Package for Tobacco Industry Products

Abstract

A package (1) for tobacco industry products comprising an aperture (7) configured to receive a flavour carrier (3); and one or more flavour release elements configured to physically interact with the flavour carrier upon insertion of the flavour carrier into the aperture so as to cause the flavour carrier to release flavour into an internal region (3.1) of the package for impregnating the contents of the package with the flavour.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a package for tobacco industry products. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a package for cigarettes or other smoking articles in which a device is included in the cover of the package for application of an essence to a subset of the smoking articles packaged therein.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

As used herein, the term “tobacco industry product” refers to any item made in, or sold by the tobacco industry, typically including a) cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes); b) non-smoking products incorporating tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes such as snuff, snus, hard tobacco, and heat-not-burn products; and c) other nicotine-delivery systems such as inhalers, lozenges and gum. This list is not intended to be exclusive, but merely illustrates a range of products which are made and sold in the tobacco industry.

As used herein, the term “smoking article” includes smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also heat-not-burn products. The smoking article may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by the smoker.

As used herein, the terms “flavour”, “flavourant” and “flavourizer” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, or powder.

The tobacco industry traditionally commercializes smoking articles such as cigarettes in traditional packages, which are usually one of two types of packages, known as soft-cup type packages and box type packages. The soft-cup type package is normally made with a low-grade (weight per area) type of paper and the box type package is normally made with a sturdier grade (higher weight per area) type of paper (a type similar to cardboard). Conventionally the cigarettes or other smoking articles contained in a particular package all have the same sensory characteristics, thereby restricting a consumer to cigarettes or other smoking articles with identical characteristics.

It would be desirable to provide consumers with the option to increase the variety of available smoking articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a package for tobacco industry products comprising an aperture configured to receive a flavour carrier; and one or more flavour release elements configured to physically interact with the flavour carrier upon insertion of the flavour carrier into the aperture so as to cause the flavour carrier to release flavour into an internal region of the package for impregnating the contents of the package with the flavour.

The aperture may be in a cover of the package.

The aperture may comprise a slit having dimensions substantially matching those of the flavour carrier.

The aperture may comprise a pair of rail elements configured to guide the flavour carrier into the aperture.

The flavour release elements may comprise grooves in the aperture configured to rupture the surface of the flavour carrier to cause a release of flavour.

The package may comprise an internal partition which separates an internal volume of the package into first and second regions for containing first and second subsets of tobacco industry products.

The partition may be configured to prevent flavour released from the flavour carrier from passing between the first and second regions of the package.

The aperture may be located adjacent one of the first or second regions such that, upon flavour being released from the flavour carrier, flavour is released into the region adjacent the aperture.

The package may further comprise the flavour carrier.

The flavour carrier may comprise a flavourant on its surface.

The flavourant may be contained in microcapsules at a surface of the flavour carrier, the microcapsules being rupturable upon contact with the flavour release elements to release flavour into the package.

The flavour carrier may be a chip or card with dimensions substantially matching those of the aperture.

The package may comprise a plurality of smoking articles which can be impregnated by the flavour release to cause a change in the flavour of one or more of the smoking articles.

According to the invention, there may be provided a package for aromatizing cigarettes, comprising a cover, a chip impregnated with a flavor and a rear section, wherein the cover comprises a slit of the same width as the chip and two rail elements to keep the chip secured to a lower part of the cover, wherein the said slit comprises grooves that damage the chip upon insertion of the chip into the slit, thereby causing tears to open a number of microcapsules comprised in an ink on the chip, thereby releasing flavour from the microcapsules onto the cigarettes stored in a portion of the package.

The cover and the rear section may comprise a rigid material and may be hingedly joined by a hinge portion located at the back or rear part of the package.

The package may comprise a first region intended to be impregnated with flavour and a second region that is not supposed to be impregnated with flavour, in order to allow the impregnation of a flavour into one or more cigarettes in the first region, such regions being separated by a thin rigid wall which, upon the cover being closed, keeps the two regions separate by hermetic sealing, thereby avoiding the impregnation of flavour from the first region into the second region.

The invention relates to a tobacco industry package which includes a cover provided with a system for releasing flavour into the package. The system may allow a user to actuate the flavour release at a moment selected by the user, as explained below. The flavour may be released from a flavour chip or card, and the cover may be adapted to store the flavour chip or card. The cover may be hinged and the card or chip may have dimensions which are similar to those of a “chip” or “SIM card” of the type used in cellular telephones. The said chip or card may be provided with a finishing which contains a special type of ink or other substance comprising microcapsules containing different flavourants/flavourizers such as menthol.

The cover may have a slit with grooves, and upon the chip or card being introduced into the slit the grooves may be configured to tear open the microcapsules containing the ink or other substance. By this action, the flavours previously contained in the chip or card may be released to the inside of the package and may impregnate the cigarettes or other smoking articles or tobacco industry products positioned in a region of the package. The flavours may for example impregnate smoking articles in a region of the package which is located directly under the card or chip. The region into which the flavours are released may be separated from the rest of the internal region of the package by a separation partition within the package.

