CIGARETTE PACK
A cigarette pack formed by a box having top and bottom faces and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face. The longitudinal faces include a front face, a first bevel situated on one side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a first longitudinal fold line and a second bevel situated on the other side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a second longitudinal fold line. The first and second fold lines are curved away from the centre of the front face such that the front face is at least partially concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction. The circumference of the top face of the pack includes at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face.
The present invention generally relates to the field of packaging for tobacco products. In particular, the present invention relates to a new type of cigarette pack, and blank therefor.
Reusable cigarette cases made of hard materials such as metals or polymers have been known for decades. Typically, these hard-shell cases were filled with cigarettes which were sold in soft-shell packs made of paper, which soft-shell packs failed to provide adequate protection for cigarettes, specifically in situations in which users carried those soft-shell packs in pockets of their garments.
Theses hard-shell cases provide an increased amount of protection for cigarettes and, if shaped appropriately, can also be comfortable for users to carry in garment pockets. On the other hand, the necessity to refill these hard-shell cases can be burdensome and awkward for users.
In order to address these problems, cigarette packs made of cardboard were developed. The aim of the cardboard pack was to combine the sturdiness of the hard-shell packs with the disposability and convenience of soft-shell packs. Typically, these packs are made of sturdy cardboard with pronounced edge, and comprise lids which open from the top and allow users to access the cigarettes inside. Whilst these cardboard packs do have advantages over both the soft-shell pack and the hard-shell cases, they have introduced a significant disadvantage over both, namely that of comfort.
Soft-shell packs, whilst providing little protection for cigarettes, are comfortable to carry in garment pockets and, as mentioned above, hard-shell cases, if appropriately shaped, can also be comfortable. Dissimilarly, known cardboard packs are shaped in order to maximise their structural integrity and, as a consequence, are often simply rectangular parallelepipeds, making them very uncomfortable for users.
Moreover, the angular shape of these cardboard packs makes them susceptible to deformation, particularly when the angles of the pack are constrained by a non-linear space, such as that defined by the inside pocket of a user's garment. Such deformation can result in a phenomenon known as “smiling”, where the flip-top lid of the pack sits slightly open with respect to the body of the pack, thereby preventing the pack from completely closing in its rest state. When carried in a garment, loose tobacco contained in the pack can find its way into the user's pocket through the aperture created by this “smiling” effect.
Accordingly, there is a clear need for a structurally sturdy cardboard cigarette pack which is also comfortable to carry in a user's garment pocket.
In order to solve the problems addressed by the prior art, the present invention provides a cigarette pack which comprises:
-
- a box having a top face, a bottom face, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, the longitudinal faces including:
- a front face;
- a first bevel situated on one side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a first longitudinal fold line; and
- a second bevel situated on the other side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a second longitudinal fold line, the pack being characterised by:
- the first and second fold lines are curved away from the centre of the front face such that the front face is at least partially concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction.
Preferably, the first and second fold lines are curved away from the centre of the front face such that the front face is concavely bowed in a lateral direction.
Preferably, the pack further comprises:
-
- a straight rear face, and wherein the plurality of longitudinal faces further includes:
- a first plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face; and
- a second plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face.
Preferably, the front face is concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction from a location substantially adjacent the top face to an area substantially adjacent the bottom face.
Preferably, the box further comprises:
-
- a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack, the pack being characterised by:
- the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
Preferably, the pack further comprises:
-
- a lid, hingedly connected to at least one of the longitudinal faces of the box.
The present invention also provides a blank for making the above cigarette pack.
The present invention also provides a cigarette pack which comprises:
-
- a box having a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack, the pack being characterised by:
- the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
Preferably, the cigarette pack has a first concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and the front face of the box, and a second concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and the rear face of the box, the first and second concavely curved segments being arranged to cause the front face and the rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack, respectively.
Preferably, the concavely curved segments are of equal dimensions.
Preferably, the cigarette pack further comprises:
-
- a lid, hingedly connected to at least one of the longitudinal faces of the box.
