PACK OF RIGID TYPE FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS

Abstract

A rigid pack (1) of essentially parallelepiped appearance, designed to contain cigarettes, is composed of an inner packet (5) with a hinged lid (8), and an open-fronted box or case (6) affording a recess (20) in which the packet (5) is nested with the back (11), top (14), bottom (13) and flanks (12) offered in contact respectively to the back (17), transverse walls (19) and longitudinal walls (18) of the case (6), and with the inner packet (5) anchored along the front corner edge between the front wall (10) and the bottom (13), to the free edge presented by a corresponding transverse wall (19) of the outer case (6); the inner packet (5) is able to pivot on this corner edge, which functions as a hinge (21), between the nested position and a position partially extracted from the case (6). Also forming part of the pack is a linkage element (26) operating between the case (6) and the packet (5) in such a way as will cause the lid (8) to flip open automatically when the pack is opened.

Description

This application is the National Phase of International Application PCT/IB2008/001834 filed Jul. 15, 2008 which designated the U.S. and that International Application was published under PCT Article 21(2) in English.

This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. BO2007A000481 filed Jul. 17, 2007, and PCT Application No. PCT/IB2008/001834 filed Jul. 15, 2008, which applications are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pack of rigid type for tobacco products.

In particular, reference is made in the following specification to tobacco products consisting in a group of cigarettes enveloped by an inner wrapper, typically of metal foil paper.

BACKGROUND ART

Packs of the type in question are fashioned from precreased flat diecut blanks and comprise a container with a hinged lid, attached to a rear edge of the container and serving to close an open top end of the selfsame container, also a stiffening frame located internally of the container in part, and projecting in such a manner as to provide an element by which the lid is retained stably in its closed position.

Once these hinge-lid type packs have been opened, and for as long as there are cigarettes to be consumed, there is a certain difficulty experienced in keeping the lid properly and securely closed, even though the stiffening frame will generally present retaining elements along the corner edges.

Consequently, the group of cigarettes cannot be adequately protected, given also that a part of the inner wrapper is removed initially, and the resulting loss of aroma and moisture content will cause the product to degrade.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a pack for tobacco products in which the drawback described above can be overcome, combining the strength of the hinge-lid type packet with an optimum level of protection afforded to the product during the period of consumption.

The stated object is realized according to the invention in a pack of rigid type for tobacco products, as recited and characterized in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of the pack according to the invention, viewed in perspective from the front and from the rear, respectively;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the pack of FIG. 1, viewed in perspective and illustrated in two different open positions;

FIG. 5 is a detail of FIG. 4, illustrated schematically from one side;

FIG. 6 shows the pack of FIG. 1, exploded and viewed in perspective;

FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment of the pack according to the present invention, viewed schematically in perspective and in an open configuration;

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate two diecut blanks, viewed in plan, from which to fashion the pack of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, numeral 1 denotes a first embodiment of a pack, in its entirety, designed to contain tobacco products consisting in a group 2 of cigarettes 3 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) enveloped by an inner wrapper 4 of metal foil paper.

The pack 1, which is of substantially parallelepiped appearance with a longitudinal axis A extending parallel to the axes of the cigarettes 3, comprises an inner box element, or packet 5, and an outer box element, or case 6.

The inner box element 5 consists essentially of a hinge-lid packet, comprising a container 7, and a lid 8 connected to the container 7 along a first hinge line 9 extending transversely to the axis A.

The container 7 presents four longitudinal side walls arranged in two parallel pairs, establishing a front wall 10 and a rear wall, or back 11 (FIG. 6), interconnected by two flank walls 12; the space encompassed by the four walls is enclosed at one end by a bottom wall 13.

The opposite end of the container 7 is enclosed by the lid 8, which presents a top end wall 14 parallel to the bottom end wall 13, a rear wall 15 occupying the same plane as the back 11 of the container, to which it is connected along the first hinge line 9, and two side walls 16 of triangular outline each occupying the same plane as a respective flank 12 of the container 7.

