EP1581443A1

EP1581443A1 - Packaging, in particular cigarette packaging, and method and device for production therof

Info

Publication number: EP1581443A1
Application number: EP03782487A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heinz Focke; Anton Pawlakowitsch; Kurt Meyer; Martin Stiller
Original assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2003-01-03
Filing date: 2003-12-29
Publication date: 2005-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2023-12-29
Also published as: EP1581443B1; ATE399135T1; WO2004060774A1; DE50310047D1; AU2003290125A1; DE10300254A1

Abstract

The invention relates to cigarette packagings (10), provided with security devices (11) for prevention of unauthorised removal, which correspond in a conventional manner to locks. The security devices (11) are arranged within the packaging (10) and in particular between two adjacent folded tabs of the packaging (10). The sensors for the security devices (11), already mounted on a section of the packaging (10) arrive in the functionally required relative position during the production and folding process.

Description

PACK, ESPECIALLY CIGARETTE PACK, METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

description

The invention relates to a pack, in particular a cigarette pack, of at least one blank of packaging material for wrapping a pack content. The invention further relates to methods and apparatus for producing packs.

With cigarette packs there is an increasing need for security against theft. The invention is therefore based on the object of proposing a pack, in particular a cigarette pack, which is secured against theft.

To achieve this object, the (cigarette) pack according to the invention is characterized by the following features:

a) at least one activatable and deactivatable, electronic or electromagnetic security device is attached to the blank,

b) the security element is attached to the blank before wrapping the package contents.

Electronic security devices are known in various designs. All designs are based on the principle of attaching a security label to the goods, which will address locks at the exit of a shop if the label has not been deactivated. A deactivation is often done by a magnetic pen at the checkout when paying. The known security devices or labels are usually attached to the outside of packages. According to the invention, it is provided that the packaging material, namely a material web or prefabricated blanks, is provided with the securing elements, in such a way that they are within the package, ie covered, arranged. Another special feature is that in the case of security devices comprising a plurality of sensors, in particular two sensors, or sensor components, they are attached to the package or packaging material in such a way that the sensors or components are separated from one another before the package is completed and by the folding process of a cut into the relative positions required for the effectiveness of the security mechanism are brought together. According to the invention, the sensors or components can be attached by printing on the packaging material, in particular blanks made from thin cardboard. Accordingly, metallic sensors are applied to the packaging material by printing technology.

For the manufacture of cigarette packs in particular, a method is proposed according to the invention in which the attachment of securing elements to the cigarette pack is integrated in the manufacturing process of the pack, in particular when an outer wrapping made of film is attached. According to the invention, a correspondingly designed securing element is attached in the region of a tear strip for the outer covering, namely between the tear strip on the one hand and the outer covering on the other.

A special feature are activation and control elements in the area of the packaging machine to ensure the functionality of safety elements on packs. The device according to the invention is provided in the region of the path of movement of the packaging material, in particular a material web, with a plurality of organs for activating, deactivating and for checking the condition of the security elements.

Further features of the invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments of packs, methods and apparatus. It shows: 1 is a perspective view of a pack, namely a folding box for cigarettes,

2 shows a spread blank for a pack according to FIG. 1,

3 shows an inner blank for a pack according to FIG. 1,

4 is a perspective view of a cigarette box for cigarettes of another embodiment,

5 shows a blank for the pack according to FIG. 4,

6 a packaging machine in a schematic side view,

Fig. 7 shows a detail of the device of FIG. 6 in an enlarged scale

Scale,

8 shows a detail of FIG. 7, namely a detail VIII, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 9 shows the detail of FIG. 8 in a changed position of details.

According to FIGS. 1 to 5, the configuration of packs 10, namely cigarette packs of the hinged box or hinge lid type, is concerned. Such a pack 10 normally consists of a blank in the form of FIG. 2. Furthermore, the structure of the pack 10 includes an inner blank or an inner wrapping made of tinfoil or paper in the embodiment of FIG. 3.

