Patent Publication Number: US-2006011498-A1

Title: Rigid side-open package for tobacco articles

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to a rigid package for tobacco articles.  
      The present invention may be used to particular advantage in a rigid cigarette packet, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.  
     BACKGROUND ART  
      A rigid cigarette packet normally comprises a cup-shaped bottom container having an open top end; and a cup-shaped top lid hinged to the container along a hinge to rotate, with respect to the container, between and open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end of the bottom container. When the lid is in the closed position, the packet is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises two, respectively top and bottom, end walls, and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls and defined by two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls, and two minor lateral walls. Four longitudinal edges are defined between the minor lateral walls and the major lateral walls; eight transverse edges, smaller than the longitudinal edges, are defined between the lateral walls and the end walls; and the lid hinge is formed in the rear wall and parallel to the transverse edges defined between the rear wall and the end walls.  
      Rigid slide-open cigarette packets are also known, such as those described in Patent Application FR-2499947-A3, U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,463-A1, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,227-A1. A rigid slide-open cigarette packet comprises a first container for housing a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of foil, and which in turn is housed inside a second container so as to slide with respect to the second container between an inserted position, in which the first container is fully inserted inside the second container, and an extracted position, in which part of the first container is extracted from the second container. Each container is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises two end walls; and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls and defined by lateral walls separated from one another by corresponding square longitudinal edges.  
      Though marketed, by being relatively easy to produce and generally popular with smokers, rigid cigarette packets of the above type fail to provide for effectively protecting the cigarettes inside the packet, in that, when the packet is carried in the user&#39;s pocket, both the lid of the hinged-lid packet and the inner container of the slide-open packet tend to work open, thus resulting in fallout of the cigarettes.  
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a rigid package for tobacco articles, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which, in particular, is cheap and easy to produce.  
      According to the present invention, there is provided a rigid package for tobacco articles; the package comprising a first container having an open end, and a lid hinged to the first container to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end; when the lid is in the closed position, the first container being substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprising two, respectively top and bottom, end walls, and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls and comprising two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls, two minor lateral walls, four longitudinal edges, each defined between a major lateral wall and a minor lateral wall, and eight transverse edges, each defined between an end wall and a lateral wall; the lid being hinged along a hinge formed in the rear wall and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges, and the lid comprising part of the end walls, part of the major lateral walls, and a minor lateral wall; and the package being characterized by comprising a second container for housing the tobacco articles and which is housed in sliding manner inside the first container to slide, with respect to the first container, between an inserted position, in which the second container is fully inserted inside the first container, and an extracted position, in which part of the second container is extracted from the first container and projects from the open end of the first container.  
      According to the present invention, there is also provided a rigid package for tobacco articles; the package comprising a container having an open end, and a lid hinged to the container to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end; when the lid is in the closed position, the container being substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprising two, respectively top and bottom, end walls, and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls and comprising two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls, two minor lateral walls, four longitudinal edges, each defined between a major lateral wall and a minor lateral wall, and eight transverse edges, each defined between an end wall and a lateral wall; the lid being hinged along a hinge formed in the rear wall and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges, and the lid comprising part of the end walls, part of the major lateral walls, and a minor lateral wall; and the container having a collar, which projects partly from the open end, defines a withdrawal opening for the tobacco articles, at least at the top end wall of the container, and engages a corresponding inner surface of the lid when the lid is in the closed position; the package being characterized in that, when the lid is in the closed position, at least at the front wall, an edge of the lid is detached from an edge of the container to partly expose the portion of the underlying collar projecting from the open end. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      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:  
       FIG. 1  shows a front view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of a rigid cigarette packet in accordance with the present invention and in a closed configuration;  
       FIG. 2  shows a front view in perspective of the  FIG. 1  rigid cigarette packet in an open configuration;  
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded view in perspective of the  FIG. 1  rigid cigarette packet;  
       FIG. 4  shows a plan view of a blank by which to produce an inner container of the rigid cigarette packet in FIGS.  1  to  3 ;  
       FIG. 5  shows a plan view of a blank by which to produce an outer container of the rigid cigarette packet in FIGS.  1  to  3 ;  
       FIG. 6  shows a front view in perspective of an alternative embodiment of a rigid cigarette packet in accordance with the present invention and in a closed configuration;  
       FIG. 7  shows a front view in perspective of the  FIG. 6  rigid cigarette packet in an open configuration;  
       FIG. 8  shows a plan view of a blank by which to produce the container of the rigid cigarette packet in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ;  
       FIGS. 9 and 10  show front views in perspective of two variations of the rigid cigarette packet in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Number  1  in the accompanying drawings indicates as a whole a rigid cigarette packet for housing an orderly group  2  of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of foil, and which comprises a cup-shaped container  3  having an open end  4 . A cup-shaped lid  5  is connected to container  3  and hinged to container  3  along a hinge  6  (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ) to rotate, with respect to container  3 , between an open position ( FIG. 2 ) and a closed position ( FIG. 1 ) respectively opening and closing open end  4 .  
