WO2013144921A1

WO2013144921A1 - Rigid swing-open package of tobacco articles

Info

Publication number: WO2013144921A1
Application number: PCT/IB2013/052554
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Polloni; Marco Ghini; Luca Petrucci; Stefano Negrini
Original assignee: G.D Societa' Per Azioni
Priority date: 2012-03-29
Filing date: 2013-03-29
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Also published as: CN104203757A; RU2014143474A; JP6189925B2; DE112013001742T5; JP2015511564A; ITBO20120171A1

Abstract

A rigid, swing-open package (1) of tobacco articles, having: an inner container (3) housing a group (2) of tobacco articles and having a bottom wall (7), and an open top end (6) opposite the bottom wall (7); an outer container (4) housing the inner container (3) and having a top wall (16), a bottom wall (17) opposite the top wall (16), and an open front end (18); and a main hinge (5) connecting the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3) to the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) to allow the inner container (3) to rotate between a closed position, in which the inner container (3) is inserted inside the outer container (4), and an open position, in which the inner container (3) is partly extracted from the outer container (4) through the open front end (18). A connecting tab (26) connected to the bottom wall 17 of the outer container (4) and folded 180° about the transverse fold line (37) is glued to both the inner and the outer container.

Description

RIGID, SWING-OPEN PACKAGE OF TOBACCO ARTICLES

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a rigid, swing- open package of tobacco articles.

The present invention may be used to advantage in a packet of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent Application WO2009010851A2 describes a rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes comprising two partly separable containers inserted one inside the other. More specifically, an inner container houses a wrapped group of cigarettes, and is itself housed inside an outer container so as to move with respect to the outer container, by rotating about a main hinge, between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is extracted partly from the outer container. The inner container has a hinged lid connected mechanically to the outer container by connecting members, so the lid opens and closes ^automatically' (i.e. without the user having to touch the lid) as the inner container moves with respect to the outer container. The main hinge about which the inner container rotates with respect to the outer container is located at the front edges of the bottom walls of the two containers.

When placed ^upright' (i.e. resting on its bottom wall) on a flat supporting surface, the rigid, swing- open packet of cigarettes described in Patent Application WO2009010851A2 is only statically stable (i.e. only remains Upright') in the closed position (i.e. when the inner container is inserted inside the outer container) . In other words, when stood ^upright' in the closed position, the packet of cigarettes is stable and remains ^upright', whereas, when stood upright' in the open position (i.e. with the inner container partly extracted from the outer container) , it is unstable and falls forward. The fact that the above packet of cigarettes cannot ^■ be stood ^upright' in the open position is a definite drawback in countries where it is a common practice for retailers of packets of cigarettes (or even loose cigarettes) to clearly display a ^sample' of the goods. So, in the case of the packet of cigarettes described, the most effective display letting' (i.e. in terms of advertising and/or promotion) is in the ^upright' open position (which, however, is not possible) .

Design Patent DE20107274U1 describes a rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes comprising two partly separable containers inserted one inside the other. More specifically, an inner container houses a wrapped group of cigarettes, and is itself housed inside an outer container so as to move with respect to the outer container, by rotating about a main hinge, between a closed position, in which the inner container is inserted inside the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is extracted partly from the outer container. The main hinge about which the inner container rotates with respect to the outer container is located in an intermediate position along the respective bottom walls of the inner and outer containers. In this packet of cigarettes, however, the mechanical connection between the inner and outer containers is relatively fragile and unstable, and may eventually result in partial or total separation of the inner and outer containers, close to the main hinge. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rigid, swing-open package of tobacco articles designed to eliminate the above drawbacks, and which, in particular, is cheap and easy to produce.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rigid, swing-open package of tobacco articles as claimed in the accompanying Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A non- limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view in perspective of a rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes, in accordance with the present invention, in a closed position;

Figure 2 shows a rear view in perspective of the Figure 1 packet of cigarettes in a closed position;

Figure 3 shows a front view in perspective of the Figure 1 packet of cigarettes in an open position;

Figure 4 shows a larger-scale front view in perspective of a detail of an outer container of the Figure 1 packet of cigarettes;

Figure 5 shows a top plan view of a bottom wall of the Figure 4 outer container;

Figures 6 and 7 show top plan views of the Figure 5 bottom wall with the glue application areas highlighted;

Figure 8 shows a spread-out view of a blank from which to form an inner container of the Figure 1 packet of cigarettes;

Figure 9 shows a spread-out view of a blank from which to form an outer container of the Figure 1 packet of cigarettes.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Number 1 in Figures 1, 2 and 3 indicates as a whole a rigid, swing-open packet of cigarettes.

