US20200077698A1

US20200077698A1 - Package for holding cigarettes, and method for manufacturing a package for holding cigarettes

Info

Publication number: US20200077698A1
Application number: US16/158,453
Authority: US
Inventors: Jesper Magnusson; John Magnus Lundström
Original assignee: Greencigpack
Current assignee: Greencigpack
Priority date: 2018-09-06
Filing date: 2018-10-12
Publication date: 2020-03-12

Abstract

A package, for holding cigarettes, including an open top side, a bottom panel and four side panels. The package includes an expandable pocket for extinguishing, storing and disposing cigarette butts. The expandable pocket is formed by a sheet of a heat resistant, non-combustible material. The expandable pocket is configured to be arranged in a folded configuration wherein the expandable pocket is substantially flat, and an unfolded configuration. The expandable pocket including a first side surface and a second opposing side surface. The first and second side surfaces are interconnected by interconnecting walls. The first side surface is substantially flat and at least partly attached to an inner side of one of the four side panels being a first side panel. A pocket opening is configured to provide access to an interior of the pocket. A tab is configured to reversibly close the pocket opening.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The inventive concept described herein generally relates to the field of packages, and in particular to packages for holding cigarettes.

BACKGROUND

It is well known that many people smoke cigarettes and similarly configured smoking articles. It is also well known that, with regard to the vast majority of these smoking materials, the smoker does not consume the entire article during the process of smoking it. With regard to cigarettes in particular, the smoker lights and then smokes the consumable tobacco portion of the cigarette by inhaling the lit tobacco through the non-consumable filter portion of the cigarette. When the smoker is finished smoking the cigarette, which may be before the consumable portion is entirely consumed, he or she must extinguish the cigarette. The non-consumed portion of the cigarette is commonly referred to as the cigarette butt. Because the butt portion of the cigarette is not consumed during the smoking process, the user must dispose of the butt.
Due to the lit nature of the butt, it cannot be extinguished against combustible materials or surfaces which could be harmed by the lit butt (i.e., skin). In addition, the nature of burning materials is that they typically leave charcoal-like dark marks on the surface that is used to extinguish the lit butt. As a result, absent an ashtray or like object, the smoker is forced to improvise by finding a non-flammable, dark and otherwise suitable surface upon which he or she may extinguish the butt.
Once the cigarette butt is extinguished, the smoker is still faced with the dilemma of where to safely and properly dispose of the butt. The proliferation of cigarette butts being disposed in improper places is well known, indicating the severity of the problem of being able to find a proper disposal location. Although most smokers will dispose of a cigarette butt in an ashtray or like device if it is readily available, such as an automobile ashtray, the problem of disposal arises when such devices are not readily available.
Although some containers for receiving and storing cigarette butts are known in the art, there is still a need for an improved container for receiving, storing and disposing of cigarette butts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present inventive concept to provide for that cigarette butts may be conveniently received, stored and disposed in a container.
According to a first aspect of the inventive concept, these and other objects are achieved in full, or at least in part, by a package for holding cigarettes, the package comprising: an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package, a bottom panel being opposite to the open top side, and four side panels extending between the open top side and the bottom panel; an expandable pocket for extinguishing, storing and disposing cigarette butts, wherein the expandable pocket is formed by a sheet of a heat resistant, non-combustible material, wherein the expandable pocket is configured to be arranged in a folded configuration wherein the expandable pocket is substantially flat, and an unfolded configuration; wherein the expandable pocket comprises a first side surface and a second opposing side surface, the first and second side surfaces being interconnected by interconnecting walls, wherein the first side surface is substantially flat and at least partly attached to an inner side of one of the four side panels being a first side panel, and a pocket opening configured to provide access to an interior of the expandable pocket; wherein the package further comprises: a tab configured to reversibly close the pocket opening.
As is readily understood by the person skilled in the art, the package according to the inventive concept may hold other products for smoking, such as cigarillos.
It is to be understood that the expandable pocket is not limited to two distinct configurations, i.e. the folded and the unfolded configuration, but in contrast the pocket may assume any configuration between the folded configuration and the unfolded configuration. The expandable pocket may have a maximally unfolded configuration, which may be limited and defined by the interconnecting walls, i.e. the interconnecting walls may prevent the second opposing side surface from moving any further from the first side surface.
Since the folded configuration of the expandable pocket is substantially flat, the folded configuration of the expandable pocket may allow the package to store and hold an equal number of cigarettes compared to a package not incorporating the expandable pocket. As cigarettes are removed from the package to be smoked and, subsequently, disposed and stored in the expandable pocket, more room is made available in the package for the expandable pocket to expand, thus allowing the expandable pocket to progressively unfold with each cigarette being removed towards its unfolded configuration.
