WO2022112401A1

WO2022112401A1 - A smoking articles box with a transparent pouch

Info

Publication number: WO2022112401A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/082966
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nimue NEUKIRCH
Original assignee: Jt International Sa
Priority date: 2020-11-25
Filing date: 2021-11-25
Publication date: 2022-06-02

Abstract

A smoking articles box (1) with an outer packaging comprising a front panel, a back panel, left and right side panels, a lower panel and a lid (10), which together surround a volume for housing a collation of smoking articles and forming a body section, on which the lid (10) is hinged, wherein the front panel extends from the lid to the lower panel in an insertion direction and from the left to the right side panel in a width direction, wherein the lower panel extends from the front to the back panel in a front direction. According to the invention a partially transparent pouch (12) comprises two sections and at least one in between the sections in the insertion direction back and forth movable medium (13), wherein the pouch is applied on an inside facing inner surface of the front panel, wherein the front panel comprises at least one cutout (11), wherein at least one section is at least partially visible arranged in the cutout, whereas the other section is arranged behind the front panel with respect to the front direction.

Description

A smoking articles box with a transparent pouch

Description

The present invention relates to a box or package for housing consumer articles, especially smoking articles. Hinge-lid type boxes for housing smoking articles such as cigarettes are known from the state of the art. Usually these boxes comprise a reception volume for hous ing a plurality of products in a substantially parallelepipedal body portion of the box. These boxes usually can be opened by flapping a lid section around a predetermined swivelling axis formed by a hinge at one of the sides of the reception volume.

In general the outer surface of such boxes is printed with various information such as warn ing advices and advertising. Depending on the distribution country of the boxes, lot of space is occupied by warning advices, which is legal obligation in many countries. The remaining area of such smoking article boxes is usually very simply designed and printed in specific brand colours and does not offer any creative features. Due to the tremendous amount of similar smoking articles boxes on the market, this does not attract special attention, nor does it give the box a unique characteristic.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide more surface for advertising purposes and brand communication, wherein the main feature is a unique element attached to a smoking articles box which arises special interest and a playful experience for a customer. This object is achieved by the smoking articles box of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are object of the depending claims. According to the invention a smoking articles box for housing a charge of smoking articles comprises an outer packaging surrounding a volume for housing the smoking articles, wherein the outer packaging comprises a body section and a lid, the lid being arranged and especially hinged on the body section.

The box further comprises a front panel, a back panel, left and right side panels and a lower panel which together form the body part of the outer packaging, wherein the front panel ex tends from the lid to the lower panel in a longitudinal direction of the box and from the left side panel to the right side panel in a width direction of the box. The back panel, also extend ing from the lid to the lower panel in a longitudinal direction of the box and from the left side panel to the right side panel in a width direction of the box, is parallel to the front panel. Fur ther the lower panel extends from the left side panel to the right side panel in the width direc tion of the box and additionally from the front panel to the back panel in a front direction of the of the box.

According to the invention the box further comprises an at least partially transparent pouch which itself is divided into at least two sections, wherein it is conceivable that the pouch en closes at least one back and forth movable medium which is movable between the different sections of the pouch.

According to the invention the pouch is attached to a surface of the front panel which is fac ing the inside of the box, wherein the front panel comprises at least one cutout which prefera bly reveals at least one section of the pouch which is therefore visible from the outside of the box, whereas the other section of the pouch is arranged behind the front panel and thus cov ered by the front panel, not being visible from the outside of the box. The on the orientation of the smoking articles box related effects of hiding and revealing information create a playful experience for a customer. In general moving parts attached to or inside a smoking articles box attract attention. Through this, possibly surprising effect, the customer gets a positive memory of the brand and of the smoking articles. Also, if the medium in the pouch is a printed card, the possible advertising space in the visible area of the pouch is doubled. This is due to the fact that in an upright position of the box, the information on the card is visible and when the box is turned upside down, further information that was previously hidden by the card becomes visible due to the movement of the card inside the pouch. In a preferred embodiment the pouch further comprises a front face and a back face, the front face facing away from the inner volume of the box against the front direction and the back face facing towards the inner volume in the direction of the front direction, whereas at least one of them comprises a communication message, preferably an imagery or a different advertising and/or brand communication print. It is conceivable that messages or illustrations are engraved or etched into the material of the pouch. The pouch could also be made of dif ferent materials which combined form an illustration. By designing the box differently, the customer would receive a new positive memory with each new box.