Packet 1 of cigarettes comprises a wrapped group 2 of cigarettes (shown in Figure 3) comprising a group of cigarettes, and a sheet of foil wrapping material wrapped about and fully enclosing the group of cigarettes. The sheet of wrapping material normally has a perforated tear line defining a removable top portion, which is torn off to open the wrapping and extract the individual cigarettes.

Packet 1 of cigarettes comprises a rigid, parallelepiped- shaped inner container 3 housing the wrapped group 2 of cigarettes; and a rigid, parallelepiped-shaped outer container 4 housing inner container 3. Inner container 3 is hinged to outer container 4 along a main hinge 5 to rotate, with respect to outer container 4, between a closed position (Figure 1) , in which inner container 3 is inserted inside outer container 4, and an open position (Figure 3), in which inner container 3 is partly extracted from outer container 4 to permit access to wrapped group 2 of cigarettes .

Inner container 3 is in the form of a parallelepiped, is cup-shaped, and has an open top end 6 for access to wrapped group 2 of cigarettes; a bottom wall 7 opposite open top end 6; a front wall 8; a rear wall 9 opposite and parallel to front wall 8; and two opposite, parallel lateral walls 10. Inner container 3 comprises a hinged lid 11 hinged to inner container 3 along a lid hinge 12 to rotate, with respect to inner container 3, between an open position (Figure 3) and a closed position opening and closing open top end 6 respectively. Lid 11 comprises a rectangular top wall 13, which is opposite and parallel to bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 when lid 11 is closed; a rectangular rear wall 14, which forms a continuation of rear wall 9 of inner container 3 when lid 11 is closed; and two triangular lateral walls 15, which form continuations of lateral walls 10 of inner container 3 when lid 11 is closed. Lid hinge 12 connects a top edge of rear wall 9 of inner container 3 to a bottom edge of rear wall 14 of lid 11.

Outer container 4 is also parallelepiped-shaped, and has a top wall 16, which is parallel to and faces top wall 13 of lid 11 when inner container 3 is in the closed position; a bottom wall 17, which is parallel to and opposite top wall 16 and parallel to and facing bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 when inner container 3 is in the closed position; an open front end 18 through which inner container 3 rotates; a rear wall 19, which is opposite open front end 18 and parallel to and facing rear wall 9 of inner container 3 when inner container 3 is in the closed position; and two opposite, parallel lateral walls 20, which are parallel to and face corresponding lateral walls 10 of inner container 3 when inner container 3 is m the closed position.

Lid 11 has an automatic control system connecting lid 11 to outer container 4 so that the opening/closing movement of inner container 3 with respect to outer container 4 automatically produces a corresponding opening/closing movement of lid 11 (i.e. without the user having to touch lid 11) . The automatic control system of lid 11 comprises a control tab 21 (Figure 9) extending inwards of outer container 4 from an edge of top wall 16 of outer container 4; and a slot 22 (Figure 8) formed through top wall 13 of lid 11 and which is engaged by control tab 21.

Packet 1 of cigarettes comprises stop members for limiting withdrawal of inner container 3 from outer container 4 and so defining a fully-open position of inner container 3 with respect to outer container 4. The stop members comprise two retaining tabs 23 (Figure 8) projecting outwards of inner container 3 from lateral walls 10 of inner container 3, and located close to rear wall 9 of inner container 3; and two retaining pockets 24 (Figure 9) projecting inwards of outer container 4 from lateral walls 20 of outer container 4, and located close to open end 18 of outer container 4. In actual use, when inner container 3 rotates with respect to outer container 4 about main hinge 5 from the closed to the open position, each retaining tab 23 slides inside a respective retaining pocket 24 to arrest withdrawal of inner container 3.

