JP2018508423A - Containers with tamper evident parts - Google Patents

Abstract

A package containing a cigarette includes a box having a lower body portion defining a base, an upper body portion defining a lid, and an opening band. The base includes a base bottom wall, a base front wall, and a base rear wall. The lid includes a lid upper wall, a lid front wall, and a lid rear wall. The tear strip is adhesively bonded to the lid front wall and the base front wall, and the outer surface of the lid and the lower body portion are exposed so that the user can touch them.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority over US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 616,172, filed Feb. 6, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. It shall be incorporated into the description.

  The present application relates generally to the field of containers and packages for articles such as cigarettes.

  A typical smoking article, such as a cigarette, has a substantially cylindrical rod-like structure and includes a filler of smokable material, such as chopped tobacco (eg, cut filler) surrounded by a wrapping paper. To form a “tobacco rod”. It has become desirable to produce cigarettes having a cylindrical filter element aligned with the tobacco rod and ends. Typically, the filter element is made from a fibrous material such as acetylcellulose and plug wrap and is attached to the tobacco rod using a circumscribing tip material. A cigarette having such a filter element is called a “filter cigarette”.

  Conventionally, filter cigarettes are sold in packages, and each package normally contains 20 cigarettes. A typical cigarette package has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. One type of common cigarette package uses a container having the form of a so-called “hard pack”, “non-crushable box”, or “hinge lidded package”. For example, US Pat. No. 3,874,581 by Fox et al., US Pat. No. 3,944,066 by Niepmann, US Pat. No. 4,852,734 by Allen et al., European Patent No. 0392737 by Moeller, US Patent Application by Jones et al. Publication 2008/0230410, Guerrera et al. US Patent Application Publication 2011/0042249, Pipes et al. US Patent Application Publication 2010/0248926, and Cobler US Pat. No. 5,682,986. Please refer. Each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Another type of common cigarette package uses a container having the form of a so-called “soft pack”. See, for example, U.S. Pat. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,017, and Wolfe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,729. Each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Both types of cigarette packages are usually packed in a cardboard box that is similarly rectangular in shape.

  These conventional cigarette packages are typically configured to maintain the freshness and moisture content of the cigarettes and protect the cigarettes from adverse environmental conditions that can reduce their freshness and quality. Such conventional cigarette packages typically include the following three separate packaging materials: (1) A foil inner liner that includes metal foil laminated to a paper substrate or metallized paper that is wrapped around a cigarette and folded but not sealed at the end of the cigarette, (2) usually brand specific information stamped "Soft" or "hard" paper or paperboard package, and (3) heat-sealable polymer film to be heat-sealed. For example, an outer transparent overwrap is disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,807,745 by Langley et al., Which is incorporated herein by reference.

  A strip of polymer material known as “tear tape” is provided to easily open the polymeric overwrap film. Exemplary opening tapes are described by Srinkel, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,017 to U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,378 to Lefardt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,262 to Amendola et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,803 to May et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,691 to Flaherty. , U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0261361 by Pinchen, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,792 by Hewitt et al., Each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The opening tape is typically positioned in parallel adjacent the top edge of the package. One end of the opening tape usually protrudes slightly from the package as a tab. To open the package, the smoker pulls on the tab to open the polymer overwrap. In particular, the protruding tab of the opening tape is pulled to cut open the polymer overwrap along both edges of the opening tape and remove the polymer overwrap covering the top of the container.

  Such a polymer “opening tape” can also perform a tamper evident function. For example, unwrapping tapes that perform the tamper evident function include US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0130811 by Shevelev et al., US Pat. No. 5,333,729 by Wolfe, US Pat. No. 5,248,031 by Burrows et al., And Burrows. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,140, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. A label or opening tape that performs a tamper evident function is a commonly used label that indicates that the label may have been removed. In one form, the opening tape is an adhesive label that shows visible evidence of label removal and can be applied to a substrate. For example, when the opening tape is removed, the tape leaves a residue on the substrate as evidence of its removal. The residue often forms a text message such as VOID or OPENED, or a repetitive pattern such as a checkerboard pattern. When the tear tape is removed, it can be reapplied to the substrate, but because of the patterned residue or text message, the removed portion is re-applied on the substrate as if the label had not been removed. It becomes difficult to adjust. Thus, even if reapplied, the opening tape typically shows evidence that has been removed previously.

  When the opening tape is removed, the top of the package is opened, i.e. in the case of a soft pack, the foil inner liner is torn or the hard pack hinged lid is pivoted open to open the foil inner A portion of the liner is removed, exposing the end of the cigarette housed therein. The smoker then removes the cigarette from the package by pinching the end of the cigarette, usually the filter end, with his / her finger.

