Patent Publication Number: US-6216860-B1

Title: Packet for long articles

Description:
This is a division of application Ser. No. 09/333,952, filed Jun. 16, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a packet for long articles. 
     The invention relates in particular to a packet for products designed for smoking, such as cigarettes or cigars, to which the specification below refers but without thereby restricting the scope of the invention, and applies to both soft and rigid packets. 
     Normally, soft cigarette packets have a substantially parallelepipedal shape and consist of an inner wrap made of paper or-foil, placed right around a group of cigarettes, and an outer wrap or label made from a length of wrapping material, usually paper, placed partly around the first wrap in such a way as to leave the top end of the latter free. 
     Similarly, rigid cigarette packets are also substantially parallelepipedal in shape and consist essentially of a box-like outer wrap made from a ready-weakened flat blank, usually paperboard, designed to contain an inner wrap, usually paper or foil, holding a group of cigarettes and identical to the inner wrap used for soft packets. The box-like outer wrap usually comprises a cup-shaped container, a lid, also cup-shaped, hinged to a rear edge of the container and an inner frame placed partly inside the container and attached to the front sidewall and to two lateral sidewalls of the container itself. 
     Normally, the outer wrap has a revenue stamp on it, which may be applied in many different ways according to diverse requirements, and in some cases, packets of the type described above include inserts such as cards, coupons, or similar items, bearing text, figures, or, more often, images which constitute messages of various kinds directed at consumers. 
     Both the inner wrap and the outer wrap, whether the latter is made from a length of wrapping material or from a ready-weakened flat blank, constitute specific packaging components of the respective type of packets, while the stamp and insert are additional components. 
     Cigarette packets of the type described above are also wrapped and sealed with a protective overwrap made from transparent plastic film, for example, polypropylene, equipped with a tear strip designed to enable the overwrap to be easily torn in order to gain access to the outer wrap to open the packet of cigarettes. 
     In the cigarette packaging industry, the outer wraps of the packets have messages or bar codes printed on the outside of them which can be read using optical scanners without opening the packets. These messages or bar codes provide information such as the type of product contained, the place of manufacture, the date of production, and other data which can be used by distributors to organize and manage their stocks. 
     Since these informative messages and codes are usually relatively large and, if printed directly on the outside of the packet, interfere with the trademarks appearing on the packet, it is now common practice, according to patent EP 317,202, to use in their place a magnetic strip as tear strip or sealing strip. The strip is of the same type as the tape used in the audio or video recording sector, and has data recorded on it using conventional magnetic recording technology in a form which can be read by magnetic reading equipment. Strips of this kind are applied in visible parts of cigarette packets or of finished products in general. In the case of cigarette packets in particular, the tear strip is applied directly to the polypropylene of the protective overwrap in a position that is clearly identifiable and visible from the outside. 
     In the tobacco industry, conventional non-magnetic tear strip is usually applied to the plastic overwrap by thermosealing. As is well-known, this has the disadvantage created by the high thermal inertia of the sealing devices, which must be heated to high operating temperatures in order to effect sealing correctly even at the high operating speeds of current packaging machinery which allow the tear strip and wrapping material to remain in contact with the sealing devices for a very short time. 
     The heat regulation system must therefore be extremely sophisticated and precise in order to prevent critical temperatures from being reached, as such temperatures cause the tear strip and wrapping material to melt if the tear strip and wrapping material are not fed at the optimum rate and thus remain in contact with the sealers for longer lengths of time. 
     This constitutes an even greater problem if the tear strip is made of magnetic material. Thus, even if the temperature of the sealers can be regulated accurately enough to correctly thermoseal a conventional tear strip to the overwrap without reaching critical temperatures, in the case of a tear strip with magnetic properties, the sealing temperature, even if perfectly regulated, may cause weak thermal stresses that destroy the magnetizing properties of the tear strip itself or, in the case of information recorded on the tear strip before it is thermosealed, may corrupt the information, thus making it illegible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to provide a packet for long articles, especially products designed for smoking, that overcomes the problems described above, that does not need to have messages or codes printed on its outer wrap and that is difficult to counterfeit by unauthorized tobacco companies. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a packet for long articles, with at least one first inner wrap around a group of said articles and a second outer wrap around the first, said first and second wraps constituting specific packaging components, the packet comprising at least one magnetic data storage medium applied directly to at least one specified part of at least one of the specific packaging components, of which there are at least two. 