In a preferred embodiment shown in the attached drawings, rear wall 19 of outer container 4 has a through hole 25 shaped and sized to permit insertion of the user's finger. To open packet 1 of cigarettes, the user grips outer container 4 with one hand, and inserts a finger inside hole 25 to exert thrust on rear wall 9 of inner container 3 and move inner container 3 with respect to outer container 4.

As shown in Figure 3, main hinge 5 allows inner container 3 to rotate with respect to outer container 4 , and connects bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 to bottom wall 17 of outer container 4. Main hinge 5 is located in an intermediate position along bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 (i.e. is located roughly halfway along bottom wall 7, at a first distance from a front edge of bottom wall 7, and at a second distance from a rear edge of bottom wall 7) , and is located in an intermediate position along bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 (i.e. is located roughly halfway along bottom wall 17, at a first distance from a front edge of bottom wall 17, and at a second distance from a rear edge of bottom wall 17) .

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 , main hinge 5 , about which inner container 3 rotates with respect to outer container 4, is formed directly in bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 by a corresponding transverse fold line (shown clearly in Figure 9) parallel to the front and rear edges of bottom wall 17. A front edge 38 of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 is connected along a transverse fold line 37 to a trapezoidal connecting tab 26 (with its major base along front edge 38 of bottom wall 17) , which on one side is glued (partly) to an inner ^· surface of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4, and on the opposite side is glued (completely) to an outer surface of bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 to connect outer container 4 to inner container 3, In other words, connecting tab 26 is first folded 180° and glued (partly) to bottom wall 17 of outer container 4, and is then glued (completely, on the opposite side to that glued to bottom wall 17 of outer container 4) to bottom wall 7 of inner container 3.

As stated, main hinge 5 is located in an intermediate position along bottom wall 17 of outer container 4, and divides bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 into a front portion 17", which is integral with (glued to) bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 (i.e. rotates integrally with inner container 3) and is therefore disconnected from, the rest of outer container 4 ; and into a rear portion 17', which is integral with the rest of outer container 4 and therefore disconnected from inner container 3. Connecting tab 26 is only connected to front portion 17" of bottom wall 17 by glue 27 (shown in Figure 6) , and is in no way connected (glued) to rear portion 17' of bottom wall 17. Connecting tab 26 is glued completely to the outer surface of bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 by glue 28 (shown in Figure 7) . In other words, connecting tab 26 is only glued partly to bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 (i.e. only to front portion 17" of bottom wall 17) by glue 27, but is glued completely to bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 by glue 28.

In a preferred embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, each lateral wall 20 of outer container 4 has a flap 29, which is folded 90° (i.e. perpendicularly) with respect to lateral wall 20 and glued completely to bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 (i.e. is glued to both front portion 17" and rear portion 17' of bottom wall 17) by glue 30 (shown in Figure 6) . Each flap 29 is traversed centrally by a fold line 5b, which is aligned with and superimposed on the fold line defining main hinge 5, to allow flap 29 to rotate in the same way as bottom wall 17 of outer container 4. Fold line 5b divides each flap 29 into a front portion 29", which is superimposed on and glued to front portion 17" of bottom wall 17; and into a rear portion 29' , which is superimposed on and glued to rear portion 17' . of bottom wall 17. Rear portion 29' of each flap 29 is connected permanently to lateral wall 20 along a fold line, while front portion 29" of each flap 29 is connected temporarily to lateral wall 20 along a tear line 31, which is torn when unsealing packet 1 of cigarettes (i.e. when packet 1 of cigarettes is unsealed, tear line 31 is torn completely, so front portion 29" of corresponding flap 29 is detached permanently from lateral wall 20) . In a different embodiment, tear line 31 is replaced with a dividing line, which separates front portion 29" of each flap 29 from lateral wall 20 from the outset .

A different embodiment not shown (and not the object of the present invention) has no connecting tab 26, so bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 is glued directly to front portion 17" of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4. This embodiment preferably has flaps 29, to prevent the formation of gaps between the bottom edges of lateral walls 20 and the lateral edges of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4.

