TW202144248A - Inner frame - Google Patents

Abstract

Inner frame 1 for a cigarette pack 100, comprising a front panel 10, a first 20 and a second side panel 30, wherein the side panels 20, 30 are directly attached to front panel side edges 12, 14 via bending lines 40, 42, and a first compensating panel 50 directly attached to a side edge 22 of the first side panel 20 via a first folding line 52, wherein the first compensating panel 50 is folded by 180° with respect to the first side panel 20 around the first folding line 52, and an upper edge 51 of the first compensating panel 50 is lower than an upper edge 21 of the first side panel 20.

Description

inner frame

The present invention relates to an inner frame for cigarette packs. The inner frame is disposed within the outer casing of the cigarette pack to provide additional stability and protection to the cigarettes.

Fragile goods, such as cigarettes, are often marketed in small container boxes to protect the goods during transport. Such containers can be made from renewable raw materials such as cardboard, and often include multiple components. Usually a soft, odorless and tasteless liner directly wraps the consumer product, and then a rigid box-like outer shell acts as a packaging container and protects the product from environmental conditions and external shocks. In some cases, the housing includes a hinged three-dimensional flip for closing and opening the container. The housing is also wrapped in a clear plastic sheet for further protection and as a complete seal. Patent document WO 2018/134593 A1 discloses such a "hard pack" type of cigarette pack.

In the rigid box containers described above, an inner frame is typically used between the outer shell and the inner liner to hold the flip lid in the closed position and together with the flip lid to seal the container in the closed position and provide additional stability to the container . This inner frame is also usually made of cardboard or cardboard material.

Such containers are designed to hold a certain number of cigarettes. Cigarettes are fragile products and should therefore be kept securely inside the box without too much play. Therefore, the packs are designed so that the cigarettes cannot be moved within the container during transport.

In response to changes in the number of cigarettes in a cigarette pack, a special design for the inner frame of a cigarette pack has been proposed. For example, prior art document WO 2017 071 957 A1 discloses a kit for use in rigid cigarette packs. The kit is folded to form two dividing walls to divide the interior of the cigarette pack into three chambers. This provides two hollow chambers on the sides of the pack, and a central chamber for containing the cigarettes. A similar flip-top container for containing cigarettes is also known from WO 2016 083 608 A1. Another hinged flip-top cigarette pack is known from EP 3 107 831 B1, providing an inner frame for limiting the space inside the pack.

However, in some cases, the size of the cigarettes changed slightly, but the number of cigarettes in the pack remained the same. Such dimensional changes may in particular mean a reduction in the diameter of the cigarettes, resulting in a slight reduction in the overall width and depth of the bundle of cigarettes. This small change in cigarette diameter results in the need for a completely new size container, which can be extremely costly.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a cigarette package which can match the slight dimensional changes in the diameter of cigarettes. The object of the present invention does not relate to the shortening of the length of the cigarette. The present invention avoids the need for an entirely new size of cigarette container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of the packaging box, especially for the packaging box which is formed in the shape of a cuboid as a whole but with rounded or chamfered edges, thereby improving the compression resistance of the packaging box on the corners and sides sex.

The above problem can be solved as described in claim 1 for an inner frame of a cigarette pack.

A solution to the above problem is, in particular, an inner frame for a cigarette pack, the inner frame comprising a front panel; a first side panel and a second side panel, wherein the two side panels are directly attached to the front panel side via a bend line an edge; and a first compensation panel attached directly to a side edge of the first side panel via a first pair of fold lines; wherein the first compensation panel is relative to the first side along the first pair of fold lines The panel is folded 180°, and the upper edge of the first compensation panel is lower than the upper edge of the first side panel.