The pack 10 is equipped with organs or sensors for securing against theft. 1 to 3 are in the embodiment

Security organs 11 simplified, represented symbolically by a line. In the In practice, this can be any suitable security system based on electronic or (electro) magnetic working methods. The pack 10 is equipped with at least one safety element 11 which is activated or not active by default. Wire-shaped or strip-shaped sensors which consist of two (metal) alloys are particularly advantageous. The two alloys interact with each other and, when activated, respond to locks at the exit of a shop.

The securing members 11 are arranged within the pack or at least covered by parts of the pack. Fig. 2 shows advantageous

Possibilities for attaching the security organ 11. The

Security devices 11 are attached to the inside of the blank. The

Examples relate to a standard configuration of the package 10, consisting of a box part 12 and a lid 13. The one-piece blank (FIG. 2) is constructed such that a box front wall 14, a bottom wall 15, one

Box rear wall 16, a lid rear wall 17, an end wall 18 and one

Cover front wall 19 follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the blank and are delimited from one another and from folding tabs by longitudinal and transverse folding lines. On the free side of the lid front wall 19, a lid inner tab 20 is attached, which in the finished pack against the inside of the

Lid front wall 19 is folded over.

Lateral folding tabs are attached to the aforementioned walls, namely outer box side tabs 21, inner box side tabs 22 and corresponding lid side tabs 23 and 24. The box side tabs 21, 22 on the one hand and lid side tabs 23, 24 on the other hand form box side walls 25 or lid side walls 26.

According to FIG. 2, optimal positions for the securing element 11 are the (inside) of the lid front wall 19, specifically on an edge facing the lid inner tab 20, so that the latter secures the securing element 11 finished pack covered. Alternatively, a securing element 11 (in the middle) can be attached in the region of the end wall 18 of the lid, or - in an upright position - on the back wall 16 of the box, on the bottom wall 15 or on one of the outer side flaps 21 of the box. It is advantageous to position the security element 11 in the area of a barcode 27 usually present in such packs. In the present case, this is attached to the outside of the box side wall 25 or the box side tab 21. The security element 11 is positioned on the inside in the region of the barcode 27, that is to say here on the inside of the outer box side tab 21 and thus between two folding tabs glued together.

Alternatively, securing members 11 can be attached to the inner blank (FIG. 3), expediently on the outside thereof. In the example shown, an upright securing element is attached in the region of an inner rear wall 28 of the inner blank. A transverse protection element 11 in the region of a flap is advantageous. 29, that is to say a flap that can be separated from the inner blank by means of a transverse perforation line 30.

Another advantageous alternative is indicated in FIG. 1 and described in more detail below. A securing element 11 is here attached to an outer covering 31, specifically in the region of a tear strip 32. The elongated, wire-like securing element 11 is attached between the outer covering 31 and the tear strip 32, the securing element being attached to the outer covering by means of adhesive or by thermal sealing 31 fixed tear strip 32 is held.

The securing members 11 are - except for the embodiment of FIG. 1 - attached to the packaging material before completion of the pack or before initiation of folding processes, either on the individual blanks (FIG. 2) or on a material web for producing blanks thin material, for example the inner casing according to Fig. 3. Die Security organs 11 can be positioned in the area of the packaging machine. 2, the securing members 11 can advantageously be positioned directly at the production site, so that blanks completely provided with a securing member 11 are made available to the packaging machine.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 also relates to a (cigarette) pack 10 of the hinged box type. In this example, security elements 11 are used, which consist of two (or more) interacting partial elements or sensors. These are attached to the package or to the blank according to FIG. 5 such that the sensors are originally attached to different parts of the blank at a distance from one another. It is only through the production of the package 10, that is to say through the folding process, that the sensors assigned to one another reach the relative position required for the function of the securing element. In this example, a first sensor 33 is positioned in the area of the lid 13 in the area of the lid inner tab 20. A second, assigned sensor 34 is attached to the cover front wall 19. The relative position of the sensors 33 and 34 with respect to one another is selected such that after folding the inner lid flap 20 they come into the relative position to one another required for the function, namely in particular lie against one another. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first sensor 33 consists of a thin amorphous metal strip. The sensor 34 consists of two metal plates arranged at a distance from one another and having permanent magnetic properties.