Another advantage with the present inventive concept is that it is possible to integrate the expandable pocket with conventional cigarette packages without major modification to the manufacturing process or the cigarette packages themselves. The expandable pocket may for example be manufactured separately and attached to a package blank before the package blank is folded together and assembled into a package.
The first side surface may be at least partly attached to the inner side of the first side panel by means of an adhesive or the like. It is to be understood that the expandable pocket may be attached to the package indirectly via intermediate materials or surfaces which are attached to package.
The term ‘tab’ is to be understood to comprise other means for reversibly closing the pocket opening, such as flaps, lids, a sheet of material or the like.
The term ‘slit’ as referred to throughout the present disclosure may be a slit penetrating partly through a material or surface, and/or comprise a perforation. A perforation may intermittently penetrate fully through a material or surface.
The second side surface may be spaced apart from the first side surface when the expandable pocket is in the unfolded configuration. Hereby, the expandable pocket may increase its volume moving from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration, thus increasing its capacity to receive and store cigarette butts.
The interconnecting walls may be pleated and/or folded. Hereby, a compact folded configuration may be achieved, while still allowing the expandable pocket to unfold into the unfolded configuration. The number of folds of the interconnecting walls may be chosen to achieve an expandable pocket being easy to unfold while still being substantially flat in its folded configuration. A low number of folds, such as one or two folds, may allow the expandable pocket to unfold, while not stacking an excessive amount of pocket material in the folded configuration in a direction towards a side panel of the package being opposite the first side panel, thus achieving the substantially flat folded configuration. Further, a size of the folds, i.e. the surface area and/or distance of the interconnecting walls between each fold, may also be adjusted accordingly to achieve the substantially flat folded configuration while allowing the expandable pocket to unfold into the unfolded configuration. It may be preferable if the distance between two folds is equal to or less than half the width of the first side surface of the expandable pocket. The width of the first side surface of the expandable pocket may be defined as a measure in a direction perpendicular to a direction of unfolding of the expandable pocket, i.e. perpendicular to a direction towards the opposing side surface. Still further the width may be defined as the smallest of two orthogonal measures of the first side surface. As is readily understood by the person skilled in the art, other numbers of folds or ways of folding the expandable pocket are possible.
The package may further comprise a securing arrangement configured to hold the expandable pocket in the first configuration.
The securing arrangement may be configured to attach to the first side panel. The securing arrangement may also provide for that the expandable pocket is at least partly attached to the inner side of the first side panel.
The securing arrangement may comprise a preformed weakened structure allowing at least part of the securing arrangement to release from the first side panel and the expandable pocket to move from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration. The securing arrangement may hence comprise a first part being attached to the first side panel, and a second part being attached to the expandable pocket. The first and second part may initially, i.e. before the expandable pocket is unfolded, be connected via the weakened structure. By breaking the weakened structure, the first part and second part may be separated, and the expandable pocket may be unfolded. The second part may be formed as a sheet of material having similar size and shape as the expandable pocket in its folded configuration. The first part may comprise a frame being attached to the first side panel and to the second part via the weakened structure.
The weakened structure may be e.g. a break line, perforation, or the like. The release from the first side panel may be irreversible, Hereby, a simple and compact arrangement may be achieved. The weakened structure may be configured to be broken by the act of disposing a cigarette butt into the expandable pocket. This may be achieved by configuring the force needed to break the weakened structure accordingly.
The pocket opening may be arranged between the first and second side surfaces. In other words, the pocket opening may be an open side of the expandable pocket defined by the first and second side surfaces and the interconnecting walls. The pocket opening may thus be arranged at or near the open top side of the package configured to provide access to an interior of the package. Hereby, the expandable pocket may be incorporated into the package with minimal modifications compared to a conventional package without an expandable pocket.
The package may further comprise a package opening arranged on the first side panel and/or on the bottom panel, and wherein the pocket opening is arranged on the first side surface in line with the package opening, Hereby, the package opening is separated from the open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package. Thus, cigarette butts are less likely to come in contact with not yet smoked cigarettes stored in the package. Further, by having the package opening on the first side panel and the pocket opening in line with the same, disposal of cigarette butts may be facilitated since the direction of motion when inserting a cigarette butt into the expandable pocket contributes to the expansion of the expandable pocket into the unfolded configuration. Further, the direction of motion when inserting a cigarette butt into the expandable pocket may move not yet smoked cigarettes in the package out of the way to provide room for the cigarette butt in the expandable pocket. The package opening may also be arranged at or near the bottom panel being opposite to the open top side.
