EP2499055A1

EP2499055A1 - Pack for smoking articles, blank and internal casing

Info

Publication number: EP2499055A1
Application number: EP10803486A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Vecchi
Original assignee: Gima SpA
Current assignee: Gima TT SpA
Priority date: 2009-11-10
Filing date: 2010-11-09
Publication date: 2012-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-09
Also published as: PL2499055T3; ITMO20090270A1; EP2499055B1; ES2556949T3; IT1396234B1; CN102596737A; CN102596737B; WO2011058414A1

Abstract

A packet (1) for smoking articles comprises an external casing, including a containing body (3) and a closing body (4) rotatable around a hinge (5). In order to increase a surface of the packet (1) available for communications to the consumer, advertising messages and suchlike, the packet (1) comprises an internal casing ( 18) slidable with respect to the external casing, the closing body (4) being joined to the internal casing (18) so as to be distanced from the containing body (3) when the internal casing (18) is at least partly extracted from the external casing (2) and the hinge (5) being made on an external wall (22a, 22b) of the internal casing (18).

Description

PACK FOR SMOKING ARTICLES, BLANK AND INTERNAL CASING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a packet for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes. The invention also concerns a blank and an internal containing element or collar, by means of which it is possible to produce the above packet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packets for cigarettes with a hinged lid are known, which are particularly appreciated by smokers because they are very rigid, which prevents damage to the cigarettes even when the packet is subject to knocks or is kept in a user's pocket or bag.

However, a tendency has recently emerged to personalize traditional hinged- top packets, in order to induce smokers to prefer a packet with a certain aesthetic appearance compared with other packets with a more traditional appearance.

To personalize the packets, it is possible to use writing, drawings or more generally promotional messages printed on the visible surfaces of the packet. Therefore cigarette producers have seen a need to increase the visible surfaces of the packet so as to render more space available for communications to the consumer.

Packets are known having a rigid external shell inside which a rigid internal casing can slide. A packet of this type is described for example in WO 2007/065514. These packets allow to increase the space available for promotional messages, because such messages can be printed both on the rigid external shell and also on the rigid internal casing. However, such packets must be produced starting from special blanks, which cannot be processed on normal packet-making machines.

The packets are therefore difficult to make, because they need special production lines which are very expensive and bulky.

Moreover, although the packets having a sliding internal casing have been appreciated by young or imaginative smokers, more conservative smokers have shown a certain aversion for packets as described above and for the complicated opening systems that they have. The international ornamental model DM/068587 shows a cigarette packet comprising an external casing including a containing body and a hinged lid. An internal casing is also provided, comprising a composition of cigarettes wrapped by a collar. The internal casing does not slide with respect to the containing body. The lid is attached to a flat rear panel that slides with respect to the internal casing. The packet needs to be made from a special blank in a specially designed packet-making machine, which makes the containing body and the hinged lid separately.

The registrations of the Community design 631 171-0007 and 631 171-008 show a packet for smoking articles comprising an external casing including a containing body inside which an internal casing is disposed. The internal casing comprises a lower portion which surrounds the smoking articles on three sides, and a lid is connected to the lower portion by means of a hinge. The internal casing slides with respect to the containing body. The packet described above also needs to be produced by special machines that use special blanks to make the containing body and the internal casing. Furthermore, since the lid is not included in the external casing but is part of the internal casing, the rear wall of the lid is not flush with the rear wall of the containing body, which gives a packet that does not have a pleasant aesthetic appearance.

One purpose of the invention is to improve packets for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, and the blanks and collars that can be used to obtain the packets.

Another purpose is to provide packets for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, which have a large surface available for communications to the consumer, advertizing messages and suchlike.

Another purpose is to provide packets for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, which can be produced easily, even on traditional packet-making machines.

Another purpose is to provide packets for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, which are versatile, so they can be appreciated both by smokers with conservative tastes and also by smokers that like innovative configurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a packet for smoking articles as defined in the main claim 1.

