WO2015114561A1

WO2015114561A1 - Packet for tobacco products

Info

Publication number: WO2015114561A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/050683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuseppe Marchitto; Roberto Polloni; Giovanni Madera; Stefano Negrini
Original assignee: G.D S.P.A.
Priority date: 2014-01-31
Filing date: 2015-01-29
Publication date: 2015-08-06
Also published as: EP3099584A1; PL3099584T3; EP3099584B1

Abstract

Described is a packet for tobacco products comprising an outer container (2) having a bottom wall (10) and four side walls, of which one large front wall (11), one large rear wall (12) and two small side walls, or flanks, (13) the walls defining an internal compartment (4); a group (3) of tobacco products wrapped in a wrapper (5) is housed inside the compartment (4) of the outer container (2), the group (3) having both transversal dimensions smaller than the dimensions of a transversal cross section of the compartment (4); inside the compartment (4) a collar or retaining frame (16) of the group (3) defines a pocket (15) for housing the group (3) and comprises at least one hollow containing structure (49; 57; 80) and/or spacer means (14) interposed between the group (3) and at least one smaller wall (13) and one large rear wall (12) of the compartment (4) so as to define an empty space (24) in the compartment (4); there is a pair of tabs (33; 56; 64; 76') which extend from a first (34a) and a second wall (34b) of the pocket (15) parallel to the front wall (17) of the frame (16) in contact with the free face of the group (3), which define means (31 ) for gripping and retaining the group (3) of tobacco products such as to prevent the group (3) from moving towards the free space (24).

Description

DESCRIPTION

PACKET FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS

Technical field

The present invention relates to a packet for tobacco products, where the term "tobacco products" means cigarettes, filters, electronic cigarettes and similar products.

In particular, the present invention relates to a packet of a hard type for cigarettes.

In the description that follows reference will be made, for sake of brevity, to a packet of cigarettes having a hinged lid, without thereby limiting the scope of the invention.

Background art

Hard cigarette packets having a hinged lid are at present the most widely used on the market, as they are simple to make, easy and practical to use, and offer good protection to the cigarettes contained therein.

A hard cigarette packet with a hinged lid comprises a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of metallised paper defining an internal container and a hard external container which houses the group of cigarettes internally thereof. The external container comprises a container, which houses the group of cigarettes and has an open upper end, and a lid, hinged to the container along a hinge such as to rotate, with respect to the container, between an open position and a closed position of the open end. A collar is normally included, which is folded and connected to an inside of the container in such a way as to partly project outside the open end and engage a corresponding internal surface of the lid when the lid is arranged in the closed position thereof.

Normally the outer container has substantially identical dimensions to those of the group of cigarettes, so as to house the group of cigarettes with no appreciable clearance. However, in some situations the outer container might be significantly larger than the group of cigarettes which are housed in the outer container. For example, this situation occurs when for reasons of image an outer container having "imposing" dimensions is to be made, using an already-existing blank having standard dimensions, while the number of cigarettes is smaller or the cigarettes have a smaller diameter (the so-called "slim" cigarettes). A further reason for that situation arising derives from the need to have packets with relatively large dimensions, even where the groups of cigarettes inside are relatively small, so that the external surfaces of the packets can have health warnings printed on them, i.e. those warnings relating to the possible toxicity of smoking, required by law in numerous nations.

Hard cigarette packets with hinged lids of known type and designed to house a group of small-dimension cigarettes, for example of the above- described type, have the drawback that they cannot be made in a standard packing machine for hard cigarette packets with a hinged lid, and therefore require design and construction of a special packing machine.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a packet for tobacco products which is free of the above-described drawbacks, and a method for producing the packet which enables standard packing machines to be used for its production, making extremely modest modifications to the packing line.

In accordance with the present invention, a packet for tobacco products is made as claimed in the accompanying claims.

Brief description of drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some non-limiting embodiments thereof, in which:

- figure 1 is a perspective view of the packet of cigarettes of the present invention in a closed condition;

- figure 2 represents, in a perspective view, the packet of Figure 1 in which a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of wrapping material has been housed, with an interposing of a collar;

- Figure 3 illustrates the collar of Figure 2 in plan view;

- Figure 4 illustrates the collar of Figure 3 partly folded and glued;

- Figure 5 illustrates the collar of Figures 3 and 4 in a completely folded configuration, corresponding to the configuration of the collar when housed inside the packet of Figures 1 and 2;

- Figure 6 illustrates a section view of a cigarette packet incorporating the collar of Figure 5;

- Figure 7 shows a plan view of a variant of the collar of Figure 3;