The package may further comprise a package opening arranged on the bottom panel, and the pocket opening may be arranged on a bottom side surface of the expandable pocket. The bottom side surface may be configured to interconnect the interconnecting walls and the first and second side surface. Hereby, the package opening is separated from the open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package.
The tab may be attached to an outer side of the first side panel, an outer side of the bottom panel, an inner side of the first side panel, the first side surface of the expandable pocket, and/or the second opposing side surface of the expandable pocket. The tab may be further configured to reversibly close the package opening. Several possible arrangements of the tab are envisioned wherein the tab is attached to either the package or the expandable pocket and configured to bridge the pocket opening and/or the package opening, such that the pocket opening and/or the package opening may be reversibly closed. In particular, the tab may be attached to at least one of the outer side of the first side panel, the inner side of the first side panel and the first side surface of the expandable pocket, and may be configured to reversibly attach to the second opposing side surface.
The tab may be configured to reversibly close the pocket opening and the package opening.
The term ‘attach’ may in the context of this feature be understood as attached with the intention of staying attached during opening and closing of the pocket opening via the tab. This may be achieved by e.g. an irreversible adhesive or an adhesive being stronger than an adhesive used to provide the reversible attachment of the tab. Further in this context, it may be noted that either the tab, the package, or the expandable pocket may be provided with an adhesive in order to provide for that the tab may reversibly close the pocket opening.
The pocket opening and the package opening may be arranged closer to the bottom panel than the top side of the package. Hereby, the package opening is distanced from the open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package, and cigarette butts are less likely to come in contact with not yet smoked cigarettes stored in the package.
The sheet of heat resistant, non-combustible material may be or comprise a metal foil. In particular, the sheet of heat resistant, non-combustible material may comprise a metal foil configured to line an inner surface of the expandable pocket, and a polymer material, such as e.g. polypropylene, configured to line an outer surface of the expandable pocket. The inner surface may be arranged to be in contact with cigarette butts to be disposed and stored by the expandable pocket.
The expandable pocket may comprise a filter configured to remove, capture, absorb or decrease particles causing odor. Such particles may be generated by cigarette butts disposed into the expandable pocket. Such a filter may comprise e.g. activated carbon. The filter may be substantially flat such that it can be arranged in the expandable pocket in the folded configuration. The expandable pocket may further comprise a material configured to remove, capture or decrease odor caused by cigarette butts disposed into the expandable pocket. Such materials may comprise porous materials, and/or silica materials. The material may be arranged freely in the expandable pocket and/or integrated into the sheet of heat resistant, non-combustible material forming the expandable pocket. The filter and/or material may be arranged on the tab, for example on an inner surface of the tab when the tab is in a closed position. The filter and/or material may comprise micro particles and/or nanoparticles.
According to a second aspect of the inventive concept, these and other objects are achieved in full, or at least in part, by a method for manufacturing the package according to the first aspect, the method comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of package material; performing a first blanking or piercing of the sheet to form at least the bottom panel and the four side panels; providing the expandable pocket; attaching the expandable pocket to one of the four side panels being a first side panel; and folding the sheet such that an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package is created, and such that the expandable pocket is arranged on an inner surface of the first side panel, and such that the four side panels extend between the open top side and the bottom panel.
The step of attaching the expandable pocket to the first side panel may comprise the sub-steps of; attaching the expandable pocket to a supporting member, and attaching the supporting member at least to the first side panel of the sheet.
According to a third aspect of the inventive concept; these and other objects are achieved in full, or at least in part, by a method for manufacturing the package according to the first aspect, the method comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of package material comprising at least the bottom panel and the four side panels; providing the expandable pocket; attaching the expandable pocket to one of the four side panels being a first side panel; folding the sheet such that an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package is created, and such that the expandable pocket is arranged on an inner surface of the first side panel, and such that the four side panels extend between the open top side and the bottom panel.
A feature described in relation to one aspect may also be incorporated in other aspects, and the advantage of the feature is applicable to all aspects in which it is incorporated.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present inventive concept will appear from the following detailed disclosure, from the attached claims as well as from the drawings.
Generally; all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. Further, the use of terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like, herein do not denote any order; quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present inventive concept, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of different embodiments of the present inventive concept, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a package wherein a tab is in an open position;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a package wherein a tab is in a closed position;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a partly assembled package; FIG. 4a illustrates an exploded view of a package;

