WO2016079307A1

WO2016079307A1 - Hinged-lid packet

Info

Publication number: WO2016079307A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/077238
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick PERONACE; Paul Mewha; Franziska WOLTER
Original assignee: Jt International S.A.
Priority date: 2014-11-21
Filing date: 2015-11-20
Publication date: 2016-05-26

Abstract

A hinged-lid packet or box 10 comprises an inner container 20. The inner container comprises an upper take-out opening 24 as well as a bottom wall 12, two opposite side walls 13 and a back wall 15. Further, a front cover panel 16 is hinged at a side wall and is adapted to be moved between an abutment position at a front wall of the inner container and an opened position remote from said abutment position. The hinged-lid packet further comprises a top lid hinged at the upper portion of the back wall, the top lid being configured to swing about the lid hinge between an opened position and a closed position covering over a top portion of both the front portion of the inner container and the front panel when the front panel is in the abutment position. The front panel comprises a recessed cut-away portion which allows for access from outside the hinged-lid packet to the upper take-out opening when the front panel is in the abutment position.

Description

HINGED-LID PACKET

The invention relates to a hinged-lid packet, for example made of thin cardboard, which may be used to pack smoking articles therein.

Hinged-lid cigarette packets have long been established and are generally well- known. They are relatively small and adapted in shape essentially to the size of a bundle of cigarettes contained therein. The visible exterior surfaces are usually carrying brand-identifying information, contents specification, bar codes and similar information printed or embossed thereupon. However, various regulations in many countries require mandatory health warning labels to be provided on the exterior surface of cigarette packages so that the area on the outside of the packet remaining for communication and branding is substantially reduced.

Document WO 2007/071745 Al discloses a hinged-lid packet, in particular for cigarettes, having an additional front panel with branding areas, said front panel being hinged to a side wall of an outer wall structure and being movable between an abutment position at a front panel of an inner container and a swung up or opened position remote from said abutment position. Users of such packets as disclosed in the prior art, however, sometimes have difficulties to recognize that the additional front panel is actually a pivotable one.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a hinged-lid packet, in particular for cigarettes, which presents additional information areas while still being essentially in the same standard shape in a closed condition, but facilitates understanding of intended usage for a consumer. According to the invention, this object is accomplished by a hinged-lid packet comprising features of claim 1.

Further advantageous embodiments of claim 1 are characterized in dependent claims, respectively.

Accordingly, the invention provides a hinged-lid packet or box made of a folded blank of pliable material, such as for example thin cardboard, in particular for cigarettes, comprising an inner container including an upper take-out opening, for example for taking out smoking articles such as cigarettes contained in the inner container. The inner container comprises a bottom wall, two opposite side walls, a front wall and a back wall. Further, the hinged-lid packet comprises a front cover panel which is hinged at a side wall of the inner container and is adapted to be moved between an abutment position against the front wall of the inner container and an opened position remote from said abutment position. The hinged-lid packet further comprises a top lid hinged at the upper portion of the back wall, the top lid being configured to swing about the lid hinge between an opened position and a closed position covering over a top portion of both the front wall of the inner container and the front cover panel when the front panel is in the abutment position. The front cover panel comprises a recessed cut-away portion which allows for access from outside the hinged-lid packet to the upper take-out opening when the front panel is in the abutment position and the hinged lid in the opened position.

In addition to the front wall of the inner container, the surface of the front cover panel provides additional communication space for example for branding, both at its outside and its inside. The hinged lid is provided for closing the upper take-out opening of the inner container, both in the abutment position of the front cover panel as well as in the swung-up or opened position thereof. Advantageously, the additional communication space area may provide additional branding area, which may carry main branding. It can also comprise an area to note messages or other information which are invisible to a consumer if the front panel is in abutment with the front portion of the inner container.

Furthermore, the provision of a recessed cut-away portion in the front panel facilitates manual actuation of the front panel from the abutment position to the opened position when the top lid is opened. A consumer is provided with an easier grip on the front panel when sliding a finger underneath or through the recessed cutaway portion. This cut-out further allows direct access to the products in the inner container without having to flip the front cover panel open, which is very important for consumers.

Even more advantageously, the recessed cut-away portion provides an indication for a consumer that the front cover panel actually carries something behind it. Thus, a consumer will readily be able to understand that the front cover panel is pivotable, since any articles contained in the inner container will be readily visible from the outside, specifically when the front cover panel is in the abutment position.

