Abstract:
Disclosed is a closing aid for cigarette packs of the hinged lid type, comprising vertical webs ( 31 ) of a collar ( 12 ) and an inner lid fold ( 25 ) located on the interior face of a front wall ( 19 ) of the lid. Said inner lid fold ( 25 ) is provided with lateral recesses ( 37 ) whose relative position is selected such that the threading process of the webs ( 31 ) into an interlocked position with the inner lid fold ( 25 ) is initiated when a maximum edge pressure is attained on top transversal edges ( 35 ) of the collar ( 12 ).

Description:
This application is a 371 of PCT/EP/09633, filled on Sep. 8, 2004. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a hinged carton for, in particular, cigarettes, having a carton part, a lid articulately attached to a carton rear wall, and a collar which is disposed in the carton part and has a collar front wall and collar side walls and whose upper region projecting from the carton part, in the closing position, is embraced by the lid and whose collar front wall has webs for the delimitation of a recess, wherein attached to the inner side of a lid front wall is a lid inner tab, which on at least one side margin has a recess into which a web of the collar front wall enters in such a way when the lid is closed that a partial area of the web makes its way into the region between the lid inner tab and the lid front wall. 
   The recesses disposed on, preferably, both side margins of the lid inner tab serve, in conjunction with the webs of the collar front wall, as a closing aid for the lid (EP 0 434 962 B1). The invention is concerned with improving the aforesaid closing aid. 
   The object of the invention is accordingly to configure a hinged carton with closing aid such that the process of introducing the webs of the collar front wall into the interlocking position is reliably ensured even after repeated opening of the hinged lid. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   For the achievement of this object, the hinged carton according to the invention is characterized in that the relative position of the recess is chosen such that the entry of the web into the interlocking position is initiated once a maximum edge pressure against the collar is reached, the edge pressure being determined by bearing contact of the lid front wall or of the lid inner tab against an upper transverse edge of the collar during the closing motion of the lid. 
   The invention is based on the recognition that, during the closing motion of the lid, an optimal position is given for the start of the threading of the webs of the collar into the interlocking position. This is given when, during the closing operation, a maximum edge pressure is in force in the region of the upper, transversely directed edges of the collar front wall, i.e. in the region of upper transverse edges. At the moment of this maximum edge pressure, according to the invention an upper margin of the webs, namely a rounding of the same, must be at a set position within the recess of the lid inner tab. 
   According to the invention, the maximum edge pressure is geometrically definable, namely is given when an (imaginary) reference plane, which runs through a joint, namely a linear joint, between the lid and the carton part on the one hand, and through the transverse edges of the collar on the other hand, is directed parallel to an upper end wall of the lid. 
   In addition, structural interrelationships of the pack are of importance, namely a compression measure, in order that a sufficient (maximum) edge pressure is applied to the lid inner tab at the moment of threading of the interlocking members. The compression measure is the (theoretical) deformation of the upper, free region of the collar or of the collar front wall as the lid is opened and closed. 
   A further peculiarity of the invention is the shaping of the recesses, namely the contour of the same, out of a plurality of successive circular-arc-shaped recess edges. 

   
     BRIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further details of the invention are explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a spread-out blank for a hinged carton with closing aid, 
       FIG. 2  shows a blank for a collar, 
       FIG. 3  shows a closed hinged carton in front view with tear-out in the region of the lid for the representation of a closing aid, 
       FIG. 4  shows the closing aid shown in  FIG. 3  on an enlarged scale in interlocking position, 
       FIG. 5  shows a hinged carton with tear-out in the region of the lid, analogous to  FIG. 3 , with partially open lid, 
       FIG. 6  shows the closing aid shown in  FIG. 4  on an enlarged scale, namely at the start of the threading of the interlocking members, 
       FIG. 7  shows a schematic representation of an upper, lid-side part of a hinged carton with partially open lid, in side view, 
       FIG. 8  shows a representation in accordance with  FIG. 7 , with closed lid, 
       FIG. 9  shows the pack according to  FIG. 3  in vertical section in the sectional plane 
     IX-IX, 
       FIG. 10  shows the hinged carton according to  FIG. 5  in vertical section in the sectional plane X-X in  FIG. 5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The hinged carton represented in the drawings usually consists of a (lower) carton part  10  and an (upper) lid  11 . In addition, a collar  12  is part of the hinged carton. 
