WO2019141986A1

WO2019141986A1 - A package for tobacco industry products

Info

Publication number: WO2019141986A1
Application number: PCT/GB2019/050121
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sheikh Isaak GHULAM MUSTAFA
Original assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
Priority date: 2018-01-17
Filing date: 2019-01-17
Publication date: 2019-07-25
Also published as: GB201800718D0; GB2573729A

Abstract

A package for tobacco industry products is disclosed. It comprises an outer shell and an inner shell that is received in the outer shell when the package is closed. The inner and outer shells are rotatable relative to each other to open the pack. A tray comprising a space to receive tobacco industry products is received in the inner shell in a stowed position and the tray is rotatable relative to the inner and outer shells about one end, when the pack is open, into a raised position so that an opposite end of the tray extends from the inner shell to enable tobacco industry products received in the tray to be removed from said opposite end.

Description

A Package for Tobacco Industry Products

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a package for tobacco industry products and to a blank for making the package. In particular, the invention relates to a package of the clam- shell type.

Background

Clam-shell packages have been used in the tobacco industry for holding tobacco industry products, which may be smoking articles such as cigarettes. Such packages are generally formed from a cardboard blank and generally hold ten to twenty individual cigarettes in rows.

A clam-shell pack typically comprises an outer shell and an inner shell which may be received in the outer shell when the pack is closed. The inner and outer shells are pivotally connected so that they can be rotated relative to each other along a common edge into an open position so that access to the contents of the pack may be obtained.

Summary

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, there is provided a package for tobacco industry products comprising an outer shell and an inner shell that is received in the outer shell when the package is closed, the inner and outer shells being rotatable relative to each other to open the pack, and a tray comprising a space to receive tobacco industry products being received in the inner shell in a stowed position, the tray being rotatable relative to the inner and outer shells about one end, when the pack is open, into a raised position so that an opposite end of the tray extends from the inner shell to enable tobacco industry products received in the tray to be removed from said opposite end. The inner and outer shells are preferably rotatable relative to each other about a first hinge and the tray is preferably rotatable relative to the inner and outer shells about a second hinge.

The first and second hinges maybe parallel, extend side-by-side or overlie each other. The hinges may be so closely positioned to each other that they are effectively the same, i.e. the inner and outer shells, as well as the tray, rotate relative to each other about the same, or almost the same, axis.

The inner shell may comprise a major panel, a pair of spaced parallel side panels and an end panel upstanding from said major panel. The tray may be surrounded by the side panels and the end panel when the tray is in its stowed position.

The tray may comprise a major rear wall that faces the major panel of the inner shell, side walls that face respective side panels of the inner shell, an end wall, and a major front wall parallel to and spaced from the major rear wall by the side walls and the end wall.

The opposite end of the tray may face the end panel of the inner shell in its stowed position.

The opposite end of the tray that faces the end panel of the inner shell in its stowed position may be open.

The end wall of the tray may meet the major rear wall of the tray at a folded edge. A flap may be cut from the major rear wall of the tray that is attached to the major panel of the inner shell so that the tray rotates between its stowed and raised positions about said folded edge.

The raised position of the tray may be reached when the tray has rotated through a predetermined angle of rotation relative to the inner shell. The tray may comprise ears that cooperate with the inner shell when said predetermined angle of rotation has been reached to stop the tray from rotating beyond said predetermined angle.

An ear may extend from the tray towards each of the side panels of the inner shell, each ear being received in a recess in the side panels of the inner shell.

Each ear may extend laterally from the rear major wall of the tray beyond the side walls of the tray. Preferably, there are two ears extending from each longitudinal edge of the tray, although there may be only one ear extending from one edge of the tray. Each of the side panels of the inner shell may be formed by inner and outer side panel flaps folded relative to each other so that they overlap, with each inner side panel flap facing a side wall of the tray. The recess in each side panel may comprise a cut-out in each inner side panel flap.

Each inner side panel flap may comprise an edge defining a periphery of the cutout, said edge being positioned such that an ear received in a recess engages said edge when the tray has reached its raised position, to prevent further rotation of the tray relative to the inner shell.

A tab may extend from the front major face to facilitate rotation of the tray between its stowed and raised positions. The major front wall may comprise a recess extending from said opposite end of tray. The tab may extend from an edge of the recess in the major front wall of the tray.

According to the invention, there is also provided a blank for forming a package according to any preceding claim, comprising a first blank member which, when folded, forms the inner and outer shells, and a second blank member which, when folded, forms the tray.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lA shows a perspective view from above of a package according to an

embodiment of the present invention when closed;

Figure lB shows another perspective view of the package when closed, in which the underside of the package is visible;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the package shown in Figure lA or lB after the inner and outer shells have been rotated relative to each other into an open position, so that the tray received within the inner shell can be seen in it stowed position;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the package shown in Figure 2 after the tray has been rotated relative to the inner and outer shells into a raised position;

Figure 4 shows a rear view of the tray, prior to connection to the inner shell; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the inner and outer shell, prior to receiving the tray;

Figure 6 shows a plan view of a blank from which the inner and outer shells is folded; and

Figure 7 shows a plan view of a blank from which the tray is folded.

