EP2366638B1 - Package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, method and machine for making the same - Google Patents
Package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, method and machine for making the same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2366638B1 EP2366638B1 EP11158574.1A EP11158574A EP2366638B1 EP 2366638 B1 EP2366638 B1 EP 2366638B1 EP 11158574 A EP11158574 A EP 11158574A EP 2366638 B1 EP2366638 B1 EP 2366638B1
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- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cigarettes
- pull
- tape
- group
- cigarette
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Not-in-force
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
- B65D85/07—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles
- B65D85/08—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular
- B65D85/10—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular for cigarettes
- B65D85/1009—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular for cigarettes provided with proffering means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, and relative packing method and machine.
- a rigid, hinged-lid packet of cigarettes normally comprises an inner package enclosing a group of cigarettes; and a rigid outer container housing the inner package.
- the inner package is initially closed completely, and has a tear-off top portion, which is removed, when the packet of cigarettes is unsealed, to withdraw the cigarettes from the inner package.
- the inner package and outer container often exert lateral pressure on the group of cigarettes inside the inner package. And, in the case of a new packet with a full group of cigarettes, this lateral pressure may make it difficult to extract the first cigarette from the group, due to friction between the first and surrounding cigarettes.
- a pull-up tape having a grip end, which projects from the top wall of the group of cigarettes, and is pulled to slide the cigarette up.
- a major drawback of known pull-up tapes lies in the inner end opposite the grip end having to be glued to a wall of the inner package.
- the inner packages of packets of cigarettes have always been made without glue, on account of the potential of glue on or near the cigarettes to release volatile substances, which are absorbed by the cigarettes and spoil the aroma and/or taste of the tobacco.
- FR1092516A discloses a package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape as recited in the pre-characterizing portion of independent claim 1.
- EP 2008935 A1 discloses a packing method and machine according respectively to the preambles of claim 9 and 10.
- Number 1 in Figures 1, 2 and 3 indicates as a whole a rigid packet of cigarettes comprising a cup-shaped outer container 2 of rigid cardboard; and an inner package 3 housed inside container 2.
- Inner package 3 encloses a parallelepiped-shaped group of cigarettes ( Figures 4-7 ) and has, at the top and front, a cigarette extraction opening 5 closed by a tear-off closing portion 6, and which extends over part of a front wall and part of a top wall of inner package 3. Tear-off closing portion 6 is removed, when packet 1 of cigarettes is unsealed, to withdraw the cigarettes from inner package 3.
- inner package 3 goes from the Figure 2 configuration (with tear-off closing portion 6) to the Figure 4 configuration (without tear-off closing portion 6).
- inner package 3 is sealed, and tear-off closing portion 6 initially closing extraction opening 5 is replaced with a reclosable (i.e. open-close) sealing panel 6 movable between a closed position closing extraction opening 5, and an open position opening extraction opening 5.
- a reclosable sealing panel 6 movable between a closed position closing extraction opening 5, and an open position opening extraction opening 5.
- Outer container 2 has an open top end 7; and a cup-shaped lid 8 hinged to container 2 along a hinge 9 to rotate, with respect to container 2, between an open position ( Figure 2 ) and a closed position ( Figures 1 and 3 ) opening and closing open top end 7 respectively.
- outer container 2 When lid 8 is in the closed position, outer container 2 is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising a top wall 10 and bottom wall 11 opposite and parallel to each other; two opposite parallel major lateral walls 12, 13; and two opposite parallel minor lateral walls 14. More specifically, one major lateral wall 12 defines a front wall 12 of outer container 2, and the other major lateral wall 13 defines a rear wall 13 of outer container 2.
- Four longitudinal edges 15 are defined between lateral walls 14 and front and rear walls 12, 13; and eight transverse edges 16 are defined between top and bottom walls 10, 11 and front, rear, and lateral walls 12, 13, 14.
