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EP-4536563-B1 - CONTAINER FOR CONSUMER GOODS HAVING HOUSING AND OUTER WRAPPER

EP4536563B1EP 4536563 B1EP4536563 B1EP 4536563B1EP-4536563-B1

Inventors

  • ANDROSENKO, Alexander
  • LANGE, Ross
  • LORENZETTI, CESARE

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230613

Claims (15)

  1. A container (1) for consumer goods, the container comprising: a housing (10) for consumer goods; an outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) having an inner surface (44) and an outer surface (45), the outer wrapper comprising a cellulose based layer (40); wherein the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) is wrapped around the housing (10) such that a first portion (71) of the outer wrapper overlies a second portion (72) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) at a first end (25) of the housing (10) to cover the first end (25) of the housing (10); wherein the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) forms a rectangular fold; and wherein the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) further comprises a heat sealable polymeric layer (41) provided at least on the inner surface of the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) wherein the heat sealable polymeric layer is sealed onto the first end (25) of the housing (10).
  2. A container (1) for consumer goods according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) is formed by two cuts in the outer wrapper.
  3. A container (1) for consumer goods according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) has a shape and size that is the same as the shape and size of the first end (25) of the housing (10).
  4. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second portion (72) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) forms an envelope fold or a rectangular fold.
  5. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) is wrapped around the housing (10) such that a third portion (73) of the outer wrapper overlies a fourth portion (74) at a second end (26) of the housing (10) to cover the second end (26) of the housing (10); and wherein the third portion (73) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) forms a rectangular fold.
  6. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is provided on an inner surface of the third portion (73) for sealing the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) at the second end (26) of the housing (10), and/or wherein the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is on at least 50 percent of the inner surface of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801), preferably the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is on at least 80 percent of the inner surface of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801), more preferably, the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is on the entire inner surface of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801).
  7. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the container is a hinge lid box comprising a box portion (14) and a lid portion (16) connected to the box portion (14) along a hinge line extending across a back wall (21) of the container, the hinge lid container being formed by the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) being sealed on the housing (10), and wherein the lid portion (16) and the box potion (14) are separated by an opening line (19) extending across one or more walls of the container; and wherein the opening line (19) is defined by a line of weakness (19') in one or both of the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801), and wherein the line of weakness (19') in one or both of the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) includes an etched line having a depth not greater than 80 percent of the thickness of one or both of the housing and the outer wrapper.
  8. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is a first heat sealable polymeric layer and the outer wrapper (101', 701, 801) further comprises a second polymeric layer (42) or a metallized layer (49), and wherein the second polymeric layer (42) or a metallized layer (49) is provided between the cellulose based layer (40) and the first heat sealable polymeric layer (41); and wherein the second polymeric layer (42) extends across the entire inner surface of the outer wrapper, and/or wherein one or both of the first (41) or second (42) polymeric layer comprises a composition comprising one or more of a polymer or copolymer of ethylene, a polymer or copolymer of propylene, a copolymer of styrene acrylate, a copolymer of styrene butadiene, a copolymer of styrene isoprene, a copolymer of hydrogenated styrene butadiene, a copolymer of hydrogenated styrene isoprene, a copolymer of an ester of acrylic or methacrylic acid, a copolymer of vinyl acetate.
  9. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) depends from a fold line of a first wall of the outer wrapper, and wherein the second portion (72) of the outer wrapper depends from a fold line of a second wall of the outer wrapper, and wherein the second wall of the outer wrapper is opposite to the first wall.
  10. A container (1) for consumer goods according to claim 9, wherein the first wall of the outer wrapper is a front wall.
  11. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any of claims 9 to 10, wherein the second wall of the outer wrapper is a back wall.
  12. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim, wherein the first portion (71) of the wrapper fully overlies the first end of the housing (25), and/or wherein at the first end of the housing (25), the outer wrapper consists of the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) and the second portion (72) of the outer wrapper, and/or wherein the first portion (71) of the outer wrapper fully overlies the second portion (72) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801).
  13. A container (1) for consumer goods according to any preceding claim wherein each of the first portion (71) and second portion (72) depend from respective fold lines.
  14. A method of forming a container (1) for consumer goods, the method comprising the steps of: providing a housing (10) for consumer goods; providing an outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801), the outer wrapper comprising a cellulose based layer (40), wherein a heat sealable polymeric layer (41) is provided at least on an inner surface (44) of a first portion (71) of the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801); folding the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) around the housing (10) such that a first portion (71) of the outer wrapper overlies a second portion (72) of the outer wrapper at a first end (25) of the housing (10) to cover the first end (25) of the housing, wherein the first portion (71) forms a rectangular fold; and heating the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) to seal the heat sealable polymeric layer (41) on the housing, and wherein the step of heating the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) includes heating the outer wrapper to form a seal at the first end (25) of the container (1).
  15. A method according to claim 14, wherein heating the housing (10) and the outer wrapper (101, 101', 701, 801) comprises heating the housing the outer wrapper while applying pressure, to seal the outer wrapper on the housing.