- Figure 8 illustrates a section view of cigarette packet incorporating the collar of figure 7;

- Figure 9 is a plan view of a variant of the collar of Figure 3;

- Figure 10 is a plan view of a variant of the collar of Figure 3;

- Figure 1 1 is a sectioned view of a cigarette packet incorporating the collar of Figure 10;

- Figure 12 is a plan view of a variant of the collars of the preceding figures;

- Figure 13 is a sectioned view of a cigarette packet incorporating the collar of Figure 12;

- Figure 14 is a plan view of a variant of the collar of figures 12 and 13;

- Figure 15 is a plan view of a variant of the collar of figure 12;

- Figure 16 is a sectioned view of a cigarette packet incorporating the collar of Figure 15;

- Figure 17 is a plan view of a variant of the collars of the preceding figures;

- Figure 18 is a sectioned view of a cigarette packet incorporating the collar of Figure 17;

- Figure 19 is a perspective view of a partial schematic view of a wrapping unit usable for making the packet of Figures 1 and 2.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a cigarette packet of a hard type, which comprises an outer container and a group 3 of cigarettes (not in any precise number) housed inside the container 2.

The group 3 of cigarettes has a parallelepiped shape, elongate according to a main axis of extension, and is wrapped in a tin-foil wrapping sheet; also referred to hereafter as an inner wrapper 5.

In other words, the group 3 of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of tin-foil paper and the inner wrapper 5 are the same thing.

The main axis of extension of the group 3 of cigarettes coincides with a longitudinal axis L of the packet 1.

The inner wrapper 5 is housed inside an internal compartment 4 defined by the outer container 2.

The inner wrapper 5, as well as the group 3 of cigarettes, both have transversal dimensions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L that are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of a transversal section of the internal compartment 4 of the outer container 2.

It should be noted that in this description the internal side walls of the compartment 4 will be denoted using the same references with which the side walls of the container 2 will be denoted.

The container 2 has an open upper end 6 and is provided with a lid 7 hinged to the container 2 along a hinge 8 so as to rotate, with respect to the container 2, between an open position and a closed position of the open upper end 6.

When in the closed position thereof, the lid 7 gives the packet 1 a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a top wall 9 and a lower or bottom wall 10, the walls being parallel to and opposite one another, two large side walls being parallel to and opposite one another, and two small side walls or flanks being parallel to and opposite one another.

In particular, the container 2 has a large front side wall 1 1 , a large rear side wall 12 and two small side walls 13, or flanks.

The packet 1 further comprises a collar 16 which will be referred to hereafter also and more precisely using the term "retaining frame".

The retaining frame 16 is fixed (by gluing) inside the container 2 in such a way as to partly project outside the open upper end 6 and engage a corresponding internal surface of the lid 7 when the lid 7 is arranged in the above-mentioned closed position.

It should be noted that that the frames 16 in the various present embodiments, to which reference will be made in the description below, define a pocket 15 for housing the inner wrapper 5 or wrapped group 3. According to the present invention, the retaining frames 16 comprise spacer means 14 which, in the most generalised embodiment thereof, are interposed between the inner wrapper 5 and at least a small wall 13 and at least a large wall 1 1 , 12 of the internal compartment 4.

It follows that the above-mentioned spacer means 14 define an empty space 24 between the inner wrapper 5 and at least a large wall 1 1 , 12 of the compartment 4. In particular, the empty space 24 is defined between the inner wrapper 5 and the rear large wall 12 of the compartment 4.

The retaining frame 16 further comprises means 31 for gripping and retaining the inner wrapper 5.

The gripping means 31 are such as to grip the inner wrapper 5 at a large wall thereof, that is, a free face thereof, facing the rear large wall 12 of the container 2 or the compartment 4, and prevent movement of the inner wrapper 5 from the frame 16 towards the rear large wall 12 of the compartment 4 so as to prevent of its movement inside the empty space 24.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the frame 16 is obtained from a flat blank which has a front wall 17 which, with the frame 16 inserted in the container 2, is arranged parallel to the front wall 1 1 of the container 2, and two lateral walls 18, each of which is connected to the front wall 17 along a relative longitudinal edge defined by a line of weakness19.

The wrapped group 3 of cigarettes rests with a large face thereof on the front wall 17 of the frame 16 and on the opposite side has a free face. A central zone of the upper edge of the front wall 17 of the frame 16 is delimited by a recess 20 having the aim, in a known way, of facilitating picking up the cigarettes from the container 2, when the packet 1 is assembled.

