Patent Publication Number: US-2011056936-A1

Title: Tongue-lid package

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
     The present invention relates to a package, and more specifically, to a tongue-lid package. 
     BACKGROUND ART  
     Various kinds of containers for accommodating contents have been developed to fit property of the contents. A hinge-lid package is a well-known container for accommodating, for example, tobacco products, such as filter cigarettes and cigarettes. 
     For example, a tongue-lid package shown in Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a modification of the hinge-lid package. 
     A publicly-known tongue-lid package comprises a box with an open end, a lid for closing and opening the open end of the box, and contents contained in the box. The contents include a bundle of rod-shaped smoking articles and a wrapper enclosing the bundle. A package of this kind is usually made of paper. 
     Prior Art Document 
     Patent Document 
     Patent Document 1 
     Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-49134 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     Most publicly-known tongue-lid packages are of a simple paper box type and of much the same design, so that they are not catchy enough to encourage people to buy. 
     The invention has been made in light of the foregoing circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a package having a simple structure and inducing customers to buy. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     In order to achieve the object, a tongue-lid package comprises a case formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and having an open end at a top thereof; a tongue lid rotatably connected to a rear edge of the open end through a lid hinge, the tongue lid including a lid portion for opening/closing the open end and a tongue connected to a tip end of the lid portion through a tongue hinge, in which the tongue is superimposed upon a front wall of the case when the lid portion is in a closed position; and an inner holder contained in the case, the inner holder having a recessed area for holding a content, wherein the case, the tongue lid and the inner holder are made of transparent or translucent material, and the recessed area is positioned away from bottom and side walls of the case. Therefore, the content in the recessed area appears to be floating within the case. 
     The inner holder has a box-like shape and includes a rear wall, a bottom wall and a pair of side walls defining the recessed area. The shape of the inner holder is therefore convenient for being put in and out of the case. The content is held by the rear, bottom and side walls within the recessed area. 
     The bottom and side walls have a hollow structure, providing a given gap between the inner holder and the bottom, side and rear walls of the case. 
     More specifically, the side and bottom walls have an inner wall portion defining an inner surface of the recessed area and an outer wall portion. The outer wall portion is protruding from a virtual plane including the rear wall. The outer wall portion thus well absorbs external force acting on the case from outside, and prevents the content from being applied with the external force. 
     The case includes a front wall, a U-shaped notch formed in an upper edge of the front wall, and a slit formed in the front wall and located under the notch. The tongue has an insertion claw for inserting into the slit. The tongue lid is held in a closed position by inserting the insertion claw into the slit. 
     The content preferably includes a bundle of cigarettes and an inner wrapper enclosing the batch. In this case, the cigarettes are well prevented from being deformed. 
     Advantages of the Invention 
     According to the invention, the case, the tongue lid and the inner holder that compose the tongue-lid package are all transparent and colorless, so that the content can be seen through the package. The package thus has an unique design and arouses customers&#39; interest. 
     Since the bottom and side walls of the inner holder have a hollow structure, the inner holder well absorbs external force acting on the case from outside and prevents the content from being directly applied with the external force, thereby successfully protecting the content. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tongue-lid package according to an embodiment in a closed position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the package shown in  FIG. 1  in an open position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of the package shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a vertical cross section of the package shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a transverse cross section of the package shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a tongue-lid package  2  comprises a case  4  and a tongue lid  6  connected to the case  4 . The tongue lid  6  has a lid  5  and a tongue  7 . An inner holder  10  is contained in the case  4  and holds an inner pack  8 . The inner pack  8  will be described later. In the present embodiment, the case  4 , the tongue lid  6  and the inner holder  10  are made of transparent and colorless synthetic resin material. 
     The case  4  is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an open end  12  at a top thereof. More specifically, the case  4  includes a front wall  14 , a rear wall  16 , a pair of side walls  18  and a bottom wall  20 . As is apparent from  FIG. 2 , the front wall  14  has a notch  22  in the center of an upper edge thereof. The notch  22  has a substantially U-like shape and forms a part of the open end  12 . The notch  22  allows an upper portion of the front wall  14  of the case  4  to be wide open, and makes it easy to take out a product contained in the inner pack  8 . The front wall  14  further has a slit  24 , which is located under the notch  22 . The slit  24  extends along a lower edge of the notch  22 , and has arc-shaped ends. 
