Patent Abstract:
Employed in the manufacture of (cigarette) packs of the hinge-lid type, preferably as a multipack, is a blank comprising a main package blank ( 17 ) and a collar ( 15 ) connected thereto as a single piece. A resulting complete blank is processed according to the transverse enveloping principle. The collar ( 15 ) is connected to the package blank ( 17 ) by means of a marginal folding line ( 41 ) in the region of an outer box side tab ( 18 ).

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to a hinged-lid box for cigarettes or cigarette packs, comprising a single-piece package blank made of (thin) cardboard for the purpose of forming a box part with box front wall, box rear wall, box side walls and a lid having lid front wall, lid rear wall and lid side walls, it being possible during the finishing process of the hinge-lid box to fold a collar, which is connected as a single piece to one side of the package blank, against an inner side of the package blank.  
         [0002]     Such blanks are usually processed according to the transverse enveloping principle.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The invention is based on the object of further developing and improving the aforementioned hinge-lid box, thus making it possible to manufacture hinge-lid boxes on high-performance packaging machines.  
         [0004]     To achieve this object, the hinge-lid box according to the invention, or a blank for its manufacture, is characterized by the following features: 
        a) the package blank forms successive or continuous regions for an outer box side tab and lid side tab, box front wall and lid front wall, box side wall and lid side wall, box rear wall and lid rear wall, as well as marginal connective strips for connecting opposite marginal side tabs,     b) the collar is attached to a free edge of the side tab.        
 
         [0007]     During the production of the hinge-lid box, a first folding step involves folding the collar into the correct package position abutting the side tabs, the box front wall and the box side wall. The blank can now be folded around the package contents, with the (centered) box side wall with lid side wall being placed on a narrow side of the object to be wrapped and which can also be further processed by making U-folds.  
         [0008]     The collar as part of the overall blank has a special configuration, specifically concerning the course of a top collar edge with respect to the relative position to the package blank and its dimensions.  
         [0009]     Hinge-lid boxes made from the blank according to the invention are particularly advantageous for use as a suitable multipack for cigarettes, i.e. for accommodating a group of cigarette packs. One special feature is that by virtue of the sizing of the blank and the resulting hinge-lid box, a group of five adjacent cigarette packs are arranged in an upright position within the hinge-lid box. In addition, it is possible to connect two thusly formed multipack hinge-lid boxes to form a divisible or detachable unit, with the base walls of the hinge-lid boxes lying against one another, which can be detachably connected by means of adhesive tabs or the like, for example. According to a further special feature, the cigarette packs are arranged in the hinge-lid box, which is designed to give the impression of a multipack, by being stacked on top of one another and arranged with their large-surface pack sides facing one another, in particular with rear wall facing front wall. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Further special features of the hinge-lid box and blank according to the invention will be discussed in more detail below with the help of the drawings, which show:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hinge-lid box in its closed position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is the package according to  FIG. 1  with the lid in an open position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a laid-open blank, namely the complete blank for a hinge-lid box according to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows the blank, or complete blank, according to  FIG. 3  in an intermediate folding position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the hinge-lid box with closed lid.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a different embodiment of a hinged-lid box or multipack with open lid.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  shows a modified blank for a hinge-lid box (element) of the multipack according to  FIG. 6 , in laid-out position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a hinge-lid box as a multipack for cigarettes. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings are hinge-lid boxes for accommodating a group of packs, namely cigarette packs  10 . These are also hinge-lid packages whose embodiment is basically known. The group is arranged in a large-volume multipack configured as a hinge-lid package. The positioning of the cigarette packs  10  in the exemplary embodiment according to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  is made as two pack groups  11 ,  12  arranged one above the other. The cigarette packs  10  within the pack groups  11 ,  12  are positioned next to each other in a row and aligned one above the other such that two cigarette pack  10  each are arranged exactly one above the other, with a total of ten cigarette packs  10 . The pack contents formed in this manner completely fills the multipack, or hinge-lid box.  
         [0020]     The hinge-lid box is comprised, in conventional manner, of a lower box part  13  and an (upper) lid  14 . Disposed within the hinge-lid box is a collar  15 , which is seated within the box part  13  with a predominant, lower section. An upper collar head  16  which projects above the box part  13  is surrounded by the lid  14  when the box is closed.  
         [0021]     The overall hinge-lid box comprises a single-piece blank, namely a complete blank pursuant to  FIG. 3 . As part of the complete blank, a package blank  17  forms mutually delimited blank regions by means of embossed lines, namely—following one another in the transverse direction—a marginal box side tab  18  with lid side tab  19  joining it at the top. Adjacent thereto is a box front wall  20  with a connected lid front wall  21 . Following in the transverse direction is a box side wall  22  with lid side wall  23 . Connected thereto are box rear wall  24  and lid rear wall  25 . Located at the free edge of the box rear wall  24  is a box strip  26  with a corresponding lid strip  27 . The projecting walls of the box part  13 , on one hand, and the lid  14 , on the other hand, are delimited from one another in the region of the front wall and side walls by means of a punched line  28 , which has a plurality of residual connections  29 ,  30  of the material for the purpose of creating a connection between the lid  14  and box part  13  before the lid  14  is opened for the first time. Formed in the region of the box front wall  20  and lid front wall  21  are two residual connections  29  located at a distance from one another, while a centered residual connection  30  is formed in each region of box side tab  18  and box side wall  22 . The residual connections  29 ,  30  are severed when the lid  14  is opened for the first time. The box rear wall  24  and lid rear wall  25  are delimited from each other by a hinged line  31  which is configured as a punched line in some of its regions. The punched line  28  runs in the region of the box side tab  18  and in the region of the box side wall  22  in an oblique downward direction to a transverse section of the punched line  28  in the region of the box front wall  20 . Formed in the middle of the box front wall  20  at the lower side of the punched line  28  is an orifice  32  which is delimited in a semicircular shape and which facilitates the opening of the hinge-lid box when it is used for the first time.  