In this manner, the invention may facilitate a release of flavouring into a subset of the cigarettes or other smoking articles or tobacco industry products contained in the package, thereby allowing the consumer to consume a first subset of smoking articles or other tobacco industry products with their original flavour characteristics, and henceforth to consume one or more second subets with various different flavours.

The present invention relates to a package intended to flavour, by impregnation, a one or more of the cigarettes or other smoking articles contained therein by means of the use of a special “chip” or card which uses a special ink comprising microcapsules filled with a special flavourizer. Upon inserting the chip or card into the cover of the package through a slit provided with grooves in the cover, the microcapsules are torn and release the flavourizer to an internal part of the package wherein are contained a given number of cigarettes or other smoking articles. Upon the released flavourizer permeating to the cigarettes or other smoking articles, the latter become impregnated by its flavour, thereby altering the original characteristics of the cigarettes or other smoking articles and providing a special flavour thereto.

The present invention relates to a package for cigarettes that comprises a cover provided with a system for storing a substance or substances in a chip or card in a given part of the cover. The said chip or card, in turn, is provided with a finishing comprising an ink impregnated with microcapsules containing various different flavourizers/flavourants. Upon introducing the chip or card into the cover, protrusions located at the inlet through which the chip or card is inserted will scratch “tears” therein, releasing the flavourizers/flavourants contained in the microcapsules and allowing the impregnation of the respective flavours into the cigarettes or other smoking articles stored in a selected part of the main package.

The main package may comprise a first internal region made separate from that of the remaining cigarettes or other smoking articles in order to allow that only a part of the cigarettes or other smoking articles be impregnated. A flavour barrier is provided to separate this first region from a second internal region of the package in which the smoking articles which are not to be impregnated are contained. The barrier may be in the form of a wall or other suitable means for preventing flavourizers/flavourants released from the chip or card from entering the second region of the package. The maximum number of cigarettes or other smoking articles to be impregnated would be the maximum number of cigarettes or other smoking articles able to be physically contained in the said second region.

The cover can be joined to the back or rear wall of the package, and may be hinged to pivot around an axis formed by the intersection of the cover with the upper end of the back or rear wall of the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For exemplary purposes only, embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

In FIG. 1 there is shown a view of a cover for a tobacco industry package with a flavourizer chip or card inserted therein;

In FIG. 2 there is depicted a cross-sectional end view of the assembled package including the cover, the chip or card inserted in the cover and the main body of the package containing a plurality of cigarettes. A partition divides the main body into first and second internal regions.

FIG. 3 represents an upper or plan view of the package with the chip or card partially inserted into the cover. Also shown is the location of the partition, which is an internal separative barrier between the first and second internal regions of the package for preventing impregnation of the cigarettes in the second region with the flavourizer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a package 1 of a type intended to contain twenty cigarettes. The package 1 comprises a cover or lid 2 which is configured to receive a flavour carrier such as a chip or card 3 comprising and/or impregnated with a flavourant or flavourizer. The package 1 also comprises a main body in which can be contained tobacco industry products such as smoking articles. The main body of the package 1 comprises a first region 3.1 and a second region 3.2 that is separate from the first region 3.1. A partition 4 between the first 3.1 and second regions 3.2 for restricting the impregnation of the flavour to a subset of cigarettes, for example those contained in the first region, is also provided. This is explained in more detail below. The first and second regions 3.1, 3.2 may be substantially equal in size, for example volume, or may be different. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second region 3.2 may be larger than the first region 3.1 and may therefore contain more cigarettes than the first region 3.1.

The package 1 also comprises a rear section 5, comprising two end walls, first and second opposing side walls and a rear or back wall which is opposite the cover. The walls of the rear section 5 form boundaries for containing the twenty cigarettes. Other numbers of cigarettes can alternatively be contained.

The cover 2 and the rear section 5 comprise a rigid material such as cardboard and are hingedly joined by means of a hinged portion 6. The hinged portion 6 may, for example, connect the rear wall or an end wall of the package 1 to the cover 2.

The first and second internal regions 3.1 and 3.2 are separated from one another by a partition, which may comprise a thin rigid wall 4 between the two ends of the package 1. When the cover 2 is closed, the partition 4 keeps the two regions 3.1, 3.2 separate by hermetically sealing with the rear section 5 and cover 2 to thereby avoid the impregnation of flavour into the second region 3.2 from the first region 3.1 or vice versa.

When closed, the package therefore provides a separation between the cigarettes located in the first region 3.1 and those located in the second region 3.2.

The cover 2 has a slit 7 adapted for receiving the aromatic chip or card 3. For example, the width of the slit 7 may be substantially equal to that of the aromatic chip 3 so that the chip 3 is a close fit when slid into the slit 7. The slit 7 may also include two rail elements 8 and 9. The slit 7 is provided with flavour release elements, such as grooves, that damage the chip 3 upon insertion of the chip 3 into the slit. For example, as referred to previously, the grooves may rupture microcapsules on the chip 3 which contain one or more flavourants. The flavourants are then released from the chip 3 into the package 1.

