SE541863C2

SE541863C2 - A cigarette pack comprising a rfid/nfc tag

Info

Publication number: SE541863C2
Application number: SE1750148A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Juha Maijala; Lauri Huhtasalo
Original assignee: Stora Enso Oyj
Priority date: 2017-02-16
Filing date: 2017-02-16
Publication date: 2020-01-02
Also published as: SE1750148A1; WO2018150330A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cigarette pack comprising a box body (2) having an open upper end (3), a front wall (4), a rear wall (5), a pair of side walls (6) and a bottom wall (7); an removable, inner wrapper (15), comprising an aluminium layer, is arranged on the inside of the box body (2), suitable for wrapping around a bundle of cigarettes; a lid (8) connected to the box body by a hinge (9), the lid having an open lower end (10), a rear wall (12), a pair if side walls (18), a top wall (13) and a front wall (11, 19) with an outside (11) and an inside (19), which inside faces against the removable, inner wrapper when the lid is in a closed position; and an RFID/NFC tag (16). The RFID/NFC tag is arranged on the inside of the front wall and facing against the removable, inner wrapper in the closed position.

Description

A CIGARETTE PACK COMPRISING A RFID/NFC TAG Technical field In accordance with the preamble of claim 1, the present invention relates to cigarette pack comprising: - a box body having an open upper end, a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls and a bottom wall; - an inner wrapper, comprising an aluminium layer, is arranged on the inside of the box body, suitable for wrapping around a bundle of cigarettes; - a lid connected to the box body by a hinge and capable of opening and closing the upper end of the box body, the lid having an open lower end, a rear wall, a pair if side walls, a top wall and a front wall, the front wall having an outside and an inside, which inside faces against the inner wrapper when the lid is in a closed position; and - an RFID/NFC tag.

In the following of the application, the term RFID/NFC tag will be frequently used. In this context, this term concerns either an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag or and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag.

Background - Problem There is a global trend that it is, or will be, forbidden for tobacco producers to have printed marketing and branded content on their cigarette packages. This is, of course, a problem for producers and marketers, since brand images is a highly important aspect in the tobacco business. A way to solve this issue, is to equip the cigarette package with a RFID/NFC tag. An RFID/NFC tag can engage with the costumer via an NFC equipped device, such as e.g. a smartphone.

However, a technical problem with this is that many cigarette packs use a paper with an aluminum layer as a protecting inner material. This inner material is used to wrap the cigarettes and protect the cigarettes from moisture, heat, cold and other external impacts. The aluminum layer will prevent RFID/NFC tags from functioning properly, as such tags normally don't function well if they are attached close or onto a metal substrate.

A typical solution to such problem is to add an additional ferrite layer to the RFID/NFC construction, as a layer between the transponder antenna conductor and the aluminum layer. Such solutions are widely available and known. However, such a solution has some problems if it is applied onto a cigarette pack. To start with, ferrite is an expensive material and a low cost item, such as a cigarette pack, cannot justify use of such an expensive material. Moreover, in order to function properly, the ferrite layer must be relative thick, which also makes the tag relative thick. Finally, the thick RFID/NFC tag on the side wall of the cigarette pack might cause jamming in the cigarette packing process.

Furthermore, some countries have banned advertising of cigarettes to people under a certain age-limit. A problem with RFID/NFC tag advertising is that consumers under legal age can freely enter the store and might interact with the cigarette pack marketing content. Therefore, it would beneficial with a tagging solution where the cigarette pack marketing content is not readable until after purchase in the store.

Object of invention An object with the present invention is to present a cigarette pack which solve the above mentioned problems with RFID/NFC tags in cigarette packages.

Summary of the invention In accordance of the invention, and the characterizing portion of claim 1, the RFID/NFC tag is arranged on the inside of the front wall of the lid and facing against the inner wrapper in the closed position, wherein the antenna of the RFID/NFC tag is interfered by the aluminium layer, when the lid is in the closed position.

Detailed description of the invention In the following the invention will be described more in detail with reference to figure 1.

Figure 1 discloses a cigarette pack 1 in accordance with the invention. The cigarette pack 1 comprising a box body 2 having an open upper end 3, a front wall 4, a rear wall 5, a pair of side walls 6 and a bottom wall 7.

The cigarette pack 1 further comprising an inner wrapper 15, with an aluminium layer, which inner wrapper 15 is arranged on the inside of the box body, suitable for wrapping around a bundle of cigarettes.