Since the first compensation panel is folded 180° relative to the first side panel along the first pair of folding lines, the inner surface of the first compensation panel contacts the outer surface of the first side panel. This doubles the thickness of the inner frame in the side panel area. Such an increase in frame thickness reduces the free space within the cigarette pack and compensates for any slight reduction in cigarette diameter. Therefore, even a slight reduction in the diameter of the cigarettes can be safely held within the inner frame, which is arranged in the outer shell or inside of a conventional cigarette pack. The inner frame with compensating panels allows maintaining the dimensions of the outer shell of the cigarette pack without using a completely new size of cigarette pack, thus significantly reducing costs. Further, the above-described design can maintain the previous package setting when the cigarette diameter is changed, and the risk of any production failure or cosmetic failure of the cigarette package due to the change in cigarette diameter can be reduced. Under the above design, after the compensation panel is folded in half, the inner frame forms a general U-shaped section, which can be processed and introduced into the outer shell using a conventional cigarette pack production line, the same as the inner frame without the compensation panel. As a result, the investment in box machines and the effort to re-adjust the process can be reduced.

Preferably, the inner frame further includes a second compensation panel, the second compensation panel is directly attached to the side edge of the second side panel via a second pair of folding lines; wherein, the first compensation panel is along the first compensation panel. The fold line is folded 180° relative to the first side panel, and the upper edge of the upper edge of the second compensation panel is lower than the upper edge of the second side panel. The second compensation panel further adjusts the free space of the cigarette bundle and further improves the stability of the cigarette pack. This ensures that the bundle of cigarettes is held within the inner frame and outer shell of the cigarette pack, preferably without play.

Preferably, the upper edge of the first compensation panel is arranged below the upper edge of the first side wall of the lower box-shaped portion of the cigarette case, and/or the upper edge of the second compensation panel is arranged on the cigarette A position below the upper edge of the second side wall of the lower box-shaped portion of the box shell. This makes the first compensation panel and/or the second compensation panel invisible to the user of the cigarette pack, thereby improving the appearance of the cigarette pack.

It is preferable to make the inner surface of the second compensation panel contact the outer surface of the first side panel after folding the second compensation panel in half. This also allows the inner frame to form a generally U-shaped cross-section after being folded in half, which can be processed and introduced into the outer casing using conventional cigarette pack production lines, in the same way as an inner frame without compensation panels. As a result, the investment in box machines and the effort to re-adjust the process can be reduced.

Preferably, the inner surface of the first compensation panel is glued to the outer surface of the first side panel, and/or the inner surface of the second compensation panel is glued to the outer surface of the second side panel. This method of gluing the compensation panels to the corresponding side panels ensures a perfect machining of the frame by conventional cigarette pack machines and further improves the stability of the overall cigarette pack.

Preferably, the inner frame is arranged such that the first and second compensation panels are in direct laminar contact with the inner surfaces of the side panels of the outer shell of the cigarette pack.

The preferred method is to fold the two side panels at 90° relative to the front panel along the corresponding bending lines.

Preferably, the two fold lines, the first pair of fold lines and the second pair of fold lines are parallel to each other and extend in the vertical direction of the cigarette pack.

Preferably, the lower edge of the front panel is arranged at the same vertical height as the lower edge of the first compensation panel, and/or at the same vertical height as the lower edge of the second compensation panel. This allows the two compensation panels and the lower edge of the front panel to contact the inner surface of the bottom of the housing. This allows the inner frame to fit perfectly inside the outer shell.

It is preferable to set the vertical height of the lower edge of the front panel, the first compensation panel and/or the second compensation panel to be the same height as the bottom plane of the cigarette pack. Thereby, the two compensation panels and the lower edge of the front panel are brought into contact with the inner surface of the bottom of the housing.

Preferably, the lower edge of the first side panel and the second side panel are arranged at a vertical height higher than the lower edge of the first compensation panel, and/or higher than the second compensation panel. the vertical height of the lower edge. This design allows blanks for inner frames to be cut from cardboard without loss of material.

Preferably, the first pair of fold lines and/or the second pair of fold lines are perforated lines or crease lines. In this way, the two compensation panels can be folded in half relative to the side panels accurately and easily.

