Holders and containers for smokeless oral products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a holder (100) for oral smokeless products. The holder is configured for use in a container for oral smokeless products. The holder includes a holder unit (104) having a plurality of receiving parts (106) and a plurality of smokeless products, such as oral patches (102). The oral smokeless products are held in the receiving parts such that the oral smokeless products (102) are spaced apart from each other, preferably each oral smokeless product is held in one of the receiving parts. The present invention further relates to a container (118) for oral smokeless products, the container comprising a base part (120), a lid part (122), and a holder (100).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for oral smokeless products. The holder includes a holder unit having a plurality of receiving portions and a plurality of smokeless products, such as oral patches. The present invention further relates to a container for oral smokeless products, the container including a base portion, a lid portion, and a holder.

Background Art

[0002] Oral smokeless products, i.e., smokeless products for oral use, are well known in the art and include tobacco products and non-tobacco products.

[0003] Oral smokeless products are typically provided as pouch products that are subdivided and packed in a saliva-permeable porous packaging material that forms a pouch enclosing a filling material. The pouch material used for pouch products for oral use, also called packaging material, is generally a dry chemically bonded non-woven fabric containing regenerated cellulose fibers, such as viscose fibers. Oral smokeless products are typically used by consumers by placing them between the upper or lower gum and the lip and keeping them there for a limited period of time.

[0004] Oral smokeless products can further be provided as pouchless products, for example in the form of oral patches. The oral patch includes a carrier and an active agent and / or a flavor, and the carrier can be a fibrous carrier made of a water-insoluble non-woven material. The oral patch can further include a thickening agent.

[0005] It is desirable to store and transport oral smokeless products in a container. Traditionally, a pre-selected number of oral smokeless products have simply been allowed to roll into the container. They then end up in an arbitrary three-dimensional arrangement, which varies from container to container. There is also the possibility that an oral smokeless product may end up in an unfavorable position within the container, risking being trapped between the base and lid. In that case, it may be difficult to open the lid, and the trapped oral smokeless product may be damaged. There is also a potential risk of neighboring oral smokeless products sticking together. Another problem is that it is very difficult for a user to pick up only one oral smokeless product without touching its neighbors, which the user may consider unsanitary.

[0006] Furthermore, with conventional containers, oral smokeless products can roll around inside the container, for example, during transport, especially when the container is carried by the user in a pocket or bag. This risk increases when the user begins to consume the oral smokeless product from the container and only a portion of the original product remains. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2023 / 104774 brochure [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to overcome or improve upon at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above objectives can be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Modifications of the present invention are described in the dependent claims, in the following description and in the drawings.

[0010] Accordingly, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a holder for oral smokeless products is provided. The holder is configured for use in a container for oral smokeless products. The holder includes a holder unit having a plurality of receptacles and a plurality of oral smokeless products. The smokeless products are held in the receptacles such that the oral smokeless products are spaced apart from each other, preferably each oral smokeless product is held in one of the receptacles. In such cases, the number of receptacles is typically equal to the number of smokeless products. Less preferably, a holder as disclosed herein may alternatively have a configuration that allows two or more oral smokeless products to be held in each of the receptacles of the plurality of receptacles.

[0011] When using the holder according to the present invention, oral smokeless products are arranged and held in a predetermined configuration. In a preferred embodiment, where each oral smokeless product is placed in its corresponding receptacle, the products are easily grasped one by one without the risk of touching neighboring products. Even when two or more products are placed in their respective receptacles, the risk of inadvertently touching other products when removing a product from the holder can be significantly reduced. By using the holder according to the present invention, oral smokeless products are maintained in the appropriate location within the holder unit during their shelf life and usage period. Furthermore, the potential risk of oral smokeless products sticking together is reduced or avoided. In addition, the user of the container has a good overview of how many oral smokeless products remain in the container. The use of the holder offers greater freedom in designing the container compared to prior art containers for oral smokeless products. The layout of the holder unit can be chosen to provide an attractive appearance to the user.

[0012] The holder can be manufactured and / or sold together with the container as an integrated part, i.e., the manufacturer places the holder containing the oral smokeless product inside the container. Alternatively or supplementally, the holder can be sold as a separate unit, and the user can place it inside the container themselves (for example, as a refill unit). In that case, the container can be reused by replacing the empty holder (i.e., the holder from which the oral smokeless product has been consumed) with a new holder containing the oral smokeless product.

