Packaging of confectionery items

Abstract

Packaging of a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack comprises a sheet wrapper that encases the stack. The wrapper is formed into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosing a respective axial end of the stack. A tear guide to assist a user in opening the packaging extends about the axis and is positioned at least partially within one of the end cap regions. The tear guide may be defined by lines of weakness in the wrapper which may be formed by laser etching. A method of packing a stack of confectionery items is also disclosed.

1 . Packaging of a stack of confectionery pellets having a longitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack, the packaging comprising a sheet wrapper that encases the stack, the wrapper being formed into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosing a respective axial end of the stack, the wrapper further comprising a tear guide to assist a user in opening the packaging by tearing the wrapper along a line, in which said tear guide extends about the axis; characterized in that the tear guide comprises an outer longitudinal edge and an inner longitudinal edge, the tear guide being positioned such that at least the outer longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located within one of the end cap regions. 
     
     
         2 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the wrapper is folded about the stack and, prior to folding, the sheet wrapper has opposing side edges that are aligned substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stack and opposing longitudinal end portions which project beyond their respective ends of the stack, the wrapper being folded circumferentially about the stack to form the side wall portion which encircles the stack with the opposing side edges overlapping and each of said longitudinal end portions of the wrapper being formed into flaps which are folded to overlie a respective end of the stack to form the end cap regions of the wrapper, in which at least some of the flaps forming each of the end cap regions overlap one another and the tear guide extends across at least two overlapping flaps in the end region. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located in the side wall portion of the wrapper. 
     
     
         5 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 4 , in which the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located no more than 3 mm from the edge of the end cap regions, preferably the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located no more than 2 mm, and especially no more than 1.5 mm from the edge of the end cap regions. 
     
     
         6 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is also located in said one of the end cap regions. 
     
     
         7 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the tear guide is formed by affixing a strip of a material to an inner surface of the wrapper, the strip being made of a material that is stronger than the material of the remainder of the wrapper. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 7 , in which the strip comprises a polymeric, preferably a plastics, material. 
     
     
         10 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the tear guide is defined between two spaced lines of weakness which extend across at least part of the width of the wrapper. 
     
     
         11 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the lines of weakness are formed on an inner surface of the wrapper by means of etching. 
     
     
         12 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 11 , in which the lines of weakness are formed on the inner surface of the wrapper by means of laser etching. 
     
     
         13 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the tear guide is formed substantially parallel to a first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper, prior to the wrapper being formed about the stack, the outer longitudinal edge of the tear guide being spaced from a first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm and the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide from the first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the tear guide only partially encircles at least part of said one of the end cap regions. 
     
     
         20 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the confectionery pellets are chewing gum pellets. 
     
     
         25 . A method of packaging a stack of confectionary pellets having a longitudinal axis extending through all the pellets in the stack, the method comprising:
 positioning a sheet wrapper adjacent a stack of confectionary pellets, the wrapper having a tear guide for assisting a user in opening the packaging by tearing the wrapper along a line; forming the wrapper into a side wall portion which encircles the stack about the longitudinal axis and two end cap regions, each end cap region enclosing a respective axial end of the stack; in which the tear guide has an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge and the method further comprises positioning the tear guide so that it extends about the axis with at least the outer longitudinal edge of the guide being located within the end cap regions of the wrapper when the wrapper is fully formed.   
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the wrapper has opposing side edges and opposing longitudinal end edge portions and the method further comprises:
 positioning the wrapper so that the side edges are aligned substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the stack and so that opposing longitudinal end edge portions of the wrapper project beyond their respective ends of the stack; folding the wrapper circumferentially about the stack to form the side wall portion which encircles the stack with the opposing side edges overlapping and forming each of said longitudinal ends of the wrapper into flaps which are folded so as to overlie a respective end of the stack to form the end cap regions of the wrapper, in which at least some of the flaps forming each of the end cap regions are folded so as to over lap one another and the tear guide is positioned so that it extends across at least two overlapping flaps in said one end cap region.   
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , the method further comprising:
 positioning the tear strip so that the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is located in the side wall portion of the wrapper.   
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , the method further comprising positioning the tear guide so that the inner longitudinal edge of the guide is no more than 3 mm from the edge of the end cap regions, preferably the method comprises positioning the tear guide so that the inner longitudinal edge is no more than 2 mm and especially no more than 1.5 mm from the edge of the end cap regions. 
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the method comprises positioning the tear guide so that both the outer and the inner longitudinal edges are located within the end cap regions of the wrapper. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , the method comprising forming a tear guide in the wrapper which extends only part way across the width of the wrapper from a first side edge so that in the completed wrapper it only partially encircles at least part of the said end cap regions. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the method comprises forming a tear guide in the wrapper by affixing a strip of a material to an inner surface of the wrapper. 
     
     
         34 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the method comprises forming two spaced lines of weakness in the wrapper, which lines of weakness extend at least part way across the width of the wrapper to define the tear guide between them. 
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the lines of weakness are formed on an inner surface of the wrapper by means of etching. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 35 , in which the lines of weakness are formed by means of laser etching the inner surface of the wrapper 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the method comprises forming the tear guide in the wrapper so that an outer longitudinal edge of the tear guide is spaced from a first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm and the inner longitudinal edge of the tear guide is spaced from the first longitudinal end edge of the wrapper by a distance in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm. 
     
     
         40 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the method is adapted for packaging chewing gum pellets. 
     
     
         48 - 71 . (canceled) 
     
     
         72 . Packaging as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the tear guide extends in a path that is curvilinear.