In a further embodiment, sensors 58, 59 of the securing element 11 designed in the same way as the sensors 33, 34 are arranged in the region of the side tabs, namely the box side tabs 21, 22. During the production of the pack 10, the box side tabs 21, 22 overlap to form the box side wall 25. As a result, the sensors 58, 59 come into the correct relative position to one another. In the further exemplary embodiment also shown in FIG. 5, sensors 35, 36 are likewise mounted in the region of box side tabs 21, 22 and, due to the folding, reach the required relative position to one another. This security element 11 works with a thin, hard magnetic strip as sensor 35 and a thin, amorphous strip as sensor 36. In the embodiment shown here, an acustomagnetic security element 11 is also referred to as a resonator and is magnetized for activation. In this exemplary embodiment, the security element 11 consisting of the sensors 35, 36 is positioned in the area of a bar code 27 and can therefore be deactivated by reading the bar code 27.

Depending on their function, the sensors 33..36 and 58, 59 can be attached to the printed, outer side of the blank or to the inside. With a corresponding function, the sensors can be positioned such that after the folding process they are in a relative position to one another that is required for the function, but are separated from one another by a position of the packaging material if the function requires this.

In the example of FIG. 5, the sensors 33, 34 arranged in the region of the cover 13 are both attached to the inside of the blank. The sensors 58, 59 of the lid side tabs 21, 22 are located on the one hand on the outside of the blank, namely the sensor 58 on the inside box side tab 22. The sensor 59 is positioned on the inside of the outer box side tab 21. The same applies to sensors 35 and 36. All sensors 33..36, 58, 59 can - or are - insofar as this is feasible in terms of production technology - attached by printing on the packaging material or on the blank, in particular by printing on metallic strips or surfaces , The sensors 33..36, 58, 59 are accordingly attached during the production of the blank. If security devices 11 or sensors are attached to thin-walled packaging material available as a material web, it is advantageous to attach the security devices 11 in the area of a packaging machine. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a packaging machine for attaching the outer covering 31 made of thin film to packs 10 that are otherwise finished. A cut of the outer covering 31 is provided in the area of a cutting station 37 for one pack each. The outer casing 31 is completed by folding steps and sealing in the area of a folding turret 38. This is followed by a horizontal or rectilinear packing path 39 for the packages 10 ejected from the folding turret 38.

The blanks for the outer covering 31 are separated from a continuous material web 40 made of film. This is drawn off from a bobbin 41 and fed to a thread station 42 via deflection rollers. In its area, the tear strip 32 is applied as a continuous narrow strip of material to the material web 40 and connected to it by gluing. The tear strip 32 is pulled off a thread bobbin 43.

In this exemplary embodiment, a securing element 11 is attached to the outer wrapper 31 before it is connected to the pack 10. Specifically, it is a matter of attaching an elongated, thin, wire-shaped securing element 11 in the region between tear strip 32 and outer casing 31. Outside, the securing element 11 is covered by the tear strip 32, which also serves as a fixing means for the securing element 11.

The thread station 42 is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 in detail and on an enlarged scale. The material web 40 has print marks (not shown) which are scanned by a print mark reader 44 to control the feed of the tear strip 32 and in particular the securing element 11. This is positioned in the area of a pressure roller 45 in the wedge-shaped gap inserted between material web 40 and tear strip 32, taken away and fixed. The tear strip 32 is guided around the pressure roller 45.

