HK1209399A1 - Pack of smoking articles and associated method of packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a pack (P) of smoking articles (C), comprising a frame (2) of a semi-rigid material having a major panel (3), side flaps (4) and an optional end flap (5), which are arranged adjacent a face, opposite sides, and an end, respectively, of a charge (G) of smoking articles; and a flexible barrier sheet (12) around the charge (G) and the frame (2), forming a sealed enclosure; wherein at least one of the side flaps (4) has a cut-out region (7) such that said at least one side flap (4) is discontinuous over a length (L) of the respective opposite side of the charge (G) of smoking articles (C). The present invention also provides a method of packaging smoking articles in such a pack (P).

Description

Pack for smoking articles and related packaging method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to packaging smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and the like, which for brevity and clarity will be referred to herein simply as "smoking articles". In particular, the present invention relates to smoking article packs, to blanks for smoking article packs and to systems and methods for packaging smoking articles.

Background

Cigarette packs generally fall into two broad categories, namely rigid and flexible. Flexible packaging, as the name implies, is formed primarily of a flexible or pliable sheet material. In contrast, rigid packs have a snap-in housing to contain the charge of cigarettes and typically have a hinged lid which the user needs to manipulate to access the smoking articles.

Rigid packs enable the smoking articles and any inner wrapper (e.g. providing a barrier to prevent moisture ingress or escape) to be well protected, but their construction and assembly is relatively complex, which can be a significant cost factor. Flexible packages are simpler and cheaper to construct, but they carry a higher risk of damage to the contents during transport or handling.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a hybrid form of packaging for smoking articles (i.e. cigarettes, etc.) that may be described as semi-rigid. To date, various protective sheets have been placed between the smoking article filler and the outer wrapper. Recently, resealable packaging has been proposed that combines a rigid outer package of paperboard with a flexible inner package with a resealable lid. The purpose of such packaging is to promote the freshness of the smoking articles. However, the low stiffness of the resealable soft inner package may make the resealable lid difficult to reseal, especially when small amounts of smoking articles have been removed.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved package for smoking articles. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for packaging said smoking articles.

According to the present invention, there is provided a package of smoking articles having the features set forth in claim 1. Various advantages and/or preferred features of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

Thus, according to one aspect, the present invention provides a smoking article pack comprising: a frame of semi-rigid material having a main panel disposed adjacent to a surface of the charge of smoking articles; and a flexible barrier sheet surrounding the frame and the fill material, the flexible barrier sheet forming a sealed enclosure; wherein the frame supports the flexible barrier sheet on the surface of the charge of smoking articles and resists damage to the smoking articles and/or to the flexible barrier sheet from external pressure applied to the package.

Advantageously, the frame of semi-rigid material interposed between the smoking article filler and the soft or flexible outer barrier sheet provides better structural stability of the package. Thus, better structural stability helps protect the smoking articles within the package from external pressure. Furthermore, where the package has a resealable cover covering the access aperture (access aperture) to the sealed flexible barrier tab, the frame provides sufficient counter support to enable a user to efficiently reseal the package through the resealable cover. As will be appreciated, the smoking article charge, and hence the frame and corresponding pack itself, typically has the form of a generally rectangular prism or rectangular parallelepiped or cuboid.

In a preferred embodiment, the flexible barrier sheet may be attached to a frame of semi-rigid material in the package; for example, by adhesive or heat activated bonding.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame of the pack comprises side cover panels disposed adjacent opposite sides of said charge of smoking articles. The side cover panels preferably have at least one cut-out area such that each side cover panel is discontinuous over the length of a respective opposite side edge of said charge of smoking article. Furthermore, the side cover plates are further substantially symmetrical with respect to each other and/or with respect to the main panel.

Thus, according to another aspect, the present invention provides a package of smoking articles comprising: a frame of semi-rigid material having a main panel, side cover plates and optionally one or more end cover plates disposed adjacent to a surface, opposite sides and ends, respectively, of the smoking article charge; and a flexible barrier sheet placed around the fill material and the frame to form a sealed enclosure; wherein at least one of the side cover panels has a cut-out area such that the at least one side cover panel is discontinuous over the length of each side edge of the smoking article pack.