In another preferred embodiment the pouch comprises an at least partially transparent mate rial. It is conceivable that the material is completely transparent and/or clear. It is conceivable that the material is partly clear or comprises a colour and/or opaque gradient. Preferably the front face and back face of the pouch have the same design, but they might also have differ ent designs. Through colour grading, for example, patterns can be created that result from the printing on the pouch and the medium inside the pouch

In another preferred embodiment the pouch comprises a fluid-tight sealing. This fluid-tight sealing is preferably arranged in between the front face and the back face of the pouch. Pref erably the fluid-tight sealing is achieved with an adhesive, very preferably the fluid tight seal ing is achieved by attaching the pouch to the front panel of the smoking articles box with an adhesive. It is conceivable that the fluid tight sealing can also be achieved by melting the front face and back face together.

In a preferred embodiment the medium comprises coloured particles, preferably opaque par ticles. It is conceivable that the particles can be made of different materials such as sand, wood, glass, plastic, or any other, preferably solid material. It is also conceivable that the ma terial inside the pouch is made of solid piece of material such as plastic, metal or any other solid material which can be shaped into any form which fits into the pouch. Thus for example also a plastic card with printed information and/or advertising could be arranged inside the pouch. This would lead to more advertising surface inside the pouch.

It is conceivable that the solid medium is arranged in at least one further medium which is preferably a fluid and very preferably water and/or a fluid with a similar density to water. Pref erably the particles are slightly denser than the fluid and would therefore sink slowly inside the fluid, creating a snow globe effect after shaking the smoking articles box. Alternatively, a flat body of any shape could be fitted inside the pouch, which would move back and forth be tween the sections of the pouch when the box is tilted in a respective direction.

In a preferred embodiment the front panel comprises a second cutout wherein at least one section of the pouch is at least partially visible arranged in the first cutout and the other sec tion of the pouch is at least partially visible arranged in the second cutout. It is conceivable that a medium inside the pouch can be seen either through the first cutout, or through the second cutout, or through both cutouts at the same time, depending on the orientation of the smoking articles box.

Preferably at least one of the mediums inside the pouch is made of a ferromagnetic material and the lid comprises a small magnet which in a closed state of the box is arranged close to the pouch. Opening the lid would thereby trigger an animation by releasing the medium which was afore held by the magnet. This would lead to an even more joyful experience for the customer by opening the box. Also the lid of the box would be better hold in place due to the magnetic force.

In a preferred embodiment the smoking articles box comprises an inner frame, which is at tached to the inside facing inner surface of the front panel, wherein the pouch is arranged be tween the inner frame and the front panel. It is conceivable that thus the pouch is only held by the inner frame and not adhered to the inside the box facing part of the front panel. Prefer ably the pouch is also easy detachable from the smoking articles box, which would make waste separation easier.

In a preferred embodiment the inner frame is fixed to the inner surface of the front panel by an adhesive. It is conceivable that also different attaching methods such as stapling or a press fit can be used. Fixing methods without adhesives which preferably just base on paper folding would allow a better waste management of the used smoking articles boxes.

In a preferred embodiment the smoking articles box comprises a material, preferably card board, with a weight of at least 80 gsm, preferably 100 gsm, even more preferred 120 gsm and/or a maximum weight of 240 gsm, preferably 210 gsm, even more preferred 180 gsm.