The above problems are also solved by a cigarette pack comprising an outer casing and an inner frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary cigarette pack 100 of the present invention of the rigid pack type having the shape of a cuboid. The packaging box 100 in Figure 1 is a standard crush-resistant box with a rectangular cross-section. For display convenience, the box edges are shown with square corners. However, the edge can also have rounded or chamfered corners. The cigarette pack 100 includes an outer casing 110 and an inner frame 1, both of which are made of thin cardboard or cardboard folded and glued. The interior space 118 is used to hold a bundle of cigarettes (not shown), which is typically wrapped in a liner of foil material or metallized paper.

The housing 110 includes a lower box-like portion 120 . The lower box portion 120 has a front panel, two side panels 122, a back panel and a bottom panel. An openable three-dimensional flip 114 is attached to the box-like portion 120 via a living hinge 116 . Figure 1 shows the cigarette pack 100 with the flip 114 open.

The inner frame 1 is inserted into the box-shaped portion 120 of the outer casing 110 to reinforce the box-shaped portion 120, and the flip cover of the cigarette package 100 is rubbed by the material between the inner surface of the flip cover and the inner frame tabs 44, 45. 114 remains in the closed position. The inner frame 1 is tightly fitted in the box-shaped portion 120 such that the outer surface of the inner frame 1 directly contacts the box-shaped portion 120 in a laminar manner. In addition, the inner frame 1 is preferably glued to the box-shaped portion 120; at least glued to the inner surface of the front panel.

The inner frame 1 includes a front panel 10 , a first side panel 20 and a second side panel 30 . The inner frame also includes a first compensation panel 50 and a second compensation panel 60 which are not visible from outside the cigarette pack 1 . The edges of the inner frame 1 are shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 because they are not visible from the outside.

FIG. 2 shows a blank plan view of the inner frame of a preferred embodiment of the present invention when it is not folded in half. This inner frame is used on boxes with rounded edges.

The front panel 10 has a lower edge 13 which, when the cigarette pack is finally formed, is at a vertical height V of the inner bottom plane (see also Figure 1 ) of the casing 110 . The front panel 10 has a further cutout 11 at the top edge, which makes it easier for the user to take the cigarettes in the cigarette pack 100 .

The first side panel 20 (the left side panel in FIG. 1 ) is attached directly to the side edge 12 of the front panel 10 via the area containing the bend line 40 . These bend lines are configured to match the corresponding bend lines in the corners of both the shell 110 and the flip 114 of the package. The area with the bend line 40 enables the front panel 10 to be connected to the first side panel 20 via the rounded corners shown in FIG. 3 . The first side panel 20 is bent by a total of 90° relative to the front panel 10 along the bending line 40 . In the top view of FIG. 3, the bending along the bending line 40 is performed clockwise. The area containing the bend line 40 may also be replaced by a single bend or fold line to provide right-angled corners, as shown in FIG. 1 . In addition, the lower edge 23 of the first side panel 20 is disposed at a position higher than the vertical height of the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10 . The upper edge 21 of the first side panel 20 is disposed at the same vertical height as the upper edge 15 of the front panel 10 .

The second side panel 30 (the right side panel in FIG. 1 ) is attached directly to the opposite side edge 14 of the front panel 10 via the area containing the bend line 42 . The area with the bend line 42 enables the front panel 10 to be directly connected to the second side panel 30 via the rounded corners shown in FIG. 3 . The second side panel 30 is bent by a total of 90° relative to the front panel along the bending line 42 . In the top view of FIG. 3, the bending along the bending line 42 is made counterclockwise. The area containing the bend line 42 is configured to match the corresponding bend line at the corners of both the shell 110 and the flip 114 of the package, but may be replaced by a single bend line or fold line to provide right angled corners, Also shown in Figure 1. In addition, the lower edge 33 of the second side panel 30 is disposed at a position higher than the vertical height V of the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10 . The upper edge 31 of the second side panel 30 is disposed at the same vertical height V as the upper edge 15 of the front panel 10 .

