Patent Publication Number: US-7905389-B2

Title: Container and foldable blank for forming the container itself

Description:
This application is the U.S. national phase of international application PCT/EP2004/008331, filed 26 Jul. 2004, which designated the U.S. and claims priority of IT BO2003A000451, filed 29 Jul. 2003, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The invention relates to a container particularly intended to contain products for smokers, or food, confectionary or cosmetic products, and a foldable blank to be used for forming the container itself. 
     Explicit reference will be made below to containers defining cigarette packets without thereby losing general validity. Packets for cigarettes are known comprising a front wall and a rear wall having a substantially flat shape, between which two lateral shaped walls are interposed, that are convex in the specific case in relation to the exterior of the packet. 
     One drawback of these packets is that the convex walls are provided with little stiffness and tend to take on a flat configuration when subjected to squeezing, for example by a user who wishes to access the contents of the packet or in the event of accidental stresses arising from external bodies. 
     To overcome this drawback, WO 99/02428 teaches how to produce packets of the type disclosed above using flat foldable blanks, in which the side panels intended to form the convex walls of the packet are provided with a plurality of flaps arranged to be folded and then glued respectively in contact with a bottom wall and a top wall of the packet, in such a way as to confer to the latter a certain stability. 
     The flaps are connected to each side panel along respective straight segments that identify in the finished packet a broken line along which the flaps itselves were folded by 90° to be glued in contact with the bottom wall or with the top wall. 
     In order that the broken line is acceptably close to the convex contour of the side walls, it is important to provide a large number of flaps of small dimensions, connected to respective side panels along straight segments of the minimum possible length. 
     One drawback of the prior art disclosed above is that the flaps enable the stiffness of the convex walls to be increased only at the connection zones of these walls with the bottom wall and with the top wall, but are virtually ineffective in the intermediate zones of the convex walls, which can be deformed very easily. 
     Furthermore, owing to their small dimensions, the above-mentioned flaps create great folding difficulties and above all gluing difficulties in the packaging machines. It is in fact particularly difficult to apply to each flap a sufficient quantity of glue to firmly fix the flap to the bottom wall or top wall without the glue spilling over from the surface of the flap itself, thereby contaminating in an undesired manner parts of the packet and/or diminishing the cleanliness of the packaging machines. 
     Furthermore, however small the dimensions of the flaps, the broken line along which the flaps are folded is not able to accurately reproduce the convex contour of the side walls of the packet and is therefore responsible for faults in the connection zone between the convex wall and respectively the bottom wall or the top wall. 
     One object of the invention is to improve the containers provided with shaped walls that protrude towards the exterior of the container and particularly to increase the stiffness of the above-mentioned shaped walls. 
     A further object is to simplify the production of the containers provided with shaped walls, particularly by facilitating folding and gluing operations in the packaging machines. 
     Another object is to eliminate the prior-art drawbacks that are due to the flaps connected to the side panels that have to be folded and glued into contact with the bottom wall or with the top wall. 
     In a first aspect of the invention, a container delimited by a wall arrangement is provided comprising a shaped wall arrangement that protrudes towards the exterior of said container, said container comprising a stiffening element arranged to stiffen said shaped wall arrangement, wherein said stiffening element comprises a stiffening wall distanced from said shaped wall arrangement. 
     Owing to the stiffening wall, it is possible to obtain a container provided with a shaped wall arrangement provided with relatively high stability, even when subject to squeezing by a user or to accidental mechanical stresses due to external bodies. 
     The stiffening wall furthermore enables the flaps of the prior art to be eliminated, thereby simplifying container packaging operations, and particularly the difficulties of folding and gluing the known flaps are overcome. 
     In a second aspect of the invention, a foldable blank is provided for forming a container, comprising a first greater panel, a second greater panel, a longitudinal panel that extends parallel to said first greater panel, a longitudinal strip that has a longitudinal side in common with said longitudinal panel, wherein said longitudinal panel is subdivided into a first zone that has a side in common with said first greater panel, and a second zone that has a side in common with said longitudinal strip. 