     The rear wall  16  has an upper edge formed as a lid hinge  26 . The lid  5  of the tongue lid  6  is connected to the rear wall  16  through the lid hinge  26 , and is turnable about the lid hinge  26 . 
     In the present embodiment, the side walls  18  are connected to the bottom wall  20  through rounded corners. The front and rear walls  14  and  16  are rounded in ends of lower edges thereof so as to correspond to the rounded corners. 
     When the tongue lid  6  is turned about the lid hinge  26 , the lid  5  of the tongue lid  6  opens/closes the open end  12  of the case  4 . When the open end  12  is closed with the lid  5 , the tongue  7  of the tongue lid  6  is superimposed upon the front wall  14 . 
     More specifically, the lid  5  has a rectangular shape of the same size as the open end  12 , whereas the tongue  7  has a semicircular shape. The lid  5  and the tongue  7  are connected to each other through the tongue hinge  28 . The tongue  7  is turnable about the tongue hinge  28  in relation to the lid  5 . The tongue  7  has an insertion claw  30  in the center of a tip end portion thereof. The insertion claw  30  is obtained by forming a cut in the tongue  7 . When the tongue  7  is superimposed upon the front wall  14 , the insertion tab  30  has a semicircular shape of convex toward the lid  5 , that is, a semicircular shape facing in an opposite direction to the tongue  7 . The insertion claw  30  is insertable into the slit  24  of the front wall  14 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the inner holder  10  has a shape of a box similar to the case  4 , and includes a recessed area  10   a  in a front face thereof. The recessed area  10   a  is of a size capable of receiving the inner pack  8 , and opens in an upper end thereof. More specifically, the inner holder  10  has a rear wall  32 , a pair of side walls  34  and a bottom wall  36 . The recessed area  10   a  is defined by inner faces of the rear, side and bottom walls  32 ,  34  and  36 . 
     When the inner pack  8  is held in the recessed area  10   a  of the inner holder  10 , the inner pack  8  is surrounded by the rear, side and bottom walls  32 ,  34  and  36  of the inner holder  10 . The bottom of the inner holder  10  has a configuration matching with an inner face of the bottom of the case  4 . 
     More specifically, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a given gap is left between the rear wall  32  of the inner holder  10  and the rear wall  16  of the case  4 . In order to secure this gap, the bottom and side walls  36  and  34  of the inner holder  10  have a hollow structure, which opens only in a rear face of the inner holder  10 . In other words, the bottom wall  36  has an inner wall  36   c,  an outer wall  36   d,  and a space  36   e  left between these inner and outer walls. The inner wall  36   c  is connected to the rear wall  32 , whereas a rear edge  36   a  of the outer wall  36   d  is protruding from a virtual plane including the rear wall  32  as much as length of the above-mentioned gap. 
     The side walls  34  also have inner walls  34   g,  outer walls  34   f,  and spaces  34   e  left between the respective inner and outer walls. The inner walls  34   g  are connected to the rear wall  32 , whereas rear edges  34   a  of the outer walls  34   f  are protruding from the virtual plane. 
     As is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the rear wall  32  has an upper wall  34   d  in an upper end thereof. The upper wall  34   d  connects upper walls  34   c  of the side walls  34  to each other. 
     As is clear from the foregoing description, when the inner holder  10  is contained in the case  4  together with the inner pack  8 , the recessed area  10   a  of the inner holder  10 , or the inner pack  8  in the recessed area  10   a,  is set away from the bottom wall  20  and the side walls  18  of the case  4 , and the case  4 , the tongue lid  6  and the inner holder  10  are all transparent. For that reason, the inner pack  8  in the inner holder  10  appears to be floating within the case  4 . 
