ES2926174T3 - Inner frame for a pack of cigarettes - Google Patents

Abstract

Inner frame 1 for a pack of cigarettes 100, comprising a front panel 10, a first 20 and a second side panel 30, wherein the side panels 20, 30 are attached directly to the front panel side edges 12, 14 at through fold lines 40, 42, and a first offset panel 50 attached directly to a side edge 22 of the first side panel 20 through a first fold line 52, wherein the first offset panel 50 is folded 180 ° with respect to the first side panel 20 around the first fold line 52, and a top edge 51 of the first offset panel 50 is lower than a top edge 21 of the first side panel 20. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Inner frame for a pack of cigarettes

1. TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an inner frame for a cigarette pack. The inner frame is disposed within the outer shell of the cigarette pack to provide additional stability and protection for the cigarettes.

2. STATE OF THE ART

Fragile products, such as cigarettes, are often packaged and sold in small containers to protect the products during transport. Such containers can be made from renewable raw material, such as cardboard, and often comprise a plurality of components. Typically, a softer, odorless, tasteless inner liner directly stores the consumer goods, while a harder, pack-like outer shell forms the container and protects the products from environmental conditions and shocks. Exterior. In some cases, the outer shell comprises a three-dimensional lid hinged to close and open the container. The outer casing is also wrapped in clear plastic foil for added protection and as a seal of integrity. WO 2018/134593 A1 shows such a cigarette pack of the "hard pack" type.

In such hard pack containers, between the outer shell and the inner liner, there is generally provided an inner frame which holds the lid in the closed position, the lid sealing the container in the closed position and providing additional stability to the container. This inner frame is usually also made of cardboard or the like.

Said containers are designed to contain a certain number of cigarettes. Cigarettes are fragile products, so they must be kept securely inside the package without much slack. In this way, the package is designed so that, during transport, the cigarettes cannot move within the container.

Specially designed inner frames for cigarette packs are proposed if the number of cigarettes inside a cigarette pack changes. For example, prior art document WO 2017071 957 A1 shows a collar of a rigid cigarette pack. The collar is folded, so that it forms two partitions that divide the interior of the cigarette pack into three chambers. This provides two empty chambers at the sides of the pack and a central chamber in which the cigarettes are contained. A similar lidded container for cigarettes is known from WO 2016083608 A1. From EP 3107831 B1 another hinged lid cigarette pack is known with an inner frame to limit the space inside the pack.

However, in some cases, the cigarettes have undergone a small dimensional change, but the number of cigarettes in the pack is maintained. Said dimensional change may specifically mean a reduction in the diameter of the cigarette, which results in a slight reduction in the overall width and depth of the cigarette array. Such a small change in cigarette diameter results in the need for a container of entirely new dimensions, which can lead to extremely high costs.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette pack that complies with a small dimensional change in the diameter of cigarettes. The object of the invention does not refer to the reduction of the length of the cigarette. The need for a completely new sized cigarette container should be avoided.

Another object of the present invention is also to propose an improved container construction, in particular for containers with full cubic shape, having rounded or beveled corners, whereby the resistance of the container to compression at the corners and sides is improved.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above mentioned problem is solved by an inner frame for a cigarette pack according to claim 1.

The above mentioned problems are particularly solved by an inner frame for a cigarette pack, comprising a front panel; first and second side panels, wherein the side panels are attached directly to the side edges of the front panel through fold lines; and a first offset panel attached directly to a side edge of the first side panel through a first fold line, wherein the first offset panel is folded 180° from the first side panel about the first fold line, and an upper edge of the first offset panel is lower than an upper edge of the first side panel.

Since the first offset panel is folded 180° relative to the first side panel about the first fold line, the inside surface of the first offset panel contacts the outside surface of the first side panel. This doubles the thickness of the frame in the side panel area. Said increase in the thickness of the frame reduces the free space within the cigarette pack and compensates for any small reduction in the diameters of the cigarettes. In this way, also cigarettes with a small diameter reduction are securely contained within the inner frame, which is arranged within the outer casing or pack of the conventional cigarette pack. The inner frame, with offset panels, allows the dimensions of the outer shell of the cigarette pack to be maintained, significantly reducing costs compared to a brand new cigarette pack. In addition, it allows the previously used packaging arrangement to be maintained and reduces the risk of production failures or aesthetic failures of the cigarette pack resulting from the change in diameter of the cigarettes. Thus, after folding, a general U-shaped cross-section of the inner frame is obtained, which can be handled and inserted into the outer casing by a conventional cigarette packaging line as an inner frame without offset panels. This reduces the investment in packaging machines and the effort to readjust them.

