JP5902396B2 - Cigarette package with pulling tape and associated packaging method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cigarette package with a pull-up tape, and an associated packaging method and apparatus.

  In the following description, for the sake of brevity and by way of example only, a cigarette rigid lid with a pivoting lid will be referred to.

  A cigarette box with a rigid lid typically includes an inner package that encloses a group of cigarettes and an outer rigid container that houses the inner package. The inner package is initially fully closed and has a peelable top that is removed to pull tobacco from the inner package when the cigarette box is opened. Yes.

  The inner package and outer container often exert side pressure on a group of cigarettes inside the inner package. Also, in the case of a new casket with a complete group of cigarettes, this lateral pressure causes the first group of cigarettes to be removed from the first group of cigarettes due to friction between the first cigarette and the surrounding cigarettes. Taking out cigarettes can be difficult. In order to facilitate the removal of the first cigarette from the group of cigarettes, at least one cigarette in the group of cigarettes is a gripping end protruding from the top wall of the group of cigarettes. It has been proposed to install a lifting tape having a gripping end that is pulled up to slide the single cigarette.

  The main drawback of the known pulling tape is that the inner end opposite to the gripping end should be glued to the wall of the inner package. However, taking into account that if there is an adhesive on or in the vicinity of tobacco, the adhesive may be absorbed by tobacco and release volatile substances that impair the aroma and / or flavor of the tobacco. The inner package of cigarette boxes has always been manufactured without adhesive.

  Furthermore, standard packaging machines are difficult to provide with an application device that can apply an adhesive to the inner surface of the inner package.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette package which is provided with a pulling tape designed to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and which is cheap and easy to manufacture. Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging method and apparatus for producing such a cigarette package.

  In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cigarette package with a pull-up tape and associated packaging method and apparatus as claimed in the appended claims.

  Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a front perspective view in the closed form of the cigarette small box concerning the present invention. It is a front perspective view in the opening form of the small box of the cigarette of FIG. It is a rear perspective view in the closed form of the small box of the cigarette of FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the inner package of the cigarette box of FIG. 1 with the peelable top removed; FIG. FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a group of cigarettes enclosed within the inner package of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the group of cigarettes of FIG. 5 when the first cigarette is removed. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the group of cigarettes of FIG. 5 when the first cigarette is removed, with the first cigarette omitted for clarity. FIG. 3 is a side view of a pulling tape attached to the first cigarette to be removed from a group of cigarettes. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a packaging machine for producing the cigarette box of FIG. 1 with various parts omitted for clarity. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a group forming unit of the packaging machine of FIG. 9 forming a group of cigarettes, with various parts omitted for clarity. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the group forming unit of FIG. 10 with various parts omitted for clarity. It is a front view of the detailed part in FIG.

  1, 2, and 3 generally indicate a cigarette rigid box having a cup-shaped outer container 2 made of rigid cardboard and an inner package 3 housed in the container 2. Represents. The inner package 3 surrounds a group of cigarettes (FIGS. 4-7) in the shape of a parallelepiped, and the package has a cigarette take-off opening 5 closed at the top and front by a peelable closure portion 6. The cigarette take-out opening 5 extends over a part of the front wall portion and a part of the top wall portion of the inner package 3. When the cigarette box 1 is opened, the peelable closure 6 is removed and the cigarette is pulled out of the inner package 3. In other words, when the cigarette box 1 is opened, the inner package 3 is taken from the configuration of FIG. 2 (with a peelable closing portion 6), FIG. 4 (without the peelable closing portion 6). Transition to the form.

  In a different embodiment not shown, the inner package 3 is sealed and a peel-off closing part 6 that initially closes the extraction opening 5 is a closed position that closes the extraction opening 5 and an open position that opens the extraction opening 5 Is replaced by a resealable (ie, opened and closed) sealing panel 6 that is movable between the two.

  The outer container 2 is an open top end portion 7 and a cup-shaped lid body 8 pivotally attached to the container 2 along the hinge 9, and is opened and closed to open and close the open top end portion 7 (FIG. 2). It has a cup-shaped lid 8 that rotates with respect to the container 2 between the positions (FIGS. 1 and 3).

  When the lid 8 is in the closed position, the outer container 2 has a top wall portion 10 and a bottom wall portion 11 that are opposed and parallel to each other, and two parallel main wall portions 12, 13 that are opposite to each other. And two parallel side wall portions 14 arranged in parallel with each other. More specifically, one main side wall 12 defines the front wall 12 of the outer container 2, and the other main side wall 13 defines the rear wall 13 of the outer container 2. Four longitudinal edge portions 15 are defined between each side wall portion 14 and the front and rear wall portions 12 and 13, and the top wall portion 10 and the bottom wall portion 11 and the front and rear and side wall portions 12, Eight transverse edge portions 16 are defined between 13 and 14.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, edges 15 and 16 are all angular, but in an alternative embodiment not shown, some of edges 15 and 16 are beveled or rounded. May be.