In a preferred embodiment the material of the smoking articles box has a thickness of at least 0.08 mm, preferably 0.09 mm, even more preferred 0.1 mm and/or a maximum thickness of 0.4 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, even more preferred 0.2 mm. It is conceivable that the smoking articles box can also be made of a different material such as plastic, metal or any other solid material which can be shaped into the form of a smoking articles box. It is also conceivable that the smoking articles box is fully or at least in part transparent and thus all sections of the pouch would be visible from the outside of the smok ing articles box.

In a preferred embodiment the transparent material of the pouch has a thickness of at least 0.08 mm, preferably 0.09 mm, even more preferred 0.1 mm and/or a maximum thickness of 0.4 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, even more preferred 0.2 mm, preferably the same thickness as the material of the smoking articles box.

Preferably the front panel of the smoking articles box consists of a double layered or different kind of thick material so that the thickness of the front panel matches the thickness of the pouch.

It is conceivable that when using a frame for attaching the pouch, the front panel matches the thickness of the frame and the pouch, and the front panel has another recess for the frame, so that inside the box there is a smooth surface on the front panel side.

In a preferred embodiment the pouch further comprises at least two sections and at least one in between these sections in the insertion direction back and forth movable medium, prefera bly coloured particles. It is conceivable that these particles are visible through the transparent material of the pouch.

It is also conceivable that the pouch comprises three or more sections, each of which is at least partially visible through respective cut-outs in the front panel of the smoking articles box. Preferably the front panel then comprises also three or more cutouts, wherein all cutouts preferably have the same size.

As an alternative to horizontally arranged cutouts, vertical or differently aligned cutouts are also conceivable. Also cutouts in any kind of form or shape are conceivable. This would allow to be even more creative with advertising and brand communication. In a preferred embodiment a front face of the pouch which is directed against the front direc tion, and/or a back face of the pouch which is directed with respect to the front direction, is printed or sprayed with ink. It is conceivable that the front face and back face can also be de signed with screen printing and/or different colouring methods. Preferably the pouch also comprises a bending along the intersection line of the front panel and the lower panel of the smoking articles box and by that exceeds at least partially behind and/or in a cutout of the lower panel. Very preferably the pouch is also bent at other edges of the smoking articles box.

In a preferred embodiment the pouch further comprises a between its sections in the inser tion direction back and forth movable second medium, wherein the second medium com prises a liquid, preferably distilled water. Preferably at least one, very preferably all mediums inside the pouch are also movable around the bends of the pouch.

In a preferred embodiment the Steps for assembling a smoking articles box with a pouch are the following: a) Providing a smoking articles box according to claims 1-11; b) Providing a pouch according to claims 12-14; c) Filling the pouch with at least one back and forth movable medium; d) Sealing the pouch; e) Attaching the pouch to the smoking articles box.

Preferably the used template for assembling the smoking articles box according to the inven tion is a template from a usual smoking articles box as it is known from the state of the art.

To form the new smoking articles box according to the invention, the template of the box as it is known from the state of the art is first cut out at the places where the cutouts shall later be in the outer shell and afterwards it is assembled like a normal box.

It is conceivable that the pouch can be fixed to the smoking articles box before the box is as sembled. It is also conceivable that due to the attachment of the pouch to the box the pouch is sealed and by that one assembling step of the pouch is omitted.

The invention reaches more visible space for design and communication activities in con sumer product packages such as hinge-lid boxes for smoking articles, especially at the inner parts of the packages. Further advantages and embodiments are illustrated in the attached drawings.

