The present invention is directed to sealed containers for products, in particular for loose tobacco.

Conventional containers for perishable products, like loose tobacco, are manufactured comprising a sheath, a bottom and a lid. A fluid and gas tight membrane is sealed to the sheath and is located between the re-closable lid and the contents of the container. The membrane is typically made from a suitable material ensuring excellent barrier properties in order to preserve product freshness and moisture content.

Before the first opening, and as long as the membrane is not broken, the perishable product is protected from detrimental effects of the environment and its quality is preserved for an extended time period. For loose tobacco, freshness is usually ensured up to a minimum of 12 months. However, as soon as the membrane is opened, the perishable product is subjected to environmental conditions. The product's physical, visual and gustative qualities continuously decrease after removal of the sealing membrane.

It would be desirable to have a container for a product, in particular loose tobacco, which preserves freshness and moisture of at least a portion of the product even after the sealing membrane has been opened.

According to the invention there is provided a container, comprising a sheath, defining a container body, a bottom provided at the one end of the container body, a lid provided at the other end of the container body, and a first membrane attached to the sheath, the first membrane being located between the lid and contents of the container. The first membrane sealingly enclosing the contents within the container. Further, the container comprises at least one additional membrane located between the first membrane and the bottom of the container body.

The first membrane and the at least one additional membrane define at least two compartments within the container, wherein the compartments comprise a first and a second product to be packed. The first and second product may be a first portion and a secon portion of the same product. The first product and the second product may also be different products.

The first membrane ensures primary and sealing closure of the container. The re- closable lid provides for secondary closing of the container.

With the at least one additional membrane, at least one additional sealed compartment is defined within the container. The product contained in each compartment is so kept fresh individually as long as the respective membrane is not opened. Once the consumer has opened the first compartment the product contained in the other compartment(s) is kept fresh and the consumer can choose when to consume it.

The bottom of the compartment may be formed from a separate element that is attached to the lower end of the container body. The bottom may be glued, heat sealed, welded or bonded to the sheath. In another embodiment, the bottom may also be obtained by folding the lower part of the sheat of the container.

The sheath and the bottom of the container may be made from the same or different materials selected from the group of paper, card board, multi-layer material, plastic, metal or any other suitable materials. The material can be laminated with a polyethylene (PE) film, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, an aluminum laminated paper layer, a metalized polyethylene terephthalate film or any other suitable lamination material. In a preferable embodiment the sheatht includes a heat seal layer. Optionally the container may comprise a label layer, indicative of the content of the container. The label may be made from paper, plastic foil or any other printable material.

The membranes are made from any suitable material including metallic foil, aluminium foil, paper, plastic material or any combination thereof. The material of the membranes may preferably be chosen according to requirements of the container and the products to be packed in the compartments. Not all membranes used in a container must necessarily be made from the same material. In particular in container in which a plurality of different products are packed, the choice of the material of the membranes can be adapted to the needs of the product. In this way also economic aspects of the manufacture of the container can be taken into account.

Preferably the membranes have a moisture vapour transmission rate of below 20 gramm per squaremeter and day (g/m ² /d), further preferably below 10 gramm per squaremeter and day, more preferably between 0.1 to 6 gramm per squaremeter and day, even more preferably between 0.5 and 5 gramm per squaremeter and day, and most preferably below 1.0 gramm per squaremeter and day, as measured according to ASTM E 96. These transmission rates are particularly useful for containers, which are to be used for packaging of perishable goods.

The membranes can be attached to the sheath by any suitable process, in particular the membranes are glued, welded, bonded or heat sealed to the sheath. When the membranes are heat sealed, they comprise a suitable heat seal layer. In particular the heat seal layer may comprise thermoplastic polymer, like polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate. The first membrane is usually attached to the sheath in vicinity to the access opening of the container body. To this end the first membrane may be attached to the inner surface of the sheath or may be attached to the top edge or rim of the sheath. The at least one further membranes are attached to the inner surface of the sheath. Preferably the membranes are evenly distributed over the height of the container such that compartments of even size are formed. However, depending on the products to be packed, the size of the compartments, and hence the distance between the membranes may be adapted to the individual products to be packed within the compartments.

Depending on the requirements of the products to be packed, the seal provided by the membranes can be a hermetically seal, such that the products are airtight stored in the container.

The container may have any suitable cross-section and may also be adapted to the shape of the product to be packed. Preferably the cross-section of the container is circular, oval, triangular, quadratic, rectangular or polygonal. The edges of the container may preferably be rounded. If the container is formed from a flexible sheath material, the cross section of the container may also have any other, irregular shape.