      When lid  5  is in the closed position, container  3  is in the form of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped comprising a lateral surface; and two identical, flat, respectively top and bottom, end walls  7  and  8  facing and parallel to each other and bounding the lateral surface. The lateral surface of container  3  comprises two flat, facing, parallel minor lateral walls  9 , and two flat, facing major lateral walls  10  and  11  crosswise to minor lateral walls  9 . More specifically, one major lateral wall  10  defines a front wall of container  3 , and the other major lateral wall  11  defines a rear wall of container  3 .  
      Four longitudinal edges  12  are defined between minor lateral walls  9  and major lateral walls  10 ,  11 ; and eight transverse edges  13  are defined between end walls  7 ,  8  and lateral walls  9 ,  10 ,  11 , are crosswise to longitudinal edges  12 , and are divided into major transverse edges  13  defined between end walls  7 ,  8  and major lateral walls  10 ,  11 , and minor transverse edges  13  defined between end walls  7 ,  8  and minor lateral walls  9 .  
      More specifically, hinge  6  is formed in rear major lateral wall  11 , and is parallel to longitudinal edges  12  of container  3 , so that lid  5  comprises part of end walls  7 ,  8 , part of major lateral walls  10 ,  11 , and a minor lateral wall  9  of container  3 .  
      A further container  14 , housing group  2  of cigarettes, is housed in sliding manner inside container  3 , and slides with respect to container  3  between an inserted position ( FIG. 1 ), in which container  14  is fully inserted inside container  3 , and an extracted position ( FIG. 2 ), in which part of container  14  is extracted from container  3  and projects from open end  4  of container  3 .  
      Container  14  is parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises a top end wall  15 ; a bottom end wall  16 ; and a lateral surface bounded by end walls  15  and  16 , and which comprises two opposite, parallel major lateral walls  17 , and two opposite, parallel minor lateral walls  18  separated from major lateral walls  17  by four longitudinal edges  19 . Lateral walls  17  and  18  of container  14  are separated from end walls  15  and  16  by eight transverse edges  20 , which are divided into four major transverse edges  20  between major lateral walls  17  and end walls  15  and  16 , and four minor transverse edges  20  between minor lateral walls  18  and end walls  15  and  16 .  
      Top end wall  15  of container  14  comprises an open portion  21 , which also extends along part of major lateral walls  17 , and permits removal of the cigarettes from container  14  when container  14  is in said extracted position ( FIG. 2 ). More specifically, the cigarettes in group  2  of cigarettes inside container  14  are arranged parallel to longitudinal edges  19  of container  14 , and therefore parallel to longitudinal edges  12  of container  3 .  
      Longitudinal edges  19  of container  14  are rounded edges, i.e. each edge  19  is defined by a quarter of a cylindrical surface to connect respective lateral walls  17  and  18  with a constant radius of curvature (preferably slightly larger than the radius of a cigarette); and transverse edges  20  of container  14  and all the edges  12  and  13  of container  3  are sharp square edges. In a different embodiment not shown, longitudinal edges  12  of container  3  are also rounded edges. In a further embodiment not shown, some transverse edges  13  of container  3  and/or some transverse edges  20  of container  14  may be rounded non-square edges, so that both transverse edges  13  and/or  20  and longitudinal edges  12  and/or  19  are rounded non-square edges.  
