HK1139111B - A pack for smoking articles - Google Patents

Description

Package for smoking articles

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pack for smoking articles such as cigarettes.

Background

Cigarettes are commonly sold in hinge-lid (HL) cartons or packs made of cardboard or other such material. HL packs are typically provided with a transparent outer cellophane wrap. Such a pack is then removed by the consumer to access the cigarettes or other smoking articles contained in the pack.

The HL pack is generally rectangular in shape and comprises a body portion and a lid portion which are hinged to one another. The main body includes: opposed front and rear panels, two opposed side panels, and a bottom panel; and the box cover includes: opposing front and rear panels, two opposing side panels, and a top panel opposing the bottom panel of the main body. The box cover and the back plate of the main body are connected together through a hinge. When the lid is closed, the side panels and front panel of the body abut the respective side panels and front panel of the lid. The hinge line between the rear panels is generally higher (closer to the top of the pack) than the line of abutment between the front panels, so that the line of abutment between the lid and the side panels of the body slopes obliquely downwards towards the front of the pack.

HL packs are typically provided with an inner frame, glued inside the body part of the pack. The inner frame typically includes a front panel and opposing side panels that extend past the line of abutment between the body and the lid. Thus, if the lid does not exactly match the body of the pack, the inner frame prevents exposure of the product in the pack.

A known problem with existing HL packs is that the lid may not remain fully closed at all times, particularly after the cellophane wrap has been removed. Most often, the lid may open slightly on the pack, however in more extreme cases the lid may fall open completely. This tendency is sometimes referred to as splaying. This opening facilitates undesirable access to/from the pack-for example, moisture may be lost from cigarette tobacco. If the lid becomes loose, there is a risk that some of the contents will fall out when the pack is lifted. In addition, packs having a lid which cannot be completely closed generally have a low appearance quality.

Splaying becomes an increasingly serious problem as cigarettes or other smoking articles are used from the pack. There are two main reasons. First, movement of the lid may be prevented by frictional engagement with the inner frame. However, repeated opening and closing of the lid (to access the product in the pack), such as when the cardboard of the pack becomes worn and/or bent, tends to reduce this frictional engagement. Secondly, the packages are usually designed so that there is a slight interference (typically less than 1mm) between the product in the package (when full) and the opening action of the lid. In other words, opening the lid of a full pack of cigarettes requires a slight, temporary compression of some of the cigarettes in the pack. However, after some of the cigarettes have been removed from the pack, this leaves room for the remaining cigarettes to move at least partially towards the rear of the pack, thereby eliminating any interference between the cigarettes and the opening action of the lid.

US 5904244 discloses a hinge-lid carton for cigarettes having a closure aid to assist in keeping the carton closed. The closure aid involves an inner side tab that extends upwardly from a side wall of the body of the pack to engage with an inner side tab in the lid of the pack. Another well-known mechanism to address splaying is to provide outwardly facing lugs or tabs on the inner frame in the event that the inner frame extends above the body of the pack. These lugs frictionally engage the lid when it is closed, thereby helping to hold the lid in place against splaying. Examples of such ears can be seen in WO 96/09230. However, such lugs are not always effective, and they sometimes cause creasing of the inner frame (which may be formed from a material less rigid than that of the body of the pack).

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention provides a hinge-lid pack for smoking articles. The pack comprises a body and a lid, each having respective front, rear and opposite side panels. The back plate of the lid is hinged to the back plate of the body. At least one side panel of the lid is provided with an inner tab extending substantially coplanar with the side panel of the lid to resist opening of the lid. Thus, the inner tab acts as a form of anti-opening mechanism to help ensure that the pack remains fully closed.

In one embodiment, the package further comprises an inner frame connected to the inside of the body. When the pack is closed, the inner tab is received between the inner frame and the side panel of the main body. This configuration between the inner frame and the body side panels helps to avoid the inner tabs from becoming bent or creased. In addition, friction between the inner tab and the inner frame and side panels helps to resist opening of the package.