- edges 15 and 16 are all square, but in alternative embodiments not shown, some of edges 15 and 16 may be bevelled or rounded.
- Packet 1 also comprises a rigid (i.e. rigid-cardboard) collar 17, which is folded into a U and fixed (glued) to the inside of container 2, projects partly outwards of open top end 7, and engages a corresponding inner surface of lid 8 when lid 8 is closed.
- collar 17 has two projections 18, which project laterally to interfere with the lateral walls of lid 8 and keep lid 8 in the closed position.
- Collar 17 comprises a front wall 19 positioned contacting front wall 12 of container 2; and two lateral walls 20 located on opposite sides of front wall 19, and positioned contacting minor lateral walls 14 of container 2.
- a pull-up tape 21 is fitted to a cigarette 22 in group 4, and has a grip end 23, which projects from the top wall of group 4, at extraction opening 5 of inner package 3, and is pulled to slide cigarette 22 up.
- pull-up tape 21 is folded into a U about the bottom end 24, inside inner package 3, of cigarette 22, and is completely detached from and therefore movable freely with respect to inner package 3. In other words, being in no way connected mechanically to inner package 3, all parts of pull-up tape 21 can slide freely with respect to inner package 3.
- pull-up tape 21 comprises a vertical wall 25 terminating with grip end 23 and positioned contacting a cylindrical lateral wall 26 of cigarette 22; a horizontal wall 27 perpendicular to vertical wall 25 and positioned contacting the bottom end 24 of cigarette 22; and a vertical wall 28, which terminates with an inner end 29 of pull-up tape 21 opposite grip end 23, is parallel to and faces vertical wall 25, and is positioned contacting cylindrical lateral wall 26 of cigarette 22, on the opposite side of cigarette 22 to vertical wall 25.
- vertical wall 28 of pull-up tape 21 comprises a wider portion 30 wider (i.e. transversely) than the rest of pull-up tape 21 (and in particular horizontal wall 27).
- Wider portion 30 is wider than (preferably two to three times) the diameter of a cigarette, and the rest of pull-tap tape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette.
- pull-up tape 21 comprises a narrow portion extending from grip end 23; and a wider portion 30 extending from inner end 29 opposite grip end 23, and wider than the narrow portion.
- Wider portion 30 of pull-up tape 21 has a dual function.
- wider portion 30 prevents pull-up tape 21 from slipping with respect to, as opposed to sliding upwards with, cigarette 22 (i.e. prevents pull-up tape 21 from being withdrawn from group 4 of cigarettes, while cigarette 22 remains in place).
- wider portion 30 would have to deform to slide under group 4. Because of its size, however, deforming wider portion 30 takes more force than to slide tape 21 upwards together with cigarette 22, so any slippage of pull-up tape 21 with respect to cigarette 22 is stopped by failure of wider portion 30 to deform and slide under group 4.
- wider portion 30 holds pull-up tape 21 in the correct position about cigarette 22, and prevents any undesired lateral (transverse) movement of pull-up tape 21 as cigarette 22 is raised.
- At least horizontal wall 27 of pull-up tape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure pull-up tape 21 only raises cigarette 22, i.e. if horizontal wall 27 of pull-up tape 21 were wider than the diameter of a cigarette, it would also contact the two cigarettes adjacent to cigarette 22; and wider portion 30 of pull-up tape 21 is wider than the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure it contacts cigarette 22 and the two cigarettes adjacent to cigarette 22, as shown in Figures 5-7 .
- wider portion 30 of pull-up tape 21 is from two to three times as wide as the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure it contacts only three cigarettes : cigarette 22 and the two cigarettes adjacent to cigarette 22.
- Figure 9 shows part of an X2 or X3 type cigarette packing machine, manufactured by G.D. Società per Azioni, for producing packet 1 of cigarettes as described above and shown in Figures 1-3 .
