GB2530269A

GB2530269A - A pack

Info

Publication number: GB2530269A
Application number: GB1416345.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steve Lewis; Isaak Mustafa
Original assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd; British American Tobacco Co Ltd
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-16
Filing date: 2014-09-16
Publication date: 2016-03-23
Also published as: GB201416345D0

Abstract

A pack of tobacco industry products is provided. It comprises a base (4), a lid pivotally attached to the base 10, and a bundle of tobacco industry products 2 wrapped in a barrier layer 3 protruding from said base. A tab 16b is attached to the barrier layer so that a section of the barrier layer to which the tab is attached 16a is removed together with the tab when the tab is pulled by a user after opening the lid, to access said tobacco industry products. The container may further have a frame 14 to which the tab may be attached. The tab may be glued to a top portion of the barrier layer and extend freely therefrom.

Description

A Pack

Field

The present invention relates to a pack containing tobacco industry products such as smoking articles.

Background

A pack for smoking articles has a base and a hinged lid which covers an open end of the base. A bundle of smoking articles wrapped in a barrier layer is received in the base and protrudes from its open end. Access to the smoking articles is obtained when the hinged lid is pivoted into its open position and at least part of the barrier layer is removed.

Summary

i According to the present invention, there is provided, a pack of tobacco industry products comprising a base, a lid pivotally attached to the base, and a bundle of tobacco industry products wrapped in a barrier layer protruding from said base, wherein a tab is attached to the barrier layer so that a section of the barrier layer to which the tab is attached is removed together with the tab when the tab is pufled by a user after opening the lid, to access said tobacco industry products.

Tn a preferred embodiment, there is a line of weakness in the barrier layer to faciBtate removal of said section of the barrier layer when said tab is pulled.

An inner frame may protrude from the base and surround the wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products. tn this case, the tab may then be formed from a portion of the inner frame.

Preferably, a portion of the inner frame is folded relative to the remainder of the inner frame along a fold-line, and the section of the barrier layer to which said portion is glued extends across an upper end of the tobacco industry products.

In a preferred embodiment, the portion of the inner frame forming the tab has a main body and a tag extending from said main body. The main body can be attached to the section of the barrier layer extending across the tipper end of the tobacco industry products. The tag may then extend from said main body away from said upper end.

The portion of the inner frame forming the tab is preferably detachable from the remainder of the inner frame along said foM-line. Tf the tab has a main body portion and a tag, then the main body and the tag may extend from the fold line in opposite directions.

The tag may be foldable relative to the main body along said fold-line so that it is coplanar with the inner frame and lies against the barrier layer when the lid is dosed.

o Tn another embodiment, the barrier layer has a front face and the inner frame has a wall extending over a front face of the barrier layer. The section of the barrier layer to which the tab is glued being in said front face. PreferaNy, the tab protrudes freely beyond the barrier layer that extends across an upper end of the tobacco industry prod ucts in the plane of the wall of the inner frame.

The wall of the inner frame has an upper edge and the tab preferably has a main body that extends to an upper edge of the inner frame and a tag that protrudes beyond said upper edge. The tag may be foldable rdative to the main body.

Tn a preferred embodiment, the tab is separable from the inner frame along a line of weakness.

In another embodiment, the inner frame has a wall extending over a front face of the barrier layer and side walls that extend rearwardly from the front wall, The tab may then be formed from a portion of said side wall.

Preferably, the tab has a main body that extends to an upper edge of the inner frame and a tag that extends from the main body beyond the upper edge of the inner frame.

The tab may be separable from the remainder of the side wall along a line of weakness.

Tn another embodiment, the barrier layer has a front face and the section of the barrier layer to which the tab is attached may extend across an upper end of the tobacco industry products. Preferably, the tab has a main part glued to said upper end and a tag that extends from said main part beyond the pbne of the front face.

The tag may be foldable relative to the main part so that it lies flat against said front face of the barrier layer when the lid is closed.

Tn another embodiment, the barrier layer has a front face and an upper end extending across the top of the smoking articles. The section of the barrier layer to which the tab is glued is preferably in the front face and the tab extends beyond said upper end in a plane parallel to the front face.