One form of embodiment of the present invention provides a packet for smoking articles that comprises an external casing including a containing body, a closing body rotary around a hinge, and an internal casing sliding with respect to said external casing.

The closing body is joined to the internal casing so as to be distanced from said body when the internal casing is at least partly removed from the external casing.

According to one feature of the invention, the internal casing comprises an external rear wall on which, by means of an intended folding line, the hinge is made, and which includes a pair of secondary walls of the internal casing, which are disposed to be folded back behind a composition of smoking articles.

The hinge defines, in at least one of the secondary walls, a first panel, and at least a longitudinal cut is provided at the side of the intended folding line so as to allow a movement of the first panel around the hinge.

The closing body comprises an anchoring panel inside which an adhesive substance is applied in order to join together the closing body and the first panel, so that the closing body can be moved around the hinge solidly with the first panel.

The packet according to the invention makes available a very large surface on which promotional messages and other communications for the consumer can be printed. In fact, this information can be printed both on the external casing and also on the internal casing, which becomes visible when it is at least partly extracted from the external casing.

Furthermore, the packet according to the invention is particularly versatile, because it can be used as a traditional packet, when the internal casing is not removed from the external casing, or as a non-standard packet when the internal casing is at least partly extracted from the external casing. In this way, the packet according to the invention can be appreciated both by more conservative smokers and also more imaginative ones.

Furthermore, since the external casing comprises a containing body and a lid as in traditional packets, it is possible to produce the packet according to the invention in a standard packet-making machine. Finally, since the containing body and the closing body are included in the external casing, said bodies have their respective rear walls aligned, that is, flush with each other, which confers a pleasant appearance on the packet.

The invention also provides a blank, to form an external casing of the packet according to the invention, as defined in main claim 1 1.

In some forms of embodiment, a blank to form an external casing of a packet for smoking articles as set forth above comprises a first portion intended to form a containing body of said packet and a second portion intended to form a closing body of the packet.

According to another feature of the present invention, the blank comprises a main panel intended to form, in the external casing, a rear wall of the containing body and a rear face of the closing body.

An intended breaking line is made on the main panel, substantially rectilinear, along which the first portion is connected to the second portion.

The intended breaking line can be broken so as to separate the closing body from the containing body in the packet.

In the rear face of the lid defined by the main panel of the blank, gluing zones are provided, each of which is disposed to adhere to an internal casing of the packet.

The blank according to the invention allows to produce the packet according to the invention easily, even on traditional machines, because the blank has an external profile similar to that of traditional blanks.

In particular, the intended breaking line provided on the blank, if broken, allows to distance the closing body from the containing body, in the packet according to the invention, when the internal casing is at least partly extracted from the external casing.

The invention also provides an internal containing element, to form an internal casing of the packet according to the invention, as defined in main claim 14.

In some forms of embodiment of the present invention, an internal containing element to form an internal casing of a packet for smoking articles as set forth above, is disposed to at least partly surround a composition of said smoking articles and comprises a primary panel to define a main wall of the packet, two side panels disposed at the sides of the primary panel to define minor walls of the packet and two peripheral panels each of which is connected to a corresponding side panel, to define secondary walls of the packet.

According to one feature of the present invention, at least one of said peripheral panels comprises an intended folding line, intended to form a hinge in said packet, and a longitudinal cut, extending transversely with respect to said intended folding line.

Between the longitudinal cut and the intended folding line a portion of said at least one peripheral panel is defined, which is movable around the intended folding line, defining a first panel of the packet movable around the hinge.

The first panel is intended to be joined with a closing body of the packet, so that the closing body can be moved around the hinge solidly with the first panel.