     The foldable blank according to this aspect of the invention enables a container to be obtained that is provided with a shaped wall arrangement formed starting at the first zone of the longitudinal panel and with a stiffening wall formed starting at the second zone of the longitudinal panel. The second zone of the longitudinal panel replaces the flaps of known foldable blanks and therefore enable the stiffness of the shaped wall arrangement to be increased, thereby simultaneously overcoming the drawbacks connected with the presence of the flaps. 
    
    
     
       The invention will be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate some embodiments by way of non-limiting example, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container according to the first aspect of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a foldable blank suitable for forming the container in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic section of the container in  FIG. 1  taken along a plane at right angles to the axis Z; and 
         FIGS. 4 to 7  are schematic sections like the one in  FIG. 3  showing some alternative embodiments of the container in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1 and 3  show a container according to the first aspect of the invention, particularly a stiff packet  1  containing products for smokers, such as for example cigarettes  9 . 
     The packet  1  extends mainly along a longitudinal axis Z and comprises a containing body  2  closed at the top by a lid  3  hinged on the containing body  2 . The lid  3  is rotationally movable between a closed position, shown in  FIG. 1 , and an open position that is not shown in which a user can access the products arranged inside the packet  1 . 
     The above-mentioned packet is delimited by a front wall  4  and by a rear wall  5  parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis Z, and by a pair of side walls  6  facing each other, connected to the front wall  4  along a pair of front longitudinal edges  11  and to the rear wall  5  along a pair of rear longitudinal edges  12 . A bottom wall  7  and a top wall  8  are also provided that are parallel to one another and delimit the packet  1  perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis Z. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the side walls  6  are convex towards the exterior of the packet  1  and comprise a portion of cylindrical surface passing through the respective longitudinal front edge  11  and longitudinal rear edge  12 . 
     With the side walls  6  stiffening walls  10  are furthermore associated that are arranged to make the deformation of the side walls  6  more difficult if the packet  1  is subject to external mechanical stresses. As each stiffening wall  10  has a substantially flat geometry, it extends between a front longitudinal edge  11  and the rear longitudinal edge  12  adjacent thereto, the stiffening wall  10  being provided with an extent W in the direction of the thickness of the packet  1  substantially equal to the internal thickness of the packet. 
     The stiffening walls  10  are furthermore connected near the rear longitudinal edges  12  with respective anchoring walls  13  that rest on the rear wall  5  and are fixed to it, for example by gluing. 
     The anchoring walls  13  enable the stiffness conferred to the side walls  6  by the stiffening walls  10  to be further increased, thereby ensuring that the latter do not move when the packet  1  is subjected to mechanical stresses. 
     The stiffening walls  10 , thus like the anchoring walls  13 , extend substantially along the entire extent of the packet in the direction of the longitudinal axis Z. This enables stability to be conferred to the side walls  6  along their entire length and not only at the connection zones with the top wall  8  and with the bottom wall  7 , as occurred with the flaps of the prior art. 
     Furthermore, owing to the considerable extent of the anchoring walls  13 , if they are compared with the flaps of the prior art, it is easy to understand how the glue can be applied to the anchoring walls relatively easily without spilling over. 
     It should be noted that the stiffening walls  10  identify, together with the front wall  4  and the rear wall  5 , an empty space having a substantially parallelepiped shape inside the packet  1 . The shape of this empty space substantially corresponds to the shape of a composition of cigarettes to be introduced inside the packet  1 , which enables any play between the cigarettes  9  and the packet  1  to be avoided that could cause the cigarettes  9  to get damaged. 
     Furthermore, inside the empty space a collar of traditional type that is not shown can be inserted. 
       FIG. 2  shows an example of a foldable blank  14  that can be used to form the packet  1 . The foldable blank  14  is for example a flat die-cut blank in cardboard that may be printed. The foldable blank  14  mainly extends along an axis of symmetry Z 1  and is shown in  FIG. 2  by a symbology that is usually used in the papermaking industry, and which provides for indicating the cutting lines through continuous lines and the creasing lines through broken lines. 
