WO2023007034A1

WO2023007034A1 - Container having inner stiffener

Info

Publication number: WO2023007034A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/071589
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ross LANGE; Julie POLIER; Digvijay Singh
Original assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2022-08-01
Publication date: 2023-02-02

Abstract

A container for consumer goods, the container comprising: a box for housing the consumer goods, and an inner stiffener positioned within the box. The inner stiffener comprises: an inner stiffener front wall, first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls, and an inner stiffener divider wall, the inner stiffener divider wall extending from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall to thereby divide the space for the consumer goods into a first compartment and a second compartment. The inner stiffener also comprises a first space reducing feature configured reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods.

Description

CONTAINER HAVING INNER STIFFENER

The present invention relates to a container for consumer goods. Containers according to the invention find particular application as containers for aerosol generating articles or components of aerosol generating articles.

It is known to package consumer goods in containers formed from folded laminar blanks. By way of example, elongate smoking articles combusted to form smoke and smoking articles intended to be heated but not burned, are often sold in rigid box shaped containers, such as hinged lid containers having a box portion and a three-dimensional cup shaped hinge lid connected to the box about a hinge line extending across the rear wall of the container. In use, the lid is pivoted about the hinge line to open the pack and so gain access to the consumer goods held in the box.

The bundle of smoking articles housed in the box portion is commonly wrapped in an inner liner of metallised paper, metal foil or other flexible sheet material. Said wrapped bundle may be referred to as an inner bundle or inner package. In some known containers, the inner package is a sealed inner package, with the inner liner being a sheet of airtight material wrapped around the bundle of smoking articles to form a sealed enclosure. In such containers, the inner package may have a smoking article extraction opening, which is sealed by a re-usable sealing flap, for example, as described in EP2155568A1. The smoking article extraction opening may be accessible when the lid of the outer housing is moved to an open position.

It is also known to include a laminar blank within the box portion of a container to provide one or both of extra rigidity and extra strength. The laminar blank may consist of multiple panels which are folded to correspond with one or more of the walls of the box portion. In some containers, the laminar blank may be provided external to the inner liner, in which case the laminar blank is often referred to as an inner frame. In some containers, the laminar blank is itself wrapped by the inner liner along with the bundle of consumer goods, such that the laminar blank forms part of an inner package. In such containers, the laminar blank is often referred to as an inner stiffener.

Whilst it is generally desirable to securely enclose consumer goods within the container, and better protect and preserve the consumer goods through features such as the inner liner and inner stiffener/inner frame, it is also important that a user is ultimately able to easily access the consumer goods when they come to use the container. It is therefore desirable to ensure that features of the container can help with the ease of accessing the consumer goods contained therein. Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a novel container having improvements which can help with ease of access for the one or more consumer goods contained therein.

The present disclosure concerns a container for consumer goods. The container may comprise a box for housing the consumer goods. The box may comprise an opening for accessing the consumer goods. The box may comprise a box front wall. The box may comprise a box back wall. The box may comprise a box bottom wall. The box may comprise first and second opposed box side walls. The container may comprise an inner stiffener. The inner stiffener may be positioned within the box. The inner stiffener may comprise an inner stiffener front wall. The inner stiffener may comprise first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls. The inner stiffener front wall may at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods. The first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls may at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods. The inner stiffener front wall and the first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls may together at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods. The inner stiffener may comprise an inner stiffener divider wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may extend from the inner stiffener front wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may extend towards the box back wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may extend from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may extend from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall to thereby divide the space for the consumer goods into a first compartment and a second compartment. The inner stiffener may comprise a first space reducing feature. The first space reducing feature may extend from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall. The first space reducing feature may extend into the space for the consumer goods to thereby reduce the space available for housing consumer goods. The first space reducing feature may extend into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for consumer goods. The container comprises: a box for housing the consumer goods, the box comprising an opening for accessing the consumer goods, a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, and first and second opposed box side walls; and an inner stiffener positioned within the box. The inner stiffener comprises: an inner stiffener front wall, and first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls, which together at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods; and an inner stiffener divider wall, the inner stiffener divider wall extending from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall to thereby divide the space for the consumer goods into a first compartment and a second compartment. The inner stiffener further comprises a first space reducing feature, the first space reducing feature extending into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods.

By providing the container with an inner stiffener having an inner stiffener divider wall, the space in box of the container for the consumer goods can be divided into two compartments. This enables the consumer goods to be divided into two separate groups within the box. This allows consumer goods from one of the groups to be removed from the container without necessarily impacting the arrangement of the consumer goods in the other group. Furthermore, the inner stiffener divider wall also restricts the amount of space any consumer good can move within when in the container. This is particularly relevant if the consumer goods are initially packed tightly within the container when the container is first provided to a user. As each consumer good is removed from the container more space becomes available in the container for those consumer goods remaining in the container. By providing an inner stiffener divider wall within the container, movement of the remaining consumer goods within the container is at least partially restricted by the inner stiffener divider wall. This can be particularly advantageous when the consumer goods are elongate consumer goods, which may be more susceptible to tipping or sliding within the container when more space within the container becomes available.

By providing a first space reducing feature extending into the first compartment, the available space for consumer goods within the first compartment can be reduced. In some circumstances this could generally be regarded as a drawback, given that it could be seen to reduce the overall capacity for housing consumer goods in the container. However, in the present invention, the specific positioning of the space reducing feature is such that the space reducing feature reduces a portion of space within the container that may otherwise be difficult for a user of the container to access. In particular, the first space reducing feature extends into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall. This portion of the container may be difficult for a user to access, for example, because it is at least partially obstructed by a feature of the container, such as one or more of a portion of an inner frame, a portion of an inner stiffener, and a portion of an inner liner. Consequently, the first space reducing feature can prohibit a consumer good from residing in such a difficult-to-access location, and thus avoid the need for a user of the container to attempt to access a consumer good in said location.

