Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Packaging and Method of Packaging
Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging, and in particular, but not
exclusively, to improved packaging for food products such as confectionery
products. The present invention is also directed to a method of packaging.
Background to the Invention
It is known to package food products, including confectionery products,
in a wrapper fabricated from a substantially gas and moisture impervious
material, such as a metal foil or laminate, in order to maintain the freshness
of
the product. This type of packaging is often used to package generally block
-
shaped food products such as chocolate bars and other similarly shaped snack
type products.
Such known wrappers may be formed from a length of flat, foldable
material having an inner surface directed to the product and an outer surface.
The outer surface may be printed on or otherwise be provided with information
for the consumer. The material is folded about the product and the
longitudinal
side edges are bonded together, inner face to inner face, to form a
longitudinal
sealed seal, sometimes referred to as a "fin seal" or "fin seam". The material
extends beyond the ends of the product and opposing edge regions at either end
of the wrapper are bonded together to form transverse end seals or seams. The
seals may be formed using an adhesive to bond the opposing surfaces of the
wrapper or by heating the material under pressure so that the opposing
surfaces
melt and fuse together to form a welded seal or seam.
Packaging of this nature can be produced using a flow-wrap method in
which a film of material is supplied in a roll to package a number of products
in
a substantially continuous process. The material is fed through a machine
which folds it about each product in turn so that opposing side edges are
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brought into contact and bonded together to form the longitudinal seal, which
usually extends along a rear face of the product. The material is crimped at
either end of the product to form the end seals and the material is cut to
separate each package from the remainder of the film.
The known packaging forms a fully sealed sleeve-like container for the
product and which is substantially gas and moisture impervious. However, the
material used to form such packages is typically quite tough and it can be
difficult to open as it does not easily tear in a controlled fashion, often
requiring multiple tears to get the product out of the wrapper.
Furthermore, the known packaging is not resealable or re-closable once
opened. This limits the life of the product after opening and allows spillage
of
any remaining contents. For example, many chocolate bars are divided into
portions with the intention that a consumer will break off one or more
portions
at a time and keep the reminder for later consumption. Typically, a consumer
has to push the remaining bar back into the wrapper after a portion has been
removed and fold the open end of the wrapper over to keep it fresh. When the
consumer wishes to break off some more of the bar, the wrapper has to be
unfolded and the remaining bar pushed back out. This can be a cumbersome
procedure and does not ensure the remaining contents are kept fresh and
secure.
In order to make this type of packaging easier to open, it has been
proposed in GB 1, 107, 200 A to use a peelable and re-sealable adhesive
coating to fonn the longitudinal seal and to provide folded tabs that can be
grasped by a consumer and pulled apart to peel open the longitudinal seal.
This
arrangement helps in making the packaging easier to open and enables the
packaging to be reclosed after opening. However, it has been found that the
packaging is not wholly effective in securely retaining the remaining contents
as it relies on the re-sealable coating to hold the elongate longitudinal seal
together. This is a particular problem with packaging for larger portioned
bars
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which may be opened and resealed a number of times, as the resalable coating
tends to become less effective with continued opening over time, thus
compromising the integrity of the packaging. Furthermore, it has been found
that end consumers are resistant to opening packages of this type using the
longitudinal seal on the rear of the package.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved packaging which
overcomes or at least mitigates the above problems.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method of
packaging which overcomes or at least mitigates the above problems.
Summar of the Invention
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided
packaging comprising a wrapper of flexible material, the wrapper being folded
about a product into a sleeve with opposed longitudinal side edge regions
overlapping and sealed together to form a longitudinal seal, the ends of the
sleeve being closed by transverse end seals in which opposed end regions of
the wrapper are bonded together, the wrapper having an opening arrangement
adjacent to one of the end seals, the opening arrangement comprising an
aperture in a main body of the wrapper, the wrapper having a flap portion
integrally formed with the main body for closing the aperture, the flap
portion
including an opening tab portion that can be grasped by a user to initiate
opening of the package, the flap portion being located at least partially
within
or on said one end seal.