As shown in Figure 8, inner container 3 is formed by folding a flat, substantially elongated rectangular blank 32, the parts of which are indicated, where possible, using the same reference numbers, with superscripts, as for the corresponding parts of inner container 3.

Blank 32 has two longitudinal fold lines 33, and a number of transverse fold lines 34, which define, between longitudinal fold lines 33, a panel 13' forming top wall 13 of lid 11; a panel 14' forming rear wall 14 of lid 11; a panel 9' forming rear wall 9 of inner container 3; a panel 7' forming bottom wall 7 of inner container 3; and a panel 8' forming front wall 8 of inner container 3.

Panel 14' has two lateral wings 15', which form lateral walls 15 of lid 11. Panel 9' has two lateral wings 10', which form respective outer portions of lateral walls 10 of inner container 3, are located on opposite sides of panel 9' , and are separated from panel 9' by longitudinal fold lines 33. Panel 8' has two lateral wings 10", which form respective inner portions of lateral walls 10 of inner container 3, are located on opposite sides of panel 8', and are separated from panel 8' by longitudinal fold lines 33.

As shown in Figure 9, outer container 4 is formed by folding a flat rectangular blank 35 with appendixes, and the parts of which are indicated, where possible, using the same reference numbers, with superscripts, as for the corresponding parts of outer container 4.

Blank 35 has four longitudinal fold lines 36, and a number of transverse fold lines 37, which define, between the four longitudinal fold lines 36, a panel 16' forming top wall 16 of outer container 4; a panel 19' forming rear wall 19 of outer container 4; rear portion 17' and front portion 17" of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4; and connecting tab 26.

Panel 19' has two lateral wings 20' , which form lateral walls 20 of outer container 4, are located on opposite sides of panell9', and are separated from panel 19' by longitudinal fold lines 36. Each lateral wing 20' has a flap 29, part of which is connected to lateral wing 20' along a corresponding tear line 31, and the rest of which is connected to lateral wing 20' along a corresponding transverse fold line 37.

Packet 1 of cigarettes described has the advantage, when placed ^upright' (i.e. resting on its bottom wall) on a flat supporting surface, of being statically stable (i.e. remaining ^upright' ) in both the closed position (i.e. with inner container 3 inserted inside outer container 4) and the open position (i.e. with inner container 3 partly extracted from outer container 4). Which means packet 1 of cigarettes can be stood ^upright' in both the closed and open positions.

Moreover, compared with the packet of cigarettes in Patent Application WO2009010851A2 , packet 1 of cigarettes described is also cheap and easy to produce, by requiring only minor alterations that do not make the blanks any more expensive/difficult to produce or fold.

Finally, connecting tab 26 provides for a stronger, more stable mechanical connection between inner container 3 and outer container 4 , by being glued completely, on one side, to the whole outer surface of bottom wall 7 of inner container 3 by glue 28 (thus forming a very strong mechanical connection) ; by being glued, on the other side, to front portion 17" of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4 by glue 27; and by also being connected mechanically to bottom wall 17 by a transverse fold line 37 (thus also forming a very strong mechanical connection) . Connecting tab 26 also improves the look of front edge 38 of bottom wall 17 of outer container 4, by concealing any bare packing material along front edge 38.

Given its numerous advantages, the design of packet 1 of cigarettes described may also be applied totally to the manufacture of other types of rigid containers for tobacco articles, such as cartons of cigarettes (in which case, wrapped group 2 of cigarettes is replaced with a group of packets of cigarettes) or packets of cigars (in which case, wrapped group 2 of cigarettes is replaced with a preferably, but not necessarily, wrapped group of cigars) .