[0013] While containers specifically designed for oral smokeless products are generally preferred, other types of containers are also feasible. For example, holders can be provided with fastening means (e.g., adhesive) that allow them to be attached to any suitable container as desired by the user. Containers for oral smokeless products are appropriately sized. Appropriate size means sufficient to accommodate multiple oral smokeless products within the container, while still being small enough to fit in a pocket, handbag, etc. Containers (sometimes referred to as user containers) are typically configured to contain a range of 10 to 30 oral smokeless products (e.g., a range of 15 to 25). Furthermore, such containers are typically adapted to keep oral smokeless products fresh during their shelf life and use-life. Containers can, for example, have snap-fit ​​lids that provide a tight seal. Containers can be child-resistant or child-proof.

[0014] The container typically includes a combined base and lid. The base and lid can be separate units, or they can be connected by hinges. When the container is closed, the base and lid together form a housing, which encloses a holder and the oral smokeless product within the holder. The holder can be installed within the base and / or lid, and can be mounted, for example, permanently or detachably. The user will open the container and access the oral smokeless product inside, for example, by removing the lid.

[0015] The holder unit can be made from a foldable material (e.g., paper, cardboard, plastic sheet, or metal sheet), which can optionally be coated or laminated. The foldable material can be folded to achieve the desired three-dimensional shape of the holder unit with its receiving portion. Alternatively, or as a supplementary example, the holder unit can be manufactured in the desired three-dimensional shape by injection molding or thermoforming of a polymer-based or cellulose-based material, for example. The material of the holder unit may be recyclable. It can be selected to be the same material as the container in which it will be placed.

[0016] The geometric shape of the holder unit is preferably adapted to the internal shape of the container in which it is intended to be installed, for example, having a circular, square, or rectangular perimeter so that the holder unit fits snugly inside the container. Typically, the container is cylindrical, and a circular perimeter is suitable. Within the container, the base plane of the holder unit is typically parallel to the inner bottom surface and / or inner lid surface of the container. The holder unit preferably occupies at least 50%, more preferably at least 70%, and most preferably at least 90% of the inner bottom surface or inner lid surface of the container. In particular, the holder unit is not simply a central pillar. Therefore, the gap between the holder unit and the side wall of the container can be kept small. When installed in a base portion, the holder unit with its receiving portion is positioned so that the oral smokeless product is accessible from the container opening.

[0017] If the container includes a waste compartment (i.e., a compartment used to store used products), the holder can be sized to fit over the waste compartment, which is usually located inside the lid.

[0018] If the oral smokeless product has an elongated shape (for example, a substantially rectangular shape, i.e., having two long edges and two short edges) (for example, an oral pouch smokeless product), the oral smokeless product can be held in the receiving portion such that either the long edge or the short edge is parallel to the base plane of the holder unit.

[0019] Oral pouch smokeless products (which are a type of product that may be contained within the holders described herein) are typically packaged in small portions, i.e., each pouch contains a predetermined amount of filler material intended to form a portion of an appropriate size. Furthermore, pouch oral smokeless products are preferably relatively rigid when unused. Therefore, they may be able to maintain their shape without bending or collapsing in any other way when held within the holders disclosed herein.

[0020] The terms “for oral use” and “for oral use” are used herein in all contexts as describing use within the oral cavity (e.g., by buccal placement). Smokeless oral products as disclosed herein are intended for placement within the oral cavity (e.g., between the gums and the upper or lower lip), and the entire oral patch is intended to be contained within the oral cavity. Therefore, smokeless oral products as disclosed herein are intended to be completely contained within the oral cavity during use and are not intended to be swallowed.

[0021] As used herein, the term “tobacco” means any part of any member of the genus Nicotiana (e.g., leaves, stems, and stalks). Tobacco can be whole, shredded, threshed, cut, crushed, hardened, aged, fermented, or otherwise processed (e.g., granulated or encapsulated).

[0022] The term “tobacco material” is used herein for tobacco leaves or parts of leaves (e.g., leaf blades and stems). Leaves and parts of leaves can be pulverized (broken down) (e.g., crushed, cut, shredded, or threshed), and parts of leaves can be blended in defined proportions within the tobacco material.

[0023] The filling material can include fine tobacco material (e.g., ground tobacco material or cut tobacco, etc.). In addition to the tobacco material, the filling material can further include at least one of the following: water, salts (e.g., sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and any combination thereof), pH adjusters, flavoring agents, cooling agents, heating agents, sweetening agents, coloring agents, humectants (e.g., propylene glycol or glycerol), antioxidants, preservatives (e.g., potassium sorbate), binders, decomposition aids. In one example, the filling material includes or consists of fine tobacco material, salts (e.g., sodium chloride, etc.), and a pH adjuster.