The opening arrangement may comprise a pair of spaced lines of
weakness that extend into said one of the end seal regions to define an
opening
tab portion between them. In said one end seal, the opposed end regions of the
wrapper within the tab portion may be bonded together only over an inner
extent, outer portions of the opposed end regions being un-bonded.
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The flap portion may be connected to the main body of the wrapper for
movement between open and closed configurations about a transverse fold line
on the opposite side of the aperture from said one end seal.
The flap may be defined in the wrapper by means of one or more cuts
through the wrapper, the cut(s) having a profile configured such that marginal
free edge regions of the flap portion overlap marginal edge regions of the
main
body, the overlapping marginal edge regions of the flap portion and the main
body being bonded together by means of a peelable adhesive, which may be a
re-sealable or reclosable adhesive.
The wrapper may comprise a laminated material having inner structure
and outer structure bonded together, each of the inner and outer structures
comprising at least one layer of flexible material, and the flap portion may
be
defined by means at least one outer line of weakness in the outer structure
and
at least one inner line of weakness in the inner structure, the inner and
outer
lines of weakness being off-set from one another, a marginal region of the
outer
structure between adjacent inner and outer lines of weakness being bonded to
the underlying inner structure by means of a peelable adhesive, which may be a
re-sealable or reclosable adhesive. At least one of the inner and outer lines
of
weakness may extend into said one end seal. The opening tab portion may be
defined by a section of the marginal region of the outer structure within said
one end seal. At least part of the section of the marginal region within said
one
end seal that defines the opening tab portion may not be bonded to the
underlying inner structure. At least one of the lines of weakness may define a
curved opening tab portion within said one end seal. The lines of weakness
may define a generally semi-circular opening tab portion in part of said one
end
seal.
Within said one end seal, inner surfaces of the opposed end regions of
the wrapper may be bonded together to form the transverse end seals, and the
opening tab portion may be defined by section within said one end seal in
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which the opposed regions are bonded together only over an inner extent, the
opposed regions within the section but outside of said inner extent being un-
bonded.
Within said one end seal, the inner surfaces of the opposed end regions
5 of the wrapper may be bonded together only over an inner extent of the
opposed end regions and one of the opposed regions may have a cut-out
formed outwardly of said inner extent such that the portion of the other of
the
opposed regions opposite the cut-out is exposed on both sides.
The overlapping opposed longitudinal side edge regions may be bonded
together inner face to inner face to from a longitudinal fin seal.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of packaging comprising, providing a wrapper of flexible material
having a main body defining an aperture and having an integral flap portion
for
closing the aperture, the flap portion including an opening tab portion;
folding
the wrapper into a sleeve about a product and bonding together overlapping
opposed longitudinal side edge regions to form a longitudinal seal, bonding
opposed end regions of the wrapper together to form transverse end seals at
either end of the product; wherein the method also comprises positioning the
wrapper so that the flap portion is located proximal to one of the transverse
end
seals such that the opening tab is at least partially located in or on one of
the
end seals of the finished packaging.
The method may comprises producing the package using a flow-wrap
method, the wrapper being provided a part of a film of material in a roll to
package a number of products in a substantially continuous process, a
plurality
of flap portions being defined in the film of material at appropriately spaced
locations.
The wrapper used in the method in accordance with the second aspect of
may have any of the features of the wrapper forming the package in accordance
with the first aspect of the invention.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a packaging in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present invention, showing the packaging in a closed
condition;
Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but showing the packaging
in an open condition;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner surface of a flexible wrapper suitable
for forming the packaging of Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through part of the wrapper taken on
line X-X of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, illustrating an alternative
method of forming an opening flap in the wrapper;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a packaging in accordance with a second
embodiment of the present invention, showing the packaging in a closed
condition;
Figure 7 is a plan view of the packaging of Figure 6 showing the
packaging in an open condition; and
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a packaging assembly comprising
packaging in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention.