FIG. 4b illustrates a package comprising a pocket opening arranged between first and second side surfaces;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an expandable pocket;

FIG. 6a illustrates an exploded view of an expandable pocket and a securing arrangement;

FIG. 6b illustrates an expandable pocket and a securing arrangement arranged on a supporting member;

FIG. 6c illustrates a guiding element on a package;

FIG. 7 illustrates a method for manufacturing a package in a block diagram.

The figures are not necessarily to scale, and generally only show parts that are necessary in order to elucidate the inventive concept, wherein other parts may be omitted or merely suggested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a package 100 for holding cigarettes 102. The package 100 comprises an open top side 104 configured to provide access to an interior of the package 100, a bottom panel 106 being opposite to the open top side, and four side panels 108 extending between the open top side 104 and the bottom panel 106.
Although not shown in the illustrated figure, the package 100 comprises an expandable pocket for extinguishing, storing and disposing cigarette butts, wherein the expandable pocket is formed by a sheet of a heat resistant, non-combustible material. The expandable pocket is configured to be arranged in a folded configuration wherein the expandable pocket is substantially flat, and an unfolded configuration. The expandable pocket comprises a first side surface and a second opposing side surface, the first and second side surfaces being interconnected by interconnecting walls, wherein the first side surface is substantially flat and at least partly attached to an inner side of one of the four side panels 108 being a first side panel 116, and a pocket opening configured to provide access to an interior of the expandable pocket. The package here further comprises a package opening 110 arranged in line with the pocket opening, which is obstructed in the figure by a cigarette butt 112. The package further comprises a tab 114 configured to reversibly close the pocket opening. Further, the tab 114 is here configured to reversibly close the package opening 110.
The tab 114 is here arranged on an outer side of the first side panel 116, and as can be seen in FIG. 2, the tab 114 is configured to reversibly attach to the bottom panel 106. However, it is envisioned that the tab 114 may be configured to reversibly attach to the first side panel 116 in order to reversibly close the pocket opening 110. The tab 114 may in the illustrated figure be said to be in an open position.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the tab 114 is in a closed position wherein the pocket opening has been reversibly closed.
Referring now to FIG. 3, an exploded view of a partly assembled package 100 is illustrated. The person skilled in the art is familiar with manufacturing processes of carton packages such as the conventional cigarette package, and the present disclosure therefore does not go into further detail regarding these processes. However, for the sake of clarity, it may be noted that the package is provided in the form of a flat piece having the necessary features to form an assembled package. Some of the surfaces of the package are overlapping such that they may be bonded by e.g. an adhesive.
The expandable pocket 118 is here arranged on a supporting member 120. In particular the supporting member comprises a side walls 122, 124 configured to attach to respective side panels 108 of the package 100, and a main body 121 interconnecting the side walls 122, 124, In particular, a first side wall 122 is here configured to attach to the first side panel 116. Further, the expandable pocket 118 is arranged on the first side wall 122. Preferably, the expandable pocket 118 is arranged on one side 123 of the first side wall 122, and at least part of another opposing side 125 of the first side wall 122 is attached to an inner surface of the first side panel 116. In this figure the tab 114 is also visible being partly arranged on the one side 123 of the first side wall 122. As is readily understood by the person skilled in the art, the tab 114 may also be arranged such that it does not extend to the one side 123 of the first side wall 122. Hereby, the tab 114 may not interfere with the attachment of the expandable pocket 118 to the inner surface of the first side panel 116.
