GB2269161A

GB2269161A - Cigarette packets with hinged lids

Info

Publication number: GB2269161A
Application number: GB9315009A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martis Giancarlo De
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 1992-07-28
Filing date: 1993-07-20
Publication date: 1994-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-20
Also published as: GB2269161B; ITBO920292A1; JPH06156479A; DE4324317A1; IT1258023B; ITBO920292A0; GB9315009D0

Abstract

A rigid cigarette packet has a hinged lid (4) and a box structure (2) containing the cigarettes (3), which exhibits a bottom end face (21), a front and a rear face (6, 7) and two flank faces (8). The lid (4), hinged to the rear face (7) along a transverse crease (5), incorporates a flap (24) hinged to the forwardmost edge and functioning as a connecting and securing element (9) capable of engaging detachably with the front face (6) of the box. By applying a layer of self-adhesive material (11) to the flap (24) and a layer of waxed material (12) to the corresponding part of the front face (6), it becomes possible to detach and reaffix the lid (4) repeatedly and thus prolong the freshness of the cigarettes once the packet has been broken open. <IMAGE>

Description

2269161 A rigid box with hinged lid, in particular for packaging groups of

smoking commodities The present inventio'n relates to a rigid box with a hinged lid, in particular for packaging groups of smoking commodities and similar items.

It is an essential requisite of cigarettes, highly prized by the smoker, that they should retain their original aroma as long as possible, even when the relative packet has been opened.

Accordingly, cigarettes need to be kept enveloped and sealed for as long as possible, even after the wrapping or packet has been broken open to allow of extracting and smoking the first cigarette.

The cigarettes are ordered in groups and enveloped in wrappings that can be fashioned from a pliable paper material, in the case of the soft or crush type of packet, or from an essentially stiff paper based material such as cardboard, in the case of the rigid box type of packet.

Cigarette packets of this rigid box type generally exhibit the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, compassing a box structure containing the group of 2 cigarettes and a lid surmounting the box structure.

The lid is united with the box structure along a transverse crease that functions as a hinge.

More exactly, both the box structure and the lid exhibit a base, coinciding with the bottom end face and the top end face' of the packet, respectively, plus at least four sides establishing one front and one rear face and two flank faces, the two parts being joined and articulated along the transverse crease, which unites the relative rear faces.

Also associated with the box structure, internally, is a frame folded along pre-scored lines to form a central breast portion and two lateral portions.

The folded frame is positioned in the packet with is the central breast portion flush against the inside surface of the front face of the box structure and the two lateral portions flush against the inside surfaces of the flank faces.

The main functions of the frame are to restrain the lid when in the closed position, and to render the box airtight to a certain degree.

However much endeavour is spent in optimizing the - dimensions of the frame so that the second of the aforementioned functions is adequately performed, it will be clear that the lid can never be reseated 3 tightly once the packet has been opened, since the meeting edges of its front and flank faces and the corresponding edges afforded by the front and flank faces of the box structure are unable to engage in a close fit by reason of the flexibility induced in the hinge crease. Td enhance the effectiveness of the frame, moreover, in its function of restraining the lid in the closed position, profiled cuts are made substantially along the pre-scored lines to the end of creating respective lugs which occupy the same plane as the central breast portion and project laterally on either side in such a way as to interfere with the insides of the corresponding flanks of the lid.

is It will be equally clear that complex and costly manufacturing solutions are involved in fashioning the internal frame for a rigid packet of the type in question, as well in assembling and fitting the frame into the packet.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a rigid box type packet such as can be closed again tightly once opened, and which is simple and economic in embodiment, allowing manufacture at reduced cost in respect of materials and production time.

4 This initial object is realized in a rigid box with a hinged lid according to the present invention, as used in particular for packaging groups of smoking commodities, of the type comprising a box structure substantially of rectangular parallelepiped shape proportioned to accbmmodate a relative group of commodities, exhibiting a bottom end face, a front face, a rear face and two flank faces, and a lid hingedly associated with one of the faces of the box structure along a transverse crease, which is characterized in that the lid affords a connecting and securing element capable of engaging detachably with one of the faces of the box structure, located opposite from the face to which the lid is hinged, by way of fastening means such as can be separated and reinstated repeatedly.

The prior art embraces such fastening means capable of being separated and reinstated repeatedly, as disclosed in EP 30 601, GB 929 688, IT 195 129 and IT 182, 155. In these patents, however, reference is made to soft or crush type packets fashioned in paper or plastic material; more significantly, the packet is opened by tearing the wrapping material, so that an 'airtight seal" can be obtained at best subsequently by deforming the wrapper.

Needless to say, a rigid box of the type according to the present invention cannot be torn open, since the appearance of the packet would be spoiled.

Even were the rigid box to be torn open, moreover, it would not be possible to obtain an airtight seal subsequently by deforming the packet, due to the stiffness of the material.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks in question, and without excessively altering the appearance of the packet.

This second object is also realized, by virtue of a further feature of the invention, even in the case of a rigid box of the type wherein the lid also presents a front face and two flank faces, which is is characterized in that the connecting and securing element is hinged to the front face of the lid.

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

-fig 1 is a perspective of the rigid box according to the present invention.

-fig 2 shows a particular variation in embodiment of the rigid box of fig 1, in perspective; fig 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the rigid box according to the invention, in perspective.

6 Referring to the accompanying drawings, a rigid box according to the present invention, denoted 1 in its entirety, is composed of a box structure 2 containing a group of cigarettes 3, of which more will be said in due course, and a lid 4 uppermost.

The box structure 2,' at least, affords a minimum of four faces denoted 20, comprising a front face 6, a rear face 7 and two flank faces 8, whilst the lid 4 is permanently and hingedly associated with the box structure 2 along a transverse crease 5 afforded by one of the faces 20.