     Another aim of the present invention is to provide a method of making packets for long articles, especially products designed for smoking, which makes it possible to avoid the complications described above and overcomes the disadvantages mentioned above with reference to the state of the art. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of making packets for long articles, designed for smoking, each packet having at least one first inner wrap around a group of said articles and a second outer wrap around the first, said first and second wraps constituting specific packaging components of the packet, the method comprising the following steps, for each packet to be made: feeding a first wrapping material, constituting a specific packaging component, along a first given path in a first given direction to an applicator unit; feeding a magnetic data storage medium along a second given path in a second given direction to said applicator unit; applying said magnetic data storage medium to at least one specified part of the-first wrapping material at said applicator unit; feeding said first wrapping material with the magnetic data storage medium attached to it along a third given path in a third given direction, to a packaging station where each packet is made. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of it and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a soft packet for products designed for smoking, with part of the outer wrap cut away in order to better illustrate another part made in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 are two different perspective views of portions of the packet shown in FIG. 1, illustrating two different embodiments of the packet; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rigid, hinged-lid packet for products designed for smoking, with part of the outer wrap cut away in order to better illustrate another part made in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 5,  6 ,  7  and  8  are four different perspective views of portions of the packet shown in FIG. 4, illustrating four different embodiments of the packet; 
     FIG. 9 is schematic, generic side view of a portion of the production line of a packaging machine designed to make the packets illustrated in FIGS. 1 to  8 , whether of the soft or rigid type; 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the production line of a packaging machine designed to make the packet illustrated in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of the production line of a packaging machine designed to make the packet illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a magnetic data storage medium; and 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a magnetic data storage medium. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 through 8, the numeral  1  indicates as a whole a packet designed to contain a group of cigarettes (not illustrated), wrapped completely in a conventional inner wrap  2  made of foil and having a substantially parallelepipedal shape defined by four sidewalls  3 , a bottom end (not illustrated) and a top end  4 . 
     In each packet  1 , the inner wrap  2  is placed inside an outer wrap  5  which, in the embodiments of a soft packet  1  illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, is defined by a label  6  placed partly round all except the top end  4  of the inner wrap  2  and is made from a length  7 , illustrated in FIG. 11, of a first soft wrapping material  8 . 
     In the embodiments of a rigid packet  1  illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 8, the outer wrap  5  comprises a cup-shaped container  9  at the bottom and a lid  10  at the top, also cup-shaped and hinged to the container  9  so that it can rotate from a closed position (FIG. 4) to an open position (not illustrated). The rigid packet  1  also comprises an inner frame  11  placed partly inside the container  9  and attached to the front wall  3  and to two lateral sidewalls  3  of the container  9 . The container  9  and the lid  10  are made (in a known manner, not illustrated) from a ready-weakened flat blank  12 , illustrated in FIG. 10, which is in turn made of a first wrapping material  8 , which the inner frame  11  is also made of. 
     Both the inner wrap  2  and the outer wrap  5 , whether the latter is made from a length  7  of a first wrapping material  8  or from a ready-weakened flat blank  12 , constitute, together with the inner frame  11 , specific packaging components of the soft or rigid types of packets, these specific packaging components being hereinafter labeled  13  as a whole. 
     Usually, both the soft packet  1  and the rigid packet  1  have a revenue stamp  14 , which in the case of the soft packet  1 , illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, is applied over the top end  4  of the inner wrap  2 , the two ends of the stamp reaching the top edge of the corresponding label  6 , while, in the case of the rigid packet  1 , illustrated in FIG. 7, it is applied to the rear sidewall  3  of the corresponding outer wrap  5 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, the rigid packet  1  may have an insert  15  such as a card, coupon or similar items bearing text, figures, or, more often, images which constitute messages of various kinds directed at consumers. 