In a preferred embodiment, an inner frame surrounds the wrapped bundle of tobacco o industry products which protrude from said base. The inner frame may have a front wall extending over the front face of the barrier layer and a cut-out formed in said front wall into which the tag protrudes.

In any embodiment, there may be multiple tabs glued to the barrier layer for removal of separate sections of the barrier layer independently to the other sections, by pulling on a corresponding tab.

Preferably, the tab is formed from a different material to the barrier layer. Most preferably, it is formed from a material which is more rigid relative to the barrier layer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a hinged-lid pack of smoking articles with the lid in a closed position according to each embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a wrapped bundle of smoking articles that is received within the pack of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the hinged-lid pack of Figure 1 with the lid in an open position according to a first cmbodimcnt of the invention and prior to rcmoval of a tab; Figure 4 shows the hinged-lid pack of Figure 3 after removal of the tab; Figures shows the hinged-lid pack of Figure 1 with the lid in an open position according to a second embodiment of the invention and prior to removal of a tab; Figure 6 shows the hinged-lid pack of Figure 4 after removal of the tab; Figure 7 shows the hinged lid pack of Figure 1 with the lid in an open position according to a third embodiment of the invention and prior to removal of a tab; Figure 8 shows the hinged lid pack of Figure 7 after removal of the tab, and Figure 9 shows a modified version of the pack shown in Figure 3.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a hinged-fid pack 1. Pack 1 contains a bundle 2 of tobacco industry products, such as smoking articles, wrapped in a flexible barrier layer 3 which may be formed from a paper or foil laminate, or from some other kind of protective wrapping material, as shown in Figure 2. The smoking articles contained within the bundle are arranged in rows surrounded by the barrier layer 3. For example, twenty smoking articles may be arranged in three rows (7-6-7). Alternatively, fourteen smoking articles jo maybe arranged in three rows (--) or twenty smoking articles maybe arranged in two rows often smoking articles.

The pack 1 has a base 4 with a front walls, a rear wall 6 parallel to the front wall 5 and spaced therefrom by opposing side walls 7, 8. A bottom wall 9 closes a lower end of the base 4. The bundle 2 is preferably wrapped by the barrier layer 3 so that the tipper end a of the barrier layer 3, i.e. the portion of the barrier thyer 3 that extends over the upper end of the bundle 2 of smoking articles, is continuous and without joined edges or folds.

A lid 10 is attached to the rear wall 4 and is pivotable between a closed position, as shown in Figure 1, and an open position, as shown in each of Figures 3 to 9, about a hinge 11. The lid 10 has walls that correspond to the base so that, when the lid 10 is in a closed position, the walls of the lid 10 align with the walls of the base 4 and the lid 10 is separated from the base 4 by a shut-line 12.

An inner frame 13 is received within, and is attached to, the base 4 so that it protrudes from the open end of the base 4 and surrounds the wrapped bundle 2 of smoking articles. The inner frame 13 has a front wall 14 that extends over a front face 3b (see Figurcs 2 and 6) of the barricr laycr 3, and two opposing side waIls 17,18 that extend rearwardly from either side of the front wall 13 so as to partially surround the wrapped bundle 2. It will be appreciated that, when the hinged lid lois closed, it covers the inner frame 12 as well as the bundle 2 of smoking articles protruding from the base 4.

A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 protrudes upwardly in a direction away from an open end of the base 4 and includes a portion that is folded out of the plane of the front wall 14 along a fold line 15 extending level with the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 to form a tab 16 which is glued to a section of the upper end a using a non-releasable adhesive.

The tab this connected to the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 along the fold line 15.

The tab 16 may also be weakened along the fold line 15, such as by providing it with perforations extending at least partially along the fold line 15 to enable the tab i6 to be separated from the remaining part of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 when access to the smoking articles is required, as will become apparent.

The fold Une i, and any weakening along the fold line i, may define different portions of the tab i6 namely, a main body part i6a which is glued to the upper end a of the barrier layer 3, and a tag i6b which extends from the main body part i6a but which is not glued to the barrier layer 3. The tag i6b is cut-out of, and folded outwardly away from, the front wafl 14 of the inner frame 13 to leave an aperture 17 in the front wall 14.