The central zone of the front wall 17 of the frame 16 has a lower edge 59. There is a notch 22 having substantially a C-shape on each longitudinal edge defined by a line of weakness 19.

The two notches 22 define respective tabs 23, which are coplanar to the front wall 17 and project laterally with respect to the front wall 17 so as to define, in a known way and with the packet 1 assembled, an opposition to movements of the lid 7 with respect to the container 2 about the hinge line 8.

The lateral end portions 21 of the lateral walls 18 opposite the wall 17 are connected, by lines of weakness 25 parallel to the lines of weakness 19, to respective walls 34 having a substantially rectangular shape.

More precisely, as can be observed in Figure 3, the lines of weakness 25 extend from the level of the lower edges of the walls 18 up to substantially the level of the lower ends of the notches 22.

According to the embodiment of the frame 16 illustrated in Figure 3, the walls 34 are identical to one another, are defined by two edges 27 parallel to the lines of weakness 25 and by two edges 28 perpendicular to the lines

25.

The walls 34 have the lower edges 28 thereof perpendicular to the lines 25 arranged, as shown in Figure 3, at a lower level than the lower edge 59 of the front wall 17.

Each of the walls 34 has a further line of weakness 30, parallel to the lines of weakness 25, which defines an end panel 26. The lines of weakness 30 further define, in the walls 34, two walls 34a and 34b which have a smaller area than the area of the walls 34 from which they are fashioned.

Between the lines of weakness 25 and 30, each wall 34a, 34b further has a weakened line of weakness 29, arranged in proximity of the line of weakness 25 and parallel thereto, which starts in a downwards direction from the upper edge 28 of each wall 34a, 34b and proceeds up to meeting the initial upper end of a notch 32 made on each wall 34a, 34b.

The notch 32 is substantially C-shaped, comprises a straight central portion parallel to the relative line of weakness 29 and defines a respective tab 33. More precisely, the two notches 32 present in the walls 34a, 34b are arranged with concavities thereof facing and opposite one another and define respective tabs 33 that are coplanar to the front wall 17.

The lower end of each notch 32 is arranged at the same level as the lower edge of the side walls 18, although it could also be arranged at a different level, for example higher as shown in Figure 9, as can be observed in the figure.

According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9, each notch 32 might be flanked, on the side of the convexity of the tab 33, by a further notch 32' designed to define about the tab 33, together with the notch 32, an opening 61 which is able to render each tab 33 perfectly independent from the respective walls 34a and 34b from which they are fashioned.

It should be noted that the use of this specification guarantees that on assembling the frame 16, the tabs 33 disengage perfectly from the respective walls 34a and 34b, without there being any risk that they might remain "gripped" to the notches 32 defining them.

The walls 34a and 34b can be denoted below, for greater clarity, as the first wall 34a and the second wall 34b.

As shown in Figure 4, in which the blank of the frame 16 has the walls 34a and 34b rotated by 180° on the wall 17 and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, in which the blank is in the assembled configuration thereof to form the frame 16, the portion of each wall 34a, 34b comprised between the relative line of weakness 29 and the line of weakness 30, defines a respective panel 34' designed, in an assembled packet 1 , to skirt and contain the flanks of the inner wrapper 5, that is constituting a side wall of the housing pocket 15.

In the illustrated embodiments of the packet 1 each first side wall 34a and second side wall 34b defines a panel 34' of the pocket 15 which contains the inner wrapper 5.

The portion of each wall 34a, 34b comprised between the relative line of weakness 29 and the line of weakness 25 defines a further panel 35.

Figures 2 and 5 illustrate the frame 16, assembled in ways that will be described below and respectively housed inside the compartment 4 of the container 2 (Figure 2) and outside the packet 1 (Figure 5).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, before being used for making a packet 1 , the frame 16 must first be provided with a layer of adhesive material on each panel 26 and folded until adopting the conformation shown in Figure 4. Each panel 26 is glued only in the zone which will face the front wall 17 (Figure 5).

More precisely, starting from the flat blank of Figure 3 (collar or frame 16 completely laid out), in order to reach the conformation of Figure 4 (collar or frame 16 folded), the walls 34a, 34b are folded by 180° about the respective lines of weakness 25, superposing them in contact with the lateral walls 18, adjacent thereto, and the front wall 17.

At the same time the panels 26, after having been partially coated with a layer of adhesive, are connected to the front wall 17.

The packets 1 are made on a wrapping unit 39 schematically illustrated in

Figure 19.

The wrapping unit 39 comprises conveyor means (not illustrated) which transfer in succession the wrapped groups of cigarettes 3 (or inner wrappers 5) inside respective angularly-spaced peripheral seats (not illustrated) of a transfer wheel 36.

