at least substantially directed perpendicular to the
side edges 8, both cases being entirely analogous to those
discussed in connection with the preceding Figures. As
becomes clear from Fig. 5c, the tobacco pouch can always be
closed well, even when the tobacco pouch is entirely,
partially or almost empty. Also the orientation of the
first and second parts 12, 14 can be reversed to that the
first part 12 is substantially perpendicular to the side
edges 8 and the second part 14 is substantially parallel to
the side edges 8.
The advantages of the variant according to Figs. 5a to
5c are then also as discussed in connection with the
preceding Figures. It is also possible that the first part
12 is fastened to the flap in a manner such as has been
discussed for Figs. 2a and 2b. In addition, it is possible
that the first part 12 is fastened to the flap in a manner
such as has been discussed in connection with Figs. 3a and
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3b. Finally, it is possible that the first part is
fastened to the flap 6 in a manner such as has been
discussed in connection with Fig. 4a, whereas the second
part 14 is fastened to the back wall 4 in a manner such as
has been discussed for the strip 14 in connection with the
front wall 2. In other words, the strip 14 may likewise be
fastened in the upward direction of the tobacco pouch and
in such a manner that dotted line 22 is directed vertically
in this case. The invention is by no means restricted to
the embodiment of a wrapping pouch and a block-bottom pouch
that has been outlined here. Other embodiments of pouches
also fall within the scope of the invention.