  Casket 1 also includes a rigid (i.e., rigid cardboard) collar 17 that is folded into a U shape and secured (adhered) to the inside of container 2 and partially from the open top 7. When the lid 8 is closed, it engages with the corresponding inner side surface of the lid 8. In a preferred embodiment, the collar 17 has two protrusions 18 that protrude laterally and interfere with the side walls of the lid 8 to maintain the lid 8 in the closed position. The collar 17 is disposed on each side portion of the front wall portion 19 positioned to contact the front wall portion 12 of the container 2 and each side wall portion 14 of the container 2. Two side walls 20 positioned to contact each other.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the lifting tape 21 is attached to a single cigarette 22 in the group 4, and the tape is attached to the top wall of the group 4 at the take-out opening 5 of the inner package 3. It has a gripping end 23 that protrudes from the part, and has a gripping end 23 that causes the cigarette 22 to slide upward when pulled. As shown more clearly in FIG. 8, the pull-up tape 21 is folded into a U shape around the bottom end 24 of the cigarette 22 inside the inner package 3 and completely separated from the inner package 3. The inner package 3 can be freely moved. In other words, all parts of the pull-up tape 21 can slide freely with respect to the inner package 3 because they are not physically connected to the inner package 3.

  As more clearly shown in FIG. 8, the pull-up tape 21 terminates at a gripping end 23 and is positioned in contact with and positioned against the tubular side wall 26 of the cigarette 22. A horizontal wall 27 that is orthogonal to the wall 25 and positioned in contact with the bottom end 24 of the cigarette 22 and an inner end 29 of the pulling tape 21 that is opposite to the gripping end 23 A vertical wall portion 28 that terminates at the vertical wall portion 25 and is parallel to the vertical wall portion 25 and faces the vertical wall portion 25, and on the opposite side of the tobacco 22 with respect to the vertical wall portion 25, the cylindrical side wall portion of the tobacco 22 And a vertical wall portion 28 that is positioned in contact with 26.

  In a preferred embodiment, the vertical wall 28 of the pulling tape 21 comprises a wide portion 30 that is wider (ie laterally) than the rest of the pulling tape 21 (particularly the horizontal wall 27). The wide portion 30 is wider (preferably 2-3 times) the diameter of a single cigarette, and the remainder of the pull-up tape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a single cigarette.

  In other words, the pulling tape 21 has a narrow width portion extending from the grip end portion 23 and a wide width portion extending from the inner end portion 29 opposite to the grip end portion 23 and wider than the narrow width portion. 30.

  When the inner package 3 is closed because the cigarette box 1 is sealed, the take-out opening 5 of the inner package 3 pushes down the gripping end 23 of the lifting tape 21 onto the top wall of the group 4 cigarettes It is closed by a peelable closing part 6. When the cigarette box 1 is opened and the closing part 6 is peeled off by the user, the gripping end 23 of the pulling tape 21 is for easy gripping by the user (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). ) Jump from the top wall of a group of 4 cigarettes. Because the user holds the gripping end 23 and the user pulls the tape 21 vertically (as shown in FIG. 6), the cigarette 22 is also for easy withdrawal through the take-out opening 5 of the inner package 3 (As shown in FIG. 6) is slid vertically upwards integrally with the pull-up tape 21 and with respect to the rest of the group 4.

  The wide portion 30 of the pulling tape 21 has a dual function.

  First, when the user pulls up the gripping end 23 of the tape 21 and removes a piece of cigarette 22, the wide portion 30 is opposed to sliding upward integrally with the cigarette 22 Prevents the pulling tape 21 from sliding with respect to 22 (ie, prevents the pulling tape 21 from being pulled out of the group of four cigarettes while the single cigarette 22 remains in place). In other words, if the pulling tape 21 begins to slide (i.e., pulled out of the group 4) with respect to a single cigarette 22 when the user exerts a pulling force on the gripping end 23, the wide portion 30 is deformed. Must slide under group 4. However, because of its size, deforming the wide portion 30 requires more force than sliding the tape 21 integrally with a single cigarette 22, so any pulling tape 21 associated with the cigarette 22 is completely This sliding is prevented by the fact that the wide portion 30 is deformed and cannot slide under the group 4.

  Second, the wide portion 30 holds the pulling tape 21 in the correct position around a piece of cigarette 22 and any inconvenient side (lateral direction) of the pulling tape 21 when the cigarette 22 is raised. ) Block movement.