The internal containing element according to the invention allows to produce the packet according to the invention easily, even on traditional machines, because the containing element has an external profile similar to those of traditional containing elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be understood and executed better with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate some non-restrictive examples, wherein:

- fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a packet for smoking articles according to the invention, in a closed configuration;

- fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the packet in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 is a perspective view of an internal casing of the packet in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a rear portion of the internal casing in fig. 3;

- fig. 5 is a front perspective view of the packet in fig. 1, in a configuration where the internal casing is partly extracted from an external casing of the packet;

- fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the packet in the configuration as in fig. 5;

- fig. 7 is a front perspective view like the one in fig. 5, showing the packet in an open configuration;

- fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the packet in fig. 7;

- fig. 9 is a front perspective view of the packet in fig. 1 in an open configuration and without the internal casing; - fig. 10 is a plane view of a blank used to obtain the packet in fig. 1;

- fig. H is a view like the one in fig. 10, showing the distribution of an adhesive substance on the blank in fig. 10;

- fig. 12 is a plane view of a collar used to obtain the internal casing in fig. 3; - fig. 13 is a perspective view of the internal casing in fig. 3 obtained with the collar as in fig. 12;

- fig. 14 is a view like the one in fig. 1, showing a packet according to an alternative version;

- fig. 15 is a rear perspective view of the packet in fig. 13;

- fig. 16 is a schematic view showing how a user can separate a closing body from a containing body in the packet in fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF

EMBODIMENT

Figs. 1 and 2 show a packet 1 for smoking articles, in particular cigarettes. The packet 1 is of the rigid type, and comprises an external casing 2 substantially parallelepiped in shape. The external casing 2 comprises a containing body 3, which can house the cigarettes, and a closing body including a lid 4 that can be opened or closed to allow a smoker to access the cigarettes.

In particular, the lid 4 is movable between an open position and a closed position by rotating it around a hinge 5, shown in figs. 4 and 9, and described hereafter.

The containing body 3 comprises a base wall 6, from which a front wall 7 and a rear wall 8, opposite the front wall 6, extend. Between the front wall 7 and the rear wall 8 two side walls 9 are interposed, each of which has a limited extension with respect to the front wall 7 and the rear wall 8. The lid 4 comprises an upper face 10 which, in the closed position is opposite the base wall 6. A front face 1 1 and a rear face 12, or anchor panel, are connected to the upper face 10 and are opposite each other. Between the front face 1 1 and the rear face 12 two side faces 13 are interposed.

When the packet 1 is in the closed position shown in figs. 1 and 2, the front face 1 1 of the lid 4 is contiguous and substantially co-planar with the front wall 7 of the containing body 2. In the same way, the rear face 12 is contiguous with the rear wall 8, whereas the side faces 13 are contiguous with the respective side walls 9. Moreover, in the closed position the rear face 12 of the lid 4 is flush with the rear wall 8 of the containing body 3. In other words, the closing body has a rear portion which, in the closed position, is flush with the rear wall 8 of the containing body 3. The rear portion of the closing body as above can comprise the rear face 12. The rear face 12 of the lid 4 and the rear wall 8 of the containing body 3 define an external wall of the packet 1 on which an intended breaking line 14 is made, interposed between the rear face 12 and the rear wall 8.

The intended breaking line 14 can be formed by a plurality of cuts 15 mutually separated by joining segments 16.

In particular, the intended breaking line 14, for example rectilinear, faces and extends substantially along the same profile as the hinge 5.

The material that forms the external casing 2 can be cardboard, and can be broken along the intended breaking line 14 so as to separate the closing body from the containing body 3, as will be explained in more detail hereafter. Inside the external casing 2 an internal casing 18 is positioned, shown in figs. 3 and 4.

The internal casing 18 houses an internal wrapper, comprising a composition of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of tin foil or metalized foil. The internal wrapper 26 is of a known type and does not have any substantial differences with respect to the internal wrappers used in normal cigarette packets.

