GB1559806A - Packages and blanks therefor - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO PACKAGES AND BLANKS THEREFOR (71) We, JOHN WADDINGTON LIMITED, a British Company of Wakefield Road, Leeds, LS10 3TP, Yorkshire, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to packages, primarily but not specifically, for holding pack-like articles such as cigars and cigarettes hereinafter and the Claims referred to in the interest of simplicity as cigars, in parallel side by side relationship, and the invention also relates to blanks from which such packages can be constructed.

In a known form of package for cigars, said package is an inner tray which is relatively slidable within an outer sleeve, said sliding of the inner tray relative to the outer sleeve revealing or concealing the cigars in the package. In another known package, there is a pivotal cap which may be pivoted back, relative to the remainder of the package, from an initial position to reveal the cigars, and forwards relative to the remainder of the package to return it to its initial position to conceal the cigars.

In both forms of package it is possible for accidental opening of the package to occur which may result in damage to the cigars in said open packages.

According to the present invention there is provided a package primarily but not specifically for holding cigars in parallel side-by-side relationship, said package comprising a cap, a body and an inner tray for holding the cigars, said cap being slidable relative to the body in direction in which the cigars will lie when in the package, between a closed position and an open position, said cap being pivotable relative to the body when in the open position to permit access to the package contents, and said tray being fixed in position relative to the body, serving to guide the cap into relative movement and being so operatively related to the cap to limit the said relative movement, said package being characterised in that the cap and body are formed from a single skillet and separated only when the package is first opened, and the inner tray is formed from a separate blank.

The cap and body are preferably defined by a line of weakening extending circumferentially of the skillet and along which the skillet breaks when the package is first opened.

As is well known, a skillet is a term used in packaging to describe a packaging sleeve which has fold lines extending longitudinally of the sleeve so that it can be folded to a flat condition for transportation and readily erected for receipt of the goods which it is to hold.

Preferably, the cap has a locking flap which as the cap is moved to the open position, engages a locking tab on the tray limiting its outward movement. The invention also provides a pair of blanks respectively erectable into the cap/body skillet and inner tray of the package as aforesaid.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank erectable into the cap and body of a package according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank erectable into the inner tray by a package according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1 showing the first step in the erection of the blank of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sleeve which results from the erection of the blank of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner tray which results from the erection of the blank of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a detail showing how the cap and tray interlock; and Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 respectively show in perspective view the erected package in closed and open condition.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a blank 10 comprising an upper portion 10A and a lower portion 10B (as seen in Fig. 1). These two portions IOA and 10B are defined by a line of skip cuts 12 extending from side to side of the blank shown in Fig. 1, and in the finished packaged portion 10A forms the cap, whilst the portion 10B forms the body as will be explained herein.

The blank 10 is made up of panels 14, 16, 18 and 20, these panels being interconnected as shown by means of crease lines 22. A glue panel 24 is hinged to panel 16 along crease line 26 as shown.

At the lower end of panel 14 is provided a glue panel 28 connected to panel 14 along edge line 30, and at the top end of panel 14 is another glue panel 30 hinged to panel 14 about crease line 32.

Hinged to the top of panel 16 at crease line 34 is a U-shaped blocking panel 36.

A glue panel 38 is also hinged to the top of panel 16 at crease line 34.

The blank 10 is erectable by conventional folding and gluing machinery into a skillet and is in fact so erected in order to complete the package according to this embodiment of the invention. In the erection process, the locking panel 36 is first of all folded over onto the panel 16 as shown clearly in Fig. 3. Next, the panel 14 is folded about the right hand crease line 22 bounding the panel 14 and panel 20, then panel 24 is folded about crease line 26 onto panel 18 and is glued thereto.

The panels 18 and 24 are glued together to form the skillet, the glue having previously been applied to one or each of said panels 18 and 24. The thus formed skillet can be erected to the sleeve form as shown in Fig. 4 readily be conventional erection machinery. When the sleeve is in the condition shown in Fig. 4 it is ready to re ceive the inner tray.

The blank of the inner tray is shown in Fig. 2 and will be seen to comprise a base panel 40, side panels 42, an end panel 44, and a locking tab 44A, these side and end panels and the locking tab being hinged to base panel 40 along crease lines 46, 48 and 50 respectively. Additionally, the base panel 40 is provided with a crease 52 which is parallel to crease 50 and is spaced slightly therefrom.

At the end of crease 52 where it meets each of the creases 46, there is a cut 54 which lies at an angle to crease line 52 and is in the adjacent panel 42 as shown.

Erection of the inner tray shown in Fig.