Detailed Description

With reference to the drawings, there is shown a package 1 according to an embodiment of the invention comprising inner and outer shells 2, 3 that are pivotally attached to each other for rotation about a first hinge 4. As shown in Figure 6, the inner and outer shells 2, 3 may be formed from a single sheet of material, preferably cardboard, and the first hinge 4 is formed by a fold-line where the inner and outer shells 2, 3 meet.

The outer shell 3 comprises a rectangular shaped outer shell major panel 5, outer shell minor side panels 6 and outer shell minor end panels 7, all of which upstand from the periphery of the outer shell major panel 5 around its circumference. The outer shell minor side and end panels 6, 7 are integral with the outer shell major panel 5 and are each separated therefrom by a fold-line 8. As is apparent from Figure 6, the outer shell minor side panels 6 maybe of double thickness and folded over so as to overlap.

Additionally, a major panel flap 9 may extend from an outer edge 10 of each of the outer shell minor side panels 6. The major panel flaps 9 overlie an inner surface of the outer shell major panel 5 when folded relative thereto upon assembly so that their outermost edges 9a meet along a longitudinal centre line of the outer shell 3. An upper edge of one of the outer shell minor end panels 7 is connected to an edge of a rear major panel 11 of the inner shell 2 for rotation of the inner and outer shells 2, 3 relative to each other about the first hinge 4.

The inner shell 2 has a pair of parallel, facing, inner shell side panels 12, and an end panel 13, each of which upstand from the major rear panel 11. The side panels 12 are integral with the major rear panel 11 and are separated therefrom by a fold-line 14.

With reference to Figure 2, a tray 15 having a space to receive tobacco industry products 16, preferably a plurality of smoking articles arranged in rows, is contained within the inner shell 2 so as to be surrounded by the side panels 12, and the end panel 13, of the inner shell 2. It will be appreciated that, when the pack 1 is closed, the tray 15 is completely concealed and contained between the inner and outer shells 2, 3. With reference to Figure 7, it will be appreciated that the tray 15 is folded from a single sheet of material, preferably cardboard. The tray 15 is pivotally connected to the inner and outer shells 2, 3 so that, once the inner and outer shells 2, 3 have been rotated relative to each other about hinge 4, from their closed position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, into an open position as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the tray 15 can be rotated from a stowed position, as shown in Figure 2, into a raised position, as shown in Figure 3.

The tray 15 has a major rear wall 17 (see Figure 4) that, in its stowed position, extends parallel, and lies adjacent, to the major rear panel 11 of the inner shell 2. A major front wall 18 is parallel to, and is spaced from, the major rear wall 17 by a pair of spaced parallel side walls 19, and an inner end wall 20, each of which upstand from the major rear wall 17 and the major front wall 18. With reference to Figure 7, each of the spaced parallel side walls 19 maybe formed from side wall portions 19a, 19b that extend from the longitudinal edges of each of the major front and rear walls 17, 18. When the tray 15 is folded, the side wall portions 19a, 19b are folded so that they extend between the major front and rear walls 17, 18 in overlapping relation and are glued together. The opposite end of the tray 15, remote from the inner end wall 20, is open. Furthermore, the major front wall 18 has a recess 21 extending from the open opposite end 20 of the tray 15. A tab 22 extends from an edge of the recess 21 in the major front wall 18 which a user may grasp to facilitate rotation of the tray 15 from its stowed into its raised position. It will be appreciated that, when the tray 15 is in its raised position, as shown in Figure 3, cigarettes may be extracted easily from the open end 20 of the tray 15.

The tray 15 rotates relative to the inner and outer shells 2, 3 about a second hinge 23 at one end remote from the open end 20 of the tray. The first and second hinges 4, 23 are parallel to each other and are located as close as possible in side-by-side relation so that they overlie each other and are effectively coaxial.

The second hinge 23 extends along a fold-line between the major rear wall 17 and end wall 20 of the tray 15, as most clearly shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 4, a section of the major rear wall 17 extending from the fold-line is cut out to form a tongue 24 which is folded back and glued or otherwise attached to the major panel 11 of the inner shell 2 so that the tray 15 will rotate relative to the tongue 24 about the second hinge 23 when the tray 15 is rotated between its stowed and raised positions. The tongue 24 is attached to the major panel 11 of the inner shell 2 so that the second hinge 23 between the tongue 24 and the end wall 20 of the tray 15 is positioned parallel to, and as close as possible, to the first hinge 4 about which the inner and outer shells 2, 3 rotate relative to each other.

It will be understood that to enable the cigarettes to be accessed from the open end of the tray 15, the tray 15 only needs to rotate through a predetermined angle to reach its raised position, as shown in Figure 3. To prevent or limit rotation of the tray 15 beyond its raised position, the tray 15 is provided with lugs or ears 25 extending laterally from opposite edges of the major rear wall 17 beyond the side walls 19, as shown in Figure 4. The ears 25 may be formed by cutting out the side walls 19.

