WO2015145372A1

WO2015145372A1 - Packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes

Info

Publication number: WO2015145372A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/052203
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Polloni; Stefano Negrini
Original assignee: G.D S.P.A.
Priority date: 2014-03-27
Filing date: 2015-03-25
Publication date: 2015-10-01
Also published as: DE112015001495T5

Abstract

A packet (1 ) for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes (23), comprises a wrapper (7a) obtained by folding and sealing a sheet (7) and provided with a bottom wall (2), a top wall (6) and four side walls (3, 4, 5); the wrapper (7a) is provided at the top with at least one substantially triangular folded projection (24), originating from the folding and sealing of portions of the sheet (7), and folded in such a way that it is superposed on a lateral portion of the top wall (6), and its top wall (6) comprises a weakened line (18) which at least partly surrounds the folded projection (24); a label (27) is provided which is permanently connected by a first part (27') of it provided with a film of adhesive material and which, when the packet (1 ) is closed, is superposed on the folded projection (24); the packet (1 ) is opened by lifting the label (27), grasping the folded projection (24) and pulling it in such a way as to tear it off the wrapper (7a) along the weakened line (18).

Description

DESCRIPTION

PACKET FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR CIGARETTES Technical field

This invention relates to a packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes.

More specifically, this invention relates to a soft packet for tobacco products and having at the top of it a label which is provided with repositionable adhesive and which allows opening and reclosing a top access opening through which the cigarettes can be taken out of the packet.

In this specification, for simplicity, reference is made to a packet of cigarettes without thereby limiting the scope of the invention.

Background art

Tobacco is very sensitive to the effects of the surrounding environment and when in contact with the atmosphere, tends to modify its organoleptic properties not only on account of variations in humidity (it tends to dry or to absorb too much moisture) but also on account of evaporation of the volatile substances it has been impregnated with (particularly in the case of especially flavoured cigarettes). To preserve the quality of the cigarette tobacco, cigarette packets are cellowrapped, that is to say they are covered with a heat sealed overwrap of impermeable plastic material. The heat sealed overwrap may, however, not be sufficient to fully preserve the organoleptic properties of the tobacco in a packet of cigarettes, particularly if the cigarettes in the packet are smoked after a relatively long time from production.

To try to overcome this drawback, it has become widespread practice to enclose the cigarettes in a sealed wrap consisting of a sheet of heat sealed, impermeable wrapping material having an access opening through which the cigarettes can be taken out and which is closed by a reusable closing label. The closing label is provided with connecting means (for example, a strip of reusable non-dry adhesive) which allow it to be used several times to close the access opening after cigarettes have been taken out.

Soft cigarette packets usually have the shape of a parallelepiped and are defined by a bottom wall, a top wall, a large front wall, a large rear wall and two small side walls.

Known from patent US5333729A (in particular from Figures 15 and 16 and from the related description) are packets of this type having this kind of label. The label has a first end portion glued to a median zone of the top wall of the packet, an intermediate portion which extends mainly in contact with the top wall as far as the edge of it connected to a small side wall of the packet, and a second end portion with a film of repositionable adhesive which, when the packet is closed, adheres to an upper portion of the small side wall.

The part of the top wall underneath the label has a closed line of weakness which encloses a weakened portion of the top wall which is glued permanently to the intermediate portion of the label above it. When the packet is opened for the first time, the label applies a pulling action on this portion, tearing the line of weakness and thereby removing the weakened portion from the top wall. From this moment, a portion of the top of the packet is exposed and the label can be temporarily moved away from the top wall each time a cigarette is taken out and, after the cigarette has been taken out, moved back into the position where its second adhesive end portion is adhered to the upper portion of the small side wall.

In most wrapping styles used for making sealed soft cigarette packets, folding the sheet of impermeable, heat sealable wrapping material constituting the packet results in superposing different parts of the sheet itself to form two substantially triangular, sealed flaps both above and below the packet and on both sides thereof. These flaps are necessarily folded by 90° about the respective bases and into contact with respective walls of the packet adjacent thereto and which may be the side walls or the top wall of the packet itself.

Being made up of several superposed parts of the sheet of wrapping material folded and sealed to each other, the relative thickness of these triangular flaps folded against the walls of the packet may be a problem if the packet is to be provided with adhesive labels of the type described above.