The lid 8 is rotatable about the hinge 9 and occupies a closed position, illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the free edges presented by the aforementioned side walls 16 and top wall 14 of the lid 8 are disposed in contact with corresponding free edges presented respectively by the flanks 12 and by the front wall 10 of the container 7.

The outer box element or case 6 presents a main rectangular or back wall 17 (FIG. 6), also two longitudinal walls 18, and two walls 19 disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis A, rigidly associated with the periphery of the back wall 17 on its four sides.

The outer box element 6 creates a recess 20 (FIG. 6) in which to house the packet 5, which is positioned with its rear wall or back 11 breasted in contact with the back wall 17 of the outer element, its bottom end wall 13 in contact with one transverse wall 19, its top end wall 14 in contact with the remaining transverse wall 19, and its flanks 12 in contact with the longitudinal walls 18 of the outer element.

The depth of the outer box element or case 6 is substantially equal to that of the packet 5, as measured transversely across the flanks 12.

The packet 5 is hinged, along the corner edge joining the front wall 10 and the bottom end wall 13, to the free edge offered by the corresponding transverse wall 19 of the outer box element 6, which affords a second hinge line denoted 21, and pivotable thus about these same edges between a fully nested first position illustrated in FIG. 1, and a second position in which the packet is drawn clear of the recess in part, and the pack 1 fully open, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Located between the longitudinal walls 18 of the outer box element 6 and the flanks 12 of the packet 5 are linkage and travel limiting means 22 by which the packet 5 is allowed to pivot on the second hinge line 21 through a predetermined angle of rotation. Such linkage and travel limiting means 22 comprise a pair of tabs 23 created by a cut 24 in each flank 12, of which the free ends project toward the front wall 10 of the packet. Each tab 23 is designed to engage the appropriately contoured edge of a folded stop 25 presented by the inside face of the corresponding longitudinal wall 18, thereby allowing a limited degree of angular movement to the pack 5 when rotated about the second hinge line 21, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Located between the top wall 14 of the lid 8 and the corresponding transverse wall 19 of the case 6 are second linkage means 26 such as will cause the lid 8 to flip open automatically when the packet 5 is rotated away from the recess of the case 6. The second linkage means 26 comprise a single tab 27, created by a cut 28, projecting from the free edge of the transverse wall 19 toward the back wall 17 of the case 6, and two slots 29 and 30 located respectively in the top wall 14 and in the rear wall 15 of the lid 8.

The slots 29 and 30 serve to create a web 31 coinciding with the corner edge along which the two walls 14 and 15 of the lid are joined.

As discernible in FIG. 5, when the packet 5 is pivoted away from the outer box element 6, the tab 27 locates in and slides through the slots 29 and 30, and in so doing engages the web 31, causing the lid 8 to rotate about the relative hinge line 9 in an anticlockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the main back wall 17 of the case 6 presents a circular opening 32 through which the back 11 of the packet 5 is accessible, in such a way that the user can ease the packet 5 out of the case 6 and thus cause the lid 8 to open automatically.

The pack illustrated in FIG. 7 differs from that illustrated in FIG. 1 in that the packet 5 has no hinged lid 8; instead, the functions performed by the lid of FIG. 1 are performed by the top transverse wall 19 and by a portion of the back wall 17 of the outer box element 6.

In the example of FIG. 7, the packet 5 is drawn from the recess 20 by pulling on a tab 33 attached to the front wall 10, rather than by pushing on the back 11 of the packet through an opening 32 ; applying this solution to the packet of FIGS. 1 to 6, the hinged lid 8 would open automatically in the same manner.

In a further embodiment of the pack (not illustrated), the hinged lid 8 might also be of conventional design presenting a front wall, occupying the same plane as the front wall 10 of the packet. In this instance the two side walls 16 would present a trapezoidal rather than a triangular outline.

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, numerals 5′ and 6′ denote two flat blanks of wrapping material from which the inner box element, or packet 5, and the outer box element, or case 6, are fashioned by executing a succession of bending and folding operations.