The horizontal transfer wheel 36 is step-rotatable about a vertical rotation axis 37, and is able, at a transfer station 38, to transfer the wrapped groups 3, in succession and with alternating vertical motion, to respective angularly-spaced peripheral seats provided in a horizontal wheel 40, step- rotatable about a vertical rotation axis and parallel to the axis 37.

Along the periphery of the wheels 36 and 40, each of the wrapped groups 3 is arranged with a small side wall facing radially towards the outside and with the longitudinal axis L thereof in a transversal position to the rotation axes 37 and 46 tangential to the periphery of the relative wheel 36.

Each of the seats of the horizontal wheel 40 is also designed to receive a frame 16 from a supply unit 41 , in a way which will be described in detail below and at a feed station 42 arranged upstream of the transfer station 38 with reference to the rotation direction of the horizontal wheel 40, the frame 16 being folded according to the above-described modalities with reference to Figure 4.

At this point the frame 16 is inserted inside each seat in a partly-folded conformation, in an intermediate arrangement between the conformation illustrated in Figure 4 and the conformation illustrated in Figure 5.

During the course of the rotation of the wheel 40, the frame 16 is conveyed from the seat towards the transfer station 38. In this way, each wrapped group 3 is introduced into a seat in which a folded frame 16 is already present in an intermediate situation between the conformations illustrated in Figure 4 and Figure 5, respectively.

It should be noted that the frame 16 is preferably provided with adhesive and folded in the above-described way outside the machine which produces the packets 1 (possibly in the factory where the collar or frame

16 is produced), but might alternatively be provided with adhesive and folded on-board the machine.

At a loading station 43, the wrapping wheel 44 overlies the horizontal wheel 40, the wrapping wheel 44 being step-rotatable about a horizontal axis 45 and is provided on a periphery thereof with a plurality of peripheral seats, not illustrated, which are angularly spaced. The wrapped groups 3 and the collars 16 associated thereto can be transferred in succession from the seats of the horizontal wheel 40 into the seats of the wrapping wheel 44 by means of a vertical displacement. In the loading station 43 a lower pusher element and an upper counter-pusher element (not illustrated) operate and block between them each wrapped group 3 and the relative frame 16 such as to transfer them from a seat of the horizontal wheel 40 to a seat of the wrapping wheel 44.

During the course of the transfer, each wrapped group 3 intercepts a blank 47 preferably made of a paper material, arranged lying horizontally below the seat of the wrapping wheel 44 situated at the loading station 43.

Thereafter, on-board the wrapping wheel 44 the blank 47 is folded, in a known way, about the wrapped group 3 and the frame 16 and the packet is thus consequently made.

The inserting of each frame 16 inside a seat of the horizontal wheel 40, at the above-mentioned feed station 42, is performed by the above- mentioned feed unit 41 , which arranges each frame 16 inside the respective seat.

During this insertion the frame 16 is partially folded, according to the directions of the arrows F1 , intermediately between the conformations illustrated in Figure 4 and Figure 5, respectively, causing them to adopt a partial U-shaped conformation with the lateral walls not parallel but spread out.

Two pushers, not illustrated, are provided on both opposite sides of each seat of the wheel 40 at the transfer station 38, and are mobile in the directions indicated by the arrows F2.

Following entry of a wrapped group 3 from a seat of the wheel 36 into the seat of the wheel 40, up to complete inserting thereof inside the respective partly-folded frame 16, the two pushers reciprocally approach the partly- spread out side walls of the frame 16 up to completing the folding of the frame 16 about the respective wrapped group 3 and cause the frame 16 to adopt substantially a U-shape. During the course of the complete folding of the frame 16 about the wrapped group 3, starting from the conformation thereof illustrated in Figure 4, each wall 34a, 34b rotates about the relative line of weakness 30, while the side wall 18 rotates about the relative line of weakness 19, with a motion of approach to the opposite walls 18.

It should also be noted that from the feed station 42 to the loading station 43 each wall 34a, 34b and the walls 18 rotate about the respective lines of weakness 30 and 19 by about 90°.

On completion of the rotation (Figure 5), the first and the second side wall 34a and 34b define the corresponding panels 34' of the pocket 15.

Lastly, it should be noted that that following the above-described rotations, a projecting portion 60 is defined on each side wall 18 and a projecting portion 48 is defined on each panel 34', that is, on each first and second side wall 34a and 34b..

The projecting portions 60 and 48 extend, with respect to the front wall 17 of the frame 16, beyond the panel 35, extending towards the large rear wall 12 of the container 2 or compartment 4, and in this way constitute spacer means 14 which define the empty space 24.