- Packing machine 31 comprises a group-forming unit 32 for forming groups 4 of cigarettes; a packing unit 33 for forming inner packages 3 by folding sheets 34 of packing material about groups 4 of cigarettes; and a packing unit 35 for forming outer containers 2 by folding collars 17 and blanks 36 about inner packages 3.
- unit 32 for forming groups 4 of cigarettes comprises a group-forming conveyor 37 fitted with a number of group-forming pockets 38 (only one shown in Figure 10 ), each of which supports a group 4 of cigarettes comprising three superimposed layers 39 of cigarettes.
- Group-forming conveyor 37 feeds group-forming pockets 38 past three outlets of a hopper 40 (shown schematically in Figure 9 ), where three respective pushers 41 (one shown in Figure 11 ) insert the three layers 39 of cigarettes successively into a group-forming pocket 38 to form a group 4 of cigarettes.
- group-forming unit 32 comprises a feed device 42, which feeds a pull-up tape 21 into position in front of a group-forming pocket 38, before a layer 39a of cigarettes is inserted inside pocket 38. Accordingly, when inserted by pusher 41 into group-forming pocket 38, layer 39a of cigarettes intercepts pull-up tape 21 and folds it into a U about cigarette 22 in layer 39a of cigarettes.
- Feed device 42 comprises a suction conveyor belt 43 for successively conveying pull-up tapes 21 horizontally; and a diverter 44 located at the output end of conveyor belt 43 to direct pull-up tapes 21 vertically downwards into the path of layers 39a of cigarettes.
- a vertical channel 45 defined by two fixed parallel vertical walls 46 facing each other a given distance apart, is located beneath diverter 44; and, in a preferred embodiment, vertical walls 46 have holes, from which compressed-air jets are directed downwards to assist and guide the downward movement of pull-up tapes 21 along vertical channel 45.
- pull-up tape 21 being completely devoid of glue, can even be applied on a standard packing machine, and poses no risk of contaminating the cigarette tobacco.
- packet 1 of cigarettes described can be produced easily on a standard packing machine (which only requires a few minor alterations) as opposed to a high-cost packing machine specially designed for packets of cigarettes of this type.
Description
- The present invention relates to a package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, and relative packing method and machine.
- In the following description, reference is made, for the sake of simplicity and purely by way of example, to a rigid, hinged-lid packet of cigarettes.
- A rigid, hinged-lid packet of cigarettes normally comprises an inner package enclosing a group of cigarettes; and a rigid outer container housing the inner package. The inner package is initially closed completely, and has a tear-off top portion, which is removed, when the packet of cigarettes is unsealed, to withdraw the cigarettes from the inner package.
- The inner package and outer container often exert lateral pressure on the group of cigarettes inside the inner package. And, in the case of a new packet with a full group of cigarettes, this lateral pressure may make it difficult to extract the first cigarette from the group, due to friction between the first and surrounding cigarettes. To simplify removal of the first cigarette from the group, it has been proposed to fit at least one cigarette in the group with a pull-up tape having a grip end, which projects from the top wall of the group of cigarettes, and is pulled to slide the cigarette up.
- A major drawback of known pull-up tapes lies in the inner end opposite the grip end having to be glued to a wall of the inner package. The inner packages of packets of cigarettes, however, have always been made without glue, on account of the potential of glue on or near the cigarettes to release volatile substances, which are absorbed by the cigarettes and spoil the aroma and/or taste of the tobacco.
- Moreover, standard packing machines are difficult to equip with a gumming device capable of applying glue to the inner surface of the inner package.
-
FR1092516A EP 2008935 A1 discloses a packing method and machine according respectively to the preambles ofclaim - It is an object of the present invention to provide a package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, designed to eliminate the above drawbacks, and which at the same time is cheap and easy to produce. Another object of the present invention is to provide a packing method and machine for producing such a package of cigarettes.