Preferably, the inner frame further comprises a second offset panel attached directly to a side edge of the second side panel through a second fold line, wherein the first offset panel is folded 180° relative to the first side panel around the first fold line and an upper edge of the second offset panel is lower than an upper edge of the second side panel. The second offset panel further adjusts the clearance for the cigarette pack and serves for a further improvement in the stability of the cigarette pack. This ensures that the cigarette pack is preferably snugly held within the inner frame and outer casing of the cigarette pack.

Preferably, the upper edge of the first offset panel is disposed lower than an upper edge of a first sidewall of a lower pack-like portion of an outer casing of the cigarette pack and/or the upper edge of the second offset panel. offset is disposed lower than an upper edge of a second side wall of an outer casing of the cigarette pack. Therefore, the first and/or second offset panels are not visible to the user of the cigarette pack, which improves the appearance of the cigarette pack.

Preferably, after the second offset panel is folded, the inner surface of the second offset panel contacts the outer surface of the first side panel. In this way, a general U-shaped cross-section of the inner frame is also obtained after folding, which can be handled and fed down a conventional cigarette packaging line as an inner frame without compensating panels. This reduces the investment in packaging machines and the effort to readjust them.

Preferably, the interior surface of the first offset panel is bonded to the exterior surface of the first side panel and/or wherein the interior surface of the second offset panel is bonded to the exterior surface of the second side panel. This gluing of the offset panels to the respective side panel ensures perfect handling of the frame within a conventional cigarette packaging machine and further increases the stability of the entire cigarette pack.

Preferably, the inner frame is arranged such that the first offset panel and the second offset panel are in direct sheet contact with an inner surface of a side panel of an outer shell of the cigarette pack.

Preferably, the side panels are folded relative to the front panel by 90° around the respective fold lines.

Preferably, the fold lines and the first and second fold lines are parallel to each other and extend in the vertical direction of the cigarette pack.

Preferably, a lower edge of the front panel is disposed at the same vertical height as a lower edge of the first offset panel and/or is disposed at the same vertical height as a lower edge of the second offset panel. In this way, the compensation panels and the lower edge of the front panel can touch the inner surface of the lower part of the outer casing. This allows for a perfect fit of the inner frame within the outer shell. Preferably, the vertical heights of the lower edges of the front panel, the first offset panel and/or the second offset panel are at the bottom level of a cigarette pack. In this way, the compensation panels and the lower edge of the front panel touch the inner surface of the lower part of the outer casing.

Preferably, the lower edges of the first and second side panels are disposed at a vertical height greater than a lower edge of the first offset panel and/or are disposed at a vertical height greater than a lower edge of the second offset panel. This allows a blank for the inner frame to be cut from cardboard without loss of material.

Preferably, the first fold line and/or the second fold line is/are a perforation line or a slot line. This allows easy and exact folding of the compensation panels with respect to the side panels.

The above mentioned problem is also solved by a cigarette pack comprising an outer casing and an inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 11.

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the attached figures, in which it is shown:

Figure 1: a three-dimensional view of a preferred embodiment of a cigarette pack with an inserted preferred embodiment of an inner frame;

figure 2: a plan view of a preferred embodiment of an unfolded blank of an inner frame; Y

figure 3: a top view of a preferred embodiment of an inner frame folded from a blank according to figure 2.

5. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are described with respect to the figures.

Fig. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an example of a hard pack type cigarette pack 100, which is cubic in shape. The package 100 of Figure 1 corresponds to a standard crushproof box of rectangular cross-section with square corners to facilitate its representation, but it can also have round corners or beveled corners. The cigarette pack 100 comprises an outer casing 110 and an inner frame 1 both made of folded and glued thin cardboard or stiff paper. Interior space 118 contains a set of cigarettes (not shown) typically wrapped in an inner liner of foil or foil.

The outer shell 110 comprises a lower box portion 120 with a front panel, two side panels 122, a rear panel, and a bottom panel. An openable three-dimensional lid 114 is attached to the pack part 120 through a living hinge 116. Figure 1 shows the cigarette pack 100 with the open lid 114. The inner frame 1 is inserted into the pack part 120 of the outer casing 110 to reinforce the pack portion 120 and to hold the lid 114 of the cigarette pack 100 in a closed position by friction of material between the interior surfaces of the lid and interior frame tabs 44, 45. The inner frame 1 fits tightly into pack portion 120 such that the outer surfaces of inner frame 1 are in direct sheet contact. Furthermore, the inner frame 1 is preferably glued to the pack part 120, at least to an inner surface of a front panel thereof.