As a consequence of these rotations, as illustrated in Figures 2, 5 and 6, a hollow containing structure 49 having a substantially parallelepiped shape is formed at each of the flanks of the frame 16, the hollow containing structure 49 surrounding the wrapped group 3 or inner wrapper 5 and keeping it spaced from the small lateral walls 13 of the container 2 or compartment 4.

Each hollow structure 49 is thus defined, along the perimeter thereof, by the panel 34', that is, by the side walls 34a, 34b, by the panel 35, by the wall 18 and by a portion of the front wall 17.

The frame 16, folded in the complete configuration described above, is arranged with the largest-extension wall 17 in contact with the inner surface of the large front wall 1 1 of the container 2.

Following the above-described rotations and the constituting of the hollow containing structures 49, the tabs 33 have adopted an arrangement in which they are coplanar to the respective panels 35 and lie on a parallel plane to the large rear wall 12 of the container 2, spaced from the large rear wall 12 of the empty compartment 24.

The tabs 33 therefore extend one towards another, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, resting against the rear wall, or free face, of the wrapped group 3. The frame 16 is able to keep the wrapped group 3 blocked in the pocket 15, inside the container 2, by means of the tabs 33 which define the gripping and retaining means 31 , designed to prevent the wrapped group 3 from moving inside the hollow space 24.

Lastly, it should be noted that during the step of coupling the frame 16 wrapping the respective wrapped group 3 to the respective blank 47, at the loading station 43 of the wrapping wheel 44, the projecting portions 60 and 48 (defining the above-mentioned spacer means 14) acting in conjunction with the above-mentioned tabs 33 enable the wrapped group 3 to not touch the panel of the blank 47 which constitutes the large rear wall 12 of the container 2, and determine the empty space 24.

Figures 7 and 8 show a variant embodiment of the frame 16 illustrated in Figure 3.

The frame 16 differs from the embodiment of Figure 3 in that each wall 34a, 34b, below the lower edge of the wall 18 adjacent thereto, extends towards the central wall 17 by a predetermined portion and in that a line of weakness 50 parallel to the lines of weakness 25 delimits a tab 51 constituting a side portion of each of the walls 34a, 34b.

Each first and second wall 34a, 34b defines, with the frame completely folded, as shown in Figure 8, the respective panel 34', and the tabs 51 , folded by 90° about the respective lines of weakness 50 towards the small side wall 13 close thereto (or one towards the other), are arranged in contact with the rear large wall 12 of the container 2 and are fixed to the wall 12 by a film of adhesive material for stiffening the back of the packet

1 , making the large rear wall 12 integral with the frame 16. The embodiment of the frame 16 illustrated in Figures 10 and 1 1 differs from the frame 16 of Figure 3 in that the panels 35 bordering with the walls 18 (arranged on the right and left of the front wall 17) along respective lines of weakness 25 have different widths (the one on the right, looking at Figure 10, is wider than the one on the left).

Consequently, as shown in Figure 1 1 , the two hollow containing structures 49 have different widths, and in particular the one arranged on the right is wider than the one arranged on the left. The wrapped group 3, therefore, occupies a laterally out-of-centre position in the container 2, and in the illustrated case is displaced to the left with respect to the centre line of the packet 1 . Preferably, as shown in the figure, the panels 26 of the frame 16 have different widths.

The embodiment of the frame 16 illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 basically comprises the front wall 17 and the side walls 18 connected to the wall 17 by the lines of weakness 19. The frame 16 of Figure 12 therefore does not have additional side panels similar to the walls 34 of the frame 16 of Figure 3.

Two notches 52 are made at different levels straddling each of the lines of weakness 19, identical to one another and perpendicular to the lines of weakness 19.

The notches 52 have a length that is such as to make them extend up to an internal zone of the side wall 18, without reaching the lateral end portion 21 of the walls 18, and to involve, for a short portion, the front wall 17.

The reciprocally-superposed ends of the notches 52 associated to each wall 18 are connected to one another by lines of weakness 53 parallel to the lines of weakness 19.

Regarding each pair of superposed notches 52, two lines of weakness 54 leave from an intermediate zone of the notches 52 arranged on the relative wall 18, the two weakened lines 54 being arranged on a same straight line and being parallel to the lines of weakness 19, which are directed towards one another and reach respective opposite ends of a notch 55, which substantially has a C-shape and comprises a straight central portion parallel to the lines of weakness 54.