     The foldable blank  14  comprises a first greater panel  17  that extends along the axis of symmetry Z 1  and is interposed between a first transverse panel  16  and a second transverse panel  18 . The first transverse panel  16  is in turn connected to a second greater panel  15 , whereas the second transverse panel  18  has a side in common with a smaller panel  19  from which a reinforcing flap  20  extends. The panels are connected together along transverse creases  21  that are arranged perpendicularly to the axis of symmetry Z 1 . 
     The first greater panel  17 , the first transverse panel  16  and the second transverse panel  18  are arranged to form in the packet  1 , respectively the rear wall  5 , the bottom wall  7  and the top wall  8 . The second greater panel  15  and the lesser panel  19  are on the other hand intended to form the front wall  4 . The reinforcing flap  20  is arranged to be folded by 180° around the respective transverse crease  21  and glued to the lesser panel  19 , to allow repeated openings of the lid  3  without damage to its front portion. 
     The first greater panel  17  is furthermore adjacent to a longitudinal panel  45  arranged on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry Z 1 . Each longitudinal panel  45  comprises a first zone  22  connected to the first greater panel  17  along a respective longitudinal border  44 , and a second zone  24  adjacent to a respective longitudinal strip  26 . 
     The first zone  22  and the second zone  24  are adjacent to one another along a first longitudinal crease  23  parallel to the axis of symmetry Z 1 . These zones  22  and  24  extend along the axis of symmetry Z 1  substantially by the same length, this length corresponding to the length of the greater panel  17  along the axis of symmetry Z 1 . 
     Each first zone  22  is provided with a transverse extent W 1  that is greater than a further transverse extent W 2  of the second zone  24 . Furthermore, the further transverse extent W 2  of the second zone  24  substantially corresponds to dimension H of the first transverse panel  16  and of the second transverse panel  18  in the direction of the axis of symmetry Z 1 . 
     The longitudinal strips  26  are connected to the second zone  24  of the longitudinal panel  45  along second longitudinal creases  25  parallel to the axis of symmetry Z 1 . Such strips are trapezium-shaped, being delimited transversely to the axis of symmetry Z 1 , by segments  27  converging towards the exterior of the foldable blank  14 . In this way, the length L 1  of each longitudinal strip  26 , measured in the direction of the axis of symmetry Z 1  from the external part of the foldable blank  14 , is slightly less than the length L 2  of the respective second longitudinal crease  25 . This enables interference between the longitudinal strips  26  and the first transverse panel  16  or the second transverse panel  18  to be avoided both during folding operations of the foldable blank  14  and in the finished packet  1 . 
     On both sides of the second greater panel  15  and of the lesser panel  19  first external panels  28  and second external panels  29  are respectively provided. 
     In the packet  1 , the first external panels  28  and the second external panels  29  are externally superimposed on the first zones  22  of the longitudinal panel  45  and are glued to them to form the side walls  6 . The first external panels  28 , the second external panels  29  and the first zones  22  of the longitudinal panel  45  are provided with a plurality of longitudinal creases  30  that enable the panels  28  and  29  and the zones  22  to take on an arched configuration corresponding to the curved borders  31  that laterally delimit the first transverse panel  16  and the second transverse panel  18 , in such a way as to create in the packet  1  concave side walls  6  of the type shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     During packaging of the packet  1 , the second zones  24  of the longitudinal panel  45  are folded inside the first zones  22  in such a way as to extend between a front longitudinal edge  11  and the corresponding rear longitudinal edge  12 . The longitudinal strips  26  are folded 90° in relation to the second zones  24 , until they come to rest against the first greater panel  17  that forms the rear wall  5 , and are subsequently glued into contact with the panel. In this way the configuration shown in  FIG. 3  can be obtained. 
     On the first greater panel  17  a hinge crease  32  is furthermore provided that is perpendicular to the axis of symmetry Z 1 , which in the finished packet  1  forms a hinge around which the lid  3  can be rotated to access the cigarettes  9 . 