     The inner pack  8  has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As is obvious from  FIG. 5 , the inner pack  8  contains, for example, a bundle of rod-shaped tobacco products  38  and an inner wrapper  40  enclosing the bundle. The tobacco products  38  are preferably slim filter cigarettes. The filter cigarettes each have a length of 98 mm and a peripheral length of 22 mm. Aluminum deposited paper may be used for the inner wrapper  40 . The aluminum deposited paper includes base paper and an aluminum film deposited onto surfaces of the base paper. Such aluminum film not only protects the tobacco products  38  from moisture but also prevents the aroma of the tobacco products  38  from escaping. Instead of the aluminum deposited paper, laminated paper may be used for the inner wrapper  40 . The laminated paper is provided inside with a shielding layer blocking moisture and aroma. The shielding layer may be made, for example, of paraffin wax. 
     When a consumer buys the package  2 , the tongue lid  6  of the case  4  is in a closed position (see  FIG. 1 ). In this state, the consumer first picks up the tip end portion of the tongue  7  of the tongue lid  6  from the front wall  14  of the case  4 , and pulls the insertion claw  30  out of the slit  24  of the case  4 . This action disengages the tongue lid  6  from the case  4  and allows the tongue lid  6  to be opened. After this, whenever the tongue lid  6  is opened by the consumer, the inner pack  8  is exposed from the open end  12  of the case  4 . By removing a part of the inner wrapper  40  of the inner pack  8 , the consumer can take out a tobacco product  38  from the inner pack  8 . 
     When closing the tongue lid  6  later, the consumer covers the open end  12  of the case  4  with the lid  5 . The consumer then puts the tongue  7  onto the front wall  14  of the case  4  while inserting the insertion claw  30  of the tongue  7  into the slit  24  of the case  4 . The tongue lid  6  is accordingly maintained in the closed position. 
     In order to keep the tongue lid  6  in the closed position, the tongue  7  may be inserted between the front wall  14  and the inner pack  8 . In such an aspect, too, the tongue lid  6  reliably keeps closing the open end  12  of the case  4  and the notch  22 . 
     When the tobacco products  38  in the inner pack  8  are all consumed, the consumer retrieves the inner holder  10  from the case  4 , and sets a new inner pack  8  into the retrieved inner holder  10 . The consumer then can insert the inner holder  10  in the case  4  together with the new inner pack  8 . Accordingly, the package  2  of the present invention can be refilled with the new inner pack  8 , which means that the package  2  is reusable. 
     According to the package  2  of the present invention, since the case  4 , the tongue lid  6  and the inner holder  10  are all transparent and colorless, the inner pack  8  can be seen through the case  4 . Held in the inner holder  10 , the inner pack  8  appears to be floating within the case  4 . Consequently, the present invention provides an unique package and greatly arouses consumers&#39; interest. 
     Since the bottom and side walls of the inner holder  10  have the foregoing hollow structure, the inner holder  10  well absorbs external force acting on the case  4  from outside and prevents the inner pack  8  from being directly applied with the external force. In particular, slim and long filter cigarettes are key tobacco products targeting women, filter cigarettes of this type are relatively easy to be deformed when receiving external force. However, whenever the package of the present invention is used as one for filter cigarettes of this type, the filter cigarettes are reliably prevented from deformation. In general, as women often carry a package for tobacco products in a bag, the package in the bag more easily receives compression force than other contents in the bag. Under such a situation, however, the package  2  of the present invention can successfully protect the filter cigarettes contained inside. 
     The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be modified in various ways. 
     For example, the package  2  of the present invention may be used instead of an ordinary package of hinge-lid or tongue-lid type. In the case of the ordinary package, the inner pack contains twenty filter cigarettes of normal size. The filter cigarettes each have a length ranging from about 85 to about 95 mm. 
     The case  4 , the tongue lid  6 , and the inner holder  10  do not have to be transparent and colorless, but may be colored as long as being transparent or translucent. 
     The package  2  of the present invention can be used for containing not only tobacco products but also foods including confection and the like. 
     REFERENCE MARKS  
       2  package 
       4  case 
       5  lid 
       6  tongue lid 
       7  tongue 
       8  inner pack 
       10  inner holder 
       10   a  recessed area 
       12  open end 
       14  front wall 
       16  rear wall 
       18  side wall 
       20  bottom wall 
       22  notch 
       24  slit 
       26  lid hinge 
       28  tongue hinge 
       30  insertion claw 
       32  rear wall 
       34  side wall 
       34   a  rear edge 
       36  bottom wall 
       36   a  rear edge 
       38  tobacco product 
       40  inner wrapper