  Other cigarette packages with other tamper evident features are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,302 to Butler, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a tamper evident pattern disposed between the lower surface of the upper package closure and the outer surface layer of the underlying package structure. Is disclosed. International application PCT / EP2013 / 003274, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a container having a removable portion positioned at the front of the container. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0305821, which is incorporated herein by reference, is a weakening line formed in a blank for a cigarette package and an opening element disposed between the outer and inner frames. Are disclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,581 U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,066 U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,734 European Patent No. 0392737 US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0230410 US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0042249 US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0248926 US Pat. No. 5,682,986 US Pat. No. 3,695,422 U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,017 U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,378 US Pat. No. 5,192,262 US Pat. No. 5,595,803 US Pat. No. 6,363,691 US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0261361 US Pat. No. 7,118,792 US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0130811 US Pat. No. 5,333,729 US Pat. No. 5,248,031 US Pat. No. 5,139,140

  However, there are several potential problems with the design of various conventional tamper evident cigarette packages. Some tamper-evident cigarette package designs can increase material waste (e.g., clear sheathing, surrounding opening tape, various opening band designs, etc.). Other cigarette package designs have tamper-evident features formed by expensive tools and / or manufacturing processes that require higher precision (eg, the process used to punch a portion of a paperboard blank). May include.

  Various embodiments provide a box having a lower body portion that defines a base, an upper body portion that defines a lid, and a tear strip. The base includes a base bottom wall, a base front wall to which the first base side tab is coupled, and a base rear wall to which the second base side tab is coupled. The lid includes a lid upper wall, a lid front wall to which the first lid side tab is coupled, and a lid rear wall to which the second lid side tab is coupled. The opening is adhesively bonded to the front wall of the base and the front wall of the lid.

  According to a second aspect, a package containing a cigarette may include a box having a lower body portion defining a base, an upper body portion defining a lid, and a tear strip. The base includes a base bottom wall, a base front wall, and a base rear wall. The lid includes a lid upper wall, a lid front wall, and a lid rear wall. The tear strip is adhesively bonded to the lid front wall and the base front wall, and the outer surface of the lid and the lower body portion are exposed so that the user can touch them.

  According to a third aspect, a package containing a cigarette may include a box having a lower body portion defining a base, an upper body portion defining a lid, and a tear strip. The base includes a base bottom wall, a base front wall, and a base rear wall. The lid includes a lid upper wall, a lid front wall, and a lid rear wall. The tear strip may be adhesively bonded to the base front wall and the lid front wall, and the base rear wall and the lid rear wall may be bonded via an adhesive strip.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present application are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cigarette package having an open band with a reinforcing member, the package shown in a closed position, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the tear strip shown in FIG. 1. It is a top view of the blank used for the cigarette package shown by FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cigarette package having a perforated front lid according to another exemplary embodiment, the package being shown in a closed position. It is a top view of the blank used for the cigarette package shown by FIG. FIG. 6 is another perspective view of a cigarette package having a perforated front lid, according to yet another exemplary embodiment, with the package shown in a closed position. It is a top view of the blank used for the cigarette package shown by FIG. It is a perspective view of the cigarette package which has a pair of tearing part positioned in the right-and-left both sides. It is a top view of the blank used for the cigarette package shown by FIG. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a blank for a cigarette package having an open band, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of another blank for a cigarette package having an opening band. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of yet another blank for a cigarette package having an opening band. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of yet another blank for a cigarette package having an opening band.

  The present disclosure is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all aspects of the disclosure are shown. Indeed, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art and meet applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used in this specification and the claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

  1 and 3 show an exemplary package 10 that houses a cigarette. The package 10 includes an outer protective case 11 (for example, a box, a container, and the like) and an inner case (not shown) configured to fit into the outer case 11. In general, the inner case defines a storage volume that is used to house tobacco products (eg, cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, etc.) therein. The outer case 11 shown in FIG. 1 may be formed from a paperboard blank such as the blank shown in FIG. According to other exemplary embodiments, the outer case 11 may be formed from any suitable material, such as a polymer material. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary package disclosed herein can be manufactured using fully recyclable materials. Thus, the packages disclosed herein can advantageously be 100% recyclable compared to other packages provided with an outer polymer film.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the outer case 11 includes an upper body portion that defines a lid 12 and a lower container body portion that defines a base 14. The base 14 and the lid 12 can be configured to cooperate selectively so as to selectively engage and disengage from each other. For example, the lid 12 can be configured to have a “snap fit” with the base 14.

