Packaging unit having improved sealing and a method of forming a packaging unit having improved sealing

A packaging unit for hygiene articles, the unit being formed from a sheet of material, said sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising an edge zone comprising an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion, said sheet having two folding axes, dividing said sheet into a first region, a second region and a third region, wherein said packaging unit may be folded along said folding axes with said first, second and third regions in an overlapping configuration, wherein

• one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region is provided with resealable adhesive, and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region is adhesive-free and is provided with a release agent;
• one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region are provided with resealable adhesive in a complementary manner to said edge portion being provided with adhesive in said second region such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along said edge zone;
• and
• the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region are free from resealable adhesive and from release agent.

A method of forming a packaging unit for hygiene articles from a sheet of material, comprising the steps of:

• providing a sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface comprising an edge zone comprising an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion, said sheet having two folding axes, said folding axes dividing said sheet into a first region, a second region, and a third region;
• providing one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region with a release agent;
• providing the other one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said second region being free from said release agent with resealable adhesive;
• providing one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and one of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said third region with resealable adhesive in a complementary manner to said edge portion of said second region being provided with resealable adhesive;
• such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along said edge zone;
• and such that the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said edge zone of said first region and the other of said inner edge portion and said outer edge portion of said third region are adhesive-free;
• folding the sheet about said first folding axis, such that the edge portion carrying resealable adhesive in said first region is brought in contact with the edge portion carrying release agent in said second region;
• folding the sheet about said second folding axis, such that the edge portion carrying resealable adhesive in said third region is brought in contact with the outer surface of said first region.

A web of material for forming packaging units for hygiene articles, said web of material having a longitudinal direction running along a longitudinal central axis and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said web comprising a plurality of transverse cutting zones, each of said transverse cutting zones being arranged along a respective central cutting axis running in said transverse direction of said web, said transverse cutting zones being positioned at a distance from each other in said longitudinal direction of said web, each of said transverse cutting zones comprising a central portion and a first and a second peripheral portion arranged on either side of said central portion in said transverse direction of said web, wherein

• a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web are provided with a release agent, and
• each of said transverse cutting zones is provided with resealable adhesive in a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of said transverse cutting zone being free from release agent, such that said section provided with a resealable adhesive in said central portion of said transverse cutting zone is displaced in said longitudinal direction in relation to the said sections provided with a resealable adhesive in said first and said second peripheral portions of said transverse cutting zone, such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along each of the transverse cutting zones.

A manufacturing method for providing a web of material for forming packaging units for hygiene articles, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a web of material having a longitudinal direction running along a longitudinal central axis and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said web running in machine direction (MD) such that said longitudinal direction of said web coincides with said MD, said web comprising a plurality of transverse cutting zones, each of said transverse cutting zones being arranged along a central cutting axis running in said transverse direction of said web, said transverse cutting zones being positioned at a distance from each other in said longitudinal direction of said web, each of said transverse cutting zones comprising a central portion and a first and a second peripheral portion arranged on either side of said central portion in said transverse direction of said web;
• b) providing a section of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of each of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web with a release agent in said transverse direction of said web;
• c) providing a section of each of said central portion, said first and said second peripheral portion of the remaining portion of each of said transverse cutting zones of said web being free from release agent with resealable adhesive in said transverse direction of said web, such that said section provided with a resealable adhesive in said central portion of said transverse cutting zone is displaced in said longitudinal direction in relation to the said sections provided with a resealable adhesive in said first and said second peripheral portions of said transverse cutting zone, such that a chessboard pattern of resealable adhesive is formed along each of the transverse cutting zones.
• d) cutting said web through said transverse cutting zones along said central cutting axes,
• wherein steps b) and c) are carried out in any order.