Referring now to FIG. 4a , an exploded view of a package 100 is illustrated. In this view, the supporting member 120 comprising the main body 121 and the side walls 122, 124 can be more clearly seen. In the exploded view, the expandable pocket 118 a is here partly unfolded, and the tab 114 a is in an open position providing access to the expandable pocket 118 a via the pocket opening 126. However, the observant reader may note that the expandable pocket 118 b is also illustrated arranged in the package 100, where the tab 114 b is in a closed position and the expandable pocket 118 b is in a folded configuration
Referring now to FIG. 4b , a package 100 comprising a pocket opening 126 arranged between first and second side surfaces 128, 130, and the intended direction of insertion of a cigarette butt 110 are illustrated. In this view, the interconnecting walls 132 are also visible.
Referring now to FIG. 5, a perspective view of an expandable pocket in four stages I-IV is illustrated. Referring first to stage I, the expandable pocket 118 is in a folded configuration. The pocket opening 126 can here be seen arranged on the first side surface 128. The pocket opening 126 is here initially closed by a pocket flap 136 defined by a preformed slit 134 in the first side surface 128. Upon exerting a force upon the pocket flap 136, the pocket flap 136 may be pushed inwards into the expandable pocket, and access to the expandable pocket 118 is given such that e.g. a cigarette butt may be disposed in the expandable pocket 118. It is also envisioned that the pocket flap 136 may be pulled outwards and/or ripped off entirely from the expandable pocket 118.
Referring now to stage II of FIG. 5, the expandable pocket 118 has been partly unfolded and is in an unfolded configuration. Pleats or folds 138 are here visible in the interconnecting walls 132. It should be noted that the pattern and arrangement of pleats 138 are merely illustrated as a schematic example. The expandable pocket 118 may comprise an elastic material which allows the folds 138 to move relative each other.
Referring now to stage III of FIG. 5, the expandable pocket 118 is in an unfolded configuration. In particular, the expandable pocket 118 is here in a maximally unfolded configuration. A distance D between two folds 138 is here equal to or less than a width W of the first side surface 128.
Referring now to stage IV of FIG. 5, the expandable pocket 118 is illustrated storing a number of cigarette butts 110. The pocket opening and in particular the pocket flap 136 is here in its original position as illustrated at stage I before any cigarette butts had been disposed into the expandable pocket. However, in some embodiments the pocket flap 136 may be irreversibly penetrated, moved and/or removed such that permanent access to the interior of the expandable pocket 118 is given as long as the tab (not shown) is in an open position.
It should be noted that the slit 134 and the pocket flap 136 may preferably be arranged at a proximal end of the expandable pocket 138, and the slit 134 and the pocket flap 136 may preferably be configured such that the pocket flap 136 points towards a distal end of the expandable pocket (in contrast to what is illustrated in FIG. 5). In other words, the pocket flap 136 may point in a direction from the bottom panel towards the open top side of the package, Hereby, insertion of cigarette butts into the expandable pocket 118 may be facilitated, and in particular cigarette butts may be guided by the pocket flap 136 upwards into the expandable pocket 118.