In one embodiment, the inner tab engages the front panel of the body when the pack is closed. For example, the inner tab may overlap the front panel of the body, wherein the overlap is between 0.3-3mm, or more specifically between 0.5-2mm, e.g., about 1 mm. Other embodiments may have different degrees of overlap, as appropriate.

In one embodiment, the inner tab is angled to engage the front panel of the body when the pack is closed to prevent opening of the lid. The inner tab is further provided with a curved edge extending away from the corner. The curved prismatic shape is designed to remain substantially clear of the front panel of the body during opening of the lid. Thus, once the initial resistance to opening the lid has been overcome and the corner has separated from the front panel, the lid can then be opened further without significant additional resistance from the inner tab.

In the above embodiment, the engagement between the inner tab and the front panel prevents opening of the lid. In other embodiments, the opening of the lid may be prevented by other mechanisms, such as by friction between the inner tab and the interior of the respective side panel of the body portion of the pack. For example, in one embodiment, the inner tabs of the lid side panels are shaped to engage a restraining member having a complementary shape on the inside of the respective body side panel. The inner tab includes a projection that engages a complementary notch in the restraining member. In this embodiment, each body side panel may comprise an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the restraining member forms part of the inner layer.

In one embodiment, the inner tab portion adjacent the rear of the pack lid extends below and within the body side panel adjacent the rear of the pack. This configuration helps guide the inner tab into the body of the case when the pack is closed, from where it can then be engaged to the front panel of the body.

In one embodiment, the front panel of the body portion extends obliquely upwardly adjacent the side panel where it engages the inner tab. (in one particular embodiment, the inclined extension includes a continuation at the same angle as the inclination of the top edge forming the body side panel). The inclined extension helps to deflect the inner tab inwardly when the lid is closed. Thus, it facilitates overcoming any engagement between the inner tab and the front panel to close the pack, and also helps guide the inner tab into position between the side panels and the inner frame.

In one embodiment, the inner tab is formed from material that is folded in from the back panel of the lid, for example by modifying a panel that is already present in many existing HL packs (although in a conventional HL pack this panel is fully contained within the lid). Thus, it is relatively simple to manufacture a pack having such an inner tab using existing machinery.

In one embodiment, each of the two side panels of the lid is provided with an internal tab to engage with the front panel of the body to prevent the lid from opening when the pack is closed. Typically, the two inner tabs are identical to provide symmetrical resistance and may share any of the features described above.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a blank for manufacturing such a hinge-lid pack. Such blanks can be formed by modifying blanks for conventional HL packs so that the size and shape of some of the panels in the blank (and the overall size and shape of the blank) are changed.

Drawings

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings.

Figures 1a and 1b show the general structure of a hinge-lid pack.

Figure 2 is a more detailed front view of a hinge-lid pack according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a front view of the hinge-lid pack of figure 2 but with the lid removed.

Figure 4 is a side view of the hinge-lid pack of figure 2 with the lid open.

Figure 5 is a side view of the hinged lid pack of figure 2 with the lid closed.

Figure 6 is a detail of the hinged lid pack of figure 2 with the lid in the closed position.

Figure 7 is a side view of the hinge lid pack of figure 2 with the lid half open.

Figure 8 depicts a blank for a conventional hinge-lid pack.

Figure 9 depicts a blank for a hinge lid pack according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10 depicts a blank for a hinge lid pack according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 depicts a blank for a hinge lid pack according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 12 is a side view of a hinged lid pack formed from the blank of figure 10 with the lid closed.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1A and 1B show the general structure of a hinge-lid (HL) package 1. The HL pack is generally rectangular in shape and comprises a body portion 4 and a lid portion 5 which are hinged to one another. The main body includes: opposing front and rear panels 12, 13, two opposing side panels 11A, 11B, and a bottom panel (not shown in fig. 1A and 1B). The lid includes: opposing front and rear panels 22 and 23, two opposing side panels 21A and 21B (aligned with body side panels 11A and 11B, respectively), and a top panel 15 opposing the bottom panel of the lid. The body back panel 13 and lid back panel 23 are connected together by a hinge line 38 which is substantially parallel to the bottom of the pack.

