HK1021167A - Method of packaging and package for a bundle of cigarettes - Google Patents

Description

Fresh-keeping package

The present invention relates to a method of packaging cigarettes which increases the freshness of the cigarettes during storage and smoking, and also provides additional means of indicating to the smoker the freshness of the packet of cigarettes when it is initially opened.

It has long been known that the division of the cigarettes into a plurality of small packets not only enables the freshness of the cigarettes in the packet to be extended not only during its storage but also during smoking. It has been demonstrated that a standard 20 cigarette pack will cause the taste of the cigarette to deteriorate in less than 24 hours from the opening of the pack after the pack is opened. The division of the cigarettes into a plurality of small packs reduces the number of cigarettes exposed to the atmosphere over time and provides a method of packaging that maintains the freshness of the cigarettes throughout the pack during the smoking period. Us patent 2,185,604 discloses a container in which a number of small packets of cigarettes are packed. Each packet has a separate tear strip to expose a packet of cigarettes, only the cigarettes in that packet begin to lose moisture. The pack also has a lid to further prevent moisture loss from the exposed cigarettes. In addition, the tear strip may be re-applied to the opened cigarette pack to reduce some moisture loss.

Us patent 3,148,768 discloses a number of separate packets in a pack of 20 or more cigarettes. The small package has the necessary wrapping to maintain the freshness of the cigarettes until the package is opened. The package may be partially resealed by refolding the upper flap back. However, the cigarettes in this section also lose moisture due to the gaps remaining. However, this is not a big problem as the cigarettes in that packet will be drawn out shortly before the flavour is changed. Us patent 3,732,663 discloses a method of packaging small quantities of cigarettes in thin strips and/or plastic film. Such a package ensures freshness of the cigarettes before opening. The pack has a flap hinged to the closure portion for temporary storage of the cigarettes. However, such hinged flaps do not reseal the packet of cigarettes. The pack can also be designed as an individual pack of a number of small packed cigarettes or cigarette packs in the form of a bundle. The cigarette is withdrawn from each packet. Us patent 5,333,729 discloses a resealable closure for a film sealed flexible package cigarette. Such enclosures are either provided on sealed cigarette packs or are pulled over cigarette packs by the smoker. The closure has a flap coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive for resealing the film to the flexible package.

Us patent 4,807,754 discloses a packing composite for compartmentalized sealed cigarettes. Films for moisture, steam, and the like are stacked together to form a packet of cigarettes, which prevents loss of moisture during storage. However, the advantages of the freshness-retaining composite material disappear when the package is opened, since the cigarettes are exposed to the normal atmosphere and the packet of cigarettes that has been exposed loses moisture quickly. In PCT application WO97/42098 to Rossmann International services Co., Ltd, an alternative septum-sealed hinge-lid pack of cigarettes is disclosed which can be opened by tearing the septum.

According to one aspect of the invention, a pack is provided which ensures freshness of cigarettes not only during storage of the cigarettes but also after opening of the pack and which provides an alternative indication of the freshness of the cigarettes when the pack is first opened.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plastic sealed cigarette pack capable of containing a plurality of cigarettes therein. The plastic seal packaging technique facilitates rapid packaging of cigarettes and the materials used for the package have excellent moisture, vapor and gas barrier properties. The pack may be provided with a resealable cigarette removal device adjacent its upper end, which when opened, allows removal of a single cigarette, and when the pack of cigarettes is closed, may be immediately resealed manually or automatically. Alternatively, when packaging cigarettes, the pack may be sealed under vacuum so that when the pack is first opened, there is a rush of air to indicate to the smoker how fresh the cigarettes are. Many of the advantages and features associated with the cigarette packaging system of the present invention will be described in detail in connection with the preferred embodiments.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of packaging a bundle of cigarettes, the method comprising folding a laminated barrier layer around a bundle of cigarettes, then sealing said folded barrier layer in the direction of the bundle of cigarettes by flow sealing, and sealing said folded barrier layer at each end in the direction of the bundle of cigarettes by flow sealing.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a barrier packaging material for packaging a bundle of cigarettes, the barrier having a flow seal perpendicular to the length of the cigarettes and a respective flow seal along each side of the bundle, and means for opening the barrier to form a cigarette exit aperture.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a standard package and a slider according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 1 in an open condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 2 with the resealable spout open;

figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment when the resealable outlet aperture is used in a cigarette pack of a soft pack;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the package of FIG. 4 with the exit aperture closed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the outlet opened;

figure 7 is another cross-sectional view of the flexible package of figure 4 with the outlet open;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the package and slide of FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of an open channel;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the package of FIG. 8 in an open position;