2 involves simply the folding upwards of side panels 42 and end panel 44 to the condition shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 also shows how the tray is adapted to hold five cigars. The locking tab 44A is in fact folded under the base 40 prior to the insertion of the tray with its contents into the sleeve shown in Fig. 4. The inner tray and its contents can be entered into the sleeve of Fig. 4 from either end, but it is preferred that it be entered adjacent the end whereat glue panel 28 is located, so that the locking tab 44A will ride over the edge of the locking panel 36 as the inner tray approaches the other end of the sleeve. When the locking tab 44A passes the cross-piece portion 36A of the locking panel 36 it springs into resilient engagement with the inner surface of panel 16, and use is made of this as will be explained hereinafter.

When the inner tray and its contents have been inserted in the sleeve shown in Fig. 4, the package is sealed in that glue tab 28 is glued to end panel 44 of the inner tray, fixing the inner tray in position inside the sleeve. The panels 30A and 38 of the sleeve are folded inwardly by 90" and are adhered together in order to close that end of the package. The package now is in the condition shown in Fig. 7 with the inner tray and the contents completely sealed inside the sleeve which at this stage defines an integral cap and body 10A and 10B. In order to open the package and gain access to the contents, a pulling effort is applied on the cap 10A whilst the body 10B is held, sufficient to break the connections 56 between the cuts in the line of skip cuts 12 which defines the cap and body of the package. When these connecting points have been broken, the cap 10A is free to slide on the inner tray to the position shown in Fig. 8, in which position it can also be pivoted about the crease line 52 in the base panel of the inner tray. During this pivoting the slits 54 on the inner tray sides open up as shown clearly in Fig. 8. The amount by which the cap 10A can slide on the inner tray is dictated by when the tab 44A as shown in Fig. 6, engages the cross-piece 36A of the locking panel 36. The dimensions of the locking panel 36 dictate the amount of sliding of the cap 10A and these are such that when the cap is in the position shown in Fig. 6, the lower edge of same is substantially in alignment with the crease line 52 in the inner tray and about which the cap is pivotal.

When the cap 10A is pivoted as shown in Fig. 8, access to the package contents is obtained, and in order to close the package, the cap 10A is pivoted until it is once more in alignment with the body 10B, and is then slid downwards on the inner tray until the Fig. 7 position has been reached.

The blanks of the package according to the embodiment may be of any sheet packaging material such as cardboard or plastics, which is capable of being cut and creased.

Attention is directed to the claims of our copending application 39898/75 (Serial No. 1 559 808).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A package, primarily but not specifically for holding cigars in parallel side-by-side relationship, said package comprising a cap, a body and an inner tray for holding the cigars, said cap being slidable relative to the body in direction in which the cigars will lie when in the package, between a closed position and an open position, said cap being pivotable relative to the body when in the open position to permit access to the package contents, and said tray being fixed in position relative to the body and serving to guide the cap into relative movement and being so operatively related to the cap to limit the said relative movement, said package being characterized in that the cap and body are formed from a single skillet, and are separated only when the package is first opened and the inner tray is formed from a separate blank.

2. A package according to Claim 1 wherein the cap and body are defined by a line of weakening extending circumferentially of the skillet and along which the skillet breaks when the cap and body are separated in the erected package.

3. A package according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the cap has a locking flap which as the cap is moved to the open position, engages a locking tab in the tray limiting its outward movement.

4. A package primarily but not specifically for holding cigars in parallel side-by-side relationship substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A pair of blanks erectable respectively into the cap/body skillet and inner tray of a package according to claim 1, or claim 2, or claim 3, or claim 4.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. with the crease line 52 in the inner tray and about which the cap is pivotal. When the cap 10A is pivoted as shown in Fig. 8, access to the package contents is obtained, and in order to close the package, the cap 10A is pivoted until it is once more in alignment with the body 10B, and is then slid downwards on the inner tray until the Fig. 7 position has been reached. The blanks of the package according to the embodiment may be of any sheet packaging material such as cardboard or plastics, which is capable of being cut and creased. Attention is directed to the claims of our copending application 39898/75 (Serial No. 1 559 808). WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A package, primarily but not specifically for holding cigars in parallel side-by-side relationship, said package comprising a cap, a body and an inner tray for holding the cigars, said cap being slidable relative to the body in direction in which the cigars will lie when in the package, between a closed position and an open position, said cap being pivotable relative to the body when in the open position to permit access to the package contents, and said tray being fixed in position relative to the body and serving to guide the cap into relative movement and being so operatively related to the cap to limit the said relative movement, said package being characterized in that the cap and body are formed from a single skillet, and are separated only when the package is first opened and the inner tray is formed from a separate blank.

2. A package according to Claim 1 wherein the cap and body are defined by a line of weakening extending circumferentially of the skillet and along which the skillet breaks when the cap and body are separated in the erected package.

3. A package according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the cap has a locking flap which as the cap is moved to the open position, engages a locking tab in the tray limiting its outward movement.

4. A package primarily but not specifically for holding cigars in parallel side-by-side relationship substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A pair of blanks erectable respectively into the cap/body skillet and inner tray of a package according to claim 1, or claim 2, or claim 3, or claim 4.