US3090541A - Cigarette wrapper box - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1963 F. JANDA 3,090,541

CIGARETTE WRAPPER BOX Filed Nov. 29, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

EmAbLQLYL 3m United States Patent 3,090,541 v CIGARETTE WRAPPER BOX Frantisek Janda, Prague, Czechoslovakia, assignor t0 Zavody VJ. Lenina Plzen, narodni podnik, Plzen, Czechoslovakia Filed Nov. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 72,513 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia Apr. 9, 1960 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to a cigarette wrapper box. Cigarettes are usually packed in boxes or wrappers containing 10, or more cigarettes each, for purposes of transport and sale. Such a package of cigarettes serves 'to provide the smoker with his required stock of cigarettes which now-a-days he carries in a light paper wrapper instead of the formerly used heavy, mostly metal cigarette cases. The paper wrapper complies at the same time with the requirement of maintaining the quality of the packed cigarettes and of providing a hygienic wrapper for the product enclosed therein, said wrapper serving also for advertising purposes.

The boxes or wrappers are produced from various materials on special packing machines, mainly from soft paper and represent a consumer article for temporary use. For packing high quality brands it is common to use cardboard or other relatively stiff materials and nowadays even two wrappers are commonly used, i.e. an inner and an outer protective wrapper, each consisting of a different material.

In order to distinguish the various brands and qualities of packed cigarettes and further to satisfy the consumers preferences, as well as for advertising purposes and with a view to future sales, the Wrappers are shaped in various ways and are provided with inscriptions and pictures.

The consumers demands and the requirements of a highly developed wrapping technique have, however, to be met by new and further shapes, arrangements and appearance of the boxes or wrappers, which are not offered by the hitherto used wrapping methods.

The present invention aims at providing means com plying with the requirements of the wrapping technique and satisfying consumers demands.

According to the invention a cigarette wrapper or box is provided comprising three, not connected wrapper parts, the inner part enclosing and covering directly the entire contents and being from all sides, i.e. not only at the longitudinal long walls but also at the short front walls, surrounded by a stifiening contour frame consist ing of a strip made from stiffer, resilient synthetic material; said frame can be opened at the top from one corner by deflecting the front strip, and has preferably a different color. Both these parts are enclosed in an outer protective wrapper made of a strong, thin and transparent material, which is provided at the top with a tearing tape and a tape reinforcing the edge of the lower portion of the outer wrapper. For purposes of transport, distribution and against undesired opening when not in use, i.e. as long as the box is in its initial, assembled state, the upper front wall of the stiffening frame is secured, either by a tiltable tongue or flap which can be slipped behind the lateral edge of the frame.

The accompanying drawing shows an exemplary embodiment of the wrapping box according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the complete box,

FIG. 2 shows the three parts of the wrapper in the sequence in which they follow one another,

FIG. 3 shows the upper part of the outer wrapper and "ice FIG. 4 represents the box as used by the smoker after it has been opened.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the three parts shown are the following: An inner wrapper 1 covering the entire content, a stiffening frame 2 and an outer wrapper 3. The inner wrapper 1 is usually made of a wholly concealed metal foil, but may be made also of another wrapping material, such as paper and the like and is produced by folding a blank in the usual manner. The stiffening frame 2 consists of a stiff synthetic material or cardboard and is made from a strip which is preheated and bent to a prestressed condition at the three points where it is bent to form the frame. The strip is pastel-colored, the shades being chosen so as to present a pleasant appearance, or can be provided with a perforation or print indicating the origin of the product.

It is the purpose of the stiffening frame to impart to the wrapper the appearance of a box and, in particular, to stiffen the latter so as to prevent its deformation when used by the smoker and when part of the contents is taken out and to prevent the remaining contents of the box from being damaged either by deformation or by tobacco falling from the cigarettes. The stiffening frame or its top front wall is provided with a tongue or flap '8 which in folded condition lies underneath the front wall of the frame and does not come into operation until the box is used.

The top front wall of the frame can also be temporarily attached in such a way that two notches are cut in the tongue or flap 8; by bending the material lying between the notches to the outside a projection is formed. Cut on the upper edge of the side wall strip, at the same level, are likewise two notches, which, by bending the material lying between them, this time to the inside, form a recess corresponding to the projection in the tongue.

The inner wrapper with the stiffening frame, prepared in the above described way, is further packed in the outer wrapper 3 made of a suitable material, such as that known under the trade name of cellophane, said wrapper being equipped with a tearing tape 4 and additionally, if desired, with a stiffening tape 5.