In effect, if the triangular flaps at the top of the packet are folded against the top surface of the packet, it becomes difficult and aesthetically unattractive to glue a flap under the intermediate portion of the label above. On the other hand, if the triangular flaps are folded against the small side walls of the packet, it is very difficult to make the end portion of a label of the type described above, with a film of repositionable adhesive on it, adhere properly to a zone where one of the flaps is. Disclosure of the invention

This invention has for an aim to provide a soft packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes, which is free of the disadvantage described above with reference to the prior art, the packet having at the top of it a label which is provided with repositionable adhesive and which allows opening and reclosing an access opening at the top through which the cigarettes can be taken out of the packet.

According to the invention there is provided a packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes, as set out in one or more of the appended claims. Brief description of the drawings

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of it and in which:

- Figures 1 , 2 and 3 are perspective views of the cigarette packet of this invention in closed, partly open and fully open positions, respectively;

- Figure 4 shows a sheet which can be used to make the packet of cigarettes of Figures 1 -3;

- Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views showing a part of the cigarette packet of Figures 1 -3 in different stages of its assembly; and

- Figure 7 schematically illustrates a part of the cigarette packet of Figures 1 -3 during assembly according to methods that do not entail the use of sheets like that of Figure 4.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to Figures 1 , 2 and 3, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a soft packet of cigarettes which is substantially in the shape of a right- angled parallelepiped extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis A. The packet 1 comprises an inner wrapper 7a (Figures 5 and 6) obtained by folding a sheet 7 made preferably of metallized plastic material or of paper coated with heat sealable material on one side of it.

The wrapper 7a is defined by a bottom wall or bottom 2, four side walls parallel to the axis A - namely two opposite large side walls 3 and 4 and two small walls or flanks 5 - and a top wall or top 6, and, except for the top wall 6, is enclosed within an outer wrapper 7b obtained by folding a sheet 7' around the inner wrapper 7a.

The sheet 7 is substantially rectangular in shape and has four longitudinal prefold lines which are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal direction of extension of the sheet 7 and which are arranged in pairs in the proximity of respective longitudinal lateral edges of the sheet 7.

The two longitudinal prefold lines, labelled 8', nearest the longitudinal lateral edges of the sheet 7, delimit respective sealable lateral edges 8"' of the sheet 7 bordering on the lateral edges themselves and, as will become clearer as this description continues, will subsequently be heat sealed. The other two longitudinal prefold lines, labelled 8", are located towards the middle of the sheet 7 next to respective longitudinal lines, 8' and, together with the lines 8' adjacent to them, delimit panels 8^IV which, as will become clearer as this description continues, will subsequently define the small walls 5 of the wrapper 7a .

The sheet 7 also has six transversal prefold lines 9 which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the lines 8' and 8" and which extend between the two lines 8". Between them, the lines 8" and 9 define the following, from top to bottom in Figure 4: an end panel 8 which will subsequently be sealed to a corresponding panel 9', also defined by the lines 8" and 9 and located at the other longitudinal end of the sheet 7, in the proximity of a median zone of the large rear wall 4 of the wrapper 7a; a panel 10 which will subsequently constitute an upper portion of the large rear wall 4 of the wrapper 7a; a panel 1 1 which will subsequently constitute the top wall 6; a panel 12 which will subsequently constitute the large front wall 3 of the wrapper 7a; a panel 13 which will subsequently constitute a bottom wall 2; and a panel 14 which will subsequently constitute a lower portion of the large rear wall 4 of the wrapper 7a.

The transversal prefold lines 9 located in the proximity of the longitudinal ends of the sheet 7 extend to the longitudinal lateral edges of the sheet 7. Extending from each end of the other transversal prefold lines 9 there is a prefold line 15 directed towards edge of the sheet 7 adjacent to the end itself and inclined at an angle to the lines 9. More precisely, on the ends of each pair of lines 9 defining the panel 1 1 which will subsequently be the top wall 6 there is a first end of a prefold line 15 which extends towards a longitudinal prefold line 8' where, at a junction labelled 16, its second end meets the second end of a line 15 extending from one end of the other line 9 of the pair.

