WO2019082104A1

WO2019082104A1 - A rigid package for tobacco articles

Info

Publication number: WO2019082104A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/058308
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alver Tacchi; Roberto Polloni; Quintino MARRONE; Luca Federici
Original assignee: G.D Societa' Per Azioni
Priority date: 2017-10-24
Filing date: 2018-10-24
Publication date: 2019-05-02
Also published as: DE112018004965T5

Abstract

A packet (1) for tobacco articles having: a group (15) of tobacco articles; an outer container (2); a lid (4), which is hinged to the outer container (2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container (2), between an opening position and a closing position of the open top end (3); an inner wrap (14) which encloses the group (15) of tobacco articles, is housed in the outer container (2), and has, on the top side and on the front side, a tobacco article extraction opening (16), which is closed by a re-stick sealing label (17). The sealing label (17) has a flexible connection portion (19), which is glued in a permanent and inseparable manner from one end to the sealing label (17) by means of a first permanent glue (20) and at an area (40) spaced apart from the first end is connected in a permanent and inseparable manner to a wall (10, 11) of the lid (4) so that by opening or closing the lid (4) the sealing label (17) is simultaneously opened and closed, as well.

Description

A RIGID PACKET FOR TOBACCO ARTICLES.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from Italian patent applications no. 102017000120254 filed on 24/10/2017 and no. 102018000002191 filed on 30/01/2018 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a rigid packet for tobacco articles .

The present invention finds advantageous application to a packet of cigarettes, to which the following description will make explicit reference without thereby losing generality.

PRIOR ART

The rigid packets of cigarettes with a hinged lid are the most widely used packets of cigarettes on the market as they are easy to manufacture, easy and practical to use, and offer a good protection for the cigarettes contained therein.

A rigid packet of cigarettes with a hinged lid comprises an inner wrap formed by a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of metallized paper and a rigid outer casing which houses the inner wrap; the inner wrap is initially completely closed and has a pull-off disposable top portion which is removed upon the first opening of the packet of cigarettes, so as to allow the extraction of the cigarettes contained in the inner wrap. The outer casing is formed by a cup-shaped container having an open top end, and a lid, which is also cup-shaped and is hinged to the container so as to rotate, relative to the container, between an opening position and a closing position of the open end. In the rigid packet of cigarettes with a hinged lid described in patent applications WO2008142540A1, WO2012147073A1 and W02016087819A1 , the inner wrap is impermeable and has a cigarette extraction opening, which extends partly through the top wall of the inner wrap and partly through the front wall of the inner wrap and is closed by a reusable sealing label; in other words, the sealing label is provided with re-stick, non-drying adhesive that allows the sealing label of the cigarette extraction opening to be sealed several times in a closed position. To simplify the opening and closing of the packet of cigarettes, namely to allow the lid of the outer casing and the sealing label of the inner wrap to be opened and closed together with a single manoeuvre, a portion of the sealing label is glued in a permanent and inseparable manner to an inner surface of a front wall of the lid so that, by opening or closing the lid the sealing label is also simultaneously opened and closed.

However, in the rigid packet of cigarettes with a hinged lid disclosed in patent applications WO2008142540A1,

WO2012147073A1 and W02016087819A1 , it has been observed that the size of the cigarette extraction opening through the front wall of the inner wrap is relatively limited (thus making the extraction of the cigarettes more difficult) since at the front wall of the inner wrap the extraction opening must be arranged at a given distance from the area of the sealing label which is glued to the front wall of the lid. A possible solution to this drawback (i.e. a solution for increasing the size of the cigarette extraction opening through the front wall of the inner wrap) is to increase the size of the lid; however, an excessively large lid entails other drawbacks of an aesthetic nature (a very large lid makes the packet of cigarettes "ungraceful" and therefore little appreciated by consumers), and of a functional nature (on one hand the printable area in the front wall of the container is reduced which, by law, must have given dimensions to report the warnings about the dangers of smoking and on the other hand the handling of the lid and the holding of the lid in the closed position is made more complicated) . Furthermore, recently externally plasticized packets of cigarettes (i.e. externally having a transparent plastic layer) have been proposed to give the packets of cigarettes a very particular aesthetic appearance. However, in these packets of cigarettes the inner surface of the lid is also partly plasticized since it is partially coated by the so- called "tab" of the lid which is folded by 180° and glued to the inner surface of the lid; it is not possible to glue the sealing label to the "tab" of the plasticized lid by using commercial cold glues (normally water-based vinyl glue) since commercial cold glues are not able to perform a good gluing between plastic (of the sealing label) and plastic (of the "tab" of the lid) . A possible solution to this drawback is to glue the sealing label to the front surface of the lid above the "tab" of the lid; however, in this way the size of the cigarette extraction opening through the front wall of the inner wrap is significantly reduced. A further solution to this drawback is to use a hot glue to glue the sealing label to the "tab" of the lid; however, the hot glue provides a substantially instant adhesion as soon as the sealing label and the tab of the lid come into mutual contact and therefore prevents the sealing label and the tab, after coming into contact with each other during the formation of the packets of cigarettes, from slightly slide one relative to the other thus reaching an optimal position (i.e. if the sealing label and the tab of the lid touch each other in a slightly out of place mutual position there is no longer any possibility of self- adjustment) .