With reference initially to Figures 1 to 4, packaging in accordance with
a first embodiment of the invention is indicated generally at 10. The
packaging
10 in accordance with the present embodiment is particularly suited for
packaging generally block shaped food products such as chocolate bars 12 or
other similar confectionery or snack products. However, the packaging 10 can
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be adapted for packaging other generally block shaped products, especially
food products. The packaging 10 can also be used to package products
provided in two or more generally block shaped portions. For example, the
packaging 10 could be used to package multiple chocolate bars arranged in-
line. Whilst the packaging 10 is particularly suited for packaging generally
block shaped products, the packaging could be adapted for packaging non-
block shaped products as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The packaging 10 comprises a wrapper 14 of flexible material which is
folded around the product to form a sleeve and sealed to fully enclose the
product. Overlapping longitudinal edge regions 16, 18 of the wrapper 14 are
bonded together inner face to inner face to form a longitudinal fin seal (not
shown) which extends along a rear face of the packaging in a known manner.
In the finished packaging, the longitudinal fin seal is folded over to one
side or
the other. The fin seal need not be positioned centrally along the rear face
but
may be offset to one side or another. Opposing laterally extending end edge
regions 20, 22 of the material are bonded together to form transverse seals
24,
26 at either end of the product. The longitudinal and transverse seals 24, 26
are
formed using an adhesive 27 applied to an inner surface of the wrapper.
In an alternative arrangement, the longitudinal edge regions 16, 18 could
be sealed in an overlapping arrangement to form a lap type seam with the inner
surface of one of the edges bonded to the outer surface of the other edge.
The wrapper 14 can be made of any foldable, flexible material suitable
for packaging the product concerned. The material will typically be a film-
like
material which confolins to the shape of the product about which it is
wrapped.
Where the product is a food product, the material may be substantially
moisture
and gas impervious so that when it is fully sealed, the packaging provides a
hermetically sealed container for the product. Although, for certain food
products a hermetically seal packaging is not desirable. Examples of typical
materials that can be used include: paper based materials, one or more
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polymeric materials, and metallic foils. In the present embodiment, the
wrapper
is a lamination comprising layers of different materials, which may include
any
of those mentioned above in any suitable combination. In one embodiment, the
material comprises a laminate of a metal foil, which may be an aluminium foil,
on one side and a plastics material on the other side. When the material is
formed into the package, the metallic side is positioned on the inside facing
the
product and the plastics material is on the outside. The wrapper, and
especially
the plastics material, may be printed on.
The wrapper 14 has a main body portion 28 which defines an aperture
30 adjacent one end and an integral flap portion 32 which forms an initially
sealed and re-closable closure for the packaging. The flap portion 32 is
foldably connected with the main body portion 32 along an edge 34 on the
opposite side of the aperture 30 from the end seal 24. The flap has two side
edges 36, 38 and a free end edge 40 located in the end seal region 24.
Marginal
edge regions 41 of the flap overlap corresponding marginal edge regions 42 of
the main body portion 28 of the wrapper to form first and second seal
portions.
The overlapping seal portions 41, 42 are bonded together by means of a
peelable and re-sealable adhesive 44.
The laminated wrapper 14 comprises an inner structure 46 and outer
structure 48 bonded together as illustrated in Figure 4. Each of the inner and
outer structures 46, 48 comprises at least one layer of flexible material. In
this
embodiment, the inner structure 46 comprises a single layer, which may be a
metallic foil or another metallised material, and the outer structure 48
comprises a single layer which may be a plastics material. However, in other
embodiments, one or both of the inner and outer laminated structures 46, 48
could themselves comprise a lamination of two or more layers of different
materials.
