Patent Publication Number: US-7721942-B2

Title: Rigid wrapper for holding packets of cigarettes

Description:
This application is the National Phase of International Application PCT/IB01/01094 filed Jun. 21, 2001 which designated the U.S. and that International Application was published under PCT Article 21(2) in English. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to a rigid wrapper designed to hold packets of cigarettes. 
   BACKGROUND ART 
   The term wrapper is used generically to indicate rigid containers known as “cartons” designed to contain packets of cigarettes which, typically, will present a substantially rectangular parallelepiped geometry. 
   A first type of wrapper appears substantially as flattened parallelepiped with sharp corner edges, referable to a predominating longitudinal axis, internally of which the packets are disposed one alongside and in contact with the next in such a way as to create one or more rows extending along the longitudinal axis. 
   A second type of wrapper presents a substantially parallelepiped appearance with sharp corner edges and comprises a cupped container, a lid likewise of cupped embodiment, connected to the container by way of a hinge and capable thus of rotating between open and closed positions respectively exposing and concealing an open top end of the container, also a reinforcing frame extending from the open top end, by which the lid is retained when in the closed position. In this type of wrapper the packets are arranged in two rows, breasted in frontal contact one with another, and ordered along respective axes disposed transversely to the vertical axis of the wrapper. 
   The two types of rigid wrapper outlined above are not suitable for containing packets of cigarettes exhibiting a shape other than that of a rectangular parallelepiped. 
   The object of the present invention is to provide a rigid wrapper that can be fashioned from a flat diecut blank as simple and inexpensive as possible to produce, such as will accommodate packets of cigarettes presenting a shape quite different from that of a rectangular parallelepiped, and require a relatively modest quantity of wrapping material for its manufacture. 
   DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
   The stated object is realized in accordance with the present invention through the adoption of a rigid wrapper for holding packets of cigarettes, referable to a predominating longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axes of the packets of cigarettes, characterized in that it presents a prismatic shape of polygonal section. 

   
     The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a first embodiment of the rigid wrapper according to the present invention, viewed in perspective; 
       FIG. 2  is the plan view of a diecut blank used to fashion the wrapper of  FIG. 1  and the wrappers of  FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15 ; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a second embodiment of the rigid wrapper according to the present invention, viewed in perspective; 
       FIG. 4  is the plan view of a diecut blank used to fashion the wrapper of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIGS. 5 and 7  show two alternative embodiments of the wrapper of  FIG. 1 , viewed in perspective; 
       FIGS. 6 and 8  are plan views of diecut blanks used to fashion the wrappers of  FIGS. 5 and 7 ; 
       FIGS. 9 and 11  show two alternative embodiments of the wrapper of  FIG. 3 , viewed in perspective; 
       FIGS. 10 and 12  are plan views of diecut blanks used to fashion the wrappers of  FIGS. 9 and 11 ; 
       FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15  show two further alternative embodiments of the wrapper of  FIG. 1 , viewed in perspective. 
   

   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5 ,  7 ,  9  and  11  of the accompanying drawings,  1  denotes a rigid wrapper, in its entirety, designed to hold a plurality of packets  2  of cigarettes of the type, in particular, disclosed in Application BO99A 000681 for Italian patent filed Dec. 15, 1999, to which reference may be made for a full description; the individual packet  2  comprises an outer wrapper  3  appearing as a prism of substantially triangular section, hence with three substantially rectangular adjoining side faces denoted  4 ,  5  and  6 , extending parallel to a predominating longitudinal axis  7  of the prism, and two substantially triangular end faces  8  and  9 . 
   The wrapper  1 , which presents a predominating longitudinal axis L disposed parallel to the axes  7  of the packets  2  of cigarettes, is prismatic in shape and of polygonal section, presenting six substantially rectangular longitudinal adjoining side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  extending parallel to the predominating longitudinal axis L, and two end faces  16  and  17  constituting the ends of the wrapper  1 , which are disposed transversely to the six longitudinal side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15 . 