9 denotes a connecting and securing element, hinged to the lid 4 along a transverse crease denoted 10, such as can be engaged with and detached from the is face 20 of the box structure opposite to that with which the lid 4 is hingedly associated.

In the examples of figs 1 and 2, the connecting and securing element 9 engages the front face 6 of the box structure 2 by way of fastening means 11 and 12 that can be separated and reinstated repeatedly, as will become clear in due course.

More exactly, the lid 4 of the packet illustrated in figs 1 and 2 consists in a single end fold 23 hinged to the rear face 7 of the box structure 2, and a flap 24 permanently associated with the fold 7 by way of a transverse crease 10. In effect, the flap 24 is one and the same as the connecting and securing element 9, and accordingly, capable of engaging detachably with the front face 6 of the box structure 2.

The dimensions exhildited by the end fold 23, which effectively constitutes the lid 4 of the rigid box, are substantially identical to those presented by the bottom end face 21 of the box structure 2.

Accordingly, with the lid 4 in the position which closes the box structure 2, the unattached edges 4a and 4b and the forwardmost transverse crease 10 of the end fold 23 lie in essentially unbroken contact with the corresponding free top edges 8a, 8b and 6a is of the box structure 2. In the solution of fig 2, the front face 6 of the box structure 2 exhibits a cutaway 25 extending along the relative edge 6a, of which the purpose is to facilitate the withdrawal of the cigarettes once the lid 4 has been opened.

The aforementioned fastening means 11 and 12 might be of any given embodiment, for example, comprising a layer of self-adhesive material 11 applied to the surface of the flap 24 placed to enter into contact with the front face 6 of the box structure 2.

To ensure that such fastening means 11 and 12 will 8 allow of being repeatedly separated and reinstated in accordance with the present invention, a layer of siliconized material 12 might be applied to the relative part of the front face 6.

The fastening means 11 and 12 might be fashioned to equally good effect'from other types of material, for example strips of velcro, without prejudice to the scope of the present invention.

Fig 3 shows the familiar type of rigid box 1 widely used for packaging cigarettes, of which the lid 4 exhibits not only a top end face, but also a front face 13, two flank faces 14, and a rear face 15 united and articulated with the rear face 7 of the box structure 2 along a transverse crease 5.

is The box is fitted conventionally with an internal frame 16 exhibiting a breast portion 17 and two lateral portions 18 positioned flush against the internal surfaces respectively of the front face 6 and the flank faces 8 of the box structure 2.

In this type of embodiment, the flap 24 is hinged to the front face 13 of the lid 4 essentially in the same manner as already described with reference to fig 1.

As discernible particularly from fig 3, the objects stated at the outset are fully realized in a rigid 9 box 1 according to the invention, inasmuch as the conventional box, already rendered airtight to a certain degree by the form of the lid 4 and the inclusion of the frame 16, becomes fully airtight with the addition of the hinged flap 9 and the fastening means 11 And 12; in effect, the meeting edges of the front faces 6 and 13 and the flank faces 8 and 13 respectively of the box element 2 and of the lid 4 are maintained in tight contact one with another, and moreover, the frame 16 need no longer incorporate the aforementioned cuts by means of which to create lugs occupying the same plane as the central breast portion and projecting on either side in such a way as to interfere with is the inner lateral surfaces of the lid.

The principal advantage of the invention is that of its simplicity, a feature demonstrated by the fact that no special operation is required on the part of the user in order to render the box 1 airtight once opened initially.

T

Claims

Claims

A rigid box with a linged lid, in particular for packaging groups of smoking commodities, comprising a box structure substantially of rectangular parallelepiped shape proportioned to accommodate a relative group of commodities, exhibiting a bottom end face, a front face, a rear face and two flank faces, and a lid hingedly associated with one of the faces of the box structure along a transverse crease, characterized in that the lid affords a connecting and securing element capable of engaging detachably with one of the faces of the box structure, located opposite from the face to which the lid is hinged, by way of fastening means such as can be separated and reinstated repeatedly.
2) A rigid box as in claim 1, wherein the lid consists in a single end fold hingedly associated with the rear face of the box structure along a transverse crease, and the connecting and securing element is embodied as a flap hingedly associated with the end fold along a further transverse crease and capable of engaging detachably with the front face of the box structure.
3) A rigid box as in claim 2, wherein the dimensions of the hinged lid are such that, in the closed position, the unattached edges of the end fold and the transverse crease uniting the end fold and the flap are disposed in essentially unbroken contact with the free top edges respectively of the flank faces and of the front face of the box structure.
4) A rigid box as in claim 1, wherein the face of the box structure engaged detachably by the connecting and securing element affords a cutaway portion extending along the relative free top edge.
5) A rigid box as in claim 1, of which the hinged lid affords a front face and two flank faces, wherein the connecting and securing element is hingedly associated with the front face of the lid.
12 6) A rigid box as in claim 1, wherein fastening means comprise at least one layer of self-adhesive material applied to at least one of the surfaces presented by the connecting and securing element and the face of the box structure engaged by the connecting and securing element.
7) A rigid box as in claim 1, wherein fastening means comprise at least one backing strip coated with a self-adhesive material and applied to the face of the box structure engaged by the connecting and securing element.
8) A rigid box as in claim 1, wherein fastening means comprise a layer of self-adhesive material and a layer of siliconized material applied to mutually opposed surfaces of the connecting and securing element and of the face of the box structure engaged by the connecting and securing element.
9) A rigid box with a hinged lid, in particular for packaging groups of smoking commodities, substantially as described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.