   The carton part  10  and the lid  11  consist of a one-piece blank ( FIG. 1 ) having precut regions for the formation of a carton front wall  13 , carton rear wall  14  and base wall  15 . The carton front wall  13  and the carton rear wall  14  respectively have (outer) side tabs  16  and (inner) side tabs  17  disposed on both sides. On the inner side tabs  17  in extension of the same, base corner tabs  18  are formed, which, in the case of the folded, finished hinged carton, bear against the base wall  15  on the inside. 
   Analogously, the lid  11  consists of a lid front wall  19 , a lid rear wall  20  and an end wall  21 . The lid front wall  19  and the lid rear wall  20  have lid side tabs  22  and lid side tabs  23 . These form lid side walls. Attached to the lid side tabs  23  are lid corner tabs  24 , which bear against the inner side of the end wall  21 . 
   On the free margin of the lid front wall  19  there is a lid inner tab  25 . In the finished pack, this bears against the inner side of the lid front wall  19 . A common folding edge forms a frontal lid closing edge  26  of the lid  11 . When the lid  11  is closed, said closing edge bears against a counter-closing edge  27  serving as the upper limit of the carton front wall  13 . 
   The collar  12 , consisting of a separate blank ( FIG. 2 ), forms a collar front wall  28  and collar side tabs  29 . In the finished hinged carton, the collar front wall  28  bears against the carton front wall  13  on the inside. The collar side tabs  29  are supported against the carton side walls, namely against the internal side tabs  17 . The collar  12  is connected to the carton part  10  in such a way that an upper collar piece juts out from the carton part  10 . This collar piece is embraced by the lid  11  in the closing position, so that an upper part of the collar front wall  28  bears against the lid inner tab  25 . 
   In the region of the collar front wall  28 , the collar  12  has an indentation  30 . This is delimited by lateral webs  31 . An (upper) contoured collar edge  32  forms in the region of the webs  31  obliquely directed, upwardly diverging, substantially vertical web edges  33 . These are respectively adjoined by a circular-arc-shaped transition  34  into transversely or horizontally directed transverse edges  35 , which extend to the margin of the collar side tabs  29 . 
   In interaction with the lid  11 , namely the lid inner tab  25 , the collar  12  forms a closing aid to ensure an exact closing position of the lid ( FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 9 ). For this purpose, the lid inner tab  25  is configured such that a mutual engagement, namely an interlocking, with the collar  12  takes place, to be precise with the marginal webs  31 . The lid inner tab  25  is provided with contoured side margins  36 . These respectively define recesses  37  on both sides of the lid inner tab  25 . The aim of the closing aid is an interlocking of the webs  31  with the lid inner tab  25  or with a marginal clamping tab  38 , adjoining the recess  37 , of the lid inner tab  25 . The clamping tab  38  is demarcated from the other part of the lid inner tab  25  by an embossed line  39 . At least in the region of the clamping tab  38 , the lid inner tab  25  is not glued to the lid front wall  19 . In the clamping position of the closed lid, an upper part-region of the webs  31 , facing the transverse edge  35 , lies between the clamping tab  38  and the lid front wall  19 , i.e. in a clamping position ( FIG. 4 ). 
   The point is that, even after repeated actuation of the lid  11  in the closing motion, the clamping or interlocking position between the collar  12  and the lid  11  is reliably ensured. For this purpose, an exact relative position of the recesses  37  is provided, to be precise in dependence on the dimensions of the hinged carton. It is imperative that, at the moment of a maximum edge compression against the transverse edges  35  of the collar  12 , the interlocking position of the webs  31  is threaded into place ( FIG. 6 ). The transition  34  of the webs  31  lies in this phase congruent with the rounded part-edge  43  of the clamping flap  38 . 