The inner frame 1 comprises a front panel 10, a first 20 and a second 30 side panel. The inner frame also comprises a first 50 and a second 60 offset panel which are invisible from the outside of the cigarette pack 1. The invisible edges of the inner frame 1 are shown in Figure 1 by broken lines. Figure 2 shows an unfolded blank for an inner frame 1 according to an embodiment of the invention for use with a rounded corner package.

The front panel 1 has a lower edge 13 which is arranged in the final cigarette pack at the vertical height V of the lower inner level (see also figure 1) of the casing 110. The front panel 1 further has a cutout 11 at the top edge that allows the user to better grip the cigarettes within the cigarette pack 100.

The first side panel 20 (in Figure 1, the left side panel) is attached directly to the side edge 12 of the front panel 10 through an area with fold lines 40, configured to coincide with the corresponding fold lines at the corners. of the housing 110 and the lid 114 of the container. The area with fold lines 40 allows the front panel 10 to pass into the first side panel 20 through a rounded corner shown in Figure 3. The first side panel 20 is folded with respect to the front panel 10 a total of 90 ° around the fold lines 40. The fold around the fold lines 40 is done in a clockwise direction in the top view of Figure 2. The area of fold lines 40 could also be replaced by a line of folding or folding to provide a corner, as shown in Fig. 1. In addition, the lower edge 23 of the first side panel 20 is disposed at a higher vertical height than the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10. The lower edge 21 of the first side panel 20 is arranged at the same vertical height as the lower edge 15 of the front panel 10.

The second side panel 30 (in FIG. 1, the right side panel) is attached directly to the opposite side edge 14 of the front panel 10 through a fold line area 42. The fold line area 42 allows the panel to The front panel 10 passes into the second side panel 30 through a rounded corner shown in Figure 3. The second side panel 30 is folded relative to the front panel a full 90° around the fold lines 42. This folded around of the fold lines 42 is counterclockwise in the top view of Figure 3. The area of fold lines 42 is configured to coincide with the corresponding fold lines at the corners of both the casing 110 as of the lid 114 of the container, but could also be replaced by a crease or fold line to provide a corner, as shown in Figure 1. In addition, the lower edge 33 of the second side panel 30 is disposed placed at a vertical height V higher than the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10. The lower edge 31 of the second side panel 30 is arranged at the same vertical height as the upper edge 15 of the front panel 10.

The first offset panel 50 (in Figure 1, the left side offset panel) is attached directly to a side edge 22 of the first side panel 20 through a first fold line 52. The first offset panel 50 is folded 180° with respect to the first side panel 20 around the first fold line 52, as shown in Figure 3. This folding around the first fold line 52 is preferably done in a counterclockwise direction in the top view of Figure 3. Thus, the interior surface 54 of the first offset panel 50 contacts the exterior surface 24 of the first side panel 20. In a preferred embodiment, the interior surface 54 of the first offset panel 50 is glued to the outer surface 24 of the first side panel 20. This bonding increases the stability of the inner frame 1 in use and during manufacture.

The second offset panel 60 (in Figure 1, the right side panel) is attached directly to a side edge 32 of the second side panel 30 through a first fold line 52. The second offset panel 60 is folded 180° with respect to the second side panel 20 around the second fold line 62, as shown in Figure 3. This folding around the second fold line 62 is preferably done in a clockwise direction in top view of Figure 3. Thus, the interior surface 64 of the second offset panel 60 contacts the exterior surface 34 of the second side panel 30. In a preferred embodiment, the interior surface 64 of the second offset panel 60 is bonded to the surface exterior 34 of the second side panel 30. As for the first offset panel 50, this gluing also increases the stability of the interior frame 1 in use and during manufacture.

Offset panels 50, 60, due to their material thickness, allow for adjustment of the space 118 within the cigarette pack 100 used for the set of cigarettes (not shown). Depending on the diameter of the cigarettes used, one of the first and second offset panels 50, 60, or both of the first and second offset panels 50, 60, will be used.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top edges 51, 61 of the first and second offset panels 50, 60 are at a vertical height V that is lower than the top edges 124 of the sidewalls 122 of the upper part. of pack 120. Thus, the first and second compensation panels 50, 60 are not visible to the user.