  Referring now to FIG. 3, the lid 12 and base 14 are shown coupled to the rear side of the outer case 11 via hinges 16 (eg, hinges, living hinges, etc.). More specifically, the hinge portion 16 is defined between the rear wall of the base 14 (eg, the base rear wall 18) and the rear wall of the lid 12 (eg, the lid rear wall 20). Since the outer case 11 is formed from a blank, the base rear wall 18 and the lid rear wall 20 may be joined via an adhesive joint (eg, formed of adhesive such as glue or double-sided tape). Accordingly, the lid 12 may be configured to pivot backward relative to the base 14 about an axis generally defined by the hinge portion 16. Thereby, the outer case 11 can be opened and closed. According to another exemplary embodiment, the hinge portion of the package containing the cigarette may be defined between the rear wall of the lower body portion and the top lid wall of the lid. The package containing the cigarette may be configured in other suitable ways.

  Still referring to FIG. 3, the lid 12 includes a lid upper wall 22, a lid rear wall 20, and a lid front wall 24. Further, a first lid side tab 26 (for example, a side wall portion) is provided on both the left and right sides of the lid front wall 24, and a second lid side tab 28 (for example, the side wall portion) is provided on both the left and right sides of the lid rear wall 20. It is done. When the lid 12 is in the folded state, the second lid-side tab 28 of the lid rear wall 20 may be coupled to the inner surface or the bottom surface of the lid top wall 22, The lid side tab 26 may be coupled to the second lid side tab 28. For example, the aforementioned walls can be joined using an adhesive (eg, glue, double-sided tape, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, the lid rear wall 20 is shorter than the lid front wall 24. In other words, the lid front wall 24 may extend below the lid rear wall 20 when the lid 12 is closed. According to other exemplary embodiments, the various walls comprising the lid 12 may be any suitable size, and the relative sizes disclosed herein are not limiting.

  As further shown in FIG. 3, the base 14 includes a base front wall 30, a base bottom wall 32, and a base rear wall 18. Further, a first base side tab 34 (for example, a side wall portion) is provided on both left and right sides of the base front wall 30, and a second base side tab 36 (for example, the side wall portion) is provided on both left and right sides of the base rear wall 18. It is done. When the outer case 11 is in the folded state, the second base-side tab 36 of the base rear wall 18 may be coupled to the inner surface or top surface of the base bottom wall 32, and the first of the base front wall 30. The base tab 34 may be coupled to the second base tab 36. According to an exemplary embodiment, the base rear wall 18 is higher than the base front wall 30. In other words, the base rear wall 18 may extend above the base front wall 30 when the outer case 11 is in a folded state. According to other exemplary embodiments, the various walls comprising the base 14 may be any suitable size, and the relative sizes disclosed herein are not limiting.

  When the lid 12 of the outer case 11 is in the closed state, the inner surface of the second lid-side tab 28 and the lid front wall 24 can engage with the outer surface of the inner case. Further, the bottom of the first lid side tab 26, the second lid side tab 28, and the lid front wall 24 is the top of the first base side tab 34, the second base side tab 36, and the base front wall 30. Can be engaged.

  According to the exemplary embodiment, the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30 are joined via an opening band 38. The tear strip 38 may be configured in such a way that the reinforcing member 37 is coupled to the outer case 11 and positioned between the two weakened portions 39 as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening band 38 may be configured such that the intermediate opening band part 41 is positioned between two adhesive parts coupled to the outer case 11. Reinforcing member 37 and intermediate tear strip portion 41 may be made from any suitable material (eg, extra paper material, polypropylene, polyethylene, another recyclable material, etc.) and are described herein. Is not limiting. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 10 to 11, the opening band 38 may extend from the left side of the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30 to the right side of the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30.

  When the outer case 11 is folded (the opening band 38 is in place and the lid rear wall 20 and the base rear wall 18 are joined via an adhesive joint), the outer case 11 is generally parallel. It can be in the shape of a hexahedron (eg, a rectangular box). Although the adhesive joint is shown as the part joining the lid rear wall 20 and the base rear wall 18, the blank for the outer case is such that the adhesive joint is used to join another pair of walls. It may be configured in other ways. Also, according to other embodiments, the various walls of the outer case may be joined using fasteners (eg, staples, etc.) or in any other suitable manner.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, when the outer case 11 is in a folded state, the tear strip 38 can perform a tamper evident function. “Unauthorized tamper evident” refers to an element or function used to indicate the presence or absence of unauthorized or prior access of a product. Therefore, the tear strip 38 can be used to indicate whether or not the package 10 containing the cigarette has been illegally accessed. For example, the package 10 may generally be sold with the tear strip 38 coupled to the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30. If the tear strip 38 is in place and is intact, this indicates to the user that the package 10 has not been previously unauthorized access. On the other hand, if the user purchases the package 10 where the opening band 38 is not in place or is not undamaged, this may indicate that the package 10 may have been tampered with and the complete state of the cigarette contained therein Indicates to the user that it may have been compromised. Furthermore, the adhesive joint used to join a pair of walls (eg, the lid rear wall 20 and the base rear wall 18) of the outer case 11 may be configured to perform a tamper evident function. Thus, in the unlikely event that a person separates or separates two walls that are joined via an adhesive joint, this indicates to the user that the package 10 may have been tampered with.