  As stated, at least the horizontal wall 27 of the lifting tape 21 is narrower than the diameter of a single cigarette, which ensures that the lifting tape 21 raises only one cigarette 22. That is, if the horizontal wall 27 of the lifting tape 21 is made wider than the diameter of a single cigarette, it will also contact two cigarettes adjacent to the cigarette 22; and from FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the wide portion 30 of the pulling tape 21 is wider than the diameter of a single cigarette so that it contacts the cigarette 22 and two cigarettes adjacent to the cigarette 22. Sure to do. In the preferred embodiment, the wide portion 30 of the pull-up tape 21 is widened by 2-3 times the diameter of a single cigarette, so that only three cigarettes, i.e., cigarette 22 and two cigarettes 22 adjacent to it. It is ensured that the wide part contacts only the tobacco. If it is considerably narrower than twice the diameter of a single cigarette, the wide section 30 may not ensure sufficient stability of the pulling tape 21; conversely, the diameter of a single cigarette If it is much wider than three times (or even four times), the wide portion 30 of the pull-up tape 21 can create severe friction when raising a single cigarette 22.

  FIG. 9 is a portion of a cigarette wrapping machine of type X2 or X3 manufactured by GD Societa per Azioni for manufacturing the cigarette box 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3 described above. Is shown.

  The packaging machine 31 includes a group forming unit 32 for forming a plurality of groups 4 cigarettes, a packaging unit 33 for forming an inner package 3 by folding a thin material 34 of a packaging material around each group 4 cigarettes, and an inner side A packaging unit 35 for forming the outer container 2 by bending the collar 17 and the material 36 around the package 3 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the unit 32 for forming a plurality of groups 4 cigarettes includes a group forming conveyor 37 having a predetermined number of group forming pockets 38 (only one is shown in FIG. 10), Each of the pockets supports a group of four cigarettes consisting of three layers of 39 cigarettes superimposed. The group forming conveyor 37 passes through the three outlets of the hopper 40 (shown schematically in FIG. 9) and carries each group forming pocket 38, where there are three corresponding pressers 41 (see FIG. 9). 11, one is shown), but by sequentially inserting three layers 39 of tobacco into the grouping pocket 38, a group of four tobaccos is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the group forming unit 32 feeds the pulling tape 21 to a predetermined position in front of the pocket 38 before the tobacco layer 39a is inserted into the group forming pocket 38. A feeding device 42 is provided. Thus, when inserted into the grouping pocket 38 by the pusher 41, the tobacco layer 39a captures the pull-up tape 21 and moves it around a single cigarette 22 in the tobacco layer 39a. Bend into shape.

  The feeding device 42 is disposed at a suction conveyor belt 43 that sequentially conveys a plurality of pulling tapes 21 in the horizontal direction, and an output end of the conveyor belt 43, and the pulling tape 21 is attached to the cigarette layer 39a. A course changer 44 that is directed vertically downward into the path. Below the diverter 44 is disposed a vertical channel 45 defined by two parallel vertical walls 46 which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance and fixed to face each other, and in the preferred embodiment each vertical channel 45 The wall portion 46 has a hole from which the jet of compressed air is directed downward, and the downward movement of the pulling tape 21 along the vertical channel 45 is assisted and guided.

  The cigarette box 1 described has many advantages.

  First, it is a gripping end 23 projecting from the top wall of a group of 4 cigarettes at the take-out opening 5 of the inner package 3, which is pulled by the user when the cigarette box 1 is opened. A pulling tape 21 having a gripping end 23 for quickly and easily raising the cigarette 22 is provided.

  Secondly, the pull-up tape 21 without any adhesive can be applied on a standard packaging machine and cannot cause the risk of contaminating tobacco.

  Finally, the cigarette box 1 described is in contrast to the high-cost packaging machine specifically designed for this type of cigarette box (with only a few minor changes required). Can be easily manufactured on standard packaging machines.

2 Outer container
3 Inner package
4 A group of cigarettes
5 Tobacco removal opening
8 Lid
21 Pulling tape
22 Tobacco
23 Gripping end

Claims (11)

