Folded laminate blank and a pack formed therefrom

1. A blank having a generally flat state which can be erected to form a pack, the blank being formed of a laminate comprising a card layer laminated to a film layer, the blank comprising a laminated front face connected to a laminated base via a first transverse first fold line at one edge of the base, and a laminated rear face connected to the base via a second transverse fold line at the opposite edge of the base, the base having longitudinal edges extending between the one edge and the opposite edge, and a central third transverse fold line about which the base can be folded in the opposite sense to the first and second fold lines;

side panels extending transversely from both sides of the blank from a longitudinal edge of the front face and/or the rear face, such that in the assembled pack in an erected configuration, upper edges of the front face, back face and side panels form an opening into the pack;

the film layer extending beyond the card layer so as to form unsupported film regions with a first region extending transversely from the longitudinal sides of the base and a second region continuous with the first region which is positioned to at least partially overlie a corresponding side panel when the blank is folded about the first to third fold lines, wherein at least a portion of the second region of unsupported film is heat sealed with at least a portion of the film on the corresponding side panel to form a heat-sealed bond that seals the side panels in the erected pack, the heat-sealed bond being present in the blank in its generally flat state.

2. A pack formed from a blank according to claim 1 , wherein, in a fold flat configuration, the base is folded in half about the third fold line, the film in the second unsupported film region is bonded to the film of the corresponding side panel; and

in the transversely outermost area of the first unsupported film region, which overlaps with the second unsupported film region, the layers of film are bonded together.

3. A pack according to claim 2 , wherein the pack formed from the blank is pivotally moveable about the fold lines and a longitudinal axis at the innermost edge of the bonded part of the second unsupported film region of each side panel, such that the pack is moveable from a fold-flat configuration to the erected configuration.

4. A blank according to claim 1 , wherein each side panel is at least partially formed of the laminate.

5. A blank according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the side panels is formed of two laminated side panels sections, one extending transversely from a lateral edge of the front face and the other extending transversely from a lateral edge of the rear face, one of the panels being narrower than the other in the transverse direction such that the second unsupported film region extends from the longitudinal edge of the narrower panel.

6. A blank according to claim 5 , wherein the side panel sections of a side panel overlap one another in the erected configuration.

7. A blank according to claim 5 , wherein each side panel section is formed at its upper edge with an out turned flange portion.

8. A blank according to claim 7 , wherein the out turned flange portions of adjacent side panel sections overlap one another.

9. A blank according to claim 7 , wherein at the interface of a side panel section and its associated flange portion at the end closest to an adjacent flange portion is a cut out region in the card but not the film.

10. A blank according to claim 1 , further comprising an integral lid formed at an upper edge of the front face, back face, or side panels so as to be capable of closing the opening.

11. A blank according to claim 10 , further comprising out turned flanges at the upper edges of at least some of the front face, back face, and side panels.

12. A blank according to claim 11 , wherein, at an interface between adjacent flanges, there is a cut in the card but not in the underlying film to create a continuous layer of film across and between the flanges.

13. A blank according to claim 11 , wherein at an interface between the lid and an adjacent flange there is a cut in the card but not in the underlying film to create a continuous layer of film across and between the lid and adjacent flange.

14. A blank according to claim 1 , configured such that the pack is moveable from a fold-flat configuration to the erected configuration without folding the card layer in the side panels.

15. A blank according to claim 1 , wherein the card layer is fully covered with the film layer.

16. A method of forming a pack formed from a folded laminate blank according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

forming the blank;

forming a folded blank having a generally flat state by folding the blank about the first and second fold lines in one sense and about the third fold line in the opposite sense causing the first unsupported film region to fold onto itself and the second unsupported film region to fold onto the film of a corresponding side panel; and

when the blank is in the generally flat state, heat sealing the second unsupported film region to the film of the corresponding side panel and bonding the film layers at a transversely outermost area of the first unsupported film region which overlaps with the second unsupported film region.

17. A blank according to claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the front face is parallel to the first transverse fold line and the upper edge of the rear face is parallel to the second transverse fold line, and further wherein the upper edges of the side panels are inclined with respect to the upper edge of the front face and/or the upper edge of the rear face.

18. A blank according to claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the front face is parallel to the first transverse fold line and the upper edge of the rear face is parallel to the second transverse fold line, and further wherein the upper edges of the side panels are parallel to the upper edge of the front face and/or the upper edge of the rear face.