[0024] Regarding oral pouch smokeless products having zero or low tobacco content with added nicotine, the nicotine in the filling material can be synthetic nicotine and / or nicotine extract from tobacco plants. In addition to or as an alternative to nicotine, the oral pouch smokeless product can include an active agent, and the active agent includes or consists of cannabinoids, caffeine, burdock, taurine and / or BCAA (branched-chain amino acids).

[0025] Smokeless oral pouches are typically sized and constructed to fit comfortably and discreetly in the user's mouth, between the upper or lower gums and lips. Generally, pouches for oral use have a rectangular shape. Some typical shapes (length × width) of commercially available oral pouches include, for example, 35mm × 20mm, 34 / 35mm × 14mm, 33 / 34mm × 18mm, 27 / 28mm × 14mm, 34mm × 10mm, and 38mm × 14mm. A typical oral pouch can have a maximum length ranging from 25mm to 40mm along the longitudinal direction of the product and a maximum width ranging from 5mm to 20mm along the transverse direction of the product. The thickness ("height") of the pouch is typically in the range of 2mm to 8mm. The total weight of commercially available pouch products for oral use typically ranges from approximately 0.3g to approximately 3.5g per pouch, for example, from approximately 0.5g to 1.7g.

[0026] Oral smokeless products can be pouchless products (for example, including or consisting of an oral patch). The oral patch includes a carrier and an activator and / or flavor, the carrier can be a fibrous carrier made of a water-insoluble nonwoven material. The oral patch may further include a thickener. Oral smokeless products can be, for example, those disclosed in Patent Document 1, which describes an oral smokeless product in the form of an oral patch including a carrier and an activator and / or flavor, where the carrier is a fibrous carrier made of a water-insoluble nonwoven material, and the oral patch further includes a thickener.

[0027] In the case where the smokeless product for oral use is an oral patch, the holder according to the present invention is a patch holder, and the patch holder includes a holder unit having a plurality of receiving portions and a plurality of smokeless products for oral use in the form of oral patches. The oral patches are held in the receiving portions such that the oral patches are spaced apart from each other, and preferably, each of the oral patches is held in one of the respective receiving portions. In such a case, the number of the plurality of receiving portions is equal to the number of the plurality of oral patches. Although less preferred, the patch holder as disclosed herein can alternatively have a configuration that allows two or more smokeless products for oral use to be held in each of the plurality of receiving portions.

[0028] The oral patch is an example of a pouchless smokeless product for oral use. The oral patch can have an oval shape, and the length measured in the longitudinal direction is greater than the width measured in the width direction. The smokeless product for oral use has a maximum width of 5 mm to 40 mm (such as 7 mm to 30 mm or 8 mm to 20 mm, etc.) in the width direction and a maximum length of 10 mm to 70 mm (such as 15 mm to 50 mm or 20 mm to 35 mm, etc.) in the longitudinal direction. To obtain an oval shape, a smaller width is applied to a smokeless product for oral use having a smaller length, and a larger width is applied to a smokeless product for oral use having a larger length. It may be preferable that the smokeless product for oral use has an oval shape with a maximum width within the range of 8 mm to 20 mm and a maximum length within the range of 20 mm to 35 mm. The thickness of the oral patch is generally significantly smaller than the thickness of an oral pouch product, and preferably, it is within the range of 0.7 mm to 1.5 mm. Also, such suitable dimensions are applicable to a pouchless smokeless product for oral use intended to be bent into a use configuration, and then, the dimensions are also applicable to the bent configuration of the pouchless smokeless product for oral use. The oral patch can have, for example, a modified rectangular shape with rounded corners, an oval shape, or an elliptical shape.

[0029] Pouchless oral smokeless products as disclosed herein may contain tobacco added to a carrier in the form of a tobacco extract. The tobacco extract can be obtained by immersing tobacco material in water or alcohol. Alternatively, or in addition to the above, tobacco may be incorporated into oral smokeless products as disclosed herein by incorporating tobacco fibers into the carrier.

[0030] Tobacco containing pouchless oral smokeless products is intended herein, but pouchless oral smokeless products as disclosed herein are preferably tobacco-free pouchless oral smokeless products (e.g., tobacco-free nicotine-containing pouchless oral smokeless products). In addition to nicotine, or as an alternative, pouchless oral smokeless products may contain activators, which include or consist of cannabinoids, caffeine, ginseng, taurine, and / or BCAAs (branched-linked amino acids).