   Observing the wrappers  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 3 , both appear with the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  joined along sharp corner edges  18 , and in particular, the wrapper  1  of  FIG. 1  presents two end faces  16  and  17  of regular hexagonal shape of which the relative sides  16   a - 17   a ,  16   b - 17   b ,  16   c - 17   c ,  16   d - 17   d ,  16   e - 17   e  and  16   f - 17   f  are identical, whereas the wrapper  1  of  FIG. 3  presents two end faces  16  and  17  of irregular hexagonal shape and two side faces, denote  12  and  15  respectively, exhibiting a transverse dimension substantially twice that of the remaining faces  10 ,  11 ,  13  and  14 ; accordingly, the corresponding sides  16   c - 16   f  and  17   c - 17   f  of the end faces  16  and  17  are twice the length of the other sides of the selfsame end faces  16  and  17 . 
   In particular, observing  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  7 , the packets  2  are arranged inside the wrapper  1  each with two side faces  5  and  6  offered to those of other adjacent packets, and the third side face  4  offered to the inside of one of the six faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  of the wrapper  1 , in such a way as to form a group of six packets  2  extending parallel with an axis  19  which, in the particular case in point, coincides both with the axis of the wrapper  1  and with the aforementioned predominating longitudinal axis L. 
   In the various examples of  FIGS. 3 ,  9  and  11 , the packets  2  are arranged inside the wrapper  1  in such a manner as to form two groups, each centred on a respective axis  20  and  21  extending parallel with the predominating longitudinal axis L. In this instance the packets are ten in number and the two groups have two packets  2  in common. 
   In the examples of  FIGS. 5 and 9 , both of the wrappers  1  appear with the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  joined one to the next by way of bevelled corner edges  22  identifiable as six flat longitudinal interconnecting fillets  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28 : the first such fillet  23  interposed between the faces denoted  10  and  11 , the second fillet  24  between the faces denoted  11  and  12 , the third fillet  25  between the faces denoted  12  and  13 , the fourth fillet  26  between the faces denoted  13  and  14 , the fifth fillet  27  between the faces denoted  14  and  15 , and the sixth fillet  28  between the faces denoted  15  and  10 . 
   In the examples of  FIGS. 7 and 11 , both of the wrappers  1  appear with the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  joined likewise one to the next by way of rounded corner edges  29 , identifiable as six longitudinal interconnecting bands  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34  and  35  rendered pliable by a plurality of longitudinal and mutually parallel crease lines  36 : the first such band  30  interposed between the faces denoted  10  and  11 , the second band  31  between the faces denoted  11  and  12 , the third band  32  between the faces denoted  12  and  13 , the fourth band  33  between the faces denoted  13  and  14 , the fifth band  34  between the faces denoted  14  and  15 , and the sixth band  35  between the faces denoted  15  and  10 . 
   In the example of  FIGS. 13 and 14  the wrapper  1  is fashioned with an access portion  37  defined by a longitudinal perforation line  38  extending along the side face denoted  10 , located near the corner edge  18  along which this face  10  is joined to the adjacent face  11 , and two transverse perforation lines  39  coinciding with the corner edges of the two end faces  16  and  17 , which extend from the two longitudinal extremities of the first line  38  to the corner edge  18  along which the two side faces denoted  11  and  12  are joined. More precisely, the two transverse perforation lines  39  occupy a part of the side face  10  occupied by the longitudinal perforation line  38 , and all of the adjacent side face  11  up to the corner edge  18  along which this face  11  is joined to the adjacent face  12  on the opposite side of the selfsame face  11  from the first face  10 . 
   The access portion  37  functions as a lid  40 , consisting in the portion of the one side face  10  delimited by the first perforation line  38  together with the adjoining side face  11 ; at the moment of opening the wrapper  1 , once the user has effected a break along the perforation lines  38  and  39 , the lid can be rotated about a hinge line  41  coinciding with the corner edge  18  between the two side faces denoted  11  and  12  between a closed position shown in  FIG. 13  and an open position, illustrated in  FIG. 14 , in which the user is able to take hold of a packet  2  and extract it from the wrapper  1 . To facilitate the operation of opening the lid  40 , the first perforation line  38  includes a semicircular cut  42  positioned substantially halfway along its length and serving to create a tab  43 . 
   In the example of  FIG. 15 , the aforementioned access portion  37  coincides with one of the two end faces  16  and  17  and, more exactly, the end face  16  connected along one side  16   c  to the side face  12  uppermost in the drawing by way of a relative hinge line  41  coinciding with the corner edge between the two faces  16  and  12 . 