By employing cut-out areas in at least one and preferably both of the side cover panels, it has been found that the frame can provide enhanced structural stability to the package while maintaining a "soft" feel to the consumer similar to the soft packages described above. The discontinuous nature of the side flaps resulting from the cut-out areas means that the extent of the side flaps is interrupted over the length of the respective side edge of the package, or that the side flaps are not coextensive with the side edge of the package. In this regard, it is preferred that the cut-out areas of the side cover panels are provided in a substantially central region of the length of each side edge of the smoking article pack, or alternatively in an upper portion of the side edge remote from the end cover panel. In this regard, the frame optionally includes an end cap, preferably at the bottom or lower portion of the package.

In a preferred embodiment, the frame of semi-rigid material has a substantially flat or planar form in the unassembled or green state. That is, the main panel, the side cover panels with their cut-out areas, and the optional end cover panels of the frame all have a substantially flat or planar configuration and are typically hingedly connected to one another along a common edge. Accordingly, the semi-rigid material is preferably a semi-rigid sheet material, such as card, reinforced paper (stiff paper), cardboard, fiberboard, polymeric sheet material, and the like. While the semi-rigid sheet material, regardless of its composition, may be relatively flexible, it should still be dimensionally stable to impart structural stability to the smoking article package, thereby protecting the package and smoking article from damage (e.g., inadvertent compression or crushing) during shipping and storage.

In a preferred embodiment, the main panel of the frame has a reinforced area, which may be thicker than the rest of the frame. For example, the reinforced region may comprise a semi-rigid material optionally bonded to multiple layers or folds on the main panel with an adhesive. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the semi-rigid material of the multi-layer or folded portion is formed by a cut-out area of the at least one side cover sheet. In this way, not only can the cut-out regions be employed to create a reinforced soft-pack feel, but also to create a reinforced cover that can be bonded to the main panel of the frame.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a pack of smoking articles comprising a frame of semi-rigid material having a main panel, side flaps and optionally end flaps respectively disposed adjacent to a surface, opposite sides and (optionally) ends of a charge of smoking articles; and a flexible barrier sheet surrounding the packing and the frame to form a sealed enclosure; wherein the main panel desirably includes a plurality of layers or folded portions of reinforced areas of semi-rigid material. Thus, generally, each stiffened area of the main panel is thicker than the rest of the frame.

Typically, the flexible barrier sheet of the package is wrapped around the fill material and frame to form a sealed enclosure by the nature of the sealed seam. In this embodiment, at least one sealing seam is preferably provided to extend in one of the cut-out regions and/or in the reinforcing region of the frame. Thus, the frame in this embodiment is arranged to better support the wrapping and sealing of the flexible barrier sheet during the wrapping process.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the frame comprises two minor sides, at least one end, and only one cuboid major surface formed by the smokable filler material. That is, the frame preferably comprises only one main panel. The main panel may be provided on the back of the pack of smoking articles, but is more preferably located on the front of the pack. By covering only the major surfaces of the smoking article wrapper, the semi-rigid package of the present invention more gives the consumer the feel of a flexible package, while still protecting the smoking articles contained therein. Typically, each side cover panel of the frame with its respective cut-out area is hingedly connected to the main panel along a respective edge, with the opposite edge of each side cover panel being a free edge remote from the main panel. Likewise, at least one optional end cover panel may be hinged to the main panel along a common edge.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the flexible barrier sheet is comprised of a metal foil or plastic laminate or film (e.g., a metallized plastic film). The barrier desirably has a resealable access hole or cover plate provided at the upper end of the package, and the barrier is preferably continuous in the location of the access hole. Furthermore, the barrier sheet is preferably continuous over at least one end of the smoking article pack, in particular the lower end of the pack. The package may also include a soft outer wrap of a resilient sheet material.

According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a blank for a pack of smoking articles, the blank comprising a semi-rigid sheet material and the blank comprising at least one main panel corresponding to a surface of the pack (preferably side flaps extending along laterally opposite sides of the main panel), and optionally also an end flap provided at one end of the main panel, wherein at least one of the side flaps has a cut-out region such that the at least one side flap is discontinuous over the length of the respective side edge of the main panel. Additionally or alternatively, the main panel may include a reinforced area, desirably of a semi-rigid material having multiple layers or folds. As described above, the reinforcing region of the main panel may include a reinforcing cover formed by a cut-away region of the side cover. Thus, the blank of the invention is designed to be assembled, e.g. via folding, to form the packaging frame of the invention.