The flap portion 32 is defined in the wrapper between two pairs of off-
set inner and outer lines of weakness which extend inwardly from an outer end
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edge 52 of the wrapper in spaced relation to define flap portion 32 between
them. In the completed package, the lines of weakness extend from an outer
edge of the end seal 24 inwardly to define the flap portion 32 in a front face
of
package. Each of the pairs of inner and outer lines of weakness comprises an
inner line of weakness 56 in the inner, metallic layer 46 and an outer line of
weakness 58 in the plastic outer layer, the outer line of weakness being off-
set
outwardly from the inner line of weakness 56. The distance between the inner
and outer lines of weakness 56, 58 defines the depth of the overlapping
marginal edge regions 41, 42 of the flap portion 32 and the main body. The
inner and outer lines of weakness 56, 58 may be cut lines extending completely
through their respective inner and outer structure as shown or they may be
score lines that extend only partially though their respective inner and outer
laminate structure. The inner and outer lines of weakness 56, 58 are
preferably
formed using laser cutters 59 that can be calibrated to cut the material to
the
required depth but any suitable method of forming the lines of weakness can be
used.
The inner and outer structures 46, 48 are bonded together by a
peimanent adhesive 60 over the majority of their areas but in the marginal
edge
regions 41, 42 between the inner and outer lines of weakness, they are bonded
together by means of the peelable and resalable adhesive 44. As shown in
Figure 4, the adhesive 44 may extend marginally over the positions of the
lines
of weakness 56, 58 to allow for a margin of error in positioning the cuts.
When
the packaging is formed, the flap portion 32 is in a closed position and the
overlapping marginal edge regions 41, 42 of the inner and outer structures 46,
48 are bonded together so that the packaging is sealed. To gain access to the
product, the flap portion 32 is peeled open by pulling the end edge 40 of the
flap portion 32 in the end seal 24 outwardly. This causes the outer laminate
structure 48 to separate from the underlying inner laminate structure 46 along
the marginal edge regions 41, 42 between the inner and outer lines of weakness
56, 58. This is facilitated by the use of a peelable adhesive 44 in these
regions.
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The inner laminate structure 46 between the inner lines of weakness 56 is
permanently bonded to the outer laminate structure 58 and peels away from the
opposed end edge region of the wrapper in the end seal 24 so as to be lifted
as
part of the flap portion 32 to reveal the aperture 30 through which the
product
5 12, or a part of the product, can be removed from the packaging. The
packaging 10 can be re-closed by placing the flap back in its closed position
and pressing along the marginal edge regions so that it is held in place by
the
re-sealable adhesive 44. To make opening of the packaging 10 easier, part of
the flap portion 32 in the end seal 24 between the two pairs of inner and
outer
10 lines of weakness 56, 58 comprises an opening tab portion 62 that can be
grasped by a user and pulled to initiate separation of the flap portion 32
along
the lines of weakness.
There are various ways in which an opening tab portion 62 can be
provided. In this embodiment, the adhesive 27 used to bond opposed end edge
regions 20, 22 together in the end seals 24, 26 is not applied right up to the
outer ends 52, 64 of the wrapper 14. As a result, the opposed end edge regions
in the end seals 24, 26 are only bonded together over an inner extent Y.
Outwardly of this inner extent Y, the opposed end edge regions 20, 22 are not
bonded. Accordingly, the unbounded outer end edge regions 65 of the wrapper
in the end seal 24 between the inner lines of weakness 52 form opening tabs 62
that can be grasped by a user and pulled apart to initiate opening of the
wrapper. To further assist in opening the package 10, cut-outs 66 can be
provided in the end edge regions 20, 22 outside of the inner extent Y over
which the adhesive 27 is applied. When the wrapper is folded to form a sleeve
as shown in Figure 1, the cut-out 66 in the end seal 24 enables both sides of
the
opposed end edge region 65 opposite the cut-out to be grasped, making it
easier
to pull the opposed end edge regions apart to initiate opening of the
packaging
10.
It will be appreciated that the end seal 26 opposite from the flap portion
32 could be sealed over its full extent (depth). Furthermore, the end seal 24
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could also be sealed over its full extent outside of the flap portion 32 or at
least
outside of the tab portion 62.