FIG. 10 is a top view of a foil used in the flow-seal package;

FIG. 11 is a bundle of cigarettes grouped together to be placed in a carrier;

figure 12 shows the bundle of cigarettes of figure 11 placed in a carrier;

figure 13 is a perspective view of the carrier as it is advanced within the foil to form a plastically deformed sealed package;

FIG. 14 shows the steps in wrapping a bundle of cigarettes to form a transverse flow seal;

figure 15 is a schematic view showing the steps of cutting the plastically deformed sealed package of cigarettes and folding the sides to form a finished package;

figure 16 shows an alternative form of a bundle of cigarettes in a respective carrier;

figure 17 is a perspective view of the plastically deformed sealed package of cigarettes in figure 16;

FIG. 18 is a side view of another embodiment for automatically opening the outlet; and

fig. 19 is a side view of the outlet of fig. 18 in an open state.

The freshness-retaining package of the present invention overcomes many of the problems of the prior art. This packaging method not only preserves the desired moisture content of the cigarettes during storage, but also prevents the cigarettes from becoming mouldy when stored in a relatively humid environment. The pack is airtight so that when cigarettes are packed, it can be inflated with a gas that prevents mould growth on the tobacco leaves of the cigarettes. The pack is tight so that loose tobacco leaves do not fall out of the pack or into one's pocket. The package can be sealed in a vacuum so that a slight vacuum can be drawn within the package. When the user opens the package, there is a small blast of air to indicate the freshness of the product. The cigarettes may be packed under a partial vacuum or may be packed in a slightly warmer environment so that when cooled, a slight vacuum is created inside the package. Vacuum packaging of the product can enhance the overall strength of the package, particularly when a cardboard box is used to support the cigarettes in the desired package shape. Such a construction may eliminate the need for an overwrap. All advertising information and the like may be printed on the surface of the wrapping paper. Various foil constructions may be used, including multilayer foils capable of presenting holographic images, depending on the type of pattern desired. The airtight package also facilitates spraying of menthol onto the cigarettes and maintains a fresh menthol aroma within the package. It is also possible to fill the package with crystals of menthol so that the menthol flavour in the package is maintained even after the first opening of the package due to the resealable nature of the package outlet.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a typical case and slide package 10 has a standard, outer carton 12 displaying general advertising information. The outer paperboard package 12 has a generally flip-top lid 14 with a separate package 16 or 18 in each lid, each containing a typical number of cigarettes, for a total of 25 cigarettes. When the package is to be opened, the bottom 15 of the slide 17 housed in the casing 12 can be pushed upwards. As shown in figure 5, each pack 16 or 18 has two rows of cigarettes 20 and 22 contained therein in a conventional manner. However, the structure of the package is completely different. Each package 16 and 18 has a thin sheet of material 24 that generally forms a moisture barrier, a vapor barrier and a structural barrier. The material of such a barrier layer is preferably a laminate of several layers, each having a specific function. These barrier layers form at least a moisture and gas barrier and usually also an additional flavour (e.g. menthol) barrier, a structural barrier, etc. The barrier layer may further include a barrier layer providing a thermal insulation layer and an adhesive layer.