When the pack is closed, the body front panel 12 abuts the lid front panel 22 along line 36, line 36 being substantially parallel to the bottom of the pack. The body side panels 11A, 11B abut the respective lid side panels 21A, 21B along lines 37A and 37B, respectively. Hinge line 38 is generally higher (closer to the top of the pack) than the line of abutment 36 between the front panels of the body and lid, so that the lines of abutment 37A, 37B between the lid and side panels of the body slope obliquely downwardly towards the front of the pack.

When the pack is opened, the lid portion 5 pivots about hinge line 38. This allows the lid front panel 22 to be separated from the body portion front panel 12, similar to that for the side panels, so that the contents of the HL pack 1 can be accessed.

Figure 2 shows the front of an HL pack in more detail according to one embodiment of the invention. As can be seen in figure 2, the middle portion of the line of abutment 36 between the body front panel 12 and the lid front panel 22 is horizontal (parallel to the bottom of the pack). However, the body front panel 12 and lid front panel 22 are shaped so that the two ends of the line of abutment 36 (i.e. near the edges with the side panels) are tilted obliquely upwards towards the top of the pack, as indicated by line segments 46A and 46B.

In one embodiment, line 46A is a continuation of line 37A of the side of the plate, and likewise, line 46B is a continuation of line 37B. In other words, the inclination of line 46A (relative to vertical or horizontal) is the same as that of line 37A, and the inclination of line 46B is the same as that of line 37B. Another possibility is that the angle of inclination of line 46A with respect to the vertical is sharper than that of line 37A (line 46B is the same).

In one embodiment, lines 46A and 46B have a length of between 1-3mm, such as about 2mm, and lines 46A and 46B are angled between 30 and 60 degrees, such as about 40 degrees, relative to line 36. It is understood that other embodiments may have different lengths and/or inclinations for lines 46A and 46B. For example, the angle of lines 46A and 46B may vary depending on the length of the lid (shorter or longer lid) and the style of pack.

Fig. 3 shows the HL pack of fig. 2 but with the lid 5 removed. The figure reveals the internal frame 102 of the package. The internal frame generally comprises: a front panel 112, and two opposing side panels 111A, 111B (frame side panel 111B is shown in FIG. 4A (in plain text, 4A is not present); opposing side panel 111A is not visible). The inner frame is attached to the main body portion 4 of the pack, typically by gluing the front panel 112 of the inner frame to the inner surface of the front panel 12 of the main body portion using an adhesive. In addition, the side plates 111A and 111B of the inner frame are generally adhered to the inner surfaces of the corresponding side plates (11A and 11B, respectively) of the main body portion 4.

The front panel 112 and side panels 111A, 111B of the inner frame 102 extend above the main body portion 4 of the HL pack. One reason for providing the internal frame 102 is: due to manufacturing tolerances, the body front panel 12 may not be able to abut exactly with the lid front panel 22; in other words, there may be a small void at the abutting line 36. Similarly, there may be a small gap at the line of abutment 37A between body side panel 11A and lid side panel 21A and/or at the line of abutment 37B between body side panel 11B and lid side panel 21B. Thus, the internal frame 102 acts as a liner for any such gaps along the lines of abutment 36, 37A and/or 37B. It then prevents the cigarettes or other smoking articles in the HL pack from being exposed, which could detract from the appearance of the product. The inner frame also acts as a barrier to access from/to the pack, adds strength to the pack (particularly when adhered to the body portion) and helps to keep the lid closed.

Fig. 4 depicts an HL pack according to one embodiment of the invention with the lid 5 open. It can be seen that the lid includes a curved extension or tab 201B which extends beyond the side panel 21B of the lid. The opposite side panel 21A of the lid is also provided with such a curved extension 201A (not visible in figure 4).

Fig. 5 depicts the HL pack of fig. 4 with the lid closed. When the lid 5 is closed, tab 201B slides between body side panel 11B and inner frame side panel 111B, as does the tab on the opposite side of the pack. The position of the tab 201B behind the side panel 11B is shown in dotted outline in fig. 5.