By providing the container with an inner stiffener having an inner stiffener divider wall in combination with a first space reducing feature, the container of the invention can be particularly effective at improving access for the consumer goods housed within the container. In particular, the inner stiffener divider wall and the first space reducing feature can act together to curtail the space within the container in which the consumer goods may reside. Through design of an inner stiffener having an inner stiffener divider wall in combination with a first space reducing feature, the consumer goods can therefore be generally retained in a position of the container which is generally more accessible to a user of the container, such as a central region of the container. That is, the first space reducing feature can prevent a consumer good from residing too close to a front corner of the container, which may be generally difficult to access, whilst the divider wall can at the same time act to prevent said consumer good from moving beyond the periphery of the first compartment defined by the divider wall. As such, the claimed inner stiffener of the container can synergistically act to help with the ease of accessing consumer goods housed within the container. The present invention is particularly suited to containers containing elongate consumer goods, such as elongate smoking articles. In the following description of the invention the terms “side”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back” and other terms used to describe relative positions of the components of containers according to the invention refer to the container in an upright position with the access opening at the top. When describing containers according to the present invention, these terms are used irrespective of the orientation of the container being described. The “bottom” of the container refers to the side of the container opposite the “top” of the container.

The term “height” is used herein to refer to dimensions extending between the top and the bottom. The term “width” is used herein to refer to dimensions extending between two sides. The term “depth” is used herein to refer to dimensions extending between the front and the back. Height, width and depth are orthogonal to each other.

The term “panel” is used herein to refer to a portion of the container formed from a single, continuous portion of material. A panel may depend from one or more other panels.

The term “wall” refers more generally to a facet of the container, and a wall may be formed from a single panel or flap, or a wall may be formed from two or more abutting or overlapping panels or flaps.

The term “depending” is used herein to describe a physical connection between two elements of a container in accordance with the invention. In more detail, the term “depending” is used to indicate that there is a material continuity between two elements, such as two walls or panels of a container or blank. This encompasses both cases wherein a wall or panel depends directly from an adjacent wall or panel as well as cases wherein an intermediate wall or panel effectively connects two walls or panels.

By way of example, a side wall or panel may depend directly from an adjacent front wall or panel. In such case, the wall or panel typically depends along a fold line from the adjacent wall. As an alternative, especially in containers having curved or bevelled edges, a side wall or panel may depend indirectly from a front wall or panel. In such case a curved or bevelled edge wall or panel connects the side wall or panel and the front wall or panel. In the case of a bevelled edge, both side wall or panel and front wall or panel may depend from the connecting bevelled edge wall or panel along respective fold lines. This also applies to optional components of containers in accordance with the invention, for example to a reinforcing member provided in the form of an inner frame.

The term “hinge line” is used herein to refer to a line about which the lid may be pivoted in order to open the container. A hinge line may be, for example, a fold line or a score line. The hinge line about which the lid is connected to the box may coincide with an edge of the container, or the hinge line may extend across a wall of the container at a position that is spaced apart from the edges.

The term “inner surface” is used throughout the specification to refer to the surface of a component of the assembled container that is facing towards the interior of the container or package, for example towards the consumer goods, when the container is in the closed position. The term “outer surface” is used throughout the specification to refer to the surface of a component of the container that is facing towards the exterior of the container or package. For example, the front wall of the container or package has an inner surface that is facing the inside of the container or package and the consumer goods, and an outer surface facing away from the consumer goods. It should be noted that the inside or outside surface is not necessarily equivalent to a certain side of a blank used in assembly of the container or package. Depending on how the blank is folded around the consumer goods, areas that are on the same side of the blank can either face towards the inside or the towards the outside of the container or package.

The term “fold line” is used to describe any line of a blank about which the blank is folded. The fold line may be defined by a line of weakness to assist with the folding action. Alternatively, a fold can be formed without the presence of a weakening line, depending for example on the pliability of the blank material and other material characteristics.

The first space reducing feature may comprise a first panel extending from the first inner stiffener side wall and a second panel extending from the inner stiffener front wall. The first panel may be connected to the second panel by a fold line positioned within the first compartment. The first panel may be connected to the first inner stiffener side wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the first inner stiffener side wall. The second panel may be connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the inner stiffener front wall. The first panel may form an angle of about 90 degrees with the second panel. The first panel may be substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall. The second panel may be substantially parallel with the first inner stiffener side wall.

Forming the first space reducing feature from the first and second panels having one or more of the features described above may allow for more precise control over the size of the first space reducing feature, and consequently more precise control over the proportion of the first compartment that is reduced by the presence of the first space reducing feature. Forming the first space reducing feature from the first and second panels having one or more of the features described above may allow the first space reducing feature to have sufficient strength to resist deformation from any pressure applied to the first space reducing feature by one or more consumer goods contained within the container.

The first space reducing feature may have a height of less than about 80 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of less than about 50 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of less than about 30 percent of the height of the inner stiffener.

The first space reducing feature may have a height of at least about 5 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of at least about 10 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of at least about 20 percent of the height of the inner stiffener. The inner stiffener may comprise an upper portion and a lower portion. The first space reducing feature may be only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener. Consequently, the size of the portion of the first compartment defined by the upper portion of the inner stiffener may be greater than the size of the portion of the first compartment defined by the lower portion of the inner stiffener. Arranging for the first space reducing feature to be only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener can advantageously mean that the first space reducing feature is less visible or not visible at all to a user of the container. For example, this may mean that a user is not aware of the first space reducing feature when first opening the container.

The first space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by at least about 5 percent, more preferably by at least about 10 percent, even more preferably by at least about 20 percent.

The first space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area of at least about 5 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment, more preferably at least about 10 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment, even more preferably at least about 15 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment.

The first space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by no more than about 40 percent, more preferably by no more than about 30 percent, even more preferably by no more than about 20 percent.

The first space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area of no more than about 25 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment, more preferably no more than about 20 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment, even more preferably no more than about 15 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment.

The inner stiffener divider wall may substantially extend all the way from the inner stiffener front wall to the box back wall. Therefore, in some embodiments, the inner stiffener divider wall may be in contact with the box back wall. In some embodiments, the inner stiffener divider wall may be in contact with a portion of the inner liner residing at the back of the box, and said portion of the inner liner may be in contact with the box back wall.

The inner stiffener divider wall may be positioned in a central region of the box. The inner stiffener divider wall may be positioned substantially equidistant between the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may extend from a fold line at the inner stiffener front wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may be connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line.