The sheet material 24 is folded and sealed using known flow seal machines in accordance with standard procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,080 discloses various types of resealable dispensing containers in which the resealable packet is formed by standard flow-seal processes. The resealable spout of the package includes a reusable tab with pressure sensitive adhesive which, when first lifted from the package, pulls the apertured wall away from the package to expose an opening. When a cigarette is removed from the pack, the tab may be re-applied to the pack and resealed with pressure. The resealable adhesive has sufficient pressure sensitive properties to form a seal that prevents moisture from escaping or entering the package. According to the embodiment of figure 3, the resealable outlet 26 in the form of a flap 27 is lifted upwardly in the direction of arrow 23 to expose an opening 29 to enable removal of one or more cigarettes from the respective package 16 or 18. After removal of the desired cigarette, the resealable spout flap 26 may be resealed against the surface 28 of the packet to maintain the freshness of the packaged cigarette. The lower surface 25 of the flap 26 is provided with a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive to form a moisture tight seal to prevent loss and gain of moisture. The above described resealing of the package is independent of the function of the lid 14 of the carton 12, however, the opening and closing of the lid and resealing functions may be combined in the manner described with reference to figures 8 and 9.

The flow seal process may also be applied to soft-edged packages such as package 31 in figure 4. The package has an outer wall 33 which is folded over at 35 to provide a neat appearance. The top 37 of the flexible package has an outlet 39 of the present invention formed by a tab 41 which is torn from a surface 43. Tongue 41 has a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on its lower surface 45. When the tab 41 is torn, the pressure sensitive adhesive carries a die cut wall portion in the form of a cut sheet 47 which is torn from the remainder of the outer wall 33 to provide an exit for the cigarette. After withdrawal of the cigarette, pressure is applied to the adhesive in region 45 to seal opening 49 along surface 43 of the pack.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the two rows of cigarettes 20 and 22 are contained within a cardboard wrapper or carrier 30 which is wrapped in the outer sheet material 24. The resealable spout 26 comprises a cut piece 32 of the actual wrapping material and an outer sealing membrane in the form of a tab 34. The end 36 of the sealing membrane of the tab is pulled upwardly to tear it from the surface 38 of the pack and, at the same time, the cut piece 32 of membrane is torn to expose a cigarette 22. After removal of the cigarettes with the exit tab 34 in the fully open condition, the resealable membrane 34 may be re-applied to the face 38 of the pack, resealing the pack until it is later used again.

Another embodiment of resealable spout 26 is shown in fig. 7, wherein resealable membrane 40 is secured to surface 38 of the package. The resealable end 42 of the spout 26 may be pulled away from the top 44 of the pack to expose the cigarettes for removal from the pack. The cut portion of the membrane 46 is removed when the resealable spout of the package is pulled open. When the pack is to be resealed, the spout flap 26 is pulled upwardly so that it re-wraps around the surface of the pack, covers the top surface 51 and seals around the opening to maintain the freshness of the cigarettes in the pack during use.

Referring to figures 8 and 9, there is shown a mechanism for opening and closing the resealable spout on a cigarette pack 53. The package 53 according to this embodiment has a housing 55 with a slide 57. The slider 57 can be pushed over the outer shell 55 to expose the inner package 59 of cigarettes. The inner wrapper 59 has a foil wrapper 61 which is die cut at 63 to form an opening in the surface 65 and top 67 of the pack. The slider 57 has a usual top flap 69, this flap 69 being hinged around the interface 71. Flap 69 is adhered to the pack by means of adhesive tape 75 via tear-off tab 73.

As shown in figure 9, when flap 69 is pulled away from surface 65 of the wrapping foil, perforations 63 allow foil portion 77 and flap 69 to be pulled apart to form an opening 79 for drawing cigarette 22 in the direction of arrow 81. After the cigarettes are removed, the pack is resealed by simply pulling the flap 69 downwardly over the surface 65 of the pack of cigarettes. The inner surface of the flap 73 is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive which adheres to the surface 65 of the package to seal the opening 79. The pressure sensitive adhesive forms a seal by simply contacting the inner surface 73 with the surface 65 to prevent loss of moisture until the next cigarette is removed from the package.