Description

The present invention relates to a container for consumer goods and a method for forming a container for consumer goods. Containers according to the invention find particular application as containers for aerosol-generating articles or components of aerosol-generating articles. It is generally known to package aerosol-generating articles or other consumer goods in containers formed from folded cellulose-fiber based laminar blanks. Aerosol-generating articles, such as for example cigarettes, are commonly sold in hinge-lid packs having a box for housing the aerosol-generating articles and a lid connected to the box about a hinge line to open the pack and so gain access to the aerosol-generating articles held in the box. It is also known to package consumer goods in containers having housing around which an outer wrapper is wrapped to provide additional protection to the consumer goods in which the consumer goods are housed. One type of aerosol-generating article is a cigarette or a cigar. These typically comprise a rod of tobacco cut filler surrounded by a paper wrapper and a cylindrical filter aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the wrapped tobacco rod, with the filter attached to the tobacco rod by tipping paper. Other types of aerosol-generating articles include those in which an aerosol-forming substrate, such as tobacco, is heated rather than combusted. For example, electrically operated smoking systems typically include an aerosol-generating device having a housing for receiving an aerosol-generating article or a smoking article. A charger unit is usually provided either integrally with a primary device for receiving the aerosol-generating device or additionally to a primary device for receiving the aerosol-generating device. The charger unit is used to provide power to the aerosol-generating device, for example by charging a battery in the device. DE10129925 A1 (D1) relates to a cover for cigarette packaging. The cover (1) of D1 shown is slid over the packaging (2) and the four closure flaps (17, 18, 19, 20) are configured to overlap such that the packaging (2) is sealed off from the environment. The cover (1) comprises of a "second area" (5) that is opaque and falls directly above certain information on the packaging (2) such that the "second area" (5) is covering said information on the packaging (2). WO2022/012961 A2 (D2) relates to a method of making a container for consumer goods, the method comprising: forming a first multi-layer, the first multi-layer comprising a first cellulose based layer and a first polymeric layer; folding the first multi-layer to form a package comprising a lid portion and a box portion, the box portion and the lid portion being divided by an opening line, the lid portion being hinged to the box portion, the package defining a housing for the consumer goods, wherein the first multi-layer is folded such that the first polymeric layer is provided on an outer side of the first cellulose based layer; forming an outer wrapper, the outer wrapper comprising a second cellulose based layer and a second polymeric layer; wherein one of the first polymeric layer and second polymeric layer is a moisture barrier layer and the other of the first polymeric layer and second polymeric layer is a heat sealable layer; wrapping the package with the outer wrapper, the outer wrapper covering, at least in part, the opening line, wherein the wrapping is made so that the second polymeric layer is provided on an inner side of the second cellulose based layer; heating the package and the outer wrapper, to seal the outer wrapper on the package, forming the container. WO2014/195008 A2 (D3) relates to a (cigarette) pack made of sealing film, which has an opening structure that can be used multiple times in the area of an inner front wall (26). By using a closure label (30) that can be used multiple times and is fixed by adhesive bonding, a removal opening in the pack film can be opened. The closure label (30) has lateral stabilization strips (32) which, as original parts of the closure label (30), are separated therefrom during the first use of the closure label (30). The stabilization strips (32) effect shaping reinforcement in the area of the inner front wall (26) Furthermore, (lateral) sealing seams - side seams (15, 16) - are arranged in a special way in order to ensure the box-like contour of the pack. WO2018/134593 A1 (D4) relates to a wrapper for a tobacco products wherein the wrapper comprises a barrier material (3), and a cut-line (9) in the barrier material to form a tab arranged to be pulled so that a tear propagates from an end of the cut-line to form an extraction opening (19) in the barrier material. The barrier material includes a weakened region (20) having a width greater than the width of said cut-line and which extends in a direction across the end of said cut-line to control the direction of the tear propagating from the end of said cut-line. It is generally desirable to provi