The recessed cut-away portion does not necessarily need to be as large as the upper take-out opening. Instead, the recessed cut-away portion may cover the upper takeout opening partially, when the front panel is in the abutment position. This increases the area available on the back and front side of the front cover panel for health warning labels and/or branding of the packet. As long as a part of the upper take-out opening is visible from the outside for a user, he or she will have a visible clue how the mechanics of the hinged-lid packet actually work. According to an embodiment of the packet of the invention, the cut-away portion may be formed on a side of the front cover panel opposite the hinge of the front cover panel. In a particular embodiment of the packet of the invention, the cut-away portion may be formed at a corner of the front cover panel opposite the hinge of the front cover panel. Alternatively, the cut-away portion may be formed in a top edge of the front cover panel opposite the hinge of the front cover panel.

According to a further embodiment of the packet of the invention, the height of the hinge of the front cover panel may be smaller than the height of the side walls of inner container. This advantageously allows for closing the top lid while the front cover panel is not in its abutment position, for example enabling the possibility to present an enlarged communication area while the cigarette packet is closed. At the same time, the front panel ensures that the packet may take on a stable upright position.

According to a further embodiment of the packet of the invention, the hinge of the front cover panel may be formed by a crease line in the blank of pliable material. According to another embodiment of the packet of the invention, the inner container, and the top lid are formed from a single integral blank of pliable material. Both measures ensure an efficient manufacturing process for folding the cardboard packets in an automated or semi-automated manufacturing process.

To provide sufficient stability of the front cover panel to perform its opening and closing function and to be tightly held in its closed position, the front cover panel may in one embodiment be formed as a double wall. In particular, the double wall of the front cover panel may be formed by superposition of two single panels of a single blank of pliable material. This allows for easier printing of the blank from one side only, while still being able to provide information on both the front as well as the back side of the front panel.

According to a further embodiment of the packet of the invention, the take-out opening of the inner container is enlarged in the upper portion of the front portion and a side wall which is opposite to the side wall with the hinge, said enlarged takeout opening being also covered in the closed position of the top lid. This advantageously allows for easy access to the first cigarette, while the take-out opening may still be completely covered in the closed position of the hinged top lid.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantageous modifications will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings show in:

Fig. l a perspective view of a hinged-lid box according to the invention in its closed condition;

Fig. 2 a view of the right side of the hinged-lid box of claim 1;

Fig. 3 a front view of the hinged-lid box according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a section along section line A-A in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a perspective view of the hinged-lid box according to Fig. 1, however with an opened lid;

Fig. 6 a perspective view of the hinged-lid box of Fig. 5, however with opened front panel to reveal communication; Fig. 7 a side view on the right side of the hinged-lid box according to Fig. 6, however with a closed lid and open front panel;

Fig. 8 a section along B-B in Fig. 3, however with an opened lid;

Fig. 9 detailed partial views (a) and (b) of alternative shapes for the recessed cut-away portion in the front panel as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8; and

Fig. 10 a top view of an integral blank of pliable material used to form the hinged-lid box according to the invention by folding.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a hinged-lid box or packet 10 in its closed condition, wherein an inner container 20 is not accessible. The inner container 20 generally comprises a wall structure 11 which is formed of a bottom wall 12, two opposite side walls 13, 14 of the same size, a back wall 15 and a front wall 21. A top lid 17 closes the upper portion of the inner container 20 and is hinged to a back wall hinge 18. The hinged-lid packet 10 further comprises a front cover panel 16 pivotably mounted on a longitudinal side of the front wall 21 about a hinge 25. In Fig. 1 and 2 the front cover panel 16 is in abutment against the front wall 21 of the inner container 20. The hinged-lid packet 10 may be made of foldable blanks of pliable material, such as thin cardboard. The hinge 18 of the lid 17 is formed by a weakened or crease line of the pliable material and takes advantage of the flexibility thereof.

Fig. 10 shows a corresponding top view of an integral blank of pliable material which may be used to form the hinged-lid box of Fig. 1 by folding. Fig. 3 shows a front view of the packet 10 with a closed top lid 17, a lower end 27 thereof being at a height H from the bottom wall 12. The top lid 17 covers the upper portion of the front wall 16 with a snug fit.

The section A-A of Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. 4. As apparent from Fig. 4, the packet 10 is filled with a stack of smoking articles such as cigarettes 19, which are closely arranged as a bundle in the inner container 20.

Fig. 5 shows the packet 10 of Fig. 1, however with the top lid 17 open and the front cover panel 16 still abutting the front wall 21 (Fig. 6) of the inner container 20. The front cover panel 16 is provided on its entire outside surface with a communication area 16a and on its entire inner surface with a communication area 16b. Further, the front wall 21 of the inner container 20 also presents a communication area.

As seen from Fig. 6, the upper portion of the inner container 20 comprises a take out opening 24, which extends with a curve into the upper part of the front wall 21 and the side wall 13, respectively, to provide easy access to the cigarettes contained in the inner container 20.

The front cover panel 16 is hinged to the front end of the side wall 14 of the inner container 20 by a hinge 25 which is formed by the pliable material itself and its flexibility. The hinge 25 may comprise a weakened line or crease line in the pliable material and may extend from the bottom wall 12 up to a height h. The height h is smaller than the height H shown in Fig. 3 between the bottom wall 12 and the lower end of the closed lid 17.