The component parts of the blanks 5′ e 6′ will be denoted hereinafter, at least in part, utilizing the same reference numerals, primed, as are used to denote the corresponding parts of the two box elements 5 and 6.

The blank 5′ of FIG. 8 presents a substantially rectangular outline and is divided by mutually parallel crease lines, extending transversely to a longitudinal axis denoted A′, into a plurality of panels.

Aligned on the longitudinal axis A′ are two panels 10′ and 11′ coinciding respectively with the front wall 10 and with the back 11 of the packet, and a panel 13′ between these two that coincides with the bottom end wall 13.

The panel denoted 10′ is joined along a crease line, remote from the intermediate panel 13′, to a flap 10″ that will be folded double and flattened ultimately against this same panel 10′.

The same panel 10′ is joined longitudinally on either side, along relative crease lines, to two lateral panels 12′.

Similarly, the panel denoted 11′ is joined longitudinally on either side, along relative crease lines, to two lateral panels 12″.

The panels 12′ and 12″ in question will be overlapped in pairs and secured to form the aforementioned flanks 12 of the inner box element 5.

The panel denoted 11′ is divided by a crease line 9′, coinciding with the hinge line 9 of the lid, from a further panel denoted 15′, which in turn is divided by a relative crease line from an end panel 14′.

The two panels 15′ and 14′ in question coincide respectively with the rear wall 15 and the top wall 14 of the lid 8.

Associated with the opposite ends of the panel denoted 15′, divided from this same panel by respective crease lines and aligned on an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis A′, are two triangular flaps 16′ detached from the respective lateral panels 12″ by oblique cuts. The triangular flaps 16′ coincide with the side walls 16 of the lid 8.

Associated by way of respective crease lines with the two ends of the lateral panels 12″ remote from the triangular flaps 16′, are two flaps 34 of which the function is to connect the flanks 12 and the bottom end wall 13 of the inner box element 5 one to another.

Similarly, associated by way of respective crease lines with the two triangular flaps 16′ are two flaps 35 of which the function is to connect the top wall 14 and the rear wall 15 of the lid 8 one to another.

The lateral panels denoted 12″ present cuts 24′ serving to create tabs 23′ that will form part of the aforementioned linkage and travel limiting means 22.

Finally, the panels denoted 15′ and 14′ present respective slots 29′ and 30′ forming part of the linkage means 26 illustrated in FIG. 6.

The blank 6′ of FIG. 9 is divided by mutually parallel crease lines, extending transversely to a longitudinal axis denoted A″, into a plurality of panels.

A central rectangular panel 17′, affording a circular opening or hole 30′, is joined by way of longitudinal crease lines coinciding with its longitudinal sides to two lateral panels 18′, and by way of transverse crease lines coinciding with its transverse sides to two further panels 19′.

The central panel 17′ coincides with the back wall 17 of the outer box element 6, whilst the adjoining panels 18′ and 19′ coincide with the longitudinal walls 18 and the transverse walls 19.

The lateral panels 18′ in their turn are joined along respective longitudinal crease lines to corresponding end panels 25′ that will be folded double ultimately and flattened against each panel 18′, so as to stiffen the longitudinal walls 18 and, through the agency of respective appropriately contoured longitudinal edges, establish the folded stops 25 engaged by the tabs 23 of the linkage and travel limiting means 22.

A panel denoted 36, joined to the top transverse panel 19′ along a respective crease line, is designed to serve as a stiffening element for the relative transverse wall 19; this same panel 36 also presents a cut 28′ shaped to create a tab 27′ such as will interact with the web 31 formed by the slots 29 and 30 in the lid 8, whenever the pack 1 is opened, and thus provide the aforementioned linkage means 26.

The blank 6′ also presents a flap 37 of substantially trapezoidal outline joined to the transverse panel 19′ at the bottom of blank, as viewed in FIG. 9, along a crease line 21′ coinciding with the second hinge line 21, which will be secured with adhesive to the bottom of the container 7 and thus provide the element that connects the outer box element 6 and the inner box element 5 one to another.

