Patent Publication Number: US-9402419-B2

Title: Packet for tobacco products

Description:
This application is the National Phase of International Application PCT/IB2013/051708 filed Mar. 4, 2013 which designated the U.S. and that International Application was published under PCT Article 21(2) in English. 
     This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. BO2012A000112 filed Mar. 7, 2012, which application is incorporated by reference herein. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a packet for tobacco products with facilitated extraction of the tobacco products. 
     Hereinafter in this description, reference is made to tobacco products consisting of cigarettes, without thereby restricting the scope of the invention. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Several types of cigarette packets present on the market have an outer container which slidably houses an inner container which accommodates a group of cigarettes. 
     The inner container can slide inside the outer container between a closed position in which the inner container is completely inserted in the outer container, and an open position, in which the inner container is partly extracted from the outer container. 
     Some embodiments of hard cigarette packets which slide open by a translating movement are described in patent documents FR2499947A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,463A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,227A1 and IT116916 B. 
     Often, the inner container applies a certain amount of lateral compression on the group of cigarettes inside it. When the cigarette packet is new and the group of cigarettes it contains is whole, the lateral compression applied to the group of cigarettes may be relatively high and may make it quite difficult to take out the first cigarette from the group of cigarettes owing to the friction between the first cigarette itself and the cigarettes around it. 
     One solution which has been proposed to make it easier to take out the first cigarette, and if necessary also other cigarettes, from the group, is to couple to at least one cigarette in the group a pull-out tape with one end which protrudes from the top wall of the group of cigarettes and which is designed to be gripped and pulled in order to lift out the cigarette. 
     These pull-out tapes, however, usually require the inner end of them, opposite the end to be gripped, to be glued to one wall of the inner container. This constitutes a major disadvantage since the inner wrappings of cigarette packets have always been left free of glue because glue in contact with or close to the cigarettes may give off volatile substances which are absorbed by the cigarettes and cause an unwanted alteration of the flavour and/or taste of the cigarette tobacco. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has for an aim to provide a packet for tobacco products with facilitated extraction of the tobacco products and which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages. 
     The invention accordingly provides a packet for tobacco products with facilitated extraction of the tobacco products as described in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of it, and in which: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views of a packet for tobacco products according to this invention, in two different working situations; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a box-shaped body forming part of the packet of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 3 a    shows a schematic transverse cross section of the box-shaped body of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are perspective views of a mobile container forming part of the packet for tobacco products of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in two different working situations; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views of two containers, respectively inner and outer, forming part of the mobile container of  FIGS. 4 and 5 ; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are plan views showing two blanks used to make the containers of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , respectively; 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of a blank used to make the box-shaped body of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a variant embodiment of a part of the packet of the preceding figures; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a further variant embodiment of a part of the packet of the preceding figures; 
         FIG. 13  is a plan view of a blank used to make the variant embodiment of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIGS. 14 and 15  are perspective views of a variant embodiment of the packet for tobacco products of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in two respective different working situations; 
         FIG. 16  is a plan view of a blank used to make a box-shaped body of the packet of  FIGS. 14 and 15 ; 
         FIGS. 17 and 18  are perspective views of a further variant embodiment of the packet for tobacco products of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in two respective different working situations; 
         FIG. 19  is a plan view of a blank used to make a box-shaped body of the packet of  FIGS. 17 and 18 ; 
         FIGS. 20 and 21  are perspective views of a further variant embodiment of the packet for tobacco products of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in two respective different working situations; 
         FIGS. 22 and 23  are perspective views of another variant embodiment of the packet for tobacco products of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in two respective different working situations; 
         FIG. 24  is a plan view of a blank used to make box-shaped body of the packet of  FIGS. 22 and 23 ; and 
         FIG. 25  is a plan view of a further blank used to make the packet of  FIGS. 22 and 23 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The numeral  1  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  denotes in its entirety a packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes, and consisting of a hard packet of the slide-open type. 
     Hereinafter in this description, reference is made to tobacco products consisting of cigarettes, without thereby restricting the scope of the invention. 
     The packet  1  comprises a pair of mobile containers  40 , each of which receives a group  2  of cigarettes  3  (see also  FIG. 6 ), and an outer box-shaped body  41 , which slidably houses the containers  40  whose respective larger side walls  15  are positioned side by side; in such a way that each container  40  can slide relative to the box-shaped body  41  between a closed position (illustrated in  FIG. 1 ), where the containers  40  are completely inserted in the box-shaped body  41  and an open position (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ), in which a part of the mobile containers  40  is extracted from the box-shaped body  41 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mobile containers  40  are able to slide out of the box-shaped body  41 , in respective opposite directions parallel with each other, through respective side portions of the box-shaped body  41  which are opposite one another. 