The tab 201B is sized and shaped so that corner 210B of the tab is located slightly below corner 15B of the body portion 4 of the HL pack. (corner 15B represents the point where the top of the body front panel 12 meets the top of the body side panel 11B; also corresponding to the point where line 46B meets line 37B). The overlap between the body front panel 12 and the tab 201B provides resistance to opening of the lid 5. Thus, the tab 201B acts as an anti-splay mechanism to keep the lid portion 5 fully closed to the base portion 4.

Although it may vary in each embodiment, the degree of overlap between the body front panel 12 and the tab 201B is about 1 mm. This amount of overlap enables the HL pack to be opened because HL packs are typically made from a relatively flexible material such as cardboard. In particular, when the consumer applies the appropriate force, the HL pack deforms slightly to disengage tab 201B from the front panel, thereby allowing the lid to be opened. The amount of deformation is small enough that the pack resiliently returns to its original configuration after the lid is opened. When the lid is closed again, a similar, temporary deformation occurs, allowing the tab 201B to return to the position shown in figure 5 (thereby resetting the anti-opening mechanism).

The resilient deformation of the HL pack is assisted by the upturned ends 46A, 46B of the line 36 when the lid is opened and closed. So that the major portion of the top of the body front panel, as shown by line 36, is lower than the corner portion of the top of the body front panel at corner 15B. When attempting to open the HL pack, tab 201B is guided by side panel 11B and body front wall 12 adjacent corner 15B to deflect inwardly, towards the region where the top of the front panel is lower (corresponding to line 36). The tab is then allowed to pass over (without touching) the front panel 12 of the body, thereby allowing the lid to be opened.

The upturned end of the body front panel 36 also helps when the lid 5 is closed, as shown in figure 6. Thus, when the lid 5 is closed, the edge of tab 201A adjacent corner 210A contacts corner 15A, where the top of body front panel 12 is joined to body side panel 11A at corner 15A. As the lid is further lowered, the inclination of line 46A deflects or pushes corner 210A of tab 201A slightly inwardly, out of the plane of side panels 11A and 37A in the direction shown by the arrows. This moves the corner 210A away from the highest portion of the body front panel 12 towards the lower portion corresponding to line 36, allowing the tab 201A to pass over the body front panel 12 without excessive force being required by the consumer. The tab 201A is then able to resiliently return to its original planar configuration, again to assist in this action as the tab 201A is received between the body side panel 11A and the inner frame side panel 111A (not visible). Finally, when the lid is fully closed, tab 201A returns to the anti-splay configuration shown in figure 5.

In another embodiment, there is no overlap between the body front panel 12 and the tab 201B. In this embodiment, friction between the tab 201B and the inner surface of the respective side panel 11B of the body portion 4 may provide resistance to opening of the pack. For example, referring to fig. 6, to open the lid 5, tab 201A is slid over side panel 11A (which is substantially coplanar with tab 201A). The friction associated with this sliding helps to keep the lid 5 closed. This resistance is increased if the pack is also provided with an inner frame 102, since the tab 201A is now located between the side panel 11A of the body portion 4 and the side wall 111A (not shown in figure 6) of the inner frame 102. This sandwich arrangement for the tab 201A provides greater friction for removing the tab 201A from between the side panel 11A of the body portion 4 and the side wall 111A of the inner frame 102.

Fig. 7 shows an HL pack according to one embodiment of the invention with the lid 5 half-open. The top corner 16B of the body side panel 11B adjacent the body back panel 13 is higher (i.e., has an overlap) than the bottom corner 211B of the tab 201B adjacent the hinge line 38 (see also fig. 5). In one embodiment, the overlap is between 0.5mm and 2.5mm, for example about 1 mm. It is understood that other embodiments may have different amounts of overlap.