The inner stiffener divider wall may be spaced from the first inner stiffener side wall by a distance equating to at least 25 percent, at least 30 percent, or at least 40 percent of the distance between the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may be spaced from the second inner stiffener side wall by a distance equating to at least 25 percent, at least 30 percent, or at least 40 percent of the distance between the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall.

The inner stiffener divider wall may be spaced from each of the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall by a distance equating to at least 25 percent, at least 30 percent, or at least 40 percent of the distance between the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall.

The inner stiffener divider wall may be formed from two overlapping panels. Each of the two overlapping panels may extend from a respective fold line at the inner stiffener front wall. This may help with ease of manufacture of the inner stiffener and its inner stiffener divider wall. In particular, this may help the inner stiffener to be formed of a single folded blank. The two overlapping panels may be connected together by a fold line positioned towards the back of the box. The two overlapping panels may be adhered together.

The inner stiffener divider wall may have a surface having a surface smoothness of 1.2 micrometres or less as measured in accordance with ISO 8791-4, preferably a surface smoothness of 0.8 micrometres or less as measured in accordance with ISO 8791-4. Such a surface smoothness may be provided by any suitable means. In some embodiments, the surface of the inner stiffener divider wall comprises a varnish, such as an ultraviolet (UV) cured varnish.

The inner stiffener divider wall may comprise a front portion disposed towards the front of the box and back portion disposed towards the back of the box. The front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may be adjacent to the inner stiffener front wall. In particular, the front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may be the portion of the inner stiffener divider wall which extends from the inner stiffener front wall. The back portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may be adjacent to the box back wall.

The front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may have an upper edge which is positioned below an upper edge of the back portion of the inner stiffener divider wall. As a result, the front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may be considered as being lowered relative to the back portion of the inner stiffener divider wall. Such an arrangement may help to hide the presence of the inner stiffener divider wall in the box. That is, the front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may be configured to reside below the top end of consumer goods located in the front of the box, such that the front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall is at least partially obscured from view by said consumer goods. The front portion of the inner stiffener divider wall may have a reduced height in comparison to the height of the back portion of the inner stiffener divider wall.

The container may be configured to house any suitable type of consumer goods, such as one or more aerosol-generating articles. The present disclosure therefore includes a container as described above wherein the container further comprises a plurality of consumer goods housed within the box. Each consumer good may be substantially elongate. Each consumer good may be substantially cylindrical. The present invention is particularly suited to containers comprising consumer goods, which are one or both of elongate and cylindrical, such as elongate aerosol generating articles.

The plurality of consumer goods may be a plurality of aerosol-generating articles. The aerosol-generating articles may be filter cigarettes or other aerosol-generating articles in which an aerosol-generating substrate comprises a tobacco material that is combusted to form smoke. The aerosol-generating articles may be articles in which a tobacco material is heated to form an aerosol, rather than combusted. The aerosol-generating articles may be articles in which a nicotine-containing aerosol is generated from a tobacco material, tobacco extract, or other nicotine source, without combustion, and in some cases without heating, for example through a chemical reaction. The aerosol-generating articles may be rod shaped.

Each consumer good may be positioned within the box of the container, such that the longitudinal axis of said consumer good extends from the box bottom wall to the opening of the box. In this way, one end of the consumer good may be located at or close to the opening of the box, with the other end of the consumer good located at or close to the box bottom wall. To access such a consumer good a user may grasp on the end of the consumer good located at or close to the opening of the box.

The plurality of consumer goods may comprise a first group of consumer goods positioned in the first compartment. The plurality of consumer goods may comprise a second group of consumer goods positioned in the second compartment. Each of the first and second groups of consumer goods may comprise a first row of consumer goods positioned towards the box front wall and a second row of consumer goods positioned towards the box back wall. The number of consumer goods in the first row is less than the number of consumer goods in the second row. The first space reducing feature may be positioned to reduce the space available for the first row of consumer goods in the first compartment. A front portion of the first compartment may comprise the first space reducing feature and the first row of consumer goods. A back portion of the first compartment comprises the second row of consumer goods. The first space reducing feature may therefore be configured to occupy the space of one or more of the consumer goods that might otherwise have been included in the first row of consumer goods. This can help to prevent one or more consumer goods in the first row from being located in a position within the box which may be difficult for a user of the container to access.

The first row of consumer goods may consist of between 4 and 8 consumer goods. The first row of consumer goods may consist of between 4 and 6 consumer goods. The second row of consumer goods may consist of between 6 and 10 consumer goods. The second row of consumer goods may consist of between 6 and 8 consumer goods. The first row of consumer goods may consist of between 1 and 4 less consumer goods than the second row of consumer goods. The first row of consumer goods may consist of between 2 and 4 less consumer goods than the second row of consumer goods.

The first space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by at least the cross-sectional area of one of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box, more preferably by at least the cross-sectional area of two of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box.

The first space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area equivalent to at least the cross-sectional area of one of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box, more preferably equivalent to at least the cross-sectional area of two of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box.

The first space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by no more than the cross-sectional area of four of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box, more preferably no more than the cross-sectional area of three of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box.

The first space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area equivalent to no more than the cross-sectional area of four of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box, more preferably no more than the cross-sectional area of three of the plurality of consumer goods housed within the box.

The container may further comprise a lid connected to the box. The lid and the box may together form an outer housing of the container. The outer housing may be a rectangular parallelepiped comprising two wider walls spaced apart by two narrower walls. The rectangular parallelepiped container may have right-angled longitudinal edges and right-angled transverse edges. The container may comprise one or more rounded longitudinal edges, rounded transverse edges, bevelled longitudinal edges or bevelled transverse edges, or combinations thereof.

The lid may be formed from a folded laminar blank. The box may be formed from a folded laminar blank. The lid and the box may be formed from the same single folded laminar blank.

The lid may be configured to move relative to the box between a closed position in which the lid covers the opening of the box and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the box. The lid may be hingedly connected to the box by a hinge line. The hinge line may extend across the box back wall. The lid may be pivotable about the hinge line between a closed position in which the lid covers the opening of the box and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the box.

The lid may be a three-dimensional cup shaped lid. The lid may comprise a lid front wall. The lid may comprise a lid back wall. The lid may comprise a lid top wall. The lid may comprise first and second opposed lid side walls. The lid may be configured to overlie an upper portion of one or more of the inner stiffener front wall, first inner stiffener side wall and second inner stiffener side wall when the lid is in the closed position.

