EP3031337A1

EP3031337A1 - A kit for smoking articles

Info

Publication number: EP3031337A1
Application number: EP14197664.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paul Fleck SPEERS; Franz-Josef TRITZ
Original assignee: JT International SA
Current assignee: JT International SA
Priority date: 2014-12-12
Filing date: 2014-12-12
Publication date: 2016-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 2034-12-12
Also published as: EP3031337B1; CA2914889A1

Abstract

A kit of smoking apparatus for forming a smoking article is provided comprising a container, a pouch of loose tobacco provided within the container, a retaining member provided within the container, and an elongate smoking article making element adhered to the retaining member, wherein said elongate smoking article making element is removable from the retaining member by a user.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of smoking articles, and, in particular, to a kit of smoking apparatus for forming smoking articles.
Containers for smoking articles are, of course known. It is also known to provide a kit for users to assemble Roll-Your-Own or Make-Your-Own (RYO/MYO) cigarettes. These kits may typically be provided as a flip top lid container (or "hinge lid box") having smoking apparatus, such as a pouch of loose tobacco, filter tips, matches, a lighter, rolling paper or paper tubes, provided therein. This assortment of smoking apparatus is typically arranged in a particular manner at the point of purchase, whereby each item is easily accessible. Over time however, as various items are removed and reinserted, the order of this arrangement can deteriorate. For instance, paper tubes or stacks of filter tips may initially be arranged in a vertical manner so that their ends are visible and accessible from the upper surface of the container, however, over time these items may be crushed under other smoking apparatus or become split apart and therefore difficult to locate without emptying the container. Likewise, more sturdy items such as stacks of rolling paper may be initially provided in an upright position and then later fall sideways, requiring re-orientating before a large item such as a pouch of loose tobacco can be inserted. Most users have generally accepted this as an inevitable feature of these kits however it would be desirable nonetheless to provide an improved, better-organised kit wherein this problem did not occur. Furthermore, it is desirable to achieve a low-cost solution to this problem which can readily be implemented using existing smoking article containers. The present invention solves this problem.
In accordance with a first example of the invention, there is provided a kit of smoking apparatus for forming a smoking article comprising:

a container;
a pouch of loose tobacco provided within the container;
a retaining member provided within the container; and
an elongate smoking article making element adhered to the retaining member, wherein said elongate smoking article making element is removable from the retaining member by a user.

The elongate smoking article making element is adhered onto a retaining member provided within a container. This enables the smoking article making element to remain in a fixed position and orientation until it is detached and removed by a user, thus protecting it from potentially being moved or crushed by another item inserted into the container. Lightly adhering the smoking article making element to the retaining member also ensures that the smoking article is not moved within the container during transit and so ensures that different kits purchased by a user contain smoking apparatus that are presented in a similar manner.
The elongate smoking article making element is elongate in the sense that it has a major axis along which it extends in a longitudinal direction and a relatively small minor axis. Preferably the elongate smoking article making element comprises one of: a stack of rolling paper, a paper tube or a stack of longitudinally aligned filter tips.
A particular benefit is realised wherein a plurality of elongate smoking article making elements are adhered to the retaining member and wherein each elongate smoking article making element is individually removable by a user. In order to form an effective kit it is often necessary to provide a plurality of elongate smoking article making elements within the container. Adhering each of these elongate smoking article making elements to the retaining member improves the overall order of the interior of the container. Thin cylindrical rod shaped elements, such as stacks of filter tips or paper tubes are typically the most fragile and easy to split apart within the container and so are most preferably adhered to the retaining member. Filter tips are more frequently provided than paper tubes however and so preferably still, each elongate smoking article making element is a stack of filter tips.
A further benefit is provided wherein the container comprises an upper surface from which the pouch of loose tobacco and elongate smoking article making elements are removable, and wherein said elongate smoking article making elements are positioned on the retaining member such that they extend in a direction perpendicular to a plane extending through the upper surface. These elements may be arranged on the retaining member parallel to one another such that their ends are visible at the upper surface, thus enabling a higher concentration of elements to be provided on the upper surface, and ultimately a higher number of elements to be accessed by a user.
The retaining member is preferably provided as a blank having first and second surfaces. As previously discussed, it is desirable to provide a low cost retaining member, which is quick, simple and therefore cheap to manufacture. This may be achieved by providing a blank, for example, in the form of a section of card, that may be inserted into the container The blank is preferably of negligible thickness in order to maximise the usable space within the interior of the housing, and thus may be treated as a substantially two-dimensional planar object having first and second surfaces only. The blank may be formed of a material similar to that of the container, or may be of a different material and may be selected to ensure rigidity for the back but also possibly to ensure overall structural rigidity for the container when formed.
In order to simplify the manufacturing process, it is preferable that the one or more elongate smoking article making elements are adhered to the first surface only. In this case, the second surface of the blank may advantageously extend along, and abut onto, an internal wall of the container. This provides additional support to the internal wall, whilst leaving the elongate smoking article making elements readily accessible to a user. In another example, the blank may advantageously be folded in half about a fold line so as to obscure the second surface. Said fold line preferably extends in a direction perpendicular to a plane extending through the upper surface. This can allow for different space saving configurations to be achieved within the container.
It is advantageous that the retaining member is used with existing smoking article containers, such as hinge-lid boxes, in order to reduce the manufacturing costs and provide continuity to the user. The container is preferably therefore a hinge-lid box.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for making a kit according to the first aspect comprising:

providing a container and a pouch of loose tobacco;
adhering one or more elongate smoking article making elements onto a retaining member; and
inserting the retaining member, having elongate smoking article making elements adhered to it, and the pouch of loose tobacco into the container.

In order to adhere the elongate smoking article making element onto the retaining member with a suitable holding force that may be easily overcome by a user but which otherwise retains the element onto the retaining member, each elongate smoking article making element is preferably adhered to the first surface by a one or more dots of glue applied to the retaining member. Alternatively, or in addition to this, thin linear strips of glue may be applied to the retaining member along the respective location at which each elongate smoking article making element is to be located
The pouch and the retaining member, having elongate smoking article making elements adhered to it, are preferably simultaneously inserted into the container. This can maximise production efficiency and ensure that the smoking apparatus inserted are orientated as intended relative to one another within the container.
The process preferably further comprises forming the container from a blank of foldable material before insertion the retaining member, the adhered elongate smoking article making elements and the pouch of loose tobacco into the container. This can keep production costs to a minimum and ensure that similar sections of card are used, for example, to produce the retaining member and faces of the container.
Examples of the invention will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a front view of a first example of a kit according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of a first example of a kit according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a top view of a second example of a kit according to the invention; and
Figure 4 is a front view of a blank for forming a retainer member for use in accordance with the second example of the invention.