The wire-shaped securing element 11 is prepared by a feed unit 46 and fed in positionally. The securing member 11 is separated piece by piece from a continuous strip of material 47. The wire-shaped

Material strip 47 is fed to a separating unit with cutting rollers 48, 49.

These are driven and also serve as a feed roller. The strip of material

47 is guided in front of the cutting rollers 48, 49 via a guide element, namely via a guide roller 50 which is completely wrapped around by the material strip 47 at least once. Following the guide roller 50, the

Material strips 47 into a guide channel 51 which is aligned with the cutting rollers 48, 49. The guide channel 51 is connected to the cutting rollers 48,

49 continued, so that the separated security members 11 by a rigid, arcuate guide member due to the feed through the

Cutting rollers 48, 49 in the position between material web 40 and

Tear strips 32 are introduced and taken away by them.

Following the thread station 42, a material web 40 provided with functional securing members 11 is accordingly fed to the cutting station 37. On the way to the cutting station, the security devices 11 are checked for their presence and functionality. For this purpose, the material web 40 is moved past test organs. These are each positioned in the area of a vertical conveyor section of the material web 40.

A first organ is an actuator 52, which activates the security elements 11 that are moved past, in particular — if applicable — magnetizes them. The actuator 52 is followed by a test sensor 53 which detects the activation of the safety devices 11 and thus tests it. In a further vertical conveying section, the material web 40 is moved past a deactivation element 54. This has the task of deactivating the security devices 11 that have already been activated, ie making them ineffective. The result of the deactivation element 54 is then checked by a control element, namely by a test sensor 55.

Accordingly, in the area of the cutting station 37, cuts are made available which are provided with functionally checked but deactivated, that is to say neutral, safety devices 11. The blanks are then folded around the packs 10. After leaving the folding turret 38, the packs 10 are guided past further organs, namely firstly at a further actuator 56 and then at a test sensor 57 for checking the activation if this has been initiated. In this area it is determined whether the security element 11 of the package 10 is activated or remains inactive according to the wishes of the respective customer). The latter is desirable, for example, for sales via kiosk shops or via vending machines.

Insofar as security devices 11 are designed such that movement (vibration) of a sensor when activating and / or responding in a lock are required, corresponding sensors can be attached to the packaging material before the packaging process with the aid of overlapping, for example adhesive, films.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 pack 35 sensor

11 Safety device 36 sensor

12 box part 37 cutting station

13 lid 38 folding turret

14 box front wall 39 packaging line

15 bottom wall 40 material web

16 box back wall 41 bobbin

17 Lid rear wall 42 Thread station

18 end wall 43 thread bobbin

19 Lid front wall 44 Print mark reader

20 inner lid lugs 45 pressure roller

21 box side tabs 46 feed unit

(outside) 47 strips of material

22 box side tabs 48 cutting roller

(inside) 49 cutting roller

23 cover side tabs 50 guide roller

24 cover side tabs 51 guide channel

25 box side wall 52 actuator

26 Lid side wall 53 Test sensor

27 Barcode 54 Deactivation device

28 Interior rear wall 55 Test sensor

29 Flap 56 actuator

30 perforation line 57 test sensor

31 outer covering 58 sensor

32 tear strips 59 sensor

33 sensor.

34 sensor

Claims

claims

1.Pack, in particular cigarette pack made of at least one blank made of packaging material for wrapping a pack contents, characterized by the following features: a) at least one activatable and deactivatable electronic or electromagnetic security element (11) is attached to the blank, b) the security element (11) attached to the blank before wrapping the package contents.

2. Pack according to claim 1, characterized in that the securing member (11) is attached to an inside of the blank or the pack.

3. Pack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the case of cigarette packs with an inner wrapping and outer pack, namely a folding box or soft cup, a securing member (11) is attached to the inner blank or to the blank of the pack (10).

4. Package according to claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in a hinged box, a securing member (11) on an end wall (18) or on a box rear wall (16) or on a bottom wall (15) or between two adjacent and interconnected folding tabs, in particular box side tabs (21, 22) or lid front wall on the one hand and lid inner tabs (20) on the other.