The peelable and re-sealable adhesive 44 may be a cold seal adhesive
and may be applied to the marginal edges 41 of the flap 24 or to the
underlying
marginal edge regions 42 the main body portion 34 or both. The flap seal may
include a tamper evident seal arrangement which provides a visual indication
when the flap has been opened. The flap arrangement could include two seals,
a first seal which breaks when the flap is first opened and a second, peelable
and re-closable seal to enable the package to be re-closed and possibly re-
sealed after it has been opened. The first, breakable seal will usually be
positioned outside the second peelable seal so that a clear visual indication
is
given to potential consumers if the flap portion 32 has been opened and re-
closed.
Although the peelable seal on the flap portion 32 is referred to as being
re-closable or re-sealable, in practice the flap portion will not usually be
expected to form a hermetic seal when it is reclosed. However, the flap
portion
32 will act to hold the remaining contents in the package and will provide
some
protection for the product from the environment when it is re-closed.
It has been found that a cold seal is particularly suitable for providing an
improved reclosability in peelable seals of the type used to close the flap
portion 32 in packaging in accordance with the invention. In this context, it
has
particularly been found that the reclosability characteristics can be improved
when a cold seal is formed between a first and a second sealing portion, such
as
the overlapping marginal edge regions 41, 42, in which the bonding force of
the cold seal to each of the first and the second sealing portions is greater
than
the bonding force within the cold seal. This causes the cold seal to be
separated
when the package is opened and the seal is broken. As a consequence the cold
seal partly adheres to the first sealing portion and partly adheres to the
second
sealing portion. This behaviour of the cold seal leads to a reclosable package
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having a seal which provides a sufficient, initial sealing force as well as
reclosability and a sealing force after reclosing, which is high enough to
retain
the products or parts thereof and, at the same time, somewhat lower than the
initial bonding force, so that the consumer can advantageously feel that the
package is in the reclosed state.
Separation of the cold seal in this way may be called a cohesive split and
is particularly advantageous as the cold seal will reliably stay with the
first and
second sealing portions and will not tear or delaminate the first or second
sealing portions when the seal is opened. During manufacture, it is currently
preferred to apply the cold seal both of the sealing portions 41, 42. When the
sealing portions 41, 42 are first brought together, the cold seal of both
sealing
portions is bonded to each other. This has been found to provide a good basis
for the desired cohesive split, when the seal is broken, which leads to
superior
reclosability. However, the cold seal may be applied only to one of the
sealing
portions during manufacture of the wrapper. As discussed above, each of the
inner and outer laminate structures 46, 48 that make up the first and second
sealing portions 41, 42 may itself be a lamination of various layers. When the
bond between the cold seal and a laminated material is too high, there is the
risk that the material may delaminate when the seal is opened rather than the
cold seal cohesively splitting. This is not desirable as it reduces the
reliability
of the reclosing structure. For increased reliability in reclosing the package
it is
preferred that part of the cold seal stays with the first sealing portion and
part
of the cold seal stays with the second sealing portion so that these split
parts of
the cold seal are brought together when the package is reclosed. In other
words,
the cold seal is separated with regard to its thickness. Thus, when a certain
surface portion is considered, part of the cold seal which is closer to the
first
sealing portion adheres to the first sealing portion and part of the cold seal
which is closer to the second sealing portion adheres to the second sealing
portion. This cohesive split takes place in at least 50%, preferably at least
70%
and most preferred in 100% of the area of the cold seal. In some portions, the
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cold seal may completely adhere to the first or the second sealing portion,
which will not deteriorate the reclosability characteristics.