Above the hinge 25 a slot 26 may be provided which engages with the top lid 17 in the closed position of the top lid 17, as shown in Fig. 7. Due to the differences of the height H and the height h from the base wall 12, the lower end 27 of the top lid 17 does not interfere with the hinge 25 in the closed position of the top lid 17.

This allows for closing the top lid 17, even if the front panel 16 is not in abutment with the front wall 21 of the inner container 20, as shown in Fig. 7.

To provide a tight and safe closing of the lid 17, the lid 17 has a depth t, which exceeds a depth T of the bottom wall 12 by the thickness of the pliable material from the foldable blank is made. Further, the height of the back wall 15 of the inner container 20 may be HB. All or at least some of corners of the front cover panel 16 and of the side walls 13, 14 facing to the front cover panel 16 may be rounded.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the front cover panel 16 includes a cut-away portion 16c which is recessed into the material of the front cover panel 16. In the examples shown in those figures, the cut-away portion 16c is formed on a side of the front cover panel 16 opposite the hinge 25 of the front cover panel 16. Particularly, the cut-away portion 16c is formed at a corner of the front cover panel 16 opposite the hinge 25 of the front cover panel 16 by cutting into the front panel material along a line 16d and recessing the material all the way to the side edge by a predetermined height c. The height c may be chosen to be less than the height of the upper take-out opening 24 so that the front panel 16 in its abutment position will still cover the entirety of the front wall 21 of the inner container 20. Particularly, the height c may be chosen in such a way that when closing the top lid 17 over the front cover panel 16 in its abutment position, the recessed cut-away portion 16c will be completely covered by the top lid 17.

As shown exemplarily in Fig. 9, the shape of the cut-away portion 16c may be formed differently from the examples shown in Figs, 5, 6 and 7 as well. For example, as illustrated in the partial detailed view (a) of the front cover panel 16 in Fig. 9, the cutaway portion 16c may be formed in a top edge of the front cover panel 16 opposite the hinge 25 of the front cover panel 16, for example as a trapezoid groove or notch. Alternatively, as illustrated in the partial detailed view (b) of the front cover panel 16 in Fig. 9, the cut-away portion 16c may be formed in a top edge of the front panel 16 opposite the hinge 25 of the front cover panel 16, for example as a semi-spherical groove or notch.

Fig. 8 shows a vertical section along the section line B-B in Fig. 3, however with an opened lid 17 and an opened front cover panel 16. As indicated in the lower left corner of the front cover panel 16, the front panel consists of an outer wall with the surface 16a and an inner wall with the surface 16b.

Claims

1. A hinged-lid packet (10) made of a folded blank of pliable material, in particular for cigarettes, comprising:

an inner container (20) comprising an upper take-out opening (24) as well as a bottom wall (12), two opposite side walls (13) a front wall (21) and a back wall

(15) ;

a front panel (16) which is hinged at a hinge edge (25) of a side wall (13) of the inner container (20) and is adapted to be moved between an abutment position at a front wall (21) of the inner container (20) and an opened position remote from said abutment position;

a top lid (17) hinged at the upper portion of the back wall (15), the top lid (17) being configured to swing about the lid hinge between an opened position and a closed position covering over a top portion of both the front wall (21) of the inner container (20) and the front cover panel (16) when the front cover panel

(16) is in the abutment position,

characterized in that

the front cover panel (16) comprises a recessed cut-away portion (16c) which allows for access from outside the hinged-lid packet (10) to the upper take-out opening (24) when the front cover panel (16) is in the abutment position.

2. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to claim 1, wherein the cut-away portion (16c) is formed on a side of the front cover panel (16) opposite the hinge (25) of the front cover panel (16).

3. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to claim 2, wherein the cut-away portion (16c) is formed at a corner of the front cover panel (16) opposite the hinge (25) of the front cover panel (16).

4. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to claim 2, wherein the cut-away portion (16c) is formed in a top edge of the front cover panel (16) opposite the hinge (25) of the front cover panel (16).

5. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the height of the hinge (25) of the front cover panel (16) is smaller than the height of the side walls (13) of the inner container (20).

6. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the hinge (25) of the front cover panel (16) is formed by a crease line in the blank of pliable material.

7. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner container (20) and the top lid (17) are formed from a single integral blank of pliable material.

8. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the pliable material comprises thin cardboard.

9. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the front cover panel (16) is double-walled.

10. The hinged-lid packet (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the take-out opening (24) of the inner container (20) is enlarged in the upper portion of the front wall (21) and a side wall which is opposite to the side wall with the hinge (25), said enlarged take-out opening (24) being also covered in the closed position of the lid (17).