Referring now to FIG. 6a , an exploded view of an expandable pocket 118 and a securing arrangement 140 are illustrated. It should be noted that the expandable pocket 118 is here schematically illustrated. The securing arrangement 140 comprises a frame 142 and a plate 144. The frame 142 may be attached to an inner side of the first panel of the package, and the plate 144 may be attached to the opposing second side surface of the expandable pocket. The frame 142 and plate 144 may be connected via a weakened structure 146, here in the form of a number of joints 148. By overcoming a force of resistance of the weakened structure 146, the plate 144, i.e. a first part of the securing arrangement 140, may be released from the frame 142, i.e. a second part of the securing arrangement 140. Hence, the securing arrangement may be in a secured state, wherein the first and second part of the securing arrangement 140 are connected, and an unsecured state, wherein the first and second part of the securing arrangement 140 are separated. The securing arrangement 142 may be configured to be reversibly moved between the secured state and the unsecured state. This may be achieved by e.g. pushing the plate 144 into place in the frame 142 after release, such that the plate 144 is held by the frame 142 via e.g. frictional forces between the frame 142 and the plate 144 via the weakened structure 146.
Preferably, the frame 142 is larger than the first side surface of the expandable pocket 118, such that the expandable pocket 118 may be at least partly housed within the frame 142 when the expandable pocket 118 is in the folded configuration. Further, the plate 144 may comprise a rim 150 arranged on a periphery of the plate 144, defining an inner volume wherein at least part of the expandable pocket 118 may be housed when the expandable pocket 118 is in the folded configuration.
Referring now to FIG. 6b , an expandable pocket and a securing arrangement 140 arranged on a supporting member 120 is illustrated. Since the expandable pocket is illustrated in a folded configuration, the expandable pocket's view is obstructed in the figure by the securing arrangement 140. The expandable pocket is thus completely housed within the securing arrangement 140 in the folded configuration. The tab 114 may provide for that the securing arrangement 140 is held in the secured configuration.
Referring now to FIG. 6c , a guiding element 162 on a package 100 is illustrated. The guiding element 162 may be configured to cover the package opening. The guiding element 162 may be configured to be pushed inwards into the expandable pocket upon being exerted to a force, and to partly release from the package via a preformed slit 164. The slit 164 and the guiding element 162 may be arranged at a proximal end of the package (e.g. bottom panel), and configured such that the guiding element 162 points towards a distal end of the package (e.g. open top side). Hereby, insertion of cigarette butts into the expandable pocket may be facilitated, and in particular cigarette butts may be guided by the guiding element 162 upwards into the expandable pocket.
A method for manufacturing a package according to the inventive concept will now be described with reference to FIG. 7. For clarity and simplicity, the method will be described in terms of ‘steps’. It is emphasized that steps are not necessarily processes that are delimited in time or separate from each other, and more than one ‘step’ may be performed at the same time in a parallel fashion.
A method for manufacturing the package according to the first aspect of the inventive concept comprises a step 752 of providing a sheet of package material; a step 754 of performing a first blanking or piercing of the sheet to form at least the bottom panel and the four side panels; a step 756 of providing the expandable pocket; a step 758 of attaching the expandable pocket to one of the four side panels being a first side panel; and a step 760 of folding the sheet such that an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package is created, and such that the expandable pocket is arranged on an inner surface of the first side panel, and such that the four side panels extend between the open top side and the bottom panel.
The inventive concept has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined by the appended patent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