The membranes can be attached to the sheath in any desired orientation. Preferably the membranes are oriented generally in parallel to the bottom and the lid, and generally orthogonal to the sheath.

Preferably the membranes are provided with tear taps or weakening lines. Such tear taps or weakening lines may facilitate removal of the membranes and increase handling of the container by the consumer.

The container of the present invention may be provided with any number of additional membranes. The number of the membranes and, thus, the number of compartments provided to the container depends on the product or products to be packed. Preferably the container comprises one, two, three, four, five or six additional membranes.

The product to be packed in the container is preferably provided in solid, powdery, particulate, paste-like, fluid or gaseous form. Further preferably, at least two compartments of the container comprise different products. Not all compartments must necessarily contain a product. Instead one or more compartments can also remain empty. One or more compartments may also comprise non-perishable consumer articles, like accessories to be used with the one of the packed perishable products. ln a preferred embodiment the products to be packed may be perishable goods or products that require special sealing properties.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one compartment comprises a tobacco product, most preferably loose cut filler tobacco. If at least one compartment of the container comprises a tobacco product, at least one other compartment of the container may contain a smoking accessories product, like for example a lighter, matches, a portable ashtray, filter tips, filter tubes or cigarette papers.

The present invention is also directed to a method for manufacture of a container for perishable products. The method comprises the steps of forming a container comprising a sheath defining a container body and a bottom provided at one end of the container body, filling a first product in the container, providing a membrane for sealingly enclosing the first product in the container, filling a second product in the container, and providing a further membrane for sealingly enclosing the second product in the container. Optionally additional products and additional membranes are provided to the container. The method also includes the step of providing a lid for closing the second end of the container body.

The membranes are attached to the container by any suitable technique, like glueing, heat sealing, welding or bonding. The membranes of a container need not to be attached by identical techniques. Instead, the technique to attach the membranes can be individually chosen, depending on the material of the membrane and on the product to be packed in the respective compartment. If the membranes are to be attached via heat sealing, the membranes must comprise a heat seal layer.

A preferred embodiment of the subject invention is the combination of any of the above- described preferred embodiments. The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a container according to the present invention having circular cross- section comprising two additional sealing membranes;

Figure 2 shows a container according to the present invention having quadratic cross- section comprising three additional sealing membranes;

Figure 1 shows a container 10 for loose tobacco comprising a sheath 12 having a generally cylindrical shape and a circular cross-section. At the lower end of the container 10 a bottom element 14 is sealingly connected to the sheath 12. A lid 16 is provided at the upper end to provide secondary closure of the container. Below the lid 16 a first removable membrane 18 is sealingly connected to the inner surface of the sheath. Two additional membranes 20a, 20b are provided between the first membrane 8 and the bottom 14 of the container 10. The additional membranes 20a, 20b form additional compartments in the container 10.

The sheath 12 and the bottom 14 of the container 10 are made from a paperboard blank laminated with polyethylene film and an aluminum foil. The membranes 18, 20a, 20b are made from aluminum foil comprising a heat seal layer. The membranes 18, 20a, 20b are heat sealed to the inner surface of the container 10. The re-closeable lid 16 is made from any suitable plastic material.

By opening the first membrane 18, only the tobacco placed in the uppermost compartment is exposed to the environment and is subject to drying and loss of flavor. The tobacco provided in the two lower compartments is still sealingly closed by the additional membranes 20a, 20b and its quality is preserved while the tobacco provided in the uppermost compartment is consumed. After the consumer has finished the tobacco in the uppermost compartment the second membrane 20a is opened, in order to gain access to the tobacco provided in the middle compartment.

Again, after opening removing the second membrane 20a only the tobacco portion provided in the middle compartment is exposed to the environment and is subject to drying and loss of flavor. The tobacco provided in the lowermost compartment is still sealingly closed by the additional membranes 20b and its quality is preserved while the tobacco provided in the middle compartment is consumed. The tobacco portion provided in the lowermost compartment is not exposed to the environment before the third membrane 20b is opened and removed.

Figure 2 shows a container 10 for loose tobacco comprising a sheath 12 having a generally cylindrical shape and a quadratic cross-section. At the lower end of the container 10 a bottom element 4 is sealingly connected to the sheath 2. A lid 16 is hingedly connected to the upper end of the sheath 16 via hinge connections 22 to provide secondary closure of the container 10. A first removable membrane 18 is provided at the upper end of the container and is sealingly connected to the rim of the sheath 12 of the container 10. Three additional membranes 20a, 20b, 20c are provided between the first membrane 18 and the bottom 4 of the container 10. The additional membranes 20a, 20b, 20c are not equidistantly distributed over the height of the container 10, such that compartments with different sizes are obtained.