GB2297966A

GB2297966A - Packet, particularly for cigarettes

Info

Publication number: GB2297966A
Application number: GB9601358A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stefano Cavallari
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 1995-02-14
Filing date: 1996-01-24
Publication date: 1996-08-21
Also published as: ITBO950050A0; GB9601358D0; ITBO950050A1; IT1280362B1; DE19605112A1

Description

PACKET, PARTICULARLY FOR CIGARETTES 2297966 This invention relates to a

packet, particularly for cigarettes. The invention is applicable to packets of any type, but finds its most advantageous use in the formation of rigid packets with a hinged lid, to which reference will be specifically made hereinafter, but without loss of generality on that account. Rigid packets of hinged lid type for cigarettes are normally formed within a cigarette packeting machine, along which respective blanks formed from a first wrapping material, generally cardboard, and provided on at least one of their surfaces with a plurality of graphic signs, are folded about respective groups of cigarettes to form respective packets, which are then fed to a cellophaning machine in which the packets are provided with a respective sealed outer wrapped enclosure to form relative sealed packets. Said outer enclosure consists of a second wrapping material, generally a transparent plastic wrapping material, and is normally provided with a tear-off tape for opening purposes. Generally, the aforesaid flat blanks are relatively costly as they involve the use of coated cardboard and the construction of relatively complicated and costly dies. The blanks are particularly delicate after printing, and require costly packaging operations for their packaging, transport and handling. The object of the present invention is to provide a packet free of the aforesaid drawbacks. This object is attained according to the present invention by a packet, particularly for cigarettes, comprising external graphic signs, the packet being defined by at least two superposed layers of wrapping material, a first of said layers defining an inner enclosure, and the second of said layers defining a substantially sealed outer enclosure, characterised in that said graphic signs are formed, at least partly, on said second layer. In a preferred embodiment of said packet, said second layer of wrapping material adheres intimately to said first layer. Preferably, said inner enclosure comprises a cup-shaped container and a lid connected to the cup-shaped container along an opening line, said outer enclosure comprising a tear-off tape extending at least along said opening line and coinciding with the opening line itself. The present invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some embodiments thereof and in which: Figures 1, 2 and 3 are three perspective views of a first preferred embodiment of the packet according to the present invention; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the packet of Figures 1, 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the packet according to the present invention; and Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the packet of Figure 5. In Figures 1 and 4 the reference numeral 1 indicates a rigid packet comprising two superposed layers 2 and 3 of wrapping material, the first of which defines an inner enclosure 4, the layer 3 defining a substantially sealed outer enclosure. The enclosure 4 is of substantially parallelepiped shape, and houses a group of cigarettes (not showr) wrapped in a relative wrapper 4a (Figure 3) of metallized paper. The enclosure 4 is preferably prepared from a flat blank (not shown) formed of cardboard or the like, and comprises a front wall 6 and a rear wall 7 which are mutually facing and parallel, two parallel side walls 8 perpendicular to the walls 6 and 7, an upper wall 9 perpendicular to the walls 6, 7 and 8 and a base wall 10 facing and parallel to the wall 9. The enclosure 4 is defined by a cup- shaped lower container 11 with an open upper end 12, and a cup-shaped upper lid 13 coupled to the upper end of the container 11 along an annular line 14 extending along an intermediate portion of the walls 6, 7 and 8 and comprising a hinging line 15 extending along the wall 7 and an opening line extending along the walls 6 and 8. Finally, the enclosure 4 comprises a U-shaped collar 17 (Figure 3) which projects partially outwards from the end 12 to partially engage the lid 13 in order to stabilize it when in the position which closes the open end 12 of the container 11. The outer enclosure 5 is formed from a sheet 18 of wrapping material which is generally thinner than the blank (not shown) used to form the enclosure 4, and preferably consists of a preferably transparent film able to adhere intimately to a papertype material support. For example, said film could be the material known by the commercial name of GLS-20 produced by I.C.I. At least part of the enclosure 4 is without distinctive graphic signs, whereas the sheet 18 comprises on one of its surfaces a plurality of graphic signs 19 formed for example by any graphic process, to define on the sheet 18 a longitudinal central strip 20 and two outer strips 21 positioned on opposite sides of the strip 20. The graphic signs 19 also define four panels on the strip 20, two of which, indicated by 22 and 23, correspond to the walls 6 and 7 of the inner enclosure 4, whereas the other two, positioned between the panels 22 and 23 and indicated by 24, correspond to the two side walls 8 of the enclosure 4. Finally, the graphic signs 19 define on a lateral end of the strip 20 a panel 25, which reproduces a small lateral portion of the panel 23, and is arranged superposed on said portion of the panel 23 to form a tubular enclosure, the panels 22, 23 and 24 of which are in contact with the walls 6, 7 and 8, and whose opposite ends, defined by the strips 21, are folded into contact with the walls 9 and 10 to form the outer enclosure 5 and give the packet 1 the required outer appearance. As shown in Figure 4, the sheet 18 is provided with a tear-off tape 26 extending in a substantially longitudinal direction across the the panels 25 and 22 and both the panels 24, in a position such as to coincide in the enclosure 5 with the opening line 16 - 5 provided in the enclosure 4. A portion of the tape 26 extending across the panel 25 defines a tongue able to be raised in order to remove the tape 26, and enable the lid 13 to be rotated between the positions in which it closes and opens the open end 12 of the container 11. The modified embodiment show in Figures 5 and 6 relates to a packet 28 analogous to the packet 1, from which the packet 28 differs in that the tape 26 extends along the entire strip 20, and is positioned across the panel 23 in correspondence with the hinging line 15 of the enclosure 4. In the case of the packet 28, the tape 26 is an annular tape, its removal dividing the enclosure 5 into two parts, which remain adhering to the container 11 and lid 13 by virtue of the adhesion of the sheet 18 to the outer surface of the enclosure 4. If the packet in question is not a rigid packet with a hinged lid as in the illustrated example but instead is a soft packet, the structure of the sheet 18 is similar to that of the packet 28 but with the difference that the tape 26 extends substantially along the upper edge of the strip 20.

6 CLAIMS

1. A packet, particularly for cigarettes, comprising external graphic signs, the packet being defined by at least two superposed layers of wrapping material, a first of said layers defining an inner enclosure, and the second of said layers defining a substantially sealed outer enclosure, characterised in that said graphic signs are formed, at least partly, on said second layer.

2. A packet as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said second layer of wrapping material adheres intimately to said first layer.

3. A packet as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said second layer is defined by a film of transparent material.

4. A packet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said inner enclosure comprises a cup-shaped container and a lid connected to the cup-shaped container along an opening line, said outer enclosure comprising a tear-off tape extending at least along said opening line and coinciding with the opening line itself.

Claims

5. A packet as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that said lid is

connected to said cup-shaped container along a hinge, the tear-off tape being an annular tape extending along said opening line and along said 25 hinge.

6. A packet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said second of said layers is formed of a material known commercially as GLS-20.

7 7. A packet, particularly for cigarettes, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A packet, particularly for cigarettes, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.