- According to the present invention, there are provided a package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, and relative packing method and machine, as claimed respectively in
claims - A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :
-
Figure 1 shows a front view in perspective of a packet of cigarettes, in accordance with the present invention, in a closed configuration; -
Figure 2 shows a front view in perspective of theFigure 1 packet of cigarettes in an open configuration; -
Figure 3 shows a rear view in perspective of theFigure 1 packet of cigarettes in a closed configuration; -
Figure 4 shows a front view in perspective of an inner package of theFigure 1 packet of cigarettes with a tear-off top portion removed; -
Figure 5 shows a front view in perspective of a group of cigarettes enclosed in theFigure 4 inner package; -
Figure 6 shows a front view in perspective of theFigure 5 group of cigarettes when extracting the first cigarette; -
Figure 7 shows a front view in perspective of theFigure 5 group of cigarettes when extracting the first cigarette, and with the first cigarette removed for the sake of clarity; -
Figure 8 shows a side view of a pull-up tape fitted to the first cigarette to be extracted from the group; -
Figure 9 shows a schematic view in perspective, with parts removed for clarity, of part of a packing machine for producing theFigure 1 packet of cigarettes; -
Figure 10 shows a schematic view in perspective, with parts removed for clarity, of a group-forming unit of theFigure 9 packing machine, for forming groups of cigarettes; -
Figure 11 shows a schematic cross section, with parts removed for clarity, of theFigure 10 group-forming unit; -
Figure 12 shows a front view of a detail inFigure 11 . - Number 1 in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 indicates as a whole a rigid packet of cigarettes comprising a cup-shapedouter container 2 of rigid cardboard; and aninner package 3 housed insidecontainer 2.Inner package 3 encloses a parallelepiped-shaped group of cigarettes (Figures 4-7 ) and has, at the top and front, a cigarette extraction opening 5 closed by a tear-offclosing portion 6, and which extends over part of a front wall and part of a top wall ofinner package 3. Tear-offclosing portion 6 is removed, when packet 1 of cigarettes is unsealed, to withdraw the cigarettes frominner package 3. In other words, when packet 1 of cigarettes is unsealed,inner package 3 goes from theFigure 2 configuration (with tear-off closing portion 6) to theFigure 4 configuration (without tear-off closing portion 6). - In a different embodiment not shown,
inner package 3 is sealed, and tear-offclosing portion 6 initiallyclosing extraction opening 5 is replaced with a reclosable (i.e. open-close)sealing panel 6 movable between a closed positionclosing extraction opening 5, and an open positionopening extraction opening 5. -
Outer container 2 has anopen top end 7; and a cup-shaped lid 8 hinged tocontainer 2 along ahinge 9 to rotate, with respect tocontainer 2, between an open position (Figure 2 ) and a closed position (Figures 1 and 3 ) opening and closing opentop end 7 respectively. - When
lid 8 is in the closed position,outer container 2 is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising atop wall 10 andbottom wall 11 opposite and parallel to each other; two opposite parallel majorlateral walls lateral walls 14. More specifically, one majorlateral wall 12 defines afront wall 12 ofouter container 2, and the other majorlateral wall 13 defines arear wall 13 ofouter container 2. Fourlongitudinal edges 15 are defined betweenlateral walls 14 and front andrear walls transverse edges 16 are defined between top andbottom walls lateral walls - In the
Figure 1-3 embodiment,edges edges - Packet 1 also comprises a rigid (i.e. rigid-cardboard)