According to a further aspect, the present invention also provides a method of packaging smoking articles, such as cigarettes, comprising the steps of:

providing a frame of semi-rigid material, the frame having at least one main panel;

placing the frame on or around the charge of smoking articles with the main panel abutting and/or covering a surface of the charge of smoking articles;

wrapping or enclosing the charge and the frame of smoking articles with a flexible barrier sheet to form a sealed enclosure around the charge and the frame.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the padding and frame are wrapped or surrounded with a flexible barrier sheet by sealing portions of the barrier sheet together to form one or more seams. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of attaching the frame to the flexible barrier sheet, for example via adhesive or thermal bonding.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the frame comprises side covers at laterally opposite sides of the main panel and optionally at least part of an end cover at one end of the main panel, wherein each side cover has a cut-out region such that each side cover is discontinuous on a respective side of the main panel, and wherein at least one of the seams formed in the flexible barrier sheet extends in the cut-out region of the side cover.

Thus, according to a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method of packaging smoking articles, such as cigarettes, comprising the steps of:

providing a frame of semi-rigid material for supporting a charge of smoking articles within the pack, said frame comprising a main panel, side cover panels located on laterally opposite sides of the main panel, and at least a portion of an end cover panel located at one end of the main panel, wherein at least one of the side cover panels has a cut-out area such that said at least one side cover panel is discontinuous on each side edge of the main panel;

placing the frame around the smoking article pack in a manner that the main panel, the side cover plates and the end cover plates are respectively adjacent to at least parts of the surface, the side edges and one end of the smoking article pack;

a frame surrounding or enclosing the smoking article pack and the flexible barrier sheet to form a sealed enclosure around the pack and frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of forming a reinforcing region in the main panel of the frame, preferably by bonding a reinforcing cover sheet from each cut-out region to the main panel, prior to the step of placing the frame on or around the charge of smoking articles. Thus, the main panel of the frame may have a reinforced area which desirably comprises a multi-layer or folded portion of semi-rigid material which may be adhesively bonded to the main panel. As previously mentioned, in particularly preferred embodiments, the multi-layer or folded portion of semi-rigid sheet material may be formed from a cut-out area of at least one or both of the side cover panels. In this way, on the one hand the cut-out areas can produce the "feel" of the reinforced flexible package, while on the other hand also a reinforcing cover sheet is produced which is bonded to the main panel.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the flexible barrier sheet is used to wrap or surround the padding and the frame by sealing portions of the barrier sheet together to form one or more seams. Preferably, at least one of the seams formed in the flexible barrier sheet is arranged to extend in the cut-out region and/or the stiffening region of the frame. In this way, the main panel of the frame may be configured to support the wrapping and sealing of the flexible barrier sheet during the packaging method.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a blank for packaging smoking articles according to a particular embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 folded or assembled to form a packing frame and placed around a charge of cigarettes;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a blank for packaging smoking articles according to another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 3 folded or assembled to form a packing frame and placed around the charge of cigarettes;

figure 5 is a perspective front view of a package of smoking articles according to certain embodiments;

figure 6 is a perspective rear view of the package of smoking articles of figure 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a blank for packaging smoking articles according to yet another embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 7 folded or assembled to form a packing frame and placed around the charge of cigarettes;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a blank for packaging smoking articles according to yet another embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 9 folded or assembled to form a packing frame;

fig. 11 schematically illustrates a system for performing a packaging method according to one embodiment.

Detailed Description

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description.

It should be appreciated that common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. It will also be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps in a particular embodiment may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will be further understood that terms and expressions used in the specification have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Referring first to figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown in figure 1 a blank 1 for a pack of smoking articles such as cigarettes (before it is assembled and/or folded in a packing step to form a frame 2 as shown in figure 2 which is placed around a group or charge G of smoking articles C). The blank 1 and thus the frame 2 are formed from a semi-rigid sheet material, for example card-like or fibreboard, which, although certainly flexible, is still sufficiently dimensionally stable to support and protect the filler G of cigarettes C in the pack shown below.

