CIGARETTE PACK WITH ATTACHED PROMOTIONAL SAMPLE

Abstract

A pair of cigarette packs each have a back wall with the packs arranged adjacent one another in back-to-back relationship. A sachet is releasably attached to the back wall of each pack. One sachet is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of one pack and other sachet is releasably attached to a lower back wall portion of the other pack of the pair. A promotional pouch of smokeless tobacco is inside each sachet. Pairs of such packs fit within standard size cartons. Each pack and the attached sachet may include overwrap material.

Description

The present invention relates to cigarette packs, and more specifically to cigarette packs with attached promotional samples particularly arranged for placement in standard cigarette pack cartons.

Cigarette packs fit snuggly within standard cigarette pack cartons with little extra space for additional materials. After packing operations, the cartons are later reopened for tax stamping of the packs using standard tax stamping machines. Tax-stamping capability is economically important due to the expense of tax stamping machines which are used in all states and other venues for applying an appropriate tax stamp to each pack of cigarettes sold.

Promotional samples such as samples of smokeless tobacco, for example, are often separately distributed rather than directly applied to cigarette packs because the increased dimensions of the pack would require somewhat larger cigarette cartons which becomes problematic with standard tax stamping machinery. Hence, there is a real need for other ways of distributing such samples to the consumer. Accordingly, the need exists for applying promotional samples to cigarette packs in a manner that allows such packs to be fitted within standard cigarette cartons. Hence, when such cartons are later reopened for tax stamping purposes, standard tax stamping machines may be utilized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the objects of the present invention is a cigarette pack with a promotional sample attached thereto in a manner that allows such packs to be subsequently fitted within standard cigarette cartons.

Another object of the present invention is a plurality of cigarette packs each having a promotional sample releasably attached thereto with the packs particularly arranged for placement in standard cigarette carton.

In accordance with the present invention, a cigarette carton is provided with ten cigarette packs in the carton arranged in two rows with five cigarette packs in each row. Each pack has a back wall with the back walls of the packs of one row adjacent the back walls of the packs of the second row. A sachet or small bag is removably attached to the back wall of each pack and a small pouch of smokeless tobacco is positioned within each sachet. One pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton has a sachet removably attached to the upper portion of the back wall thereof while the other pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton has a sachet removably attached to lower portion of the back wall thereof.

Additionally, the present invention includes a cigarette pack alone having a sachet removably attached thereto. A small pouch of smokeless tobacco is positioned within the removably attached sachet.

The cigarette pack has a back wall and preferably the sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of the cigarette pack. Alternatively this sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein may be releasably attached to a lower back wall position of the pack.

The present invention further includes a pair of cigarette packs each having a back wall with the packs arranged adjacent to one another in back-to-back relationship. A sachet is releasably attached to the back wall of each pack. One sachet is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of one pack and another sachet is releasably attached to a lower back wail portion of the other pack of the pair. Each sachet includes a small pouch of smokeless tobacco inside the sachet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a standard cigarette carton with cigarette packs therein, each with a promotional sample attached thereto, according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken alone line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a cigarette pack with a promotional sample attached thereto, according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of cigarette packs in back-to-back relationship with a promotional sample attached to the back wall of each pack;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the pair of packs opened way from each other;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4, but illustrating an alternate embodiment with overwrap around each pack and the attached promotional sample, according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the pair of overwrapped packs opened and away from one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring in more particularity to the drawings, a standard cigarette carton 10 holds ten cigarette packs 12 in two rows of five packs in each row. Each cigarette pack has a container portion 14 that holds a foil bundle of twenty cigarette (not shown), and a hinge lid 16 that articulates along a hinge line 18. The cigarette pack includes front and back walls 20, 22, respectively, as well as a top wall 24, bottom wall 26 and opposite side walls 28.

A promotional sample in the form of a sachet or small bag 30 is releasably secured to the back wall 22 of each cigarette pack 12. Double sided adhesive 32 may be used for this purpose, but any convenient means of releasable securement may be utilized. Each sachet comprises two plies 33 secured together at the outside boundary of the plies.

A small pouch 34 of smokeless tobacco is within each of the sachets 30. The pouches 34 may be randomly positioned within the sachets or such positioning may be predetermined if desired. By way of example, and as partially shown in FIG. 5, the pouches may be horizontally or vertically or randomly oriented within the sachet.

As shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of cigarette packs 12 are arranged in back-to-back relationship for placement in the carton 10. On one pack the sachet is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion 36 of that pack while the sachet 30 is attached to a lower back wall portion 38 of the adjacent pack of the pair. This particular arrangement minimizes the width of an adjacent pair of cigarette packs which enables the packs to be positioned within a standard cigarette carton 10 primarily because the pouches 34 do not abut one another. Abutment of the pouches could easily increase the width of an adjacent pair of packs 12 and possibly require a larger cigarette carton.

As explained above in the Background of the Invention, cigarette cartons holding cigarette pack are subsequently reopened for the application of appropriate tax stamps to each pack within the carton. The tax stamping machinery is constructed and arranged to process standard size cigarette cartons and any dimensional increase of the carton would require special tax stamping machines. In the present invention, the positioning and orientation of the sachets 30 and the pouches 34 therein enable the packs 12 to be positioned within a standard carton 10 and subsequent tax stamping processes are easily accomplished with standard tax stamping machines.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention where overwrap material 50 is around each pack 12 and the attached sachet 30. Expect for the overwrap material 50, FIGS. 6 and 7 are the same as FIGS. 4 and 5, and similar reference characters are used to identify similar parts.

The overwrap material 50 extends around the front and back walls 20, 22 of the pack as well as the opposite side walls 28. The upper and lower boundaries 52, 54 stop short of the top and bottom walls 24, 26 of the pack which leaves those walls uncovered by overwrap material. A pull tab 56 and weakened lines 58 are provided on the overwrap for removal of the overwrap when opening of the pack 12 is desired. The pull tab 56 and weakened lines 58 preferably are positioned adjacent one of the three opposite side wall 28 of the pack.

Claims

1. A cigarette carton with ten cigarette packs in the carton arranged in two rows with five cigarette packs in each row, each pack having a back wall with the back walls of the packs of one row adjacent the back walls of the packs of the second row, a sachet releasably attached to the back wall of each pack and a pouch of smokeless tobacco in each sachet, and one pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton having a sachet removably attached to an upper portion of the back wall thereof and the other pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton having a sachet removably attached to a lower portion of the back wall thereof.

2. A cigarette carton as in claim 1 including overwrap material around each pack and the attaches sachet.

3. A cigarette pack having a sachet removably attached thereto, and a pouch of smokeless tobacco inside the sachet.

4. A cigarette pack as in claim 3 wherein the cigarette pack has a back wall and the sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of the pack.

5. A cigarette pack as in claim 4 including overwrap material around the pack and the attached sachet.

6. A cigarette pack as in claim 3 wherein the cigarette pack has a back wall and the sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein is releasably attached to a lower back wall portion of the pack.

7. A cigarette pack as in claim 6 including overwrap material around the pack and the attached sachet.

8. A pair of cigarette packs each having a back wall with the packs arranged adjacent one another in back-to-back relationship, a sachet releasably attached to the back wall of each pack, one sachet releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of one pack and another sachet releasably attached to a lower back wall portion of the other pack of the pair, and a pouch of smokeless tobacco in each sachet.

9. A pair of cigarette packs as in claim 8 including overwrap material around each pack and attached sachet.