     The revenue stamp  14  and insert  15  constitute additional packaging components, hereinafter labeled  16  and made of a second wrapping material  17 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  4 ,  5  and  6 , each packet  1  comprises a magnetic data storage medium  18  applied to a specified area  19  of at least one of the specific packaging components  13  of the packet  1 , that is to say, the magnetic data storage medium  18  is applied to the corresponding area  19  in a hidden position not visible from the outside of the packet  1 . 
     In particular, in FIGS. 2 and 5, the magnetic storage medium  18  is applied directly to a well-defined area  19  of the foil forming the inner wrap  2  and is therefore covered by the label  6  in the case of a soft packet  1 , illustrated in FIG. 1, and by the lid  10  in the case of a rigid packet  1 , illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
     In FIGS. 1 and 4, the magnetic storage medium  18  is applied directly to a well-defined area  19  of the inside surface of the outer wrap  5 , that is to say, in FIG. 1, it is applied directly to an area  19  of the inside surface of the label  6 , whilst in FIG. 4, it is applied directly to an area  19  of the inside surface of the lid  10  or of the container  9 . 
     FIG. 6 on the other hand, shows the magnetic storage medium  18  applied directly to a well-defined area  19  of the outside or inside surface of the inner frame  11 . 
     The area  19  where the magnetic storage medium  18  is applied may be located anywhere on the inner wrap  2 , on the outer wrap  5  and on the inner frame  11  and the position may vary with each different batch of packets  1  to be made. What is important is that the medium  18  is not visible from the outside of the packet  1 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the magnetic storage medium  18  can be applied directly to the inside surface of the stamp  14  which comes into contact with the top end  4  of the inner wrap  2  or of the label  6 , in the case of the soft packet  1  illustrated in FIG. 3 or with the outer wrap  5  in the case of the rigid packet  1  illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     Finally, as shown in FIG. 8, the magnetic storage medium may be applied directly to a well-defined area  19  of the outside or inside surface of the insert  15 . 
     According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, the magnetic data storage medium  18  consists of a layer  20  of plastic, resistant to relatively high temperatures, extending mainly along an axis  21  and having a set of separate magnetic elements  22  applied to it, these being distributed in such a way that, once they are magnetized, they form a preset code which provides a given piece of information. 
     In this embodiment, the medium  18  is usually pre-recorded and the preset code is obtained by distributing the separate magnetic elements  22  along a given distribution line  23  which is substantially parallel to, or coincident with, the axis  21  and by varying the spacing and/or size of the magnetic elements  22 . 
     In FIG. 13, the magnetic data storage medium  18  consists of a layer  20  of plastic, resistant to relatively high temperatures, and also extending mainly along an axis  21 . A first face of the layer  20  has a continuous, uniform layer  24  of magnetic material with a high magnetic coercive force. On the face of the plastic layer  20  opposite the face with the continuous, uniform layer of magnetic material  24 , there is a continuous, uniform layer of magnetizable material. In this particular embodiment, the continuous magnetizable layer is designed to be magnetized at certain positions in such a way as to form magnetized elements, labeled  22 ′, distributed along a line  23  that is substantially parallel to, or coincident with, the axis  21  of the plastic layer  20 . 
     This is achieved by the effect of the mutual magnetic induction generated by the magnetic layer  24  with high coercive force each time the latter is subjected to a pulse of a magnetic field generated by magnetic writing means, consisting of a magnetic write head  25  which acts directly on the magnetic layer  24  with high coercive force. In this way, the head  25 , controlled by a conventional control circuit (not illustrated), magnetizes the continuous layer so as to define a preset succession of the elements  22 ′ to form a code that provides a given piece of information. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, which generically represents a part of a packaging machine labeled  26  as a whole, the magnetic medium  18  is made in the form of a continuous strip  27  wound on a corresponding bobbin  28 . In this generic embodiment of the part of packaging machine  26 , each specific packaging component  13  of the packets  1  may be obtained from a continuous tape  29  of a first wrapping material  8 , which, during use, is fed along a first given path P 1  in a first given direction F 1  to an applicator unit  30  of known type, consisting, for example, of a pair of counter-rotating rollers  31 , to which the magnetic strip  27  is fed at the same time and in synchrony along a second given feed path P 2  in a second given direction F 2 . At said unit  30 , of known type, consisting, for example, of a pair of counter-rotating rollers  31  located on opposite sides of said first and second feed paths P 1  and P 2 , the strip  27  is applied to at least one specified area of the first wrapping material  8 . 
