ES2363532T3 - CIGARETTE WRAPPING AND SHEET TYPE WRAPPING MATERIAL FOR SUCH ENVELOPE. - Google Patents

Abstract

A cigarette parcel has a sheet-like wrapping material (12) that wraps a group of cigarette packs. The wrapping material (12) includes a perforated line (22). The perforated line (22) extends to a lateral face of the cigarette parcel along a longitudinal direction of the parcel and has a central area C in the center. The central area C is formed as a fragile portion that can be ripped more easily than other areas of the perforated line.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a cigarette wrapper containing a group of packets of cigarettes or filtered cigarettes, and a foil wrapping material for wrapping the group.

Background Technique

A wrapper for cigarettes of this type is described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10230552. This wrapper includes a group of packages formed by a plurality of cigarettes and a sheet-type wrapping material that wraps around the group of packages. The package group includes packages arranged in a double row, and each row has five packages of cigarettes.

The cigarette wrap described in the publication includes a perforated line formed in the wrapping material. The perforated line is used to tear the wrapping material at the time of opening the cigarette wrapper and taking out the cigarette packets.

The perforated line has a large number of perforations. These perforations are separated at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the perforated line. The length of an intermediate portion between two adjacent perforations determines the tear resistance of the perforated line. When the package group is wrapped in the wrapping material, the perforated line is required to have a breaking strength that is high enough to withstand an external force applied to the wrapping material. For this reason, the perforated line has a relatively high resistance.

When the cigarette pack is due to open, therefore, the user has to break the intermediate portions of the perforated line by pushing his nail into the intermediate portions, and then tearing the wrapping material, while moving the nail along of the perforated line.

However, there is a possibility that the thrust with the nail damages each of the packets of cigarettes in the packaging. Especially if cigarette packages are not completely wrapped with a transparent film, the outer surfaces of the packages can be easily scratched by the nail that touches them directly.

US Document 2002/0177513 A1 describes a package for a group of cigarette packages that are surrounded by an outer wrap of paper, foil, thin cardboard or the like. To facilitate the opening of a container of this type of cigarette packages in particular, a perforated line is formed in the region of a long side wall, specifically in the region of a plane of separation between the subgroups of the cigarette packages.

US 4,982,845 describes a resealable container box that includes a tear path that defines an opening through which products can be removed from the box, and a resealable closure appendix. to close, which extends through the tear path. The tear path includes weaker and stronger portions. The strongest portion is stronger than the weakest portion with respect to the forces that tend to separate the material comprising the box along the tear path. Therefore, the tear path has a variable resistance along its length with respect to the forces that tend to open the case.

JP 59-176574 describes a wrap in which a mark indicates the wide position and the width direction to open a perforation line. The mark is arranged in the form of an arrow below the perforation line. The mark shows the user where the perforation is located and in which direction he has to open it.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette wrapper that does not incur a defect attributable to the tearing of a sheet-like wrapping material when the group of packages is wrapped by the wrapping material, and allows the material to be easily torn then, at the time of opening, and provide a wrapping material for the package group.

Disclosure of the invention Means for solving the problem

In order to achieve the above objective, a cigarette wrapper of the present invention comprises a group of packages having a longitudinal axis, the package group including a plurality of cigarette packages, and a sheet-type wrapping material that wraps The package group.

The wrapping material of the cigarette wrapper of the invention includes a perforated line that extends along the longitudinal axis of the packet group. The perforated line has separate perforations along the longitudinal axis and intermediate portions between the perforations. When the total lengths of each of the perforations and each of the intermediate portions along the longitudinal axis is expressed as a perforation step, the perforated line is provided in a part thereof, in addition, with a fragile area inferior to another portion with respect to the proportion of the intermediate portion with respect to the drilling step.

When the cigarette wrapper must be opened, first of all the wrapping material is torn from the fragile area of the perforated line. The tear extends to the rest of the areas of the perforated line, and the wrapping material is torn along the perforated line. This makes it easy to remove each of the cigarette packages from the cigarette wrap.

Since the wrapping material has the fragile area only in a part of the perforated line, the wrapping material is not torn along the perforated line when the package group is wrapped by the wrapping material.

Specifically, the fragile area of the wrapping material can be positioned in the center of the perforated line as seen in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the perforated line. The perforated line may be provided, on both sides of the fragile area, with a plurality of areas from which the connection proportions grow sequentially with the increasing distance from the fragile area.