The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "side" etc. are used in the following description merely to designate particular locations corresponding to those in the drawings as presented and are not intended to tie interpretation of the claims to any particular orientation.
Coordinate axes are also provided Figures 1 to 4 for reference. The z-axis is aligned with the longitudinal (or vertical) axis of the kit, whereas a perpendicular x-axis is aligned with the transverse (or horizontal) axis. A y-axis, which is perpendicular to the x and z axes, is also shown.
Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a kit of smoking apparatus for forming a smoking article, such as a RYO or MYO cigarette. In particular, a smoking article container 10 is provided in the form of a hinge lid box, having a substantially cuboidal shape. The container 10 comprises a lid 9 and housing 8 which defines an inner volume for storing smoking apparatus. The lid 9 is a flip top lid configured to open and close the container 10 by movement about a horizontal hinge / crease provided on the back surface (not shown) of the housing 8. The container 10 is shown at its open orientation in Figure 1.
Smoking apparatus for forming a RYO cigarette is provided within the housing 8. In particular, a pouch of a smoking material 1 (such as loose tobacco, also referred to as "rolling tobacco"), in the form of a plastic envelope, is inserted into the front of the housing 8. In this example the container 10 has an inner frame to provide additional rigidity and a surface with which the lid 9 can engage in a closed position. The pouch 1 is viewable through a window 11, which is cut from the front wall of the inner frame.. A stack of rolling paper 7, in the form of a paper booklet, is inserted into the middle of the housing 8, directly behind the pouch 1. A retaining member 5, in the form of a rectangular, coupon-sized insert is then provided behind the stack 7. Said retaining member 5 is typically formed from a light, cutable and creasable material, such as card or cardboard. The retaining member 5 extends substantially across the entire width and height of the housing 8, such that it tightly fits within the housing 8. The retaining member 5 is of negligible width along the y-axis and so can be thought of as substantially planar, comprising first and second surfaces 16, 17 only (shown in Figure 2), said surfaces lying in the xz plane. A plurality of filter tips for forming RYO cigarettes are adhered to the first surface 16 of the retaining member 5. Said filter tips are provided within a bundle, wherein the bundle comprises ten or eleven stacks 3 of filter tips, each stack 3 comprising a plurality of longitudinally aligned cylindrical filter tips. Each stack 3 is enclosed in a plastic wrapper so as to secure the filter tips within a given stack together.
A stack of filter tips 3 may be thought of as an elongate smoking article making element because it has clear major and minor axes (referred to as longitudinal and transverse respectively) and it is ultimately used to form part of a smoking article. In alternative embodiments different types of smoking article making element may be adhered to the retaining member 5 instead of, or an addition to, the stacks 3 of filter tips. For instance, a stack of rolling paper 7 may be adhered to the retaining member 5, or one or more paper tubes for forming MYO cigarettes may be provided next to, or instead of the stacks 3 of filter tips or further on the second surface 17 of the retaining member 5 opposite the stacks 3 of filter tips on the first surface 16 thereof. It is usually preferable to have any pouch of tobacco 1 within the container in a position where it is immediately visible to a user when they open the pack however, which requires any pouch 1 to be positioned on the edge of the container 10 furthest from the hinge of the lid Each of these elements has a substantially symmetric elongate shape, that shape being either cuboidal or cylindrical.
Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a top view of the housing 8, wherein an upper surface extending in the xy plane is shown. In the first example, the stacks 3 of filter tips are directly pressed against the back wall 19 of the housing 8, whereas the second surface 17 abuts onto the stack of rolling paper 7. In alternative embodiments however the second surface 17 may abut onto, and extend along, the back wall 19 so that the edges of the filter tips are instead exposed to the centre of the housing 8. This may improve the accessibility of each stack 3 to a user accessing the container from the top surface. In either case, the retaining member 5 or stacks 3 of filter tips extend nearly entirely across the back wall 19 so as to provide additional structural support to said wall 19. Each stack 3 is individually removable from the container 10 by a user grasping the housing 8, opening the lid 9, grasping the stack 3 and pulling it away from the retaining member 5, thereby detaching the stack 3 from the retaining member 5. The binding strength of the glue is chosen such that each stack 3 is individually removable from the retaining member 5 to which it is adhered. Optionally, the retaining member 5 may itself be fully or partially removable from the container 10 to further improve the accessibility of the elongate smoking article making elements 3. Alternatively, the retaining member 5 may be integrally formed with the container 10, or may be adhered to it. The remaining smoking apparatus provided within the housing 8 (i.e. the pouch 1 and the stack of rolling paper 7) are also removable from the container 10 by movement relative to the housing 8 along the z-axis. A small gap is left in the first example between the side walls of the housing 8 (which extend in the yz plane) and the stack 7 of rolling paper to enable a user's fingers to pinch and grasp the sides of the stack of rolling paper 7 for removal.
Figure 3 shows a schematic illustration of a top view of a second example of a kit wherein primed reference numerals are used to refer to similar smoking apparatus to those in the first example. The positioning of the apparatus within the housing 8' differs in the second example from that of the first example however. For instance, the pouch 1' of loose tobacco abuts onto the back wall 19' of the housing 8', rather than the front wall 18'. Furthermore, the stack of rolling paper 7' and the retaining member 5' provided in the front left and front right and corners of the housing 8' respectively. Other arrangements are also envisaged and may be desirable depending upon the particular smoking apparatus stored therein and the particular smoking article making elements adhered to the retaining member.
In the second example, five stacks 3' of filter tips are adhered to both surfaces of the retaining member 5'. This is achieved by adhering ten stacks 3' to a first surface 16' of a planar rectangular blank 15' formed from card insert, similar to the first example. The blank 15 is then folded about a vertical fold line 20' that extends in the direction perpendicular to the upper surface, as shown by Figure 4. Alternatively, a similar effect may be achieved by adhering five stacks 3' of filter tips to both surfaces of a blank having approximately half the width of the blank 15' along the x-axis to that of the second example.
An example of a process forming a kit according to the second example will now be discussed with reference to Figures 3 and 4. A plurality of elongate smoking article making elements, in this case a ten stacks 3' of filter tips, are delivered onto a track and aligned so that the respective longitudinal (major) axes of each stack 7' are parallel. Each stack 3' comprises nine end-to-end filter tips, as shown, however it will be appreciated that an alternative number, such as six or seven end to end tips could be provided. Furthermore, each stack 3' is enclosed in a sealed plastic wrapper. Substantially circular dots of liquid glue are then applied by a nozzle onto a first surface 16' of a blank 15' (typically formed from card). One or more dots may be applied at the respective positions at which each stack 3' is to be located. The stacks 3' are then pressed onto the first surface 16' and the glue is allowed to dry such that the stacks 3' are retained onto the blank 15'. This simple method provides a low cost solution for retaining smoking article making elements, which is preferable, for example, to the use of elasticated bands.
In the first example, the flat blank forms the retaining member 5 which is inserted into the back of the housing 8. In the second example however, the blank 15' comprises a fold line 20' that extends entirely across the middle of the blank 15' in the z-axis, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stacks 3'. The blank 15' may be formed of a material having one or more cuts, creases, scores, perforations, or gaps, or any combination thereof, along said fold line 20' to enable the blank 15' to be readily folded about said fold line 20'. The blank 15' is then folded about the fold line 20' so as to expose five stacks 3' on either surface of the folded blank, which now forms the retaining member 5'. The second surface (not shown, but which is on the opposing side to the first surface 16') of the blank 15' is hence substantially obscured by this folding action.
The binding strength of the glue used to adhere each stack to the retaining member is such that it can be easily overcome by a user grasping and pulling the stack 3' away from the retaining member 5'. The amount of glue applied to the first surface 16' and the chemical composition of this glue may be adjusted to achieve this effect.
Once the stacks 3' of filter tips have adhered to the retaining member 5', the retaining member 5' and a pouch of loose tobacco 1' and a stack 7' of rolling paper are simultaneously inserted into a container 10', which has been formed from a blank of foldable material, in the positions shown by Figure 3. Simultaneously inserting these apparatus ensures that one item is not unintentionally inserted on top of another and increases production efficiency. The container 10' may then be enclosed and sealed in a plastic wrapper for sale.
As will be appreciated from the above, an improved kit and process for making a kit is hence provided wherein the smoking apparatus stored within are retained in a more structured and organised manner than the prior art. Furthermore this feature is achieved for minimal additional cost.