The blank 1 and frame 2 comprise a main central panel 3, side flaps 4 hinged to the main panel 3 at laterally opposite sides thereof, and end flaps 5 hinged to the main panel 3 at one end thereof. In this respect, the hinges between the main panel 3 and the respective side and end flaps 4, 5 are shown in dashed lines in fig. 1, while the solid lines represent dividing or cutting lines. The hinge or fold lines (dashed lines) and the cut lines (solid lines) naturally affect how the blank 1 is assembled to form the frame 2 shown in fig. 2. In this regard, the frame 2 assembled from the blank 1 is configured to surround or cover the main surface, the two minor sides, and at least one end of the rectangular or rectangular parallelepiped shape formed by the filler G of the cigarettes C. In particular, the main panel 3 of the frame 2 covers the main (for example front or rear) surface of the cuboid shape formed by the charge G of cigarettes, the side cover plates 4 of the frame 2 are arranged adjacent to the two opposite minor lateral edges of the charge G of cigarettes, and the end cover plates 5 correspond to the bottom cover plates arranged to support the ends of the cigarettes C in the charge G. As shown most clearly in fig. 1 and 2, the main panel 3 comprises a hole 6 at its upper edge region, which hole 6 facilitates access to the cigarettes C in the pad G covered by the frame 2. Further, it should be noted that the side cover plates 4 located at each of the laterally opposite sides of the main panel 3 include a central cut-out region 7. As a result, the side cover panels 4 are discontinuous (i.e. do not extend over the entire length L) over the length L of the main panel 3 and/or the filler G of cigarettes C.

With reference to fig. 3 and 4, a blank 1 according to a slightly modified embodiment and a packing frame 2 assembled from said blank 1 are illustrated. Likewise, the folded or hinged connection between the main panel 3 and the side cover panels 4 and the end cover panels 5 are shown in dashed lines, while the cut or separation lines are shown in solid line drawings. With respect to the side flaps 4, the cut-out regions 7 in this particular embodiment are formed by two parallel cut lines which form a central reinforcing flap 8 at each of the laterally opposite sides of the main panel 3. During assembly of the blank 1 to form the frame 2 shown in fig. 4, the reinforcing cover 8 is folded inwardly to form the cut-out areas 7 in the side covers, but also to form the reinforcing areas 9 of the main panel 3. In particular, when assembling the packaging frame 2 from the blank 1, the reinforcing cover 8 is bonded to the main panel 3, for example via a glue joint 10. In this way, the reinforcing area 9 of the main panel 3 is a double or folded portion having a greater thickness in the frame and, therefore, greater rigidity and strength. In this particular embodiment, the access aperture 6 for accessing the cigarettes C may be formed by a frangible seam (e.g. a perforation line) which enables the consumer to tear the element 11 at the upper edge region of the main panel 3 to form the access aperture 6.

Referring now to figures 5 and 6, a pack P of cigarettes C according to a particular embodiment of the invention is illustrated in perspective front and rear views. This particular cigarette pack P may comprise a frame 2 as shown in fig. 2 or 4. In this respect, the side cover plates 4 of the frame 2 in this packet P of cigarettes have a central cut-out area 7 coinciding with the blank 1 shown in figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. The pack P of cigarettes C in fig. 5 and 6 therefore has a frame 2 of card material arranged so that the main panel 3 of the frame is adjacent to the front surface of a cigarette charge G of rectangular or rectangular parallelepiped shape, respectively, the side cover plates 4 are adjacent to the laterally opposite minor sides of the charge G of cigarettes C, and the end cover plates 5 of the frame 2 form the bottom of the extremities of the cigarettes C of the charge G.

Further, the packet P of cigarettes comprises a flexible barrier sheet 12 wrapped around the frame 2 and the charge G of cigarettes to form a sealed enclosure. In particular, the flexible barrier sheet 12 is closed and sealed along lateral and transverse seams 13, 14. It should also be noted that the flexible barrier sheet 12 comprises perforated lines 15 to provide a resealable access flap or opening 16 at the upper end of the package P, which at least partially overlaps the access aperture 6 formed in the main panel 3 of the frame 2. The main panel 3 of the frame 2 is also preferably connected to a flexible barrier sheet 12 (e.g. adhesive provided via glue points 17) to secure the frame 2 in place in the flexible barrier sheet 12 and to reinforce the resultant integrity and rigidity of the package P.