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a rigid packet for tobacco articles with a hinged lid, which packet is not privy of the drawbacks described above and is, at the same time, easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

According to the present invention, a rigid packet for tobacco articles with a hinged lid is provided, as claimed in the appended claims .

The claims describe preferred embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

- Figure 1 is a front perspective view and in a closed configuration of a packet of cigarettes made according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the packet of cigarettes of Figure 1 in a closed configuration;

- Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the packet of cigarettes of Figure 1 in an open configuration;

- Figures 4, 5 and 6 are three schematic side views with parts removed for clarity of a lid of the packet of Figure 1 in a closed position, in a partially open position, and in a completely open position, respectively;

- Figure 7 is a front exploded perspective view of an inner wrap of the packet of Figure 1;

- Figure 8 is a schematic side view of a sealing label and of a connection portion of the inner wrap of Figure 7;

- Figures 9-18 are schematic side views of respective variations of the sealing label and of the connection portion of Figure 8;

- Figure 19 is a schematic side view of a further variation of the sealing label; - Figures 20A-20B are front views of the connection portion of the sealing label of Figure 19, from an outer side and from an inner side, respectively;

- Figures 21A-21B are front views of the sealing label of Figure 19, from an outer side and from an inner side, respectively;

- Figure 22 is a front perspective view of a packet of cigarettes to that of Figure 1 in an open configuration;

- Figure 23 is a perspective view of a group of cigarettes contained in the inner wrap of Figure 7;

- Figure 24 is a perspective view of a reinforcing element contained in the inner wrap of Figure 7;

- Figure 25 is a plan view of a wrapping sheet used to make the inner wrap of Figure 7; and

- Figure 26 is a plan view of a blank used to make a container and a lid of the packet of cigarettes of Figure 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 number 1 denotes as a whole a rigid packet of cigarettes. The packet 1 of cigarettes comprises an outer container 2 formed by a cup-shaped cardboard or rigid paperboard .

The outer container 2 has an open top end 3 (illustrated in Figure 3) and is provided with a lid 4, which is cup shaped and is hinged to the outer container 2 along a hinge 5 (illustrated in Figure 2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container 2, between an opening position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closing position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open top end 3. The outer container 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape orientated in a prevalently vertical development direction, is cup-shaped, and has the open top end 3, a bottom wall 6 opposite the open top end 3, a front wall 7 and a rear wall 8 (in which the hinge 5 is formed) , which are parallel to and opposite one another, and two side walls 9, which are parallel to and opposite one another. Four longitudinal corners are defined between the front walls 7, the rear wall 8 and the side walls 9 of the outer container 2 whereas four transverse corners are defined between the walls 7, 8 and 9 and the bottom wall 6 of the outer container 2.

The lid 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, is cup-shaped, and has an open bottom end (facing the open top end 3 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position) , a top wall 10 (which is parallel to and opposite the bottom wall 6 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position) , a front wall 11 (which is parallel to and aligned with the front wall 7 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position) a rear wall 12 (which is parallel to and aligned with the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position and is hinged to the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 along the hinge 5), and two side walls 13 parallel to and opposite each other (which are parallel to and aligned with, in particular coplanar and adjacent, the side walls 9 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position) . Four longitudinal corners are defined between the front 11, the rear 12 and the side walls 13 of the lid 4, whereas four transverse corners are defined between the walls 11, 12 and 13 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4. The longitudinal corners and transverse corners of the lid 4 are parallel to and aligned with the corresponding longitudinal and transverse corners of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closing position.

According to the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the packet 1 of cigarettes is not provided with a collar; according to a different embodiment not illustrated, the packet 1 of cigarettes comprises a collar, which is fixed (normally by means of gluing) "U"-folded inside the outer container 2 so as to partially protrude outside the open top end and engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid 4 when the lid 4 itself is arranged in the said closing position; the collar is preferably provided with closing elements (for example a pair of pieces that protrude laterally) to keep the lid 4 in the closing position.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 7, the packet 1 of cigarettes comprises a sealed inner wrap 14 housed inside the container 2. The inner wrap 14 encloses a parallelepiped-shaped group of cigarettes 15 (partially illustrated in Figures 3 and 22 and fully illustrated in Figure 7) and has at the top and at the front a cigarette extraction opening 16 closed by a reusable sealing label 17. The sealing label 17 is attached to the inner wrap 14 by means of the re-stick, non-drying glue 18 (illustrated in Figure 8), which is applied to the inner surface of the sealing label 17 (i.e. the surface of the sealing label 17 facing the inner wrap 14) and is arranged around the entire extraction opening 16 so as to allow the sealing label 17 to be (i.e. at each opening of the packet 1 of cigarettes) partially separated from the inner wrap 14 several times and then fixed again to the inner wrap 14. According to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 19, 20A-20B and 21A-21B, the sealing label 17 is fixed to the inner wrap 14 by means of the re-stick, non-drying glue 18 applied to the inner surface of the sealing label 17 (i.e. the surface of the sealing label 17 facing the inner wrap 14) and is arranged around the entire extraction opening 16 (Figure 21B) , with a "U" shape, so as to allow the sealing label 17 to be partially separated from the inner wrap 14 several times and then again fixed to the inner wrap 14. Moreover, with further reference to Figure 21B, a permanent glue is also present between the sealing label 17 and the inner wrap 14 (i.e. a glue which dries after its application thus forming a strong and inseparable bond, except in the case of violent and destructive tearing) which is arranged at the rear wall of the inner wrap 14 (or at the portion of the sealing label 17 which is fixed to said rear wall) and ensures that the sealing label 17 always remains coupled to the inner wrap 14, i.e. it never completely separates (except as a result of violent and destructive tearing) from the inner wrap 14. This permanent glue, in addition to being arranged at the rear wall of the inner wrap 14 can also be present at the portion of the inner wrap 14 enclosed on the inside of the incision 30 which defines the extraction opening 16.