  The tear strip 38 may be configured to be removed from the package 10 in various ways, according to various exemplary embodiments. For example, the opening band 38 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 and includes an opening band part 41, an upper bonding part 39, and a lower bonding part 43, and is peeled off from the upper bonding part 39 and the lower bonding part 43. Configured to be. The opening band 38 shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 in which the strong member 37 is positioned between the upper weakened portion and the lower weakened portion (for example, the perforation line) is formed between the upper weakened portion and the lower weakened portion. It is configured to be pulled away from the outer case 11 to remove certain material.

  The tear strip 38 disclosed herein can eliminate the need to provide an alternative tamper evident feature, such as a separate transparent outer wrap or pull tab. Advantageously, the tear strip 38 consists of a relatively small amount of recyclable material compared to the transparent outer packaging commonly used to seal cigarette containers. The tear strip 38 may be formed as having any suitable thickness and any suitable width. Therefore, the container having the unsealing band 38 as the tamper evident function can reduce waste and garbage as compared with other tamper evident means.

  The tear strip 38 shown in FIGS. 2 and 10-13 may be glued onto a medium such as paperboard used for individual blanks for the outer case 11. The tear strip 38 may further be continuously bonded to paperboard that has not yet been formed in individual blanks for the outer case 11. Further, the tear strip 38 disclosed herein may be coupled to the inner surface of the outer case 11 or on the outer surface of the outer case 11.

  According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, the tear strip 38 includes a tear strip portion 41, an upper adhesive portion 39, and a lower adhesive portion 43. Since the tear strip 38 is coupled to the outer surface of the outer case 11 before being coupled to the outer case 11, when the outer case 11 is in a folded state, the bottom edge portion and the front of the base portion of the lid front wall 24 are formed. A straight cut (eg, a slit) may be formed in a portion of the blank that defines the upper edge of the wall 30. Thereafter, the opening band 38 is bonded to the outer surface of the outer case 11, and the opening band 38 covers the straight cut. Thus, when the tear strip 38 is removed from the media, the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30 are separated and the lid 12 is free to pivot about the hinge portion 16.

  In contrast to the embodiment described above, an opening band (not shown) similar to the opening band 38 shown in FIG. 2 may be coupled to the inner surface of the outer case 11. Similar to the embodiment described immediately above, when the outer case 11 is in a folded state, on the portion of the blank that defines the bottom edge of the lid front wall 24 and the top edge of the base front wall 30, Straight cuts (eg, slits) or weakened portions (eg, a series of perforations) may be formed. The tear strip 38 may be coupled to the inner surface of the outer case 11 related to the straight cut. The end of the tear strip portion may extend outside the outer case 11. The distal end of the tear strip portion may be pulled to tear a straight cut between the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30.

  With further reference to FIG. 2, according to an exemplary embodiment, the upper adhesive portion 39 may be provided on the intermediate tear strip portion 41 of the tear strip 38 and the lower adhesive portion 43 may be disposed on the intermediate tear strip portion 41. May be provided below. The upper adhesive portion 39 and the lower adhesive portion 43 may be adhesively bonded to both the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30. The intermediate opening band portion 41 may or may not include an adhesive. Further, the upper adhesive portion 39 and the lower adhesive portion 43 of the tear strip 38 may be coupled to the inner surfaces (eg, rearward facing surfaces) of the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30. According to another exemplary embodiment, the upper adhesive portion 39 and the lower adhesive portion 43 of the tear strip 38 may be coupled to the front facing outer surfaces of the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, the tear strip 38 has a first end (not shown, approximately 3-5 mm in length) configured to be pulled away from the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30. May include. For example, the tear strip 38 may include an intermediate tear portion 41 sandwiched between an upper adhesive portion 39 and a lower adhesive portion 43 that is pinched by the user and peeled away from the outer case 11. A first end configured to be configured. According to one exemplary embodiment, the first end of the intermediate tear portion of the tear strip 38 extends outward beyond the first lid tab 26 and the first base tab 34 (the lid front wall). 24) and close to the upper end of the base front wall 30) or may hang down. According to another exemplary embodiment, the first end of the intermediate tear portion of the tear strip 38 includes the lid front wall 24, the base front wall 30, the first base tab 34, and the second base tab. 36 may extend proximally of a corner defined between. According to this last embodiment, a relatively small portion (approximately 3-5 mm) between the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30 may or may not be bonded via the media material. It may be left as it is. For example, the straight cut is approximately 3 at one end (close to the corner defined between the lid front wall 24, the base front wall 30, the first base tab 34, and the second base tab 36). It may be formed into a blank that is as short as ˜5 mm.

