Rigid hinged-lid packet for long elements

Abstract: The rigid hinged-lid packet for long elements includes a cup-shaped container (2), a lid (4), also cup-shaped, hinged at the top rear end (16) of the container (2) to close an open end (3) of the container (2), and an inner frame (18), partly inside the container (2) and fixed to a front surface (5) and two side surfaces (7) of the container (2); the front surface (5) of the container (2) having a window (27), designed to show a given zone (25) of the inner frame (18) behind it, the zone (25) presenting a given image (26), and the window (27) being covered by a tear-off closing element (28).

Description: The present invention relates to a rigid hinged-lid packet for long elements. In particular, the present invention relates to a rigid hinged-lid packet for items for smokers, such as cigarettes, cigars, or similar items, to which the following description refers, although without limiting the general possibilities for application of the present invention. Such rigid packets are normally made from a ready-weakened flat blank, and are of the type which includes a cup-shaped container, a lid, this also being cup-shaped and hinged at the top rear end of the container, and an inner frame positioned partly inside the container, fixed to the front surface and the two side surfaces of the container. In the tobacco industry sector, packets of the afore-mentioned type are made so that they include inserts such as cards, coupons, or similar items, bearing text, figures, or, more often, images which constitute various types of messages directed at the consumer. Such messages may, for example, be advertisements, or may refer to prize competitions, collections, etc. The inserts are normally placed in packets of the afore-mentioned types during formation of the packets, and are visible only after the packet has been opened. The insertion of such inserts in the relative packets is a serious problem. since it requires special cigarette packaging machines, with obvious economic disadvantages. EP 837.012 (Application 97 115874.6) describes a hinge-lid packet consisting of a packet portion, a lid, connected to the packet portion by a hinge, and a collar disposed in the packet portion. Regions of the collar front wall and of a lid inner flap serve as carriers for imprinting. Openings are formed with the packet portion and the lid in order to display said imprinting. Detachable coverings close said openings towards the outside and can be grasped and detached by the user vis a holding tab delimited by continuous severance cuts. In the tobacco industry sector. packets of the afore-mentioned types are also made with graphics in particular colours on the front surface. sometimes in relief, these graphics being very expensive when combined with the creation of other, different. graphics on other parts of the packet and/or. especially in the case of relief graphics, sometimes slowing down the sliding of the relative blanks over one another when the blanks are picked up from stacks. The aim of the present invention is to provide a packet of the afore-mentioned type. providing a simple, economical solution to the above-mentioned disadvantages. The present invention provides a rigid hinged-lid packet for long elements according to claim 1. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the said zone bears graphics. Moreover, the afore-mentioned packet preferably includes means which can be torn off and which are designed to hide the said zone. The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment that does not limit its application, and in which: figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the packet disclosed; figures 2 is an exploded perspective view of the packet in figure 1; figure 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a detail in figure 2. With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 is used to label a rigid packet designed to contain a group (not illustrated) of cigarettes, and including a cup-shaped container 2 at the bottom with an open end 3 and a lid 4 at the top, the lid also being cup-shaped and being hinged to the container 2 so that it rotates between a position in which the end 3 is open (not illustrated) and a position in which it is closed (figures 1 and 2) . The container 2 has a front surface 5 and a rear surface 6 which are opposite one another and parallel and two side surfaces 7 which are parallel with one another and perpendicular to the front and rear surfaces 5 and 6, and a base 8, perpendicular to surfaces 5, 6 and 7. The lid 4 has a front surface 9 and a rear surface 10, opposite to and parallel with one another, two parallel side surfaces 11 which are perpendicular to surfaces 9 and 10, and a base 12, perpendicular to surfaces 9, 10 and 11. Surfaces 9 and 10 have free edges, respectively 13 and 14, positioned opposite respective free edges 15 and 16 of surfaces 5 and 6, and edge 14 is integral with edge 16, thus defining, together with edge 16, a hinge 17 allowing the lid 4 to rotate between a position in which it is open and a position in which it is closed. The packet 1 also includes an inner frame 18, fixed to the container 2 and including a portion 18a positioned inside the container 2, and a portion 18b protruding from the open end 3 of the container 2. The inner frame 18 has a central surface 19, whose lower edge 20, on the side of surface 8, is substantially U-shaped and, on the lid 4 side, a top edge 21 which is substantially parallel with the edge 20, thus defining a lower central portion 22 and two side tabs 23 which extend towards the lid 4. Surface 19 is fixed to the inside of surface 5, from which the tabs 23 and part of portion 22 protrude, and is integral with two side surfaces 24 of the inner frame 18 fixed to the inside of the respective surfaces 7, from which the surfaces 24 partially extend towards the lid 4. As shown in figure 3, the part of portion 22 included in portion 18a has an intermediate zone 25, bearing graphics which in the embodiment illustrated consist of an image 26 facing the inside of surface 5, and at the zone 25, surface 5 has a window 27 through which the image 26 can be seen. In a first embodiment, the zone 25 is covered by an removable element 28, consisting of a layer of opaque material which can be scratched off, whilst, in another embodiment, the window further has a pre-weakened closed border 29, and the removable element 28 is delimited by the border 29 and consists of a tear-off element forming part of the surface 5. As illustrated in figure 3, the container 2 and lid 4 are obtained (in the known way, not illustrated) from a blank 30, which is only partially illustrated, since it differs from a normal blank of the known type only in that it has a window 27 or pre-weakened border 29 around the window 27. The parts of the blank 30 illustrated are labelled with reference numbers followed by a prime and are the same as the reference numbers used to label the corresponding parts of the packet and, therefore, require no further explanation. However, it is necessary to point out that, firstly, the creation of the graphics for the packet 1 can be significantly simplified by positioning part of the graphics at the zone 25 of the inner frame 18 and, secondly, the packet can be made using a standard packaging machine (not illustrated) of the known type, with evident economic advantages and production flexibility.

Claims: A rigid hinged-lid packet for long elements, the packet (1) including a cup-shaped container (2), which in turn includes a front surface (5), a rear surface (6) and two side surfaces (7) defining the open end (3) of the container (2); an inner frame (18) having a front portion (19) and two side portions (24), these being attached to the front and side surfaces (5, 7), the inner frame (18) including a first portion (18a) positioned inside the container (2) and a second portion (18b) protruding from the open end (3); and a cup-shaped lid (4), this being hinged at a rear edge (16) of the open end (3) so that the lid rotates between a position in which the container (2) is open and a position in which it is closed; said front surface (5) having a window (27), designed to show a given zone (25) of said first portion (18a) of the inner frame (18), and including removable covering means (28), designed to hide said given zone (25), said removable covering means (28) consisting of a layer of opaque material which can be removed by scratching. The packet as described in claim 1, characterised in that the zone (25) bears graphics (26). The packet as described in claim 1, characterised in that the front surface (5) has a pre-weakened closed border (29), said border (29) surrounding the window (27) and tear-off removable covering means (28).

Inventors: BELVEDERI BRUNO, DRAGHETTI FIORENZO, BELVEDERI, BRUNO, DRAGHETTI, FIORENZO
Applicants: GD SPA, G.D SOCIETA' PER AZIONI
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65D85
IPC codes: B65D85, B65D5