[0031] Pouchless, smokeless oral products are preferably relatively rigid under unused conditions (i.e., dry conditions), making unused products easy to handle and place in the oral cavity. They may then be able to maintain their shape without bending or collapsing in any other way when held in a holder disclosed herein. When moistened by saliva in the oral cavity, the product softens and becomes pliable, conforming to the user's gums. Carriers for oral patches, such as those disclosed herein, can have a bending stiffness of 2N to 35N when measured according to the Circular Bend Procedure in ASTM D4032-08 (re-approved in 2016), with the modification that the test is performed on a single-layer sample.

[0032] Oral patches are found to be relatively rigid under unused conditions, having a higher average rigidity than the dry carrier, which is advantageous as it makes them easier to remove from the container and place in the mouth. The rigidity of oral patches can be increased by the presence of thickeners (e.g., alginates and acacia gum) and sugar alcohols (e.g., mannitol, maltitol, isomalt) in the carrier. While these contribute to the rigidity of the product in the pre-use stage, alginates and acacia gum soften and become gelatinous when wet, and sugar alcohols dissolve in saliva, resulting in a product with increased flexibility and conformability. Carriers in the form of nonwoven materials containing cellulose fibers (e.g., nonwoven materials containing viscose fibers) become soft when wet, thus further contributing to increased flexibility and conformability of the oral patch during use.

[0033] Nicotine compounds in nicotine-containing tobacco-free or low-tobacco-content oral smokeless products can be nicotine bases or nicotine salts, such as nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine ditartrate, nicotine ditartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulfate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate, nicotine salicylate, nicotine benzoate, or nicotine polarilex. Nicotine can be derived from tobacco materials or it can be synthetically produced nicotine.

[0034] Holder units such as those disclosed herein may be particularly useful for holding thin, smokeless oral products (e.g., oral patches) that may otherwise be difficult to remove one by one from a container. The product separation feature of the holder unit facilitates the removal of a single oral patch from the holder unit without the user having to pry apart stuck products or attempt to grasp a single product without touching other products in the container.

[0035] The oral patch can be held within the receiving portion in an orientation in which the cross-section has a maximum length parallel to the base plane of the holder unit, or in an orientation in which the cross-section has a maximum width parallel to the base plane of the holder unit, although other relative positions are also possible.

[0036] The holder unit may include, or be composed of, a flat or substantially flat plate, and the receiving portion is located within the plate. The outer circumference of the plate is preferably conformed to the internal shape of the container (e.g., circular, square, or rectangular). The base plane of the plate may be positioned at a distance from the inner bottom surface or inner lid surface of the container, for example, by distance elements or by bending.

[0037] Oral smokeless products (such as oral patches) can be held by the receiving portion so that they partially protrude above and partially below the base plane of the holder unit. Therefore, oral smokeless products can be easily grasped one by one without touching neighboring oral smokeless products, and they are held stably in the appropriate position within the receiving portion.

[0038] The holder unit may include, or be composed of, a plate that is folded and / or bent into a three-dimensional shape, for example, having three fold lines that form an inverted V-shaped cross-section, or having two fold lines and a bend that forms an inverted U-shaped cross-section. In that case, the three-dimensional shape of the folded and / or bent plate is preferably fitted inside a container (for example, having a circular, square, or rectangular perimeter). Thereafter, the holder unit can be stored in a flat state and transported to the manufacturing site, which is advantageous from a volume viewpoint, and then the holder unit can be shaped into a desired three-dimensional shape during the manufacture of the holder according to the present invention.

[0039] The receiving portion can be formed by a slot provided within the holder unit (for example, a slot provided in a plate as described herein). Such a slot forms a suitable receiving portion when the base plane of the holder unit is positioned apart from the inner bottom surface or inner lid surface of the container, for example, by distance elements or by bending.

[0040] As an alternative or supplementary example of a slot, the receiving portion can be formed by compartments between partitions protruding from the base plane of the holder unit, the partitions being contained within the holder unit. Preferably, the base plane of the holder unit is parallel to the inner bottom surface or inner lid surface of the container, and, for example, positioned above the inner bottom surface or inner lid surface. Preferably, the holder unit including the partitions forms a single coherent component. The partitions can be formed by bending or folding plates. As an alternative or supplementary example, the holder unit can achieve a desired three-dimensional shape by molding (for example, by injection molding or thermoforming of polymer-based or cellulose-based materials).

[0041] The receiving portion can be straight and / or curved when viewed from a top view of the holder unit (i.e., when viewed from the container opening). Purely as an example, the receiving portion can have a curvature that conforms to the geometry of the human mouth, and an oral smokeless product that fits inside the receiving portion can be pre-molded to fit comfortably in the user's mouth (for example, below the upper lip).