It is important to note that, as illustrated in Figures 8-21B, the sealing label 17 has a free end edge 33 which is not provided with the re-stick glue 18 (as well as the permanent one) and is arranged, when the lid 4 is in the closing position, below the extraction opening 16; in other words, the free end edge 33 forms the bottom end of the sealing label 17 (arranged below the extraction opening 16 when the lid 4 is closed) and is not provided with re-stick glue 18. Said condition allows to reduce the force necessary to separate the sealing label 17 from the inner wrap 14 (i.e. to "peel" the re-stick glue 18) since it allows the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17 to easily curl (not having mechanical constraints with the underlying inner wrap 14) thus assuming a "wave" shape (shown in Figures 5 and 6) which allows to progressively detach the re-stick glue 18 by applying a more tangential and less radial force to which the re-stick glue 18 resists to a lesser degree.

The sealing label 17 is provided with a flexible connection portion 19, which is connected (glued) in a permanent and inseparable manner to the sealing label 17 (in particular to the outer surface of the sealing label 17 and at the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17) by means of the permanent glue 20 (illustrated for example in Figure 8, i.e. a glue which dries after its application thus forming a strong and inseparable bond, except in the case of violent and destructive tearing) . In particular, the connection portion 19 is integral with the sealing label 17 (due to the permanent glue 20) at the free end edge 33 (i.e. of a bottom end) of the sealing label 17 itself, arranged, when the lid 4 is in the closing position, below the extraction opening 16 of the inner wrap 14. Moreover, the connection portion 19 is glued in a permanent and inseparable manner, by means of permanent glue 21 (illustrated for example in Figure 8, i.e. a glue that dries after its application thus forming a strong and inseparable bond, except in the case of violent and destructive tearing) , to an inner surface of the lid 4 in the area of the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and close to the transverse corner between the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figures 8 -13,

17) or at the top wall 10 of the lid 4 and close to the transverse corner between the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figures 14-16,

18) . In detail, the connection portion 19 is connected in a permanent and inseparable manner to the front wall 11 or to the top wall 10 at an area 40 of the connection portion 19 which is spaced apart from the first end of the connection portion 19.

It is important to note that the connection portion 19 is flexible (like the sealing label 17) and therefore is widely elastically deformable. As previously said, the flexible connection portion 19 is glued in a permanent and inseparable manner from a first end to the sealing label 17 by means of the permanent glue 20 and is glued, at the area 40 spaced apart from the first end in a permanent and inseparable manner, to a wall 10 or 11 of the lid 4 by means of the permanent glue 21 so that, by opening or closing the lid 4, the sealing label 17 is also simultaneously opened and closed. The connection portion 19 has a second end which is opposite the first end; said connection area 40 of the connection portion 19 is connected to a wall 10 or 11 of the lid 4 can be at or close to the second end of the connection portion 19 (as illustrated in Figures 16-18) or can be arranged between the first end and the second end in a position which is closer to the first end (as illustrated in Figures 8-14) .

Accordingly, the connection portion 19 establishes a mechanical connection between the sealing label 17 and the lid 4 (in particular the front wall 11 of the lid 4 or the top wall 10 of the lid 4) . In this way, by simultaneously opening or closing the lid 4, the sealing label 17 is also opened and closed, as is well illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

As illustrated in Figure 4, when the lid 4 is closed, the connection portion 19 completely overlaps the sealing label 17 and is interposed between the sealing label 17 and the front wall 11 of the lid 4. Instead, according to what is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, when the lid 4 is opened, the connection portion 19 separates and moves away (obviously outside the permanent glue 20) from the sealing label 17.

In the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures, the permanent glue 21 connecting the outer surface of the connection portion 19 to the inner surface of the front wall 11 (or of the top wall 10) of the lid 4 is arranged at (close to) the transverse corner between the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4; according to alternative embodiments not illustrated, the permanent glue 21 could be arranged at a greater distance from the transverse corner between the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4. The connection area defined by the glue 20 between the connection portion 19 and the sealing label 17 extends longitudinally (i.e. parallel to the longitudinal corners of the lid 4 defined between the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 and the two side walls 13) for a distance Dl of a few millimetres. Generally, the distance Dl is greater than 2 mm, it ranges from 2 to 5 mm and is for example equal to 4 mm. In other words, the connection portion 19 is connected (glued or welded) to the sealing label 17 along a joining strip arranged at the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17 and the joining strip extends longitudinally (i.e. parallel to the longitudinal corners of the lid 4 defined between the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 and the two side walls 13), for the distance Dl of a few millimetres. An adequate extension of the distance Dl (generally greater than 2 mm) allows to give to the connection area, defined by the glue 20 between the connection portion 19 and the sealing label 17, a sufficient size and sufficient rigidity which allows to open and close the sealing label 17 in an optimal manner (i.e. without jamming during movement or unwanted folds of the sealing label 17) thus exploiting the movement of the lid 4 .

