Label having tear strip

Abstract

Articles of manufacture, products, and packaging methods are provided that include a label with a tear strip. A labeled container includes a base, a lid, and a label sealing the base to the lid. The base includes a bottom wall and a base side wall. The lid includes a top wall and a lid skirt. The lid mates with the base to define an interior space. The label has a front face and a rear face. The label includes an outer web including polymer film, paper, or a combination thereof and an inner web of polymer. A tear strip is defined in the inner web by one or more weakened portion, score lines, or cuts in the inner web. The rear face of the label is adhesively bonded to the base side wall and to the lid skirt to form a seal between the base and the lid. The tear strip is positioned between a portion of the label adhesive bonded to the base side wall and a portion of the label adhesively bonded to the lid skirt. The tear strip can be used to open the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A labeled container defining an interior space, the container comprising:
 a base comprising a bottom wall and a base side wall;   a lid comprising a top wall and a lid skirt, the lid mating with the base to define an interior space; and   a label having a front face and a rear face, the label comprising an outer web comprising a polymer film, paper, or a combination thereof and an inner web comprising polymer, the inner web comprising a tear strip being defined by one or more weakened portion, score lines, or cuts in the inner web, the rear face of the label being adhesively bonded to the base side wall and to the lid skirt to form a seal between the base and the lid, the tear strip being positioned between a portion of the label adhesive bonded to the base side wall and a portion of the label adhesively bonded to the lid skirt.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein smokeless tobacco is in the interior space. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein non-tobacco product is in the interior space. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom wall includes truncated cone shape. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base or the lid comprise polymer, paperboard, metal, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the outer web defines a pull tab aligned with at least a portion of the tear strip. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the pull tab protrudes from a side edge of the label. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the pull tab is defined by one or more cuts in the outer web. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the tear strip extends along an entire length of outer the outer web. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the label is designed to leave a hinge portion of the label after the container is opened by using the tear strip. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the hinge portion is defined by a side edge of the label, a cut in the outer web perpendicular to the tear strip, the portion of the label adhesive bonded to the base side wall, and the portion of the label adhesively bonded to the lid skirt. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the hinge portion of the label is covered by an opposite side portion of the label prior to opening the labeled container. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the tear strip does extend past the cut in the outer web. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the tear strip does not extend along the hinge portion. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the inner web is adhesively bonded to a rear face of the web. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein a rear face of the inner web is adhesively bonded to the lid skirt, the base side wall, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the tear strip is not adhesively bonded to the hinge portion of the outer web. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a front face of the outer web includes printed characters, symbols, warnings, or other indicia. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the label hermetically seals the interior space of the container. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making one or more labels comprising:
 printing on a front face of a first web comprising a polymer film, paper, or a combination thereof;   applying adhesive to a rear face of the web;   bonding a second web a rear face of the first web to create a label, wherein the second web defines a tear strip with one or more weakened portion, score lines, or cuts in the second web; and   applying a rear face of the label to a container or to a release sheet.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the rear face of the label is bonded to a container including a base and a lid, wherein the rear face of the label is bonded to a portion of the base and a portion of the lid such that the container is sealed with the label, wherein the tear strip is positioned between the portion of the label adhesive bonded to the base and the portion of the label adhesively bonded to the lid skirt. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the container is filled with smokeless tobacco prior to applying the label to the container. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , where multiple labels are applied to a release sheet.