Figure 10 shows a sheet material having a laminated barrier layer for wrapping cigarettes. Such sheet material 24 typically has a plurality of score lines 48 which enable the wrapping sheet to be folded about the cigarettes to form the finished rectangular package 16 or 18 as shown in figure 1. If the sheet has no score lines, then generally legible lines are marked where the sheet is folded around the bundle of cigarettes. The sheet may also have advertising messages or other artwork at area 50. The sheet 24 may be a laminated sheet so that various decorative features can be incorporated therein. The area 50 more or less defines the front of the package. A die cut opening in the shape of a cut sheet 52 is contoured to be cut in the sheet material 24, either partially or completely. This die cutting procedure and the attachment of the outer sealing membrane 34 to the cut out 52 ensures that when the end 36 of the flap which is resealably adhered to the package face 50 is pulled open, the cut out 52 is pulled open to form the opening for the spout. This process, disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. patent 4,420,080, is now used to package cigarettes, provides for the convenience of withdrawing one or more cigarettes from the package, and maintains the freshness of the cigarettes. In the case of cigarettes that require vacuum packing of a bundle, it is known that the cutting with the die and the packing are carried out in such a way as to ensure that the vacuum is maintained in the pack before the first opening of the pack. For example, the desired vacuum can be maintained as long as the sheet 24 is partially cut with a die.

The sheet material 24 of figure 10 is folded over and wrapped around the bundle of cigarettes of figure 11. The number of cigarettes in the bundle is typically 12 or 13. The bundle of cigarettes may be contained in a carrier 56. Such carriers are commonly used to bundle the bundle of cigarettes when the bundle is to be flow sealed. The use of the carrier 56 enables the same number of packs to be provided during the packing process. The first step in sealing the bundle of cigarettes is to fold and seal the ends 58 and 60. The two areas are folded and the sealing strip 62 is formed between two sealing rollers 83 and 85 rotating in opposite directions. The sealing strip 62 extends in a direction perpendicular to the bundle 54 of cigarettes along arrow 64. Generally, the sheet 24 is continuous, as shown in figures 13 and 14, and as shown in figure 10, is folded upwardly to cover the bundle 54 of cigarettes by aligning the cigarette carriers with the score lines 48 on the sheet. The function of the carrier is to keep the bundle of cigarettes from unraveling during the various steps of the wrapping process. The flow seal 62 is flattened by a roller 87 to form a folded layer 89 of flow seal. The end flow seal 66 is formed on the already sealed sheet by counter-rotating rollers. The apparatus for making the transverse and end flow seals of fig. 13, 14 and 15 may be of the type described in U.S. patent 4,420,080, but of course various other mechanisms may be used to accomplish the same flow seal. Also, it should be understood that the flow seal may be a heat seal, an adhesive seal, or any other gas and water tight seal. The means for making the end seals is illustrated in figure 15. This pinch seal with cut end is accomplished by two relatively rotating segments 78 and 80 having transversely extending opposed engaging surfaces 82 thereon which form the serpentine end seal 66 and which also have knife edges 84 which cut the sealed end to form a peripheral sealed package 91. The cigarette is now protected from either moisture addition or loss until the tongue is removed to expose the cigarette according to the procedure described in figures 1-9.

The end of package 93 is folded into a triangle 86 with a flow seal 66. The bracket 56 has a surface portion 88 with depending side edges 90. In this particular embodiment, the side edges 90 extend downwardly at right angles to the surface portion 88. The surface portion of the bracket 56 has a U-shaped cut-out piece 92 which, when the resealable end 36 is pulled upwardly, will form an outlet through which the cigarettes can be accessed.

When a number of cigarettes are wrapped in a conventional foil, a standard metal foil wrapper has a crease in the bottom and folded sides. The foil itself is folded without any adhesive. When it is desired to open a pack of cigarettes wrapped in metal foil, the front face of the loosely wrapped foil is pulled away from the underlying wrapper to open the pack to allow access to the cigarettes therein. The loose foil does not form any form of barrier to moisture pick-up or loss of the cigarette after the cigarette is covered during smoking of the pack.

With the device of the invention, as shown in figure 15, the transverse sealing strip 62 is folded onto itself at 89, resulting in a square package. The ends 66 of the package are also folded over onto itself and pleated to form square ends having pleated overlapping portions and square bottom 104 and top 106. This provides an attractive complete package for a plurality of cigarettes, which can be used as such or in a pack, slider and sleeve of cardboard outer shell. The finished package 93 is formed by neatly folding the foil material to form what is commonly referred to as a soft pack.