The internal casing 18 comprises a main wall 19 delimited by a U-shaped upper profile 20. Two minor walls 21 are connected to the main wall 19, from each of which a secondary wall 22 extends. The minor walls 21 laterally contain the internal wrapper 26, whereas the secondary walls 22 are folded back behind the internal wrapper 26, so as to be adjacent to each other. The secondary walls 22 define a rear external wall of the internal casing 18 on which the hinge 5 is made.

In this way, on opposite sides of the hinge 5, a first panel 22a and a second panel 22b are defined in each secondary wall 22, the function of which will be explained hereafter.

The internal casing 18 also comprises a lower lip 23, connected to the main wall 19 and delimited by a complementary perimeter with respect to the upper profile 20. The lower lip 23 is folded back below the internal wrapper 26.

In proximity with the upper profile 20, two closing fins 24 project from the main wall 19 toward the outside, and are able to engage with the lid 4 so as to keep the lid in the closed position. In a lower region of the minor walls 21 stop means 25 are also made, which can comprise protrusions that are projected toward the outside from each minor wall 21. The stop means 25 can engage with other stop means made inside the external casing 2 so as to prevent the internal casing 18 from coming completely out of the external casing 2, when the packet 1 is in use.

Printed zones 27 are provided on the main wall 19, on the minor walls 21 and on the secondary walls 22, indicated by a line of dashes in figs. 3 and 4. The printed zones 27 can include writings, drawings or other information for the smoker.

The internal casing 18 is disposed inside the external casing 2 and is attached to the external casing 2 in correspondence with the rear face 12 of the lid 4.

In particular, on the internal surface of the rear face 12 one or more points of glue can be applied, by means of which the rear face 12 adheres to both the secondary walls 22, more precisely it adheres to the first panels 22a.

This allows to keep the internal casing 18 closed around the internal wrapper 26 and above all to fix the closing body to the internal casing 18.

The packet 1 can be used as a normal cigarette packet when the internal casing 18 is not extracted from the external casing 2. In this case, the smoker can open the packet 1 by rotating the lid 4 around the hinge 5, he can remove the cigarette and then re-close the lid 4, as happens in traditional packets.

It should be noted that, in the case described above, the intended breaking line 14 functions as another hinge for the packet 1 , facing and cooperating with the hinge 5.

The closing body including the lid 4 can also be separated from the containing body 3 by acting on the intended breaking line 14. In particular, as shown in fig. 16, the user can grasp the lid 4 with one hand and the containing body 3 with the other hand and apply to the rear wall 8 of the containing body 3 and to the rear face 12 of the lid 4 a force that tends to separate the lid 4 from the containing body 3, as shown by the arrows F. In this way. the joining segments 16 break and the closing body including the lid 4 remains attached to the internal casing 18 in correspondence with the rear face 12, but is separated from the containing body 3. The smoker can therefore partly extract from the external casing 2 the internal casing 8 to which the closing body including the lid 4 is attached, as shown in figs. 5 and 6. When this happens, the closing body including the lid 4 is distanced from the containing body 3.

The stop means 25 made on the internal casing 18, if present, prevent the internal casing 18 from being completely extracted from the external casing 2, and abut against the other stop means of the external casing 2.

After having at least partly extracted the internal casing 18 from the external casing 2, the smoker can open the lid by rotating it around the hinge 5, as shown in figs. 7 and 8, to access the cigarettes.

It should be noted that when the internal casing 18 is extracted from the external casing 2 the printed zones 27 are visible by the smoker, who can therefore read the writings and look at the drawings contained in the printed zones 27. This allows to personalize the packet 1 and to increase the space available for communications to the consumer. Indeed, the communications to the consumer and possible promotional messages can now be printed not only on the external surface of the containing body 3 and the closing body, but also in the printed zones 27 of the internal casing 18.

After taking the cigarette, the smoker can re-close the lid 4 and slide the internal casing 18 so as to reposition it inside the external casing 2, so that the packet 1 again assumes the form of a traditional rigid packet.