Reclosability of the package is improved by having a seal with an initial
opening force of 2, preferably 2,5, to 4 N/15 mm, and opening forces for one
or
more reclosings of 0,5 to 2 N/15 mm, preferably 1 to 1,5 N/15 mm. The given
forces correspond to that force which is necessary to peel a strip of material
having a width of 15 mm and being provided with the described seal. This
force can, in particular, be measured in accordance with the DIN 55529. The
forces given above have been found to provide an adequate initial opening
force which is not so high that the consumer will have difficulty opening the
package. The opening forces for the reclosed state are high enough to retain
the
product or parts thereof but significantly lower than the initial opening
force so
that the consumer can feel the difference between the reclosed state and the
initial, not yet opened state. The opening force may become smaller and
smaller with more reclosings. However, it is currently preferred that the
opening force is still above 1 N/15 mm after the fourth reclosing. Moreover,
the opening force may be above 2 N/15 mm for the first reclose, provided the
initial opening force is still somewhat higher, for example above 2,5 N/ 15
mm.
The above-mentioned values have, moreover, shown to be efficient for
avoiding de-lamination of the first and second sealing portions.
Generally, the preferred cold seal can be described to be a "hard," cold
seal, as compared to a conventional "soft" cold seal, with a relatively high
rubber content and a relatively low content of polymers. The high rubber
content leads to an undesired stringing or webbing effect, in which strings of
cold seal are separated from the sealing portions. In contrast, the preferred
"hard" cold seal contains less rubber and more polymers or copolymers,
particularly acrylic polymers or copolymers. In this context, a
polymer/copolymer content of above 30%, preferably above 50% and even
more preferred above 70% will be advantageous. It has particularly been found
that a cold seal containing at least one acrylic polymer or copolymer provides
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good reclosability. In particular, such a type of cold seal can advantageously
be
combined with an acrylic coating on the first and/or second sealing portion.
It
has been found that this combination provides particularly good reclosability
characteristics and leads to a reliable cohesive split as described above. One
explanation, to which the invention is, however, not limited, is that the
acrylic
coating and the acrylic polymer or copolymer provide a good anchorage to
each other. In this context, it is currently preferred that the cold seal
contains at
least one styrene acrylic polymer or copolymer, preferably two different kinds
thereof In particular, a softer styrene acrylic polymer or copolymer may have
relatively large molecules and will provide, together with the rubber,
particularly a natural latex based rubber, a good initial sealing. In
particular,
superior test results were obtained with a cold seal, which was a Swale grade
8113, which is, accordingly, preferred in connection with the invention.
The cold seal may be applied in amounts of 3 to 5, preferably 3,5 to 4,9
g/m2 on each sealing portion.
The packaging 10 can be produced using a flow-wrap method in which a
film of material having a number of appropriately positioned flap portions 32
disposed along its length is supplied in a roll to package products 12 in a
substantially continuous process. The material is fed through a machine in a
direction corresponding to arrow Z in Figure 3. The machine folds it about
each
product in turn so that opposing longitudinal edge regions are brought into
contact inner face to inner face and bonded together to form the longitudinal
seal. The material is crimped at either end of the product to form the
transverse
end seals 24, 26 and the material cut to separate each package 10 from the
remainder of the film in turn. The adhesive 27 for forming the seals 24, 26
may
be pre-applied to an inner face of the film or applied as part of the
packaging
process.
An alternative arrangement for laser treatment (e.g. laser
cutting/etching) of the wrapper material to define a flap having marginal edge
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regions 41 that overlap marginal edge regions 42 of the main body is
illustrated
in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the edge 36 of the
flap
portion 32 similar to that of Figure 4 and is also taken at the same position
as
line X-X in Figure 1. A laser is used to make a cut 68 through the material of
5 the wrapper having a stretched or elongate "S" shape in transverse cross
section
to create overlapping marginal edge regions 41, 42 on the flap portion 32 and
the main body portion 28. This method can be applied to packaging 10
substantially as described above by replacing each of the pair of inner and
outer
lines of weakness 52, 54 with a single laser cut formed as shown in Figure 5.
A
10 peelable and preferably re-sealable adhesive, such as a cold seal as
discussed
above, is applied to one or both of the marginal edge regions 41, 52. An
advantage of this alternative arrangement is that it can be used to create a
re-
closable flap 32 in wrapper 14 made of a single layer of material or in a
laminated material that is not suitable for use with the previous method
15 described above.
