Easy open ream wrap

Abstract

A ream wrap package formed by wrapping a sheet of polymeric film ( 21 ) around a stack of paper, the sheet having been severed from a web polymeric film having at least one line of weakness formed therein in the machine direction (MD) and within a region of the transverse direction (TD), to form a rectangular tube with sides overlapping, sealing one side to the other to form a girth seal ( 24 ), closing the tube at each end to form an envelope seal with tucked in ends and overlapping flaps ( 25, 25′, 26, 26 ′), at least one of which is trapezoidal, so that in the formed package there is at least one line of weakness ( 27 ) extending along the whole length of a surface of the package outside the girth seal, positioned so that it terminates at each end of the package within a region of the TD defined by that portion of the overlapping flaps where there are only two layers of the overlapping film

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A ream wrap package formed by wrapping a sheet of polymeric film around a stack of paper, the sheet having been severed from a web of polymeric film having a first line of weakness formed therein in the machine direction (MD) on a first surface of the package and within a region of the transverse direction (TD) and a second line of weakness provided on the same or the other surface of the package, the package being formed by wrapping the sheet around the stack of paper to form a rectangular tube with sides overlapping, sealing one side to the other to form a girth seal, closing the tube at each end to form an envelope seal with tucked in ends and overlapping flaps, at least one of which is trapezoidal, so that in the formed package the first line of weakness is provided on one surface of the package terminating at the ends of the outer flaps and extending along the whole length of that surface of the package outside the girth seal, and the second line of weakness is provided on the same or the other surface of the package and extending to the end of each flap of the envelope seal formed by folding in that surface, the first line of weakness being positioned so that it terminates at each end of the package within a region of the TD defined by that portion of the overlapping flaps where there are only two layers of overlapping film, the first and second lines of weakness being within a region defined by that portion of the overlapping flaps where there are only two layers of film. 
     
     
         21 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 20 , wherein both overlapping flaps are trapezoidal. 
     
     
         22 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 20 , wherein the first and second lines of weakness are provided on the same surface of the package and are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         23 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 20 , wherein the first and second lines of weakness are provided on the same surface of the package and wherein the other surface of the package is provided with a pair of lines of weakness. 
     
     
         24 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 23 , wherein each line of weakness in the pair co-aligns with a corresponding line of weakness on the first surface of the package. 
     
     
         25 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 23 , wherein one line of weakness of the pair is provided towards one TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition, and the other line of weakness of the pair is provided towards the opposite TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition. 
     
     
         26 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 23 , wherein one line of weakness of the pair is provided towards one TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition, and the other line of weakness of the pair is provided towards the opposite TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition. 
     
     
         27 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 23 , wherein both lines of weakness of the pair are provided towards one TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition. 
     
     
         28 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 24 , wherein both lines of weakness of the pair are provided towards one TD end of the film in its unwrapped condition. 
     
     
         29 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 20 , wherein the lines are arranged on both surfaces so that the first line of weakness on one surface where it extends into the flaps on that surface co-aligns with the second line of weakness as it extends into the flaps on the other surface. 
     
     
         30 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 21 , wherein the lines are arranged on both surfaces so that the first line of weakness on one surface where it extends into the flaps on that surface co-aligns with the second line of weakness as it extends into the flaps on the other surface. 
     
     
         31 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 20 , further comprising opening means that enables the package to be opened by initiating tearing along the lines of weakness. 
     
     
         32 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 31 , wherein the opening means comprises a tab formed in or adhered to the wrapped sheet. 
     
     
         33 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 22 , further comprising opening means that enables the package to be opened by initiating tearing along the lines of weakness. 
     
     
         34 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 33 , wherein the opening means comprises a tab formed in or adhered to the wrapped sheet. 
     
     
         35 . The ream wrap package according to  claims 20 , wherein the ream wrap package is formed from a sheet of film provided with a heat sealable coating. 
     
     
         36 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 35 , comprising means to initiate tearing provided by an area within or about the, any or each of the lines of weakness at the outer end of one or both pairs of flaps which is printed or overlacquered so that when the flaps are sealed together, the printed or overlacquered area forms a weaker part of the envelope seal. 
     
     
         37 . The ream wrap package according to  claims 22 , wherein the ream wrap package is formed from a sheet of film provided with a heat sealable coating. 
     
     
         38 . The ream wrap package according to  claim 37 , comprising means to initiate tearing provided by an area within or about the, any or each of the lines of weakness at the outer end of one or both pairs of flaps which is printed or overlacquered so that when the flaps are sealed together, the printed or overlacquered area forms a weaker part of the envelope seal.