Figures 16 and 17 show a significant advantage of this cigarette packing device. It is known that a number of cigarettes may be formed into any desired shape, such as those described in the applicant's canadian patent 2,085,777. The wrapping device according to the invention can be easily adapted to the shape of the various bundles of cigarettes, because of its ability to easily form creases in the flow-sealed sheet. Furthermore, it should be understood that the direction of the flow seal may also extend in the transverse direction of the package, as well as along the length or diagonal of the package, providing a novel package shape and a novel exit shape.

The bundle 54 may also have the cigarettes 112 one inside of it form a package with a wedge-shaped front. The bracket 56 has a flat surface 88 with its sides 114 extending outwardly from the surface 88 at an angle to conform to the shape of the wedge-shaped front of the bundle of cigarettes 54. The bundle of cigarettes wrapped in the carrier 56 is then wrapped in a plastically deformable sealing sheet material to form the completed pack 116. As shown in FIG. 17, pack 116 has a front 118 and a beveled edge 120 that intersects side 112. The pack has tabs 110 which are pulled apart to expose the cigarettes, and the pack can be resealed after a cigarette has been removed.

The packaging design of the present invention is adaptable to many different packaging shapes and is also designed to open and close the outlet of the package. It is not necessary to provide a newly designed machine for each redesigned package, but rather to provide a different inner carrier for the flow-sealed package. If a vacuum is created within the package, the sheet material can easily conform to any predetermined shape, thereby creating a finished package with a more neat appearance.

Figures 18 and 19 illustrate a device that automatically opens the flap that seals the outlet. There is shown a cigarette pack having a standard slide and outer shell. The housing 130 surrounds a slider 132 with a bundle of cigarettes 134 mounted therein. A bundle of cigarettes wrapped in a flow seal has an exit opening at 136 which is sealed by a tab 138 which is bonded to both the lower end 142 and the upper end 144 of the barrier material 140. A flexible filament connector 146 is secured at one end to the interior 148 of the housing 130 and at the other end to the top 150 of the tongue 138. The barrier layer is cut at 152 and 154 with a die to form a cut sheet that serves as the exit orifice 136. As shown in figure 19, as the slide 132 is advanced upwardly within the housing 130 in the direction of arrow 156, the link 146 pulls the tongue 138 away from the top portion 144, exposing the exit 136, thereby enabling a cigarette 158 to be withdrawn from the bundle 134. When the package is closed, the tongue 138 is brought back to the position shown in fig. 18, whereupon the tongue 138 reseals the exit aperture 136. The upper flap 160 is then closed, whereupon the inner lip 162 tucks inside the housing 130, completing the resealing of the package. The automatic opening and resealing of the sealing means ensures that the bundle of cigarettes remains fresh, avoiding loss of freshness due to the smoker forgetting to reseal the tongue against the exit aperture.

The application of the flow seal process to cigarette packs has a number of unexpected advantages and features. The plastic deformation sealed packing box can be made into a soft-edged packing box. Advertising information may be provided in the interlayer of the sheet material or barrier material during the flow sealing process. The ends of the package and the transverse flow seal can be folded neatly to form a pleasing finished product. Access to the cigarettes may be accomplished by tearing the flow-seal pack, or opening an alternative resealable member. The flow-sealed package may form a vacuum package of cigarettes. This is advantageous because, when the packet of cigarettes is opened for the first time, there is a rush of air that indicates to the user how fresh the product is. The plastic sealed package is easily adaptable to a variety of cigarette bundle shapes, thereby providing greater flexibility in the sale of the product. Plastic sealed packs work well during the packing process regardless of the shape of the cigarette bundle, due to the use of a tray within which the cigarette bundle is contained. The flow seal process may be used to contain a package having a shell and a slider as shown in figure 2, where the slider may be opened through the top of the shell or may be opened through the sides of the shell. The flow-seal process may also be used with carriers for bundles of cigarettes, where the cigarettes are all placed in individual cavities formed in the carrier, as described in the above-mentioned us patent 3,148,768. A separate tongue seal may be provided for the cavity in each bracket. The process of flow sealing may also be used to package a plurality of cigarette packs or bundles of cigarettes together, and may also form a soft-edged flow sealed package.