The present invention also provides a blank for making the above cigarette pack.
As will be appreciated, the present invention provides several advantages over the prior art. For example, the bowed front face of the pack in accordance with the present invention will make the resulting pack more comfortable when being carried in a garment pocket. Moreover, because the pack in accordance with the present invention comprises an inwardly bowed front face, when the lid is closed, it must be forced over the protrusion created by the bowing of the front face. This protrusion will then bias the lid in the closed position, thereby reducing the problem of a “smiling” lid. Finally, the embodiment of the present invention which comprises curved front and rear folds on the top face of the lid also comprises recesses on the lid which soften its shape, thereby contributing to an increase in the comfort which a user feels when carrying the pack in his or her pocket. Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent when reading the following specific description.
Several specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
An arched-edged bevel 106 is situated on either side of the bowed front face 103. The arched fold lines 106a, 106b of the arched-edged bevels 106 cause the front face 103 of the pack main body 101 to bow inwardly, as shown in
As will be appreciated, the depth of the curved front fold 104a (F1) and the curved rear fold 104b (R2) will influence the shape and angle of recesses 108 and 113, respectively.
Similarly, and as can also be seen in
As is also shown in
Top face 104 is connected to the rear face 113 of the pack lid 102 by curved fold 104b. On each side of rear face 113, reinforcement side bevels 107a extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 107a comprises a fixing tab 107a′ at its top edge. Rear face 113 of the pack lid 102 is connected to the rear face 114 of the pack body 101 by fold line 117. On each side of rear face 114, reinforcement side bevels 107b extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 107b comprises a fixing tab 107b′ at its bottom edge. Bottom face 110 is connected to rear face 114 by way of fold line 118. As will be appreciated, the bottom face of a pack in accordance with the present invention can be of any suitable shape, depending on the shape of pack's sides. For example, the shape of the bottom face could be substantially rectangular.
The bottom face 110 is connected to the front face 103 of the pack lid body 101 by way of fold line 119. Front face 103 is connected to arched-edged front bevels 106 by way of fold lines 106a and 106b. Side bevels 107 extend outwardly from the straight edge of arched-edged front bevels 106.
With reference to
Then, the front face 103 is folded at a right angle with respect to bottom face 110 around fold line 119. Side bevels 107 are wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 107b and fixed thereto. The front face 103, bottom face 110 and rear face 114 now form the main part of the pack body 101. At this point, the collar portion 124 (shown in
Once the pack body has been created, panel 105′ is folded at a 180 degree angle with respect to front face 105, and is fixed to the inner face thereof. Front face 105 is then folded at a right angle with respect to top face 104 along curved fold line 104a. Top face 104 is then folded at a right angle with respect to rear face 113, along curved fold line 104b. Fixing tabs 107a′ are then fixed to the inside of top face 104. The fixing tabs 107a′ can be fixed to the top face 104 by any known means including, but not limited to, gluing and bonding. Side bevels 107 of the lid 102 are then wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 107a and fixed thereto.
As will be appreciated, whilst the blank 120 is flat when initially cut from a piece of cardboard, curved folds 104a, 104b, 106a, 106b, 106c and 106d will result in bowed front faces 103 and 105, as well as recesses 108 and 113.
An arched-edged bevel 206 is situated on either side of the bowed front face 203. The arched fold lines 206a, 206b of the arched-edged bevels 206 cause the front face 203 of the pack main body 201 to bow inwardly, as shown in
As will be appreciated, the depth of the curved front fold 204a (F2) will influence the shape and angle of recess 208.
Similarly, and as can also be seen in
As is also shown in
Top face 204 is connected to the rear face 213 of the pack lid 202 by straight fold 204b. On each side of rear face 213, reinforcement side bevels 207a extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 207a comprises a fixing tab 207a′ at its top edge. Rear face 213 of the pack lid 202 is connected to the rear face 214 of the pack body 201 by fold line 217. On each side of rear face 214, reinforcement side bevels 207b extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 207b comprises a fixing tab 207b′ at its bottom edge. Bottom face 210 is connected to rear face 214 by way of fold line 218. As will be appreciated, the bottom face of a pack in accordance with the present invention can be of any suitable shape, depending on the shape of the pack's sides. For example, the shape of the bottom face could be substantially rectangular.