collar 17, which is folded into a U and fixed (glued) to the inside ofcontainer 2, projects partly outwards ofopen top end 7, and engages a corresponding inner surface oflid 8 whenlid 8 is closed. In a preferred embodiment,collar 17 has twoprojections 18, which project laterally to interfere with the lateral walls oflid 8 and keeplid 8 in the closed position. Collar 17 comprises afront wall 19 positioned contactingfront wall 12 ofcontainer 2; and twolateral walls 20 located on opposite sides offront wall 19, and positioned contacting minorlateral walls 14 ofcontainer 2. - As shown in
Figures 4-8 , a pull-uptape 21 is fitted to acigarette 22 ingroup 4, and has agrip end 23, which projects from the top wall ofgroup 4, at extraction opening 5 ofinner package 3, and is pulled to slidecigarette 22 up. As shown more clearly inFigure 8 , pull-uptape 21 is folded into a U about thebottom end 24, insideinner package 3, ofcigarette 22, and is completely detached from and therefore movable freely with respect toinner package 3. In other words, being in no way connected mechanically toinner package 3, all parts of pull-uptape 21 can slide freely with respect toinner package 3. - As shown more clearly in
Figure 8 , pull-uptape 21 comprises avertical wall 25 terminating withgrip end 23 and positioned contacting a cylindricallateral wall 26 ofcigarette 22; ahorizontal wall 27 perpendicular tovertical wall 25 and positioned contacting thebottom end 24 ofcigarette 22; and avertical wall 28, which terminates with aninner end 29 of pull-uptape 21opposite grip end 23, is parallel to and facesvertical wall 25, and is positioned contacting cylindricallateral wall 26 ofcigarette 22, on the opposite side ofcigarette 22 tovertical wall 25. - According to the invention,
vertical wall 28 of pull-uptape 21 comprises awider portion 30 wider (i.e. transversely) than the rest of pull-up tape 21 (and in particular horizontal wall 27).Wider portion 30 is wider than (preferably two to three times) the diameter of a cigarette, and the rest of pull-tap tape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette. - In other words, pull-up
tape 21 comprises a narrow portion extending fromgrip end 23; and awider portion 30 extending frominner end 29opposite grip end 23, and wider than the narrow portion. - When packet 1 of cigarettes is sealed, and therefore
inner package 3 unopened, extraction opening 5 ofinner package 3 is closed by tear-offclosing portion 6, which presses thegrip end 23 of pull-uptape 21 down onto the top wall ofgroup 4 of cigarettes. When packet 1 of cigarettes is unsealed and closingportion 6 torn off by the user, gripend 23 of pull-uptape 21 springs up off the top wall ofgroup 4 of cigarettes for easy grip by the user (as shown inFigures 4 and 5 ). Holdinggrip end 23, the user pulls tape 21 up vertically (as shown inFigure 6 ), thus also slidingcigarette 22 vertically upwards together with pull-uptape 21 and with respect to the rest of group 4 (as shown inFigure 6 ) for easy withdrawal throughextraction opening 5 ofinner package 3. -
Wider portion 30 of pull-uptape 21 has a dual function. - Firstly, when the user pulls
grip end 23 oftape 21 upwards to extractcigarette 22,wider portion 30 prevents pull-uptape 21 from slipping with respect to, as opposed to sliding upwards with, cigarette 22 (i.e. prevents pull-uptape 21 from being withdrawn fromgroup 4 of cigarettes, whilecigarette 22 remains in place). In other words, should pull-uptape 21 begin to slip with respect to cigarette 22 (i.e. to withdraw from group 4) when the user exerts pull ongrip end 23,wider portion 30 would have to deform to slide undergroup 4. Because of its size, however, deformingwider portion 30 takes more force than to slidetape 21 upwards together withcigarette 22, so any slippage of pull-uptape 21 with respect tocigarette 22 is stopped by failure ofwider portion 30 to deform and slide undergroup 4. - Secondly,
wider portion 30 holds pull-uptape 21 in the correct position aboutcigarette 22, and prevents any undesired lateral (transverse) movement of pull-uptape 21 ascigarette 22 is raised. - As stated, at least