Moreover, the cigarette pack comprising a lid 8. The lid 8 is connected to the box body 2 by a hinge 9 and capable of opening and closing the upper end 3 of the box body 2. The lid 8 having an open lower end 10, a front wall 11, 19, a rear wall 12, a pair of side walls 18 and a top wall 13. The front wall 11, 19 having an outside 11 and an inside 19, which inside 19 faces against the upper front part of the inner wrapper 15, when the cigarette box is in a closed position. The rear wall 12 of the lid 8 is connected to the rear wall 5 of the cigarette box 2 via the hinge 9.

Figure 1 discloses the lid in an open position. When the lid is in a closed position the inside 19 of the front wall 11, 19 is facing against the upper front part of the inner wrapping 15.

The cigarette pack 1 further comprising an RFID/NFC tag 16. The RFID/NFC tag is arranged on the inside 19 of the front wall 11, 19 of the lid 8. The RFID/NFC tag 16 is arranged to enable interacting with an NFC equipped device, e.g. a smartphone. When the lid is closed the RFID/NFC tag 16 is facing against the upper front part of the inner wrapping 15.

When the cigarette pack is closed, i.e. the RFID/NFC tag is facing against the upper front part of the inner wrapping, the antenna will be interfered by the aluminium in the inner wrapping. Hence, the antenna will not work properly when the cigarette pack is closed, i.e. the lid is in a closed position. This means that it will not be able to engage with a person via an NFC equipped device, such as e.g. a smartphone, when the cigarette pack is located in a store for purchase.

However, after the cigarette pack has been opened, i.e. the lid is an opened position as in figure 1, the antenna will no longer be in contact with the aluminium layer and the customer can engage to the NFC/RFID tag via an NFC equipped device. This means that it will not be possible for people under the age limit for buying cigarettes to engage with the material on the RFID/NFC tag as long as the cigarette pack is closed in the store. Hence, the material on the RFID/NFC tag will only be available after purchase.

Another embodiment of the invention concerns an upper front part of the inner wrapper 15, which upper front part is removable by the user. When the upper front part of the inner wrapper 15 is removed by the user, after purchase, the RFID/NFC antenna will no longer be interfered by the aluminium layer. Hence, if the upper front part of the inner wrapper 15 is removed it will be possible for a user to engage to the RFID/NFC tag via an NFC equipped device also in the closed position, i.e. when the lid is closed.

A great benefit with the present invention is that the position of the RFID/NFC tag in the lid won't cause any jamming in the cigarette packing process.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described on the basis of some specific embodiments. It is appreciated, however, that other embodiments and variants are possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A cigarette pack (1) comprising: - a box body (2) having an open upper end (3), a front wall (4), a rear wall (5), a pair of side walls (6) and a bottom wall (7); - an inner wrapper (15), comprising an aluminium layer, is arranged on the inside of the box body (2), suitable for wrapping around a bundle of cigarettes; - a lid (8) connected to the box body by a hinge (9) and capable of opening and closing the upper end of the box body, the lid having an open lower end (10), a rear wall (12), a pair if side walls (18), a top wall (13) and a front wall (11, 19), the front wall (11, 19) having an outside (11) and an inside (19), which inside (19) faces against the inner wrapper (15) when the lid is in a closed position; and - an RFID/NFC tag (16) characterized in that the RFID/NFC tag is arranged on the inside (19) of the front wall (11, 19) of the lid (8) and facing against the inner wrapper in the closed position, wherein the antenna of the RFID/NFC tag is interfered by the aluminium layer, when the lid is in the closed position.

2. Cigarette pack according to claim 1, characterized in that the RFID/NFC tag is not enable to engage with an NFC equipped device in the closed position.

3. Cigarette pack according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the antenna of the RFID/NFC tag is not interfered by the aluminium layer, when the lid is in an opened position.

4. Cigarette pack according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the RFID/NFC tag is able to engage with an NFC equipped device in the opened position.

5. Cigarette pack according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that if the upper front part of the inner wrapping (15) has been removed by the user, the antenna of the RFID/NFC tag is not interfered by the aluminium layer, when the lid is in a closed position.

6. Cigarette pack according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the RFID/NFC tag is able to engage with an NFC equipped device also in the closed position, if the upper front part of the inner wrapper (15) has been removed by a user.