      In further embodiments not shown, all the edges  19  and  20  of container  14  and all the edges  12  and  13  of container  3  are sharp square edges, or some of edges  19  and  20  of container  14  and/or some of edges  12  and  13  of container  3  are rounded or bevelled non-square edges. Alternatively, at least one lateral wall  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  17 ,  18  of at least one container  3 ,  14  has an outwardly convex profile, is connected to at least one relative lateral wall  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  17 ,  18  along a sharp longitudinal edge  12 ,  19 , and subtends with said lateral wall  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  17 ,  18  a substantially obtuse dihedral angle; or at least one lateral wall  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  17 ,  18  of at least one container  3 ,  14  has an outwardly convex profile, is connected to at least one relative end wall  7 ,  8 ,  15 ,  16  along a sharp transverse edge  13 ,  20 , and subtends with end wall  7 ,  8 ,  15 ,  16  a substantially obtuse dihedral angle.  
      By way of example, the embodiments described above may substantially reproduce the form of the cigarette packets described in Patent Applications EP-A1-1066206, IT-BO01A000584 or EP-A1-0764595.  
      When container  14  is in said inserted position ( FIG. 1 ), each lateral wall  17 ,  18  of container  14  obviously faces and is aligned with a corresponding lateral wall  10 ,  11 ,  9  of container  3 . More specifically, both containers  14  and  3  are sized to house group  2  of cigarettes and container  14  respectively with a small amount of clearance, thus minimizing the amount of packing material required to produce containers  3  and  14 , and also minimizing movement of group  2  of cigarettes inside container  14 , and of container  14  inside container  3 . Obviously, a certain amount of clearance must be allowed between group  2  of cigarettes and container  14 , and between container  14  and container  3 , to permit easy withdrawal by the user of the cigarettes from container  14 , and of container  14  from container  3  respectively.  
      A minor lateral wall  9  of container  3  has a hole  22  ( FIG. 3 ) shaped and sized to permit insertion of the user&#39;s finger, and which provides for assisting expulsion of container  14  from container  3 , by the user applying pressure on the minor lateral wall  18  of container  14  facing hole  22  when container  14  is in said inserted position ( FIG. 1 ).  
      In an embodiment not shown, packet  1  comprises stop means for limiting slide of container  14  with respect to container  3 , and so preventing detachment of container  14  from container  3 ; which stop means are defined by two tongues projecting from major lateral walls  17  of container  14 , and by two tongues projecting from major lateral walls  10  and  11  of container  3 . Each tongue of container  14  projects outwards of container  14  from a respective major lateral wall  17 ; each tongue of container  3  projects inwards of container  3  from a respective major lateral wall  10 ,  11 , and is located close to open end  4  of container  3 ; and each tongue of container  3  is so located as to engage the corresponding tongue of container  14  as container  14  slides out of container  3 , thus preventing detachment of container  14  from container  3 .  
      In accordance with an embodiment not shown, when lid  5  is in the closed position, at front major lateral wall  10  of container  3 , an edge  31  of lid  5  is detached from an edge  31  of container  3  to partly expose the underlying container  14 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , container  14  is formed from a corresponding flat blank  23 , which is substantially in the form of an elongated rectangle, and the component parts of which are indicated, where possible, using the same reference numbers, with superscripts, as for the corresponding parts of container  14 .  
      Blank  23  comprises two groups  24  of longitudinal crease lines  25 , and a number of transverse crease lines  26  defining, between the two groups  24  of longitudinal crease lines  25 , a panel  15 ′ forming part of top end wall  15 , a panel  17 ′ forming one major lateral wall  17 ; a panel  16 ′ forming bottom end wall  16 ; a panel  17 ″ forming the other major lateral wall  17 ; and a panel  15 ″ forming part of top end wall  15 . Panel  17 ′ comprises two wings  18 ′, which are located on opposite sides of panel  17 ′, are separated from panel  17 ′ by the two groups  24  of longitudinal crease lines  25 , and form respective outer portions of minor lateral walls  18 ; and panel  17 ″ comprises two wings  18 ″, which are located on opposite sides of panel  17 ″, are separated from panel  17 ″ by the two groups  24  of longitudinal crease lines  25 , and form respective inner portions of minor lateral walls  18 . Wings  18 ″ are connected to a further two wings  16 ″, which form respective inner portions of bottom end wall  16 ; and each group  24  of longitudinal crease lines  25  comprises a number of longitudinal crease lines  25 , and forms two rounded longitudinal edges  19  of container  14 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 5 , container  3  is formed from a corresponding flat blank  27 , which is substantially rectangular, and the component parts of which are indicated, where possible, using the same reference numbers, with superscripts, as for the corresponding parts of container  3 .  