Claims

A kit of smoking apparatus for forming a smoking article comprising:
a container;

a pouch of loose tobacco provided within the container;

a retaining member provided within the container; and

an elongate smoking article making element adhered to the retaining member, wherein said elongate smoking article making element is removable from the retaining member by a user.
A kit according to claim 1, wherein said elongate smoking article making element comprises one of: a stack of rolling paper, a paper tube or a stack of longitudinally aligned filter tips.
A kit according to claims 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of elongate smoking article making elements are adhered to the retaining member and wherein each elongate smoking article making element is individually removable by a user.
A kit according to claim 3, wherein each elongate smoking article making element is a stack of filter tips.
A kit according to claims 3 or 4, wherein the container comprises an upper surface which can be moved so that the pouch of loose tobacco and elongate smoking article making elements are removable, and wherein said elongate smoking article making elements are positioned on the retaining member such that they extend in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a plane extending through the upper surface of the container.
A kit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said retaining member is provided as a planar blank having first and second surfaces.
A kit according to claim 6, wherein the one or more elongate smoking article making elements are adhered to the first surface only.
A kit according to claim 7, wherein the second surface of the blank extends along, and abuts onto, an internal wall of the container.
A kit according to claim 8, wherein said blank is folded in half about a fold line so as to obscure the second surface.
A kit according to claim 9, wherein the container comprises an upper surface which can be moved so that the pouch of loose tobacco and the elongate smoking articles are removable, and wherein the fold line extends in a longitudinal direction of the container through the upper surface.
A kit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container is a hinge-lid box.
A process for making a kit according to any of the preceding claims comprising:
providing a container and a pouch of loose tobacco;

adhering one or more elongate smoking article making elements onto a retaining member; and

inserting the retaining member, having elongate smoking article making elements adhered to it, and the pouch of loose tobacco into the container.
A process according to claim 12, wherein each elongate smoking article making element is adhered to the retaining member by one or more dots of glue applied to the retaining member.
A process according to claims 12 or 13, wherein the pouch and the retaining member, having elongate smoking article making elements adhered to it, are simultaneously inserted into the container.
A process according to any of claims 12 to 14, further comprising forming the container from a blank of foldable material before insertion the retaining member, the adhered elongate smoking article making elements and the pouch of loose tobacco into the container.