5. Package according to claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the case of securing members (11) from at least two interacting sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58, 59) each have a sensor on a folding tab and another assigned Sensor is attached to another folding tab, such that the sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58, 59) assigned to one another are positioned in a functionally required relative position to one another after folding, in particular when the pack (10) is finished.

6. Package according to claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that the securing members (11) or their sensors (33, 34;

35, 36; 58, 59) are attached by printing, in particular of metallic surfaces, to the packaging material, in particular to a blank for hinged boxes.

7. Pack according to claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that an outer wrapping (31) made of film, in particular for a cigarette packet of the hinged box type, is provided with a securing element (11), preferably a strip-shaped or wire-shaped securing element ( 11) in the area between the outer casing (31) and a tear strip (32) attached to it.

8. Package according to claim 1 or one of the further claims, characterized in that a security element (11) or a sensor thereof is positioned in the region of a bar code (27) attached to the outside of the package (10).

9. Method for producing packs (10), in particular cigarette packs, from at least one blank, characterized by the following features: a) the blank is provided in the unfolded state on the inside with a securing member (11) or with two sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58, 59) to form a securing member (11), b) the blank is then turned around folded the contents of a pack in such a way that, in the case of security devices (11), consisting of two sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58,

59) the sensors assigned to one another are arranged in a functionally required relative position to one another.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that when using thin, web-shaped packaging material securing members (11) or sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58, 59) in the area of a packaging machine on a continuous material web (40) of Packaging material is attached in the correct position and then blanks for wrapping packs (10) are separated.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the securing members (11) or their sensors (33, 34; 35, 36; 58, 59) by gluing, thermal sealing or by printing on the blank or on the material web (40) can be attached.

12. The method according to claim 9 or one of the further claims, characterized in that in the production of a material web (40) from film with a tear strip (32) as the outer covering (31) of a package (10) in the area of a thread station (42) for Applying a continuous tear strip (32) to the continuous material web (40), in particular a wire-shaped securing element (11) is fed in the area of the thread station (42) and inserted between the material web (40) and tear strip (32).

13. The method according to claim 9 or one of the further claims, characterized in that packaging material, in particular with

Security organs (11) equipped material web (40) in the area of The packaging machine is checked with regard to the presence and function of the security elements (11), the security elements (11) transported through the material web (40) being activated first, then the activation checked, then deactivated and the deactivation checked.

14. The method according to claim 13 or one of the further claims, characterized in that after the deactivation of the security devices (11) that have been tested for their function, blanks are separated from the material web (40) and packs (10) are encased and that the or the security devices (11) attached to the packs (10) are reactivated and their activation is checked.

15. Device for producing packs, in particular cigarette packs, with an outer wrapping (31) made of film and a tear strip (32) attached thereto, characterized in that in the area of a thread station (42) for attaching the tear strip (32) to a continuous one Material web (40) a feed unit (46) is arranged for feeding elongated, in particular wire-shaped security members (11) such that they can be inserted between the material web (40) and tear strips (32) in the region of the merging.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the securing members (11) in the area of the feed unit (46) from a continuous, in particular wire-shaped material strip (47) can be separated and the material web (40) can be fed.

17. Device according to claim 15 or one of the further claims, characterized in that activation elements, testing elements and deactivation elements are assigned to a material web (40) provided with securing elements (11) in the region of the packaging machine, in such a way that they are attached to the material web (40) Safety devices (11) by an actuator (52) can be activated, can be checked for activation by a subsequent test sensor (53), can then be deactivated by a deactivation element (54) and can be checked for deactivation by a test sensor (55), in particular in the region of vertical conveyor sections of the material web (40).

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that after the completion of the package (10), in particular in the region of a straight-line packaging line (39), the securing members (11) can be activated by an actuator (56) and the activation by a subsequent test sensor (57 ) can be checked.