     It is important to observe that the two mobile containers  40  slide relative to the box-shaped body  41  independently of each other and it is therefore possible that only one of the containers  40  is in the open position or that both of the containers  40  are in the open position (as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). 
     In the description which follows, the term “vertical” (or similar terms) will be used, for explanatory purposes, to describe the position adopted by the packet  1  when the cigarettes  3  inside it, for easier extraction, are positioned with their axes vertical and the zones where the cigarettes  3  themselves are extracted from the packet  1  are located at the top of the packet  1 . Similarly, the terms “upper” and “lower” (and like terms, such as “top” and “bottom”) will be used to designate the corresponding portions of the packet  1  when is in the vertical position. 
     As illustrated, in particular in  FIG. 3 , the box-shaped body  41  has the shape of a parallelepiped and has a bottom wall  42  at its lower end, a top wall  43  at its upper end, a lateral surface  44  which is delimited above and below by its bottom and top walls  42  and  43 , respectively. The lateral surface  44  is also defined by two larger side walls  45  which are positioned vertically, opposite and parallel to each other, and which are joined to each other, above and below, by the bottom and top walls  42  and  43 . 
     Two horizontally opposite portions of the box-shaped body  41  are defined by corresponding openings  46 , extending preferably (and as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ) right across the respective smaller lateral faces  46 ′ of the box-shaped body  41 . The openings  46  are designed to allow the mobile containers  40  to move between the aforementioned positions where they are closed ( FIG. 1 ) and open ( FIG. 2 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , in the context of each mobile container  40 , the group  2  of cigarettes  3  is contained in a hard inner container  5  which is housed in such a way that it can slide within a hard outer container  6 , made of cardboard or the like, vertically in both directions with a straight vertical movement between a retracted position (illustrated in  FIG. 4 ), where the inner container  5  is at its lowermost position inside the outer container  6  and a raised or cigarette extraction position (illustrated in  FIG. 5 ), where the inner container  5  is at its uppermost position inside the outer container  6  and keeps one cigarette  3  in a partly extracted position (upwardly) from the inner container  5 . 
     Integral with a vertical portion substantially half way along the edge of each outer container  6  and situated, in the context of the packet  1  in the closed condition, substantially at the centre of the opening  46  and adjacent to the other outer container  6  there is a grip element comprising a wing  6 ′ which projects outwards from the body of the packet  1  so that, in use, it can be gripped and pulled manually in order to extract the respective container  6  partly from the box-shaped body  41 . 
     The inner container  5  ( FIG. 6 ) has the shape of a parallelepiped, with a substantially “cupped” form, and has a bottom wall  7 , two parallel larger side walls  8 , which are parallel and opposite to one another, and two smaller parallel side walls  9  and  10 , which are interposed between the larger side walls  8 . The open upper end  11  of the inner container  5  defines, in the proximity of the smaller side wall  10 , a zone  12  for extracting one cigarette  3  at a time and through which, when the inner container  5  is in the “raised” position (whose features and purposes are described below) it is possible to extract a cigarette  3  from the packet  1 . 
     As illustrated, in particular in  FIG. 7 , the outer container  6  also has the shape of a parallelepiped and has a bottom wall  13  at its lower end, a top wall  14  at its upper end, two larger side walls  16  and  16  which are parallel and opposite to each other and which are located, in  FIG. 7 , at the front and back, respectively, and two smaller side walls  17  and  18  (which are positioned on the left and on the right, respectively). 
     In a zone substantially half way along the edge where the side walls  15  and  18  of the outer container  6  meet, there is an opening comprising a slot  19  made in the blank  20  which makes up the outer container  6  itself and through which a smoker can touch a front zone  21  of the inner container  5 . The shape and size of the slot  19  are such as to allow the smoker to apply, through the slot  19  itself, a pushing action on the front zone  21  of the inner container  5  in such a way as to move it vertically in both directions, making it slide within the outer container  6  between the aforementioned retracted and raised positions. It should be noted that in variant embodiments, not illustrated, of the packet  1 , the slot  19  might be made in only one of the larger side walls  15  (preferably the front one), or one of the smaller side walls  18 . 
     In order to facilitate the manual pushing action applied by the smoker on the front zone  21  of the inner container  5 , the exposed surface of the front zone  21  may be provided with knurling or other roughening feature. 