The two notches 55 are arranged with the convexities thereof facing and horizontally opposite, and define respective tabs 56 coplanar to the respective walls 18.

The lines of weakness 54 and the notch 55 adjacent to the line of weakness 19 subdivide into two parts the portion of frame 16 delimited by two superposed notches 52 and by two lines of weakness 53. One part comprises the tab 56 and a further wall 58; the other part defines a side wall 34a, 34b connected to the front wall 17 by the line of weakness 53. In order to make the packets 1 , the above-described collars 16 can be fed in succession to respective seats after having separated them from a web (not illustrated) unwound from a reel, and it is not necessary to subject them to a pre-folding operation of the described type with reference to Figure 4.

During the course of the folding step of the frame imposed by the pushers of the seats of the wheel 40 according to the directions indicated by the arrows F2, the walls 18 of the frame 16 housed in the respective seat rotate by 90° about the respective lines of weakness 19, while at each of the flanks of the frame 16 a respective hollow containing structure 57 with a substantially parallelepiped shape is formed, similar to the above- mentioned hollow containing structures 49, but obtained by means of different folding steps.

The hollow containing structures 49 will also be indicated below as the first containing structures while the hollow containing structures 57 will be indicated as second containing structures.

The hollow containing structures 57, like the structures 49, surround the wrapped group 3 and keep it distanced from at least one of the small side walls 13 of the container 2. The hollow containing structure 49, 57 therefore constitute spacer means 14. Each first containing structure 57 is defined, along the perimeter thereof, by a portion of a wall 18, by a portion of the front wall 17, by a wall 58 and by one of the two walls 34a and 34b which are in contact with the flanks of the internal container 5.

The tabs 56, as shown in Figure 13, are coplanar to the walls 58 and extend one towards the other, and are arranged in contact against the large rear wall, or free face, of the wrapped group 3 and are designed to maintain the wrapped group 3 blocked in the pocket 15 in the container 2, preventing the wrapped group 3 from moving into the empty space 24. A constructional variant of the frame 16 illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 is shown in plan view in Figure 14.

In the frame 16 of Figure 14, the two notches 52 perpendicular to the line of weakness 19 on the left are shorter than the two notches 52 perpendicular to the line of weakness 19 on the right; the asymmetry with respect to the front wall 17 of the two pairs of notches 52 present in the frame 16 leads to a lateral decentring of the wrapped group 3 inside the compartment 4 in the direction of the shorter pair of notches 52.

Consequently, the two hollow containing structures (not illustrated) defined by the assembled frame 16 have different but complementary widths, and asymmetric positions with respect to the front wall 17 of the frame 16, so that (in a way that is not illustrated) the wrapped group 3 housed in a packet 1 incorporating the frame 16 occupies a laterally out-of-centre position in the container 2 (in the case of the illustrated frame 16 it is moved to the left with respect to the centre line of the packet 1 ).

The variant embodiment illustrated in Figures 15 and 16 differs from the frame 16 of Figures 12 and 14 due to the fact that the two notches 52 and the lines of weakness 53 associated to the line of weakness 19 on the left are absent.

Further, the side wall 18 not involved with the notches 52 is, on the other hand, involved, at a lateral end portion 21 thereof, by two notches 62, identical to one another and arranged at different levels, parallel to the notches 52 of the other side wall 18 and extending for a short stretch, starting from the lateral edge of the wall 18, towards the inside of the frame 16.

The ends of the notches 62 situated inside the side wall 18 are reciprocally 5 connected by a line of weakness 63 parallel to the lines of weakness 19, and the portion of the wall 18 delimited by the notches 62 and by the line of weakness 63 defines a tab 64.

In the assembled frame 16 there is only one hollow containing structure 57 having a substantially parallelepiped shape, situated on the right (in Figure0 16) and flanking the wrapped group 3 so as to keep it distanced from the small side wall 13 of the container 2.

The tab 56, associated to the hollow containing structure 57, rests against the large rear wall, or free face, of the wrapped group 3 so as to keep it in the correct position inside the container 2.

5 The action of the tab 56 is assisted by that of the tab 64, which is folded by 90° about the line of weakness 63, so as to face it in a coplanar manner towards the tab 56, and it rests against the wrapped group 3.

The tabs 56 and 64 define the above-mentioned gripping and retaining means 31 designed to prevent the wrapped group 3 from moving towards o the empty space 24.

The embodiment of the frame 16 illustrated in Figures 17 and 18 comprises, like the other collars 16 previously described, a front wall 17 equipped on the two sides with respective side walls 18, which are connected to the front wall 17 by means of respective lines of weakness5 19.

