Importance

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Abstract

An improved one-step easy-open composite container for dough products and the like, together with a method and apparatus for forming the same, are disclosed, which composite container includes a fibrous body wall layer having an unbonded helical butt joint, an impervious inner liner layer that is folded to define an expansible folded portion that extends helically the length of the container opposite the helical butt joint, an outer label layer wound helically in adhesively-bonded relation upon the body wall and extending across the butt joint, and at least one end closure member closing one end of the body wall-label laminate, characterized in that the outer label layer is provided--prior to winding on the body wall layer--with a collar-defining line which extends circumferentially about the resulting tubular laminate adjacent and spaced from the end closure member. Consequently, when the triangular pull tab portion defined by the collar-defining line and helically extending label layer edge is pulled to partially tear the label from the container along the circumferential collar-defining line, the body wall butt joint is exposed and is automatically expanded by the product packaged in the container to open the inner liner layer folded portion along the butt joint. In one embodiment, the collar-defining line is a scoreline, and in an alternative embodiment, the collar-defining line is a continuous through-cut.

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First Claim