Joined along respective crease lines to the ends of each longitudinal panel 18′ are two flaps 38 by way of which the longitudinal walls 18 and the transverse walls 19 of the outer box element 6 will be connected one to another.

The main advantages afforded by the pack 1 described and illustrated derive from the creation of a perfectly airtight closure, maintainable as long as there are products to be consumed, given that when the packet 5 is housed internally of the recess 20, the lid 8 remains correctly in the closed position.

A further advantage derives from the way in which the hinged lid 8 opens automatically when the packet 5 is extracted from the recess 20.

Lastly, it will be appreciated that packs 1 embodied in accordance with the present invention can present the further advantage, in addition to those already mentioned, of achieving economies in manufacture by incorporating at least one rounded or bevelled longitudinal corner edge into the packet 5 and the case 6.

In effect, whilst the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings relate to packs 1 comprising an outer box element or case 6 and an inner box element or packet 5 of cigarettes featuring a hinge-lid design as illustrated in FIG. 1, or without a lid as illustrated in FIG. 7, where both the case 6 and the packet 5 present sharp corner edges, the teaching of the present invention could be applied equally to any type of inner or outer box element fashioned (in accordance with embodiments not illustrated in the drawings) with at least certain of the longitudinal and/or transverse corner edges rounded or bevelled. For example, the longitudinal corner edges might be rounded or bevelled rather than presenting a right angle profile, or similarly (adopting a cigarette packet of the design disclosed in patent publication EP 0764595), the longer transverse corner edges (those joining the transverse wall 19 and the back wall 17 of the case 6, and joining the top wall 14 and the back 11 of the packet 5) might be rounded or bevelled rather than presenting a right angle profile; alternatively, certain of the longitudinal corner edges and certain of the transverse corner edges might be rounded or bevelled rather than presenting a right angle profile, in such way as to incorporate both longitudinal and transverse corner edges presenting rounded or bevelled rather than sharp corner edges.

Finally, adopting another type of embodiment not illustrated in the drawings, both the outer case 6 and the packet 5 inside could present the shape of the cigarette packet disclosed in patent publication EP 1066206; in this instance, the back 17 of the case 6 and the main faces 10 and 11 of the packet 5 would be convexly profiled, each presenting a flat central portion, and two precreased curved lateral portions merged on the one side with the flat central portion and joined on the other to the flanks of the case and the packet along obtusely angled sharp longitudinal corner edges.

Claims

1. A rigid pack for tobacco products, substantially parallelepiped in appearance, characterized

in that it comprises an inner box element or packet (5) presenting four side walls extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (A), including a front wall (10), a rear wall or back (11), two flanks (12) and at least one end wall (13) disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis (A), also an outer box element or case (6) presenting a rectangular back wall (17) and, associated rigidly with the selfsame along the four sides, two longitudinal walls (18) and two transverse walls (19), creating a parallelepiped recess (20) in which to house the inner box element (5) disposed with the back (11) breasted in contact with the rear wall (17), the end wall (13) in contact with a corresponding transverse wall (19) and the two flanks (12) in contact with the longitudinal walls (18);

in that the inner box element (5) is hinged along one corner edge, coinciding with the join between the front wall (10) and the end wall (13), to a corresponding transverse wall (19) of the outer box element (6) and rotatable thus in relation to the outer box element (6) about a corner edge that functions as a hinge (21), between a nested first position and a partially extracted second position.

2. A pack as in claim 1, wherein the inner box element (5) consists in a packet with a hinged lid (8).

3. A pack as in claim 2, wherein the inner box element (5) presents two end walls (13, 14) coinciding with the bottom wall (13) of the selfsame inner box element (5) and a top wall (14) of the lid (8), of which the top wall (14) is associated with linkage means (26) operating between the selfsame top wall (14) and the corresponding transverse wall (19) of the outer box element (6), such as will induce the opening movement of the lid (8) automatically when the inner box element (5) is extracted from the outer box element (6).