More preferably, the wrapping material may further include a mark indicating the fragile area. The brand reliably ensures that the user is aware of where to start tearing the perforated line when the cigarette wrapper is to be opened.

Cigarette packs in the cigarette wrap may have outer surfaces in direct contact with the wrapping material.

The invention also provides a sheet type wrapping material having the perforated line mentioned above.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a cigarette wrap according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view showing a wrapping material similar to a sheet of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view showing a portion of a perforated line of Figure 2 in an enlarged view;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the cigarette wrap of Figure 1; Y

Figure 5 is a view showing a part of a perforated line according to another embodiment.

Best way to carry out the invention

Figure 1 shows a cigarette wrap according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cigarette wrap has a group of CP 10 cigarette packs and a sheet 12 wrapping material that wraps around group 10. Group 10 includes packages that are arranged in upper and lower rows, as seen in the figure 1. Each of the packet rows has five CP packets of cigarettes.

The sheet of wrapping material 12 is made, for example, of paper. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the wrapping material 12. A central portion 14 of the wrapping material 12 is wound around the group of packages 10 in the form of the letter U. Both sides of the side edge portions of the wrapping material 12 overlap one on top of each other on a lower surface of the container 10 and are joined together with an adhesive. In other words, the wrapping material 12 is shaped as a tube that surrounds the group of packages 10. The wrapping material 12 has lugs protruding from both ends of the group of packages 10. The lugs are formed in both end portions 16 of the wrapping material 12.

Next, the lugs are folded against the respective end faces of the packet group 10 to form closed faces that cover the end faces. Each of the closed faces has extreme fins located at both ends thereof and lateral fins that overlap sequentially over the extreme fins.

The lateral fins are connected to each other by means of an adhesive. As a result, the group of packages 10 is completely wrapped by the wrapping material 12, and the cigarette wrapper is formed.

Referring to Figure 2, the thin dashed lines show fold lines that are formed by bending the wrapping material 12. The wrapping material 12 has a pair of grooves 18 in each of the peripheral portions 16. The grooves 18 form the upper side wings 20 of the side wings mentioned above (see Figure 1).

The wrapping material 12 has a perforated line 22, which is arranged in one of a pair of small side faces of the package group 10. More specifically, the perforated line 22 is located between the rows of packages and extends in a longitudinal direction of packet group 10, that is, in the direction of alignment of the CP cigarette packets in the packet rows. In Figure 1, the perforated line 22 is shown by a more marked dashed line than the dashed lines indicating the profiles of the CP cigarette packages.

As is evident from Figure 2, the perforated line 22 includes a central area C that is located in the center of the perforated line 22, and lateral areas S1 and S2 that are arranged on each side of the central area C. The lateral areas S1 and S2 are located symmetrically with respect to the central area C. As illustrated in Figure 3, the perforated line 22 has a large number of perforations 26. The perforations 26 are separated in the longitudinal direction of the perforated line 2. The intermediate portions interposed between the perforations 26 are indicated by the reference number 24 in Figure 3.

When the length of each of the intermediate portions 24 and each of the perforations 26 along the longitudinal direction of the perforated line are represented by L and S, respectively, the total lengths of the intermediate portion 24 and of the perforation 26 adjacent to each other (L + S) is equal to a perforation step P.

A proportion of the length L of the intermediate portion 24 with the drilling passage P, that is, a connection ratio R (L / P), differs from area to area of the perforated line 22. In the present embodiment, the proportions R connection are determined as shown below.

Central area C:

Rc = 0.1, drilling step P = 6 mm, L = 0.6 mm, and number of steps (the number of intermediate portions 24) N = 5

S1 lateral area:

R1 = 0.117, Punching pitch P = 6 mm, L = 0.7 mm, and number of steps N = 6

S2 lateral area:

R2 = 0.25, Punching pitch P = 6 mm, L = 1.5 mm, number of steps N = 12

Therefore, the ratio of the magnitude of the connection ratios Rc, R1 and R2 of the central area C and of the lateral areas, S1 and S2 are as follows:

Rc <R1 <R2

The Rc connection ratio of the. central area C is lower than the connection ratios R1 and R2 of the lateral areas S1 and S2, and the central area C forms a fragile area of the perforated line 22. Therefore, when the cigarette wrapper must be opened, the connecting portions 24 of the central area C can be easily torn simply by pulling the portions of the wrapping material 12 that are located on both sides of the central area C of the perforated line 22 in opposite directions. The tear in the central area C propagates the connecting portions 24 of the side S1 and S2 in order, so that the wrapping material 12 is completely torn along the perforated line 22. Consequently, each of the packets of cigarettes CP can be removed from the cigarette wrap without difficulty.