Naturally, also after detaching the closing body including the lid 4 from the containing body 3, the smoker can always use the packet 1 as a traditional packet, that is, he can access the cigarettes by rotating the lid 4 around the hinge 5 without extracting the internal casing 18 from the external casing 2.

The external casing 2 is formed by folding a blank 28 of the type shown in fig. 10, made for example of cardboard. The blank 28 comprises a first portion 29, intended to form the containing body 3 of the external casing 2, and a second portion 30 intended to form the closing body of the external casing 2. The first portion 29 and the second portion 30 are joined to each other along the intended breaking line 14, already described with reference to fig. 2, which can be defined by the cuts 15 at intervals with the joining segments 16.

The intended breaking line 14 is made inside the main panel 32 of the blank 28, the main panel 32 being intended to form, in the external casing 2, the rear wall 8 of the containing body 3 and the rear face 12 of the lid 4.

The blank 28 extends along a longitudinal axis Z, which can be an axis of symmetry.

A first transverse panel 33 and a second transverse panel 34 are disposed at opposite ends of the main panel 32, so that the first transverse panel 33, the main panel 32 and the second transverse panel 34 are disposed in sequence along the longitudinal axis Z.

The first transverse panel 33 is intended to form the base wall 6 of the packet 1, whereas the second transverse panel 34 is intended to form the upper face 10. A bigger panel 35 is connected to the first transverse panel 33, intended to form the front wall 7 of the containing body 3, whereas a smaller panel 36 is connected to the second transverse panel 34 which will form the front face 1 1 of the lid 4. The smaller panel 36 is in turn connected to a pad 37, disposed to be folded by 180° so as to reinforce a front portion of the lid 4. The bigger panel 35, the first transverse panel 33, the main panel 32, the second transverse panel 34, the smaller panel 36 and the pad 37 are joined along respective transverse creases 38, disposed transversely, in particular, perpendicularly, to the longitudinal axis Z. The blank 28 also comprises a pair of first internal panels 39, disposed at the two sides of the main panel 32 in a region defined between the intended breaking line 14 and the first transverse panel 33. A pair of second internal panels 40 are also provided, disposed at the two sides of the main panel 32 in a region defined between the intended breaking line 14 and the second transverse panel 34. Each first internal panel 39 is separated by the corresponding second internal panel 40 by an inclined cut 41, the intended breaking line 14 extending between said inclined cuts 41.

If the cardboard that forms the blank 28 were hypothetical ly torn along the intended breaking line 14, the blank would be divided into two parts.

At the sides of the bigger panel 35 two first external panels 42 are disposed, whereas at the sides of the smaller panel 36 two second external panels 43 are disposed. When the blank 28 is folded to form the external casing 2, each first external panel 42 is positioned above a first internal panel 39 to define the side walls 9 of the containing body 3. In the same way, each second external panel 43 is positioned above a corresponding second internal panel 40 to form the side faces 13 of the lid 4.

The internal panels 39, 40 and the external panels 42, 43 are connected respectively to the main panel 32, the bigger panel 35 and the smaller panel 36 along longitudinal creases 44, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis Z.

Fins 45 are connected to ends of the internal panels 39, 40, opposite the inclined cuts 41, and are disposed to be folded inside the first transverse panel 33 and the second transverse panel 34 so as to stiffen the base wall 6 and the upper face 10 of the external casing 2. On each first internal panel 39, in proximity with the inclined cuts 41, projecting elements 46 are made, which act as other stop means to cooperate with the stop means 25 of the internal casing 18, so as to prevent the internal casing 18 from completely coming out of the external casing

2. Each projecting element 46 is delimited by a cutting line 47, disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis Z. Above the cutting line 47 a deformed portion 48 is disposed which, in the finished packet 1, projects toward the inside of the external casing 2.