     The upper wall  14  of the outer container  6  has an opening  22  which is substantially square in shape, vertically aligned with the zone  12  for extracting the cigarettes  3  and therefore placed substantially over a lateral end portion of the inner container  5  on the right-hand side in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and facing the slot  19  of the outer container  6 . 
     The packet  1  is provided with stop means which are designed to limit the sliding of the mobile containers  40  relative to the box-shaped body  41  in such a way as to prevent the selfsame mobile containers  40  from being pulled out of the box-shaped body  41  completely. The stop means are defined, as regards the box-shaped body  41 , by two substantially trapezoidal tabs  47  which project from the larger side walls  45  of the box-shaped body  41  towards the inside of the box-shaped body  41  itself and which are located close to respective opposite openings  46  of the box-shaped body  41 . More specifically, as shown in particular in  FIG. 3 , when the packet  1  is closed, each tab  47  abuts one wall  15  of a mobile container  40  substantially at the zone of the selfsame wall  15  that comes out of the box-shaped body  41  when the mobile container  40  is partly extracted from the box-shaped body  41  itself. Also, preferably, each tab  47  is glued to the adjacent larger side wall  45  of the box-shaped body  41 . 
     The stop means are defined, as regards each mobile container  40 , by a substantially trapezoidal tab  16 ″ which projects outwards from a respective larger side wall  15  of the mobile container  40  and which is positioned to face a larger side wall  45  of the box-shaped body  41 . As shown also in  FIG. 9 , the tab  16 ′″ forms part of the respective larger side wall  15  of the outer container  6  (and hence of the mobile container  40 ) and is defined by an incision  16 ″ cut through the larger side wall  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the tab  16 ′″ of each mobile container  40  is positioned in such a way that its vertical edge  48  comes into contact with a corresponding vertical edge  49  of the corresponding tab  47  of the box-shaped body  41  when the mobile container  40  is slid out of the box-shaped body  41  and thus prevents the mobile container  40  from coming out of the box-shaped body  41 . 
     On the other hand, if the tabs  47  are not glued to the adjacent larger side walls  45  of the box-shaped body  41 , the mobile container  40  is prevented from coming out of the box-shaped body  41  by the fact that the respective tab inserted into the space between the tab  47  adjacent to it and the larger side wall  45  of the box-shaped body  41  alongside the tab  47 . 
     The containers  5  and  6  of each mobile container  40  of the cigarette packet  1  are obtained from corresponding blanks  23  and  20 , respectively, illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , respectively. Each of the blanks  23  and  20  comprises a plurality of elements, which, where possible, are denoted by primed reference numerals which are the same as the unprimed reference numerals denoting the corresponding elements of the respective container  5  or  6 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , the blank  23  has two longitudinal lines of weakness  24  and two transversal lines of weakness  25  which define (from the bottom up in the figure), between the two longitudinal lines of weakness  24 , a panel  8 ′ constituting one larger side wall  8 , a panel T constituting the bottom wall  7  and a panel  8 ′ constituting the other larger side wall  8 . 
     The panel  8 ″, located at the bottom in  FIG. 5 , has a pair of side flaps  9 ′,  10 ′, left and right, respectively, which constitute an inner part of the smaller side walls  9 ,  10 ′, are located on opposite sides of the panel  8 ′ adjacent to them and are separated from the panel  8 ′ by the longitudinal lines of weakness  24 . Similarly, the panel  8 ′, located at the top in  FIG. 8 , has a pair of side flaps  9 ″,  10 ″, left and right, respectively, which constitute an outer part of the smaller side walls  9 ,  10 ′, are located on opposite sides of the panel  8 ′ adjacent to them and are separated from the panel  8 ′ by the longitudinal lines of weakness  24 . 
     The panel  7 ′ constituting the bottom wall  7 , is provided, on the part of it on the left in  FIG. 8 , with a line of weakness  26  which is substantially in the shape of a “U” with concavity facing towards the left and having two opposite long sides  27  coinciding with respective portions of the two longitudinal lines of weakness  25  which delimit two opposite sides of the panel  7 ′ itself. 
     The line of weakness  26  extends towards the right of the panel  7 ′ to a distance from that end which is just a little longer than the diameter of a cigarette  3 . The portion of the panel  7 ′ between the right-hand end of the panel  7 ′ itself and the line of weakness  26  will hereinafter be referred to as “supporting portion”, denoted by the reference numeral  26 ′. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9 , the blank  20  has two longitudinal lines of weakness  28  and a plurality of transversal lines of weakness  29  which define (from the bottom up in the figure), between the two longitudinal lines of weakness  29 , a panel  15 ′ constituting one larger side wall  15 , a panel  13 ′ constituting the bottom wall  13  and a panel  16 ′ constituting the other larger side wall  16 . 