The bottom face 210 is connected to the front face 203 of the pack body 201 by way of fold line 219. Front face 203 is connected to arched-edged front bevels 206 by way of fold lines 206a and 206b. Side bevels 207 extend outwardly from the straight edge of arched-edged front bevels 206.
With reference to
Then, the front face 203 is folded at a right angle with respect to bottom face 210 around fold line 219. Side bevels 207 are wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 207b and fixed thereto. The front face 203, bottom face 210 and rear face 214 now form the main part of the pack body 201. At this point, a collar, as shown in
Once the pack body has been created, panel 205′ is folded at a 180 degree angle with respect to front face 205, and is fixed to the inner face thereof. Then, front face 205 is folded at a right angle with respect to top face 204 along curved fold line 204a. Top face 204 is then folded at a right angle with respect of rear face 213, along straight fold line 204b. Fixing tabs 207a′ are then fixed to the inside of top face 204. The fixing tabs 207a′ can be fixed to the top face 204 by any known means including, but not limited to, gluing and bonding. Side bevels 207 of the lid 202 are then wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 207a and fixed thereto.
As will be appreciated, whilst the blank 220 is flat when initially cut from a piece of cardboard, curved folds 204a, 206a, 206b, 206c and 206d will result in bowed front faces 203 and 205, as well as recess 208.
An arched-edged bevel 306 is situated on either side of the bowed front face 303. The arched fold lines 306a, 306b of the arched-edged bevels 306 cause the front face 303 of the pack main body 301 to bow inwardly, as shown in
Similarly, and as can also be seen in
Top face 304 is connected to the rear face 313 of the pack lid 302 by fold 304b. On each side of rear face 313, reinforcement side bevels 307a extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 307a comprises a fixing tab 307a′ at its top edge. Rear face 313 of the pack lid 302 is connected to the rear face 314 of the pack body 301 by fold line 317. On each side of rear face 314, reinforcement side bevels 307b extend outwardly. Each reinforcement side bevel 307b comprises a fixing tab 307b′ at its bottom edge. Bottom face 310 is connected to rear face 314 by way of fold line 318. As will be appreciated, the bottom face of a pack in accordance with the present invention can be of any suitable shape, depending on the shape of pack's sides. For example, the shape of the bottom face could be substantially rectangular.
The bottom face 310 is connected to the front face 303 of the pack body 301 by way of fold line 319. Front face 303 is connected to arched-edged front bevels 306 by way of fold lines 306a and 306b. Side bevels 307 extend outwardly from the straight edge of arched-edged front bevels 306.
With reference to
The front face 303 is then folded at a right angle with respect to bottom face 310 around fold line 319. Side bevels 307 are wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 307b and fixed thereto. The front face 303, bottom face 310 and rear face 314 now form the main part of the pack body 301. At this point, a collar portion, as shown in
Once the pack body has been created, panel 305′ is folded at a 180 degree angle with respect to front face 305, and is fixed to the inner face thereof. Then, front face 305 is folded at a right angle with respect to top face 304 along fold line 304a. Then, top face 304 is folded at a right angle with respect of rear face 313, along fold line 304b. Fixing tabs 307a′ are then fixed to the inside of top face 304. The fixing tabs 307a′ can be fixed to the top face 304 by any known means including, but not limited to, gluing and bonding. Side bevels 307 of the lid 302 are then wrapped around corresponding reinforcement side bevels 307a and fixed thereto. Whilst the blank 320 is flat when initially cut from a piece of cardboard, curved folds 306a, 306b, 306c and 306d will result in bowed front faces 303 and 305.