- 100 Package
- 102 Cigarettes
- 104 Top side
- 106 Bottom panel
- 108 Side panels
- 110 Package opening
- 112 Cigarette butt
- 114 Tab
- 114 a Tab
- 114 b Tab
- 116 First side panel
- 118 Expandable pocket
- 118 a Expandable pocket
- 118 b Expandable pocket
- 120 Supporting member
- 121 Main body
- 122 Side wall
- 123 Side
- 124 Side wall
- 125 Side
- 126 Pocket opening
- 128 First side surface
- 130 Second side surface
- 132 Interconnecting walls
- 134 Preformed slit
- 136 Pocket flap
- 138 Pleats, folds
- 140 Securing arrangement
- 142 Frame
- 144 Plate
- 146 Weakened structure
- 148 Joints
- 150 Rim
- 162 Guiding element
- 164 Preformed slit
- 752 Step of providing a sheet of package material
- 754 Step of performing first blanking or piercing
- 756 Step of providing the expandable pocket
- 758 Step of attaching the expandable pocket
- 760 Step of folding the sheet

Claims

1. A package for holding cigarettes, the package comprising:

an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package, a bottom panel being opposite to the open top side, and four side panels extending between the open top side and the bottom panel;

an expandable pocket for extinguishing, storing and disposing cigarette butts, wherein the expandable pocket is formed by a sheet of a heat resistant, non-combustible material, wherein the expandable pocket is configured to be arranged in a folded configuration wherein the expandable pocket is substantially flat, and an unfolded configuration;

wherein the expandable pocket comprises

a first side surface and a second opposing side surface, the first and second side surfaces being interconnected by interconnecting walls, wherein the first side surface is substantially flat and at least partly attached to an inner side of one of the four side panels being a first side panel, and

a pocket opening configured to provide access to an interior of the expandable pocket;

wherein the package further comprises:

a tab configured to reversibly close the pocket opening.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the second side surface is spaced apart from the first side surface when the expandable pocket is in the unfolded configuration.

3. The package according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting walls are pleated.

4. The package according to claim 1, further comprising a securing arrangement configured to hold the expandable pocket in the first configuration.

5. The package according to claim 4, wherein the securing arrangement is configured to attach to the first side panel.

6. The package according to claim 5, wherein the securing arrangement comprises a preformed weakened structure allowing at least part of the securing arrangement to release from the first side panel and the expandable pocket to move from the folded configuration to the unfolded configuration.

7. The package according to claim 1, wherein the pocket opening is arranged between the first and second side surfaces.

8. The package according to any one of claim 1, wherein the package further comprises a package opening arranged on the first side panel and/or on the bottom panel, and wherein the pocket opening is arranged on the first side surface in line with the package opening.

9. The package according to claim 8, wherein the tab is arranged on an outer side of the first side panel and/or an outer side of the bottom panel, and wherein the tab is further configured to reversibly close the package opening.

10. The package according to claim 8, wherein the pocket opening and the package opening are arranged closer to the bottom panel than the top side of the package.

11. The package according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding element configured to be partly attached to the package opening and to be pushed inwards into the expandable pocket.

12. A method for manufacturing the package according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sheet of package material;

performing a first blanking or piercing of the sheet to form at least the bottom panel and the four side panels;

providing the expandable pocket;

attaching the expandable pocket to one of the four side panels being a first side panel; and

folding the sheet such that an open top side configured to provide access to an interior of the package is created, and such that the expandable pocket is arranged on an inner surface of the first side panel, and such that the four side panels extend between the open top side and the bottom panel.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of attaching the expandable pocket to the first side panel comprises the sub-steps of:

attaching the expandable pocket to a supporting member, and

attaching the supporting member at least to the first side panel of the sheet.