Patent Publication Number: US-2004050725-A1

Title: Hinged-lid cigarette packet

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet.  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002] A conventional rigid hinged-lid packet is normally in the form of a right parallelepiped extending along a longitudinal axis and comprising a cup-shaped container having five walls, and a cup-shaped lid having five walls and hinged to the container by a hinge between the rear wall of the container and the rear wall of the lid. The above type of packet is formed from a cardboard blank comprising preformed fold lines, along which it is folded to form the packet. The packet of cigarettes is subsequently wrapped in a sheet of overwrapping material, which, for economic and ecological reasons, is extremely thin, so that the slightest flaw in assembly of the packet is sufficient to crease or stretch the sheet, thus seriously impairing the appearance of the packet.  
       [0003] Over the past few years, variations of the conventional packet described above have been marketed, and in which the edges formed by the walls of the packet and parallel to the longitudinal axis are beveled or rounded by means of connecting walls parallel to the longitudinal axis of the packet. Patent Application EP-A-930,245 also relates to a type of hinged-lid cigarette packet comprising at least one connecting wall sloping at an angle of other than zero with respect to the longitudinal axis, so that the section of the packet perpendicular to the longitudinal axis varies in shape along the longitudinal axis.  
       [0004] The variation in section along the longitudinal axis is for aesthetic or technical reasons, e.g. to compress the cigarettes in given portions of the packet.  
       [0005] Variable-section packets, however, have the drawback of the sloping wall creasing or stretching the overwrapping material subsequently applied to the packet.  
       DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION  
       [0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable-section, rigid hinged-lid packet designed to eliminate the drawbacks of the known state of the art.  
       [0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet; the packet having a longitudinal axis, and comprising a cup-shaped container, a cup-shaped lid, main walls, and at least one connecting wall having a first panel sloping with respect to said longitudinal axis to define differently shaped sections at least along a portion of the longitudinal axis; and the packet being characterized in that at least one of the main walls comprises a second panel sloping in the opposite direction to said first panel, so that each section has a perimeter equal to the perimeter of any other section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.  
       [0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blank from which to form the packet according to the present invention.  
       [0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a flat blank from which to form a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet; characterized by being elongated in shape along an axis of extension, and comprising a preformed crease line perpendicular to said axis of extension, and two slits separating panels of the container from panels of the lid; said preformed crease line forming a hinge of the packet between the container and the lid, and being located astride said axis of extension and defined laterally by said slits, each of which comprises a slit portion aligned axially with said hinge. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010] A number of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0011]FIG. 1 shows a view in perspective of the front, top and lateral sides of a rigid hinged-lid packet in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the FIG. 1 packet;  
     [0013]FIG. 3 shows a spread-out view of a blank from which to form the FIG. 1 packet;  
     [0014]FIG. 4 shows an intermediate cross section of the FIG. 1 packet;  
     [0015]FIG. 5 shows a view in perspective of the rear, bottom and lateral sides of the FIG. 1 packet. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
     [0016] With reference to FIGS. 1, 42,  4  and  5 , number  1  indicates a rigid hinged-lid packet for cigarettes  2 , having a major longitudinal axis Z, and two transverse axes X and Y perpendicular to each other and to the Z axis.  
     [0017] Packet  1  houses an orderly group G of cigarettes  2 , and comprises a cup-shaped container  3  having an open end  4 ; and a cup-shaped lid  5  hinged to container  3  to rotate about a hinge C between an open position (not shown) and a closed position closing end  4  (FIG. 5). Packet  1  also comprises a shaped collar  6 , which is located astride container  3  and lid  5  to project outwards of end  4 , and, as explained in more detail later on, defines, together with packet  1 , a compartment V for housing cigarettes  2 .  
     [0018] Container  3  comprises a front wall  7  and a rear wall  8  facing each other; two facing lateral walls  9 ; and a rectangular bottom wall  10  perpendicular to the Z axis. Front wall  7  is connected to walls  9  by two front connecting walls  11   a , and rear wall  8  is connected to walls  9  by two rear connecting walls lip.  