horizontal wall 27 of pull-uptape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure pull-uptape 21 only raisescigarette 22, i.e. ifhorizontal wall 27 of pull-uptape 21 were wider than the diameter of a cigarette, it would also contact the two cigarettes adjacent tocigarette 22; andwider portion 30 of pull-uptape 21 is wider than the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure it contactscigarette 22 and the two cigarettes adjacent tocigarette 22, as shown inFigures 5-7 . In a preferred embodiment,wider portion 30 of pull-uptape 21 is from two to three times as wide as the diameter of a cigarette, to ensure it contacts only three cigarettes :cigarette 22 and the two cigarettes adjacent tocigarette 22. If much narrower than twice the diameter of a cigarette,wider portion 30 would fail to ensure sufficient stability of pull-uptape 21; and conversely, if much wider than three (or even four) times the diameter of a cigarette,wider portion 30 of pull-uptape 21 could generate severe friction when raisingcigarette 22. -
Figure 9 shows part of an X2 or X3 type cigarette packing machine, manufactured by G.D. Società per Azioni, for producing packet 1 of cigarettes as described above and shown inFigures 1-3 . -
Packing machine 31 comprises a group-formingunit 32 for forminggroups 4 of cigarettes; apacking unit 33 for forminginner packages 3 by foldingsheets 34 of packing material aboutgroups 4 of cigarettes; and apacking unit 35 for formingouter containers 2 by foldingcollars 17 andblanks 36 aboutinner packages 3. - As shown in
Figure 10 ,unit 32 for forminggroups 4 of cigarettes comprises a group-formingconveyor 37 fitted with a number of group-forming pockets 38 (only one shown inFigure 10 ), each of which supports agroup 4 of cigarettes comprising three superimposed layers 39 of cigarettes. Group-formingconveyor 37 feeds group-formingpockets 38 past three outlets of a hopper 40 (shown schematically inFigure 9 ), where three respective pushers 41 (one shown inFigure 11 ) insert the three layers 39 of cigarettes successively into a group-formingpocket 38 to form agroup 4 of cigarettes. - As shown in
Figure 11 , group-formingunit 32 comprises afeed device 42, which feeds a pull-uptape 21 into position in front of a group-formingpocket 38, before alayer 39a of cigarettes is inserted insidepocket 38. Accordingly, when inserted bypusher 41 into group-formingpocket 38,layer 39a of cigarettes intercepts pull-uptape 21 and folds it into a U aboutcigarette 22 inlayer 39a of cigarettes. -
Feed device 42 comprises asuction conveyor belt 43 for successively conveying pull-uptapes 21 horizontally; and adiverter 44 located at the output end ofconveyor belt 43 to direct pull-uptapes 21 vertically downwards into the path oflayers 39a of cigarettes. Avertical channel 45, defined by two fixed parallelvertical walls 46 facing each other a given distance apart, is located beneathdiverter 44; and, in a preferred embodiment,vertical walls 46 have holes, from which compressed-air jets are directed downwards to assist and guide the downward movement of pull-uptapes 21 alongvertical channel 45. - Packet 1 of cigarettes described has numerous advantages.
- Firstly, it comprises a pull-
tape 21 with agrip end 23, which projects from the top wall ofgroup 4 of cigarettes, atextraction opening 5 ofinner package 3, and is pulled by the user, when unsealing packet 1 of cigarettes, to raisecigarette 22 quickly and easily. - Secondly, pull-up
tape 21, being completely devoid of glue, can even be applied on a standard packing machine, and poses no risk of contaminating the cigarette tobacco. - Finally, packet 1 of cigarettes described can be produced easily on a standard packing machine (which only requires a few minor alterations) as opposed to a high-cost packing machine specially designed for packets of cigarettes of this type.