In a further alternative arrangement, a non-reclosable flap portion 32 can
be formed in the packaging 10 according to the first embodiment by replacing
each pair of off-set inner and outer lines of weakness 52, 54 or each of the
"S"
shaped laser cuts in the embodiments described above with single score lines
that extend though only part of the depth of the material so that when the
packaging 10 is initially formed it is fully sealed. To open the package, the
user
pulls apart the opposed end edge regions in the end seal 24 between the score
lines using the tab portions 62 as described above. This initiates tearing
along
the score lines allowing the flap portion 32 to be folded out to provide
access to
the product. Whilst the flap portion 32 in this embodiment cannot be re-
sealed,
it can be folded back after initial opening to help protect any remaining
product.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a further embodiment of packaging 110 in
accordance with the invention. The same reference numerals but increased by
100 will be used to identify the same features or features that perform the
same,
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or substantially the same, function as features described above in relation to
the first embodiment 10.
The packaging 110 in accordance with this further embodiment is
substantially the same as the packaging 10 in accordance with the first
embodiment described above, to which the reader should refer for details,
accordingly, only the differences between the packaging 110 in accordance
with this further embodiment and the packaging 10 in accordance with the first
embodiment will be described in detail.
In the packaging 110, the opening tab portion 162 is formed by a portion
of the outer laminate structure 148 only in the end seal 124. The flap portion
132 is defined by off-set inner and outer lines of weakness 156, 158 in the
inner
and outer laminate structures respectively in a manner similar to that
described
above in relation to the first embodiment. In this case however, there is a
single
continuous inner line of weakness 156, indicated by dashed lines in Figure 6,
which follows a substantially inverted "U" shaped path about one end of the
package. In the embodiment as shown in Figure 6, the inner line of weakness
does not extend into the end seal region 124 but the bridging portion 156a of
the U shape runs generally parallel with the end seal close to it. However,
the
inner line of weakness 156 could be arranged to extend into the end seal 124
if
desired. The outer line of weakness 158 is divided into two parts 158a, 158b,
which each follow generally the path of the inner line of weakness from
opposite sides of the package towards a central region of the end seal 124. As
the outer lines of weakness 158a, 158b approach the central region of the end
seal, they deviate outwardly from the path of the inner line of weakness to
extend across the end seal 124 to an outer edge 152 of the wrapper in
generally
parallel spaced relation to define the tab portion 162 between them.
The marginal edge region 141of the outer laminate structure 148
between the inner and outer lines of weakness and the tab portion 162 are
bonded to the underlying regions 142 of the inner laminate structure 146 with
a
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peelable and preferably re-sealable adhesive such as a cold seal as discussed
above. To open the packaging 110, the user peels the tab portion 162 of the
outer laminate structure away from the inner laminate structure in the end
seal
124. The user continues to pull the tab portion 162 so that the marginal edge
region 141 of the outer laminate structure of the flap is pulled away from the
underlying marginal edge region 142 of the inner laminate structure 146 of the
main body to open the flap portion 132, substantially as described above. The
packaging 110 can be reclosed by repositioning the flap. In this embodiment,
the opposed end regions of the wrapper may be sealed over the full extent
(depth) of the end seal 124.
The packaging may be printed on to highlight the tab portion 162 and/or
to provide opening instructions. The tab portion 162 may also be shaped to
make initial peeling of the tab portion 162 easier. Furthermore, at least an
outer
end portion 162a of the tab portion may not be bonded to the underlying inner
laminate structure 146 so that it is easily grasped by a user. The tab portion
162
need not be centrally located in the end seal 124 and can be shaped as
desired.