[0042] The receiving portion (for example, a slot and / or compartment as described herein) can have the same width along its entire length. Thereafter, the oral smokeless product can be held in the slot or compartment along its entire length.

[0043] The receiving portion may have a minimum width smaller than the maximum thickness of the oral smokeless product. The receiving portion may include an elastic wall portion and / or an elastic element (e.g., an elastic opening edge). The minimum width may be achieved by a retaining projection extending into the receiving portion. This helps to hold the oral smokeless product in the appropriate place within the receiving portion and prevents them from unintentionally falling out of the receiving portion (e.g., when the container is held in a position other than upright). This objective may be achieved by the material of the holder unit being elastic (e.g., plastic or cardboard). As an alternative or supplementary example, the partition may be made elastic by being slightly movable laterally (e.g., bendable). As a further alternative or supplementary example, the oral smokeless product (e.g., an oral patch) may be compressible itself.

[0044] The oral smokeless product can be held in an upright position relative to the base plane of the holder unit, i.e., the angle is 90° or substantially 90°. This facilitates gripping the oral smokeless product, thereby helping the user grip it without touching adjacent oral smokeless products.

[0045] As an alternative, oral smokeless products can be held in a non-upright position (i.e., an angled position having an angle with respect to the base plane of the holder unit, such as 30° to 89°, preferably 45° to 85°, more preferably 60° to 80°, rather than 90°). The non-upright position allows the use of containers of lower height compared to the upright position, the degree to which they can be lower depends on the chosen angle and the dimensions of the oral smokeless product.

[0046] The receiving portions can be spaced apart in a predetermined pattern, such as a radial pattern, a regular rectangular pattern, a zigzag rectangular pattern, a fan-shaped pattern, a wave-shaped pattern, or a turbine-shaped pattern, when viewed from a top view of the holder unit. The pattern can be a repeating pattern (i.e., the pattern cell is repeated multiple times to form the pattern). In that case, the pattern cell can contain one, two, three, or more receiving portions.

[0047] Oral smokeless products can be positioned at at least two different height levels within the holder unit. This allows for easier removal of oral smokeless products without touching neighboring oral smokeless products. For example, the receiving parts can be staggered in the height direction. Thus, oral smokeless products can protrude to different heights within the patch holder, for example, every other oral smokeless product being at a higher level, and the oral smokeless product positioned between them being at a lower level. The oral smokeless products at the higher levels can then be removed first, after which the oral smokeless products located at the lower levels become accessible / graspable.

[0048] The holder unit and / or oral smokeless product may include or consist of biodegradable materials (e.g., biodegradable plastics (e.g., PLA, PHB, etc.), cardboard, moldable or thermoformable fibrous / composite materials (e.g., fiber / PLA composite materials), etc.). Furthermore, the oral smokeless product may include or consist of biodegradable materials.

[0049] The holder according to the present invention may further include mounting means for removable or fixed attachment to a container. The mounting means may be self-adhesive adhesives and / or mechanical mounting means (e.g., snap-in means or hook-and-loop fasteners) (which is convenient for refill units). If the holder forms part of a disposable container, the holder may be attached to the lid or base portion of the container by adhesive, by snap-in means, or by welding.

[0050] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a container for an oral smokeless product is provided, the container comprising a base portion, a lid portion, and a holder as described herein. The base portion and the lid portion together form a housing, the housing enclosing the holder when the container is closed. The container may also include a compartment (also called a waste compartment) for used oral smokeless products (e.g., for used oral patches). The container is of the type described herein.

[0051] The holder unit can be located within either the base portion or the lid portion, and preferably, the holder unit is detachably or permanently attached to one of the base portion or the lid portion. Thus, the holder may include mounting means as described herein. Alternatively, the holder unit can be formed as an integral part of the base portion or the lid portion (e.g., molded or thermoformed into a single piece).

[0052] The smokeless oral product can extend to a height greater than or equal to the height of the side wall of the base portion or the lid portion where the holder unit is located when the container is in an open state. The portion of the smokeless oral product that protrudes above the side wall portion facilitates the user's grasping of a single smokeless oral product (e.g., an oral patch, etc.). Further, this enables access to the smokeless oral product from the side as well (i.e., not only from above). The protruding portion can protrude by a distance x within the range of 0≦x≦10mm, or 0≦x≦8mm, or 0<x≦5mm.

[0053] The container can be configured such that each of a plurality of smokeless products is accessible when the container is in an open state. Thereby, the user can freely take any one of the plurality of smokeless products. Thus, there is no need to take them in a specific order.