Herein show:

Fig. 1 smoking articles box 1 according to the invention Fig. 2 upside down flipped smoking articles box 1 according to the invention Fig. 3 Front panel and pouch from the inside view of a smoking articles box Fig. 4 Front panel and pouch from the outside of a smoking articles box

Figure 1 shows the outer packaging 2 of a smoking articles box 1 with a pouch 12 attached to the smoking articles box 1 , according to the invention. Figure 1 illustrates the smoking arti cles box 1 with its body section 9 as well as the lid 10 section, wherein the lid 10 section is located on top of the body section 9 against the insert direction I and wherein the insert direc tion I runs from the lid 10 section to the lower panel 6 section. The smoking articles box 1 fur ther extends in a width direction W, whereas the width direction W is perpendicular to the in sert direction I and the plane of the front panel 3 and the back panel 4 is parallel to the plane between the direction vectors W and I. The smoking articles box 1 also extends in the front direction F, whereas this direction builds a three-dimensional space. The left side panel 5a and the right side panel 5b are parallel to the plane between the front direction F and the in sert direction I. The smoking articles box 1 is shown from diagonally left front perspective, so that the left side panel 5a, as well as the front panel 3 and the corresponding parts of the lid 10 can be seen. Furthermore the cutout 11 in the front panel 3 and by that the visible section of the pouch 15b as well as the content on the inner front side of the pouch 13b is visible. If there are at least two mediums 13/13a with different densities in the pouch 12, in this position of the smoking articles box 1 the medium 13/13a with the higher density would fall towards the lower panel 6 of the box 1 and thus be visible through the transparent material 16 of the front face of the pouch 12a. From this perspective on the smoking articles box 1 , the invisible section of the pouch 15a is hidden behind the remaining part of the front panel 3 of the smok ing articles box 1, which does not contain a cutout 11. Also, if the denser medium 13 inside the pouch 12 is not transparent, or is perhaps an accumulation of non-transparent particles 13a, it will block the view onto a possible content on the inner backside of the pouch 13c. Figure 2 shows the outer packaging 2 of a smoking articles box 1 with a pouch 12 attached to the smoking articles box 1 according to the invention, but unlike figure 1, the smoking arti cles box 1 is illustrated upside down. The smoking articles box 1 in figure 2 extends in the same width direction W and the same front direction F as in figure 1, whereas the insert di rection I now runs from the lower panel 6 to the lid 10 section of the smoking articles box 1. Due to the force of gravity, which now points in the opposite direction compared to figure 1, mediums within the pouch 13/13a would now behave in inverse proportion to figure 1. This means, if there are at least two mediums 13/13a with different densities in the pouch 12, in the position of the smoking articles box 1 according to figure 2 the medium 13/13a with the higher density would fall towards the lid section 10 of the smoking articles box 1 into the in visible section of the pouch 15a and thus not be visible through the transparent material 16 of the front face of the pouch 12a. In figure 2 the medium 13/13a inside the pouch 12 is never theless visible in this orientation of the box 1 due to a different embodiment of the box 1 com pared to figure 1, whereas in figure 1 the heavier medium 13/13a inside the pouch 12 would not be visible in this orientation of the box 1. The further embodiment is described in the next section. If the heavier medium 13/13a inside the pouch 12 is not transparent and thereby blocks the view to the backside of the pouch 12b in figure 1 , it now reveals the backside of the pouch 12b in figure 2 by allowing to view through the transparent material 16 of the front face of the pouch 12a. Due to this circumstances also a message or different kind of print which is illustrated on the inner backside of the pouch 13c is now visible from the outside of the smoking articles box 1.

Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the box 1 compared to figure 1 by showing a fur ther cutout 11a inside the front panel 3 of the smoking articles box 1. This cutout 11a is an example for possible further embodiments, wherein in the embodiment in figure 2 the cutout 11a is a hole inside the front panel 3 which has the same width along the width direction W as the existing cutout 11. It is preferably arranged between this existing cutout 11 and the lid section 10 of the smoking articles box 1. This second cutout 11a enables the function of con cealing contents by at least one opaque medium inside the pouch 13/13a also when the box 1 is held upside down. . According to the position of the smoking articles box 1 shown in fig ure 2 content on the backside of the pouch 13c in the visible section of the pouch 15b is visi ble and content on the backside of the pouch 13c in the invisible section of the pouch 15 a is not visible. Flipping the smoking articles box 1 around according to its position as illustrated in figure 1, the content on the backside of the pouch 13c in the invisible section of the pouch 15a is at least partially visible through the second cutout 11a and content on the backside of the pouch 13c in the visible section is not visible. Figure 3 shows the front panel 3 of the smoking articles box 1 together with an to the front panel 3 attached pouch 12 in a perspective from the inside of the smoking articles box 1 in direction to the front panel 3 along the front direction F in a 2D illustration. Thus figure 3 shows the surface of the front panel 3 facing the inside of the smoking articles box 14a. Due to the perspective onto the smoking articles box 1 in figure 3, not only the visible section of the pouch 15b is visible, but also the normally invisible part of the pouch 15a, which in a view from the outside of the smoking articles box 1 is hidden behind the front panel 3.

One can see in figure 3 that the invisible part of the pouch 15a has preferably the same size as the visible part of the pouch 15b along the width- and insert direction W, I, wherein even the visible part of the pouch 15b is not completely visible through the cutout 11 in the front panel 3, because at least a part of the visible section of the pouch 15b is arranged behind the front panel 3 to hold the pouch 12 in place. Thus the visible section of the pouch 15b is di vided into a not covered part 15d and a covered part 15e. In a preferred embodiment the pouch 12 is not attached against the front panel 3 of the inside of the smoking articles box 1 via glue. In this case the pouch 12is clamped behind an inner frame 17 of the smoking arti cles box 1 , wherein the inner frame 17 is attached to the surface of the front panel 3 facing the inside of the smoking articles box 14a. This is possible in such way that a groove is cre ated between the front panel 3 and the inner frame 17 and that the pouch 12 then is inserted into this groove.

The fluid tight sealing of the pouch 18 is preferably arranged in an area behind the front panel 3 which is not visible from the outside of the smoking articles box 1.

Fig. 4 shows the surface of the front panel 3 facing away from the smoking articles box 14b and the part of the lid 10 facing to the front direction F. As in figure 3, the illustration is two dimensional, wherein the insert direction I and the width direction W are illustrated and the front direction F is not shown, because F points into the paper plane. The perspective onto the front panel 3 is the same as if a customer looks the smoking articles box 1 from the out side. Thereby the invisible section of the pouch 15a is not visible and the visible part of the pouch 15b is at least partially visible through the cutout 11 in the front panel 3 of the smoking articles box 1. In figure 4 the position of a possible further cutout 11a is displayed as a square of dashed lines between the regular cutout 11 in the front panel 3 and the lid 10 of the smoking articles box 1. In this position a further cutout 11a would allow a view onto the nor mally invisible part of the pouch 15a. This figure is illustrated in the same position as the smoking articles box 1 has in figure 1. Thus, the force of gravity acts along the insert direc tion I from the top of the box 1 to the bottom, whereas the top of the box 1 is the end of the box 1 where the lid 10 section is arranged and the bottom of the box 1 is where the cutout 11 is arranged.