A sequence of four walls 65, 66, 67, 68 is connected, by a plurality of lines of weakness 70 parallel to the lines of weakness 19, to the lateral edge of one of the walls 18 (the wall on the left in Figure 17), which extend longitudinally in parallel directions to the longitudinal (vertical) direction of o extension of the wall 18.

A substantially rectangular wall 72 is connected to the other side wall 18, by a line of weakness 71 parallel to the lines of weakness 19 and arranged at an internal zone of the wall 18 in proximity of the free lateral edge thereof.

A horizontal lower edge of the wall 72 is aligned to the lower edge of the adjacent lateral wall 18 and an upper edge thereof intersects perpendicularly the free lateral edge of the wall 18, entering for a short stretch in the wall 18, in the form of a notch 73, until reaching the upper end of the line of weakness 71.

The side of the wall 72 opposite the side connected to the wall 18 is connected, by a line of weakness 74 parallel to the line of weakness 71 , to a flank of a substantially rectangular wall 75.

A horizontal upper edge of the wall 75 constitutes a continuation of the upper edge of the wall 72, and a lower portion of the wall 75 is arranged at a lower level with respect to the lower edge of the wall 72.

The horizontal lower edge of the wall 72 perpendicularly intersects a vertical edge of the wall 75, entering for a short stretch into the wall 75 in the form of a notch 77.

A central zone of the line of weakness 74 is interrupted by a notch 76 substantially having a C-shape, to the ends of which respective intermediate ends of the line of weakness 74 are connected. This notch 76 comprises a straight central portion parallel to the line of weakness 74, has a concavity thereof facing towards the wall 72 and defines internally thereof a tab 76' similar to the above-mentioned tabs 33 and 56.

A transversally median zone of the wall 75 is interested by a line of weakness 78 parallel to the line of weakness 71 , which joins the horizontal upper and lower edges of the wall 75 and divides the wall 75 into two walls, labelled 34b and 79 and arranged respectively to the left and right of the line of weakness 78 in Figure 17.

In the embodiment of the frame 16 assembled inside a packet 1 , shown in Figure 18, the side walls 18 are arranged rotated by 90° about the respective lines of weakness 19. A hollow containing structure 80 having a substantially parallelepiped shape is located at the flank of the frame 16 provided with the walls 72 and 75, arranged on the right in Figures 17 and 18, by virtue of the progressive folding by 90° of the walls 72, 34b and 79, respectively, about 5 the lines of weakness 71 , 74 and 78, the hollow containing structure constituted in succession by the walls 18, 72, 34b and 79, similar to the above-mentioned hollow containing structures 49, running alongside the wrapped group 3 and keeping it spaced from the right small side wall 13 of the container 2.

i o The wrapped group 3 is thus arranged completely displaced to the left inside the container 2.

The tab 76', as shown in Figure 18, is arranged in contact with the rear wall of the wrapped group 3, so as to keep it in the correct position, adjacent to the front wall 17 of the frame 6, inside the compartment 4 of

15 the container 2.

The walls 65, 67 and 68, folded one after another at 90° about respective lines of weakness 70, constitute a hollow box-shaped element 69 having a substantially parallelepiped shape, arranged in abutment with the internal surface of the large rear wall 2 of the container 2 and resting against the

2 0 rear wall of the wrapped group 3, so as to contribute to maintaining the group 3 adjacent to the front wall 17.

The tab 76' and the hollow box-shaped element 69 define the above- mentioned gripping and retaining means 31 , designed to prevent the wrapped group 3 from moving into the empty space 24.

25 The packet 1 for tobacco products comprising a frame or retaining frame 16 having the above-described characteristics and the method for producing it illustrated herein are simple and economical to make and advantageously achieve the desired technical effect.

Claims

1 . A packet for tobacco products comprising:

- an outer container (2) having at least one bottom wall (10) and four side walls, of which one large front wall (1 1 ), one large rear wall (12) and two

5 small side walls, or flanks (13), the walls defining an internal compartment (4); and

- a group (3) of tobacco products wrapped in a wrapper (5) and housed inside the internal compartment (4);

the packet being characterised in that both the transversal dimensions of0 the group (3) of tobacco products are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of a transversal cross section of the compartment (4); the packet (1 ) further comprising a frame (16) for retaining the group (3) of tobacco products; the frame (16) being positioned inside the compartment (4), defining a pocket (15) for housing the group (3) of tobacco products,5 and in turn comprising spacer means (14) interposed between the group (3) of tobacco products and at least one small wall (13) and at least one large wall (1 1 ; 12) of the compartment (4) in such a way as to define an empty space (24) inside the compartment (4), and means (31 ) for gripping and retaining the group (3) of tobacco products, such as to prevent the o group (3) of tobacco products from moving towards the empty space (24).