In the embodiments illustrated in the attached figures, the sealing label 17 is initially separate and independent from the connection portion 19 and is connected to the connection portion 19 itself only by gluing (i.e. by at least the permanent glue 20) or possibly by welding. In the alternative (and perfectly equivalent) embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 15, the sealing label 17 is connected to the connection portion 19 seamlessly, and they are both obtained by folding a same sheet in a "U" shape (i.e. a part of the "U"-folded sheet makes up the sealing label 17 while the other part of the "U"- folded sheet makes up the connection portion 19) . In other words, it is necessary that the sealing label 17 is integral with the connection portion 19 at the free end edge 33 (i.e. at a bottom end) of the sealing label 17 and said bond can only be obtained by means of gluing (i.e. by means of the permanent glue 20) or it can also be obtained by folding a single sheet into a "U" shape which makes up both the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 (as illustrated in Figures 9 and 15) . In these embodiments, the connection portion 19, therefore, is formed by an extension (projection) of the sealing label 17 which is "U"-folded (i.e. is overlapped in on itself) . Even when the sealing label 17 is seamlessly connected to the connection portion 19, the permanent glue 21 is nevertheless provided, which has the function of expanding the size of the connection area between the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19, thus making this connection area suitably extended and adequately rigid (as described above) . In an alternative (and perfectly equivalent) and preferred embodiment, the sealing label 17 is made of a multilayer material and comprises at least two overlapping layers. In this case, the connection portion 19 is formed by at least the outer layer of the sealing label 17.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 16-18, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 make up an element having a variable thickness at the development area of the element (the element has a greater thickness in the part where the connection portion 19 is overlapping the sealing label 17) . Alternatively, with reference to Figures 8-15 and 20, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 make up an element having a constant thickness over the entire development area of the element. Advantageously, the fact of having a sealing label 17 and a connection portion 19 forming a constant thickness element allows to simplify the production of the packet 1 as it allows to manage in an easy and comfortable manner a coil of sealing labels 17 integral with the respective connection portions 19. In fact, with reference to Figures 16-18, since no elements having a constant thickness are provided it would be complicated to manage a coil formed by a continuous line of said elements. In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 16-18, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 can be made of different materials and/or thicknesses, even if preferably the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 are always made with the same material; according to a possible embodiment, the connection portion 19 could be thicker and therefore more rigid than the sealing label 17. Instead, in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 9 and 17, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 are two parts of the same sheet and therefore are always made of the same material and have the same thicknesses.

According to an embodiment not illustrated, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 can be connected to each other only by means of the permanent glue 21 (i.e. only at the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17 devoid of the re- stick glue 18) . Instead, in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 8-20, the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 are connected together, as well as by the permanent glue 21 at the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17, also in another area (for example at the second end of the connection portion 19 opposite the permanent glue 21); the function of this further connection is to avoid that the connection portion 19 can freely "flutter" during the production of the packet 1 of cigarettes risking to get caught (and therefore tear or curl up on itself) in the mechanisms of the packaging machine .

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 8-10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 20, the connection portion 19 is connected to the sealing label 17 by means of the permanent glue 22 (i.e. a glue which dries after its application thus forming a strong and inseparable bond, except in the case of violent and destructive tearing) that is spaced apart from the permanent glue. Said permanent glue 22 is arranged between the area 40 of the connection portion 19 and the second end of the connection portion 19 opposite the end of the permanent glue 20.

For example, this permanent glue 22 can be arranged at the second end of the connection portion 19 (Figures 8, 9, 14, 16 and 17) . Moreover, said a permanent glue 22 can be arranged in a position more or less proximal to the area 40 of the connection portion 19, or of the permanent glue 21. Moreover, according to an embodiment not illustrated, said permanent glue 22 can be arranged throughout the entire area of the connection portion 19 comprised between the connection area 40 of the connection portion 19 and the second end thereof.

Moreover, between the permanent glue 22 and the area 40 of the connection portion 19, the connection portion 19 has a weakening line 23 made by removing material (for example, by making a continuous incision affecting only a part of the material, or by making several pass-through incisions spaced apart from one another so as to form a "dashed line") and at which the connection portion 19 tears upon the first opening of the lid 4 (as for each opening of the lid 4 the connection portion 19 must separate from the sealing label 17 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6) . In other words, the weakening line 23 is between the permanent glue 22 and the permanent glue 21, i.e. the weakening line 23 separates the permanent glue 22 from the permanent glue 21. In these embodiments, the permanent glue 22 can connect the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19 at the front wall 11 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figure 10) or at the top wall 10 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figures 12 and 16, 17) or at the rear wall 12 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 14 and 20) . Alternatively, the permanent glue 22 can connect the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19 at the front wall 11 and/or the top wall 10 and/or the rear wall 12 of the lid 4. According to an embodiment not illustrated, in the case where the permanent glue 22 determines a weak mechanical bond (due to the inherent weakness of the permanent glue 22 and/or due to the limited amount of permanent glue 22 provided) which is torn away upon the first opening of the lid 4 the weakening line 23, whose function is carried out by the weakness of the mechanical bond established by the permanent glue 22 is no longer present. In these embodiments, the permanent glue 22 can connect the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19 at the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and/or of the top wall 10 of the lid 4 and/or of the rear wall 12 of the lid 4.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 11, 13, 15 and 18, the connection portion 19 is connected to the sealing label 17 by means of the re-stick, non-drying glue 24 which is arranged between the area 40 of the connection portion 19 and the second end of the connection portion 19 which is opposite to the first end. Said re-stick, non-drying glue 24 (for example is arranged close to the permanent glue 21) allows the connection portion 19 to be (that is, upon each opening of the packet 1 of cigarettes) partially separated from the sealing label 17 several times and then again fixed to the sealing label 17. In these embodiments, the non-drying re-stick glue 24 can connect the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19 at the front wall 11 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figure 11) or at the top wall 10 of the lid 4 (as illustrated in Figures 13 and 24) or at the rear wall 12 of the lid 4. Alternatively, the re-stick, non-drying glue 24 can connect the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19 at the front wall 11 and/or top wall 10 and/or rear wall 12 of the lid 4.

It is important to underline that the permanent glue 22 or the re-stick glue 24 can be arranged in any part of the connection portion 19 (between the area 40 and the second end) in contact with the sealing label 17; for example, a thin line of permanent glue 22 or of re-stick glue 24 could be provided, arranged at the outer edge of the connection portion 19.

According to a preferred (but not binding) embodiment illustrated in Figures 8-19, between the permanent glue 20 (which connects the sealing label 17 to the connection portion 19) and the re-stick glue 18 (which connects the sealing label 17 to the inner wrap 14) a distance D2 other than zero is longitudinally provided, (preferably ranging from 3 and 7 mm) and therefore there is a part of the sealing label 17 which is (internally) devoid of the re-stick glue 18 and is (externally) devoid of the permanent glue 20, i.e. there is a part of the sealing label 17 which is completely devoid of glue on both sides (both of the re-stick glue 18 and of the permanent glue 20) . From another point of view, there is a "free" area of the sealing label 17 which is completely devoid of connections on both sides (i.e. it is entirely devoid of glue on both sides) and is arranged between the area in which the re-stick glue 18 is provided and the area in which the permanent glue 20 is provided.

Preferably, with reference to Figures 3, 8 and 19, the sealing label 17 has a weakening line 35 (for example, by making a continuous incision affecting only a part of the material, or by making several pass-through incisions spaced apart from one another so as to form a "dashed line") at said "free" area. Advantageously, when the packet 1 is opened, the tension exerted on the free end edge 33 of the sealing label 17 is reduced, thus limiting (or rather eliminating) the risk that said free end edge 33 can detach from the connection portion 19. In other words, the possibility that the permanent glue 20 or the possible weld could be damaged thus compromising the optimal repeated opening and closing of the pack 1 is reduced. With reference to Figure 22, the latter differs from Figure 3 in that the sealing label 17 does not provide the weakening line 35. According to a possible embodiment, the inner wrap 14 has no reinforcing element made of cardboard or rigid paperboard and is arranged inside the inner wrap 14 in contact with the group 15 of cigarettes. According to a different embodiment illustrated in Figure 24, the inner wrap 14 comprises a reinforcing element 25, which is made of cardboard or rigid paperboard (similar to the cardboard or rigid paperboard forming the outer container 2), is "U"-shaped and is arranged inside the inner wrap 14 in contact with the group 15 of cigarettes. The reinforcing element 25 comprises a rectangular front wall 26, which is arranged in contact with a front wall of the group 4 of cigarettes and a pair of side walls 27, which are connected to the opposite sides of the front wall 26 and are placed in contact with the side walls of the group 4 of cigarettes. The front wall 26 has a window which is arranged on the upper part, is delimited by an edge 28, is "U"-shaped, and facilitates the extraction of the cigarettes from the group 4 of cigarettes as it leaves exposed a top area of the front wall of the group 4 of cigarettes. The function of the reinforcing element 25 is to confer greater rigidity and greater shape stability to the sealed packet 14 so as to prevent the sealed packet 14 from collapsing on itself after having extracted a portion of the cigarettes contained in the sealed packet 14 thus making the extraction of the remaining cigarettes complicated and in particular making the opening and the subsequent re-closing of the sealing label 17 extremely complicated. A further function of the reinforcing element 25 is to provide an adequate mechanical protection to the cigarettes during the forming and handling of the sealed packet 14. Finally, another function of the reinforcing element 10 is to keep the lid 4 in the closing position, as the lid 4 must slightly elastically deform the top and front part of the reinforcing element 2, in order to pass from the closing position to the opening position (and vice versa) .