  The intermediate unwrapping band portion 41 of the unwrapping band 38 extends from the first free hanging end near the left and right sides of the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30 to the second end opposite to the first end. It may extend in the direction. The intermediate opening band portion 41 of the opening band 38 may be configured to be peeled off from the surrounding portion of the opening band 38 when pulled. Further, the intermediate tear strip portion 41 may be configured to visually indicate that it has been removed when it is torn away from the outer case 11 and removed. For example, the opening band 38 may be configured such that the word “void” appears in either the outer case 11 or the opening band 38 when the intermediate opening band portion 41 is removed. Further, the tear strip 38 may be configured to identify a tear between the intermediate tear strip portion 41 and the surrounding portion of the tear strip 38. Although several methods are disclosed herein for providing an open band that performs a tamper evident function, the open band is used to indicate to the user that the package has been tampered with or opened. It should be understood that other configurations may be used.

  According to another exemplary embodiment, a free hanging first end of an approximately 3-5 mm long tear strip 38 may be coupled to one end of the tear strip. An intermediate tear strip portion 41 that may be sandwiched between the upper adhesive portion 39 and the lower adhesive portion 43 may further extend from the first end of the tear strip 38 to the opposite side of the front walls 24, 30. In addition, the intermediate tear strip portion 41 includes an upper adhesive portion 39 and a lower adhesive portion 43 as well as a front lid wall 24 and a base front as the first end of the tear strip 38 is pulled away from the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30. It may be configured to be peeled off from the wall 30. When the intermediate tear strip portion 41 of the tear strip 38 is pulled from the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30, the lid 12 can be pivoted around the hinge portion 16 to leave the outer case 11 open. . Also, the intermediate tear strip portion 41 may be properly discarded once removed from the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30.

  10-13 illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a tear strip 38 that includes a reinforcing member 37. The reinforcing member 37 in each of these embodiments may be coupled to a part of the inner surface of the outer case 11 corresponding to the boundary between the base front wall 30 and the lid front wall 24. A weakening line that may be configured in various ways may be positioned on the reinforcing member 37 in the lid front wall 24, and another weakening line may be positioned under the reinforcing member 37 in the base front wall 30. May be. Thus, the material portion is defined between the weakening lines between the base front wall 30 and the lid front wall 24. The tear strip 38 may include a reinforcing member 37 and a material portion between the weakening lines.

  In order to facilitate removal of the tear strip 38 (eg, including material between the weakened portions of both the base front wall 30 and the lid front wall 24 and the reinforcing member 37), the reinforcing member 37 is provided on the base front wall 30. The width of the material defined between the weakened portion and the weakened portion of the lid front wall 24 may be narrower. For example, the weakened portions of the base front wall 30 and the lid front wall 24 may be provided at positions of 1 to 2 mm above and below the reinforcing member 37. The height of the reinforcing member 37 itself may be any appropriate height. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the height of the reinforcing member 37 may be approximately 1 to 3 mm. According to another embodiment, the height of the reinforcing member 37 may be approximately 3-8 mm.

  10 to 11, it is shown that the opening band 38 may be configured such that the reinforcing member 37 extends across the front surface of the outer case 11 and does not extend on both sides of the outer case 11. With reference to FIGS. 12 to 13, the opening band 38 may be configured such that the reinforcing member 37 and the weakening line can extend across the front surface of the outer case 11 and along the left and right sides of the outer case 11. It has been shown.

  According to the embodiment of the tear strip 38 described herein, the reinforcing member 37 (shown in FIGS. 1-2) or the tear strip portion 41 (shown in FIGS. 10-13) is removed. Thus, in order to separate the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30, the medium material of the outer case 11 (ie, the perforation (s) or between the lid front wall 24 and the base front wall 30). The material containing the weakening line (s) can be further removed. In order for the reinforcing member 37 or the opening band portion 41 to remove the material of the medium, the material used for the reinforcing member 37 and / or the opening band portion 41 may be a suitable tear resistance, the opening band 38 being pulled from the outer case 11. It may be configured to have sufficient tensile strength, low elongation, and high resistance to flex cracking to overcome the stresses experienced by it. The reinforcing member 37 and / or the tear strip portion 41 may be bonded or adhered to the media via an adhesive (eg, a pressure sensitive adhesive) or in any other suitable manner. For example, the tear strip 38 disclosed herein may be manufactured in bulk (eg, in roll form) and then rolled or placed longitudinally on the media.

  4-5 illustrate another embodiment of the outer case 111 of the cigarette package 110. FIG. The outer case 111 includes a lid 112 and a base 114. The lid 112 includes a lid upper wall 122, a lid rear wall 120, and a lid front wall 124. The lid front wall 124 includes a first lid side tab 126 coupled thereto, and the lid rear wall 120 includes a second lid side tab 128 coupled thereto. The lower body portion defines a base 114 that includes a base front wall 130, a base bottom wall 132, and a base rear wall 118. The base front wall 130 includes a first base tab 134 coupled thereto, and the base rear wall 118 includes a second base tab 136 coupled thereto. A hinge portion 116 is formed between the base rear wall 118 and the lid rear wall 120. The lid 112 can pivot about the hinge portion 116 between an open position and a closed position.