The chip 3 can be secured to the underside of the cover 2 by means of the rail elements 8 and 9, so that it faces the contents of the package 1 when inserted into the cover 2. Upon being inserted through the slit 7 provided with the grooves, the chip 3 tears thereby causing a number of microcapsules comprised in a special ink (with the aromatic microcapsules) to open. As previously discussed, this allows flavour to be released onto the cigarettes.

The release of flavour may be confined to products contained in one or other of the first and second regions 3.1, 3.2 of the package 1. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slit 7 in which the chip or card 3 can be received may be located directly above or adjacent to the first region 3.1 of the package 1. Therefore, flavours released from the chip or card 3 when it is inserted into the cover 2 enter the first region 3.1 but are prevented from entering the second region 3.2 by the hermetically sealed partition 4 separating the first and second regions 3.1, 3.2. The slit 7 may of course alternatively be located above or adjacent to the second region 3.2 so that flavour is released into the second region 3.2 but not the first region 3.1. Following the release of flavour, the cigarettes may be allowed to remain inside the first internal region 3.1 of the package 1 for a given period of time to allow the flavour released thereupon to impregnate them. Given the presence of the thin wall 4 that separates the first region 3.1 from the second region 3.2, the cigarettes contained in the second region 3.2 are not impregnated and maintain the original characteristics of the product acquired from the manufacturer.

The flavour of the cigarettes in the first region 3.1 may be only subtly changed so that the change it not overt. The flavour change may be such that, although it can be perceived by the consumer, it is not necessarily noticed without due attention. For example, a smoker smoking a cigarette which has been impregnated with flavour from the chip or card 3 may not initially notice that the flavour of the cigarette and or smoke is different to normal. The flavour change may be perceived by the unconscious part of the brain rather than the conscious. However, the flavour change may be so as to improve the overall smoking experience.

Although a specific type of cigarette package is described above, the invention is applicable to any tobacco industry package into which a chip or card can be inserted to release flavourant to tobacco industry products contained in the package.

Claims

1. A package for tobacco industry products comprising:

an aperture configured to receive a flavor carrier; and

one or more flavor release elements configured to rupture a surface of the flavor carrier upon insertion of the flavor carrier into the aperture so as to cause the flavor carrier to release flavor into an internal region of a package for impregnating contents of the package with the flavor.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is in a cover of the package.

3. The package according to claim 1, wherein the aperture comprises a slit having dimensions substantially matching those of the flavor carrier.

4. The package according to claim 1, wherein the aperture comprises a pair of rail elements configured to guide the flavor carrier into the aperture.

5. The package according to claim 4, wherein the one or more flavor release elements comprise grooves in the aperture configured to rupture the surface of the flavor carrier to cause a release of flavor.

6. The package according to claim 1, wherein the package comprises an internal partition which separates an internal volume of the package into first and second regions for containing first and second subsets of tobacco industry products.

7. The package according to claim 6, wherein the internal partition is configured to prevent flavor released from the flavor carrier from passing between the first and second regions of the package.

8. The package according to claim 6, wherein the aperture is located adjacent one of the first or second regions such that, upon flavor being released from the flavor carrier, flavor is released into the region adjacent the aperture.

9. The package according to claim 1, further comprising the flavor carrier.

10. The package according to claim 9, wherein the flavor carrier comprises a flavorant on its surface.

11. The package according to claim 10, wherein the flavorant is contained in microcapsules at a surface of the flavor carrier, the microcapsules being rupturable upon contact with the one or more flavor release elements to release flavor into the package.

12. The package according to claim 1, wherein the flavor carrier is a chip or card with dimensions substantially matching those of the aperture.

13. The package according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of smoking articles which can be impregnated by the flavor release to cause a change in the flavor of one or more of the smoking articles.

14. The package for aromatizing cigarettes, comprising a cover; a rear section and a flavor carrier, wherein the flavor carrier comprises a chip impregnated with a flavor and wherein the cover comprises:

an aperture to receive the flavor carrier, the aperture comprising a slit of the same width of the chip; and

two rail elements to secure the chip to a lower part of the cover, wherein the said slit comprises grooves configured to damage the chip upon insertion of the chip into the slit, thereby causing tears to open a number of microcapsules comprised in an ink on the chip, thereby releasing flavor from the microcapsules onto cigarettes stored in a portion of the package.

15. The package, as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cover and the rear section comprise a rigid material and are hingedly joined by a hinge portion located at a back or rear part of the package.

16. The package, as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a first region configured to be impregnated with flavor and a second region not impregnated with flavor, thereby allowing the impregnation of the flavor into one or more cigarettes in the first region; such regions being separated by a thin rigid wall which, upon the cover being closed, separating the two regions by hermetic sealing, thereby avoiding impregnation of flavor from the first region into the second region.

17. A package for tobacco industry products comprising:

an aperture configured to receive a flavor carrier; and

one or more flavor release elements configured to rupture a surface of the flavor carrier upon insertion of the flavor carrier into the aperture so as to cause the flavor carrier to release flavor into an internal region of a package for impregnating contents of the package with the flavor and wherein the one or more flavor release elements comprise grooves in the aperture configured to rupture the surface of the flavor carrier to cause a release of flavor.