Self-standing tobacco pouch

Abstract

A self-standing tobacco pouch formed from a pliable sheet material includes a bottom part forming a support foot to stand on a surface, a pouch wall extending from the bottom part to an entrance defined by an entrance rim, a curved or angled elongate shaping member, which is provided near or at a first rim part of the entrance rim to hold the first rim part in a curved or angled configuration. The shaping member has a bending stiffness which is larger than the bending stiffness of the sheet material. The entrance rim includes a second rim part located opposite to the first rim part. The second rim part is positionable in a first position at a distance from the first rim part to form an opened entrance and in a second position located in contact with the first rim part to form a closed entrance.

1 : A self-standing tobacco pouch formed from a pliable sheet material, said tobacco pouch comprising:
 a bottom part forming a support foot to stand on a surface;   a pouch wall extending from the bottom part to an entrance defined by an entrance rim; and   a curved or angled elongate shaping member, which is provided near or at a first rim part of the entrance rim to hold the first rim part in a curved or angled configuration;   wherein the shaping member has a bending stiffness which is larger than the bending stiffness of the sheet material;   wherein the entrance rim comprises a second rim part located opposite to the first rim part; and   wherein the second rim part is positionable in a first position wherein the second rim part is located at a distance from the first rim part to form an opened entrance and in a second position wherein the second rim part is located in contact with the first rim part to form a closed entrance.   
     
     
         2 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the curved or angled elongate shaping member is configured to hold its curved or angled configuration when the second rim part is positioned in the first position and when the second rim part is positioned in the second position. 
     
     
         3 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the second rim part in the first position has a curved configuration directed in the opposite direction of the curved or angled configuration of the shaping member. 
     
     
         4 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the second rim part in the second position has a curved or angled configuration directed in the same direction as the curved or angled configuration, respectively, of the shaping member. 
     
     
         5 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the second rim part in the second position has a shape which corresponds to the shape of the shaping member. 
     
     
         6 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member extends in the same direction as the first rim part. 
     
     
         7 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member comprises a first end, a second end and a centre section in the middle between the first end and second end, and the centre section is located at a distance from a straight line extending through the first end and second end. 
     
     
         8 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 7 , wherein the second rim part has a length and the distance between the first end and second end along said straight line is smaller than said length of the second rim part. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member has the shape of a continuous curve. 
     
     
         12 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member comprises at least two member parts extending under an angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         13 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaping member extends along between 35% to 50% of the total length of the entrance rim. 
     
     
         14 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the pouch wall comprises a first wall part and a second wall part, the first wall part and second wall part are sealed together at a first wall rim and a second wall rim, each of the first wall rim and second wall rim extends from the bottom part until the entrance rim, and the shaping member is located in the first wall part. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom part comprises a bottom rim surrounding an area of sheet material. 
     
     
         17 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 16 , wherein the bottom rim comprises a first bottom rim part and a second bottom rim part, each of the first bottom rim part and second bottom rim part extends from the first wall rim until the second wall rim. 
     
     
         18 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the bending stiffness of the shaping member is at least 2 times larger than the bending stiffness of the sheet material. 
     
     
         19 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco pouch comprises a zip-seal having a first zip strip and a cooperating second zip strip. 
     
     
         20 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 19 , wherein the first zip strip is provided near or at the shaping member. 
     
     
         21 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 19 , wherein the bending stiffness of the shaping member is larger than the bending stiffness of the first zip strip and larger than the bending stiffness of the second zip strip. 
     
     
         22 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 19 , wherein the bending stiffness of the shaping member is at least 2 times larger than the bending stiffness of the first zip strip and at least 2 times larger than the bending stiffness of the second zip strip. 
     
     
         23 : The self-standing tobacco pouch according to  claim 19 , wherein the bending stiffness of the first zip strip and the bending stiffness of the second zip strip are both determined at room temperature. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled)