Patent Publication Number: US-8123030-B2

Title: Cigarette pack and process and device for producing it

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The invention relates to a pack made of (thin) cardboard or similar-type packaging material, having an inner pack for the pack contents, in particular a cigarette group, and having an outer pack preferably in the form of a hinge-lid box, wherein the inner pack enveloping the pack contents has a closure tab in the region of an end removal opening, which is covered by an actuating tab provided with (permanent) adhesive and forming a protruding closure edge. 
     2. Prior Art 
     A cigarette pack with the abovementioned features is known in European Patent No. EP 1 037 822. The cigarette group, in the case of said known pack, is surrounded by a silver foil inner envelope folded in a cupular manner in such a way that the cigarettes for instance half protrude out of the cup. An inner pack is realized essentially as a hinge-lid box/pack having a closure tab defined by punched lines for a removal opening located in the end region. The inner pack realized in this manner is surrounded on all sides by a foil of impermeable material. Fold tabs of said foil are interconnected by means of thermal sealing. An actuating tab formed as part of said sealing foil is connected to the closure tab of the inner pack by means of gumming. When the actuating tab is gripped, said actuating tab is moved together with the closure tab of the inner pack into an open position. The multi-part pack realized in this manner is arranged in a separate outer pack which is realized in a classic manner as a hinge-lid box. Said known pack is material-intensive, has a complicated structure and is not able to be produced using efficient packaging machines. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object underlying the invention is to develop further a (cigarette) pack of the aforementioned type to the effect that the tightness of the pack as regards losses in aroma and moisture is maintained, however the expenditure on material is reduced and production is possible on efficient packaging machines. 
     To achieve this object the pack according to the invention is characterized by the following features:
         a) the inner pack consists of thin cardboard or similar packaging material or of rigid, moisture-tight or aroma-tight material, in particular (thin) cardboard with an impermeable coating,   b) the inner pack is directly surrounded by the outer pack, and   c) the actuating tab is realized as a separate blank and is glued to the inner pack or to the blank of the inner pack over its entire surface area in the region of the closure tab thus forming a connecting edge running all around.       

     Accordingly the pack according to the invention essentially consists of two blanks or part packs, in each case produced from thin cardboard. The tightness of the pack is ensured through the corresponding embodiment of the material of the inner pack. Said inner pack preferably surrounds the cigarette group directly, that is without any further inner envelope. The closure tab of the inner pack is realized and arranged such that in the open position a removal opening is created like in the case of a collar of a conventional hinge-lid box. The actuating tab realized as tape is provided with a permanent adhesive over its entire surface area and is connected to the inner pack covering the closure tab. In an expedient manner, a unit produced from the blank of the inner pack with a correctly positioned tape is presented to the packaging machine or to a second packer as a prefabricated unit. 
     The blanks of the outer pack, on the one hand, and of the inner pack, on the other hand, are realized such that both part packs are able to be produced by applying the process usual for hinge-lid boxes. In particular, two packaging machines are used accordingly in an interacting manner and in a simplified design which correspond to a packer for hinge-lid boxes. A first packer is used to produce the inner packs, including pack contents. The second packer is used to produce the outer pack as classic hinge-lid boxes with the inner pack as contents. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and characteristics of the pack, of the production process and of the device are explained below by way of the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a blank for an outer pack, 
         FIG. 2  shows a blank for an inner pack, 
         FIG. 3  shows a detail of the inner pack, namely an actuating tab or a closure tape, 
         FIG. 4  shows a transverse section through packaging material on an enlarged scale, 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective representation of a finished, closed inner pack, 
         FIG. 6  also shows a perspective representation of a complete pack with inner pack and outer pack, 
         FIG. 7  shows a first step in the operation to open the pack in  FIG. 6 , namely the opened outer pack, 
         FIG. 8  shows the open pack, that is including the opened inner pack, 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective representation of an intermediate fold position of a blank of the inner pack whilst a cigarette group is being inserted, 
         FIG. 10  shows a perspective flow diagram of the production of packs in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8 , and 
         FIG. 11  shows a schematic top view of a system with two packaging machines. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present pack is used to accommodate cigarettes  10  as pack contents. A cigarette group  11  formed from a plurality of cigarettes  10  arranged in formation fills out the interior of a part pack, namely an inner pack  12 . Said inner pack is realized as a sealed pack. The cigarettes  10  are preferably without any additional inner envelope that is arranged directly in the inner pack  12 . The cuboid inner pack  12 , in its turn, is the contents of an outer pack  13 , in this case in the form of a classic hinge-lid box or pack, here however without a collar. Outer pack  13  and inner pack  12  are provided with closure means which can be actuated independently of each other in order to obtain access to the pack contents. 
     The outer pack  13  in the form of a hinge-lid box is produced in a known manner from a (lower) box part  14  and a cover  15 . Said cover is connected in one piece to the box part  14  by means of a crosswise linear hinged joint  16 . The box part  14 , according to the blank in  FIG. 1 , comprises box front wall  17 , bottom wall  18  and box rear wall  19 . Outside side tabs  20  are attached on both sides of the box front wall  17  and inside side tabs  21  are attached to the box rear wall  19 . Together said tabs form box side walls  22 , namely on account of overlapping and interconnection. 
     The cover  15  comprises cover rear wall  23  connected to the box rear wall  19 , top end wall  24  and cover front wall  25 . Cover side tabs  26  and  27  are arranged at the side of cover rear wall  23  and cover front wall  25  to form cover side walls  28 . A cover inside tab  29  connects to a free edge of the cover front wall  25 , said cover inside tab being folded towards the inside of the cover front wall  25  and being connected thereto (glue spots  30 ). Corner tabs, namely bottom corner tabs  31  and cover corner tabs  32  are arranged on the (inner) side tabs  21  and in a corresponding manner on the (inner) cover side tabs  26 . Said corner tabs are foldable towards the inside of bottom wall  18  and end wall  24 . The blank realized in this manner ( FIG. 1 ) is produced from (thin) cardboard or similar-type packaging material with increased stability of form. 
     The inner pack  12  and its blank ( FIG. 2 ) are realized in a particular manner such that preferably an extensively closed, aroma-tight and moisture-tight envelope is created. For this purpose, the blank ( FIG. 2 ) is produced from (thin) cardboard  33 , however in this case with a coating  34  on one side or on both sides. The coating  34  is realized such that the packaging material overall becomes moisture-tight or aroma-tight. The coating is produced, in particular, from plastics material and/or a layer of varnish and/or a metal or metallized layer. 
     The inner pack  12  forms a closed, cuboid container for the cigarette group  11 . A removal opening  35  is formed for the removal of the pack contents, said removal opening extending in the region of an inside front wall  36  and at least in the region of an adjacent inside end wall  37 . In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the removal opening  35  extends in an upper region of the inside front wall  36 , over the full depth (transverse dimension) of the inside end wall  37  and by way of an end region within an adjacent inside rear wall  38 . 
     The removal opening  35  is closed before the first-time opening of the inner pack  12  and in the closed position by a closure tab  39 , which is formed by means of punching as part of the blank of the inner pack  12 , namely as a tongue of material that is connected to the blank in the region of the inside rear wall  38  by means of a linear hinged joint  40 . The closure tab  39  is also defined by a U-shaped punched line  41  that at the same time determines the contour of the removal opening  35 . 
     The removal opening  35  and the closure tab  39  filling out said removal opening are covered by an actuating member that can be used in a multiple manner, namely by an actuating tab  42  realized in the form of tape. Said actuating tab is produced from a foil and on the side facing the closure tab  39  is preferably provided over its entire surface area with a (permanent) adhesive. The actuating tab  42  realized as an individual blank ( FIG. 3 ) has a somewhat rectangular contour and is dimensioned such that the closure tab  39  and consequently the removal opening  35  is completely covered over in the closed position, forming a protrusion or a connecting edge  43 , which preferably extends all around and, in the closed position on account of the effect of the adhesive, abuts against a region of the inner pack  12  surrounding the removal opening  35 . A crosswise end strip  44  is permanently connected to the inner pack  12 , that is also during the opening and closing movements of the actuating tab  42 , namely to the inside rear wall  38 . Lying opposite, namely in the region of the inside front wall  36 , the actuating tab  42  is provided with a grippable, glue-free grip tab  45 . 
     The blank ( FIG. 2 ) for the inner pack  12  is realized in a particular manner. The inside rear wall  38  extends continuously over the full dimension or height of the inner pack  12 . The inside front wall  36  is divided—approximately in the center. A first, upper part wall  46  is connected to the inside end wall  37 . A further (lower) part wall  47  connects to an inside bottom wall  48 . In the case of the finished inner pack  12 , the part walls  46 ,  47  meet in the region of a crosswise parting line  49  thus forming the inside front wall  36 . 
     To form inside side walls  50 , the blank of the inner pack  12  has side tabs which overlap each other and are interconnected by means of adhesion. The inside rear wall  38  is provided with integral rear side tabs  51  that continue over the full height. Outside side tabs of the inside front wall  36  are also divided in the region of the inside side walls  50 , consequently forming part side tabs  52 ,  53  which, with the inner pack  12  folded, form the outside of the side walls  50  continuing the parting line  49 . The continuous inside rear side tabs  51  ensure the stability of the inner pack  12 . 
     Corner tabs are arranged on the rear side tabs  51 , namely inside bottom corner tabs  54  abutting against the inside of the inside bottom wall  48 . End corner tabs  55  are realized in a particular manner, namely as narrow material strips. The end corner tabs  55  abut against the inside of the inside end wall  37  and are connected in the region of edge webs  56  of the inside end wall  37  in the proximity of the removal opening  35 , in particular by means of adhesion, in this case each time by means of two glue spots  57 . The edge webs  56  as a boundary of the removal opening  35  are strengthened thereby. Over and above this, the tightness of the inner pack  12  is produced in this region. 
     The inner pack  12  completely fills out the outer pack  13 . The removal opening  35  is positioned such that, with the cover  15  of the outer pack  13  open, the removal opening  35  is freely accessible ( FIG. 8 ). The dimensions are selected such that the actuating tab  42  is also completely exposed when the cover  15  is in the open position ( FIG. 7 ). The grip tab  45  is grippable at the front. By raising the actuating tab  42  and releasing the glue connection to the region of the inner pack  12  in the proximity of the removal opening  35 , the closure tab  39  is also raised into the open position. The inner pack  12  can be closed again by means of the reverse movement. The external appearance of a typical hinge-lid box is created by closing the cover  15  ( FIG. 6 ). The outer pack  13  is realized as a hinge-lid box without a collar. This means that the removal opening  35  of the inner pack  12  in the region of the front side can be dimensioned such that in relation to an upper boundary of the box front wall  17 , namely an upper (edge) border  67 , only a relatively narrow strip of the inside front wall  36  remains exposed for the abutment of the actuating tab  42  with grip tab  45 . Said grip tab extends directly above the border  67 . 
     Inner pack  12  and outer pack  13  are matched to one another such that the parting line  49  of the inner pack  12  is clearly situated in the region of the box front wall  17  of the outer pack  13  ( FIG. 6 ). The part walls  46 ,  47  are connected to the inside of the box front wall  17  by means of adhesion at least in this region. Glue places or glue spots  66  are arranged such that the regions adjacent to the parting line  49  are connected to the outer pack  13  creating a certain tightness. The glue regions are arranged such that the parting line  49  remains free of glue. 
     The actuating tab  42  can be arranged and/or realized such that the grip tab  45  rests in the region of the top border  67  (closing edge) of the box part front wall  17  and covers said edge by abutting against the outside of the box front wall  17 . This means that the grip tab  45  can be easily gripped. 
     The pack overall accordingly comprises two blanks ( FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ) and the separate blank of the actuating tab  42 . As an alternative to this, a further blank can be used, namely an inner blank made of paper or silver foil for the (complete) enveloping of the cigarette group  11 . 
     The embodiment of the blanks in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  makes it possible to produce the complete pack by applying folding and filling steps that are usual in the case of standard hinge-lid boxes. The inner pack  12  and the outer pack  13  are produced by separate packaging machines. As shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , a first packaging machine  58  is used to produce the inner pack  12  and a second packaging machine  59  to produce the complete pack by inserting the inner pack  12  in each case into an outer pack  13 . The machines  58 ,  59  are arranged next to each other in parallel alignment and are interconnected by means of a transfer section  60 . The (complete) inner packs  12  produced by the packaging machine  58  are conveyed to the input side of the packaging machine  59  by means of the crosswise transfer section  60  and are processed as pack contents for the outer pack  13 . 