4. A pack as in claim 3, wherein the lid (8) is provided by the top wall (14), a rear wall (15) coinciding with an end portion of the back (11), and two side walls (16) of triangular outline coinciding respectively with an end portion of each flank (12).

5. A pack as in claim 1, further comprising linkage and travel limiting means (22) operating between the flanks (12) of the inner box element (5) and the corresponding longitudinal walls (18) of the outer box element (6), such as will allow the inner box element (5) a predetermined degree of angular movement when rotated about the hinge (21).

6. A pack as in claim 1, wherein the main or back wall (17) of the outer box element (6) presents an opening (30) through which the rear wall or back (11) of the inner box element (5) is accessible.

7. A pack as in claim 1, wherein the front wall (10) of the inner box element (5) comprises tab means (33) such as can be pulled to extract the selfsame inner box element (5) from the outer box element (6).

8. A rigid pack for tobacco products as in claim 1, wherein the outer box element (6) and the inner box element (5) are fashioned respectively from a first flat blank (6′) and from a second flat blank (5′), with at least one of the two blanks (6′, 5′) incorporating a flap (37) that serves to connect the first and the second box elements (5, 6) one to another.

9. A pack as in claim 8, wherein the flap (37) constitutes an end flap of the first blank (6′) and is joined to the selfsame blank along a crease line (21′) serving to establish the hinge (21).

10. A pack as in claim 9, wherein the first blank (6′) is of substantially rectangular outline, with the predominating dimension referable to a longitudinal axis (A″), and comprises:

a plurality of longitudinal crease lines and transverse crease lines, delimiting a central panel (17′) that provides the back (17) of the outer box element, two longitudinal panels (18′) providing the longitudinal walls (18), and two transverse panels (19′) providing the transverse walls (19);

two end panels (25′) joined one to each of the longitudinal panels (18′) and folded to create a stop (25) that serves, in use, to limit the angle through which the inner box element (5) is allowed to rotate about the second hinge (21);

flaps (38) associated with the ends of each longitudinal panel (18′), providing a connection between the longitudinal walls (18) and the transverse walls (19).

11. A pack as in claim 10, wherein the first blank (6′) further comprises a top end panel (36), attached to the transverse panel (19′) remote from the transverse panel attached to the end flap (37), and presenting a cut (28′) designed to create a tab (27′) establishing the linkage means (26).

12. A pack as in claim 9, wherein the second blank (5′) is of substantially rectangular outline, with the predominating dimension referable to a longitudinal axis (A′), and comprises:

a plurality of longitudinal and transverse crease lines delimiting a panel (10′) coinciding with the front wall (10) of the inner box element, a panel (11′) coinciding with the back (11), and a panel (13′) interposed between the panels (10′, 11′) providing the front wall (10) and the back (11), coinciding with the end wall (13),

longitudinal panels (12′, 12″), joined respectively to the panels (10′, 11′) coinciding respectively with the front wall (10) and with the back (11), overlappable in such a way as to provide the flanks (12) of the inner box element (5),

tabs (23′) created by cuts (24′) made in the longitudinal panels (12″) associated with one panel (11′) of the blank, constituting the linkage and travel limiting means (22),

a flap (10″) attached to the free end of the panel (10′) coinciding with the front wall (10), such as can be folded double and flattened against the selfsame panel (10′).

13. A pack as in claim 11, wherein the panel (11′) providing the back (11) of the inner box element is divided by a crease line (9′), functioning as the hinge line (9) of the lid (8), from a panel (15′) divided in its turn by a crease line from an end panel (14′), and the opposite ends of the selfsame panel (11′) present two triangular flaps (16′), arranged in such a manner that the panels (15′, 14′) and the flaps (16′) combine to establish the rear wall (15), the end wall (14) and the side walls (16) of the lid (8); the two panels (15′, 14′) also presenting respective slots (29′, 30′) that combine with the tab (27) to establish the linkage means (26), and the triangular flaps (16′) presenting respective flaps (35) designed to function as connection elements between the end wall (14) and the rear wall (15) of the lid (8).