The inner stiffener front wall may have an upper edge. The upper edge of the inner stiffener front wall may comprise a recessed portion for enhancing access to consumer goods housed within the box.

The inner stiffener divider wall may extend above the recessed portion of the upper edge of the inner stiffener front wall. That is, at least a portion of the upper edge of the inner stiffener divider wall may be positioned above the recessed portion of the upper edge of the inner stiffener front wall, particularly at the point where the inner stiffener divider wall extends toward the back of the box.

The inner stiffener front wall may abut the box front wall. The first inner stiffener side wall may abut the first box side wall. The second inner stiffener side wall may abut the second box side wall. In such embodiments, the inner stiffener may be regarded as an inner frame.

The container may further comprise an inner liner. The inner liner may be a wrapper. The inner liner may be a wrapper formed as a laminate. The laminate may be a laminate of a metallised polyethylene film, and a liner material. The inner liner may be a super-calendered glassine paper. The wrapper may be substantially air-impermeable.

The inner liner may be wrapped around the bundle of consumer goods. The inner liner may be wrapped around the inner stiffener, with the inner liner and the inner stiffener together forming an inner package.

The inner package may comprise an inner package front wall. The inner package may comprise an inner package back wall. The inner package may comprise an inner package top wall. The inner package may comprise an inner package bottom wall. The inner package may comprise first and second opposed inner package side walls. One or more of the walls of the inner package may abut the inner surface of a corresponding wall of the box of the container. One or more of the walls of the inner package may be formed by the inner liner.

Where the inner package comprises an inner package front wall, an inner package top wall and first and second opposed inner package side walls, the inner package front wall may extend to the full height of the inner package at least at the portions of the inner package front wall respectively adjacent to the first and second opposed inner package side walls.

The inner package may comprise an access opening extending at least partly across the inner package top wall. The periphery of the access opening may be spaced away from each of the first and second opposed inner package side walls by respective portions of the inner package top wall. That is, the access opening does not extend all the way to either of the first and second opposed inner package side walls at the top of the inner package. The periphery of the access opening may be generally U-shaped at the top of the inner package. The access opening may extend at least partly across an upper portion of the inner package front wall. The periphery of the access opening may be spaced away from each of the first and second opposed inner package side walls by respective portions of the inner package front wall. That is, the access opening does not extend all the way to either of the first and second opposed inner package side walls at the front of the inner package. The periphery of the access opening may be generally U-shaped at the front of the inner package.

The first spacing reducing feature of the present invention is particularly suited to containers having inner packages of the type described above. This is because, in such containers, the front corner portions of the box of said containers is often at least partly enclosed by a feature of the inner package, such as one or both of the inner stiffener and the inner liner. This is particularly applicable in containers where one or both of the inner package front wall and inner package top wall creates a barrier between the periphery of the access opening and a respective one of the first and second opposed inner package side walls. In such containers, one or both of the inner package front wall and inner package top wall may occlude any consumer good disposed in a front corner portion of the box, thus making it difficult to access said consumer good or consumer goods. Accordingly, by providing a space reducing feature within the inner package in said location of the box, it is possible to prevent a consumer good from residing in such a location. As such, a user of the container will not need to attempt to remove a consumer good from said location, thus improving the ease of accessing the one or more consumer goods in the container.

The container may comprise a reclosable adhesive label occluding the access opening of the inner package. The reclosable adhesive label may extend beyond the periphery of the access opening of the inner package. The reclosable adhesive label may be affixed to the lid of the container, such that upon opening the lid, the reclosable adhesive label is moved from: a closed position, wherein the reclosable adhesive label overlies at least the access opening; to an open position, wherein the reclosable adhesive label is lifted away from the inner package to at least partly reveal the access opening of the inner package.

The reclosable adhesive label may comprise at least a bottom layer and a top layer of labelling material. The bottom layer may be affixed to a flap portion of the inner package by means of a permanent adhesive. The flap portion of the inner package may be configured to at least partially separate from the remainder of the inner package along a line of weakness in the inner package. The line of weakness may at least partly define the perimeter of the access opening of the inner package. The line of weakness may be generally U-shaped. The top layer of the reclosable adhesive label may be affixed to the bottom layer of the reclosable adhesive label by means of a permanent adhesive. A first portion of top layer of the reclosable adhesive label may extend beyond the periphery of the bottom layer. The first portion of top layer of the reclosable adhesive label may comprises a semi-permanent adhesive for sealing the reclosable adhesive label on the inner package when the reclosable adhesive label is in the closed position. The first portion of top layer of the reclosable adhesive label may be generally U-shaped.

The inner stiffener may comprises an inner stiffener bottom wall. The inner stiffener bottom wall may be connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line. The fold line may be disposed at the bottom of the inner stiffener front wall, for example, at a bottom edge of the inner stiffener front wall.

The inner stiffener may be formed from one or more folded laminar blanks. The first space reducing feature may be formed from the same laminar blank as at least one of the first inner stiffener side wall and the inner stiffener front wall, more preferably formed from the same laminar blank as both of the first inner stiffener side wall and the inner stiffener front wall.

The inner stiffener divider wall may be formed from the same laminar blank as the inner stiffener front wall. The inner stiffener divider wall may be formed from the same laminar blank as the inner stiffener front wall, the first spacing reducing feature and the first inner stiffener side wall. The inner stiffener may be formed from a single laminar blank.

The inner stiffener may further comprise an inner stiffener bottom wall. The inner stiffener bottom wall may extend from a bottom edge of the inner stiffener front wall. The inner stiffener bottom wall may extend from a bottom edge of the first inner stiffener side wall. The inner stiffener bottom wall may extend from a bottom edge of the second inner stiffener side wall. The inner stiffener bottom wall may extend across the entire base of the first compartment. The inner stiffener bottom wall may extend across the entire base of the second compartment. The inner stiffener bottom wall may be formed from the same laminar blank as the inner stiffener front wall, the first spacing reducing feature and the first inner stiffener side wall.

The inner stiffener may further comprise a second space reducing feature. The second space reducing feature may have any feature or combination of features, which correspond to those described above in respect of the first space reducing feature.