     From the two sides of the hinge crease  32  located on opposite sides in relation to the axis of symmetry Z 1  respective tilted cutting lines  33  depart that extend through the first zones  22  in a tilted direction to the first transverse panel  16  and terminate on the first longitudinal creases  23  at respective points P. From these points further tilted cutting lines  34  extend that cross the second zones  24  in a direction tilted towards the second transverse panel  18 . The tilted cutting lines  33  and the further tilted cutting lines  34  are specular to one another in relation to the respective first longitudinal creases  23 . The further tilted cutting lines  34  terminate on the second longitudinal creases  25  at the further points Q from which horizontal cutting lines  35  extend that are arranged transversely to the longitudinal strips  26 . 
     Along the tilted cutting lines  33  and the further tilted cutting lines  34  joints  36  are provided that facilitate the handling of the foldable blank  14 . 
     In the finished packet  1 , the horizontal cutting lines  35  of the longitudinal strips  26  are arranged along the rear wall  5  near the hinge line  32  and enable the lid  3  to be opened and/or closed without additional effort compared with the effort required to overcome the resistance of the hinge line  32 . The tilted cutting lines  33  and the further tilted cutting lines  34 , after being placed side by side during packaging of the packet, form the tilted borders  37  of the lid  3 . The user opening the packet  1  for the first time breaks the joints  36  to access the cigarettes  9  housed in the containing body  2 . 
       FIGS. from 4 to 7  show some alternative embodiments of the container according to the invention. 
     The container shown in  FIG. 4  is delimited not only by the front wall  4  and by the rear wall  5  that are parallel to each other and are substantially flat but also by a pair of side walls  6   a  each one of which comprises a semicylindrical portion the axis of which passes through point C arranged about half way along the stiffening wall  10 . 
     This container can be obtained by starting with a foldable blank like the one in  FIG. 2 , in which the first zones  22 , the first external panels  28  and the second external panels  29  each have a transverse extent W 1  that is approximately 3.14/2 times the further transverse extent W 2  of each second zone  24 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a container whose side walls  6   b  comprise a pair of first side walls  38  adjacent to the front wall  4  and a pair of second side walls  39  adjacent to the rear wall  5  in such a way as to define a prism having a transverse section like an irregular hexagon. The first side walls  38  and the second side walls  39  have a substantially flat shape. 
     The container in  FIG. 5  can be obtained from a foldable blank similar to the one in  FIG. 2 ; in which the plurality of creases  30  of the first zones  22  of the first side panels  28  and of the second side panels  29  is replaced by a single intermediate crease parallel to the axis of symmetry Z 1  and equidistant from the longitudinal borders of the side panels and of the second zones. 
       FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of a container provided with side walls  6   c  comprising a substantially flat intermediate portion  40  connected to the front wall  4  and to the rear wall  5  by peripheral portions  41  provided with a curved geometry. The peripheral portions  41  may for example have a transverse section like a circumference arch. The container in  FIG. 6  can be obtained starting from a foldable blank like the one in  FIG. 2 , in which the first zones  22 , the first external panels  28  and the second external panels  29  are provided with a central region without creases and with two bundles of multiple creases arranged at the borders of the central region in such a way as to form curved peripheral portions  41  in the finished container. 
     Lastly, in the embodiment in  FIG. 7 , side walls  6   d  are provided, each one of which comprises a first convex portion  42  that has a convex-shaped transverse section, the convexity of which is turned towards the inside of the container, and a second portion  43 , provided in a cross-section with a concave shape, the concavity of which is turned towards the inside of the container. The first portion  42  may for example be adjacent to the front wall  4  whereas the second portion  43  is adjacent to the rear wall  5 . 
     All the embodiments of the  FIGS. from 3 to 7  comprise stiffening walls  10  designed to prevent or at least reduce the deformation of the side walls  6 ,  6   a ,  6   b ,  6   c ,  6   d  and connected to anchoring walls  13  folded in contact with the rear wall  5  and that are made integral with it by means of gluing. 
     The anchoring walls and the stiffening walls may be provided not only in the case of containers provided with side walls having one of the shapes indicated in  FIGS. 3 to 7  but in general in the case of containers provided with one or more formed walls protruding towards the exterior of the container, which would tend to become deformed, for example taking on a flat configuration, when subject to squeezing or other external mechanical stress.