Reference signs

1 smoking articles box

2 outer packaging

3 front panel

4 back panel

5a left side panel

5b right side panel

6 lower panel

8 smoking articles

9 body section

10 lid

11 cutout in front panel

11a further cutout in front panel

12 pouch

12a front face of the pouch

12b backside of the pouch

13 medium inside the pouch

13a particles inside the pouch

13b content on inner front side of the pouch

13c content on inner backside of the pouch

14a surface of the front panel facing the inside of the smoking articles box

14b surface of the front panel facing away of the smoking articles box

15a invisible section of the pouch

15b visible section of the pouch

16 transparent material of pouch

17 inner frame of smoking articles box

18 fluid tight sealing of pouch

I insert direction

W width direction

F front direction

Claims

A smoking articles box with a transparent pouch Claims

1. A smoking articles box (1) with an outer packaging (2) comprising a front panel (3), a back panel (4), left and right side panels (5a, b), a lower panel (6) and a lid (10), to gether surrounding a volume (7) for housing a collation of smoking articles (8) and forming a body section (9), on which the lid (10) is hinged, wherein the front panel (3) extends from the lid (10) to the lower panel (6) in an insertion direction (I) and from the left (5a) to the right side panel (5b) in a width direction (W), wherein the lower panel (6) extends from the front (3) to the back (4) panel in a front direction (F), characterized in that a partially transparent pouch (12) comprises two sections (15a, b) and at least one, in between the sections (15a, 15b) in the insertion direction (I) back and forth movable medium (13), wherein the pouch (12) is applied on an inside facing inner surface (14a) of the front panel (3), wherein the front panel (3) comprises at least one cutout (11), wherein at least one section (15b) is at least partially visible arranged in the cut out (11) and the other section (15a) is arranged behind the front panel (3) with re spect to the front direction (F).

2. The smoking articles box (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pouch (12) further comprises of a front face (12a) and a back face (12b), the front face (12a) facing away from the inner volume of the box (1) against the front direction (F) and the back face (12b) facing towards the inner volume in the direction of the front direction (F), whereas at least one of them comprises a communication mes sage (13b, c), preferably an imagery.

3. The smoking articles box (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pouch (12) comprises at least partially a transparent material.

4. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the pouch (12) comprises a fluid-tight sealing (18).

5. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the medium (13) comprises coloured particles (13a), preferably opaque particles.

6. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the front panel (3) comprises a second cutout (11a) wherein at least one section (15b) is at least partially visible arranged in the cutout (11) and the other section (15a) is at least partially visible arranged in the second cutout (11a).

7. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the smoking articles box (1) comprises an inner frame (17), which is adhered on the inside faced inner surface (14a), wherein the pouch (12) is arranged between the in ner frame (17) and the front panel (3).

8. The smoking articles box (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the inner frame (17) is fixed to the inner surface (14a) by an adhesive.

9. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the smoking articles box (1) comprises a material, preferably cardboard, with a weight of at least 80 gsm, preferably 100 gsm, even more preferred 120 gsm and/or a maxi mum weight of 240 gsm, preferably 210 gsm, even more preferred 180 gsm.

10. The smoking articles box (1) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the material has a thickness of at least 0.08 mm, preferably 0.09 mm, even more pre ferred 0.1 mm and/or a maximum thickness of 0.4 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, even more preferred 0.2 mm.

11. The smoking articles box (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the transparent material has a thickness of at least 0.08 mm, preferably 0.09 mm, even more preferred 0.1 mm and/or a maximum thickness of 0.4 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, even more preferred 0.2 mm, preferably the same thickness as the material.

12. A pouch (12) for a smoking articles box (1) according to claims 1-11 , characterized in that the pouch (12) further comprises two sections (15a, b) and at least one in between the sections (15a, 15b) in the insertion direction (I) back and forth movable medium (13), preferably coloured particles (13a).

13. The pouch (12) according to claims 12, characterized in that a front face (12a), which is directed against the front direction (F) and/or a back face (12b), which is directed with respect to the front direction (F) are printed or sprayed with ink (20).

14. The pouch (12) according to claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the pouch further comprises a between the sections (15a, 15b) in the insertion direc tion (I) back and forth movable second medium (13a), wherein the second medium (13a) comprises a liquid, preferably distilled water.

15. A method for manufacturing a smoking articles box (1) according to claims 1-11, comprising the steps: a) Providing a smoking articles box (1) according to claims 1-11; b) Providing a pouch (12) according to claims 12-14; c) Filling the pouch (12) with at least one back and forth movable medium (13); d) Sealing the pouch (12); e) Attaching the pouch (12) to the smoking articles box (1).