Packaging unit having improved sealing and a method of forming a packaging unit having improved sealing

Abstract

A packaging unit for hygiene articles is formed from a sheet of material having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface includes an edge zone including an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion. The sheet has at least one folding axis dividing the sheet into a first region and a second region. The inner edge portion and the outer edge portion of the edge zone of the first region is provided with adhesive, and the other of the inner edge portion and the outer edge portion of the edge zone of the first region is adhesive-free. Further, one of the inner edge portion and the outer edge portion of the edge zone of the second region is provided with adhesive, and the other is adhesive-free in a complementary manner to the edge zone of the first region.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A packaging unit for hygiene articles, the unit being formed from a sheet of material, said sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising an edge zone comprising an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion, said sheet having two folding axes, dividing said sheet into a first region, a second region and a third region, wherein said packaging unit may be folded along said folding axes with said first, second and third regions in an overlapping configuration, wherein
 one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region is provided with resealable adhesive, and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region is adhesive-free and is provided with a release agent;   one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region are provided with resealable adhesive in a complementary manner to said edge portion being provided with adhesive in said second region such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along said edge zone; and   the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region are free from resealable adhesive and from release agent.   
     
     
         24 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the area of said adhesive-free edge portion of said second region being covered with the release agent constitutes 10-90% of said adhesive-free edge portion of said second region. 
     
     
         25 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein a release agent is provided along the entire length of said adhesive-free edge portion of said second region. 
     
     
         26 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the release agent is applied in a continuous pattern or as a coating. 
     
     
         27 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the release agent is applied in an intermittent pattern. 
     
     
         28 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the total adhesive force between said inner edge portion in said first region and said inner edge portion in said second region, and between said outer edge portion in said first region and said outer edge portion in said second region is 0.5-2.5 N. 
     
     
         29 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the total weight of said resealable adhesive in said first, second and third regions is 0.05-0.1 g. 
     
     
         30 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the release agent is a silicone polymer or a polysiloxane. 
     
     
         31 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein said packaging unit is of substantially rectangular shape and comprises longitudinal edges, transverse edges and corner portions, said edge zones of said first, second and third regions of said sheet of material being arranged along said longitudinal edges. 
     
     
         32 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein said packaging unit comprises transverse edge zones and wherein at least a portion of one of said transverse edge zones is provided with resealable adhesive, while the remaining portion of said transverse edge zone is adhesive-free. 
     
     
         33 . The packaging unit according to  claim 32 , wherein at least a section of said adhesive-free transverse edge portion is provided with a release agent. 
     
     
         34 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein said resealable adhesive is a pressure-sensitive hotmelt adhesive with unlimited open time. 
     
     
         35 . The packaging unit according to  claim 23 , wherein said packaging unit is reclosable. 
     
     
         36 . A series of packaging units according to  claim 23 , wherein said packaging units have been reclosed, and wherein 50%-100% of said reclosed packaging units in said series of reclosed packaging units remain sealed after 10 min from the reclosing occasion. 
     
     
         37 . A method of forming a packaging unit for hygiene articles from a sheet of material, comprising the steps of:
 providing a sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising an edge zone comprising an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion, said sheet having two folding axes, said folding axes dividing said sheet into a first region, a second region, and a third region;   providing one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region with a release agent;   providing the other one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region being free from said release agent with resealable adhesive;   providing one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region with resealable adhesive in a complementary manner to said edge portion of said second region being provided with resealable adhesive; such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along said edge zone; and such that the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said third region are adhesive-free;   folding the sheet about said first folding axis, such that the edge portion carrying resealable adhesive in said first region is brought in contact with the edge portion carrying release agent in said second region;   folding the sheet about said second folding axis, such that the edge portion carrying resealable adhesive in said third region is brought in contact with the outer surface of said first region.   
     
     
         38 . A web of material for forming packaging units for hygiene articles, said web of material having a longitudinal direction running along a longitudinal central axis and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said web comprising a plurality of transverse cutting zones, each of said transverse cutting zones being arranged along a respective central cutting axis running in said transverse direction of said web, said transverse cutting zones being positioned at a distance from each other in said longitudinal direction of said web, each of said transverse cutting zones comprising a central portion and a first and a second peripheral portion arranged on either side of said central portion in said transverse direction of said web, wherein
 a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web are provided with a release agent, and   each of said transverse cutting zones is provided with resealable adhesive in a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of said transverse cutting zone being free from release agent, such that said section provided with a resealable adhesive in said central portion of said transverse cutting zone is displaced in said longitudinal direction in relation to the said sections provided with a resealable adhesive in said first and said second peripheral portions of said transverse cutting zone, such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along each of the transverse cutting zones.   
     
     
         39 . The web of material according to  claim 38 , wherein said material is a plastic film, a nonwoven web or a laminate. 
     
     
         40 . The web of material according to  claim 38 , wherein said web of material has a width in said transverse direction of 10-50 cm. 
     
     
         41 . The web of material according to  claim 38 , wherein said transverse cutting zone has a width in said longitudinal direction of said web of 0.5-5 cm. 
     
     
         42 . A manufacturing method for providing a web of material for forming packaging units for hygiene articles, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a web of material having a longitudinal direction running along a longitudinal central axis and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said web running in machine direction (MD) such that said longitudinal direction of said web coincides with said MD, said web comprising a plurality of transverse cutting zones, each of said transverse cutting zones being arranged along a central cutting axis running in said transverse direction of said web, said transverse cutting zones being positioned at a distance from each other in said longitudinal direction of said web, each of said transverse cutting zones comprising a central portion and a first and a second peripheral portion arranged on either side of said central portion in said transverse direction of said web;   b) providing a section of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of each of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web with a release agent in said transverse direction of said web;   c) providing a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of the remaining portion of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web being free from release agent with resealable adhesive in said transverse direction of said web, such that said section provided with a resealable adhesive in said central portion of said transverse cutting zone is displaced in said longitudinal direction in relation to the said sections provided with a resealable adhesive in said first and said second peripheral portions of said transverse cutting zone, such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along each of the transverse cutting zones.   d) cutting said web through said transverse cutting zones along said central cutting axes,
 wherein steps b) and c) are carried out in any order.