The first compensation panel 50 (the left compensation panel in FIG. 1 ) is directly attached to the side edge 22 of the first side panel 20 via a first pair of fold lines 52 . The first compensation panel 50 is folded 180° relative to the first side panel 20 along the first fold line 52 , as shown in FIG. 3 . In the top view of FIG. 3 , the folding around the first pair of folding lines 52 is preferably performed counterclockwise. Thus, the inner surface 54 of the first compensation panel 50 contacts the outer surface 24 of the first side panel 20 . In a preferred embodiment, the inner surface 54 of the first compensation panel 50 is glued to the outer surface 24 of the first side panel 20 . Gluing can improve the stability of the inner frame 1 during use and manufacture.

The second compensation panel 60 (the right compensation panel in FIG. 1 ) is directly attached to the side edge 32 of the second side panel 30 via the first pair of fold lines 52 . The second compensation panel 60 is folded 180° relative to the second side panel 20 along the second fold line 62 , as also shown in FIG. 3 . In the top view of FIG. 3 , the folding around the second pair of folding lines 62 is preferably performed clockwise. Therefore, the inner surface 64 of the second compensation panel 60 contacts the outer surface 34 of the second side panel 30 . In a preferred embodiment, the inner surface 64 of the second compensation panel 60 is glued to the outer surface 34 of the second side panel 30 . Like the first compensation panel 50, gluing is also used to improve the stability of the inner frame 1 during use and manufacturing.

The thickness of the material provided by the compensation panels 50, 60 can be used to adjust the space 118 within the cigarette pack 100 for receiving bundles of cigarettes (not shown). Depending on the diameter of the cigarettes to be accommodated, it may be decided to use one of the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60, or to use both the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper edges 51 , 61 of the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60 are at a vertical height V which is lower than the upper edge 124 of the side wall 122 of the box portion 120 . Therefore, the user cannot see the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60 .

Furthermore, the upper edges 21 , 31 of the first side panel 20 and the second side panel 30 are at a vertical height V which is higher than the upper edges 51 , 61 of the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60 . Thus, when the flip 114 is open but the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60 are not open, the side panels 20, 30 are visible to the user. When the flip 114 is closed in a manner similar to the inner frame of a standard cigarette pack, the side panels 20, 30 and the front panel 10 secure the cigarette pack 100 without affecting any visual appearance or its technical function. This is because the compensation panels 50, 60 do not overlie the tops of the side panels 20, 30, and therefore do not add extra thickness.

In order to allow the user to better take the cigarettes from the cigarette pack 100 , the front panel 10 of the inner frame includes a cutout 11 .

In addition, the lower edges 53 and 63 of the first compensation panel 50 and the second compensation panel 60 are arranged at the vertical height V of the lower edge 13 of the front panel 10 , and also at the height BL of the bottom plane inside the casing 110 . This allows perfect alignment of the inner frame 1 within the interior of the box-like portion 120 and good support for the stiffness of the cigarette pack 100 at the lower edge.

1: inner frame 10: Front panel 11: Cutout 12, 14: The side edge of the front panel 13: The lower edge of the front panel 15: Top edge of front panel 20: First side panel 21: The upper edge of the first side panel 22: The side edge of the first side panel 23: Lower edge of the first side panel 24: Outer surface 30: Second side panel 31: The upper edge of the second side panel 32: The side edge of the second side panel 33: Lower edge of second side panel 34: outer surface 40, 42: Bend line 44, 45: Splicing 50: The first compensation panel 51: The upper edge of the first compensation panel 52: The first pair of polylines 53: Lower edge of the first compensation panel 54: inner surface 60: Second compensation panel 61: The upper edge of the second compensation panel 62: Second pair of polylines 63: The lower edge of the second compensation panel 64: inner surface 100: Cigarette Box 110: Shell 114: flip cover 116: Living Hinges 118: Interior Space 120: Box Part 122: The first side wall of the box-shaped part 124: The upper edge of the first side wall V: vertical direction/vertical height BL: Bottom plane height of cigarette pack

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cigarette packing box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cigarette packing box in the figure has the inner frame of the preferred embodiment disposed therein. FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a blank of the inner frame of a preferred embodiment of the present invention when it is not folded in half. FIG. 3 shows a top view of the inner frame of the embodiment of FIG. 2 after being folded in half with a blank.