  The lid 112 of the outer case 111 of the cigarette package 110 may be coupled to the base 114 via the perforation line 42. When the outer case 111 is in a folded state, the height of the rear edge of the second base side tab 126 substantially matches the height of the lid rear wall 120, and the height of the front edge of the first lid side tab 126 is The height can approximately match the height of the lid front wall 124. Similarly, the height of the rear edge of the first base tab 134 substantially matches the height of the base rear wall 118, and the height of the front edge of the first base tab 134 is equal to the height of the base front wall 130. Can almost match the height. As shown, the base front wall 130 may be shorter than the base rear wall 118, and the lid rear wall 120 may be shorter than the lid front wall 124. Accordingly, when the outer case 111 is in the folded state, the perforation line 42 may extend downward from the base rear wall 118 and the lid rear wall 120 to the lid front wall 124 and the base front wall 130.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, perforation line 42 is formed to have three generally straight portions (eg, a horizontal front provided between two downwardly inclined sides). The perforation line 42 may be formed by any appropriate method. For example, the perforation line 42 is linearly arranged on the blank for the outer case 111 along the lid front wall 124 and the base front wall 130, and further along the first lid side tab 126 and the first base side tab 134. It may be formed by drilling a series of holes (eg, perforations). The holes including the perforation line 42 may have any suitable dimensions, and the continuous holes may be separated by any suitable distance.

  The perforation line 42 shown in FIGS. 4-5 may be configured to perform a tamper evident function. That is, the perforation line 42 may be used to indicate the presence or absence of unauthorized access to the package 110 containing the cigarette. For example, package 110 may generally be sold with lid front wall 124, base front wall 130, first lid side tab 126, and first base side tab 134 coupled through perforation line 42. . If the perforation line 42 is intact, this indicates to the user that the package 110 has not been previously unauthorized access. On the other hand, if the user purchases a package 110 that has been perforated or torn open, this may indicate that the package 110 may have been tampered with and that the contained cigarette is in a perfect state. Indicates to the user that it may have been compromised. Further, the adhesive joint used to join the pair of walls of the outer case 111 (eg, the lid rear wall 120 and the base rear wall 118) may be configured to perform a tamper evident function. Thus, in the unlikely event that a person separates or separates two walls that are joined via an adhesive joint, this indicates to the user that the package 110 may have been tampered with.

  6-7 show yet another embodiment of the outer case 211 of the cigarette package 210. The outer case includes an upper body portion that defines a lid 212 and a lower body portion that defines a base 214. The lid 212 includes a lid upper wall 222, a lid rear wall 220, and a lid front wall 224. The lid front wall 224 includes a first lid side tab 226 (eg, a sidewall portion) coupled thereto, and the lid rear wall 220 includes a second lid side tab 228 (eg, a sidewall portion) coupled thereto. )including. The base 214 includes a base front wall 230, a base bottom wall 232, and a base rear wall 218. The base front wall 230 includes a first base tab 234 (eg, sidewall portion) coupled thereto, and the base rear wall 218 is coupled to a second base tab 236 (eg, sidewall portion) coupled thereto. )including. A hinge portion 216 is formed between the base rear wall 218 and the lid rear wall 220. The lid 212 can pivot about the hinge portion 216 between an open position and a closed position.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, the lid 212 of the outer case 211 of the cigarette package 210 may be coupled to the base 214 via the perforation line 44. Unlike the perforation line 42 shown in FIGS. 4-5, the perforation line 44 only connects the lid front wall 224 and the base front wall 230. The first lid side tab 226 and the first base side tab 234 are separated by forming a cut therebetween. Except for this difference, the disclosure relating to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-5 shall apply equally to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. .

  8-9 illustrate yet another embodiment of the outer case 311 of the cigarette package 310. FIG.