   The edge pressure or edge compression is, according to definition, the pressure applied by the lid  11  during the closing motion to the transverse edges  35  of the collar  12  due to bearing contact of the lid front wall  19  or lid inner tab  25  against the transverse edges  35 . The position of the lid  11  when the maximum edge pressure is reached is geometrically representable. For this, an imaginary transverse plane, namely a reference plane  40 , should be taken into account. This extends through a linear joint  41 , formed on the rear side of the pack, for the pivotable connection of the lid  11  to the carton part  10  in the region of the lid rear wall  20  and carton rear wall  14 . Opposite thereto, the reference plane  40  runs along the upper transverse edges  35  of the lid front wall  19 . The maximum edge pressure, i.e. the pressure exerted in the region of the transverse edges  35  by the inner side of the lid front wall  19 , is given when the end wall  21  of the lid  11  is directed parallel to the defined reference plane  40 . In terms of their relative position, the recesses  37  are positioned in such a way on the lid inner tab  25  that, when the defined maximum edge pressure is reached, the process of threading the interlocking members  31 ,  38  into place is initiated. This position is shown in  FIG. 5 . In this position, the webs  31  bear essentially with the region of the (round) transition  34  under elevated pressure against the inner side of the lid front wall  19 , to be precise firstly in a region outside the lid inner tab  25  or in the region of the recess  37 . The contact pressure of the upper contour of the webs  31  against the inner side of the lid inner tab  25  serves to ensure that, as the closing motion continues, a region of the web  31 , which region is particularly discernible in  FIG. 4 , pushes under the clamping tab  38 . 
   For the process of the secure threading of the interlocking members, a specific edge pressure is necessary. To ensure that this is given irrespective of the dimensions of the hinged carton, the latter must have a specific, selectable compression measure  44 . This is obtained from the geometric specifications of the hinged carton, namely the width and depth of the end wall  21  on the one hand, and the height of the lid rear wall  20  on the other hand. The compression measure  44  represented in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  on the basis of schematized hinged cartons is the distance between the upper limits, i.e. the upper transverse edges  35  of the collar front wall  28 , and a reference point  49  of the lid front wall  19 . This (imaginary) reference point  49  is located on the inner side of the lid front wall  19  or of the lid inner tab  25 , to be precise level with the reference plane  40  with a closed lid  11  ( FIG. 8 ). As the lid is opened—and, conversely, as it is closed—the reference point  49  shifts on a circular-arc-shaped path, so that, when the transverse edges  35  of the collar front wall  28  are reached, an (imaginary) offset between the reference point  49  and the transverse edges  35  is given. This distance is the compression measure  44 , which produces a corresponding deformation of the upper region of the webs  31  and hence the generation of a sufficient edge compression to induce the interlocking position. The compression measure  44  amounts to between 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm. A range from 0.8 mm to 1.6 mm is optimal. 
   A further peculiarity is the shaping of the recesses  37 , i.e. the course of the side margins  36  of the lid inner tab  25 . The clamping tab  38  is delimited by the circular part-edge  43 . This passes into an inner edge  45  as the deepest region of the recess  37 . The inner edge  45  is likewise configured in a circular-arc shape, in the opposite direction to the part-edge  43 . There then follows an outwardly directed or sideways directed arc-shaped projection  46 . This produces a (second) clamping edge for the web  31  ( FIG. 4 ). The projection  46  is adjoined by a further circular-arc-shaped edge piece  47  as the bottom closure of the recess  37 . The dimensions of the recesses  37  are chosen such that the webs  31  extend in the region of the indentation formed by the inner edge  45 , yet at a distance from the inner edge  45  ( FIG. 4 ). The aim is to ensure that, during the threading of the interlocking members and/or in their end position, no pressure is transmitted to the collar  12  or to the free edges of the webs  31 . For the improvement and securement of the threading, the clamping tabs  38  can be preformed, namely prefolded, along the embossed line  39 . 
   Particularly advantageous is the described closing aid for hinged cartons having round edges  48 , i.e. having rounded, vertical pack edges. As pack content, a cigarette block  50  is shown, i.e. a group of cigarettes wrapped in a paper or tin-foil inner blank. 
   Revised relative to the original version of 16 Sep. 2004 
   REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST 
   
       
         10  carton part 
         11  lid 
         12  collar 
         13  carton front wall 
         14  carton rear wall 
         15  base wall 
         16  side tab (external) 
         17  side tab (internal) 
         18  base corner tab 
         19  lid front wall 
         20  lid rear wall 
         21  end wall 
         22  lid side tab (a) 
         23  lid side tab (i) 
         24  lid corner tab 
         25  lid inner tab 
         26  lid closing edge 
         27  counter-closing edge 
         28  collar front wall 
         29  collar side tab 
         30  indentation 
         31  web 
         32  collar edge 
         33  web edge 
         34  transition 
         35  transverse edge 
         36  side margin 
         37  recess 
         38  clamping tab 
         39  embossed line 
         40  reference plane 
         41  linear joint 
         43  part-edge 
         44  compression measure 
         45  inner edge 
         46  projection 
         47  edge piece 
         48  round edge 
         49  reference point 
         50  cigarette block