The tag iob extends away from the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 and beyond the plane of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13. The tag i6b is foklabe along the fold line 15 and into the plane of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 when the lid lois closed. When the lid lois open, the tag 16b may be folded out of the plane of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 so that a user may grasp and pull the tag i6b in order separate the tab 16 from the inner frame 13 and remove it, together with a section of the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 to which the tab 16 is glued.

Whilst the fold line 15 extends for the entire width (W' in Figure 4) of the tab 16, the tag i6b has a width which is less than the overall width W of the main body i6a of the tab i6 and extends centrally from the edge of the main body i6a. The line of weakening or perforations extends from either side of the tag i6b to the edge of the tab i6, but does not extend along a portion of the fold line from which the tag iob extends, to prevent tim tag 16b from dctaching from thc main body 16a whcn thc tag 16b is pullcd.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, after the lid 10 has been opened, the tag i6b may spring up slightly from the plane of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 or it may be pivoted upwardly by the user to enable them to grasp the protruding tag i6b and pull it upwardly in the direction of arrow A' in order to remove the tab 16. As the main body i6a of the tab 16 is attached to the upper end a of the barrier layer 3, a section a' of the upper end a is also removed together with the tab 16 to leave an opening 3c in the upper end a through which smoking articles may be extracted.

Whilst the section a' of the barrier layer 3 to which the tab 16 is attached may simp'y tear in response to pulling on the tag i6, a line of weakening, such as perforations, is preferably formed in the upper end a so that the section a' of the upper end a to which the tab i6 is attached will separate along the line of weakening when the tab i6 is pulled. As will be apparent from Figure 4, the perforations in the upper end a of the barrier layer may be in alignment with the main body iôa of the tab 16, although it is jo possible for the perforations to enclose a greater region of the barrier layer 3 than the section to which the tab 16 is attached. Tt is also envisaged that the line of weakening in the barrier layer 3 will form a closed shape so that the section a' will be removed completely, together with the tab i6, as shown in Figure 4, although it may form an open shape so that the section a' of barrier layer 3, together with the tab i6 attached thereto, will remain attached to the remainder of the barrier layer 3 along one edge after access to the smoking articles has been obtained and so that it may be folded back down over the opening c in the barrier layer 3.

In Figures 3 and 4, only a single tab 16 for removing one section a' of the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 is shown. However, it is envisaged that multiple tabs i6 may be glued to the barrier layer 3. If multiple tabs 16 are provided, there may be no separation between sections a' in the barrier layer, i.e. a line of weakness in the barrier layer 3 may define a line of separation between adjacent removable sections ga'. However, it is preferable for each section ga', and each tab i6, to be spaced from each other, each tab i6 being removable independently of each of the other tabs i6 to form separate openings c in the barrier layer through which smoking articles may be removed from the bundle 2. Sections a' may be removed in stages to progressively increase the size of the opening c or to increase the number of openings c in the barrier layer, as more of thc smoking articics arc cxtractcd from tim pack.

A second embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Tn the second embodiment, three tabs 16 are shown, although there may also be one, two or more than three tabs i6. As with the first embodiment, tabs 16 are integrally formed from the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13, although in this embodiment they are not folded so as to extend across an upper end a of the barrier layer 3. tnstead, the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 in which the tabs 16 are formed extends upwardly away from the base 4 for a distance that extends beyond the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 so that a part of each tab 16 protrudes beyond the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 and remains in the plane of the front wall 14. A lower portion of each tab 16 is attached to the front face 3b of the barrier layer 3 and the tabs 16 are each connected to the front wall 14 by a line of weakness 19, such as perforations. The line of weakness 19 may extend along one, lower edge of the tabs 16, and the tabs 16 may otherwise be separated from the front wall and from each other by cut-lines 20, although the tabs i6 may be attached to the front wall by perforations extending around multiple edges of the tabs 16. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tabs 16 themselves may be separated by a cut-line Jo 20 or by perforations. In an alternative embodiment, the tabs 16 maybe separated by sections of the front wall 14 of the inner frame 1350 that each tab 16 is spaced from its adjacent tab i6 by a portion of the front wall 14.