In an alternative arrangement which is similar to the first embodiment,
rather than a single inner line of weakness, the packaging 110 could be
modified so as to have two inner lines of weakness that following in an off-
set
manner the outer lines of weakness 158a, 158b in extending across the end seal
124. In this case, the tab portion 162 would comprise both the inner and outer
laminate structures 146, 148 between the two pairs of off-set inner and outer
lines of weakness and the opposed regions of the wrapper within the tab
portion of the end seal 124 would only be bonded together over a limited inner
extent (depth) of the end seal 124 in a manner similar to the first
embodiment.
Figure 8 illustrates a further embodiment of packaging 210 in
accordance with the invention. The same reference numerals but increased by
200 will be used to identify the same features or features that perform the
same,
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or substantially the same, function as features described above in relation to
the
first embodiment 10.
The packaging 210 in accordance with this further embodiment is
substantially the same as the packaging 10 in accordance with the first
embodiment described above, to which the reader should refer for details,
accordingly, only the differences between the packaging 210 in accordance
with this further embodiment and the packaging 10 in accordance with the first
embodiment will be described in detail.
As with the packaging 110 in accordance with the second embodiment
described above, the opening tab portion 262 in the packaging 210 of the
present embodiment is formed by a part of the outer laminate structure 248 in
the end seal 224. The flap portion 232 is defined by a single pair of
continuous,
off-set inner and outer lines of weakness 256, 258 which follow substantially
parallel inverted, generally U-shaped paths. The inner and outer lines of
weakncss 256, 258 pass through the end seal 224 in a curved path, with the
outer line of weakness 258 extending to an outer end edge of the wrapper in
the
end seal 224 at its outermost point at a position roughly in the centre (from
side
to side) of the end seal. The marginal edge region 241 of the outer laminate
structure 248 between the inner and outer lines of weakness is bonded to the
underlying region of the inner laminate structure with a peelable and
preferably
re-sealable adhesive, such as a cold seal as discussed above. To open the
packaging 210, the user peals the tab portion 262 of the outer laminate
structure
at the end edge of the transverse seal 224 away from the inner laminate
structure 246 to initiate opening of the flap portion 232 in the manner
described
above in relation to previous embodiments. If desired, the outer edge of the
tab
portion 262 of the outer laminate structure 248 in the end seal 224 may not be
bonded to the underlying inner laminate structure to make it easier for a user
to
initiate peeling of the tab portion. However, it will usually be desirable to
ensure that the flap portion 232 is sealed over its entire length prior to
first
opening of the packaging.
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The flap portion 232 in the packaging 210 is relatively large forming an
opening through which the product can be removed with ease but which is
easily re-closable. The curved tab portion 262 also provides an interesting
and
aesthetically pleasing aspect of the packaging which may appeal to end users.
Packaging 10, 110, 210 in accordance with the invention is particularly
suitable for use in packaging large (e.g. 500g or more) portioned chocolate or
other confectionery bars as it allows the consumer to easily open the
packaging
periodically to remove one or more portions and holds the remaining contents
in a secure and sealed container. However packaging in accordance with the
invention may also be useful in packaging smaller "snack" size bars as it
provides an easy to open package which produces less mess than the known
packaging. In some cases, more than one bar may be contained in the package,
with the bars arranged in line. In this case, the package 10, 110, 210 can be
opened and one of the bars removed before the flap is reclosed the hold the
remaining bar or bars in that package. Indeed as has already been stated,
packaging 10, 110, 210 in accordance with the invention can be adapted to
pack any suitable product where is it is desirable to have packaging which is
easy to open and re-close and can also be adapted for use.
The ability to open the packaging 10, 110, 210 using an opening flap on
a front face of the packaging is more naturally acceptable to many end
consumers than prior art arrangements in which a fin seal at the rear of the
package must be peeled apart. Furthermore, by locating a tab portion for the
flap in an end seal, the majority of the front face is available for printing
on
with any desired logo or information which is an important consideration in
packaging, particularly for confectionery and snack foods that are often
displayed at or close to the point of sale.
The foregoing embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of
protection afforded by the claims, but rather to describe examples as to how
the
invention may be put into practice.