  The outer case 311 includes an upper body portion that defines a lid 312 and a lower body portion that defines a base 314. The lid 312 includes a lid upper wall 322, a lid rear wall 320, and a lid front wall 324. The lid front wall 324 includes a first lid side tab 326 (eg, a sidewall portion) coupled thereto, and the lid rear wall 320 includes a second lid side tab 328 (eg, a sidewall portion) coupled thereto. including. Base 314 includes a base front wall 330, a base bottom wall 332, and a base rear wall 318. The base front wall 330 includes a first base tab 334 (eg, a sidewall portion) coupled thereto, and the base rear wall 318 is coupled to a second base tab 336 (eg, sidewall portion). including. A hinge portion 316 is formed between the base rear wall 318 and the lid rear wall 320. The lid 312 can pivot about the hinge portion 316 between an open position and a closed position.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, the lid 312 of the outer case 311 of the cigarette package 310 has a base 314 via a pair of tear portions 46 (eg, tear strips, perforated tear strips, etc.) positioned on the left and right sides. May be combined. For example, the first lid side tab 326 may be coupled to the first base side tab 334 via the tear portion 46. According to this exemplary embodiment, the lid front wall 324 and the base front wall 330 may be separated by forming a cut therebetween. Similarly to the outer cases 11, 111, and 211, the lid front wall 324 may be higher than the lid rear wall 320. Therefore, when the outer case 311 is in the folded state, the tearing portion 46 can extend downward from the rear toward the front.

  As shown in FIGS. 8-9, the tear portion 46 is formed by cutting two generally parallel dashed lines, each dash of the dashed line including a portion that extends inward at a predetermined angle. The first end of the tear portion 46 configured as a tab may be formed by forming two parallel cuts in the trailing edges of the first lid tab 326 and the first base tab 334. . The cuts in the trailing edge of the first lid side tab 326 and the first base side tab 334 form a pull tab. Thus, the user can pinch the pull tab and pull the respective tear portions 46 from the first lid side tab 326 and the first base tab 334 to open the lid 312. According to another exemplary embodiment, the pull tab is formed by making two parallel cuts in the leading edges of the first lid side tab 326 and the first base tab 334, thereby forming the first lid side tab. 326 and a first base tab 334 may be formed along the leading edge. Although the tear portion 46 shown in FIGS. 8-9 is formed as a series of dashes that include an inwardly extending portion, according to another exemplary embodiment, the tear portion includes an inwardly extending portion. It may be formed by cutting a pair of parallel broken lines not included. Further, the dash that includes the parallel dashed lines of the tear portion may have any suitable length and the continuous dashes may be separated by any suitable distance, according to other exemplary embodiments. Please understand that.

  The tear portion described herein is configured to perform a tamper evident function. That is, the tear portion 46 may be used to indicate the presence or absence of unauthorized access to the package 310 containing the cigarette. For example, the package 310 may generally be sold with the lid front wall 324, the base front wall 330, the first lid side tab 326, and the first base side tab 334 coupled via the tear portion 46. . If the tear portion 46 is intact, this indicates to the user that the package 310 has not been previously unauthorized access. On the other hand, if the user purchases a package 310 where the tear portion 46 has been torn or torn open, this may indicate that the package 310 may have been tampered with and the complete state of the contained cigarette. Indicates to the user that it may be damaged. Further, the adhesive joint used to join a pair of walls (eg, lid rear wall 320 and base rear wall 318) of outer case 311 may be configured to perform a tamper evident function. Thus, in the unlikely event that two walls joined by a person via an adhesive joint are separated or disconnected, this indicates to the user that the package 310 may have been tampered with.

  Advantageously, the tamper evident features of packages 10, 110, 210, 310 described herein (eg, tear strip 38, perforation line 42, perforation line 44, and tear portion 46) may be included in the outer case. When the outer surface of 11, 111, 211, 311 remains exposed (eg, uncovered), it can be intact. That is, the user can touch the outer surfaces of the outer cases 11, 111, 211, and 311 when the unauthorized opening and clarification function unit described in this specification is in a fixed position and is intact. For example, the package 10, 110, 210, 310 may perform a tamper evident function without the outer polymer film being wrapped around the outer case 11, 111, 211, 311. As a result, the packages 10, 110, 210, and 310 can reduce waste. In addition, tobacco products contained in the packages 10, 110, 210, 310 can be more easily accessed.

  With reference to FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, finger openings 40, 140, 240 (eg, finger holes) may be provided on top of the base front walls 30, 130, 230. Although not shown in FIG. 8, it should be understood that the base front wall 330 of the outer case 311 can include similar finger openings. The finger openings 40, 140, 240 may be semicircular, with the semicircular flat portion proximate the upper end of the base front wall 30, 130, 230. The finger opening may be configured to facilitate opening of the lids 12, 112, 212 with a finger. For example, the finger hole is large enough to hold a finger and the finger can be used to lift the lid.

  As used herein, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “substantially”, “essentially” and like terms are generally accepted by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Have a broad meaning in harmony with Those skilled in the art reviewing this disclosure will be able to describe these features without limiting the scope of the specific features described and claimed to the exact numerical ranges shown. You should understand what you intend to do. Accordingly, these terms are to be interpreted as indicating that unrealistic or insignificant modifications or changes in the subject matter described and claimed are deemed to be within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. Should be.

  The term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments indicates that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and / or illustrations of possible embodiments. It should be noted that (and such terms are not intended to imply that such embodiments are necessarily special or best examples).