As is known, the loss of moisture during the time a packet of cigarettes is smoked greatly affects the taste of the cigarettes. Conversely, in very humid climates, the cigarettes absorb a lot of water, which also affects the flavor and appearance of the cigarettes. Flow-seal packages have great advantages in providing resealable exit apertures, which enable such openings to be formed in a package that is aesthetically pleasing. Such an opening can be opened and closed several times while still maintaining a seal of the opening. The opening is closed with a tongue having sufficient strength for vacuum sealing. The vacuum seal can provide a smoker with reassurance as to the freshness of the product when the flap is re-covered and there is a flow of air indicating the freshness of the product. The use of vacuum packing also enhances the rigidity of the cigarette pack during shipping because this characteristic is readily available in the flow seal process.

Although only a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (22)

1. A method of packaging a bundle of cigarettes, said method comprising: folding a stack of barrier layers around said bundle of cigarettes and sealing said folded barrier layers in said bundle direction by flow sealing, and sealing said folded barrier layers at each end in said bundle direction by flow sealing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said barrier layer is provided with a sealed exit opening at the top end folded over said bundle of cigarettes.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said exit orifice is die cut into said barrier layer and said exit orifice is sealed by a tab adhered to said exit orifice by a pressure sensitive adhesive.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said tab is adhered to die cut barrier material forming said exit orifice.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the exit aperture and adhesive tab are formed in the barrier layer prior to folding the barrier layer about the bundle of cigarettes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said barrier layer is folded about said bundle such that said flow seal seam extends widthwise of said bundle and transverse to the length of the cigarettes in said bundle, said flow seal seam being positioned intermediate the top and bottom ends of said bundle and said end flow seal seams being along each side of said bundle.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the barrier is continuous and the bundles of cigarettes are provided in pre-formed trays to form the desired bundle shape, each bundle of cigarettes being positioned over an exit aperture which has been pre-formed in the continuous barrier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said barrier layer comprises a heat sealable outer layer of material, said barrier layer being heat sealed along said flow seal seam.

9. A method according to claim 3, wherein a portion of said exit orifice is die cut into said barrier to form a contour for the exit orifice cut, and said tab is then adhesively secured to said barrier around said exit orifice cut, said adhesive having sufficient strength to pull said cut away from said barrier when said tab is first pulled.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said cigarettes are packaged in a warm environment.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the cigarettes are packed under vacuum.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a flavorant is added to said folded barrier layer prior to said barrier layer being flow sealed.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is resealable.

14. A barrier wrapper for wrapping a bundle of cigarettes, said barrier having a flow seal seam perpendicular to the length of the cigarettes and a flow seal seam along each side of said bundle of cigarettes, and means for opening said barrier to form a cigarette exit aperture.

15. A barrier packaging of claim 14 wherein said means for opening said barrier comprises a tab adhesively secured to an opening cut in said barrier, said tab pulling said cut away from said opening when said tab is peeled away from said barrier.

16. A barrier packaging of claim 15 wherein said opening is a cut-out in the barrier on the top of said bundle.

17. A barrier packaging of claim 16, wherein said barrier packaging is contained within an outer cigarette pack, and wherein said outer cigarette pack has means for automatically pulling and closing said tab when said outer cigarette pack is opened and closed.

18. A barrier packaging as claimed in claim 17, wherein said adhesive is a resealable pressure sensitive adhesive.

19. A barrier packaging of claim 14 wherein said barrier is a multi-layer laminate having at least one moisture barrier layer and one flavor barrier layer.

20. A barrier packaging of claim 14 wherein said bundle of cigarettes is irregular in cross-section and said flow-sealed barrier conforms to said irregular shape.

21. A barrier packaging of claim 19 wherein said barrier comprises a gas barrier, said barrier being sealed under vacuum.

22. A barrier packaging of claim 16 wherein a portion of said opening is die cut and said tab is secured to said die partially cut barrier and has sufficient adhesive force to tear said die cut portion upon first opening of said package.