   As in the examples of  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the access portion  37  of the embodiment in  FIG. 15 , which is one and the same as the corresponding end face  16 , can be rotated between a closed position (not illustrated) and a position in which the end face of the wrapper  1  is open, allowing the user to extract one of the packets  2  by inducing movement along its axis  7  in relation to the other packets of the group. 
   In particular, the wrapper  1  of  FIG. 15  is furnished with means  52  by which to secure the end face  16  in the closed position; such means might consist in a strip of restickable type adhesive tape positioned to engage the side face  15  of the wrapper  1  opposite from the side face to which the end face  16  is hinged, thereby allowing the access portion  37  to be opened and fastened again several times over. 
   It will be noted that a portion of adhesive tape of the type might also be used for the wrapper  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , in place of the tab  43 . 
   Turning now to  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  6 ,  8 ,  10  and  12 , the wrapper  1  is fashioned from a flat diecut blank  44  of wrapping material, of which the component parts will be indicated where possible using the same numbers, primed, as those used to indicate the corresponding parts of the wrapper  1 . 
   The blank  44  is substantially rectangular, with an axis of symmetry  45  disposed transversely to the predominating longitudinal axis L, and presents two transverse crease lines  46  and  47  disposed parallel one to another and both to the axis of symmetry  45 , along which corresponding bends will be made, also six longitudinal precreased areas  48  all extending parallel one to another and to the predominating longitudinal axis L, along which further bends are made, defining six longitudinal panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  12 ′,  13 ′,  14 ′ and  15 ′ between the transverse crease lines  46  and  47 , coinciding respectively with the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  of the wrapper  1 , and a longitudinal connecting flap  49 . 
   Throughout the specification, in the interests of clarity, the panel denoted  12 ′ will be referred to as a “central panel” and the panels  11 ′ and  13 ′ on either side of the central panel  12 ′ as “lateral panels”, whilst the panels  10 ′ and  14 ′ connected by way of relative precreased areas  48  respectively to the lateral panel  11 ′ on the right of the central panel  12 ′ and to the lateral panel  13 ′ on the left of the central panel  12 ′ are referred to as “outer panels”, and the remaining panel  15 ′, connected to the adjoining outer panel  10 ′ by way of a relative precreased area  48 , is referred to as an end panel. The longitudinal flap  49  is connected by way of a relative precreased area  48  to the remaining outer panel  14 ′. 
   The central panel  12 ′ is associated at each end with relative end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ of essentially polygonal outline, located beyond and joined to the panel  12 ′ by way of the two respective transverse crease lines  46  and  47 , whilst the remaining panels  11 ′,  13 ′,  10 ′,  14 ′ and  15 ′ are associated similarly with respective end flaps  50  and  50   a.    
   More exactly, observing the blank  44  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , which corresponds to the wrapper  1  of  FIG. 1 , the aforementioned end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ appear as regular hexagons of which the respective sides  16 ′ a - 17 ′ a ,  16 ′ b - 17 ′ b ,  16 ′ c - 17 ′ c ,  16 ′ d - 17 ′ d ,  16 ′ e - 17 ′ e  and  16 ′ f - 17 ′ f  are all identical in length one to another, and the six panels  10 ′,  11 ′ . . .  15 ′ all exhibit the same transverse dimension, whereas observing the blank  44  illustrated in  FIG. 4 , which corresponds to the wrapper  1  of  FIG. 3 , the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ appear as irregular hexagons of which the respective sides  16 ′ c - 17 ′ c  along which the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ are joined to the central panel  12 ′, and the sides  16 ′ f - 17 ′ f  lying opposite from and parallel to the joined sides  16 ′ c - 17 ′ c , are double the length of the remaining sides  16 ′ a - 17 ′ a ,  16 ′ b - 17 ′ b ,  16 ′ d - 17 ′ d  and  16 ′ e - 17 ′ e , and the transverse dimension of the corresponding central panel  12 ′ and end panel  15 ′ is double that of the remaining panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  13 ′ and  14 ′. 