For example, the second space reducing feature may extend from the second inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall. The second space reducing feature may extend into the space for the consumer goods to thereby reduce the space available for housing consumer goods. The second space reducing feature may extend into the second compartment from the second inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the second compartment for housing consumer goods. The second space reducing feature may comprise a third panel extending from the second inner stiffener side wall and a fourth panel extending from the inner stiffener front wall. The third panel may be connected to the fourth panel by a fold line positioned within the second compartment. The third panel may be connected to the second inner stiffener side wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the second inner stiffener side wall. The fourth panel may be connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the inner stiffener front wall. The third panel may form an angle of about 90 degrees with the fourth panel. The third panel may be substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall. The fourth panel may be substantially parallel with the second inner stiffener side wall.

The second space reducing feature may have a height of less than about 80 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of less than about 50 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of less than about 30 percent of the height of the inner stiffener.

The second space reducing feature may have a height of at least about 5 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of at least about 10 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of at least about 20 percent of the height of the inner stiffener.

As noted above, the inner stiffener may comprise an upper portion and a lower portion. The second space reducing feature may be only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener. Consequently, the size of the portion of the second compartment defined by the upper portion of the inner stiffener may be greater than the size of the portion of the second compartment defined by the lower portion of the inner stiffener. Arranging for the second space reducing feature to be only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener can advantageously mean that the second space reducing feature is less visible or not visible at all to a user of the container. For example, this may mean that a user is not aware of the second space reducing feature when first opening the container.

The second space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the second compartment by at least about 5 percent, more preferably by at least about 10 percent, even more preferably by at least about 20 percent.

The second space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area of at least about 5 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment, more preferably at least about 10 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment, even more preferably at least about 15 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment.

The second space reducing feature may reduce the cross-sectional area of the second compartment by no more than about 40 percent, more preferably by no more than about 30 percent, even more preferably by no more than about 20 percent.

The second space reducing feature may have a cross-sectional area of no more than about 25 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment, more preferably no more than about 20 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment, even more preferably no more than about 15 percent of the cross-sectional area of the second compartment.

Features described in relation to one example or embodiment may also be applicable to other examples and embodiments. Below, there is provided a non-exhaustive list of non-limiting examples. Any one or more of the features of these examples may be combined with any one or more feature of another example, or embodiment described herein.

EX1. A container for consumer goods, the container comprising: a box for housing the consumer goods, the box comprising an opening for accessing the consumer goods, a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, and first and second opposed box side walls; and an inner stiffener positioned within the box, the inner stiffener comprising: an inner stiffener front wall, and first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls, which together at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods; and an inner stiffener divider wall, the inner stiffener divider wall extending from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall to thereby divide the space for the consumer goods into a first compartment and a second compartment; and wherein the inner stiffener further comprises a first space reducing feature, the first space reducing feature extending into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods.

EX2. A container according to EX1, wherein the first space reducing feature comprises a first panel extending from the first inner stiffener side wall and a second panel extending from the inner stiffener front wall.

EX3. A container according to EX2, wherein first panel is connected to the second panel by a fold line positioned within the first compartment.

EX4. A container according to EX2 or EX3, wherein the first panel is connected to the first inner stiffener side wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the first inner stiffener side wall.

EX5. A container according to any of EX2 to EX4, wherein the second panel is connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the inner stiffener front wall.

EX6. A container according to any of EX2 to EX5, wherein the first panel forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the second panel.

EX7. A container according to any of EX2 to EX6, wherein the first panel is substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall.

EX8. A container according to any of EX2 to EX7, wherein the second panel is substantially parallel with the first inner stiffener side wall.

EX9. A container according to any of EX1 to EX8, wherein the first space reducing feature has a height of less than about 80 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of less than about 50 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of less than about 30 percent of the height of the inner stiffener. EX10. A container according to any of EX1 to EX9, wherein the inner stiffener comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the first space reducing feature is only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener.

EX11. A container according to any of EX1 to EX10, wherein the first space reducing feature reduces the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by at least about 5 percent, more preferably by at least about 10 percent.

EX12. A container according to any of EX1 to EX11, wherein the first space reducing feature reduces the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by no more than about 30 percent, more preferably by no more than about 20 percent.

EX13. A container according to any of EX1 to EX12, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall substantially extends to the box back wall.

EX14. A container according to any of EX1 to EX13, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall is positioned substantially equidistant between the first inner stiffener side wall and the second inner stiffener side wall.

EX15. A container according to any of EX1 to EX14, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall is formed from two overlapping panels, each of the two overlapping panels extending from a respective fold line at the inner stiffener front wall.

EX16. A container according to EX15, wherein the two overlapping panels are connected together by a fold line positioned towards the back of the box.

EX17. A container according to any of EX1 to EX16, further comprising a plurality of consumer goods housed within the box.

EX18. A container according to EX17, wherein each consumer good is substantially elongate.

EX19. A container according to EX18, wherein each consumer good is substantially cylindrical.

EX20. A container according to EX19, wherein each consumer good is positioned within the box of the container, such that the longitudinal axis of the consumer good extends from the box bottom wall to the opening of the box.

EX21. A container according to any of EX18 to EX20, wherein the plurality of consumer goods comprise a first group of consumer goods positioned in the first compartment and a second group of consumer goods positioned in the second compartment.

EX22. A container according to EX21, wherein each of the first and second groups of consumer goods comprises a first row of consumer goods positioned towards the box front wall and a second row of consumer goods positioned towards the box back wall.

EX23. A container according to EX22, wherein the number of consumer goods in the first row is less than the number of consumer goods in the second row. EX24. A container according to EX22 or EX23, wherein the first space reducing feature is positioned to reduce the space available for the first row of consumer goods in the first compartment.

EX25. A container according to any of EX22 to EX24, wherein a front portion of the first compartment comprises the first space reducing feature and the first row of consumer goods, and wherein a back portion of the first compartment comprises the second row of consumer goods.

EX26. A container according to any of EX17 to EX24, wherein the first space reducing feature reduces about 20 percent of the cross-sectional area of the first compartment.

EX27. A container according to any of EX1 to EX26, further comprising a lid hingedly connected to the box by a hinge line extending across the box back wall, the lid being pivotable about the hinge line between a closed position in which the lid covers the opening of the box and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the box.