When the blank 28 is processed on the packet-making machine, an adhesive substance is applied on the internal surface of the blank 28, in correspondence with the first external panels 42 and the second external panels 43, so as to allow the panels to adhere to the corresponding internal panels. The adhesive substance is also applied on the internal surface of the rear face 12, to allow the face to be fixed to the internal casing 18.

The zones in which the adhesive substance is applied have been shown by lines of dashes in fig. 10. It should be noted in particular that in the rear face 12 two gluing zones 49 can be provided, for example disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis Z, each of which is disposed to adhere to a corresponding first panel 22a of the internal casing 18.

After receiving the adhesive substance, the blank 28 is folded in the traditional sequence of folding operations, seeing that the blank does not have additional panels compared with traditional blanks. Therefore the blank 28 can be processed in a normal machine for producing stiff packets of cigarettes.

Fig. 12 shows a collar 50 that can be used to form the internal casing 18 in fig.

3, whereas fig. 13 shows the internal casing 18 that can be obtained with the collar 50, showing the correspondence between the parts that form the collar 50 and the parts that form the internal casing 18. The collar 50 can be made of cardboard, possibly coupled with a sheet of metal, such as aluminum. The collar 50 can be formed directly on the packet-making machine starting from a coil, which is cut with a blade having a U-shaped profile corresponding to an upper transverse profile 51, which defines the upper profile 20 of the internal casing 18, and a lower transverse profile 52 of the collar 50. Two internal weakening lines 53 and two external weakening lines 54 are also made on the collar 50, by means of suitable cutters. The external weakening lines 54 are disposed outside the internal weakening lines 53. Finally, a transverse weakening line 55, disposed transversely with respect to the internal and external weakening lines 53 and 54 is made in a lower region of the collar 50.

Between the internal weakening lines 53 and the transverse weakening line 55 a primary panel 56 is defined, disposed to form, in the internal casing 18, the main wall 19, as can be seen by comparing fig. 13. At the sides of the primary panel 56 two side panels 57 are disposed, each of which is interposed between an internal weakening line 53 and an external weakening line 54. Each side panel 57 is intended to form a minor wall 21 of the internal casing 18 (fig. 13).

Furthermore, outside the side panels 57, two peripheral panels 58 are provided, each of which is joined to a corresponding side panel 57 along an external weakening line 54. The peripheral panels 58 are folded behind the internal wrapper 26 to form the secondary walls 22 (fig. 13).

In this way, after being folded, the collar 50 surrounds the internal casing 18 on four sides.

The collar 50 also comprises two intended folding lines 80, extending transversely, each made on a corresponding peripheral panel 58 and intended to determine the hinge 5 in the packet 1 (fig. 13). The intended folding lines 80 can comprise a crease or can be formed by a plurality of cuts separated by joining points.

The collar 50 also comprises a pair of longitudinal cuts 83 each extending substantially parallel to and outside a respective external weakening line 54.

More precisely, the longitudinal cuts 83 each extend between the upper transverse profile 51 and a respective intended folding line 80. In a variant, not shown, the longitudinal cuts 83 are each made on an end portion of a respective external weakening line 54. Between each longitudinal cut 83 and a corresponding intended folding line 80 a portion 81 of the peripheral panel 58 is defined, intended to determine the first panel 22a in the packet 1 (fig. 13).

Between the transverse weakening line 55 and the lower transverse profile 52 an end panel 59 is defined, able to be folded under the internal wrapper 26 to obtain the lower lip 23 (fig. 13). On the collar 50 two C-shaped cuts 60 are made, intended to form the closing fins 24 (fig. 13). The stop means 25 (fig. 13) are also made on the collar 50, and have a structure similar to the projecting elements 46 of the blank 28, but project toward the outside of the collar 50, once the latter has been folded. The stop means 25 are delimited by respective upper cuts 61.

During production, the collar 50 is folded around the internal wrapper 26 and made adherent to it by means of points of glue positioned similarly to what happens in traditional collars. The collar 50 can be folded around the internal wrapper 26 using a folding unit similar to the one used for traditional collars. The external casing 2 is then constructed by folding the blank 28 around the internal casing 18.

