CA2754987A1

CA2754987A1 - Package for cigarettes

Info

Publication number: CA2754987A1
Application number: CA2754987A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Irmin Steinkamp; Henry Buse
Original assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2009-03-10
Filing date: 2010-02-11
Publication date: 2010-09-16
Also published as: WO2010102702A1; ZA201106513B; DE102009011918A1; EP2406143A1; JP2012519633A; JP5513531B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a package for cigarettes, having a slider (12) for receiving a package contents, in particular a group of cigarettes (15), and a sleeve (11) at least partially enclosing the slider (12) and open at both ends. According to the invention, an intermediate surface is formed on two adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) of the sleeve (11) and extends contiguously over parts of both adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) and interrupts a crease (33) between the two adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29), wherein the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) comprise a course in the area of the intermediate surface (32) deviating from the plane of the side walls outside of the intermediate surface (32).

Description

Package for cigarettes Description The invention relates to a pack for cigarettes, having a slide for accommodating pack contents, in particular a cigarette group, and having a shell which at least partially encloses the slide and is open at both ends, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such packs of the shell-and-slide type are currently commercially available in various forms. As is also the case with other types of pack, there is the problem that these (cigarette) packs are often copied.
Taking this as a departure point, it is an object of the invention to develop packs of the type mentioned in the introduction further, in particular in respect of making it more difficult to copy the pack and/or providing a particular design which attracts the consumer's attention.

In order to achieve this object, a pack according to the invention has the features of claim 1. Accordingly, it is provided that an intermediate surface is formed on two adjacent side walls of the shell, the intermediate surface extending continuously over parts of the two adjacent side walls and interrupting a folding line between the two adjacent side walls, wherein the adjacent side walls, in the region of the intermediate surface, follow a course which deviates from the plane of the respective side walls outside the intermediate surface.

One advantage of this solution is that the pack, on account of the intermediate surface, is more complicated to produce and thus cannot be copied as easily as, for example, conventional packs of rectangular cross section. In addition, the intermediate surface - in particular in conjunction with an appropriate print design - makes it possible to achieve new visual effects, and these attract the consumer's attention to the pack.

Preferred further developments and advantageous embodiments of the pack according to the invention can be gathered from the dependent claims and from the rest of the description.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the pack has only one intermediate surface, in the region of a pack edge of the shell. In this way, the intermediate surface can make it easier for the consumer to arrange the pack in the correct position for opening purposes. For example, the intermediate surface may be arranged such that it is arranged in the region of a left-hand pack edge on the front side of the pack. It is then possible for the consumer -without looking at the pack - to feel whether he is holding the pack in a correct relative position in order to open the same.

According to another preferred embodiment, it is provided that the pack has only two intermediate surfaces, which are arranged in the region of diagonally opposite pack edges of the shell. Such a pack is visually pleasing, and the intermediate surfaces additionally make the pack comfortable to hold, and the production outlay renders such a pack even more difficult to copy than the pack with one intermediate surface.

Of course, it is also conceivable, in principle, to have packs which have more than two intermediate surfaces, for example a plurality of intermediate surfaces in the region of the same pack edge or a plurality of intermediate surfaces on different pack edges.

In order to make it easier to actuate the slide, it may preferably be provided that the slide has a peripheral recess which corresponds with the arrangement of the intermediate surface, in particular such that the recess is arranged on the periphery of a side flap and/or of an end flap of the slide. The recess reduces, or even eliminates the friction between the inwardly curved shell in the region of the intermediate surface and the slide. The recess can extend either only over a region of the slide or over the entire length of the slide. The recess is preferably of arcuate design, in order that the friction between the shell and slide changes during movement. This can provide the consumer with a tactile means in order to help him feel when the slide has been pushed out of the shell to a sufficient extent in order to remove cigarettes. However, it is also possible for the recess to be formed over the entire length of the slide, for example in the form of a relatively short side flap.

A further special feature may reside in a particular cigarette formation. It is provided, then, that a cigarette group, as cuboidal pack contents, has such a formation of cigarettes that there are no cigarettes arranged in the pack-contents corner regions which are directed toward an intermediate surface. This allows the cigarette group to be deformed by the inwardly curved shell in the region of the intermediate surface without cigarettes being damaged.

According to a further advantageous development, it is possible for the slide, in a corner region of the pack, to have a weakening, in particular at least one incision running in the longitudinal direction of the slide, wherein the arrangement of the weakening corresponds with the position of the intermediate surface. It is also possible in this way for the pack contents to be deformed by the inwardly curved shell in the region of the intermediate surface.