Claims (12)
- A package of cigarettes comprising:a group (4) of cigarettes;an inner package (3) enclosing the group (4) of cigarettes and having an extraction opening (5); anda pull-up tape (21) engaging at least one cigarette (22) in the group (4) of cigarettes, and having a grip end (23) projecting from a top wall of the group (4) of cigarettes, at the extraction opening (5) of the inner package (3), and which is pulled to pull up the cigarette (22);wherein the pull-up tape (21) is folded into a U about the bottom end (24), inside the inner package (3), of the cigarette (22);wherein the pull-up tape (21) is completely detached from the inner package (3) and can therefore move freely with respect to the inner package (3); andwherein the pull-up tape (21) comprises a first vertical wall (25) terminating with the grip end (23) and positioned contacting a cylindrical lateral wall (26) of the cigarette (22); a horizontal wall (27) perpendicular to the first vertical wall (25) and positioned contacting the bottom end (24) of the cigarette (22); and a second vertical wall (28), which terminates with an inner end (29), opposite the grip end (23), of the pull-up tape (21), is parallel to and faces the first vertical wall (25), and is positioned contacting the cylindrical lateral wall (26) of the cigarette (22), on the opposite side of the cigarette (22) to the first vertical wall (25) ; andthe package (1) being characterized in that the second vertical wall (28) of the pull-up tape (21) has a wider portion (30) wider than at least the horizontal wall (27) of the pull-up tape (21).
- A package as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the wider portion (30) of the second vertical wall (28) of the pull-up tape (21) is wider than the rest of the pull-up tape (21).
- A package as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the wider portion (30) is wider than the diameter of a cigarette, and at least the horizontal wall (27) of the pull-up tape (21) is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette.
- A package as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the wider portion (30) of the pull-up tape (21) is between twice and three times as wide as the diameter of a cigarette.
- A package as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pull-up tape (21) comprises a narrow portion extending from the grip end (23) ; and the wider portion (30) extends from an inner end (29) opposite the grip end (23), and is wider than the narrow portion.
- A package as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the wider portion (30) of the pull-up tape (21) is wider than the diameter of a cigarette, and the narrow portion of the pull-up tape (21) is narrower than the diameter of a cigarette.
- A package as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner package (3) comprises a closing portion (6), which closes the extraction opening (5) and presses the grip end (23) of the pull-up tape (21) down onto the top wall of the group (4) of cigarettes.
- A package as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, and comprising a rigid, cup-shaped outer container (2), which has an open top end (7), and a cup-shaped lid (8) hinged to the outer container (2) along a hinge (9) to rotate, with respect to the outer container (2), between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the open top end (7) respectively.
- A packing method for producing a package of cigarettes according to claim 1; the packing method comprising the steps of:forming a group (4) of cigarettes, comprising a number of superimposed layers (39) of cigarettes, in a group-forming pocket (38), by inserting the layers (39) of cigarettes successively into the group-forming pocket (38); andforming an inner package (3) enclosing the group (4) of cigarettes and having an extraction opening (5), by wrapping a sheet (34) of packing material about the group of cigarettes;the packing method being characterized by comprising the further steps of:feeding a pull-up tape (21) in front of the group-forming pocket (38) before inserting a first layer (39a) of cigarettes inside the group-forming pocket (38); andinserting the first layer (39a) of cigarettes inside the group-forming pocket (38), so that, on entering the group-forming pocket (38), the first layer (39a) of cigarettes engages the pull-up tape (21) and folds the pull-up tape (21) into a U about at least one cigarette (22) in the first layer (39a) of cigarettes.
- A packing machine for producing a package of cigarettes according to claim 1; the packing machine (31) comprising:a group-forming unit (32) having a group-forming pocket (38), for forming a group (4) of cigarettes, comprising a number of superimposed layers (39) of cigarettes, in the group-forming pocket (38), by inserting the layers (39) of cigarettes successively into the group-forming pocket (38); anda packing unit (33) for forming an inner package (3) enclosing the group (4) of cigarettes and having an extraction opening (5), by wrapping a sheet (34) of packing material about the group of cigarettes;the packing machine (31) being characterized by comprising:a feed device (42) for feeding a pull-up tape (21) in front of the group-forming pocket (38) before inserting a first layer (39a) of cigarettes inside the group-forming pocket (38); anda pusher (41) for inserting the first layer (39a) of cigarettes inside the group-forming pocket (38), so that, on entering the group-forming pocket (38), the first layer (39a) of cigarettes engages the pull-up tape (21) and folds the pull-up tape (21) into a U about at least one cigarette (22) in the first layer (39a) of cigarettes.