EX28. A container according to any of EX1 to EX27, wherein the lid comprises a lid front wall, a lid back wall, a lid top wall, and first and second opposed lid side walls.

EX29. A container according to any of EX1 to EX28, wherein the lid is configured to overlie an upper portion of one or more of the inner stiffener front wall, first inner stiffener side wall and second inner stiffener side wall when the lid is in the closed position.

EX30. A container according to any of EX1 to EX29, wherein the inner stiffener front wall comprises an upper edge, and the upper edge of the inner stiffener front wall comprises a recessed portion for enhancing access to consumer goods housed within the box.

EX31. A container according to EX30, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall extends above the recessed portion of the upper edge of the inner stiffener front wall.

EX32. A container according to any of EX1 to EX31, wherein one or more of: the inner stiffener front wall abuts the box front wall; the first inner stiffener side wall abuts the first box side wall; and the second inner stiffener side wall abuts the second box side wall.

EX33. A container according to any of EX1 to EX31, further comprising an inner liner wrapped around the inner stiffener, the inner liner and the inner stiffener together forming an inner bundle.

EX34. A container according to any of EX1 to EX33, wherein the inner stiffener further comprises an inner stiffener bottom wall.

EX35. A container according to any of EX1 to EX34, wherein the first space reducing feature is formed from the same laminar blank as at least one of the first inner stiffener side wall and the inner stiffener front wall.

EX36. A container according to any of EX1 to EX35, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall is formed from the same laminar blank as the inner stiffener front wall. EX37. A container according to EX36, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall is formed from the same laminar blank as the inner stiffener front wall, first spacing reducing feature and first inner stiffener side wall.

EX38. A container according to any of EX1 to EX37, wherein the inner stiffener is formed from a single laminar blank.

EX39. A container according to any of EX1 to EX38, further comprising a second space reducing feature, the second space reducing feature extending into the second compartment from the second inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the second compartment for housing consumer goods.

EX40. A container according to EX39, wherein the second space reducing feature comprises a third panel extending from the second inner stiffener side wall and a fourth panel extending from the inner stiffener front wall.

EX41. A container according to EX40, wherein the third panel is connected to the fourth panel by a fold line positioned within the second compartment.

EX42. A container according to EX40 or EX41, wherein the third panel is connected to the second inner stiffener side wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the second inner stiffener side wall.

EX43. A container according to any of EX40 to EX42, wherein the fourth panel is connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the inner stiffener front wall.

EX44. A container according to any of EX40 to EX43, wherein the third panel forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the fourth panel.

EX45. A container according to any of EX40 to EX44, wherein the third panel is substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall.

EX46. A container according to any of EX40 to EX45, wherein the fourth panel is substantially parallel with the second inner stiffener side wall.

EX47. A container according to any of EX39 to EX46, wherein the second space reducing feature has a height of less than about 80 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of less than about 50 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of less than about 30 percent of the height of the inner stiffener.

EX48. A container according to any of EX39 to EX47, wherein the inner stiffener comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the second space reducing feature is only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener.

EX49. A container according to any of EX39 to EX48, wherein the second space reducing feature reduces the cross-sectional area of the second compartment by at least about 5 percent, more preferably by at least about 10 percent. EX50. A container according to any of EX39 to EX49, wherein the second space reducing feature reduces the cross-sectional area of the second compartment by no more than about 30 percent, more preferably by no more than about 20 percent.

Through an appropriate choice of dimensions, containers according to the invention may be designed to hold different types or numbers of consumer goods.

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

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of part of the container of Figure 1 with the lid of the container in an open position;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a first example inner stiffener and plurality of consumer goods for housing in the container of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a front view of the inner stiffener and plurality of consumer goods of Figure

3;

Figure 5 shows a bottom view of the inner stiffener and plurality of consumer goods of Figure 3;

Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of a second example inner stiffener for housing in the container of Figure 1 ;

Figure 7 shows a back perspective view of the second example inner stiffener;

Figure 8 shows a plan view of a laminar blank for forming the first example inner stiffener of Figures 3 to 5; and

Figure 9 shows a plan view of a laminar blank for forming the second example inner stiffener of Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container 1 according to the present invention. The container 1 comprises an outer housing formed of a folded laminar blank. The outer housing comprises a box 2 and a three-dimensional cup shaped hinge lid 4 connected to the box 2 about a hinge line extending across the rear wall of the container (not shown). The lid 4 is pivotable about the hinge line between the closed position shown in Figure 1, in which the lid 4 covers an opening at the top of the box 2, and the open position shown in Figure 2, in which consumer goods housed in the container 1 can be removed from the box 2.

The box 2 comprises a box front wall 20, a box back wall (not shown), a box bottom wall (not shown), a first box side wall 21 and a second box side wall 22. The lid 4 comprises a lid front wall 40, a lid back wall (not shown), a lid top wall 43, a first lid side wall 41 and a second lid side wall 42.

As best seen from Figure 2, an inner package 50 is disposed within the outer housing. The majority of the inner package 50 resides within the box 2 of the outer housing. When the lid 4 is in the closed position, the inner package 50 is entirely enclosed by the lid 4 and the box 2 of the outer housing. The inner package 50 comprises an inner package front wall 220, an inner package back wall 224, an inner package bottom wall (not shown), a first inner package side wall 221 and a second inner package side wall 222. As will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 9, the inner package 50 consists of an inner stiffener 6, an inner liner and a plurality of consumer goods. For ease of illustration, the plurality of consumer goods are not shown in Figures 1 and 2. To form the inner package 50, the inner stiffener is at least partially wrapped around the plurality of consumer goods and then the inner liner is wrapped around the inner stiffener and consumer goods.

The inner package front wall 220 and the inner package top wall 243 together define an access opening of the inner package 50. The access opening permits a user of the container 1 to access consumer goods from within the inner package 50 when the lid 4 is in the open position. At the front of the inner package 50, the access opening is defined by a U-shaped upper edge of the inner package front wall 220. At the top of the inner package 50, the access opening is defined by two portions of the inner package top wall 243, each of which is disposed adjacent to a respective one of the first and second inner package side walls 221 , 222. Consequently, at the top of the inner package, the access opening extends all the way to the top edge of the inner package back wall 224. Consequently, in the container 1 shown in Figure 2, the access opening does not extend all the way to either of the first and second opposed inner package side walls 221, 222.