It is preferably provided, then, that the slide, in a corner region of the pack, has a plurality of parallel incisions, in particular at the transition between a base wall and an adjacent side flap of the slide, preferably such that two flexible material strips are formed in the slide, these material strips allowing deformation of the slide in the region of the intermediate surface.

A further special feature may reside in the fact that the shell is processed in a folded-flat configuration, wherein the shell is folded along folding lines between the side walls which are located outside the region of the intermediate surfaces. In other words, the intermediate surfaces are arranged such that with the shell in a folded state, they are not located in the region of the folded edges.

In respect of the design of the intermediate surfaces it may be provided that the intermediate surface is delimited by a weakening line which is applied to the material of the side walls and runs preferably continuously along the contour of the intermediate surface, wherein the weakening line is formed, in particular, by a score and/or groove. This makes it possible, in a surprisingly straightforward manner, to predetermine the position of the intermediate surface on the pack. The weakening line makes it possible for the deviating course followed by the intermediate surface to be established automatically during the otherwise conventional folding operation.
The weakening line is preferably formed on the inside of the side walls, the inside being oriented toward the pack contents, wherein preferably the weakening line is -designed as a score, that is to say as an incision, which has a depth which corresponds to 1/3 to 2/3 of the material thickness of the side wall. This means that the weakening line is not visible to the consumer, 5 and thus does not detract from the appearance of the finished pack.

A further special feature may reside in the fact that the side walls follow a curved course in the region of the intermediate surface. Correspondingly, the shell has "concavities" in the region of the intermediate surface. Of course, it is also conceivable for the intermediate surfaces to be designed, in certain regions, as "concavities" and as "convexities".
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the upright folding line between the adjacent side walls is interrupted by the intermediate surface, wherein the folding line is continued by transition lines running along the contour of the intermediate surface between the side walls and the intermediate surface. In particular, this takes place such that the transition lines, starting from a lower end of the folding line at the transition to the intermediate surface, in the first instance diverge and then, once a point of maximum width of the intermediate surface has been reached, converge again to an upper end of the folding line at the transition to the intermediate surface.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the intermediate surface has a lens-shaped contour, preferably such that (upper and lower) ends of the intermediate surface are located on the folding line between the adjacent side walls, and that the intermediate surface extends laterally at a spacing as far as folding lines at the transition between the adjacent side walls and further adjacent side walls. It is also conceivable for the contour of the intermediate surface or of the transition lines to correspond to a quadrilateral positioned on one tip, in particular a rhombus. As a further variant, it may be provided that lateral corner points of the intermediate surface are located on folding lines at the transition between the adjacent side walls and further adjacent side walls.

Two exemplary embodiments of the pack will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:

fig. 1 shows a blank for a shell in the flat, spread-out position, fig. 2 shows a blank for a slide in the spread-out position, fig. 3 shows a folded blank for a shell, fig. 4 shows a three-dimensional illustration of a pack, with a view of a front side of the pack, fig. 5 shows the pack according to fig. 4 in the opening position, fig. 6 shows a plan view of the pack as seen in the direction of arrow VI in fig. 4, fig. 7 shows a cross section through the pack taken along section line VII-VII in fig. 4, fig. 8 shows a second exemplary embodiment for a blank for a shell in an illustration analogous to fig. 1 for the first exemplary embodiment, fig. 9 shows a second exemplary embodiment for a blank for a shell in an illustration analogous to fig. 2, fig. 10 shows a folded blank according to fig. 8 for a shell, fig. 11 shows a three-dimensional illustration of a pack made from a shell according to fig. 10, with a view of the front side of the pack, fig. 12 shows the pack according to fig. 11, with a view of the rear side, fig. 13 shows the pack according to fig. 11 in the open position, fig. 14 shows a plan view of the pack as seen in the direction of arrow XIV in fig. 11, and fig. 15 shows a cross section through the pack taken along section line XIV-XIV in fig. 11.

The slide-and-shell-type cigarette pack 10 which is shown in figures 1 to 7 comprises two parts, mainly an outer shell 11 and a slide 12 which can be moved therein, both parts preferably being made of thin cardboard.

A cigarette group 13 made up of three layers of cigarettes is shown as the contents of the pack 10. The cigarette group 13 is enclosed by an inner blank 14 and thus forms an essentially cuboidal cigarette block 15, which fits in the pack 10.
The shell 11 and slide 12 each comprise separate blanks. The slide 11 comprises a carrying wall or base side wall 16 and mutually opposite plug-in flaps, namely a closure flap 17 and an end flap 18 located opposite. Side flaps 19, 20 are provided laterally on the base side wall 16. With folding of the slide 12 completed, these side flaps have been folded into an upright position, and therefore the slide 12 has a U-shaped cross section in the region of the base side wall 16.