Extending from each junction 16 on the longitudinal prefold lines 8' towards the longitudinal edge of the sheet 7 located in the proximity of the line 8' itself there a prefold line labelled 17.

In a zone of the sheet 7 enclosing the two lines 15 associated with the lines 9 defining the panel 1 1 and enclosing also a portion of the panel 1 1 itself and the prefold line 17 connected to the lines 15, there is a weakened line 18 which is substantially in the shape of a C whose concavity faces towards the edge of the sheet 7 intersecting the line 17 itself. More precisely, the weakened line 18 has two stretches 19 which are parallel to the lines 9 and positioned next to the lines 9 on the outside of the panel 1 1 and each of which has an end connected to one end of a stretch 20, perpendicular to the lines 9 themselves, which joins them. The other ends of the stretches 19 are located between the longitudinal prefold line 8' adjacent to them and the longitudinal edge of the sheet 7 located in the proximity of the line 8 itself and each of them substantially coincides with a vertex of a triangular nick 21 made in the longitudinal edge itself towards the inside of the sheet 7.

Extending towards the outside of the sheet 7 from the longitudinal edge of the sheet 7 opposite to the one with the nicks 21 , as shown in Figure 4, there are two projections 21 ' having the same dimensions and shape as the nicks 21 and formed by a transversal cutting operation by which each sheet 7 is separated from a web (not illustrated) unwound from a roll (not illustrated). In effect, each cutting operation, in making the two nicks 21 on a rear edge of each sheet 7, simultaneously makes two matching projections 21 ' of the same size and shape on the front edge of the web. It should be noted that the nicks 21 might be absent if the stretches 19 of the weakened line 18 substantially extend as far as the longitudinal edge of the sheet 7.

Folding each sheet 7 to form the inner wrapper 7a is done in such a way as to have a group 22 of cigarettes 23 positioned with their axial filter ends (assuming that the cigarettes 23 are filter-tipped) resting perpendicularly against the panel 1 1 .

Then the panels 10 and 1 1 of the sheet 7 are folded against respective large faces of the group 22 of cigarettes 23 about the transversal prefold lines 9 running alongside them, the panel 13 is folded against the filterless ends of the cigarettes 23 about the line 9 which joins it to the panel 1 1 , and the panel 14 is folded against the same face of the group 22 of cigarettes 23 as the panel 10 was folded against.

The panels 8 and 9' are folded squarely relative to the panels 10 and 14 adjacent to them, respectively, and made to extend on top of each other perpendicularly towards the outside of the group 22 and are connected to each other by sealing, as described, for example, in patent EP2435314B1 which, for completeness of description, is incorporated herein by reference. The panels 8 and 9' thus connected are then folded simultaneously towards the panel 13 and placed against an upper zone of the panel 14 which, together with the panel 10, constitutes the large rear wall 4 of the wrapper 7a.

The panels 8^IV juxtaposed with the panels 10 and 14 are then rotated by 90° and placed against respective small lateral faces of the group 22 of cigarettes 23, and, at the same time, the sealable lateral zones 8"' juxtaposed with the panels 10 and 14 are placed against the sealable lateral zones 8"' juxtaposed with the panel 12.

Next, the sealable lateral zones 8"' are sealed (in essentially known manner not illustrated), thereby making the wrapper 7a shown in Figure 5 around the group 22 of cigarettes 23.

The wrapper 7a thus obtained is provided at the top and bottom of it, in essentially known manner and as shown in Figure 5, with two folded projections 24 having a substantially triangular shape and extending upwardly and downwardly from respective top and bottom ends of the sealable lateral zones 8"' connected to form the small walls 5 of the wrapper 7a itself.

The two folded projections 24 adjacent to the bottom wall 2 of the wrapper 7a are folded squarely against the bottom wall 2 (Figure 6), while the folded projection 24 adjacent to the top wall 6 on the side opposite to the zone of the top wall 6 with the weakened line 18 is folded downwards against the small wall 5 adjacent thereto.

The folded projection 24 adjacent to the zone of the top wall 6 with the weakened line 18, on the other hand, is folded squarely against the top wall 6 in such a way as to be placed on top of the portion 18' of the wall 6 delimited by the weakened line 18 and is thus surrounded (at least partly) by the weakened line 18 itself. Preferably, this folded projection 24 is connected removably to the top wall 6 by a film of adhesive material (not illustrated) with relatively low adhesiveness.