[0054] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using a holder as a replenishment unit in a container as described herein for replacing an empty holder unit. Then, the holder according to the present invention having such a holder unit including a plurality of smokeless products is used for replacing an empty holder unit by being installed in the container. Thereby, the remaining portion of the container according to the present invention can be reused. For example, the base portion and the lid portion of the container are reused, and a new holder including a plurality of smokeless products is installed in the base portion or the lid portion.

[0055] The present invention will be further described hereinafter by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0056] [Figure 1] It is a diagram illustrating a holder according to the present invention provided with a smokeless oral product in the form of an oral patch. [Figure 2] It is a diagram illustrating the holder unit of the holder of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the container with the holder shown in Figure 1 located inside the base of the container. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows a container with the holder located inside the lid. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates several different methods for arranging the receiving part within the holder unit. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the alternating pattern of the receptor area in a horizontal orientation. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the two sector-shaped patterns of the receiving portion. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the pattern of receiving parts that are staggered in the height direction. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates a holder according to the present invention, which is equipped with an oral smokeless product in the form of a pouch-type oral smokeless product. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates another holder according to the present invention, which is equipped with an oral smokeless product in the form of a pouch oral smokeless product. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0057] It should be noted that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the dimensions of some features of the present invention may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0058] The present invention will be illustrated below by embodiments. However, it should be recognized that the embodiments are included to illustrate the principles of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Details from two or more of the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0059] Figure 1 illustrates a holder 100 for an oral smokeless product 102 according to the present invention. The holder 100 includes a holder unit 104 (shown in Figure 2) having a plurality of receiving parts 106.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, the oral smokeless product takes the form of a plurality of oral patches 102, and a holder 100 forms a patch holder. The holder 100 is configured to be placed in a container for the oral smokeless product, such as the container illustrated in Figures 3 to 5, which is further described below. The oral patches 102 are held in receptacles 106, and the oral patches 102 are arranged to be spaced apart from one another. Typically, the number of receptacles 106 matches the number of oral patches 102, as in the illustrated embodiment. Thus, each oral patch 102 is held in one of the receptacles 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacles 106 have the same width along their entire length.

[0061] In the illustrated embodiment, the holder unit 104 is formed from a plate 108, which is bent along three fold lines 110a, 110b, and 110c, and has an inverted V-shaped cross-section. After bending, the plate 108 has a circular perimeter, which is designed to fit well into a typical cylindrical container for oral smokeless products, the container of which can be of a standard type, see Figures 3 and 4 showing the holder 100 being installed in the containers 118, 118' in two different ways.

[0062] The receiving portion 106 is formed by slots 112 fabricated within the plate 108. The plate material between the slots 112 forms partitions 114 that protrude from the base plane 116 of the holder unit 104. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the partitions 114 have an inverted V-shaped cross-section. As a result, the receiving portion 106 is formed as a compartment between the protruding partitions 114. By forming the receiving portion 106 by bending the plate 108, the holder unit 104 with its partitions 114 forms a single, orderly component. The base plane 116 is formed by the main portion of the plate 108.

[0063] To maintain oral smokeless products (i.e., oral patches 102 in the illustrated embodiment) in the appropriate location within the holder unit 104, it is preferable that they be held under tension by the receiving portion 106. Therefore, the receiving portion 106 can have a minimum width smaller than the maximum thickness of the oral smokeless product. The receiving portion 106 can include elastic walls and / or elastic elements (e.g., elastic opening edges). As an alternative or supplementary example, the partition 114 can be made elastic by being slightly movable laterally. As a further alternative or supplementary example, the oral smokeless product (e.g., oral patch 102) may be compressible itself.

[0064] Figure 3 illustrates the holder 100 of Figure 1 installed inside the container 118 for the oral smokeless product according to the present invention, with the container 118 in an open state. The container 118 includes a base portion 120 and a lid portion 122, as well as the holder 100 of Figure 1, which includes the oral patch 102. When the container 118 is closed, the base portion 120 and the lid portion 122 together form a housing, which surrounds the holder 100 with the oral patch 102. The holder 100 is located inside the base portion 120, with the base plane 116 positioned on the inner bottom surface 124 of the container 118. The user opens the container 118 and accesses the oral smokeless product 102 inside the container 118. Since the oral smokeless products 102 are spaced apart from each other, it is easy to grasp a single product without touching a neighboring oral smokeless product 102, and furthermore, neighboring oral smokeless products 102 are stably held in the appropriate position within the receiving portion 106.