1: inner frame

10: Front panel

11: Cutout

12, 14: The side edge of the front panel

13: The lower edge of the front panel

15: Top edge of front panel

20: First side panel

21: The upper edge of the first side panel

22: The side edge of the first side panel

23: Lower edge of the first side panel

24: Outer surface

30: Second side panel

31: The upper edge of the second side panel

32: The side edge of the second side panel

33: Lower edge of second side panel

34: outer surface

40, 42: Bend line

44, 45: Splicing

50: The first compensation panel

51: The upper edge of the first compensation panel

52: The first pair of polylines

53: Lower edge of the first compensation panel

54: inner surface

60: Second compensation panel

61: The upper edge of the second compensation panel

62: Second pair of polylines

63: The lower edge of the second compensation panel

64: inner surface

V: vertical direction/vertical height

BL: Bottom plane height of cigarette pack

Claims (12)

An inner frame (1) for a cigarette packing box (100), the inner frame comprising: a. Front panel (10); b. A first side panel (20) and a second side panel (30), wherein the two side panels (20, 30) are directly attached to the front panel side edges (12, 14) via bend lines (40, 42) ;as well as c. The first compensation panel (50), the first compensation panel is directly attached to the side edge (22) of the first side panel (20) via the first pair of fold lines (52), wherein the first compensation panel ( 50) fold 180° relative to the first side panel (20) along the first pair of fold lines (52), and d. The upper edge (51) of the first compensation panel (50) is lower than the upper edge (21) of the first side panel (20). The inner frame of claim 1, further comprising a second compensation panel (60) attached to the side edge (32) of the second side panel (30) via a second pair of fold lines (62) , wherein the second compensation panel (60) is folded 180° relative to the second side panel (30) along the second fold line (62), and the upper edge (61) of the second compensation panel (60) is low on the upper edge (31) of the second side panel. The inner frame of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper edge (51) of the first compensation panel (50) is disposed first lower than the lower box-shaped portion (120) of the outer shell (110) of the cigarette pack (100) The position of the upper edge (124) of the side wall (122), and/or the upper edge (61) of the second compensation panel (60) is arranged below the lower box-shaped portion ( 120) The position of the upper edge of the second side wall (122). The inner frame of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner surface (54) of the first compensation panel (50) is glued to the outer surface (24) of the first side panel (20), and/or The inner surface (64) of the second compensation panel (60) is glued to the outer surface (34) of the second side panel (30). The inner frame of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner frame (1) is arranged such that the first compensation panel (50) and the second compensation panel (60) are connected to the cigarette pack (100) The inner surfaces of the side panels (122) of the housing (110) are in direct laminar contact. The inner frame according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the two side panels (20, 30) are bent 90° relative to the front panel (10) along the two corresponding bending lines (40, 42). The inner frame of claim 6, wherein the two fold lines (40, 42), the first pair of fold lines (52) and the second pair of fold lines (62) are parallel to each other, and along the vertical direction ( v) Extension. The inner frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lower edge (13) of the front panel (10) is arranged at the same vertical height as the lower edge (53) of the first compensation panel (50) , and/or arranged at the same vertical height as the lower edge (63) of the second compensation panel (60). The inner frame of claim 8, wherein the vertical heights of the lower edges (13, 53, 63) of the front panel (10), the first compensation panel (50) and/or the second compensation panel (60) are the same as The bottom plane heights (BL) of the cigarette packs (100) are the same. The inner frame according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the lower edges (23, 33) of the first side panel (20) and the second side panel (30) are disposed higher than the first compensation panel (50) The position of the vertical height of the lower edge (53), and/or a position higher than the vertical height of the lower edge (63) of the second compensation panel (60). The inner frame according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first pair of fold lines (52) and/or the second pair of fold lines (62) are perforated lines or crease lines. A cigarette pack (100) comprising an outer casing (110) and an inner frame (1) in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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