         [0022]     An upper end wall  33  of the lid  14  and a lower base wall  34  of the box part  13  each comprise a plurality of folding tabs folded over one another which are arranged in the extension of the walls  19 ,  21 ,  23 ,  25  and the walls  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 , respectively. Arranged in the region of box side tabs  18  and lid side tab  19  as well as in the region of the box side wall  22  and the lid side wall  23  are trapezoid-shaped corner tabs, which in the finished hinge-lid box lie on the inner side of end wall  33  and base wall  34 . An essentially rectangular inner tab  37  is attached in the region of the box front wall  20  and in the region of the lid front wall  21 . This inner tab  37  is slightly smaller than the surface area of end wall  33  and base wall  34 . The inner tab  37  lies on the outer side of the corner tabs  35 ,  36 . Outer corner tabs  38  are arranged in the region of box rear wall  24  and lid rear wall  25 . The cover tabs  38  form the outer side or outer layer of end wall  33  and base wall  34 .  
         [0023]     The respective cover tabs  38  correspond exactly in size and contour to the end wall  33  and base wall  34 .  
         [0024]     One special feature is the positioning of the collar  15  as part of the complete blank. The collar  15  is attached to the box side tab  18 , specifically with one of two collar flaps  39 ,  40 . The collar flap  40  is connected to a free edge of the box side tab  18  by means of a folding line  41 . The folding line  41  is formed by punching and partial cuts that allow for easy non-stressed folding.  
         [0025]     The collar  15  has in the region of a central collar front wall  42  a conventional center depression  43  that is bordered by an upper collar edge  44 . Proceeding from each collar corner  45  the collar edge  44  extends downwards at an oblique angle, specifically as a continuation of the oblique course across the two collar flaps  39 ,  40 . In the region of the box side tab  18  the collar edge  44  precisely meets the end of the punched line  28 , but at a slightly different angle.  
         [0026]     In a first folding step during the production of the hinge-lid box, the collar  15  is folded at the folding line  41  until it lies on the inner side of the package blank  17  ( FIG. 4 ). In the process, the collar flap  40  lies on the inner side of the box side tab  18 . This first folding step is preferably already executed during the production of the blank in a paper or paper board manufacturing plant, so that, in terms of the collar  15 , prepared, partially-folded blanks for further processing can be delivered. The collar front wall  42  covers a part of the box front wall  20  and the lid front wall  21 . In addition, the collar flap  39  lies on the box side wall  22 . In this folded position the collar  15  is merely connected to the package blank  17  in the region of the box side tab  18 , namely by means of (two) glue beads  46 . This first folding step is expediently executed by the manufacturer of the blanks, so that blanks in the shape shown in  FIG. 4  are delivered and fed to the packer.  
         [0027]     The blank can now be folded around the block-shaped package contents, expediently by laying the box side wall  22  and lid side wall  23  on the package contents and folding the rest of the blank in a U-shaped manner. In order to complete a sleeve-like intermediate folding position, the box strips  26  are connected to the free side of the collar flap  40  by adhesive bonding.  
         [0028]     Correspondingly, the lid strip  27  separated from the box strip  26  is likewise connected by adhesive bonding to the inner side of the lid side tab  19 . Afterwards the folding tabs for forming the end wall  33  and base wall  34  are folded and joined to each other by adhesive bonding.  
         [0029]     By virtue of the course of the punched line  28 , on one hand, and the contours of the collar  15 , in particular the collar edge  44 , on the other hand, the collar edge  44  in the region of the box side tab  18  and in the region of the box side wall  22  runs from the front side of the hinge-lid box to its rear side in a oblique downward direction, while a closing edge formed by the punched line  28  assumes an oblique upward direction from the front side to the rear side. Collar edge  44  and closing edge, or punched line,  28  converge at an acute angle and meet at a contact point  48  at the rear side.  
         [0030]     Due to the package construction outlined above, box strip  26  and lid strip  27  are separated from each other by a wedge-shaped cutout  49  at the height of the hinged line  31 . This results in obliquely directed edges of the box strip  26  and lid strip  27  corresponding to the course of the closing edge and collar edge  44  ( FIG. 5 ). The angle defined by the cutout  49  is somewhat greater than the angle defined by the collar edge  44  and closing edge in the region of the package sides, with the result that the oblique edges of the box strip  27  and lid strip  27  bordering the cutout  49  are not visible from the exterior ( FIG. 5 ).  