     The two packaging machines  58 ,  59  are provided with a fold turret  61 ,  62  which corresponds in an extensive manner to a conventional fold turret on a packaging machine for hinge-lid boxes, namely is rotatable about a vertical axis and has radially directed pockets  63  for accommodating in each case a blank for the inner pack  12  or outer pack  13 . When being inserted into a pocket  63 , the blanks are folded into an angular-shaped intermediate fold position ( FIG. 9 ). This is selected for the blank of the inner pack  12  such that the inside rear wall  38  is aligned in a horizontal plane, just as the inside end wall  37  with connecting part wall  46  and part side tabs  53 . The rear side tabs  51 , that is the inside side tabs arranged on the inside rear wall  38 , are folded into the upright position. The inside bottom wall  48  with part wall  47  and part side tabs  52  forms an upright fold portion. The inside bottom corner tabs  54  are also set upright in said first fold step and are folded towards the inside of the inside bottom wall  48 . 
     The pack contents, namely a formed cigarette group  11 , can then be inserted via the open side, that is via the region of the inside end wall  37 , into the partially folded inner pack  12 . As the fold turret  61  rotates further, the region of the bottom-side part wall  47  is initially folded towards the top side of the cigarette group  11 . The inside end wall  37  is then set upright and the part wall  46  is also folded towards the cigarette group  11 . Finally, the side tabs  52 ,  53  are folded into an upright position. 
     The inner pack  12  produced in this manner is supplied to a first shaping drying turret  64  and then to a second drying turret  65 . The finished, dimensionally stable inner packs  12  then pass via the transfer section  60  to the input side of the packaging machine  59 . 
     The packaging machine  59  is expediently realized like a standard packaging machine for hinge-lid boxes, with the difference that the inner pack  12  takes the place of a cigarette block with a collar. 
     A further simplification of the production process can be that finished blanks as in  FIG. 2  with an actuating tab  42  attached in the correct position are supplied to the packaging machine  58 , where applicable it being possible for a unit for attaching the actuating tabs  42  onto the unfolded blanks of the inner pack  12  to be mounted in the region of a blank path for supplying the blanks to the fold turret. The outer pack  13  is provided on the inside with glue, in this case with glue spots  66  for fixing the inner pack  12  in the outer pack  13  or in the box part  14  of the same. 
     LIST OF REFERENCES 
     
         
           10  Cigarette 
           11  Cigarette group 
           12  Inner pack 
           13  Outer pack 
           14  Box part 
           15  Cover 
           16  Linear hinged joint 
           17  Box front wall 
           18  Bottom wall 
           19  Box rear wall 
           20  Side tabs (outside) 
           21  Side tabs (inside) 
           22  Box side wall 
           23  Cover rear wall 
           24  End wall 
           25  Cover front wall 
           26  Cover side tab 
           27  Cover side tab 
           28  Cover side wall 
           29  Cover inside tab 
           30  Glue spot 
           31  Bottom corner tab 
           32  Cover corner tab 
           33  Cardboard 
           34  Coating 
           35  Removal opening 
           36  Inside front wall 
           37  Inside end wall 
           38  Inside rear wall 
           39  Closure tab 
           40  Linear hinged joint 
           41  Punched line 
           42  Actuating tab 
           43  (Connecting) edge strip 
           44  End strip 
           45  Grip tab 
           46  Part wall 
           47  Part wall 
           48  Inside bottom wall 
           49  Parting line 
           50  Inside side wall 
           51  Rear side tab 
           52  Part side tab 
           53  Part side tab 
           54  Inside bottom corner tab 
           55  End corner tab 
           56  Edge web 
           57  Glue spot 
           58  Packaging machine 
           59  Packaging machine 
           60  Transfer section 
           61  Fold turret 
           62  Fold turret 
           63  Pocket 
           64  Drying turret 
           65  Drying turret 
           66  Glue spot 
           67  Border/edge