EP1801032A1

EP1801032A1 - Twin-pack for cigarettes

Info

Publication number: EP1801032A1
Application number: EP05027979A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Helps; Laurent Robin-Prevallee
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2005-12-20
Filing date: 2005-12-20
Publication date: 2007-06-27
Also published as: WO2007071740A1

Abstract

In order to provide an increased area for information and branding while presenting a compact light weight design, the invention proposes a twin-pack (10) having a first box (21) and a second box (22), one side wall of the first box having a rear edge thereof connected by a hinge means (20) to a front edge of one side wall of the second box (22) to fold the first box in abutment with the second box (22). Both panels of the boxes are provided with magnetic strips (30, 31) to keep said panels (24, 25) in mutual abutment. The boxes have different depths and each comprises a sliding container for receiving stacked cigarettes which is arranged to be pushed up through the take out opening (26, 27) to reveal and dispense cigarettes (34).

Description

The invention refers to a twin-pack for cigarettes comprising a first and a second box.
For decades cigarette cases have been known which can be unfolded to present two halves which are filled with cigarettes, respectively. These pre-known cigarette cases are usually made from metal or plastic and are therefore heavy and require some effort for production. Further, special attention has to be directed to provide an external hinge, either a metallic separate hinge or a plastic hinge, and a closing means for such a case. Usually, the halves of the case requires a projecting portion for receiving closure means, and consequently these pre-known cigarette cases attain more volume than required for housing of the cigarettes. Further, due to the resulting shape, storing and transporting said cigarette cases requires more space, in particular in a stacked condition.
An additional disadvantage of the pre-known unfoldable cigarette cases is that they have an area for information and branding only on the outside of said case halves, and a part thereof is not available for branding due to mandatory health warning labels which are required to be in a visible area on the outside of the cigarette case.
Therefore, there is a strong need for a design for a twin-pack for cigarettes which provides an increased area for information and branding while presenting a compact light weight design.
According to the invention, a twin-pack is provided for cigarettes according to claim 1.
Further advantageous embodiments of this twin-pack for cigarettes are mentioned in dependent claims 2 to 19.
Advantageously, the invention provides a twin-pack for cigarettes comprising a first and a second box. The first box is made of thin card board and has a front wall, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls of the same size and a rear panel. The second box is also made of thin card board and has a front panel, a bottom wall, two opposing side walls of the same size and a back wall. All mentioned outside walls and panels of said boxes are arranged to provide space for information or branding to compensate for impact lost through the mandatory health warning.
One side wall of the first box has a rear edge thereof arranged to be hinged to a front edge of one side wall of the second box so that the first box can be folded in abutment with the second box. Thus, a box style construction is provided wherein the panels provide extra communication areas.
Further, both rear and front panels of the boxes are provided with a releasable closure means to keep said front panels in mutual abutment.
Contrary to the prior art cigarette case mentioned above, the twin-pack for cigarettes according to the invention does not require additional space for an external additional hinge, since a hinge is integrated in the twin-pack, in particular formed by the thin card board bridging both boxes in the hinged area and the material flexibility thereof.
In addition, the twin-pack for cigarettes according to the invention does not require extra outside support means at the side walls, since the closure means is arranged in the area of the front panels of the boxes.
Advantageously, the first and the second box are preferably formed from a single blank severed from said thin card board material, and said closure means are arranged in an area of the panels, respectively, which is remote from the hinge thereby allowing the twin-pack to be opened like a book after releasing the closure means.
The closure means can be provided by any suitable flat arrangement, like reusable adhesive bands, a velcro, or other suitable means which provide easy closure with a sufficient closing force, which can be easily released. According to a preferred embodiment, the closure means comprise a permanent magnet arrangement, in particular magnetic stripes, which can be easily provided on the surface of the front panels, respectively, due to their flat shape, and can be made even integrated into the surface of the front panels, also in a way that they are not visible.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the boxes do not necessary have the same size but can be different in depth, so that a twin-pack can be provided with a first box holding e.g. 7 cigarettes and a second box holding e.g. 13 cigarettes. Thus, a smoker can have two different quantities of cigarettes, and it is possible to provide one box with filterless cigarettes and the other with filter cigarettes or to combine different cigarettes designs, etc.
For taking out the cigarettes, each of said boxes has a take out opening opposite to its bottom wall, which extends into the upper portion of the front panel for an easy access to the cigarettes. Further, each of said boxes comprises a sliding container for receiving stacked cigarettes, which is arranged to be pushed up to and out of the take out opening. Providing stacked cigarettes in sliding containers, e.g. in different sizes thereof, enables one of the packages to remain sealed until cigarettes thereof are used. Further, the sliding containers, are box-shaped to fit said boxes. They can be exchanged, if necessary, and do also present additional surfaces for information and branding.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of said sliding containers is made of a thin card board and has therefore a low weight.
Each of said sliding containers comprise a take out opening, which is arranged to be closed by a lid for said container, thus allowing to reclose each sliding container separately. Said lid is preferably made of the same thin card board as the containers and may be hinged thereto.
For producing said sliding containers, there is provided a single blank for each sliding container, which is severed from said thin card board material. Preferably, the first and second box as well as the sliding containers with their lids are made from the same thin card board material. This allows the use of only one thin card board material for the entire production of the twin-pack.
The first box and the second box with their sliding containers holding the cigarettes can be produced with said thin card board material in a very compact form. Therefore, when both sections of the twin-pack according to the invention are in abutment, the dimensions of a cigarette pack can be achieved which do not essentially exceed the format of a standard pack size holding the same amount of cigarettes.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantageous modifications will be more apparent from the accompanied drawings and the following description of a preferred embodiment. The drawing show in:

Fig. 1: a front view of a closed twin-pack according to the invention;
Fig. 2: a side view on the left side of the twin-pack shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3: a side view on the right side of the twin-pack shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4: the twin-pack according to Fig. 1 in its opened or unfolded position presenting a first box on the left and a second box on the right which are hinged along the respective sides of their front panels;
Fig. 5: a section along the section line V-V in Fig. 4; and
Fig. 6: the opened twin-pack according to Fig. 4 with sliding containers for receiving stacked cigarettes in each of said boxes which are pushed up differently through the take out opening of said boxes, respectively.

Fig. 1 to 3 show a front view, a right side view and a left side view of a twin-pack 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The twin-pack 10 consists of a smaller first box 21 and a bigger second box 22, as indicated in Fig. 3, which shows both boxes 21, 22 in an abutment position. Both boxes 21, 22 have the same height H, the same width B, but different depths. In particular, the first box 21 has a depth T₁, whereas the second box has a depth T₂, as indicated in Fig. 3.
The first box 21 comprises a front wall 11 two identical side walls 13, 19a and a bottom wall 15.
The second box 22 comprises a back wall 12, a bottom wall 16 and a second side wall 19b, as indicated in Fig. 2. The side wall 19b is made continuous with the side wall 19a to provide a hinge 20, which is indicated in Fig. 2 by a dotted line.
The first box 21 and the second box 22 are made of a thin card board, in particular from one blank, having at least one coated surface.
Fig. 4 shows the twin-pack of Fig. 1 in an unfolded condition, wherein both the first box 21 and the second box 22 are opened like a book about the hinge 20. The first box 21 comprises a front panel 24, and the second box 22 presents a front panel 25.
All outside walls and the panels of both boxes 21, 22 provide over their entirety an area for information or branding. Compared to a standard cigarette box without separation in separate boxes, the twin-pack according to the invention provides advantageously addition area for information or branding on said panels 24, 25.
The upper portion of the first box 21 is provided with a take out opening 26, which extends from the open top side of the box 21 opposite the bottom wall 15 and continues in a curved manner into the front panel 24. Through this opening 26, a sliding container 17 for receiving stacked cigarettes is inserted into the inner side of the box 21 with a loose fit and arranged to be pushed up to the take out opening 26. The dotted line 28 indicates a lid for the sliding container 17, which is made of thin card board same as the sliding container 17 and which is hinged thereto.
In a similar way, the second box 22 comprises a take out opening 27 which extends from the open top opposite the bottom wall 16 into the front panel 25 with a curved configuration. Into the inner side of the box 22 is inserted a sliding container 18 for receiving stacked cigarettes, said sliding container 18 being arranged with a loose fit in the box 22 and being arranged to be pushed up through the take out opening 27. The sliding container 18 has at its top side a lid 29, as indicated in Fig. 4 with dotted lines. The lid 29 is also made from the thin card board same as the sliding container 18 and all other pieces of the twin-pack 10. Both sliding containers 17, 18 are adapted in their dimensions to the interior of the respective boxes 21, 22.
Close to the left end of the front panel 24 of the box 21 shown in Fig. 4 is arranged a magnetic strip 30, which is extremely flat and can be embedded in the front panel 24 so that it is not visible. In the same way, the right edge of the front panel 25 of the second box 22 comprises a magnetic strip 31. Both magnetic strip 30 and 31 are arranged so that they match when the first box 21 is swung around the hinge 20 to abut the second box 22, as shown in Fig. 3.
Alternatively, instead of the magnetic strip 30, 31, there can be provided single magnetic spots, a velcro^® closure or any other suitable flat closure means that allows an arrangement on or an integration into the front panels 24, 25.
Fig. 5 shows a section along section lines V-V in Fig. 4. The first box 21 contains the sliding container 27 which houses seven cigarettes 33, whereas the sliding container 18 within the second box 22 houses thirteen cigarettes 34.
Fig. 6 shows a Fig. similar to Fig. 4, however, with the sliding container 17 and 18 pushed up at different heights from the first box 21 and the second box 22, respectively, to reveal and dispense cigarettes. The lid 28 of the sliding container 17 is still closed, whereas the sliding container 18 is further pushed up to reveal and dispense cigarettes 34 through an access opening 35, since the lid 29 is opened.
Further, Fig. 6 shows that the lid 29 is connected to the sliding container 18 through a upper wall portion 37, which is connected to the back wall of the sliding container 18. Compared to the position of the sliding containers in Fig. 4, it has to be noted that the size of the lids 28, 29 is larger than the take out opening 26 or 27 in the first box 21 and 22. This allows advantageously each of the sliding containers 17, 18 to be pushed back into the first box 21 or second box 22 after the lid 28 or 29 was opened to dispense cigarettes. Due to the loose fit of the sliding container 17, 18 in the first box 21 or the second box 22, the re-closed lids 28 or 29 are held tightly on the sliding containers 17, 18 to provide a closure which maintains the moisture and aroma of the cigarettes.