Claims

1) A rigid, swing-open package (1) of tobacco articles, comprising:

a group (2) of tobacco articles;

an inner container (3) housing the group (2) of tobacco articles and having a bottom wall (7) , and an open top end (6) opposite the bottom wall (7) ;

an outer container (4) housing the inner container (3) and having a top wall (16) ; a bottom wall (17) opposite the top wall (16) ; two opposite lateral walls (20) ; a rear wall (19) ; and an open front end (18) located between the top wall (18) , the bottom wall (17) , and the lateral walls (20) , and through which the inner container (3) rotates; and

a main hinge (5) connecting the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3)' to the bottom, wall (17) of the outer container (4) to allow the inner container (3) to rotate between a closed position, in which the inner container (3) is inserted inside the outer container (4) , and an open position, in which the inner container (3) is at least partly extracted from the outer container (4) through the open front end (18) ;

wherein the main hinge (5) connecting the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3) to the bottom wall intermediate position along the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3) , and in an intermediate position along the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) ; the package (1) being characterized by comprising a connecting tab (26) , which is connected to the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) along a transverse fold line (37) , is folded 180° about the transverse fold line (37) onto the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) , on one side is glued partly to an inner surface of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) by a first glue (27) , and on the opposite side is glued completely to an outer surface of the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3) by a second glue (28) .

2) A package (1) according to Claim 1, wherein:

the main hinge (5) is located roughly halfway along the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3) , at a first distance from a front edge of the bottom wall (7) of the inner container, and at a second distance from a rear edge of the bottom wall (7) of the inner container; and

the main hinge (5) is located roughly halfway along the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) , at a first distance from a front edge (38) of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container, and at a second distance from a rear edge of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container . 3) A package (1) according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the main hinge (5) is formed directly in the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) by a corresponding transverse fold line parallel to the front edge (38) and rear edge of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container.

4) A package (1) according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the connecting tab (26) is trapezoidal with its major base along the front edge (38) of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4).

5) A package (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 , wherein the main hinge (5) divides the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) into a front portion (17"), which is glued to the connecting tab (26) and integral with the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3), and into a rear portion (17'), which is integral with other parts of the outer container (4) and detached from the inner container (3) and the connecting tab (26) .

6) A package (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 5 , wherein the main hinge (5) divides the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) into a front portion (17") integral with the bottom wall (7) of the inner container (3), and into a rear portion (17') integral with other parts of the outer container (4) and detached from the inner container (3) .

7) A package (1) ^'according to one of Claims 1 to 6 , wherein each lateral wall (20) of the outer container (4) comprises a flap (29) perpendicular to the lateral wall (20) and glued to the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4 ) .

8) A package (1) according to Claim 7, wherein each flap (29) is traversed centrally by a fold line (5b) aligned with and superimposed on the main hinge (5), and which divides the flap (29) into a front portion (29") superimposed on and glued to a front portion (17") of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) , and into a rear portion (29' ) superimposed on and glued to a rear portion (17') of the bottom wall (17) of the outer container (4) .

9) A package (1) according to Claim 7, wherein:

the rear portion (29') of each flap (29) is connected permanently to the lateral wall (20) along a fold line; and

the front portion (29") of each flap (29) is connected temporarily to the lateral wall (20) along a tear line (31) , which is torn when unsealing the package

(1) .

10) A package (1) according to Claim 7, 8 or 9 , wherein each flap (29) is triangular.

11) A package (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the inner container (3) comprises a hinged lid (11) hinged to the inner container (3) along a lid hinge (12) to rotate, with respect to the inner container (3), between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the open top end (6) respectively.

12) A package (1) according to Claim 11, wherein the lid (11) has an automatic control system connecting the lid (11) to the outer container (4) so that the opening/closing movement of the inner container (3) with respect to the outer container (4) automatically produces a corresponding opening/closing movement of the lid (11) .-

13) A package (1) according to Claim 12, wherein the automatic control system of the lid (11) comprises: a control tab (21) extending inwards of the outer container (4) from an edge of the top wall (16) of the outer container (4); and

a slot (22) formed through a top wall (13) of the lid (11) , and which is engaged by the control tab (21) .

14) A package (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 13, and comprising stop members, which limit withdrawal of the inner container (3) from the outer container (4) and so define a fully-open position of the inner container (3) with respect to the outer container (4).

15) A package (1) according to Claim 14, wherein the stop members comprise:

two retaining tabs (23) projecting outwards of the inner container (3) from lateral walls (10) of the inner container (3) , and located close to a rear wall (9) of the inner container (3); and

two retaining pockets (24) projecting inwards of the outer container (4) from the lateral walls (20) of the outer container (4), and located close to the open end (18) of the outer container (4).