As will be appreciated by the skilled reader, because the arched-edged front bevels 106, 206, 306 and 111, 211, 311 share a straight vertical fold with the forward-most side bevel 107, 207, 307 on both the right and left side of the pack body 101, 201, 301 and lid 102, 202, 302, the side faces of a pack in accordance with any embodiment described herein need not be oval in shape and comprise a plurality of bevels 107, 207, 307. For example, the side faces of a pack in accordance with the present invention can simply be straight, thereby creating a pack having a rectangular profile when viewed from above. Moreover, in embodiments in which the sides of the packs are constructed of bevels, any number of bevels can be used for either side.
The skilled reader will appreciate the features described with reference to the above embodiments can be combined in any number of ways. For example, a pack in accordance with the present invention can comprise a bowed front face, a lid portion comprising recessed front and/or rear faces or a combination thereof.
As will also be appreciated by the skilled reader, the advantageous shape of the pack of the present invention is independent of the position or construction of the lid. For example, a pack in accordance with the present invention could comprise any number of lid types including, but not limited to, pack lids which open from the side of the pack and lids which cover the entire front face of the pack.
Claims
1. A cigarette pack comprising:
- a box having a top face, a bottom face, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, the longitudinal faces including:
- a front face;
- a first bevel situated on one side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a first longitudinal fold line; and
- a second bevel situated on the other side of the front face and being attached to the front face by a second longitudinal fold line,
- wherein the first and second fold lines are curved away from the centre of the front face such that the front face is at least partially concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction.
2. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second fold lines are curved away from the centre of the front face such that the front face is concavely bowed in a lateral direction.
3. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:
- a straight rear face, and wherein the plurality of longitudinal faces further includes:
- a first plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face; and
- a second plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face.
4. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 3, wherein the front face is concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction from a location substantially adjacent the top face to an area substantially adjacent the bottom face.
5. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 4, the box further comprising:
- a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack,
- wherein the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
6. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:
- a lid, hingedly connected to at least one of the longitudinal faces of the box.
7. A blank for making the cigarette pack of claim 6.
8. A cigarette pack comprising:
- a box having a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack,
- wherein the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
9. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 8, the cigarette pack having a first concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and the front face of the box, and a second concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and the rear face of the box, the first and second concavely curved segments being arranged to cause the front face and the rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack, respectively.
10. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 9, wherein the concavely curved segments are of equal dimensions.
11. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:
- a lid, hingedly connected to at least one of the longitudinal faces of the box.
12. A blank for making the cigarette pack of claim 10.
13. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:
- a straight rear face, and wherein the plurality of longitudinal faces further includes:
- a first plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face; and
- a second plurality of side bevels arranged to connect the first bevel to the straight rear face.
14. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front face is concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction from a location substantially adjacent the top face to an area substantially adjacent the bottom face.
15. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 1, the box further comprising:
- a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack,
- wherein the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
16. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 2, wherein the front face is concavely bowed in a longitudinal direction from a location substantially adjacent the top face to an area substantially adjacent the bottom face.
17. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 2, the box further comprising:
- a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack,
- wherein the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
18. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 3, the box further comprising:
- a top face positioned at a top of the pack, a bottom face positioned at a bottom of the pack, and a plurality of longitudinal faces connecting the top face to the bottom face, one of the longitudinal faces of the pack being a front face of the pack and another of the longitudinal faces being a rear face of the pack,
- wherein the circumference of the top face of the pack comprises at least one concavely curved segment situated along the edge of the top face and at least one of the front face and rear face, the at least one concavely curved segment being arranged to cause the at least one of the front face and rear face to bow inwardly towards the top of the pack.
19. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 8, wherein the concavely curved segments are of equal dimensions.
20. A cigarette pack in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:
- a lid, hingedly connected to at least one of the longitudinal faces of the box.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 21, 2011
Publication Date: Apr 25, 2013
Inventor: Tim Collins (Leatherhead, Surrey)
Application Number: 13/695,151
International Classification: B65D 85/10 (20060101); B65D 5/42 (20060101); B65D 5/66 (20060101);