As shown in Figure 2, the container 1 also comprises a reclosable adhesive label 30 configured to occlude the access opening of the inner package 50 when the lid 4 is in the closed position. The reclosable adhesive label 30 is arranged to extend beyond the periphery of the access opening of the inner package 50 when the lid 4 is in the closed position. The reclosable adhesive label 30 is affixed to the inner surface of the lid front wall 40, such that upon opening the lid 4, the reclosable adhesive label 30 is moved from: a closed position, wherein the reclosable adhesive label 30 overlies at least the access opening; to an open position, wherein the reclosable adhesive label 30 is lifted away from the inner package 50 to at least partly reveal the access opening of the inner package 50. The reclosable adhesive label comprises a bottom layer (not shown) and a top layer 32 of labelling material. The bottom layer is affixed to a flap portion 31 of the inner package 50 by a permanent adhesive. The flap portion 31 of the inner package is configured to at least partially separate from the remainder of the inner package 50 along a line of weakness in the inner package 50. The line of weakness defines the perimeter of the access opening of the inner package 50. The line of weakness is generally U-shaped. A first portion of top layer 32 of the reclosable adhesive label 30 extends beyond the periphery of the bottom layer. The first portion of top layer 32 of the reclosable adhesive label comprises a semi-permanent adhesive for sealing the reclosable adhesive label 30 on the inner package 50 when the reclosable adhesive label 30 is in the closed position. The first portion of top layer 32 of the reclosable adhesive label 30 is generally U-shaped.

As shown in Figure 2, the inner stiffener comprises an inner stiffener divider wall 65, which extends from the inner package front wall 220 to the inner package back wall 224. The inner stiffener divider wall 65 divides the internal space of the inner package 50 into a first compartment 51 and a second compartment 52. This enables the consumer goods to be divided into two separate groups within the box. The inner stiffener divider wall 65 therefore allows consumer goods to be divided into two separate groups within the box 4. This allows consumer goods from one of the groups to be removed from the container 1 without necessarily impacting the arrangement of the consumer goods in the other group. Furthermore, the inner stiffener divider wall 65 also restricts the amount of space that any consumer good can move within when in the container. As shown in Figure 2, the inner stiffener divider wall 65 has a lowered portion disposed towards the front of the box 4.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show different views of a first example inner stiffener 6 and plurality of consumer goods 90 for housing in the container 1 of Figures 1 and 2. The consumer goods 90 are elongate cylindrical aerosol-generating articles, such as cigarettes or aerosol-generating articles intended to be heated but not burned.

Each aerosol-generating article is also positioned within the inner stiffener 6, such that the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article extends from the bottom of the inner stiffener 6 to the top of the inner stiffener 6. When the inner stiffener 6 and consumer goods 90 are disposed within the container 1 of Figures 1 and 2, the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article extends from the box bottom wall to the opening of the box 2.

The inner stiffener 6 comprises an inner stiffener front wall 60, a first inner stiffener side wall 61 and a second inner stiffener side wall 62. The inner stiffener front wall 60 and the first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls 61 , 62 together at least partly enclose the consumer goods 90. The inner stiffener also comprises an inner stiffener divider wall 65. The inner stiffener divider wall 65 extends away from the inner stiffener front wall 60 to thereby divide the space enclosed by the inner stiffener front wall 60 and the first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls 61, 62 into a first compartment and a second compartment. This results in the consumer goods 90 being into a first group of consumer goods 91 in the first compartment and a second group of consumer goods 92 in the second compartment. The inner stiffener divider wall 65 is substantially parallel with the first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls 61, 62 and substantially perpendicular to the inner stiffener front wall 60.

The inner stiffener 6 further comprises a first space reducing feature 70 extending into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall 61 to the inner stiffener front wall 60 to thereby reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods. In particular, the first space reducing feature 70 comprises a first panel 71 extending from the first inner stiffener side wall 61 and a second panel 72 extending from the inner stiffener front wall 60. The first panel 71 is connected to the second panel 72 by a fold line 75 positioned within the first compartment. The first panel 71 is connected to the first inner stiffener side wall 61 by a fold line 76 positioned at a front edge of the first inner stiffener side wall 61. The second panel 72 is connected to the inner stiffener front wall 60 by a fold line 77 positioned at a side edge of the inner stiffener front wall 60. The first panel 71 forms an angle of 90 degrees with the second panel 72. The first panel 71 is substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall 60. The second panel 72 is substantially parallel with the first inner stiffener side wall 61.

As a result of the presence of the first space reducing feature 70, the space available for consumer goods in the front of the first compartment is more restricted than the space available for consumer goods in the back of the first compartment. Consequently, the front of the first compartment consists of a first row of two consumer goods, whereas the back of the first compartment consists of a second row of three consumer goods. The space occupied by the first space reducing feature 70 therefore corresponds to approximately the space required for one of the consumer goods. It should also be noted that the first space reducing feature 70 is preventing a consumer good from residing too close to a front corner of the inner stiffener 6 and consequently the front corner of the container. This front corner may be generally difficult to access.

The inner stiffener 6 also comprises a second space reducing feature 80 extending into the second compartment from the second inner stiffener side wall 62 to the inner stiffener front wall 60 to thereby reduce the space available in the second compartment for housing consumer goods. In particular, the second space reducing feature 80 comprises a third panel 83 extending from the second inner stiffener side wall 62 and a fourth panel 84 extending from the inner stiffener front wall 60. The third panel 83 is connected to the fourth panel 84 by a fold line 85 positioned within the second compartment. The third panel 83 is connected to the second inner stiffener side wall 62 by a fold line 86 positioned at a front edge of the first inner stiffener side wall 61. The fourth panel 84 is connected to the inner stiffener front wall 60 by a fold line 87 positioned at a side edge of the inner stiffener front wall 60. The third panel 83 forms an angle of 90 degrees with the fourth panel 84. The third panel 83 is substantially parallel with the inner stiffener front wall 60. The fourth panel 84 is substantially parallel with the second inner stiffener side wall 62.