Furthermore, the top edges 21, 31 of the first and second side panels 20, 30 are at a higher vertical height V than the top edges 51, 61 of the first and second offset panels 50, 60. Therefore, the Side panels 20, 30 are visible to the user when lid 114 is open, but first and second offset panels 50, 60 are not. The side panels 20, 30 and the front panel 10 squeeze the cigarette pack 100, when the lid 114 is closed in a similar way to a standard inner frame, without affecting the visual appearance or the technical functionality thereof, since the offset panels 50, 60 do not overlap side panels 20, 30 at the top end and therefore do not add any additional thickness to them.

To allow the user to better retrieve the cigarettes from the cigarette pack 100, the front panel 10 of the inner frame comprises a recess 11.

Furthermore, the lower edges 53, 63 of the first and second compensation panels 50, 60 are disposed at the vertical height V of the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10 and the inner lower level BL of the outer casing 110. This allows an alignment perfect fit of the inner frame 1 within the interior of the pack part 120 and a good improvement of the stiffness of the cigarette pack 100 at the lower edges.

List of reference signs:

1 inner frame

10 front panel

12, 14 front panel side edges

13 bottom edge of front panel

20 first side panel

21 top edge of first side panel

22 side edge of the first side panel

23 bottom edge of first side panel

24 outer surface

30 second side panel

31 top edge of second side panel

32 side edge of second side panel

33 bottom edge of second side panel

34 outer surface

40, 42 fold lines

44, 45 lugs

50 first compensation panel

51 top edge of first compensation panel

52 first folding line

53 bottom edge of first offset panel

54 inner surface

60 second compensation panel

61 top edge of second compensation panel

62 second fold line

63 bottom edge of second offset panel

64 inner surface

100 pack of cigarettes

110 outer shell

120 part of pack

122 first side wall of the pack part

124 upper border of first lateral wall

V vertical direction/vertical height

BL bottom level of cigarette pack

Claims (12)

1. Inner frame (1) for a pack of cigarettes (100), comprising: a. a front panel (10); b. a first (20) and a second (30) side panel, wherein the side panels (20, 30) are attached directly to the side edges (12, 14) of the front panel through fold lines (40, 42) ; Y c. a first offset panel (50) attached directly to a side edge (22) of the first side panel (20) through a first fold line (52), wherein the first offset panel (50) is folded 180° relative to the first side panel (20) about the first fold line (52) and characterized in that d. an upper edge (51) of the first offset panel (50) is lower than an upper edge (21) of the first side panel (20). The inner frame of claim 1, further comprising a second offset panel (60) attached to a side edge (32) of the second side panel (30) through a second fold line (62), in wherein the second offset panel (60) is folded 180° relative to the second side panel (30) about the second fold line (62) and an upper edge (61) of the second offset panel (60) is lower than a top edge (31) of the second side panel. Inner frame according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the upper edge (51) of the first compensation panel (50) is arranged lower than an upper edge (124) of a first side wall (122) of a lower pack portion (120) of an outer casing (110) of the cigarette pack (100) and/or the upper edge (61) of the second offset panel (60) is disposed lower than the upper edge of a second side wall (122) of an outer casing (110) of the cigarette pack (100). 4. Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner surface (54) of the first compensation panel (50) is glued to the outer surface (24) of the first side panel (20) and/or wherein the interior surface (64) of the second offset panel (60) is bonded to the exterior surface (34) of the second side panel (30). Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner frame (1) is arranged in such a way that the first compensation panel (50) and the second compensation panel (60) are in direct laminar contact with an inner surface of a side panel (122) of an outer casing (110) of the cigarette pack (100). Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side panels (20, 30) are folded 90° relative to the front panel (10) around the respective fold lines (40, 42). 7. Inner frame according to claim 6, wherein the fold lines (40, 42) and the first (52) and second (62) fold lines are parallel to each other and extend in the vertical direction (V) of the package of cigarettes Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a lower edge (13) of the front panel (10) is arranged at the same vertical height as a lower edge (53) of the first compensation panel (50) and / or is disposed at the same vertical height as a lower edge (63) of the second compensation panel (60). 9. Inner frame according to claim 8, wherein the vertical heights of the lower edges (13, 53, 63) of the front panel (10), the first compensation panel (50) and/or the second compensation panel (60 ) are at the bottom level (BL) of a pack of cigarettes (100). Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lower edges (23, 33) of the first (20) and second (30) side panels are arranged at a higher vertical height than a lower edge (53). ) of the first compensation panel (50) and/or are disposed at a higher vertical height than a lower edge (63) of the second compensation panel (60). Inner frame according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first fold line (52) and/or the second fold line (62) is/are a perforation line or a slot line. 12. Cigarette pack (100) comprising an outer casing (110) and an inner frame (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11.