The barrier layer 3 may also have a line of weakness 21 or be perforated at sections 22 to which the tabs 16 are attached so that sections of the barrier layer 3 to which the tabs 16 are attached will separate from the remainder of the barrier layer 3 relatively easily when the tab 16 is pulled away. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the line of weakness 21 or perforations may extend across the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 so that, when a tab 16 is pulled upwardly, as shown by arrow B' in Figure 5, the section 22a of the upper end a of the barrier layer 3 is removed together with a section 22 of the front face 3b to provide an opening 23 for the extraction of smoking articles from the bundle 2.

Although not essential, and as with the first embodiment, each tab 16 may have a tag i6b extending from an upper edge separated from the main body i6a of the tab i6 by a fold-line 24, to facilitate removal of the tab i6 from the front wall 14 together with a section 22,22a of the barrier layer 3 when the tab i6 is pulled. The tags i6b may be folded downwardly along the fold line 24 when the lid 10 is closed.

Tn a third embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, a tab 16 is provided in a side wall 18 of the inner frame 13S0 as to extend in the plane of the side wall 18 beyond the upper end a of the barrier layer 3. The tab 16 is at least partially attached to the side wall 18 of the inner frame 13 by a fine of weakness 25 such as by perforations. An upper end portion 26 of the tab 16 may protrude beyond an upper edge 27 of the inner frame 13 in the plane of the side wall 18 and may be grasped by a user to pull and separate the tab 16 from the side wall 18 along the line of weakness 25. As in the first and second embodiments, the tab 16 is attached to a side face of the barrier layer 3 so that a section of the barrier layer 3 is removed together with the tab 16 when the tab 16 is pulled. A line of weakness such as perforations may be provided in the barrier layer 3, corresponding to those formed in the side wafl 18, and possibly extending over a greater area of the barrier layer 3, so that the section of the barrier layer 3 separates easily from the remainder of the barrier layer 3 when the tab 16 is pulled to provide an opening 29 through which smoking articles may be extracted.

In the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8, the shut line 12 between the base 4 and the lid Jo 10 may extend at a steeper angle along the sides 7, 8 of the pack 1 than in the embodiments of Figures 3 toó, so that a greater region of the side walls 17, 18, and the tab i6 in the side wall iS, is exposed when the lid 10 is open. As the tab i6, or at least a visible portion of the tab i6, is larger due to the steeper shut line 12, the opening in the side wall 18 that is formed when the tab i6 is removed will also be larger, making it easier to extract smoking artióles from the pack.

Tn a modification of any of the embodiments described above, the tab 16 may be attached to the barrier layer 3 but be completely separate and independent to the inner frame 13, or the inner frame 13 may be omitted from the pack altogether. Figure 9 shows a modified version of the pack shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which the front wall 14 of the inner frame 13 is provided with a cut-out region 30 through which the tag i6b of a tab 16 extends and is accessible by a user to enable detachment from the barrier layer 3. It will be appreciated that, in these embodiments, the tabs 16 may be easier to remove together with a section of the barrier layer 3, as there is no need to break the tab i6 from the inner frame 13 along any line of weakness or otherjoin between the tab i6 and the inner frame 13 in order to remove them. It will be appreciated that a separate cut out 30 may be formed in the inner frame 13 for each tab i6 to protrude through, if multiple tabs 16 are present. The pack shown in Figure 5 and 6 may be modificd so that thc tabs arc not bc attachcd to thc inncr framc 13, and so arc only hcld in place due to their attachment to the front face a of the barrier layer 3.

Reference is made to the tab or tabs 16 as being attached to the barrier layer 3. This includes attachment of the tab 16 to the barrier layer 3 using an adhesive, including hot melt adhesive, adhesive tape, other adhesive, heat seal, or by any other suitable means of attachment that will ensure that a section 3a',22, 22a of the barrier layer 3 is removed together with the tab 16 when the tab i6 is pulled away from the pack 1.

A tobacco industry product refers to any item made in, or sold by the tobacco industry, typically including a) smoking articles, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own smoking articles, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes); b) non-smoking products incorporating tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes such as snuff, snus, hard tobacco, and heat-not-burn products; and c) other nicotine-delivery systems such as inhalers, aerosol generation devices including c-smoking articles, lozenges and gum. This list is not intended to be jo exdusive, but merely illustrates a range of products which are made and sold in the tobacco industry.