     [0019] With reference to FIG. 1, front wall  7  of container  3  comprises a rectangular panel  12   a  crosswise to the X axis and parallel to the Z axis; and a trapezoidal panel  13   a , which has a minor base  14  in common with panel  12   a , and a major base  15  in common with wall  10 , slopes with respect to both the X and Z axes, and converges towards the Z axis as of panel  12   a.    
     [0020] With reference to FIG. 5, rear wall  8  of container  3  comprises a rectangular panel  12   p  crosswise to the X axis and parallel to the Z axis; and a trapezoidal panel  13   p , which has a minor base  14  in common with panel  12   p , and a major base  15  in common with wall  10 , slopes with respect to both the X and Z axes, and converges towards the Z axis as of panel  12   p.    
     [0021] Each lateral wall  9  of container  3  comprises a panel  16  in the form of a right trapezium, an oblique side  18  of which defines part of end  4  and is crosswise to the Y axis and parallel to the Z axis; and a panel  17  in the form of an isosceles trapezium having a minor base  19  in common with panel  16 , and a major base  20  in common with wall  10 . Panel  17  slopes with respect to both the Y and Z axes, and converges towards the Z axis as of panel  16 .  
     [0022] With reference to FIG. 1, each front connecting wall  11   a  comprises a trapezoidal panel  21   a  and a triangular panel  22   a . Panel  21   a  defines a right trapezium, an oblique side  23   a  of which defines part of end  4  and connects panel  12   a  to a panel  16 , while panel  22   a  diverges from the Z axis as of panel  21   a  and defines an isosceles triangle whose catheti are defined by the oblique sides of relative panels  13   a  and  17 , and whose apex  24  is in common with an apex of wall  10 .  
     [0023] With reference to FIG. 5, each rear connecting wall lip comprises a trapezoidal panel  21   p  and a triangular panel  22   p . Panel  21   p  defines a right trapezium, an oblique side  23   p  of which defines part of end  4  and connects panel  12   p  to a panel  16 , while panel  22   p  diverges from the Z axis as of panel  21   p  and defines an isosceles triangle whose catheti are defined by the oblique sides of relative panels  13   p  and  17 , and whose apex  24  is in common with an apex of wall  10 .  
     [0024] In other words, each triangular panel  22   a ,  22   p  slopes, with respect to the Z axis, in the opposite direction to trapezoidal panels  13   a ,  13   p  and  17 .  
     [0025] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and  5 , lid  5  comprises a front wall  27  and a rear wall  28  facing each other; two facing lateral walls  29 ; and a top wall  30  perpendicular to the Z axis. Front wall  27  is connected to walls  29  by two front connecting walls  31   a ; rear wall  28  is connected to walls  29  by two rear connecting walls  31   p ; and wall  30  is rectangular and adjacent to walls  27 ,  28  and  29 .  
     [0026] With reference to FIG. 1, front wall  27  comprises a rectangular panel  32   a  and a trapezoidal panel  33   a . Panel  32   a  is crosswise to the X axis, parallel to the Z axis and coplanar with panel  12   a ; while panel  33   a , in addition to having a respective minor base  34  in common with panel  32   a , and a respective major base  35  in common with wall  30 , slopes with respect to both the X and Z axes, and converges towards the Z axis as of panel  32   a.    
     [0027] With reference to FIG. 5, wall  28  comprises a panel  33   p , which is adjacent to panel  12   p  of rear wall  8  of container  3  along the respective minor base  34 , along which extends hinge C between container  3  and lid  5 . Panel  33   p  is also adjacent to wall  30  along the respective major base  35  of the trapezium defining wall  33   p . Each panel  33   a ,  33   p  of lid  5  is the same shape and size as panels  13   a  and  13   p  of container  3 , and converges towards the Z axis and wall  30 .  