- A packing machine as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the feed device (42) comprises:a suction conveyor belt (43) which conveys the pull-up tape (21) horizontally; anda diverter (44) located at an output of the conveyor belt (43), and which diverts the pull-up tape (21) vertically downwards into the path of the first layer (39a) of cigarettes.
- A packing machine as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the feed device (42) comprises a vertical channel (45) located beneath the diverter (44) and defined by two fixed parallel vertical walls (46) facing each other a given distance apart.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITBO2010A000165A IT1398821B1 (en) | 2010-03-16 | 2010-03-16 | PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES WITH EXTRACTION RIBBON AND CORRESPONDING METHOD OF WRITING AND PACKAGING MACHINE. |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2366638A1 EP2366638A1 (en) | 2011-09-21 |
EP2366638B1 true EP2366638B1 (en) | 2015-09-02 |
Family
ID=42647328
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP11158574.1A Not-in-force EP2366638B1 (en) | 2010-03-16 | 2011-03-16 | Package of cigarettes with a pull-up tape, method and machine for making the same |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2366638B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5902396B2 (en) |
IT (1) | IT1398821B1 (en) |
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WO2013190568A1 (en) * | 2012-06-21 | 2013-12-27 | Gowthaman Chitra | A package for smoking articles having an air-tight locking and lifting mechanism |
EP2746190A1 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2014-06-25 | Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH | Device for offering at least one of a plurality of cigarettes contained in a package |
RU2701214C2 (en) | 2015-06-26 | 2019-09-25 | Филип Моррис Продактс С.А. | Consumer goods container with sliding part |
ITUB20155268A1 (en) * | 2015-10-28 | 2017-04-28 | Gd Spa | Package of smoking items with repositionable closure label. |
WO2017194704A1 (en) * | 2016-05-13 | 2017-11-16 | Philip Morris Products S.A. | A container with movable inner stiffener, stiffener, method |
GB201706847D0 (en) * | 2017-04-28 | 2017-06-14 | British American Tobacco Investments Ltd | A Pack |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2812057A (en) * | 1953-07-07 | 1957-11-05 | Charles F Brownfield | Unique container or package |
FR1092516A (en) * | 1953-10-28 | 1955-04-22 | Method and device for opening a pack of cigarettes and extracting a cigarette from this pack | |
US2801769A (en) * | 1954-09-13 | 1957-08-06 | Fund Del Inc | Cigarette pull tab ejector and the like packages |
ES2104054T3 (en) * | 1992-04-01 | 1997-10-01 | Tobacco Res & Dev | LIFTING BAND FOR CIGARETTE PACK. |
JPH10136965A (en) * | 1996-11-05 | 1998-05-26 | Shigeyuki Ogino | Cigarette guide |
JP3037743U (en) * | 1996-11-13 | 1997-05-20 | 常美 甲石 | Cigarette removal device |
ITBO20010451A1 (en) * | 2001-07-17 | 2003-01-17 | Gd Spa | HINGED LID RIGID PACKAGE WITH SIDE OPENING FOR CIGARETTES |
US7827767B2 (en) * | 2007-06-26 | 2010-11-09 | G.D Societa' Per Azioni | Method and packing machine for combining an insert and a group of cigarettes |
-
2010
- 2010-03-16 IT ITBO2010A000165A patent/IT1398821B1/en active
-
2011
- 2011-03-16 EP EP11158574.1A patent/EP2366638B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2011-03-16 JP JP2011058283A patent/JP5902396B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
IT1398821B1 (en) | 2013-03-21 |
EP2366638A1 (en) | 2011-09-21 |
JP2011201599A (en) | 2011-10-13 |
JP5902396B2 (en) | 2016-04-13 |
ITBO20100165A1 (en) | 2011-09-17 |
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