When the tray 15 is received in the inner shell 2, the ears 25 locate in recesses 26 (see Figure 5) formed in the side panels 12 of the inner shell 2. Each of the side panels 12 comprise inner and outer side wall panel flaps 27, 28 that are folded relative to each other during assembly, so that the inner side wall panel flap 27 overlies, and is attached to, the outer side wall panel flap 28. The inner side wall panel flap 27 has a cut-out region 29 that defines the recess 26 in each of the side panels 12 in which an ear 25 locates.

When the tray 15 is rotated out of its stowed position, the ears 25 travel within the recesses 26 until they strike an edge 30 of the cut out 29 formed by the inner side wall panel flap 27. Engagement of the ears 25 with the edge 30 of the cutout 29 restricts further rotation of the tray 15.

It will be appreciated that the tray 15 may be held in its raised position by squeezing the side panels 12 of the inner shell 2 towards each other so that pressure is applied to the tray 15 by the side walls 12. Further, the side walls 12 may be flexed outwardly slightly to allow the ears 25 to pass over the inner side wall panel flaps 27 in the event that it is desirable to rotate the tray 15 about the second hinge 23 beyond its raised position shown in Figure 3.

As used herein, the term“tobacco industry product” is to be understood as including smoking articles comprising combustible smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material), electronic smoking articles such as e-cigarettes, heating devices that release compounds from substrate materials without burning such as tobacco heating products; and hybrid systems to generate aerosol from a combination of substrate materials, for example hybrid systems containing a liquid or gel or solid substrate.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a smoking article for combustion selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a non-combustible smoking article.

In one embodiment the tobacco industry product is a heating device which releases compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the heating device is a tobacco heating device.

In another embodiment the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system to generate aerosol by heating, but not burning, a combination of substrate materials. The substrate materials may comprise for example solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

Embodiments of the invention are described with reference to tobacco industry products, for example cigarettes. However, it will be appreciated that packages of the invention may alternatively be used for non-tobacco industry related products.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide a superior package for tobacco industry products. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of

embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/ or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments maybe utilised and modifications maybe made without departing from the scope and/ or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. A package for tobacco industry products comprising an outer shell and an inner shell that is received in the outer shell when the package is closed, the inner and outer shells being rotatable relative to each other to open the pack, and a tray comprising a space to receive tobacco industry products being received in the inner shell in a stowed position, the tray being rotatable relative to the inner and outer shells about one end, when the pack is open, into a raised position so that an opposite end of the tray extends from the inner shell to enable tobacco industry products received in the tray to be removed from said opposite end.

2. A package according to claim l, wherein the inner and outer shells are rotatable relative to each other about a first hinge and the tray is rotatable relative to the inner and outer shells about a second hinge.

3. A package according to claim 2, wherein said first and second hinges are parallel and extend side-by-side.

4. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner shell comprises a major panel, a pair of spaced parallel side panels and an end panel upstanding from said major panel, wherein the tray is surrounded by the side panels and the end panel when the tray is in its stowed position.

5- A package according to claim 4, wherein the tray comprises a major rear wall that faces the major panel of the inner shell, side walls that face respective side panels of the inner shell, an end wall, and a major front wall parallel to and spaced from the major rear wall by the side walls and the end wall.

6. A package according to claim 5, wherein the opposite end of the tray faces the end panel of the inner shell in its stowed position.

7. A package according to claim 6, wherein the opposite end of the tray that faces the end panel of the inner shell in its stowed position is open.

8. A package according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the end wall of the tray meets the major rear wall of the tray at a folded edge, wherein a flap is cut from the major rear wall of the tray and is attached to the major panel of the inner shell so that the tray rotates between its stowed and raised positions about said folded edge.

9. A package according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the raised position of the tray is reached when the tray has rotated through a predetermined angle of rotation relative to the inner shell, the tray comprising ears that cooperate with the inner shell when said predetermined angle of rotation has been reached to stop the tray from rotating beyond said predetermined angle.

10. A package according to claim 9, wherein an ear extends from the tray towards each of the side panels of the inner shell, each ear being received in a recess in the side panels of the inner shell.

11. A package according to claim 10, wherein each ear extends laterally from the rear major wall of the tray beyond the side walls of the tray.

12. A package according to claim 10 or 11, wherein each of the side panels of the inner shell are formed by inner and outer side panel flaps folded relative to each other so that they overlap, with each inner side panel flap facing a side wall of the tray.

13. A package according to claim 12, wherein the recess in each side panel comprises a cut-out in each inner side panel flap.

14. A package according to claim 13, wherein each inner side panel flap comprises an edge defining a periphery of the cutout, said edge being positioned such that an ear received in a recess engages said edge when the tray has reached its raised position, to prevent further rotation of the tray relative to the inner shell.

15. A package according to any of claims 5 to 14, wherein a tab extends from the front major face to facilitate rotation of the tray between its stowed and raised positions.

16. A package according to any of claims 5 to 15, wherein the major front wall comprises a recess extending from said opposite end of tray.

17. A package according to claim 16, when dependent on claim 15, wherein said tab extends from an edge of the recess in the major front wall of the tray.

18. A blank for forming a package according to any preceding claim, comprising a first blank member which, when folded, forms the inner and outer shells, and a second blank member which, when folded, forms the tray.