Smoking Article Pouch Fin-Seal Layout for Moisture Barrier Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smoking article packaging solutions fail to provide a reliable moisture barrier while minimizing bulkiness and using environmentally friendly materials, often compressing the contents during sealing and lacking in ease of opening.
Innovation Solution
A cuboidal pouch with fin seals and a tear tape, where the first fin seal overlaps with only two other layers, minimizing overlap and bulkiness, and a cellulose-based wrapper with a moisture barrier coating, ensuring a high-quality seal and easy opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If lap seals are used to seal the pouch, then the sealing process is simple, but the smoking articles are compressed during sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing process is divided into two distinct stages: first, the wrapper is folded back to form fin seals that define the pouch boundaries; second, adhesive is applied only to the outer surface of the fin seals to bond the wrapper layers together. This segmentation allows the sealing action to occur without compressing the contents, as the adhesive bonds the wrapper to itself rather than pressing down on the articles.
2Reliability
If the first fin seal overlaps with all layers of the wrapper at the side portions, then the seal is secure, but the pouch bulkiness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first fin seal is designed with non-uniform overlap: at the center portions, it overlaps with only two layers of the wrapper, while at the side portions, it overlaps with three layers. This local variation in overlap quality provides sufficient sealing reliability at the critical side portions without creating excessive bulkiness throughout the entire seal structure.
3Reliability
If a sealed pouch is used to prevent moisture ingress, then product quality is maintained, but the packaging material bulkiness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch is constructed using a thin, flexible wrapper material that is folded and sealed to form a cuboidal shape. The fin seal structure creates a compact, space-efficient pouch that provides effective moisture barrier protection without the bulkiness associated with traditional rigid containers or thick-walled pouches.
4Reliability
If traditional sealing methods are used, then the pouch is sealed, but the ease of opening is poor
Solution Approach 1:
A tear tape is attached to the outer surface of the pouch, extending through the first fin seal at the front. This preliminary preparation of an opening mechanism allows users to easily open the pouch by pulling the tear tape, which initiates a controlled tearing action along the fin seal without compromising the integrity of the sealed portions.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A package (10) for collating a plurality of smoking articles is disclosed. The package comprises a substantially cuboidal pouch (32) comprising: a front major portion (110); a rear major portion (112); a top minor portion (114); a bottom minor portion (116); a first side portion (118); and a second side portion (120), wherein the pouch is made from material configured and sealed to prevent the ingress of moisture into the pouch, wherein the pouch is formed from a wrapper (122) that is folded and sealed by: a first fin seal (104) extending along the length of the front major portion; a second fin seal (106) extending along the length of the top minor portion; and a third fin seal (108) extending along the length of the bottom minor portion. The first fin seal is folded to overlap with each of the second fin seal and the third fin seal, and wherein the first fin seal is arranged at a distance from each side portion such that, at each overlap with the second fin seal and the third fin seal, the first fin seal only overlaps with two other layers of the wrapper. The package further comprises a tear tape (34) attached to the pouch and extending along the front major portion, the first side portion, the rear major portion, and the second side portion in a transverse direction with respect to the length of the pouch, wherein a line of weakening (64) is formed in the pouch parallel to the tear tape such that the pouch may be at least partially opened along the line of weakening when the tear tape is pulled by a user.