Since the perforated line 22 has the central area C as a fragile area only in the center thereof, the wrapping material 12 does not tear along the perforated line 22 when the package group 10 is wrapped with the wrapping material 12.

The length of each of the intermediate portions 24 in the central area C and in the lateral areas S1 and S2 is very short. Therefore, it is not easy to visually recognize the difference in the size of the intermediate portions 24 of each of these areas. However, according to the present embodiment, the wrapping material 12 is provided in advance with a mark M surrounding the central area C, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. If the portions of the wrapping material 12 being found on both sides of the perforated line 22 are pulled in opposite directions, using the M mark as a signal, the intermediate portions 24 of the central area C are torn apart without failures.

Figure 4 shows more specifically the CP cigarette pack in the cigarette wrapper. The CP cigarette pack can be a hinged lid package or a soft pack that is completely wrapped with a transparent film. The CP cigarette packet in the cigarette wrapper, however, is preferably a tongue-capped package that is not completely wrapped with the transparent film.

In the case of a package with a lid with a tongue of this type, a cigarette wrapper is wrapped in a highly hermetic inner wrap, so the film wrap is not necessary.

If the package of CP cigarettes in the cigarette wrapper is the package with a flap lid, a user can easily tear the wrapping material in the cigarette wrapper without pushing the nail into the perforated line 22. Therefore, it prevents the outer surface of the package with flap cover is scratched by the user's nail. The invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be modified in several ways.

For example, the central area of the perforated line can be replaced by a central area C 'shown in Figure 5. In this case, the central area C ’has a structure shown below.

Central area C ':

Connection ratio Rc '= 0.778, drilling pitch P = 9 mm, L = 0.7 mm, and number of steps N = 3

It goes without saying that the proportion of connection RC ’of the central area C 'is smaller than the proportions of connection R1 and R2 of the lateral areas S1 and S2.

The lateral areas S1 and S2 can be integrated together in any of the lateral areas. Alternatively, another side area having a higher connection ratio may be provided outside the side area S2.

Claims (4)

1. A cigarette wrapper comprising: a group of packages (10) having a longitudinal axis, said package group (10) including a plurality of cigarette packages (CP), and foil wrapping material (12) that envelops said package group (10), in which: said wrapping material (12) includes a perforated line (22) that extends along the longitudinal axis of said packet group (10); the perforated line (22) has perforations (26) separated along the longitudinal axis and intermediate portions (24) between the perforations (26); Y when the total lengths of each of the perforations (26) and each of the intermediate portions (24) along the longitudinal axis is expressed as a perforation passage (P), the perforated line (22) is provided in a part thereof, in addition, with a fragile area inferior to another portion with respect to the proportion between the intermediate portion (24) and the perforation passage (P), that is characterized because the fragile area is disposed in the center (C) of the perforated line (22) as seen in a direction of the longitudinal axis, the perforated line (22) is provided on both sides of the fragile area, with a plurality of areas, of which the connection ratios increase sequentially with the increasing distance from the fragile area, said wrapping material (12) also includes a mark (M), which indicates the fragile area, and said mark (M) surrounds the fragile area. 2. The cigarette wrap according to claim 1, in which: The cigarette pack (CP) has an outer surface in direct contact with said wrapping material (12). 3. A sheet-type wrapping material (12) for wrapping a group of packages (10), including a plurality of cigarette packages (CP) and having a longitudinal axis, comprising: a perforated line (22) extending along the longitudinal axis of the group of packages (10), in which: said perforated line (22) includes perforations (26) separated along the longitudinal axis and intermediate portions (24) between the perforations (26), and in which the total lengths of each of the perforations (26) and of each of the intermediate portions (24) along the longitudinal axis is expressed as a perforation step (P), said perforated line (22) is provided in a part thereof, in addition, with a fragile area inferior to another portion with respect to the proportion between the intermediate portion (24) and the perforation passage (P), that is characterized because the fragile area is arranged in the center (C) of said perforated line (22) as seen in a direction of the longitudinal axis, said perforated line (22) is provided on both sides of the fragile area of a plurality of areas in which the connection proportions increase sequentially with the increasing distance from the fragile area, and The wrapping material (12) also includes a mark (M), which indicates the fragile area. 4. The wrapping material according to claim 3, wherein said mark (M) surrounds the fragile area.