From the above description, it is obvious that the packet 1 can be made using packet-making machines that do not substantially differ from existing machines. In one version of the invention, shown in figs. 14 and 15, the packet can be completed by applying a stamp 62 in a connection zone between the closing body including the lid 4 and the containing body 3. The stamp 62 can partly cover the rear face 12. In this case, an intended separation line 63 is made on the stamp 62, having the same profile as the intended breaking line 14. In this way, when the closing body including the lid 4 is detached from the containing body 3, the stamp also breaks into two, one of which stays attached to the closing body, whereas the second stays attached to the containing body 3.

In the attached drawings, only packets with a parallelepiped shape have been shown, having longitudinal edges shaped at a right angle. However, the packet according to the invention can also comprise one or more beveled edges, longitudinal or transverse, or one or more rounded edges, longitudinal or transverse. In particular, the packet according to the invention can have the shape of an octagonal packet or a so-called round-corner packet. In a version not shown here, the collar 50 may be absent. The internal wrapper 26 can be made with a plastic film having barrier properties, hermetically closed around a composition of cigarettes. Between the composition of cigarettes and the plastic film a stiffening element may be interposed, comprising for example a strip of cardboard folded around the cigarettes, to increase the rigidity of the internal wrapper 26. In this case, the rear face 12 is glued directly on the plastic film. A configuration of this type can be used for packets containing aromatized cigarettes, for example menthol, in which case the plastic film with barrier properties prevents the odor of the cigarettes from spreading prematurely into the outside environment. In one version of the invention, not shown here, the intended breaking line 14 can be broken on the packet-making machine, after having formed the external casing 2. In this version, consequently, instead of the breaking line 14, the packet 1 comprises a cutting line or cut, separating the closing body from the containing body 3.

The cutting line, made in a rear wall of the external casing 2, faces and extends substantially along the same profile as the hinge 5. More precisely, the cutting line has a substantially rectilinear development.

After the cutting line has been made, a transparent film is wound around the external casing 2 and then welded, as happens in traditional cigarette packets. In this way, when the smoker breaks the transparent film to access the external casing 2, the containing body 3 is already separated from the closing body and the smoker, if he wants to extract the internal casing 18, does not have to break the intended breaking line 14 but only, if there is the stamp 62, the intended separation line 63.

Finally, it should be noted that the hinge 5 of the packet 1 as described above not only makes the packet 1 particularly aesthetic, but also is stronger than traditional hinges made on an external wall of the external casing, because it is protected during use by the external casing 2.

Claims

1. Packet for smoking articles, comprising an external casing (2) including a containing body (3) and a closing body (4) that is rotatable around a hinge (5), and an internal casing ( 18) that is slidable with respect to said external casing (2), said closing body (4) being joined to said internal casing (18) so as to be distanced from said containing body (3) when said internal casing (18) is at least partially extracted from said external casing (2), characterized in that said internal casing ( 18) comprises an external rear wall (22) on which is made, by means of an intended folding line (80), said hinge (5) defining at least a first panel (22a) of said internal casing (18), said hinge (5) cooperating with at least a longitudinal cut (83) to allow said first panel (2a) to move around said hinge (5), said closing body (4) comprising an anchoring panel (12) in the internal part of which an adhesive substance is applied in order to join said closing body (4) to the first panel (22a), so that said closing body (4) can be moved around said hinge (5) solidly with said first panel (22a).

2. Packet according to claim 1, wherein said rear wall includes a pair of secondary walls (22) of said internal casing (18), said secondary walls (22) being disposed to folded behind a composition (26) of smoking articles.

3. Packet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one longitudinal cut (83) is provided at the side of the intended folding line (80).

4. Packet according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said anchoring panel includes a rear face (12) of said closing body (4).