A group of (4) cigarettes,
An inner package (3) surrounding the group (4) of cigarettes and having an extraction opening (5);
A pull-up tape (21) that engages at least one cigarette (22) in the group (4) of cigarettes, wherein the group (4) at the take-out opening (5) of the inner package (3) A pulling tape (21) having a gripping end (23) protruding from the top wall of the cigarette and being pulled to pull up the cigarette (22);
In a cigarette package (1) comprising:
The pulling tape (21) is bent in a U shape around the bottom end (24) of the cigarette (22) inside the inner package (3),
Since the pulling tape (21) is completely separated from the inner package (3), it can move freely with respect to the inner package (3),
The pulling tape (21) terminates at the gripping end (23) and is positioned in contact with the cylindrical side wall (26) of the cigarette (22). A horizontal wall portion (27) orthogonal to the first vertical wall portion (25) and positioned in contact with the bottom end portion (24) of the cigarette (22), and the grip end A second vertical wall portion (28) terminating at an inner end portion (29) of the pulling tape (21) opposite to the portion (23), and parallel to the first vertical wall portion (25) Facing the first vertical wall, and against the cylindrical side wall (26) of the cigarette (22) on the opposite side of the cigarette (22) with respect to the first vertical wall (25) And a second vertical wall (28) that is positioned in contact with, and
The second vertical wall portion (28) of the pulling tape (21) has a wide portion (30) wider than at least the horizontal wall portion (27) of the pulling tape (21), and the wide portion (30 ) Is wider than the diameter of a single cigarette, and at least the horizontal wall portion (27) of the pulling tape (21) is narrower than the diameter of a single cigarette. Tobacco package (1).   The package according to claim 1, wherein the wide portion (30) of the second vertical wall (28) of the pull-up tape (21) is wider than the rest of the pull-up tape (21). The package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wide portion (30) of the pulling tape (21) is widened by 2 to 3 times the diameter of a single cigarette. The pulling tape (21) includes a narrow width portion extending from the grip end (23), and
The package according to claim 1, wherein the wide portion (30) extends from an inner end (29) opposite to the grip end (23) and is wider than the narrow portion. The wide portion (30) of the pulling tape (21) is wider than the diameter of a single cigarette, and the narrow portion of the pulling tape (21) is narrower than the diameter of a single cigarette. The package of claim 4, wherein The inner package (3) is a closed portion (6) for closing the take-out opening (5), and the gripping end portion of the pulling tape (21) to the top wall portion of the group (4) of cigarettes 6. Package according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a closing part (6) for depressing (23). An open top end (7) is pivotally attached to the outer container (2) along the hinge (9), and with respect to the outer container (2), an open position and a closed position for opening and closing the open top end (7), respectively. 7. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a cup-shaped rigid outer container (2) having a cup-shaped lid (8) that pivots between positions. A predetermined number of layers (39) of tobacco are sequentially inserted into the group formation pocket (38), whereby a predetermined number of layers (39) of tobacco superimposed in the group formation pocket (38). Forming a group (4) of tobacco comprising:
A thin package (34) of packaging material is wrapped around the group (4) of cigarettes to form an inner package (3) that surrounds the group (4) of cigarettes and has a take-out opening (5). A packaging method for producing a tobacco package according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
Before inserting the first layer of tobacco (39a) inside the group forming pocket (38), feeding a pulling tape (21) to the front of the group forming pocket (38); and
Since the first layer (39a) of the tobacco is inserted inside the group formation pocket (38), the first layer (39a) of the tobacco is inserted into the pulling tape when entering the group formation pocket (38). Engaging (21) with the step of folding the pull-up tape (21) into a U shape around at least one cigarette (22) in the first layer (39a) of the cigarette. Packaging method to do. A group forming unit (32) having a group forming pocket (38), wherein the group forming unit is formed by sequentially inserting a predetermined number of layers (39) of tobacco into the group forming pocket (38). A group forming unit (32) for forming a group (4) of cigarettes comprising a predetermined number of layers of tobacco (39) superimposed in a pocket (38);
A thin package (34) of packaging material is wrapped around the group (4) of cigarettes to form an inner package (3) that surrounds the group (4) of cigarettes and has a take-out opening (5). A packaging machine (31) for producing a cigarette package according to claim 1, comprising a packaging unit (33),
The packaging machine (31)
A feeding device (42) for feeding a lifting tape (21) to the front of the group formation pocket (38) before inserting the first layer (39a) of tobacco inside the group formation pocket (38); ,
A pressing device (41) for inserting the first layer (39a) of the cigarette inside the group forming pocket (38), whereby when the cigarette first enters the group forming pocket (38), One layer (39a) is engaged with the pulling tape (21), and the pulling tape (21) is U-shaped around at least one cigarette (22) in the first layer (39a) of the cigarette. A packaging machine (31) comprising a pressing device (41) for bending. The feeding device (42)
A suction conveyor belt (43) for conveying the pulling tape (21) in a horizontal direction;
A course changer (44) disposed at the output end of the conveyor belt (43) for directing the pull-up tape (21) vertically downward into the path of the first layer (39a) of tobacco. The packaging machine of Claim 9 provided. The feeding device (42) is a vertical channel (45) disposed below the course changer (44), and two parallel vertical walls fixed to face each other at a predetermined distance. A packaging machine according to claim 10, comprising a vertical channel (45) defined by the section (46).

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