   In particular, both of the blanks  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4  appear with precreased areas  48  consisting in respective crease lines  51  positioned to coincide with the sharp corner edges  18  of the erected wrapper  1 . Accordingly, the vertexes of the two end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ appear as well defined obtuse angles, the end flaps  50  associated with the lateral panels  11 ′ and  13 ′ and the outer panels  10 ′ and  14 ′ are of substantially triangular shape, and the end flaps  50   a  associated with the end panel  15 ′ present a substantially rectangular outline. In the finished wrapper  1 , after the six panels  10 ′ . . .  15 ′ and the longitudinal connecting flap  49  have been bent along the respective crease lines  51  through an angle compassed by two adjoining sides of the respective end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′, the triangular end flaps  50  bent at right angles to the respective panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  13 ′, and  14 ′, the remaining end flaps  50   a  bent at right angles to the end panel  15 ′ and finally the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ bent at right angles to the central panel  12 ′, the end flaps  50  will be affixed to the inside surfaces of the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′, creating the end faces  16  and  17  of the wrapper  1 , whilst the longitudinal flap  49  will be affixed to a portion of the inside surface presented by the end panel  15 ′. 
   The blanks  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4  also present a first longitudinal perforation line  38 ′ lying parallel to the predominating longitudinal axis L and occupying the outer panel denoted  10 ′, and two transverse perforation lines  39 ′ located to coincide with the transverse crease lines  46  and  47 , which extend from the longitudinal extremities of the first perforation line  38 ′ along the full width of the adjoining lateral panel  11  up to the crease line  51  along which this same panel  11 ′ is joined to the central panel  12 ′, thus creating the access portion  37 ′ which establishes a lid  40  as illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , that is, hinged on a line  41  coinciding with the corner edge  18  along which the two relative side faces  11  and  12  are joined. 
   In particular, the first perforation line  38 ′ presents a semicircular cut  42 ′ located at a point half way along its length, which serves to create the aforementioned tab  43  on the lid  40 . 
   When manufacturing a wrapper  1  as in the example of  FIG. 15 , moreover, the end fold  16 ′ can be furnished with securing means  52  located along the side  16 ′ f  opposite the hinge and serving to retain the end face  16  in the closed position, which might consist in a length of restickable type adhesive tape such as will cling detachable to the face  15  of the wrapper  1  opposite from that to which the end face  16  is hinged; with this arrangement, the access portion  37  afforded by the end fold  16 ′ can be opened and fastened again several times. 
   In this embodiment, the end flaps  50  and  50   a  need not be affixed to the inside surface of the end fold  16 ′. 
   The blanks  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 10  are used to fashion the wrappers  1  of  FIGS. 5 and 9  respectively, intended in particular to accommodate packets  2  of which the longitudinal corner edges are bevelled (not illustrated) or rounded. 
   The blank  44  of  FIGS. 6 and 10  is similar to the blank  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , while differing most significantly in that the precreased bend areas  48  each comprise two mutually parallel crease lines  54  separated one from another by a first predetermined distance, thereby generating six longitudinal fillets  23 ′,  24 ′,  25 ′,  26 ′,  27 ′ and  28 ′ by way of which the six panels  10 ′ . . .  15 ′ are joined one to another, and the longitudinal flap  49  to the adjacent outer panel  14 ′. More exactly, a first longitudinal fillet  23 ′ is interposed between the panels denoted  10 ′ and  11 ′, a second fillet  24 ′ between the panels denoted  11 ′ and  12 ′, a third fillet  25 ′ between the panels denoted  12 ′ and  13 ′, a fourth fillet  26 ′ between the panels denoted  13 ′ and  14 ′, a fifth fillet  27 ′ between the latter panel  14 ′ and the longitudinal flap  49 , and a sixth fillet  28 ′ between the panels denoted  15 ′ and  10 ′. The six fillets  23 ′ . . .  28 ′, which present a slender transverse dimension, are identical one to another and arranged in such a manner as to constitute the aforementioned bevelled corner edges  22  of the erected wrapper  1 , appearing as six longitudinal flat fillets  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 ,  27  and  28  by which the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  are joined one to the next. 
   Accordingly, each end fold  16 ′ and  17 ′ appears with the vertexes clipped by respective rectilinear connecting profiles  55  located one between each two adjoining sides, whilst the end flaps  50  and  50   a  are connected to the respective panels along the corresponding transverse crease lines  46  and  47  in such a way that the longitudinal extremities of the fillets  23 ′ . . .  28 ′ remain free. 
   More particularly, the length of the rectilinear connecting profile  55  between each two adjoining sides of the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ is substantially identical to the first distance between the two crease lines  54  of each precreased area  48 , so that when the wrapper  1  is erected, the longitudinal extremities of the fillets  23 ′ . . .  28 ′ will be offered, though not connected, to the matching rectilinear profiles  55  of the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′. 