[0065] In an alternative embodiment of the container 118' according to the present invention illustrated in Figure 4, the holder 100 is instead installed, as an alternative example, inside the lid portion 122'. The base plane 116 (formed by the main portion of the plate 108) is located on the inner lid surface 126 of the container 118. The oral smokeless products (i.e., oral patches 102) are held under tension in the receiving portion 106 so that they remain in place even when the lid portion 122 is returned to the container 118. If the container 118' includes a waste compartment (i.e., a compartment used to store used products), as in the illustrated container 118', the holder 100 can be sized to fit over the waste compartment, which is typically located inside the lid portion 122.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 4, when the holder 100 is installed in the lid portion 122, the smokeless oral product (i.e., the oral patch 102) extends beyond the height h of the side wall portion 128 of the lid portion 122 when the container 118 is in an open state. The portion protruding above the side wall portion 128 facilitates the user to grasp a single smokeless oral product (such as the oral patch 102). In addition, this enables access to the smokeless oral product 102 from the side as well (i.e., not only from above). The protruding portion can protrude above the side wall portion 128 by a distance x in the range of 0 ≦ x ≦ 10 mm, or 0 ≦ x ≦ 8 mm, or 0 < x ≦ 5 mm.

[0067] Correspondingly, when the holder 100 is installed in the base portion 120, it is possible to have a base portion 122 with a low side wall, and the smokeless oral product 102 can protrude above the side wall of the base portion 120, and thus it can be grasped from the side.

[0068] In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the containers 118, 118' are configured such that each of the plurality of smokeless products 102 is accessible when the containers 118, 118' are in an open state. Thereby, the user can freely take any one of the plurality of smokeless products 102. Therefore, there is no need to take them in a specific order.

[0069] The holder 100 according to the present invention may further include mounting means for removable or fixed attachment to containers 118, 118' (not shown). If the holder 100 is to be used as a refill unit, the holder unit 104 may be attached to the base portion 120 or lid portion 122' by self-adhesive adhesive and / or snap-in means. If the holder 100 forms part of disposable containers 118, 118', the holder unit 104 may be attached to the base portion 120 or lid portion 122 by adhesive, snap-in means, or welding. Alternatively, the holder unit 104 may form an integral part of the containers 118, 118'.

[0070] Figures 5a to 50, 6, and 7 illustrate several different ways of arranging the receiving parts within the holder unit. In this arrangement, the receiving parts are spaced apart in a predetermined pattern when viewed from above.

[0071] Three of the examples illustrate patterns with circular geometric shapes, such as radial patterns as shown in Figures 5a and 5e, or turbine-shaped patterns as shown in Figure 5b. These patterns are regular, meaning the pattern cells repeat. In these examples, a pattern cell containing a single receiving portion repeats 20 times.

[0072] The receptacle can be straight and / or curved when viewed from a top view of the holder unit (i.e., from the container opening). Examples of curved receptacles are shown in Figures 5b and 5f. The curvature of the receptacle can be adapted to the geometry of the human mouth, and oral smokeless products that fit into the receptacle can be pre-molded to fit comfortably in the user's mouth (for example, below the upper lip).

[0073] Figures 5i and 5k show examples of regular rectangular patterns. In the pattern of Figure 5k, the oral patch is held in an upright position within the receptacle, while in Figure 5i, the oral patch is held in an angled position within the receptacle, where the angle with respect to the base plane 116 is different from 90° and is, for example, in the range of 30° to 89°, preferably 45° to 85°, and more preferably 60° to 80°. The non-upright position allows for the use of a lower height of the container compared to the upright position. How low it can be depends on the angle chosen and the dimensions of the oral smokeless product.

[0074] Figures 5n and 6 illustrate an example of a zigzag rectangular pattern, where every other oral patch protrudes to the left relative to its two nearest neighbors, and those two nearest neighbors instead protrude to the right. Thus, the oral patches are staggered laterally. This makes it even easier to grasp a single product without touching its neighbors, compared to a regular rectangular pattern.

[0075] Figures 5j, 5l, and 7 illustrate a fan-shaped pattern in which the oral patch is positioned with a gap at one end of the receiving area compared to the other end. This makes it even easier to grasp a single product without touching its neighbors, compared to those with parallel receiving areas.

[0076] Figure 8 illustrates an example where oral smokeless products are arranged at two different height levels within a holder unit (i.e., staggered in the height direction), with every other oral smokeless product at the higher level and the products positioned between them at the lower level. The oral smokeless products at the higher levels can then be removed first, after which the oral smokeless products at the lower levels become accessible / graspable. This makes it possible to provide easier removal of oral smokeless products without touching neighboring oral smokeless products.