As illustrated in Figure 25, the inner wrap 14 is made by folding a heat sealable wrapping sheet 29, which has a rectangular shape, is folded around the group of cigarettes 15 and once folded is stabilized by heat-sealing (i.e. overlapping portions of the wrapping sheet 29 are connected to one another in a stable way by heat-sealing) . The wrapping sheet 29 has an incision 30, which is "U"-shaped and defines the extraction opening 16 for extracting the inner wrap 3; moreover, the sealing label 17 (not illustrated in Figure 23) is completely glued to the wrapping sheet 29 which completely covers the incision 30 (i.e. the extraction opening 16) . The pressure sensitive re-stick glue 18 (i.e. non-drying) is interposed between the sealing label 17 and the wrapping sheet 29, which allows, even after a long period of time, to separate the sealing label 17 from the wrapping sheet 29 and therefore to re-joining the sealing label 17 to the wrapping sheet 29 for a large number of times.

The presence of adhesive between the sealing label 17 and the wrapping sheet 29 determines the permanent gluing (that is, also in use is never separated) of the portion 31 of the wrapping sheet 29 enclosed within the incision 30 (that is, at the extraction opening 16) to the sealing label 17; therefore, when the sealing label 17 is lifted from the wrapping sheet 29, the portion 31 of the wrapping sheet 29 enclosed within the incision 30 (that is, at the extraction opening 16) is lifted together with the sealing label 17 thus freeing the extraction opening 16 (as illustrated in Figures 3, 5 and 6) . Moreover, the presence of the pressure sensitive re-stick glue 18 (i.e. non-drying) between the sealing label 17 and the wrapping sheet 29 causes a temporary gluing (that is, in use it is separated) between the portion of the wrapping sheet 29 surrounding the incision 30 (that is, which surrounds the extraction opening 16) and the sealing label 17 so as to normally keep the sealing label 17 in contact with the wrapping sheet 29 to close (seal) the extraction opening 16. In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, both the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 are initially separated and independent from the wrapping sheet 29 and are subsequently applied to the wrapping sheet 29. According to an alternative embodiment, the sealing label 17 is formed inside the wrapping sheet 29 (i.e. is formed by one of the layers of the wrapping sheet 29) whereas the connection portion 19 is initially separate and independent from the wrapping sheet 29 and is subsequently applied to the wrapping sheet 29. According to a further embodiment, both the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19 are formed inside the wrapping sheet 29 (i.e. are formed by respective layers of wrapping sheet 29) . As illustrated in Figure 25, the outer container 2 and the lid 4 are made by folding a flat blank 32 (of a conventional type) made of cardboard or rigid paperboard and having a substantially elongated rectangular shape; the parts of the blank 32 are indicated by accented reference numbers equal to the reference numbers which distinguish the corresponding walls of the outer container 2 and of the lid 4.

The blank 32 has two pairs of pre-weakened longitudinal fold lines (which define the longitudinal corners of the outer container 2) and a plurality of pre-weakened transverse folding lines (which define the transverse corners of the outer container 2) delimiting, between the two longitudinal folding lines, a panel 1' which makes up the front wall 7 of the outer container 2, a panel 6' which makes up the bottom wall 6 of the outer container 2, a panel 8' which makes up the rear wall 8 of the container 2, a panel 12' which makes up the rear wall 12 of the lid 4, a panel 10' which makes up the top wall 10 of the lid 4, a panel 11' which makes up the front wall 11 of the lid 4, and a panel 11" which makes up a reinforcing flap and is folded by 180° and glued onto an inner surface of the panel 11' (i.e. onto an inner surface of the front wall 11 of the lid 4) to locally stiffen the front wall 11.

The blank 32 comprises a pair of fins 9' , which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 7', are connected to the panel 7' along the two pairs of longitudinal folding lines 28, and make up part of the side walls 9 of the outer container 2. The blank 32 comprises a pair of fins 9", which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 8', are connected to the panel 8' along the two pairs of longitudinal folding lines 28, make up part of the side walls 9 of the outer container 2, and are glued and overlapped to the corresponding fins 9' . Each fin 9" comprises a tab 6" which is folded by 90° relative to the fin 9" to be subsequently supported and glued to the panel 6' .

The blank 32 comprises a pair of fins 13', which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 11', are connected to the panel 11' along the two pairs of longitudinal folding lines 28, and form part of the side walls 13 of the lid 4 .The blank 32 comprises a pair of fins 13", which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 12', are connected to the panel 12' along the two pairs of longitudinal folding lines 28, make up part of the side walls 13 of the lid 4, and are glued and overlapped to the corresponding fins 13' . Each fin 13" comprises a tab 10" (conventionally called "dust-flap") which is folded by 90° relative to the fin 13" to be subsequently supported and glued to the panel 10' .

It is evident from what has been described above, that in some of the illustrated embodiments, the connection portion 19, by means of the permanent glue 21, is glued to the tabs 10" which make up the inner surface of the top wall 10 of the lid 4.

In the embodiments described above, the connection portion 19 is connected to the sealing label 17 by means of the permanent glue 20; alternatively, the connection portion 19 could be connected to the sealing label 17 by heat-sealing which replaces the permanent glue 20 (i.e. the connection portion 19 is welded and not glued to the sealing label 17) .

According to a possible embodiment, the sealing label 17 could be of the multilayer type, i.e. can be formed by several overlapped layers glued to one another, and the connection portion 19 could be made up by (at least) the outer layer of the sealing label 17. In other words, the connection portion 19 could be an integral part of the sealing label 17 having several layers .