     The panel  15 ′ has a pair of side flaps  17 ′ and  18 ′, left and right, respectively, in  FIG. 9 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  15 ′ itself, are separated from the panel  15 ′ by the longitudinal lines of weakness  28 , are substantially rectangular in shape and constitute an outer portion of the walls  17  and  18 , respectively. Similarly, the panel  16 ′ has a pair of side flaps  17 ″ and  18 ″, left and right, respectively, in  FIG. 9 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  16 ′, are separated from the panel  16 ′ itself by the longitudinal lines of weakness  28 , are substantially rectangular in shape and constitute an inner portion of the walls  17  and  18 , respectively. Integral with a substantially median portion of one vertical side of the flap  18 ″ on the right in  FIG. 9  there is a substantially trapezoidal wing  6 ′ which projects towards the outside of the blank  20 . 
     In a vertically median portion of the panel  16 ′ bordering on the flap  17 ″ there is an incision  16 ″ which substantially follows the shape of the smaller base and sides of an isosceles trapezium whose larger base coincides with a portion of the longitudinal line  28  which separates the panel  16 ′ itself from the flap  17 ″. The portion of the blank  20  enclosed within the incision  16 ″ defines the substantially trapezoidal tab  16 ′″ of the mobile container  40 . 
     The horizontal sides of the side flaps  17 ′ and  18 ′ located at the top in  FIG. 9  are connected, by end portions of the transversal line of weakness  29  which separates the panel  13 ′ from the panel  15 ′, to two flaps  30  extending towards, and almost touching, the flaps  17 ″ and  18 ″, respectively. Each of the panels  15 ′ and  16 ′ has a horizontal side, located respectively at the bottom and top in  FIG. 9 , and connected to a respective flap  31  located on the opposite side with respect to the panel  13 ′ and separated from the respective panel  15 ′,  16 ′ by a transversal line of weakness  29 . 
     The transversal dimension of the flaps  31  in the direction of the transversal lines of weakness  29  is smaller than the transversal dimension of the panels  15 ′ and  16 ′, and the flaps  31  are positioned relative to the respective panels  15 ′ and  16 ′ in such a way that they are clear of respective lateral portions of the panels  15 ′ and  16 ′ situated on the right in  FIG. 9  and whose width is just larger than the diameter of a cigarette  3 . 
     The side flap  18 ′ connected to the edge of the panel  15 ′ situated on the right in  FIG. 9  is provided, at a longitudinally median zone of it, with a recess  32  which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of extension of the blank  20  and whose depth is substantially equal to half the width of the flap  18 ′ itself. 
     The zone of connection between the panel  16 ′ and the side flap  18 ″ situated on the right in  FIG. 9  is crossed at a longitudinally median part of it, by a substantially rectangular elongate slot  33  which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of extension of the blank  20 , whose length is substantially equal to that of the recess  32  and whose width, at the portion of it corresponding to the side flap  18 ″, is equal to that of the recess  32 , whilst at the portion of it situated on the panel  16 ′ is preferably greater than the width of the recess  32 , being substantially equal to 7-10 mm. 
     It should be noted that in variant embodiments of the invention not illustrated, the slot  33  might be situated at any position in the right-hand zone of the panel  16 ′, and it might be of any shape and size, in any case different from the shape and size of the slot  33  shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 10 , the blank  50  from which the box-shaped body  41  is obtained has two longitudinal lines of weakness  51  and a plurality of transversal lines of weakness  52  which define (from the bottom up in the figure), between the two longitudinal lines of weakness  51 , a panel  53  constituting one larger side wall  45  of the box-shaped body  41 , a panel  54  constituting the bottom wall  42  and a panel  55  constituting the other larger side wall  45 . 
     The panel  53  has a pair of side flaps  56  and  57 , left and right, respectively, in  FIG. 10 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  53  itself, are separated from the panel  53  by the longitudinal lines of weakness  51 , and have, respectively, a substantially rectangular shape (the flap  56 ) and the shape of an isosceles trapezium (the flap  57 ). The flap  57  constitutes one of the aforementioned tabs  47 . Integral with the flap  56  situated on the left in  FIG. 10  is the right-hand longitudinal side of a substantially rectangular wall  58 . 