      Blank  27  comprises two longitudinal crease lines  28 , and a number of transverse crease lines  29  defining, between the two longitudinal crease lines  28 , a panel  10 ′ forming part of front major lateral wall  10 ; a panel  9 ′ forming one minor lateral wall  9 ; a panel  11 ′ forming the rear major lateral wall  11 ; a panel  9 ″ forming the other minor lateral wall  9 ; and a panel  10 ″ forming the rest of front major lateral wall  10 . Panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ″ have respective pairs of wings  7 ′ and  8 ′, which are located on opposite sides of panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ″, are separated from panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ″ by longitudinal crease lines  28 , and form end walls  7 ,  8 . Each wing  7 ′,  8 ′ of panel  11 ′ has two wings  9 ′″, which are located at opposite ends of wing  7 ′,  8 ′, are separated from wing  7 ′,  8 ′ by transverse crease lines  29 , and form respective inner portions of minor lateral walls  9 .  
      In the alternative embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , packet  1  only comprises container  3 , in which group  2  of cigarettes is housed. More specifically, container  3  comprises a collar  30  projecting partly from open end  4 , and which engages a corresponding inner surface of lid  5  when lid  5  is in the closed position. More specifically, the collar  30  in  FIG. 7  has rounded exposed longitudinal edges. Alternatively, the exposed longitudinal edges of collar  30  may be bevelled or square. More specifically, the cigarettes in group  2  of cigarettes inside container  3  are parallel to longitudinal edges  12  of container  3 , and collar  30  defines a cigarette withdrawal opening at top end wall  7 , front major lateral wall  10 , and a minor lateral wall  9 .  
      When lid  5  is in the closed position, at front major lateral wall  10 , an edge  31  of lid  5  is detached from an edge  31  of container  3  to partly expose the portion of the underlying collar  30  projecting from open end  4 . Along front major lateral wall  10  of container  3 , the edge  31  of lid  5  is parallel to the edge  31  of container  3 , so that the distance between edge  31  of lid  5  and edge  31  of container  3  is constant. Moreover, when lid  5  is in the closed position, at end walls  7  and  8 , edge  31  of lid substantially contacts edge  31  of container  3 .  
      In the alternative embodiments shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , along front major lateral wall  10  of container  3 , the distance between the edge  31  of lid  5  and the edge  31  of container  3  varies. As shown in  FIGS. 6, 7 ,  9 ,  10 , the edge  31  of lid  5  and the edge  31  of container  3  may obviously be defined by a straight line ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ), by a bent line ( FIG. 10 ), or by a curved line ( FIG. 9 ).  
      As shown in  FIG. 8 , container  3  in  FIGS. 6 and 7  is formed from a corresponding flat blank  27 , which is substantially rectangular, and the component parts of which are indicated, where possible, using the same reference numbers, with superscripts, as for the corresponding parts of container  3 .  
      Blank  27  comprises two longitudinal crease lines  28 , and a number of transverse crease lines  29  defining, between the two longitudinal crease lines  28 , a panel  10 ′ forming part of front major lateral wall  10 ; a panel  9 ′ forming one minor lateral wall  9 ; a panel  11 ′ forming the rear major lateral wall  11 ; a panel  9 ″ forming the other minor lateral wall  9 ; and a panel  10 ″ forming the rest of front major lateral wall  10 . Panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ′ have respective pairs of wings  7 ′ and  8 ′, which are located on opposite sides of panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ″, are separated from panels  10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ″ by longitudinal crease lines  28 , and form end walls  7 ,  8 . Each wing  7 ′,  8 ′ of panel  11 ′ has two wings  9 ′″, which are located at opposite ends of wing  7 ′,  8 ′, are separated from wing  7 ′,  8 ′ by transverse crease lines  29 , and form respective inner portions of minor lateral walls  9 .  
      Tests have shown that the anatomical shape of cigarette packets  1  as described above provides for easy handling by the user. Moreover, the fact that lid  5  is located to the side of container  3  (comprising part of end walls  7 ,  8 , part of major lateral walls  10 ,  11 , and a minor lateral wall  9 ) safeguards against accidental opening of lid  5  when packet  1  is in the user&#39;s pocket, thus effectively protecting the cigarettes inside packet  1 .  
      Given the numerous advantages of cigarette packets  1  as described above, the form of packets  1  may also be applied completely to the manufacture of other types of rigid containers for tobacco articles, such as cartons of packets of cigarettes, or cigar packets.