In the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures, the longitudinal and transverse corners are straight; alternatively, the longitudinal and/or transverse corners could be rounded or bevelled .

In the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures, the packet 1 of cigarettes contains a group 14 of cigarettes; alternatively, the packet 1 of cigarettes can contain any other type of tobacco articles such as cigars, electric or electronic cigarettes (i.e. cigarettes that generate an aerosol without combustion) , cartridges and refills for electronic cigarettes, new generation cigarettes.

The embodiments described herein can be combined without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention . The packet 1 of cigarettes described above has numerous advantages .

Firstly, in the packet 1 of cigarettes described above, the size of the cigarette extraction opening 16 through the front wall of the inner wrap 14 is larger (other factors being equal) compared to a known packet of cigarettes in which the sealing label is directly glued to an inner surface of the front wall of the lid 4. In particular, in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 8-19 (in which the permanent glue 20 is provided between the sealing label 17 and the connection portion 19) the size of the cigarette extraction opening 16 through the front wall of the inner wrap 14 is larger (other factors being equal) of 4-8 mm compared to a known packet of cigarettes in which the sealing label it is directly glued to an inner surface of the front wall of the lid. This result is obtained due to the fact that the connection point between the sealing label 17 (through the connection portion 19 which makes up an "extension" of the sealing label 17) is moved towards the transverse corner between the front wall 11 of the lid 4 and the top wall 10 of the lid 4 and then is moved away from the bottom edge of the extraction opening 16 thus allowing the bottom edge of the extraction opening 16 to be lowered thereby increasing the size of the extraction opening 16.

Moreover, the connection portion 19 is glued by means of the permanent glue 21 to an inner surface of the blank 32 which is made of paperboard or cardboard even when the outer surface of the blank 32 is plasticized; consequently, the permanent glue 21 can be a commercial cold glue (normally a water-based vinyl glue) since it must join a plastic part (the connection portion 19) with a paper or similar part (the inner surface of the blank 32) . The sealing label 17 has a particularly rigid strip (at the gluing area with the connection portion 19, i.e. at the permanent glue 20) which is always clearly visible when the lid 4 is opened and therefore can advantageously be used for printing images and/or writing.

Finally, the packet of cigarettes described above can be produced in a standard packaging machine for rigid packets of cigarettes with hinged lid with very few modifications concentrated essentially in the area for applying the sealing label 17 to the wrapping sheet 29 also having to apply the connection portion 19 (this area could also be external to the packing machine) . Therefore, the packet 1 of cigarettes described above does not require the use of an expensive special packaging machine (that is, specially designed for this type of packets 1 of cigarettes) for its production.

Claims

1. A packet (1) for tobacco articles comprising:

a group (15) of tobacco articles;

an outer container (2), which is cup-shaped and has an open top end (3), a bottom wall (6) opposite the open top end (3), a front wall (7) and a rear wall (8), which are parallel to and opposite each other, and two side walls (9), which are parallel to and opposite each other;

a lid (4), which is cup-shaped, is hinged to the outer container (2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container (2), between an opening position and a closing position of the open top end (3), and has: an open bottom end, a top wall (10), a front wall (11) and a rear wall (12), which are parallel to and opposite one another, and two side walls (13), which are parallel to and opposite each other; and

an inner wrap (14), which encloses the group (15) of tobacco articles, is housed in the outer container (2), and has, on the top side and on the front side, a tobacco article extraction opening (16), which is closed by a re-stick sealing label (17), which is provided with a first re-stick, non- drying glue (18);

wherein the sealing label (17) has a free end edge (33), which is not provided with the first re-stick glue (18) and is arranged, when the lid (4) is in the closing position, below the extraction opening (16);

the packet (1) for tobacco articles is characterized in that the sealing label (17) is provided with a flexible connection portion (19), which is permanently and inseparably glued or welded from one end to the sealing label (17) at the free end edge (33) and at an area (40) spaced apart from the first end, is permanently and inseparably connected to a wall (10, 11) of the lid (4) so that, by opening or closing the lid (4), the sealing label (17) is also simultaneously opened and closed.

2. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 1, wherein: the sealing label (17) is a multi-layer flap and comprises at least two overlapping layers; and the connection portion (19) is formed by at least the outer layer of the sealing label (17) .

3 . The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 1, wherein the sealing label (17) is seamlessly connected to the connection portion (19) and both are obtained by folding a same sheet in a "U" shape, so that part of the "U" shaped folded sheet makes up the sealing label (17), whereas the other part of the "U" shaped folded sheet makes up the connection portion (19) .

4. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to any one of the claims from 1 to 3, wherein the sealing label (17) and the connection portion (19) make up an element having a constant thickness throughout the entire extension area of the element.

5. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 4, wherein the connection portion (19) is glued or welded to the sealing label (17) along a joining strip arranged at the free end edge (33) of the sealing label (17) .

6. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 5, wherein the joining strip extends longitudinally, namely parallel to longitudinal corners of the lid (4) defined between the front wall (11) and the rear wall (12) and the two side walls (13), over a first distance (Dl) ranging between 2 and 5 mm.

7. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 6, wherein the connection portion (19) is made of the same material as the sealing label (17) .

8. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 7, wherein a second distance (D2) other than zero ranges between a connection area, which is arranged between the first end of the connection portion (19) and the sealing label (17), and the first re-stick glue (18), so that there is a "free" area of the sealing label (17), which is completely free from connections on both sides.

9. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 8, wherein the sealing label (17) has a weakening line (35) at the "free" area.

10. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the second distance (D2) ranges between 3 and 7 mm .

11. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 10, wherein the area (40) of the connection portion (19) is connected to an inner surface of the top wall (10) of the lid (4) or to an inner surface of the front wall (11) of the lid (4) .

12. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 11, wherein the area (40) of the connection portion (19) is glued to a wall (10, 11) of the lid (4) close to a transverse corner between the top wall (10) of the lid (4) and the front wall (11) of the lid (4) .

13. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 12, wherein the first end of the connection portion (19) is permanently and inseparably glued to the sealing label (17) by means of a second permanent glue (20) .

14. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 13, wherein the second end of the connection portion (19) is permanently and inseparably glued to a wall (10, 11) of the lid (4) by means of a third permanent glue (21) .

15. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 14, wherein the connection portion (19) is connected to the sealing label (17) by means of a fourth re-stick glue (24), which is separated upon each opening of the lid (4) and is arranged between the area (40) of the connection portion (19) and a second end of the connection portion (19), which is opposite the first end.

16. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 1 to 14, wherein the connection portion (19) is connected to sealing label (17) by means of a fifth permanent glue (22), which is arranged between the area (40) of the connection portion (19) and a second end of the connection portion, which is opposite the first end; the connection portion (19) having a weakening line (23), which is arranged between the fifth permanent glue (22) and the area (40) of the connection portion (19) and is torn upon the first opening of the lid (4) .

17. The packet (1) for tobacco articles comprising:

a group (15) of tobacco articles;

an outer container (2), which is cup-shaped and has an open top end (3), a bottom wall (6) opposite the open top end (3), a front wall (7) and a rear wall (8), which are parallel to and opposite one another, and two side walls (9), which are parallel to and opposite each other;

a lid (4), which is cup-shaped, is hinged to the outer container (2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container (2), between an opening position and a closing position of the open top end (3), and has: an open bottom end, a top wall (10), and a front wall (11) and a rear wall (12), which are parallel to and opposite one another; and

an inner wrap (14), which encloses the group (15) of tobacco articles, is housed in the outer container (2), and has, on the top side and on the front side, a tobacco article extraction opening (16), which is closed by a re-stick sealing label (17);

the packet (1) for tobacco articles is characterized in that it comprises a control tab (19), which is integral to the sealing label (17) and is glued in a permanent and inseparable manner to the top wall (10) of the lid (4) or to the rear wall (12) of the lid (4) by means of a first permanent glue (21), so that by opening or closing the lid (4) the sealing label (17) is also simultaneously opened or closed.

18. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 17, wherein the control tab (19) is glued to an inner surface of the top wall (10) of the lid (4) close to the front wall (11) of the lid.

19. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the control tab (19) is integral to the sealing label (17) at a bottom end of the sealing label (17), which, when the lid (4) is in the closed position, is arranged below the extraction opening (16) of the inner wrap (14) .

20. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the control tab (19) is made integral with the sealing label (17) by means of a second permanent glue (20), which is interposed between the control tab (19) and the sealing label (17) .

21. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 20, wherein the control tab (19) has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the sealing label (17) .

22. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the sealing label (17) is seamlessly connected to the control tab (19) and both are obtained by folding a same sheet in half, so that one half of the sheet folded in two, makes up the sealing label (17), whereas the other half of the sheet folded in two, makes up the control tab (19) .

23. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 17 to 22, wherein the control tab (19) is connected to the sealing label (17) by means of a third re- stick glue (24), which is separated upon every opening of the lid (4) .

24. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 17 to 22, wherein the control tab (19) is connected to the sealing label (17) by means of a fourth permanent glue (22), which is broken upon the first opening of the lid (4) .

25. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 17 to 22, wherein the control tab (19) is connected to the sealing label (17) by means of a fourth permanent glue (22) and has a weakening line (23), which is arranged upstream of the fourth permanent glue (22) and tears upon first opening of the lid (4) .

26. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 17 to 25, wherein the sealing label (17) is fixed to the inner wrap (14) by means of a fifth non-drying, re-stick glue (18), which is applied to an inner surface of the sealing label (17) on the opposite side of the first permanent glue (21) .

27. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to claim 26, wherein :

the control tab (19) is made integral with the sealing label (17) by means of a second permanent glue (20), which is interposed between the control tab (19) and the sealing label (17); and

a distance (D) other than zero ranges between the second permanent glue (20) and the fifth re-stick glue (18), so that there is a "free" area of the sealing label (17), which is entirely without glue on both sides and is arranged between the area where the fifth re-stick glue (18) is present and the area where the second permanent glue (20) is present.

28. The packet (1) for tobacco articles according to one of the claims from 17 to 27, wherein:

the top wall (10) of the lid (4) is formed, on the outside, by a panel (10') and, on the inside, by two tabs (10"), which rest against and are glued to the panel (10'); and

the control tab (19) is glued to the tabs (10") of the top wall (10) of the lid (4), which define the inner surface of the top wall (10) of the lid (4) .