     Similarly, the panel  55  has a pair of side flaps  59  and  60 , left and right, respectively, in  FIG. 10 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  55 , are separated from the panel  55  itself by the longitudinal lines of weakness  51 , and have, respectively, a substantially rectangular shape (the flap  59 ) and the shape of an isosceles trapezium (the flap  60 ). The flap  59  constitutes one of the aforementioned tabs  47 , integral with the flap  60  situated on the right in  FIG. 10  is the left-hand longitudinal side of a substantially rectangular wall  61 . 
     The horizontal sides of the side flaps  56  and  60  located, respectively, at the top and bottom in  FIG. 10  are connected, respectively, by end portions of respective transversal line of weakness  52 , to two flaps  62  extending towards, and almost touching, the flaps  59  and  57 , respectively. 
     The horizontal sides of the side flaps  56  and  60  located, respectively, at the bottom and top in  FIG. 10  are connected, respectively, by end portions of respective transversal line of weakness  52 , to two flaps  63  extending downwards and upwards, respectively. 
     Each of the panels  53  and  55  has a horizontal side, located respectively at the bottom and top in  FIG. 10 , and connected to a respective flap  64 ,  65  located on the opposite side with respect to the panel  54  and separated from the respective panel  53 ,  55  by a transversal line of weakness  52 . The transversal dimension of the flaps  64  and  65  in the direction of the transversal lines of weakness  52  is equal to the transversal dimension of the panels  53  and  56 . The flap  65  located at the top in  FIG. 10  has two indentations  66  whose function, when the box-shaped body  41  is assembled, is to receive the flaps  63  in such a way that the flaps  63  themselves do not overlap portions of the flaps  64  and  65 . 
     In the blanks  23 ,  20  and  50  shown in  FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 , the parts where glue must be applied in order to assemble the containers  5  and  6  and the box shaped body  41  are represented as hatched areas. 
     The inner container  5  is assembled by folding the panels  8  squarely relative to the panel  7 ′, towards each other, about the transversal lines of weakness  25  which join them to the panel  7 ′ itself. The side flaps  9 ′ and  10 ′ are then folded squarely about the longitudinal lines of weakness  24  which join them to the panel  8 ′, in such a way that they cover the space between the two panels  8 ′, and the side flaps  9 ″ and  10 ″ are in turn folded squarely over the respective side flaps  9 ′ and  10 ′ which have already been folded. The glue on the blank  23 , as specified above, keeps the inner container  5  in the shape thus obtained. 
     The outer container  6  is assembled in a similar way to the inner container  5 , since the panels  15 ′ and  16 ′ are folded squarely about the transversal lines of weakness  29  which join them to the panel  13 ′, the side flaps  17 ″ and  18 ″ are folded squarely about the longitudinal lines of weakness  28 , which join them to the panel  16 ′, in such a way that they cover the space between the two panels  16 ′, the flaps  30  are folded squarely about the transversal lines of weakness  29 , which join them to the respective flaps  17 ′ and  18 , and are placed over the panel  13 ′, and the side flaps  17 ′ and  18 ′ are folded squarely over the respective side flaps  17 ″ and  18 ″ which have already been folded. These operations are performed by shaping the outer container  6  around the inner container  5  already erected and housing inside it a row  4  of cigarettes  3  When the outer container  6  has been completed, the flaps  31  are folded squarely over each other in such a way as to close the outer container  6 . The glue on the blank  20 , as specified above, keeps the outer container  6  in the shape thus obtained. 
     It should be noted that on the face of it which is on the outside of the inner container  5 , the portion of the panel  7 ′ of the inner container  5  enclosed within the line of weakness  26  is provided with glue which, after the containers  5  and  6  have been assembled, causes it to adhere to the panel  13 ′ of the outer container  6 . 
     As a result, the blank  23  is easy to handle while the inner container being made, since its bottom panel T′ connects the panels  8 ′ to each other for as long as the line of weakness  26  remains intact, thus giving the blank  23  good shape stability and sufficient rigidity. Once the packet  1  has been completed, the first time an inner container  5  is made to slide upwards within the respective outer container  6 , as mentioned above and as will be explained in more detail below, the line of weakness  26  is torn, the inner container  5  comes completely free of the outer container  6  and the walls  8  of the inner container  5  remain connected to each other only by the zone of the panel  7 ′ outside of the line of weakness  26 . From this moment on, the inner container  5  is open at the bottom except only the zone of the panel T outside the line of weakness  26 , that is to say, except the supporting portion  26 ′ of the wall  7 . 