     [0028] Each lateral wall  29  of lid  5  comprises a panel  36  in the form of a right trapezium, and a panel  37  in the form of an isosceles trapezium. Panel  36 , in addition to defining a right trapezium with a hypotenuse  38  facing side  18 , is crosswise to the Y axis, parallel to the Z axis and coplanar with relative panel  16 ; while panel  37 , in addition to defining an isosceles trapezium with a minor base  39  in common with panel  36 , and a major base  40  in common with wall  30 , slopes with respect to both the Y and Z axes. Each panel  37  of lid  5  is the same shape and size as panels  17  of container  3 , and converges towards the Z axis as of respective panels  36 .  
     [0029] With reference to FIG. 1, each front connecting wall  31   a  comprises a panel  41   a  in the form of a right trapezium, and a panel  42   a  in the form of an isosceles triangle. Panel  41   a , in addition to defining a right trapezium having an oblique side  43   a  facing relative side  23   a , connects a panel  32   a  to a panel  36 ; while panel  42   a  diverges from the Z axis as of panel  41   a , and defines an isosceles triangle, whose catheti are defined by the oblique sides of relative panels  33   a  and  37 , and whose apex  44  coincides with an apex of wall  30 .  
     [0030] With reference to FIG. 5, rear connecting wall  31   p  comprises a panel  41   p  in the form of a right triangle, and a panel  42   p  in the form of an isosceles triangle. Panel  41   p  has an oblique side  43   p  facing relative side  23   p , and connects a panel  32   p  to a panel  36 ; while panel  42   p  diverges from the Z axis as of panel  41   p , and defines an isosceles triangle, whose catheti are defined by the oblique sides of relative panels  33   p  and  37 , and whose apex  44  coincides with an apex of wall  30 .  
     [0031] Each panel  42   a ,  42   p  of lid  5  is identical with relative panel  22   a ,  22   p  of container  3 ; and each triangular panel  42   a ,  42   p  slopes, with respect to the Z axis, in the opposite direction to trapezoidal panels  33   a  and  37 .  
     [0032] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, panels  12   a  and  32   a  of walls  7  and  27 , panel  12   p  of wall  8 , the two panels  16  and  36  of walls  9  and  29 , and panels  21   a ,  21   p ,  41   a  and  41   p  of walls  11   a ,  11   p ,  31   a  and  31   p  define a central portion K 1  of packet  1 . The intersection of portion K 1  with a plane perpendicular to the Z axis defines an octagonal section, which is constant in shape and size along the Z axis and has a given perimeter P 1 . Panels  13   a ,  13   p  and  33   a ,  33   p  of walls  7 ,  8 ,  27  and  28 , panels  17  and  37  of walls  9  and  29 , and panels  22   a ,  22   p ,  42   a  and  42   p  of walls  11   a , lip,  31   a  and  31   p  define on packet  1  two end portions K 2  connecting octagonal-section portion K 1  to rectangular walls  10  and  30 . Each portion K 2  has an octagonal section varying in shape along the Z axis to eventually become a rectangle at wall  10 ,  30 . Despite portion K 2  varying in section, the perimeter P 2  equals perimeter P 1  by virtue of the different slope of the panels.  
     [0033] Moreover, sectioning packet  1  in XZ planes crosswise to and along the Y axis defines on walls  7  and  27  and walls  8 * and  28  of packet  1  a series of broken longitudinal edges B (only one shown by the dot-and-dash line) which are of constant length, regardless of the position of the XZ planes.  
     [0034] The above conditions—the constancy of perimeters P 1  and P 2  of any section of packet  1  in XY planes, and of the longitudinal edges B defined sectioning packet  1  in XZ planes—enables packet  1  to be overwrapped using normal known transparent sheets of overwrapping material (not shown) with no creasing or stretching of the sheets.  
     [0035] As shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 4, collar  6  comprises a central panel  45  close to panels  12   a  and  32   a ; and two lateral panels  46  parallel to the XZ plane to form compartment V together with walls  10  and  30  and panels  12   p  and  33   p  of walls  8  and  28 .  