         [0031]     A special feature is the design of the hinge-lid box with round package edges  50 ,  51  in the region of the box part  13  and lid  14  as well as in the region of the collar  15 . The rounding of the package edges  50 ,  51  has in particular been sized to conform to the dimensions of the package contents in this region, in particular to the rounded shape of cigarettes—for cigarette pack  10 —or to the rounded contours of cigarette packs  10  with round corners ( FIG. 2 ). However, the roundings of the package edges  50 ,  51  can also exhibit a greater radius. The collar  15  being then so configured that after the first folding step ( FIG. 4 ), round edges  52 ,  53  of the collar  15  lie precisely on the associated package edges  50 ,  51  of the box front wall  20 . In addition, the collar  15  is configured namely with respect to the course of the collar edge  44  such that the contact point  48  lies outside the region of the round package edges  50 ,  51  ( FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, due to punchings  54 , the resulting configuration of the inside folding tabs of end wall  33  and base wall  34  is such that their formation lies outside the region of the round package edges  50 ,  51 .  
         [0032]     Analogously, the package can also be designed with oblique edges, i.e. with beveled package edges, resulting in an package having an octagonal cross section.  
         [0033]     In a multipack for two pack groups  11 ,  12  arranged one above the other, the collar  15  is dimensioned such that a lower edge  55  extends at a slight distance above the base wall  34 . The collar  15  has been dimensioned such that the cigarette packs  10  of both pack groups  11 ,  12  are provided with stable support. This means that the collar  15  extends at least to a point below the middle of the cigarette packs  10  of the lower pack group  12 .  
         [0034]     A special feature is shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 . A multipack designed as a hinge-lid pack is comprised of two sub-packages  56 ,  57 . Each of these sup-packages  56 ,  57  is a hinge-lid box having the features of the exemplary embodiment pursuant to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 . The only difference is in the dimensions of the blank and thus of the hinge-lid box or sub-package  56 ,  57 . For each sub-package  56 ,  57  is dimensioned such that a pack group  11  or  12  of five cigarette packs  10  can be accommodated in a sub-package  56 ,  57 . Here the cigarette packs  10  are ordered in the same manner as the pack groups in the hinge-lid box pursuant to  FIG. 2 , i.e. positioned upright and occupying the complete volume of the package. In this exemplary embodiment a collar  15  also extends to the immediate region of a base wall, with the result that collar front wall  42  and collar flaps  39 ,  40  support the (individual) pack group  11 ,  12  across practically its complete height.  
         [0035]     In  FIG. 6 , two such sub-packages  56 ,  57  have been consolidated to form a multipack unit. To this end, two sub-packages  56 ,  57  of matching configuration lie with their base walls  34  against one another. In this region the sub-packages  56 ,  57  are (detachably) connected to one another. The shown exemplary embodiment has in each region of adjacent narrow side walls a connecting element, namely an adhesive label  58  with a weakening line, namely a perforation line  59  in the region of the abutting base walls  34 . The unit shown in  FIG. 6  can be divided by the dealer or consumer by severing the perforation line  59 .  
         [0036]     The arrangement of the sub-packages  56 ,  57  has been chosen in order that they are laterally reversed, i.e. with each box front wall  20  of the one sub-package  56  being on the same side as the box rear wall  24  of the other sub-package  57 .  
         [0037]     Another special feature is shown in  FIG. 8 . There too a hinge-lid box—whose cross-section exhibits right-angle pack corners—is configured as a multipack for a number of cigarette packs  10 . The special feature here is the arrangement of the cigarette packs  10  within the hinge-lid box. These are positioned in the hinge-lid box with their large-surface pack sides, namely with front side and rear side, facing each other. Their plan view dimension has been chosen to correspond to the front or rear side of a standard cigarette pack  10 . The height of the hinge-lid box corresponds to the number of cigarette packs  10  lying flat and arranged one above the other; in the exemplary embodiment pursuant to  FIG. 8  this is the height of five cigarette packs  10 .  
       List of Designations  
       [0000]    
       
           10  cigarette pack  41  folding line  
           11  pack group  42  collar front wall  
           12  pack group  43  depression  
           13  box part  44  collar edge  
           14  lid  45  collar corner  
           15  collar  46  glue bead  
           16  collar head  48  contact point  
           17  package blank  49  cutout  
           18  box side tab  50  package edge  
           19  lid side tab  51  package edge  
           20  box front wall  52  round edge  
           21  lid front wall  53  round edge  
           22  box side wall  54  punching  
           23  lid side wall  55  lower edge  
           24  box rear wall  56  sub-package  
           25  lid rear wall  57  sub-package  
           26  box strip  58  adhesive label  
           27  lid strip  59  perforation line  
           28  punched line  
           29  residual connection  
           30  residual connection  
           31  hinged line  
           32  orifice  
           33  end wall  
           34  base wall  
           35  cornertab  
           36  cornertab  
           37  innertab  
           38  covertab  
           39  collar flap  
           40  collar flap

Technology Classification (CPC): 1