2. The packet according to claim 1 , characterised in that the retaining frame (16) comprises a front wall (17) resting on the large front wall (1 1 ) of the container (2), the group (3) of tobacco products having a large face which is in abutment against the front wall (17) of the frame (16) and a free 5 face on the opposite side of it.

3. The packet according any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spacer means (14) are positioned at least between a side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15) and a small wall (13) of the internal compartment (4) to at least partly compensate for the difference between 0 the size of the transversal cross section of the compartment (4) and the size of the transversal cross section of the group (3) of tobacco products.

4. The packet according to claim 3, characterised in that the retaining frame (16) comprises a first and a second side wall (18) at least partly in abutment against a respective small side wall (13) of the container (2), and in that the housing pocket (15) has a first side wall (34a) and a second side wall (34b), parallel to each other and defined at least partly by the respective side walls (18) of the frame (16); the spacer means (14) interposed between the side walls (34a, 34b) and the respective small walls (13) of the internal compartment (4) compensating at least partly for the difference between the size of the transversal cross section of the compartment (4) and the size of the transversal cross section of the group (3) of tobacco products.

5. The packet according to claim 3, characterised in that the spacer means (14) are positioned, respectively, between the first side wall (34a) of the pocket (15) and a respective small wall (13) of the compartment (4), between a second side wall (34b) of the pocket (15) and a respective small wall (13) of the compartment (4) and between each side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15) and the large rear wall (12) of the compartment (4) to at least partly compensate for the difference between the size of the transversal cross section of the internal compartment (4) and the size of the transversal cross section of the group (3) of tobacco products.

6. The packet according to claim 5, characterised in that the first side wall (34a) and the second side wall (34b) are positioned at the same distance from the respective small walls (13) of the compartment (4) and are thus symmetrical to each other.

7. The packet according to claim 5, characterised in that the first side wall (34a) and the second side wall (34b) are positioned at a different distance from the respective small walls (13) of the compartment (4) and are thus asymmetric to each other.

8. The packet according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that the spacer means (14) comprise at least a first hollow restraining structure (49; 80) having four walls (18, 34a, 35, 17; 18, 34b, 35, 17; 18, 72, 34b, 79) which are perpendicular to each other and wherein at least one defines the first side wall (34a) or the second side wall (34b) of the housing pocket (15).

9. The packet according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that the spacer means (14) comprise at least a second hollow restraining structure (57) having at least two walls (34a, 58; 34b, 58) which are perpendicular to each other and wherein at least one defines the first side wall (34a) or the second side wall (34b) of the housing pocket (15).

10. The packet according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the spacer means (14) comprise at least one hollow box-shaped element (69) having a plurality of walls (65, 66, 67, 68) wherein at least one is designed to abut a large wall (1 1 ; 12) of the container (2), the box- shaped element (69) being connected to one of the two side walls (18) of the frame (16).

11 . The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the gripping and retaining means (31 ) extend from a side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15) in parallel with the front wall (17) of the frame (16) and into contact with a free face of the inner wrapper (5).

12. The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 , characterised in that the gripping and retaining means (31 ) extend from the first side wall (34a) and from the second side wall (34b) of the housing pocket (15) in parallel with the front wall (17) of the frame (16) and into contact with a free face of the inner wrapper (5).

13. The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the gripping and retaining means (31 ) comprise at least one tab (64) connected by a line of weakness (63) to the respective first and/or second side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15).

14. The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the gripping and retaining means (31 ) comprise at least one tab (33;

56; 76') connected to a respective wall (35; 58; 72) of one of either the first or the second hollow restraining structure (49; 80; 57); the wall (35; 58; 72) being connected to the respective first or second side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15) by a respective line of weakness (29; 54; 74).

15. The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the spacer means (14) are defined by at least one protruding portion

(60) of at least one side wall (18) of the retaining frame (16) designed to abut a large wall (1 1 ; 12) of the container (2) and to define the empty space (24).

16. The packet according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the spacer means (14) are defined by at least one protruding portion

(48) of the first and/or the second side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15) designed to abut a large wall (1 1 ; 12) and to define the empty space (24).

17. The packet according to claim 16, characterised in that the spacer means (14) comprise at least one tab (51 ) connected to a protruding portion (48) of the first and/or the second side wall (34a, 34b) of the housing pocket (15), the tab (51 ) being fixed to the large wall (1 1 ; 12) of the container (2).