     Thereafter, the wrapping material  8 , with the strip  27  attached to it, is fed along a third given path P 3  in a third given direction F 3  to a station  32  where the wrapping material is cut into lengths  33 , each with a piece of strip  27  attached to it, the lengths being then fed to a packaging station  34  where the packets  1  are made. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, a magnetic strip  27  of the type illustrated in FIG. 13 is usually used and, downstream of the applicator unit  30 , there is a magnetic write head  25  designed to record a code on the magnetic strip  27  in the manner described above. Downstream of the packaging station  34 , another magnetic head may be envisaged, this one being a read head designed to check that the code has been recorded correctly. 
     It should be noticed that, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the first wrapping material  8 , may consist of foil used to make the inner wrap  2 , or wrapping material forming the label  6  in the case of soft packets  1 , or a wrapping material used to make the inner frames  11  or the inserts  15  in the case of rigid packets  1 . In the case of the inserts  15 , the continuous tape  29  will consist of a tape of a second wrapping material  17  used to make said additional components  16 . This is true even in the case where the strip  27  is applied to the stamp  14 . 
     In FIG. 10, the part of packaging machine  26  is used to make rigid packets  1 . In this case, during use, a plurality of ready-weakened flat blanks  12 , fed out of a magazine  36 , are moved in succession along the first feed path P 1  and in the first direction F 1  to said applicator unit  30 . At the same time and in synchrony with this, the magnetic strip  27  is fed along the second path P 2  in the second direction F 2  to said applicator unit  30 , through a cutting station  37  which cuts the strip  27  into lengths  38  which are then fed to said unit  30  where they are applied to a specified area  19  of each blank  12  at a position where it will not be visible from the outside when the blank  12  is folded around the corresponding wrap  2  placed around a group of cigarettes. 
     Each blank  12  with the length  33  of magnetic strip  27  applied to it is then fed along the third path P 3  in the third direction F 3  to a packaging station  34 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, the strip  27  may be used in the form illustrated in FIG.  13  and may therefore be magnetically recorded by the write head  25  downstream of the unit  30  or it may be used in the form illustrated in FIG. 12, that is to say, it is a pre-recorded strip  27 . 
     The pre-recorded strip  27  can also be used in the embodiment illustrated in FIG.  9 . In this case, a number or piece of information might be associated with a given combination of magnetic elements  22  with a specified spacing between them so that each packet  1  has on it, in a specified hidden position  19 , a length  33  of magnetic strip having a specified code recorded on it. 
     Finally, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, where the portion of packaging machine  26  is used to make soft packets  1 , a series of lengths  7  of first, soft wrapping material  8 , consisting for example of a label  6 , fed out from a magazine  40 , are fed along the first path P 1  in the direction F 1  to the applicator unit  30 , in exactly the same way as described for the embodiment illustrated in FIG.  10 . At the same time and in synchrony with this, the magnetic strip  27  is fed along the second path P 2  in the second direction F 2  towards the unit  30  through a cutting station  37  which cuts the strip  27  into lengths  38  which are then fed to said unit  30  where they are applied to a specified area  19  of each length  7  at a position that will not be visible from the outside when the label  6  is folded around the corresponding wrap  2  placed around a group of cigarettes. 
     The advantages of this type of packet  1  are due to the fact that the length  38  of strip  27  of magnetic material is not visible from the outside and provides an effective means of preventing the packets from being counterfeited. Moreover, the use of a magnetic medium  18  of the type described above and illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, applied directly to the first wrapping material  8  or second wrapping material  17  eliminates the problem connected with the relatively high thermosealing temperatures reached by the wrapping machines used to overwrap the packets with a film of thermosealable plastic.