The wrapper 7a in the form shown in Figure 6 is then enclosed, in essentially known manner, within the outer wrapper 7b, and leaving the top wall 6 exposed.

An excise stamp 25 is then placed on top of, and in a substantially central position relative to the top wall 6 of, the packet 1 , lying across the top wall 6 and respective upper portions of the large side walls 26 of the outer wrapper 7b.

As shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 3, the packet 1 comprises a substantially rectangular label 27 extending in the longitudinal direction of extension of the selfsame wall 6, substantially starting from the excise stamp 25 and reaching as far as to cover an upper edge of the small side wall 28 of the outer wrapper 7b in the proximity of the weakened line 18.

A first part or end 27' of the label 27 is connected by a film of permanent adhesive material, not illustrated, to a substantially central portion of the top wall 6 of the wrapper 7a housed in the outer wrapper 7b. In Figure 1 , 2 and 3, the first end 27' of the label 27 is connected to the top wall 6 of the wrapper 7a, under the excise stamp 25, but it might also be connected to the exposed top surface of the excise stamp 25 itself.

In the label 27 spread over the top wall 6, as shown in Figure 1 , a median part or portion 29 of the label 27 lying over the portion 18' of the top wall 6 itself delimited by the weakened line 18 has no adhesive material on it at the surface of it which runs alongside the portion 18'. A further part or portion 30 of the label 27 running alongside the upper edge of the small side wall 28 of the outer wrapper 7b in the proximity of the weakened line 18 is provided, at the surface of it which adheres to that edge, with a film (not illustrated) of repositionable adhesive. A second end part or portion 31 of the label 27, on the other hand, has no adhesive on it and constitutes a grip flap of the label 27 itself.

The packet 1 is opened by gripping the adhesive-free end portion 31 of the label 27 between two fingers and pulling it in such a way as to detach the portion 30 of the label 27 from the upper edge of the side wall 28, overcoming the resistance offered by the adhesive material on it.

Continuing to lift the label 27 makes accessible to the user of the packet 1 the folded projection 24 adjacent to the zone of the top wall 6 provided with the weakened line 18. This folded projection 24 must be grasped between two fingers and lifted off the underlying top wall 6 by overcoming the resistance of the film of adhesive material which connects it to the wall 6 itself and must then be torn off the inner wrapper 7a along the weakened line 18.

At that moment, the ends of the cigarettes 23 of the group 22 are uncovered and accessible by the smoker and can be taken out of the packet 1 .

After a cigarette 23 has been taken out, the packet 1 can be reclosed by bringing the portion 30 of the label 27 back into contact with the upper edge of the side wall 28 so that the repositionable adhesive causes the label 27 to adhere to the edge. The packet 1 described above does not suffer from the disadvantage described with reference to the prior art, since the folded projection 24 located on the top wall 6 is not glued to a surface of the label 27 and does not create problems when the label 27 is brought back into contact with the wall 6 because it is removed manually by the smoker when the packet 1 is opened for the first time.

It should be noted that, if necessary, the packet 1 might not have the outer wrapper 7b and might comprise only the inner wrapper 7a. In that case, when the packet 1 is closed, the portion 30 of the label 27 would obviously be in contact with the upper edge of a small wall 5 of the inner wrapper 7a.

It should also be noted that in a variant embodiment of the packet 1 not illustrated, the first end 27' of the label 27 might be permanently connected to an upper portion of a side wall 26 of the outer wrapper 7b of the packet 1 and, when the packet 1 is closed, might extend to the upper edge zone of the other side wall 26, extending transversally to the top wall 6 of the wrapper 7a to adhere to the upper edge zone of that edge zone with the portion 30 of it which is provided with adhesive material. In a case where there is no outer wrapper 7b, and with a label 27 of the type just mentioned, the first end 27' and the portion 30 of the label 27 would be connected to respective large walls 3 and 4 of the inner wrapper 7a.