   The blanks  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 12  are used to fashion the wrappers  1  of  FIGS. 7 and 11  respectively, intended in particular to accommodate packets  2  of which the longitudinal corner edges are bevelled (not illustrated) or rounded. 
   The blank  44  of  FIGS. 8 and 12  is similar to the blank  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , while differing significantly in that each precreased bend area  48  comprises a plurality of mutually parallel crease lines  36 ′ compassed by a second predetermined distance, thereby generating six longitudinal bands  30 ′,  31 ′,  32 ′,  33 ′,  34 ′ and  35 ′ by way of which the six panels  10 ′ . . .  15 ′ are joined one to another, and the longitudinal flap  49  to the adjacent outer panel  14 ′. More exactly, a first such longitudinal band  30 ′ is interposed between the panels denoted  10 ′ and  11 ′, a second band  31 ′ between the panels denoted  11 ′ and  12 ′, a third band  32 ′ between the panels denoted  12 ′ and  13 ′, a fourth band  33 ′ between the panels denoted  13 ′ and  14 ′, a fifth band  34 ′ between the latter panel  14 ′ and the longitudinal flap  49 , and a sixth band  35 ′ between the panels denoted  15 ′ and  10 ′. The six longitudinal bands  30 ′ . . .  35 ′, which present a slender transverse dimension, are identical one to another and arranged in such a manner as to constitute the aforementioned rounded corner edges  29  of the erected wrapper  1 , appearing as six longitudinal precreased bands  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34  and  35  by which the six side faces  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  are joined one to the next. 
   Accordingly, each end fold  16 ′ and  17 ′ appears with the vertexes rounded by respective contoured connecting profiles  57  located one between each two adjoining sides, whilst the end flaps  50  and  50   a  are connected to the respective panels along the corresponding transverse crease lines  46  and  47  in such a way that the longitudinal extremities of the bands  30 ′ . . .  35 ′ remain free. 
   More particularly, the length of the contoured connecting profile  57  between each two adjoining sides of the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′ is substantially identical to the second distance compassing the plurality of crease lines  36 ′ in each precreased area  48 , so that when the wrapper  1  is erected, the longitudinal extremities of the fillets  23 ′ . . .  28 ′ will be offered, though not connected, to the matching contoured profiles  57  of the end folds  16 ′ and  17 ′. 
   It will be noted that the wrappers  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 7  and in  FIGS. 9 and 11  can also be furnished with a respective access portion  37  (not illustrated) similar to that of the wrapper  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15 , created in like manner with a first longitudinal perforation line  38  extending along one face  10  and located respectively near to the bevelled corner edge  22  or to the rounded corner edge  29  along which this same face  10  is joined to the adjacent face  11 , and two transverse perforation lines  39  coinciding with the corner edges of the two end faces  16  and  17 , which extend from the two longitudinal extremities of the first line  38  to the bevelled corner edge  22  or the rounded corner edge  29 , respectively, along which the relative face  11  is joined to the adjacent side face  12 . 
   More precisely, the two transverse perforation lines  39  occupy a part of the side face  10  occupied by the longitudinal perforation line  38 , and all of the adjacent side face  11  up to the bevelled corner edge  22  or rounded corner edge  29 , respectively, along which this face  11  is joined to the adjacent face  12  on the side remote from the first face  10 . 
   Again, similarly to the wrappers  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 5 ,  7 ,  9  and  11 , the access portion  37  can be afforded by one of the two end faces  16  and  17 , as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . 
   To further advantage, with the introduction of the fillets  23 ′ . . .  28 ′ into the blanks  44  of  FIGS. 6 and 10 , and of the bands  30 ′ . . .  35 ′ into the blanks  44  of  FIGS. 8 and 12 , it becomes possible not only to fashion a wrapper  1  with bevelled corner edges  22  or rounded corner edges  29  and thus accommodate packets  2  similarly exhibiting bevelled or rounded corner edges, but also to reduce the width of the six panels  10 ′ . . .  15 ′ in comparison to those of the blanks  44  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4  and the corresponding wrappers  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 3 , with the result that the blanks  44  of  FIGS. 6 and 10  and  FIGS. 8 and 12  present a smaller transverse dimension overall.