FIGS. 3 and 4 represent the box after the outer cellophane wrapper 3 has been opened. FIG. 3 shows the top part of the outer wrapper, which is separated by the smoker tearing off the upper tearing tape 4 prior to using the box for the first time.

FIG. 4 shows the box as used by the smoker further on, i.e. the lower part of the outer wrapper remains on the box, the tape 5 reinforcing the edge of said lower cellophane part. This part is thus kept together by the stiifening contour frame surrounding the inner wrapper.

The end of the tearing tape 4 is stuck to a protrusion 7 extending at the side of the package from the outer cellophane wrapper, said protrusion being formed already when producing the blank from a bobbin and serving for an easier gripping of the tearing tape. The tape 4 is torn in horizontal direction away from the box, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Both tapes 4 and 5 differ in color from the wrapper, in order to be conspicuous to the consumer.

The tongue or flap 8 at the front wall of the frame 2 is deflected by its resiliency when the top portion of the outer wrapper is separatedas indicated in FIG. 4. For subsequent repeated closing after cigarettes have been taken out of the box, the tongue is slipped between the inner wrapper 1 and the frame 2.

Either the inner wrapper, or the outer cellophane wrapper, or both may be provided with printed wording or pictures, denoting the brand and origin of the cigarettes or other wrapped articles, as the case may be.

, 3 What I claim as my invention is: 1. A package for a batch of cigarettes comprising in combination (a) an inner wrapper of flexible material completely embracing a conventional batch of cigarettes'assembled in prismatic shape; 1

(b) a one-piece stiffening frame folded from a strip of relatively rigid material to form two side panels, a bottom panel and a top panel, said panels covering, respectively, the sides and the bottom and top surface of the inner wrapper, the end of said top panel extending to the top edge of the adjoining side panel and terminating in a tongue hinged thereto along a fold, said tongue initially lying in contact with the lower surface of said top panel but adapted to swing outwardly to a position at right angle to said top panel;

{6) an outer wrapper of flexible material embracing said stiffening frame with said wrapped batch of cigarettes; and

(d) a tearing tape in the outer wrapper located below but proximate to the said top panel permitting to remove the top portion of the outer wrapper to expose said top panel for bending the same away from and again back to the top surface of the inner wrapper to gain access and to protect, respectively, the batch of cigarettes, and to insert the outwardly swung tongue between said inner wrapper and said adjoining side panel.

2. A package according to claim 1 comprising a stiffening tape on the outer wrapper extending in relation to the top panel beyond said tearing tape and parallel thereto. a

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,364,925 Molins June 28, 1932 2,338,041 King Dec. 28, 1943 2,805,018 Aiken Sept. 3, 1957 2,913,165 Jacke Nov. 17, 1959

Claims (1)

1. A PACKAGE FOR A BATCH OF CIGARETTES COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) AN INNER WRAPPER OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL COMPLETELY EMBRACING A CONVENTIONAL BATCH OF CIGARETTES ASSEMBLED IN PRISMATIC SHAPE; (B) A ONE-PIECE STIFFENING FRAME FOLDED FROM A STRIP OF RELATIVELY RIGID MATERIAL TO FORM TWO SIDE PANELS A BOTTOM PANEL AND A TOP PANEL, SAID PANELS COVERING, RESPECTIVELY, THE SIDES AND THE BOTTOM AND TOP SURFACE OF THE INNER WRAPPER, THE END OF SAID TOP PANEL EXTENDING TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE ADJOINING SIDE PANEL AND TERMINATING IN A TONGUE HINGED THERETO ALONG A FOLD, SAID TONGUE INITIALLY LYING IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID TOP PANEL BUT ADAPTED TO SWING OUTWARDLY TO A POSITION AT RIGHT ANGLE TO SAID TOP PANEL; (C) AN OUTER WRAPPER OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL EMBRACING SAID STIFFENING FRAME WITH SAID WRAPPED BATCH OF CIGARETTES; AND (D) A TEARING TAPE IN THE OUTER WRAPPER LOCATED BELOW BUT PROXIMATE TO THE SAID TOP PANEL PERMITTING TO REMOVE THE TOP PORTION OF THE OUTER WRAPPER TO EXPOSE SAID TOP PANEL FOR BENDING THE SAME AWAY FROM AND AGAIN BACK TO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE INNER WRAPPER TO GAIN ACCESS AND TO PROTECT, RESPECTIVELY, THE BATCH OF CIGARETTES, AND TO INSERT THE OUTWARDLY SWUNG TONGUE BETWEEN SAID INNER WRAPPER AND SAID ADJOINING SIDE PANEL.

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