As used herein, the term "smoking article" indudes smokeable products such as smoking articles, cigars and cigarillos whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes and also heat-not-burn products and other nicotine delivery product such as aerosol generation devices including c-smoking articles. The smoking article may be provided with a filter for the gaseous flow drawn by the smoker.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide for superior pack of smoking articles. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may bc madc without dcparting from thc scopc of thc disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. Tn addition, the disdosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future. -10-

Claims

Claims 1. A pack of tobacco industry products comprising a base, a fid pivotally attached to the base, and a bundle of tobacco industry products wrapped in a barrier layer protruding from said base, wherein a tab is attached to the barrier layer so that a section of the barrier layer to which the tab is attached is removed together with the tab when the tab is pulled by a user after opening the lid, to access said tobacco industry products.
2. A pack according to claim 1, comprising a fine of weakness in the barrier layer to facilitate removal of said section of the barrier layer when said tab is pulled.
3. A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising an inner frame protruding from the base and surrounding the wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, wherein the tab is formed from a portion of the inner frame.
4. A pack according to claim 3, wherein said portion of the inner frame is folded relative to the remainder of the inner frame along a fold-line and the section of the barrier layer to which said portion is glued extends across an upper end of the tobacco industry products.
5. A pack according to claim 4, wherein said portion has a main body and a tag extending from said main body, the main body being glued to said section of the barrier layer extending across the upper end of the tobacco industry products with the tag extending from said main body away from said upper end.
6. A pack according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said portion is detachable from the remainder of the inner frame along said fold-line.
7. A pack according to claim 5, wherein said portion is detachable from the remainder of the inner frame along said fo'd-line, the main body and the tag being separated from each other by said fold-line.
8. A pack according to any of claims to 7, wherein the tag is foldable relative to the main body along said fold-line so that it is coplanar with the inner frame and lies against the barrier layer when the lid is closed.

-11 -
9. A pack according to claim 3, wherein the barrier layer has a front face and the inner frame has a wall extending over a front face of the barrier layer, the section of the barrier layer to which the tab is glued being in said front face, the tab protruding fredy beyond the barrier layer that extends across an upper end of the tobacco industry products in the plane of the wall of the inner frame.
10. A pack according to claim 9, wherein the wall of the inner frame has an upper edge and the tab has a main body that extends to an upper edge of the inner frame and o a tag that protrudes beyond said upper edge.
ii. A pack according to claim 10, wherein the tag is foldable relative to the main body.
12. A pack according to any of claims 3 to 11, wherein the tab is separable from the inner frame along a line of weakness.
13. A pack according to claim 3, wherein the inner frame has a wall extending over a front face of the barrier layer and side walls extending rearwardly from the front wall, wherein the tab is formed from a portion of said side wall.
14. A pack according to claim 13, wherein the tab has a main body that extends to an upper edge of the inner frame and a tag that extends from the main body beyond the upper edge of the inner frame.
15. A pack according to claims 13 or 14, wherein the tab is separable from the remainder of the side wall along a line of weakness.
16. A pack according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the barrier layer has a front facc and the section of the barrier layer to which the tab is glued extends across an tipper end of the tobacco industry products, the tab having a main part glued to said upper end and a tag that extends freely from said main part beyond the plane of the front face.
17. A pack according to claim i6, wherein the tag is foldalMe relative to the main part so that it lies flat against said front face of the barrier layer when the lid is closed.-12 -
18. A pack according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the barrier layer has a front face and an upper end extending across the top of the smoking articles, and the section of the barrier layer to which the tab is glued being in the front face, the tab extending beyond said upper end in a plane parallel to the front face.
19. A pack according to claim 16 to 18, comprising an inner frame surrounding the wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products which protrudes from said base, the inner frame having a front wall extending over the front face of the barrier layer and a cut-out formed in said front wa1 into which the tag protrudes.
20. A pack according to any preceding claim, comprising multiple tabs glued to the barrier layer for removal of separate sections of the barrier layer by pulling on a corresponding tab.
21. A pack according to any preceding claim, wherein the tab is formed from a different material to the barrier layer.
22. A pack according to claim 21, wherein the tab is formed from a material which is more rigid relative to the barrier layer.
23. A pack of tobacco industiy products substantiafly as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.