Reclosable container

Abstract

A reclosable container for consumer items includes a box, a lid hingedly connected to the box, an inner liner wrapped around the consumer items, the inner liner including a section defining an opening for allowing access to the consumer items, means to open and reclose the opening, and an inner frame attached to the box. The inner frame includes a free inner frame portion protruding from the box towards the opening in the inner liner. The free inner frame portion includes a cut out and the inner frame is attached to the inner liner proximate to the cut out.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A reclosable container for consumer items comprising: a box; a lid, the lid being hingedly connected to the box; an opening for allowing internal access; and an inner frame attached to the box, wherein the inner frame includes a lower portion adhered to an inside surface of the box and an upper portion enclosed within the lid, the upper portion of the inner frame including a cut out extending from an upper free end of the inner frame to a location intermediate upper and lower ends of the lid. 
     
     
         2 . The reclosable container of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner liner made from a material with a bending stiffness ranging from about 4.5 N/m to about 12 N/m. 
     
     
         3 . The reclosable container of  claim 2 , wherein the inner liner comprises a layer of paper having a weight ranging from about 80 grams per square meter to about 150 grams per square meter and a layer of aluminum having a thickness ranging from about 8 μm to about 20 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The reclosable container of  claim 2 , wherein the inner liner comprises a three component laminate of polypropylene—aluminum—polypropylene, the polypropylene having a paper weight ranging from about 20 grams per square meter to about 50 grams per square meter and the aluminum layer having a thickness ranging from about 8 μm to about 20 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The reclosable container of  claim 1 , further comprising a label configured to open and reclose the opening, the label extending at least over the opening and having a tacky portion. 
     
     
         6 . The reclosable container of  claim 5 , wherein the tacky portion provides a low tack connection. 
     
     
         7 . The reclosable container of  claim 2 , wherein a section of the inner liner defines the opening and is bounded by at least one line of weakness, and wherein a label configured to open and close the opening has a permanent attachment portion, the permanent attachment portion of the label and the section of the inner liner defining the opening being connected by a high tack connection. 
     
     
         8 . The reclosable container of  claim 7 , wherein the section of the inner liner defining the opening is located in a top panel of the inner liner. 
     
     
         9 . The reclosable container of  claim 8 , wherein the section of the inner liner defining the opening is located in the top panel and extends into a front panel of the inner liner. 
     
     
         10 . The reclosable container of  claim 8 , wherein the label extends essentially over the entire width of the top panel of the inner liner.