As indicated in Figure 3, the inner stiffener 6 comprises an upper portion 68 and a lower portion 69. Each of the first space reducing feature 70 and the second space reducing feature 80 is only disposed in the lower portion 69 of the inner stiffener 6.

Figures 6 and 7 respectively show a front and back perspective view of a second example inner stiffener 606 for including in the container of Figure 1. The inner stiffener 606 of Figures 6 and 7 is substantially the same as the inner stiffener 6 of Figures 3, 4 and 5. However, in Figures 6 and 7, the inner stiffener 606 now also comprises an inner stiffener bottom wall 66. The inner stiffener bottom wall 66 extends across the entire base of the inner stiffener 606. Figure 8 shows a plan view of a first laminar blank 806 for forming the inner stiffener 6 of Figures 3 to 5. The first laminar blank 806 comprises a plurality of panels connected together by fold lines, with the panels being configured to be folded about the fold lines to form the inner stiffener 6. The fold lines are indicated by dashed lines in Figures 8 and 9.

The first laminar blank 806 comprises a first inner stiffener side wall panel 861 , a first inner stiffener front wall panel 860a, a first inner stiffener divider wall panel 865a, a second inner stiffener divider wall panel 865b, a second inner stiffener front wall panel 860b, and a second inner stiffener side wall panel 862 connected together in series by a plurality of parallel fold lines.

When the first laminar blank 806 is folded to form the inner stiffener 6, the first inner stiffener divider wall panel 865a is configured to overlie the second inner stiffener divider wall panel 865b to form the inner stiffener divider wall 65. That is, said panels 865a, 865b are folded by 180 degrees about the fold line 865 connecting them such that they overlap one another to form the inner stiffener divider wall 65. In the process of forming the inner stiffener divider wall 65 by such folding about fold line 865, the first inner stiffener front wall panel 860a is brought alongside the second inner stiffener front wall panel 860b such that they create a single inner stiffener front wall 60.

The first laminar blank 806 also comprises: a first panel 871 connected to the first inner stiffener side wall panel 861 by a fold line 876; a second panel 872 connected to the first inner stiffener front wall panel 860a by a fold line 877; a third panel 883 connected to the second inner stiffener side wall panel 862 by a fold line 886; and a fourth panel 884 connected to the second inner stiffener front wall panel 860b by a fold line 887. The first panel 871 is also connected to the second panel 872 by a fold line 875, whilst the third panel 883 is connected to the fourth panel 884 by a fold line 885. When the first laminar blank 806 is folded to form the inner stiffener 6, the first, second, third and fourth panels 871, 872, 883, 884 are folded about their respective fold lines 875, 876, 877, 885, 886, 887 to form first and second space reducing features 70, 80 for the inner stiffener 6 as illustrated by Figures 3 to 5.

Figure 9 shows a plan view of a second laminar blank 906 for forming the inner stiffener 606 of Figures 6 and 7. The second laminar blank 906 is substantially the same as the first laminar blank 806 and like reference numerals are used in Figure 9 to indicate like features to those of Figure 8. However, the second laminar blank 906 also comprises five additional panels for forming an inner stiffener bottom wall 66. These five additional panels consist of: a first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a connected to the first inner stiffener front wall panel 960a by a fold line; a second inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966b connected to the first inner stiffener side wall panel 961; a third inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966c connected to the second inner stiffener side wall panel 962; a fourth inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966d connected to the first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a by a fold line; and a fifth inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966e connected to the first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a by a fold line. When the second laminar blank 906 is folded to form the inner stiffener 606, the first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a is folded by about 90 degrees relative to first inner stiffener front wall panel 960a. The second inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966b and the third inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966c are then folded such that they reside on top of the first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a. Finally, the fourth and fifth inner stiffener bottom wall panels 966d, 966e are folded by 180 degrees relative to first inner stiffener bottom wall panel 966a, such that said panels 966d and 966d reside on top of the second and third inner stiffener bottom wall panels 966b, 966c. Said five panels 966a, 966b, 966c, 966d and 966e may be secured together by an adhesive such that they collectively form the inner stiffener bottom wall 66.

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods, the container comprising: a box for housing the consumer goods, the box comprising an opening for accessing the consumer goods, a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, and first and second opposed box side walls; and an inner stiffener positioned within the box, the inner stiffener comprising: an inner stiffener front wall, and first and second opposed inner stiffener side walls, which together at least partly enclose a space for the consumer goods; and an inner stiffener divider wall, the inner stiffener divider wall extending from the inner stiffener front wall towards the box back wall to thereby divide the space for the consumer goods into a first compartment and a second compartment; and wherein the inner stiffener further comprises a first space reducing feature, the first space reducing feature extending into the first compartment from the first inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the first compartment for housing consumer goods.

2. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the first space reducing feature comprises a first panel extending from the first inner stiffener side wall and a second panel extending from the inner stiffener front wall.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein first panel is connected to the second panel by a fold line positioned within the first compartment.

4. A container according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the first panel is connected to the first inner stiffener side wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the first inner stiffener side wall.

5. A container according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second panel is connected to the inner stiffener front wall by a fold line positioned at an edge of the inner stiffener front wall.

6. A container according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the first panel forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the second panel.

7. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first space reducing feature has a height of less than about 80 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, more preferably of less than about 50 percent of the height of the inner stiffener, even more preferably of less than about 30 percent of the height of the inner stiffener.

8. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner stiffener comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the first space reducing feature is only disposed in the lower portion of the inner stiffener.

9. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the first space reducing feature reduces the cross-sectional area of the first compartment by at least about 5 percent, more preferably by at least about 10 percent.

10. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall substantially extends to the box back wall.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner stiffener divider wall is formed from two overlapping panels, each of the two overlapping panels extending from a respective fold line at the inner stiffener front wall.

12. A container according to any preceding claim, further comprising an inner liner wrapped around the inner stiffener, the inner liner and the inner stiffener together forming an inner bundle.

13. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner stiffener further comprises an inner stiffener bottom wall.

14. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner stiffener is formed from a single laminar blank.

15. A container according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second space reducing feature, the second space reducing feature extending into the second compartment from the second inner stiffener side wall to the inner stiffener front wall to thereby reduce the space available in the second compartment for housing consumer goods.