5. Packet according to any preceding claim, and further comprising an intended breaking line (14) interposed between said closing body (4) and said containing body (3), said intended breaking line (14) being breakable to separate said closing body (4) from said containing body (3), or comprising a cutting line interposed between said closing body (4) and said containing body (3), said cutting line separating said closing body (4) from said containing body (3).

6. Packet according to claim 5, wherein said intended breaking line (14), or said cutting line, faces and extends substantially along the same profile of said hinge

(5).

7. Packet according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said intended breaking line (14), or said cutting line, has a substantially rectilinear extent.

8. Packet according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said intended breaking line (14) comprises a plurality of joining segments (16) that are mutually separated by cuts (15) and wherein said cutting line comprises a cut.

9. Packet according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein said intended breaking ^" line (14), or said cutting line, is obtained on a rear wall (8, 12) of said external casing (2).

10. Packet according to any preceding claim, wherein said internal casing (18) comprises stop means (25) cooperating with further stop means (46) of said external casing (2) to prevent said internal casing ( 18) being completely extracted from said external casing (2).

1 1. Blank for forming an external casing of a packet (1) for smoking articles according to claims 1 to 12, said blank (28) comprising a first portion (29) intended for forming a containing body (3) of said packet (1) and a second portion (30) intended for forming a closing body (4) of said packet (1), characterized in that it comprises a main panel (32) intended to form, in the external casing (2), a rear wall (8) of the containing body (3) and a rear face (12) of the closing body (4), an intended breaking line being made on said main panel (32) along which said first portion (29) is connected to said second portion (30), said intended breaking line (14) being breakable to separate, in said packet (1), said closing body (4) from said containing body (3), gluing zones (49) being provided in said rear face (12) of the closing body (4) defined by the main panel (32), each of which gluing zones (49) is disposed to adhere to an internal casing (18) of the packet (1).

12. Blank according to claim 1 1, wherein said intended breaking line (14) comprises a plurality of joining segments (16) that are mutually separated by cuts

(15).

13. Blank according to claim 1 1 or 12, wherein said first portion (29) and said second portion (30) are separated by a pair of cutting lines (41 ), said intended breaking line (14) extending substantially from a first cutting line (41) to a second cutting line (41) of said pair.

14. Internal containing element (50) for forming an internal casing (18) of a packet (1) for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 8, said internal containing element (50) being disposed for wrapping, at least partially, a composition (26) of said smoking articles and comprising a primary panel (56) to define a main wall (19) of the packet (1), two side panels (57) disposed on the sides of said primary panel (56) to define minor walls (21) of the packet (1), and two peripheral panels (58) each of which is connected to a corresponding side panel (57), to define secondary walls (22) of the packet (1); said internal containing element (50) being characterized in that at least one of said peripheral panels (58) comprises an intended folding line (80), intended for forming a hinge (5) in said packet (1), and a longitudinal cut (83), extending transversely to said intended folding line (80), between said longitudinal cut (83) and said intended folding line (80) there being defined a portion (81) of said at least a peripheral panel (58), said portion (81) being movable around said intended folding line (80), defining a first panel (22a) of the packet (1) movable around said hinge (5), said first panel (22a) being intended for being joined to a closing body (4) of said packet (1), so that said closing body (4) can be moved around said hinge (5) solidly with said first panel (22a).

15. Internal containing element (50) according to claim 14, wherein each of said peripheral panels (58) comprises said intended folding line (80) and said longitudinal cut (83).

16. Internal containing element (50) according to claim 14, or 15, wherein said intended folding line (80) comprises a crease, or is formed from a plurality of cuts separated by joining points.

17. Internal containing element (50) according to claims 14 to 16, wherein said longitudinal cut (80) is positioned outside and extends substantially parallel to a weakening line (54) connecting said side panels (57) to said peripheral panels (58), or wherein said longitudinal cut (80) is obtained on a weakening line (54) connecting said side panels (57) to said peripheral panels (58).