This overlap helps to ensure that: the tab 201B is received inside (rather than outside) the body side panel 11B when the lid is closed. Although there is no overlap when the lid is fully open (as shown in figure 4), the bottom corner 211B of the tab portion is still close to the top corner 16B of the body side panel 11B. This limits the possibility of significant relative movement between the two. Thus, as the lid begins to close, the position of corner 211B in corner 16B is maintained, which then guides the remainder of tab 201B into the interior of side wall 11B to ensure proper operation of the anti-opening mechanism.

Figure 8 shows a blank for a conventional HL pack, the cut lines being shown in solid lines and the fold lines in broken lines. Fig. 9 shows a blank for an HL pack according to one embodiment of the invention. It will be appreciated that although the blank of figure 9 comprises the same set of panels as the blank of figure 8 and may be assembled using the same cuts and folds, the overall shape of the blank in figure 9 and the shape of some of the panels in the blank are different than in figure 8.

Both fig. 8 and 9 depict some additional panels not previously described. These additional panels are folded behind the other panels, except for panel 610, which forms the bottom of the package. Thus, panel 615 folds back up behind lid front panel 22; base side panels 612A and 612B are folded inwardly over the bottom of the package; the inner side plates 611A and 611B are stuck inside the side plates 11A and 11B; and lid top panels 614A and 614B fold under lid panel 15. Note that tabs 201A and 201B are connected to lid top panels 614A and 614B, respectively.

The following are the main differences between the blank of fig. 8 and the blank of fig. 9:

a) in the blank of fig. 8, the panels corresponding to tabs 201A and 201B extend the same way as the corresponding lid side panels 21A and 21B, respectively, whereas in the blank of fig. 9, tabs 201A and 201B are larger than the corresponding lid side panels 21A and 21B, respectively. Thus, in the blank of figure 8, the panels corresponding to tabs 201A and 201B do not extend below lid side panels 21A and 21B, and so, unlike the blank of figure 9, do not engage front panel 12 and/or respective body side panels 11A and 11B to provide any anti-splaying mechanism. Note also that because tabs 201A and 201B in fig. 9 are larger than the corresponding lid side panels 21A and 21B, respectively, the entire surface of lid side panel 21A can be used to adhere to tab 201A and the entire surface of lid side panel 21B can be used to adhere to tab 201B during assembly of the pack. (in contrast to the case of US 5904244 cited above, in which the inner side tab of the lid is reduced in size compared to the (outer) lid side panel).

b) In the blank of fig. 9, the top of the body side panels 11A and 11B are extended as compared to the blank of fig. 8, as shown by corners 16A and 16B. These extended side panels act as guides to help retain tabs 201A and 201B inside the body portion of the package.

c) In the blank of figure 9, the body front panel extending into the pack is cut obliquely at the top of the body side panels 11A and 11B, as indicated by lines 46A and 46B. These upwardly extending portions at the edges of the body front panel 12 help to hold the tabs 201A and 201B in the closed position to provide an anti-splaying mechanism, but also allow the lid to be opened as long as the tabs 201A and 201B are deflected slightly inwardly. Conversely, when the lid is closed, the upward extension urges tabs 201A and 201B inwardly to clear the body front panel 12, allowing the lid to be closed without excessive resistance. (Note that some prior HL packs have extended the oblique cuts at the top of the body side panels 11A and 11B slightly forward to the body front panel of the pack, primarily for aesthetic purposes).

It will be appreciated that because the blank of figure 9 has the same overall structure in terms of panels, cutting and folding as the blank of figure 8, the existing factory machinery for manufacturing HL packs from the blank of figure 8 can simply be modified to accommodate the blank of figure 9.

Fig. 10 shows a blank according to another embodiment of the invention. This blank bears many similarities to the blank of figure 9 and therefore only the differences between the two blanks will be described. The edges of the package of figure 10 are rounded (rather than sharp as with the blank according to figure 9) and they extend the length of the blank as shown by the parallel lines 801B and 801A. In particular, in the packet assembled from the blank of figure 10, the edges between the front panel 12, 22 and the two side panels 11A, 11B, 21A, 21B, and likewise the edges between the rear panel 13, 23 and the two side panels 11A, 11B, 21A, 21B, are rounded.