     [0036] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, panel  33   p  is adjacent to panel  12   p  along the minor side  34  of the trapezium, and is hinged to panel  12   p  along hinge C, which coincides with a central portion of side  34 . That is, the length of hinge C is shorter than the width of wall  12   p  and the length of side  34 .  
     [0037] As shown in FIG. 3, packet  1  is formed from an elongated flat blank  51  extending along an axis A of symmetry. Blank  51  comprises a number of panels corresponding to the panels of packet  1 , and which are indicated in FIG. 3 using the same reference numbers, plus a (′), as for the corresponding panels of packet  1 ; and panels which in packet  1  adhere to panels of the same shape and size, and which are indicated in FIG. 3 using the same reference numbers as for the panels to which they adhere, plus the letter “i” to indicate they are not visible from outside packet  1 .  
     [0038] Blank  51  comprises a flap  52 , which is folded onto panel  32   a ′; two tabs  53  for strengthening lid  5 ; and two tabs  54  for strengthening container  3 . Panels  10 ,  12   a ′,  12   p ′,  13   a ′,  13   p ′,  16 ′,  16   i ′,  17 ′,  17   i ′,  21   a ′,  21   p ′,  22   a ′,  22   p ′,  36 ′,  36   i ′,  37 ′,  37   i ′,  41   a ′,  41   p ′,  42   a ′,  42   p ′, flap  52 , and tabs  53  and  54  are separated by fold lines or slits described in detail below.  
     [0039] Blank  51  comprises nine preformed fold lines  55 ,  63  perpendicular to axis A; and four preformed fold lines  64 ,  65 ,  66 ,  67  parallel to axis A and extending along a first portion at panel  32   a ′, a second portion at panel  12   p ′, and a third portion at panel  12   a ′. Each tab  53  is separated from the adjacent panel  37 ′ by a slit  68  aligned with line  57 , and from panel  30 ′ by a slit  69  parallel to axis A. Similarly, each tab  54  is separated from the adjacent panel  17 ′ by a slit  70  aligned with line  62 , and from panel  10  by a slit  71  parallel to axis A.  
     [0040] Each panel  42   a ′ is triangular, and is separated from panel  41   a ′ by line  56 , and from panels  37 ′ and  33   a ′ by respective preformed fold lines  72  and  73  sloping in opposite directions with respect to axis A. Each panel  42   p ′ is triangular, and is separated from panel  41   p ′ by line  59 , and from panels  37   i ′ and  33   p ′ by respective preformed fold lines  74  and  75  sloping in opposite directions with respect to axis A. Each panel  22   p ′ is triangular, and is separated from panel  21   p , by line  60 , and from panels  17   i ′ and  13   p ′ by respective preformed fold lines  76  and  77  sloping in opposite directions with respect to axis A.  
     [0041] Each panel  22   a ′ is triangular, and is separated from the adjacent panel  21   a ′ by line  63 , and from panels  17 ′ and  13   a ′ by respective preformed fold lines  78  and  79  sloping in opposite directions with respect to axis A.  
     [0042] Blank  51  also comprises a further two slits  80  on opposite sides of axis A. Each slit  80  comprises an outer portion  81  sloping with respect to axis A and separating panel  16   i ′ from panel  36   i ′, and panel  21   p ′ from panel  41   p ′; and an inner portion  82  aligned with line  59  and separating panel  12   p ′ partly from panel  33   p ′. The portion of line  59  between portions  82  coincides with hinge C. Each slit  80  is not continuous, blank  51  comprising bridges  83  between panel  16   i ′ and panel  36   i ′, between panel  21   p ′ and panel  41   p ′, and between panel  12   p ′ and panel  33   p ′. Bridges  83  prevent blank  51 , on account of the relatively deep slits  80 , from being deformed when forming packet  1 , and are torn when packet  1  is unsealed.