     In other words, according to the above, the bottom wall of the inner container  5  is defined by a bottom wall  7  in which a tearable line of weakness  26  is made which delimits an area of the selfsame bottom wall  7 . A portion of the bottom wall  7  outside that area defines the supporting portion  26 ′ and the area is connected by adhesive to the bottom wall  13  of the outer container  6 . 
     To assemble the box-shaped body  41 , the flaps  62  and  63  are folded squarely about the transversal lines of weakness  52  which join them to the flaps  56  and  60 . The side flaps  56  and  57  are folded—the former squarely and the latter by 180°—about the longitudinal lines of weakness  51  which join them to the panel  53 , and the side flaps  59  and  60  are folded—the former by 180° and the latter squarely—about the longitudinal lines of weakness  51  which join them to the panel  55 . The walls  58  and  61  are then folded squarely about the lines of weakness which join them to the flaps  56  and  60 , respectively. The panels  53  and  55  are folded squarely about the transversal lines of weakness  52  which join them to the panel  54  constituting the bottom wall  42  of the box-shaped body  41 , and at the same time, the flaps  62  are placed over respective portions of the panel  54  inside the box-shaped body  41  itself. To complete the box-shaped body  41 , the flap  65  is folded squarely about the transversal line  52  which connects it to the panel  55 , and the flap  64  is folded squarely about the transversal line  52  which connects it to the panel  53  and is placed over the flap  65  and over the flaps  63 . 
     The final arrangement of the panels  53  and  55 , of the flaps  56 ,  57 ,  59  and  60  and of the walls  58  and  61  in the box-shaped body  41  is clearly shown in  FIG. 3 a   , which also shows the mobile containers  40  housed in the box-shaped body  41 . 
     The glue on the blank  50 , as specified above, keeps the box-shaped body  41  in the shape thus obtained. 
     In use, according to what is mentioned above, when cigarettes  3  do not need to be extracted from the packet  1 , the shape of the packet  1  is that shown in  FIG. 1 , where the mobile containers  40  are contained wholly within the box-shaped body  41 . 
     To extract a cigarette  3 , it is necessary to take one of the mobile containers  40  partly out of the box-shaped body  41 , by making it slide relative to the box-shaped body  41  by manually pulling on the tab  6 ′ ( FIG. 2 ). As mentioned above, the mobile containers  40  are prevented from coming out of the box-shaped body  41  completely, or from coming out too far, by the action of the stop means comprising the aforementioned tabs  47  and  16 ′″. 
     When a mobile container  40  has been slid partly out of the box-shaped body  41 , the respective inner container  5  occupies its lowermost retracted position where its bottom wall  7  is in contact with the bottom wall  13  of the outer container  6 . Owing to a prior arrangement of the packet  1  with the row  4  of cigarettes  3  lying in a substantially vertical plane and with the axes of the cigarettes  3  horizontal, the cigarettes  3  housed inside the inner container  5  have slid translationally towards the wall  10  of the inner container  5 , perpendicularly to their axes. As a result of this sliding, the cigarette  3  closest to the wall  10  of the inner container  5  has moved above the zone of the wall  7  adjacent to the wall  10  itself, that is to say, above the supporting portion  26 ′. 
     To take a cigarette  3  out of the packet  1 , all the smoker has to do is press a finger on the front zone  21  of the inner container  5  through the slot  19  of the outer container  6  in such a way as to urge the inner container  5  upwards from the retracted position to the raised position and to cause an upper portion of the cigarette  3  resting on the supporting portion  26 ′ of the wall  7  to protrude through the opening  22  of the top wall  14  of the outer container  6 . 
     As specified above, since the bottom of the inner container  5  is open except for the supporting portion  26 ′ of the wall  7 , the other cigarettes  3  in the row  4  remain in the lowered position in contact with the bottom wall  13  of the outer container  6 . 
     Once the cigarette  3  protruding partly from the packet  1  has been taken out, the inner container  5  must be returned to the initial retracted position by pressing a finger on the front zone  21  in order to allow another cigarette  3  to move onto the supporting portion  26 ′ of the wall  7 , as described above. 
     After a cigarette has been extracted in the manner described, the mobile container  40  from which the cigarette  3  has been removed is pushed back manually into the box-shaped body  41  and returns to the initial position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In order to facilitate the sliding of the cigarettes  3  towards the wall  10  after a cigarette  3  has been taken out, and the return of the inner container  5  to the initial retracted position, it is possible to house inside the inner container  5  an elastic element  34  ( FIG. 11 ) comprising a spring made (for example) by zigzag folding a sheet consisting (for example) of paperboard or plastic material and capable of urging the cigarettes  3  inside the inner container  5  transversely towards the wall  10 , that is to say, towards the zone of action of the supporting portion  26 ′. 