The closure flap 17 comprises an end wall 20 and an adjoining plug-in flap 22. Punch cuts 32 delimit the closure flap 17 from the side flaps 19, 20 to form an intermediate wall 24. The individual regions or blank walls are delimited from one another by folding lines which are illustrated in the drawing by dashes. Further punch cuts 32 are provided, in addition, along the folding lines between the base side wall 16 and the side flaps 19, 20.

The end flap 18 comprises two regions, namely an end wall 24 and an adjoining plug-in flap 25, which are likewise delimited by folding lines.

As can be seen from fig. 5, the cigarette block 15, in the closed position of the pack 10, is enclosed on all sides, at least partially, by the slide 12. The end wall 21 butts against one end of the cigarettes or the cigarette block 15 - in the region of filters in the case of filter cigarettes - whereas the end wall 25 butts against the cigarette block 15 at opposite ends of the cigarettes. The plug-in flaps 22 and 26 butt against the cigarette block 15 on the side located opposite to the base side wall 16.

The shell 11 is formed by an upper side wall 27, a lower side wall 28, which is located opposite, and elongate narrow side walls 29, 30. In order to form a hollow body of rectangular cross section which is open on both sides, a peripheral flap 31 of the blank of the shell 11 is connected, namely adhesively bonded to a free peripheral region of the lower side wall 28. The peripheral flap 31 here butts against the inside of the lower side wall 28. The upper side wall 27, lower side wall 28 and narrow side walls 29, 30 of the shell 11 are delimited from one another by folding lines, which are illustrated in the drawing by dashes.

The shell 11 encloses the slide 12 together with cigarette block 15 such that the base side wall 16 butts against the inside of the lower side wall 28. The side flaps 19, 20 are in contact with the inside of the narrow side walls 29, 30.

The special feature of the pack 10 resides in the formation of a so-called intermediate surface 32 on the shell 11, the intermediate surface, in the present exemplary embodiment, being arranged in the region of the upper side wall 27 and of the narrow side wall 30 of the pack 10 and extending over the corresponding pack edge between the two walls. Of course, it is also possible for the intermediate surface 32 to be arranged on other side surfaces or walls of the pack 10.

In the region of the intermediate surface 32, the course followed by the upper side wall 27 and the narrow side wall 30 deviates from the usual course followed outside the region of the intermediate surface 32. This gives the pack its characteristic design.
The intermediate surface 32 is arranged such that it extends over a folding line 33 between the upper side wall 27 and narrow side wall 30, wherein the folding line 33 is interrupted in the region of the intermediate surface 32. The folding line 33 merges, in the region of the intermediate surface 32, into a transition line 34 which runs along the circumference of the intermediate surface 32.

The contour of the intermediate surface 32 corresponds to a lens, wherein an upper end or an upper tip of the lens is spaced apart from an upper periphery 35 of the blank for the shell 11. A lower end or a lower tip of the lens is spaced apart correspondingly from a lower periphery 36 of the blank for the shell 11. The intermediate surface 32 is thus arranged centrally on the folding line 33. Of course, the intermediate surface may also be in some other form, for example that of a rhombus.

As a result, the upper and lower corner points or ends of the intermediate surface 32 are thus located on the point of intersection of three weakening lines, namely the folding line 33 and the two transition lines 34.

Along the contour of the intermediate surfaces 32, an incision is provided as material weakening in the material of the blank. The material weakening or the incision runs preferably continuously along the contour of the intermediate surface 32. The material weakening along the transition lines 34 of the intermediate surface 32 makes it easier for the blank to be deformed and thus allows the blank to follow a course which deviates from that of the upper side wall 27 and of the narrow side wall 30. The material weakening runs on the inside of the blank, the inside being oriented in the direction of the cigarette group 13.
The precise course followed by the blank in the region of the intermediate surface 32 is given by the contour of the same and the arrangement on the upper side wall 27 and narrow side wall 30. In the present case, the intermediate surface 32 runs inward, i.e. is curved in the direction of the cigarette group 15, and therefore the cross section of the shell 11 is restricted by the intermediate surface 32.

= CA 02754987 2011-09-09 A further special feature of the pack 10 relates to measures for ensuring that the slide 12 can be displaced within the shell 11 despite the inwardly curved intermediate surface 32. For this purpose, the slide 12, in a region which is directed toward the intermediate surface 32, has at least one recess, which makes it possible for the slide 12 to be displaced.