Referring briefly to figure 11 of the drawings, a system or apparatus 100 for packaging smoking articles, such as cigarettes C, is illustrated in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As is clear from fig. 11, a series of packing frames 2, each of which is respectively combined with a charge G of cigarettes, are transported by the device 100 along the packing path in the direction of the arrow a. Filled encasement frames 2 are fed under a continuous flexible barrier sheet 12 (e.g., plastic laminate film) fed from a supply roll (not shown). The barrier sheet 12 has a pre-fabricated resealable access cover or aperture 16 for alignment with the respective access aperture 6 in the front major panel 3 of each frame 2 carried beneath the barrier sheet.

Rollers 101, arranged below the continuously advancing frame 2, pass over the front and rear of the frame 2 and pull the flexible blocking sheet 12 taut against the frame 2 and the opposite end of the charge G of individual cigarettes, so as to wrap the frame 2 and the charge G of individual cigarettes. The roller 101 then cooperates with the sealing head 102 to fuse or seal the pulled barrier sheet 12 along the transverse seam 13. A further elongate sealing head 103 (or pair thereof) following the drum 101 then operates between each frame 2 with its respective charge G of cigarettes to pinch and fuse the lateral seams 14 in the barrier sheet 12 (e.g. in a "fin seal") with to form individual packs P. The trimmers 104 and rollers 105 may then trim and flatten the seams 13, 14 (e.g., lateral seams 14 along opposite sides) to complete the individual packages P. Furthermore, the package P may optionally be inserted into an additional package, for example a hard box, or it may additionally be wrapped in another flexible outer package with polypropylene or the like.

Referring now to figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, a further embodiment of a blank 1 for packaging cigarettes C or other smoking articles is illustrated in a flat state (figure 7) and in an assembled or folded state (figure 8) forming a packing frame 2 covering a charge G of cigarettes. In this embodiment, the main difference from the previous embodiments relates to the formation and location of the cut-out area 7 of the side cover of the blank 1. In particular, the cut-out region 7 is now provided in the upper part of the side cover 4, not in the central region as is the case in the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 4. The side flaps 4 are therefore clearly discontinuous over the lateral length L of the main panel 3 and/or over the pack P of said upper cut-out area 7. However, as with the embodiment of fig. 3 and 4, the cut-out area 7 forms a reinforcing cover sheet 8 which is folded over and bonded to the main panel 3 to again form a reinforcing area 9, for example via adhesive bonding at a glue site 10.

Finally, figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings illustrate a further embodiment of a blank 1 for forming a packing frame 2 for use in a pack P of cigarettes or other smoking articles according to the invention. In this embodiment, the frame 2 comprises only main and end panels 5 which form abutments for locating the frame 2 on the charge G of smoking articles as shown in figure 10. In this embodiment, the frame 2 may be connected to the outer flexible barrier sheet 12 to form a package P according to the present invention having improved structural rigidity.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing abstract and detailed description are provided to enable one skilled in the art to practice at least one exemplary embodiment, and it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein, in general.

For example, it will be understood that the reference to a "cut-out area" 7 and a wrapped packaging frame 2 in a blank 1 according to the invention is not intended to mean that said area 7 must be formed by "cutting". Rather, the term "cut-out area" is intended merely to describe the absence of a groove or gap or material, which may be formed by any suitable means including, but not limited to, cutting.

In addition, it will be understood that the terms "comprises," comprising, "" includes, "" including, "" contains, "" containing, "" has (having), "having" and any variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted as inclusive (i.e., non-exclusive) such that a step, method, apparatus, device or system described herein is not limited to the features, parts, elements or steps described, but may include other elements, features, parts or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such step, method, article or device. Furthermore, the terms "a" and "an" as used herein are intended to be construed to mean one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical designations or any order as to the importance of their articles.