The rounded nature of these edges renders the engagement of the front edges of the inner tabs 201A and 201B with the top of the front panel 12 less effective. Thus, the blank of fig. 10 supports a different anti-splay mechanism based on the shape of the cut 810 between the inner side panel 611 and the inner tab 201. In particular, the cut line 810 relates to the complementary shapes of the inner side panel 611 and the inner tab 201 to provide engagement or interlocking of the inner side panel 611 and the inner tab 201. Note that in the blank of figure 10, the inner tabs 201 are still larger than the respective lid side panels 21 and therefore extend below these side panels (as is the case for the blank of figure 9).

Fig. 11 shows a blank according to another embodiment of the invention. The blank is substantially the same as the blank of fig. 10 except that the cut between the inner tab 201 and the side panel 611 is different, particularly with respect to the complementary shape at 810. It will be appreciated that many further possible cuts for the complementary shape 810 will be apparent to the skilled person.

Figure 12 shows the manner in which the complementary shapes 810 (shown in dotted lines) act to stop the lid from opening when the pack is closed. Thus, the inner tab 201B includes a projection or extension 812B directed downwardly toward the base (body) of the package. The projections are received in corresponding notches or grooves formed in the inner body side panels. The recess is bounded at the front of the pack by an upwardly directed extension 815 on the inner side panel towards the top (lid) of the pack.

If a user attempts to open the pack, the ledge 812 abuts (edge-to-edge) the extension 815 to prevent opening of the pack. When a slightly greater force is applied to open the package, the projections 812 and/or extensions 815 deform (elastically) such that they are no longer in the same plane. This therefore allows the projections 812 to slide over the extensions 815, allowing the lid to be opened. When the lid is closed, the tab 812 and extension 815 return to the position shown in fig. 12 to re-activate the anti-lock mechanism.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described, many further variations and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person. For example, although the present method has been described generally in the context of cigarettes, it may be applied to a variety of smoking articles, such as cigars. In addition, the embodiments described and illustrated herein relate to packs in which the edges are formed by panels at right angles and the edges are rounded. However, the package may be formed in any other shape known in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims (11)

1. A hinge lid pack for smoking articles comprising a body and a lid each having respective front, rear and opposed side panels, wherein the rear panel of the lid is hinged to the rear panel of the body and wherein at least one of the side panels of the lid is provided with an inner tab which extends co-planar with the side panel of the lid, characterised in that the inner tab engages with the front panel of the body when the pack is closed to prevent opening of the lid.

2. The package of claim 1, further comprising an inner frame connected to the interior of the body, wherein the inner tab is received between the inner frame and a side panel of the body when the package is closed.

3. A pack according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the inner tab is provided with a corner to engage with the front panel of the body when the pack is closed to resist opening of the lid, and a curved edge extending away from the corner, wherein the curved edge is shaped to remain clear of the front panel of the body during opening of the lid.

4. A pack according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the inner tab, which is coplanar with the lid side panel, engages with the body front panel when the pack is closed, the inner tab having an overlap with the body front panel in the range 0.3-3 mm.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein an inner tab coplanar with the lid side panel engages the body front panel when the package is closed, the inner tab having an overlap with the body front panel in the range of 0.5-2 mm.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein an inner tab coplanar with the lid side panel engages the body front panel when the package is closed, the inner tab having a 1mm overlap with the body front panel.

7. A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the front panel of the body extends obliquely upwardly adjacent the side panel where it engages the inner tab, said oblique extension serving to deflect the inner tab inwardly when the lid is closed.

8. The package of claim 7, wherein the inclined extension comprises a continuation at the same angle as the inclination of the top edge forming the side panel of the body.

9. A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the portion of the inner tab adjacent the rear of the pack lid extends below and within the side panel of the body adjacent the rear of the pack.

10. A pack according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the inner tab is formed from material folded in from the lid back panel.

11. A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each of the two side panels of the lid is provided with an inner tab to prevent the lid from opening when the pack is closed.