Lastly, it should be noted that, as shown in Figure 7, the inner wrappers 7a described above and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 might be obtained without using sheets 7, but by successively wrapping groups 22 of cigarettes 23 transported in succession in a direction transversal to their longitudinal axes in essentially known manner in a web 32 made preferably of metallized plastic material fed longitudinally under the path followed by the groups 22 themselves. In accordance with this method, described in detail in patent application WO2014013478A1 which is incorporated herein by reference for completeness of description, the web 32 is progressively wrapped transversely around the groups 22 to form a continuous tubular wrap 33 around them, and the tubular wrap 33 thus obtained is first sealed longitudinally and then cut and sealed transversely upstream and downstream of each group 22, thus making a wrapper 7a at each machine cycle.

Claims

1 . A packet for tobacco products, in particular cigarettes, substantially having the shape of a parallelepiped and comprising a wrapper (7a) obtained by folding and sealing a sheet (7) and provided with a bottom wall (2), a top wall (6) and four side walls consisting of two large | walls (3, 4) and two small | walls (5) forming respective pairs of opposite sides of the wrapper (7a); the wrapper (7a) is provided at the top with at least one folded projection (24), originating from the folding and sealing of portions of the sheet (7), having a substantially triangular shape and folded in such a way that it is superposed on a lateral portion of the top wall (6); the top wall (6) of the wrapper (7a) comprises a weakened line (18), positioned close to a lateral end zone of the top wall (6) and at least partly surrounding the folded projection (24); the packet (1 ) for tobacco products being characterized in that it comprises a label (27) comprising a first part (27') provided with a film of adhesive material and stably connected to an upper portion of the packet (1 ), a second part (29) without adhesive material, adjacent to the first part (27') and, when the packet (1 ) is closed, superposed on the folded projection (24), a third part

(30) provided with a film of adhesive material, adjacent to the second part (29) and spaced from the first part (27'), and a fourth longitudinal end part

(31 ) of the label (27), adjacent to the third part (30), forming a grip flap of the label (27) without adhesive material; the folded projection (24) superposed on a lateral portion of the top wall (6) of the wrapper (7a) being, in use, removable from the top wall (6) by lifting and pulling the label (27), thereby tearing the weakened line (18).

2. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 1 , characterized in that the label (27) extends according to the longitudinal line of extension of the top wall (6) of the wrapper (7a) starting from a substantially middle portion of the top wall (6), being stably connected to said substantially middle portion with its first part (27').

3. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 1 , comprising an inner wrapper (7a) enclosing a group (22) of cigarettes (23) and an outer wrapper (7b) obtained by folding a sheet (7') around the inner wrapper (7a), except for the top wall (6) of the inner wrapper (7a), characterized in that the label (27) has the first end (27') stably connected to an upper portion of a side wall (26) of the outer wrapper (7b) of the packet (1 ), and, when the packet (1 ) is closed, it extends towards the upper edge zone of the other side wall (26), extending transversally to the top wall (6) of the wrapper (7a) to adhere to the upper edge zone of the other side wall (26) with its portion (30) provided with a film of adhesive material.

4. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 1 or 2, comprising an inner wrapper (7a) enclosing a group (22) of cigarettes (23) and an outer wrapper (7b) obtained by folding a sheet (7') around the inner wrapper (7a), except for the top wall (6) of the inner wrapper (7a), characterized in that the third part (30) of the label (27), when the packet (1 ) is closed, is connected to an upper portion of a small side wall (28) of the outer wrapper (7b) of the packet (1 ).

5. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 2, characterized in that the third part (30) of the label (27), when the packet (1 ) is closed, is connected to an upper portion of a small wall (5) of the wrapper (7a).

6. The packet for tobacco products according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the folded projection (24) superposed on a lateral portion of the top wall (6) of the wrapper (7a) is removably connected to the top wall (6) by a film of adhesive material.

7. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 4, where an excise stamp (25) is present, positioned on top of and in a substantially central position relative to the top wall (6), lying across the top wall (6) and respective upper portions of the large side walls (26) of the outer wrapper (7b), characterized in that the first part (27') of the label (27) is connected, by a film of adhesive material, to an exposed surface of the excise stamp (25).

8. The packet for tobacco products according to claim 4, where an excise stamp (25) is present, positioned on top of and in a substantially central position relative to the top wall (6), lying across the top wall (6) and respective upper portions of the large side walls (26) of the outer wrapper (7b), characterized in that the first part (27') of the label (27) is connected, by a film of adhesive material, to the top wall (6) under the excise stamp (25).