  As used herein, the terms “coupled”, “connected” and the like mean that two members are joined directly or indirectly to each other. Such a bond may be a fixed (eg, permanent) bond or a movable (eg, removable or releasable) bond. Such joining can be achieved by two members or two members and any additional intermediate member being integrally formed with each other as a unitary structure, or two members or two members and any additional intermediate member. Can be achieved by being attached to each other.

  Expressions relating to the position of elements herein (eg, “above”, “below”, “above”, “below”, etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of the various elements in the drawing. Has been. It should be noted that the orientation of the various elements may vary depending on other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be included in this disclosure.

  It is important to note that the configuration and arrangement of the outer case 11 as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is exemplary only. While only some embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art reviewing this disclosure will be able to do many without departing significantly from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Easily understand that modifications (e.g., changes in size, dimensions, structure, shape and area of various elements, parameter values, mounting methods, material usage, color, orientation, manufacturing process, etc.) are possible Will. For example, an element shown in an integral form may be composed of a plurality of parts or elements, the position of the elements may be reversed or different, and the nature of the individual elements or positions Or the number may be modified or changed. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or reordered according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims (20)

A blank for a package configured to contain a plurality of cigarettes,
Base bottom wall,
A lower body portion defining a base including a base front wall to which a first base tab is coupled, and a base rear wall to which a second base tab is coupled;
Lid top wall,
An upper body portion defining a lid including a lid front wall to which a first lid side tab is coupled; and a lid rear wall to which a second lid side tab is coupled;
An opening band adhesively bonded to the base front wall and the lid front wall;
With a blank.   The blank of claim 1, wherein the package is made entirely of recyclable material.   The blank of claim 1, wherein the blank is folded to form a parallelepiped, and the base rear wall and the lid rear wall are adhesively bonded to secure the blank in a folded state. A hinge portion formed between the base rear wall and the lid rear wall;
4. The blank of claim 3, wherein the lid can be pivoted relative to the base about the hinge portion by removing the tear strip from the base front wall and the lid front wall.   The blank of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the tear strip is positioned within the package when the package is in a folded state and the lid is coupled to the base via the tear strip.   6. A blank according to claim 5, wherein the end of the tear strip extends outside of the package and the end of the tear strip can be pulled to remove the tear strip from the package.   4. The blank of claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the parallelepiped is exposed so that a user can touch when the blank is in a folded state. The tear strip includes an intermediate tear strip portion, an upper adhesive portion, and a lower adhesive portion,
The blank of claim 1, wherein the upper adhesive portion is bonded to the lid front wall and the lower adhesive portion is bonded to the base front wall. A package configured to contain a cigarette,
Base bottom wall,
A lower body portion defining a base including a base front wall and a base rear wall;
Lid top wall,
An upper body portion defining a lid comprising a lid front wall and a lid rear wall;
An opening band adhesively bonded to the front wall of the lid and the front wall of the base;
With
A package in which the outer surface of the lid and lower body part is exposed so that the user can touch it.   10. The package of claim 9, wherein the lid is pivotable relative to the base about the hinge portion after the tear strip has been removed from the package by pulling on the first end of the tear strip. The package is generally secured as a parallelepiped through an opening strip and an adhesive joint,
When the package is formed as a parallelepiped, at least two walls of the package are joined together via adhesive joints,
The package of claim 9, wherein the adhesive joint is configured to perform a tamper evident function.   The package of claim 11, wherein at least two walls of the package joined together via an adhesive joint are a base back wall and a lid back wall.   The package of claim 11, wherein a finger opening is provided below the tear strip in the base front wall.   The package of claim 9, wherein the package is made entirely of recyclable material.   When the package is fixed as a parallelepiped, the tear strip is positioned inside the package, weakening lines are formed on the base front wall and the lid front wall, respectively, and when the tear strip is pulled from the package, The package of claim 11 configured to remove material provided between the weakening lines of the base front wall and the lid front wall. Base bottom wall,
A lower body portion defining a base including a base front wall and a base rear wall;
Lid top wall,
An upper body portion defining a lid comprising a lid front wall and a lid rear wall;
An opening band adhesively bonded to the front wall of the lid and the front wall of the base;
A package configured to receive a cigarette comprising:
A package wherein the base rear wall and the lid rear wall are joined via an adhesive strip.   The package of claim 15, wherein the junction between the base back wall and the lid back wall defines a hinge portion.   The lid is coupled to the base via the tear strip and at least a portion of the tear strip is positioned within the package when the lid rear wall and the base rear wall are coupled via the adhesive strip. 15. The package according to 15.   16. The package of claim 15, wherein a finger hole is provided below the tear strip in the base front wall.   The package of claim 15, wherein the package is made entirely of recyclable material.

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