Claims

A twin-pack (10) for cigarettes, comprising
a first box (21) and a second box (22),
said first box (21) being made of thin card board and having a front wall (11), a bottom wall (15), two opposing side walls (13, 19a) of the same size and a rear panel (24);
said second box (22) being made of thin card board and having a front panel (25), a bottom wall (16), two opposing side walls (14, 19b) of the same size and a back wall (12),
all outside walls (11 to 16, 19a, 19b) and panels (24, 25) of said boxes (21, 22) providing an area for information or branding;
one side wall (19a) of the first box (21) having a rear edge thereof connected by hinge means (20) to a front edge of one side wall (19b) of the second box (22) to fold the first box (21) in abutment with the second box (22),
both panels (24, 25) of the boxes (21, 22) being provided with a releasable closure means (30, 31) to keep said panels (24, 25) in mutual abutment.
The twin-pack according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinged side walls (19a, 19b) of the boxes (21, 22) and the hinge means (20) have the same length (H).
The twin-pack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge means (20) between said side walls (19a, 19b) is formed by thin card board.
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the hinge means comprises at least one hinge (20).
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that both the first and the second box (21, 22) are formed from a single blank severed from said thin card board material.
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that said closure means (30, 31) are arranged in an area of the panels (24, 25), respectively, which is remote from the hinge (20).
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the closure means (30, 31) comprise a permanent magnet arrangement.
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the closure means comprises magnetic strips (30, 31).
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the closure means (30, 31) is integrated into the surface of the panels (24, 25), respectively.
The twin-pack according to claim 9, characterized in that, the closure means (30, 31) is invisibly integrated.
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the depth (T₁) of the first box (21) is different from the depth (T₂) of the second box (22).
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that each of said boxes (21, 22) has a take out opening (26, 27) opposite to its bottom wall (15, 16), which extends into the upper portion of the panel (24, 25).
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that each of said boxes (21, 22) comprises a sliding container (17, 18) for receiving stacked cigarettes, which is arranged to be pushed up through the take out opening (26, 27).
The twin-pack according to claim 13, characterized in that each of said sliding containers (17, 18) is made of a thin card board in a box shape.
The twin-pack according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that each of said sliding containers (17, 18) comprises a take out opening (26, 27), which is arranged to be closed by a lid (28, 29) for said container (17, 18).
The twin-pack according to claim 15, characterized in that, each of said sliding containers (17, 18) has a hinged lid (28, 29).
The twin-pack according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the lid (28, 29) is made from the same thin card board as the containers (17, 18).
The twin-pack according to one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that each of said sliding containers (17, 18) is made from a single blank severed from said thin card board material.
The twin-pack according to one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that, the first and second box (21, 22) as well as the sliding containers (17, 18) with their lids (28, 29) are made from the same thin card board material.
The twin-pack according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the first box (21) and the second box (22) form in abutment two sections of a cigarette pack having approximately the size of a single standard cigarette box holding the same amount of cigarettes.