[0077] Figures 5a–50, 6, and 7 show only examples in which the holder includes an oral patch, but the present invention is also applicable to other types of oral smokeless products, such as oral pouch products depicted in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 illustrates a radial pattern having a circular geometric shape, while Figure 10 illustrates a rectangular geometric shape having a regular rectangular pattern.

[0078] The receiving portion (which is a slot and / or compartment as described herein) can have the same width along its entire length. Thereafter, the oral smokeless product can be held in the slot or compartment along its entire length.

[0079] Further modifications of the present invention are feasible within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered limited by the embodiments and drawings described herein. Rather, the entire scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims, with reference to the description and drawings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 100 holders 102 Smokeless oral products, oral patches 104 Holder Unit 106 Receptor part 108 Plates 110a, 110b, 110c Folding lines 112 slots 114 partitions 116 Base Plane 118 Container 118' container 120 Base part 122 Lid part 122' Lid part 124 Inner bottom surface 126 Inner lid surface 128 Side wall section h Height of the side wall x distance

Claims

1. A holder (100) for an oral smokeless product (102), wherein the holder (100) is configured to be used in a container (118) for an oral smokeless product (102), and the holder (100) is - A holder unit (104) having multiple receiving parts (106), - Multiple smokeless products (102) and Equipped with, The holder (100) is such that the oral smokeless products (102) are held in the receiving portion (106) such that they are spaced apart from each other, preferably each of the oral smokeless products (102) is held in the respective receiving portion (106) of the receiving portion (106).

2. The holder (100) according to claim 1, wherein the oral smokeless product is a pouchless oral smokeless product and includes, for example, an oral patch (102), or consists of an oral patch (102).

3. The holder (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holder unit (104) includes a flat or substantially flat plate or is composed of the plate (108), and the receiving portion (106) is disposed on the plate (108).

4. The holder unit (104) includes or is composed of a plate (108) that is folded and / or bent into a three-dimensional shape, wherein the plate (108) has, for example, three fold lines (110a, 110b, 110c) that form an inverted V-shaped cross-section, or two fold lines and a bent portion that form an inverted U-shaped cross-section, the holder (100) according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiving portion (106) is formed by a slot (112) in which the holder unit (104) is provided.

6. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the receiving portion (106) is formed by compartments between partitions (114) protruding from the base plane (116) of the holder unit (104), the partitions (114) are included in the holder unit (104), and preferably the holder unit (104) with the partitions (114) forms a single, orderly component.

7. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the receiving portion (106) is straight and / or curved when viewed from a top view of the holder unit (104).

8. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the receiving portion (106) has the same width along its entire length.

9. The receiving portion (106) has a minimum width smaller than the maximum thickness of the oral smokeless product (102), and preferably the receiving portion (106) includes an elastic wall portion and / or an elastic element, such as an elastic opening edge portion, according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the oral smokeless product (102) is held in an upright or angled position with respect to the base plane (116) of the holder unit (104), for example, in the range of 30° to 89°, preferably 45° to 85°, and more preferably 60° to 80°.

11. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiving portion (106) is arranged at intervals in a predetermined pattern, such as a radial pattern, a regular rectangular pattern, a zigzag rectangular pattern, a fan-shaped pattern, a wave-shaped pattern, or a turbine-shaped pattern, when viewed from a top view of the holder unit (104).

12. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the oral smokeless product (102) is arranged at at least two different height levels within the holder unit (104).

13. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the holder unit (104) and / or the oral smokeless product (102) comprises or is made of a biodegradable material.

14. The holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising mounting means for a removable or fixed attachment to the container (118), preferably the mounting means being a self-adhesive adhesive and / or snap-in means.

15. A container (118) for an oral smokeless product (102), wherein the container (118) is - Base part (120) and, - The lid part (122), - A holder (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and Equipped with, The base portion (120) and the lid portion (122) together form a housing, the housing which surrounds the holder (100) when the container (118) is closed.

16. The container (118) according to claim 15, wherein the holder unit (104) is located within either the base portion (120) or the lid portion (122), and preferably the holder unit (104) is detachably or permanently attached to either the base portion (120) or the lid portion (122).

17. The container (118) according to claim 15, wherein the holder unit (104) forms an integral part of the base portion (120) or the lid portion (122).

18. The container (118) according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the oral smokeless product (102) extends above the height of the base portion (120) or the side wall portion (128) of the lid portion (122) where the holder unit (104) is located when the container (118) is in an open state.

19. The container (118) according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein each of the plurality of smokeless products is accessible when the container (118) is open.

20. A method of using the holder according to any one of claims 1 to 14 as a refill unit in the container according to any one of claims 15 to 19 for replacing an empty holder unit (104).

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