On the one hand, the side flap 20 has a peripheral recess 37, which extends along the free periphery of the side flap 20 in the longitudinal direction of the slide 12. The recess 37 is arcuate and does not extend over the entire length of the side flap 20. This allows the slide 12 to be moved relatively easily in the region of the greatest depth of the recess 37, wherein the depth of the recess 37 decreasing in both directions ensures ever greater forces to counteract displacement. This provides a kind of brake for the slide 12. As an alternative, it is also conceivable for the recess to be formed over a greater length, or over the entire length, of the side flap 20. It is not necessarily the case here that the periphery of the side flap 20, during displacement of the side 12, has to come into contact with the intermediate surface 32 even when the dimensioning of the recess is selected to be appropriately large and/or the dimensioning of the depth of the side flap 20 is selected to be appropriately small.
On the other hand, a second arcuate recess 38 is provided on the periphery of the end flap 18. The recess 38 is located at the transition between the end wall 25 and the plug-in flap 26, on the same side of the blank as the recess 37. The recess 38 is dimensioned such that it is easier for the slide 12 to be introduced into the shell 11.

A further special feature of the pack 10 resides in the fact that the essentially cuboidal pack contents, in the form of the cigarette group 13, does not have any cigarettes in a corner region 39, which is directed toward the intermediate surface 32. In the present case, for this purpose, the layer which is directed toward the upper side wall 27 has a smaller number of cigarettes. In addition, this layer is offset in relation to the layer arranged behind it, as a result of which the corner region 39 is free. This means that the cigarettes are not deformed by the deformation of the slide 12 by the inwardly projecting intermediate wall 24 during displacement. This is shown, by way of example, in fig. 7 for a 7-7-6 formation of cigarettes.
A further special feature relates to the arrangement of the intermediate surface 34 on the blank for the shell 11. The grooving is applied to the blank in the spread-out state. Thereafter, the peripheral flap 31 is connected to the lower side wall 38 to produce a closed shell 11, which is then folded into a flat form around two folding lines. This allows the shell 11 to be stored in a space-saving manner and to be kept, for example, in a magazine for further processing. It is consciously accepted here that the intermediate surfaces 32, in the case of the cross-sectionally rectangular pack, can be formed only in the region of a maximum of two pack edges, because otherwise these would be damaged when the shell 11 is folded into the formation according to fig. 3.

Figures 8 to 15 show a second exemplary embodiment of a pack 40. Unless described to the contrary hereinbelow, the pack 40 corresponds, in respect of construction, to the first exemplary embodiment. Accordingly, the same parts are provided with corresponding designations in the drawings.

A first difference between the pack 40 and the first exemplary embodiment resides in the fact that the pack 40 has two intermediate surfaces 32, which are formed in the region of opposite pack edges of the pack 40. A
first intermediate surface 32 is located in the same position as for the pack 10. The second intermediate surface 32 is formed at the transition between the narrow side wall 29 and the lower side wall 28. In addition, the two intermediate walls 32 have smaller dimensions, in particular a smaller width, than in the case of the first exemplary embodiment. This means that the intermediate walls 32 also extend into the interior of the shell 11 to a lesser extent than in the case of the pack 10. It is also conceivable, however, for the intermediate surfaces 32 to be of equal width to, or of greater width than, the intermediate surface 32 in the case of the pack 10.

A second difference from the pack 10 resides in the fact that, in addition to the recesses 37, 38, longitudinally directed incisions 41 are formed in the blank for the slide 12. The arrangement of the incisions 41 corresponds to the position of the second intermediate surface 32 on the pack 10. Three incisions 41 are provided in the present case, and these are formed at the transition between the side flap 19 and the base side wall 16. The incisions 41 may be designed like the punch cuts 23, but are preferably of greater length, corresponding approximately to the length of the recess 37. However, the recess 37 and the incisions 41 are offset slightly in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction of the slide 12. A central incision 41 is arranged precisely along the folding line between the base side wall 16 and the side flap 19. The two other incisions 41 each run parallel to the first, at equal intervals therefrom. This means that the incisions 41 form two flexible material strips 42, which are positioned in a manner corresponding to the second intermediate surface 32. When the slide 12 is displaced in the shell 11, the material strips 42 are deformed by the intermediate surface 32, as a result of which, despite the intermediate surface 32 projecting into the shell, displacement of the slide 12 is possible. The inside of the blank in the region of the intermediate surface 32 butts, at least partially, against the material strips 42.

In the case of the solution according to the second exemplary embodiment, there is no need for the corner regions to be left free. Instead, the layers of cigarettes are staggered in a 7-6-7 formation.