List of reference numerals

1: blank material

2: frame structure

3: main panel

4: side cover plate

5: end cover plate

6: access hole

7: region of ablation

8: reinforced cover plate

9: reinforced area

10: glue point

11: removable part

12: flexible barrier sheet

13: side seam

14: transverse joint

15: perforation line

16: resealable access opening

17: bonding or gluing points

18: upper edge of main panel

100: device for measuring the position of a moving object

101: roller

102. 103: sealing head

104: trimmer

105: roller

P: package (I)

L: side length of main panel or package

C: cigarette with heating element

G: cigarette filler

Claims (15)

1. A package (P) of smoking articles (C) comprising:

a frame (2) of semi-rigid material having a main panel (3) disposed adjacent to a surface of a charge (G) of smoking articles; and

a flexible barrier sheet (12) surrounding the frame (2) and the filling (G), the flexible barrier sheet forming a sealed enclosure;

wherein the frame (2) supports the flexible barrier sheet (12) on the surface of the charge (G) of smoking articles and resists damage to the smoking articles (C) and/or to the flexible barrier sheet (12) from external pressure applied to the package.

2. A pack (P) of smoking articles according to claim 1, wherein the frame (2) is connected to the flexible barrier sheet (12).

3. A pack (P) of smoking articles as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame (2) comprises side cover panels (4) disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the charge (G) of smoking articles, each of the side cover panels (4) having at least one cut-out region (7) such that each side cover panel (4) is discontinuous over the length of the opposite respective side of the charge of smoking articles, wherein the side cover panels (4) are substantially symmetrical with respect to the main panel (3).

4. A pack (P) of smoking articles according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein the main panel (3) of the frame (2) comprises a stiffening area (9).

5. A package (P) of smoking articles according to claim 4, wherein the reinforced area (9) comprises a multilayer or folded portion of semi-rigid material, preferably bonded to the main panel (3).

6. A pack (P) of smoking articles according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the reinforcing area (9) of the main panel (3) is formed by a cover sheet (8) originating from a cut-out area (7) of the side cover sheet (4).

7. Pack (P) of smoking articles according to any of claims 3-6, wherein the flexible barrier sheet (12) is wrapped around the filler (G) and the frame (2) of smoking articles (C) and forms the sealed enclosure via one or more sealing seams (13, 14), wherein at least one of the sealing seams (13, 14) is arranged to extend in the cut-out region (7) and/or the reinforcement region (9).

8. A pack (P) of smoking articles according to any of the claims 3-7, wherein each of the side flaps (4) of the frame (2) is hinged to the main panel (3) along a respective edge, whereby the opposite edge of each side flap (4) is a free edge remote from the main panel (3); and/or

Wherein the frame (2) encloses both minor sides and only one major surface of a cuboid shape formed by the filler (G) of a smoking article (C).

9. A package (P) of smoking articles according to any of the claims 1-8, wherein the flexible barrier sheet (12) consists of a metal foil, a plastic laminate or a metallized plastic film; and/or

Wherein the barrier sheet (12) has a resealable access aperture (16) and is preferably continuous in the location of the access aperture (16); and/or

Wherein the barrier sheet (12) is continuous over at least one end of the filler (G) of the smoking article.

10. A package (P) of smoking articles according to any of the claims 1-9, further comprising a soft outer box of flexible sheet material or a rigid or semi-rigid outer box.

11. A method of packaging smoking articles comprising the steps of:

providing a frame of semi-rigid material, the frame having at least one main panel;

placing the frame on or around the charge of smoking articles with the main panel abutting and/or covering a surface of the charge of smoking articles;

wrapping or enclosing the charge and the frame of smoking articles with a flexible barrier sheet to form a sealed enclosure around the charge and the frame.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of attaching the frame to the flexible barrier sheet.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the flexible barrier sheet is used to wrap or surround the fill material and the frame by sealing portions of the barrier sheet together to form one or more seams.

14. A method according to any of claims 11-13, wherein the frame comprises side cover panels on laterally opposite sides of the main panel, and preferably an end cover panel of at least a portion at one end of the main panel, wherein each of the side cover panels has a cut-out area such that each side cover panel is discontinuous on a respective side edge of the main panel, and wherein at least one of the seams formed in the flexible barrier sheet extends in the cut-out area of the side cover panel.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11-14, further comprising:

prior to the step of placing the frame on or around the charge of smoking articles, the step of forming a reinforced region in a main panel of the frame, preferably by bonding a reinforcing cover sheet from each cut-out region to the main panel, wherein the main panel of the frame has a reinforced region and at least one of the seams formed in the flexible barrier sheet extends in the reinforced region of the main panel, and wherein the step of providing the frame preferably comprises the steps of providing a blank and assembling the blank into the frame.