       FIG. 12  shows a further variant embodiment of the inner container  5 , where the sliding of the inner container  5  in both directions between the initial retracted position and the raised position is caused by pulling up or down a grip element comprising a tab  35  which, as shown also in  FIG. 13 , is integral with a lateral edge of the flap  10 ′ of the blank  23  of the inner container  5  itself and which comes out of the outer container  6  through an opening comprising slit  36  made in the respective blank  20 . 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  show a packet  1   a  constituting a variant embodiment of the packet  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     In the packet  1   a  the outer containers  6  do not have the wing  6 ′ which projects outwards from the body of the packet so that it can be gripped and pulled manually in order to extract the containers  6  partly from the box-shaped body  41 . 
     In order to allow the manual action which causes the mobile containers  40  to be partly pulled out of the box-shaped body  41 , the longitudinally median zones of the larger side walls  45  of the box-shaped body  41  are provided, in the proximity of the smaller lateral faces  46 ′ adjacent to them, with respective removable portions  67  defined by respective tearable lines of weakness  68  (in the blank  50 ′ shown in  FIG. 16  the removable portions  67  are labelled  67 ′ and the lines of weakness  68 ′. and, where possible, the reference labels of the parts of the blank  50 ′ are the same as those of the corresponding parts of the blank  50  of  FIG. 10 ) In order to make it easier to grip these removable portions  67  manually, the smaller lateral faces  46 ′ adjacent to them are provided with respective rectangular openings  69  (labelled  69 ′ in the blank  50 ′ shown in  FIG. 16 ), bordering on the removable portions  67  themselves. It should be noted that the removable portions  67  might be made on any of the side walls of the containers  40 , or on more than one side wall of the containers  40 . 
     In use, the mobile containers  40  may be made to slide towards the outside of the box-shaped body  41  by urging them with a finger through the openings  70  created in the panels  45  and in the lateral faces  46 ′ when the removable portions  67  are removed or folded. 
       FIGS. 17 and 18  show a packet  1   b  constituting a further variant embodiment of the packet  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     In order to allow the manual action which causes the mobile containers  40  to be partly pulled out of the box-shaped body  41 , the longitudinally median zones of the larger side walls  45  and of the flaps  47  of the box-shaped body  41  are provided. In the proximity of the openings  46  respectively adjacent to them, with respective recesses  71  (having the shape of slots and labelled  71 ′ in the blank  70 ′ shown in  FIG. 19 ). Preferably, each recess  71  makes the slot  19  of the outer container  6  adjacent to it accessible in such a way that the smoker can place a finger on the outer container  6  through the recess  71  and the adjacent slot  19  in order to partly extract the respective mobile container  40  from the box-shaped body  41 . As a result, after the movement by which the mobile container  40  is extracted laterally from the box-shaped body, the smoker&#39;s finger is already at the slot  19 , and is ready to urge the inner container  5  towards the raised position so that a cigarette  3  can be taken out. 
       FIGS. 20 and 21  show a packet  1   c  constituting a further variant embodiment of the packet  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The packet  1   c  differs from the above described packets  1 ,  1   a  and  1   b  in that the two mobile containers  40  can come out of the box-shaped body  41  through a single lateral opening  46 ″, that is to say, each can slide both ways out of or into the box-shaped body  41  in the same direction as the other. 
       FIGS. 22 and 23  show a packet  1   d  constituting a further variant embodiment of the packet  1  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The packet  1   d  comprises a box-shaped body  41 ′ made in such a way as to contain a single mobile container  40 ′ twice as large as those described up to now and capable, in use, of sliding horizontally in both directions into and out of the box-shaped body  41 ′ through an opening  46 ″ in a smaller lateral face of the box-shaped body  41 ′ itself. 
     The mobile container  40 ′ houses two inner containers  5  of the type described with reference to  FIG. 6 , placed side by side along respective larger side walls. 
     A zone substantially half way along each of the edges where the larger side walls  15   d  and the smaller side well  18   d  of the mobile container  40 ′ meet has an opening in it which comprises a slot  19   d  through which a smoker can touch a lateral zone  21   d  of the respective inner container  5  in order to urge it vertically in both directions between the retracted and raised positions. It should be noted that in variant embodiments, not illustrated, of the packet  1   d  the slot  19   d  might be made in only one of the larger side walls  15   d  (preferably the front one), or one of the smaller side walls  18   d.    
