Abstract:
A cigarette packet of the rigid type having a hinged lid presents four side faces of which at least one is convexly profiled and associated with the two adjoining side faces along dihedral angles that are effectively obtuse, softening the contours of the packet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cigarette packet. 
     In particular, the present invention relates to a cigarette packet of the type with a hinged lid, comprising a cupped container having one open end, and a lid hingedly associated with the container and capable of movement in relation to the container away from and toward a position in which the open end is enclosed. 
     Direct reference is made throughout the following specification to a packet of this type, albeit with no limitation in general scope implied. 
     Familiar rigid packets of the type in question are generally parallelepiped in appearance, having a predominating longitudinal axis and presenting four side faces arranged in two mutually opposed and parallel pairs, all four disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis. There are certain drawbacks associated with such packets, especially for the consumer, since each two adjoining side faces meet along a sharp right angle corner edge subtending a right dihedral angle. Not only are the sharp corner edges relatively unergonomic, they also occasion wear on the pockets of garments in which the packet normally will be carried. 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette packet free of the drawbacks mentioned above and, more particularly, a packet characterized by ease of use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The stated object is realized according to the present invention in a cigarette packet having a predominating longitudinal axis and presenting four side faces arranged in two mutually opposed and parallel pairs, all four disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis, the essential feature of such a packet being that at least one side face of the four appears convexly profile and is associated with two adjoining side faces along respective substantially obtuse dihedral angles. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the cigarette packet according to the invention, viewed in perspective; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the cigarette packet according to the invention, viewed in perspective; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a third preferred embodiment of the cigarette packet according to the invention, viewed in perspective; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth preferred embodiment of the cigarette packet according to the invention, viewed in perspective. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings,  10  denotes a rigid cigarette packet of the type with a hinged lid, appearing substantially parallelepiped in shape with a predominating longitudinal axis  10   a,  which comprises a container  2  of cupped embodiment presenting an open top end  3 , and surmounting the container, a lid  4  likewise of cupped appearance attached to the container  2  along a hinge crease  5  and rotatable thus away from and toward a position in which the top end  3  is enclosed. 
     The packet  10  has two mutually opposed larger side faces  6 , two flank faces  7 , likewise mutually opposed, and two end faces  8  disposed transversely to the side faces  6  and  7  and to the longitudinal axis  10   a.  The two larger side faces  6  of the packet  10  consist of a front face  6   a  and a rear face  6   b  combining respectively with the flank faces  7  to form two front corner edges  9   a  compassing the front face  6   a  laterally, and two rear corner edges  9   b  compassing the rear face  6   b  laterally; all four corner edges  9   a  and  9   b  are disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis  10   a.    
     The hinge crease  5  runs across the rear face  6   b  transversely to the longitudinal axis  10   a,  while the rear face  6   b  and the flank faces  7  are flat and the rear corner edges  9   b  present a sharply defined right angle profile. By contrast, the front face  6   a  exhibits a convex profile, appearing substantially as a cylindrical sector of which a given straight line generator extends parallel to the longitudinal axis  10   a,  with the result that the front face  6   a  and the flank faces  7  are joined at substantially obtuse angles along well defined corner edges  9   a,  and the two respective dihedral angles A subtended by the selfsame edges  9   a  are likewise substantially obtuse. 
     It will be seen in particular that the packet  10  is compassed in any given plane K transverse to the longitudinal axis  10   a  and in the neighborhood of the corner edges  9   a  by two straight lines R 1 , lying tangential to the convexly profiled front face  6   a,  and two respective straight lines R 2  tangential to the flank faces  7 , which combine to form respective substantially obtuse plane angles A. 
     The packet  20  illustrated in FIG. 2 is similar to the packet  10  of FIG. 1 though with some differences. First the larger side faces  6   a  and  6   b  are flat, disposed parallel both with one another and with a predominating longitudinal axis  20   a  of the packet  20 . Second each of the two flank faces  7  exhibits a convex profile: thus, both the front corner edges  9   a  and the rear corner edges  9   b  subtend respective substantially obtuse dihedral angles A. 
     In this embodiment, the hinge crease  5  extends between the two convexly profiled flank faces  7 . The straight lines denoted R 1  lie tangential to the selfsame flank faces  7  in the neighborhood both of the front corner edges  9   a  and of the rear corner edges  9   b,  while the straight lines denoted R 2  lie tangential to the front and rear faces  6   a  and  6   b  likewise in the neighborhood of the four corner edges  9   a  and  9   b,  and are also mutually parallel. 
     The packet  30  illustrated in FIG. 3 is similar to the packet  10  of FIG. 1 with two differences. First, the two larger side faces  6   a  and  6   b  are both convexly profiled, with the front corner edges  9   a  and the rear corner edges  9   b  subtending respective substantially obtuse dihedral angles A. Second, the hinge crease  5  extends across the convexly profiled rear face  6   b.    
     The packet  40  illustrated in FIG. 4 is similar to the packet  30  of FIG. 3, though with the difference that the rear face  6   b  exhibits a central portion  41  disposed parallel to a predominating longitudinal axis  40   a  of the packet  40  and two convexly profiled lateral portions  42  flank the central portion  41  on either side. 
     In this embodiment, the hinge crease  5  extends at least across the central portion  41 , and may also extend across the lateral portions  42 .