Folded laminate blank and a pack formed therefrom

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.