     In order to facilitate the manual pushing action which can be applied by the smoker on the front zone  21   d  of the inner container  5 , the surface of the zone  21   d  may be provided with knurling or other roughening feature. 
     In a variant embodiment, not illustrated, of the packet  1   d , the sliding of the inner containers  5  in both directions within the mobile container  40 ′ might be caused, in a manner similar to that of the inner container  5  of  FIG. 12 , by manually pulling each inner container  5  up or down using a respective gripping element comprising a tab (not illustrated) which is the same as the aforementioned tab  35  associated with the inner container  5  and coming out of the mobile container  40 ′ through a slit similar to the aforementioned vertical slits  36 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 24 , the blank  20   d  from which the box-shaped body  41 ′ of the packet  1   d  is obtained has two transversal lines of weakness  80  and a plurality of longitudinal lines of weakness  81  which define, between the two transversal lines of weakness  80 , a panel  82  constituting one larger side wall  15   d  of the packet  1   d , a panel  83  constituting the smaller side wall  18   d  and a panel  84  constituting the other larger side wall  15   d . The panel  82  has a pair of flaps  85  and  86 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  82 , are separated from the panel  82  by the transversal lines of weakness  80 , and constitute an external portion of the bottom and top walls of the packet  1   d ; the panel  83  has a pair of flaps  87  and  88 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  83 , are separated from the panel  83  by the transversal lines of weakness  80 , and constitute an internal portion of the bottom and top walls of the packet  1   d ; and the panel  84  has a pair of flaps  89  and  90 , which are located on opposite sides of the panel  84 , are separated from the panel  84  by the transversal lines of weakness  80 , and constitute an internal portion of the bottom and top walls of the packet  1   d . The flaps  87  and  88  and the flaps  89  and  90  are shaped in such a way that they do not overlap when they are folded against the flaps  85  and  86  to form the top and bottom walls of the packet  1   d.    
     Lastly, the panel  83  is provided, in a substantially median zone of it, with a hole  91  whose shape and size are such as to allow a user&#39;s finger to pass through it. The purpose of the hole  91  is to facilitate extracting the mobile container  40 ′ from the box-shaped body  41 ′ by allowing a user to apply a pushing action on the smaller side wall  18   d  of the mobile container  40 ′ facing the hole  91  when the packet  1   d  is in the closed position illustrated in  FIG. 22 . 
     The blank  20   d , shown in  FIG. 25 , used to make the mobile container  40 ′ of the packet  1   d  is similar to the blank  20  of  FIG. 9 , where the reference numerals are the same as those of the blank  20   d.    
     Unlike the blank  20 , the blank  20   d  has two elongate slots  33 , located at the longitudinally median parts of the zones of connection between the panel  16 ′ and the side flap  18 ″ and between the panel  15 ′ and the side flap  18 ′. The blank  20   d  also has two incisions  16 ″, defining respective substantially trapezoidal tabs  16 ′″ whose larger bases coincide, respectively, with a portion of the longitudinal line  28  which separates the panel  16 ′ from the flap  17  and with a portion of the longitudinal line  28  which separates the panel  16 ′ from the flap  17 ′. Lastly, the blank  20   d  does not have the wing  6 ′. 
     It will be understood that all the variant embodiments of the parts of the packets  1 ,  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c  and  1   d  described above, such as, for example, the gripping element  35  or the slot  19  are applicable to all of the packets  1 ,  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c  and  1   d  even where not expressly specified. 
     It should be noted that in each of the above described mobile containers  40 ,  40 ′ the supporting portion  26 ′ and the extraction zone  12  might be of a size substantially equal to a multiple of the diameter of a cigarette  3 . In this case, the upward movement of the inner container  5  would cause the upper portions of two or more cigarettes  3  to come out through the zone  12 . After taking out one of these cigarettes  3 , the smoker would re-lower the inner container  5 , thereby causing the remaining, partly protruding cigarettes  3  to return into the outer container  6 . 
     The cigarettes  3  inside the inner containers  5  might also be arranged in two or more rows side by side, instead of in a single row  4 . In this case, too, the supporting portion  26 ′ might have two or more cigarettes  3  on it, side by side, the upward movement of the inner containers  5  would cause the upper portions of two or more cigarettes  3  to come out through the zone  12  and after taking out one of these cigarettes  3 , the smoker would re-lower the inner containers  5 , thereby causing the remaining, partly protruding cigarettes  3  to return into the outer container  6 .