List of Designations Pack 5 11 Shell 12 Slide 13 Cigarette group 14 Inner blank Cigarette block 10 16 Base wall 17 Closure flap 18 End flap 19 Side flap Side flap 15 21 End wall 22 Plug-in flap 23 Punch cut 24 Intermediate wall End wall 20 26 Plug-in flap 27 Upper side wall 28 Lower side wall 29 Narrow side wall Narrow side wall 25 31 Peripheral flap 32 Intermediate surface 33 Folding line 34 Transition line Periphery 30 36 Periphery 37 Recess 38 Recess 39 Corner region Pack 35 41 Incision 42 Material strip

Claims

1. A pack for cigarettes, having a slide (12) for accommodating pack contents, in particular a cigarette group (15), and having a shell (11) which at least partially encloses the slide (12) and is open at both ends, characterized in that an intermediate surface (32) is formed on two adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) of the shell (11), the intermediate surface extending continuously over parts of the two adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) and interrupting a folding line (33) between the two adjacent side walls (27, 30;
28, 29), wherein the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29), in the region of the intermediate surface (32), follow a course which deviates from the plane of the respective side walls outside the intermediate surface (32).

2. The pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pack (10) has only one intermediate surface (32), in the region of a pack edge of the shell (11).

3. The pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pack (40) has only two intermediate surfaces (32), which are arranged in the region of diagonally opposite pack edges of the shell (11).

4. The pack as claimed in claim 1 or one of the further preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (11) has a peripheral recess (37, 38), wherein the recess (38, 38) corresponds with the arrangement of the intermediate surface (32), in particular such that the recess (37, 38) is arranged on the periphery of a side flap (20) and/or of an end flap (18) of the slide (12).

5. The pack as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a cigarette group (15), as cuboidal pack contents, has such a formation of cigarettes that there are no cigarettes in pack-contents corner regions which are directed toward an intermediate surface (32).

6. The pack as claimed in claim 1 or one of the further preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (12), in a corner region of the pack (10, 40), has a weakening, in particular at least one incision (41) running in the longitudinal direction of the slide (12), wherein the arrangement of the weakening corresponds with the position of the intermediate surface (32).

7. The pack as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the slide (12), in a corner region of the pack (40), has a plurality of parallel incisions (41), in particular at the transition between a base wall (16) and an adjacent side flap (19) of the slide (12), preferably such that two flexible material strips (42) are formed in the slide (12), these material strips allowing deformation of the slide (12) in the region of the intermediate surface (32).

8. The pack as claimed in claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the shell (11) is processed in a folded-flat configuration, wherein the shell (11) is folded along folding lines between the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) which are located outside the region of the intermediate surfaces (32).

9. The pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate surface (32) is delimited by a weakening line which is applied to the material of the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) and runs preferably continuously along the contour of the intermediate surface (32), wherein the weakening line is formed, in particular, by a score and/or groove.

10. The pack as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the weakening line is formed on the inside of the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29), the inside being oriented toward the pack contents, wherein preferably the weakening line is designed as a score, that is to say as an incision, which has a depth which corresponds to 1/3 to 2/3 of the material thickness of the side wall (27, 30; 28, 29).

11. The pack as claimed in claim 9 or one of the further preceding claims, characterized in that the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) which have the intermediate surface (32) are arranged at an angle of approximately 90° outside the region of the intermediate surface (32).

12. The pack as claimed in claim 9 or one of the further preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) follow a curved course in the region of the intermediate surface (32).

13. The pack as claimed in claim 9 or one of the further preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) run at an angle to the plane of the respective side wall (27, 30; 28, 29) in the region of the intermediate surface (32).

14. The pack as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the upright folding line (33) between the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) is interrupted by the intermediate surface (32), wherein the folding line (33) is continued by transition lines (34) running along the contour of the intermediate surface (32) between the side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) and the intermediate surface (32).

15. The pack as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the transition lines (34), starting from a lower end of the folding line (33) at the transition to the intermediate surface (32), in the first instance diverge and then, once a point of maximum width of the intermediate surface (32) has been reached, converge again to an upper end of the folding line (33) at the transition to the intermediate surface (32).

16. The pack as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the intermediate surface (32) has a lens-shaped contour, preferably such that (upper and lower) ends of the intermediate surface (32) are located on the folding line (33) between the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29), and that the intermediate surface (32) extends laterally at a spacing as far as folding lines (33) at the transition between the adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29) and further adjacent side walls (27, 30; 28, 29).