JP2010510140A - Smoking package - Google Patents

Abstract

  One aspect of the present invention comprises a closed enclosure (302) comprising a layer of protective material (303) surrounding a bundle of smoking articles, an opening for removing a cigarette formed on the protective material, and A smoking article package (300) is provided that includes a cover layer (310) covering the opening and extending outwardly of the edge of the opening. The cover layer has a permanent adhesive surface overlying the protective material on all openable edges. The cover layer is configured such that at least a part of the cover layer is completely removed from the package. The opening for taking out the smoking article is formed in the protective material by a cut line or a thinned line (309). This line forms a closed figure and is interrupted by at least one uncut or unthinned tab region.

Description

  The present invention relates to packages for smoking articles and other tobacco and smoking products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and unwrapped tobacco. For convenience, these are collectively referred to as smoking articles here.

  It has become common to provide a protective layer as a wrap around the inside or outside of a cigarette box or both. Providing such a protective layer is essentially essential if the cigarette has any commercial shelf-life in areas with climatically unfavorable conditions, especially hot and humid areas.

  The conventional protective layer protects the product before and after the initial opening of the pack as a sealing layer that can be used repeatedly over the opening for removing the cigarette in the cigarette pack and / or the pack is tampered with It has been used to warn smokers on occasion. WO 98/22367 has a sealed enclosure made of a protective material, such as a cigarette that can be repeatedly sealed with an opening that allows a smoker to touch the enclosure A pack for smoking articles is disclosed. The cover of the opening has a permanent adhesive surface on all openable edges, and this surface is superimposed on the protective material.

  WO 01/89962 includes an opening for taking out a cigarette and a cover layer, and this cover layer is described for a hermetically closed container made of a sheet-like protective material that hermetically seals this take-out opening. ing. The extraction opening is obtained by cutting the protective material and removing the cut portion from the extraction opening. Certain parts of the protective material are removed from the cover layer so that when the protective layer is peeled back, the part of the protective layer is removed from the take-off opening and thus the cigarette bundle can be taken out. It is provided by adhering layers. The cover layer provides evidence of unauthorized opening of the pack and reseals the removal opening after the closure container is first opened.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,729 discloses a soft pack for cigarettes. The pack includes a top sealing tab that functions to reclose the pack after it has been opened. Adhesive can be applied to the tabs to facilitate sealing the pack again. The pack includes an inner container surrounded by a sealing film. The top tab is located on the sealing film, and the sealing film includes an area that is brittle. When the top tab is pulled, the portion of the sealing film underneath is similarly removed, exposing the cigarette in the pack.

  It is an object of the present invention to allow a smoker to arbitrarily and easily remove a repeatedly sealable label from a pack and reseal the pack as needed. Sealing the extraction opening and providing a cover layer for repeated sealing can be cumbersome because the cover layer must be attached back to the protective layer each time the cigarette is removed from the bundle. is there.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a smoking article package having a repeatable sealable label that can be removed from the package without visibly damaging the protective material.

  One aspect of the present invention is a sealed enclosure comprising a layer of protective material surrounding a bundle of smoking articles, an opening for taking out a cigarette formed on the protective material, and covering the opening. And a smoking article package comprising a cover layer extending outwardly of the edge of the opening. The cover layer has a permanent adhesive surface overlying the protective material on all openable edges. The cover layer is configured such that at least a portion thereof is completely removed from the package. The opening for taking out the smoking article is formed in the protective material by a cut line or a thinned line. This line forms a closed figure and is interrupted by a plurality of tab regions that are not cut or thinned.

  The cover layer is preferably engageable with the part of the protective material forming the take-out opening and is removable from the closed enclosure together with the part of the protective layer forming the take-out opening.

  It is preferred that the entire cover layer be completely removable from the closed enclosure. In this way, the closed container initially sealed around the bundle of smoking articles is provided with a permanent opening, or the cover layer and the protective material removed by the smoker are replaced and the closed container is It can be sealed again.

  Thus, the smoker is free to decide when to remove the cover layer and the portion of the protective layer that forms the take-off opening from the package. If the smoker wants to remove them, they will act as resealable seals, so that after the opening opening has been opened for the first time, the seal will remove the permanent adhesive surface of the cover layer. Resealing is possible by re-engaging with the protective material layer adjacent to the edge of the extraction opening. Alternatively, the smoker can remove and discard the cover layer and the protective layer portion that forms the take-off opening.

  The closed enclosure for wrapping a bundle of smoking articles is preferably a closed container comprising two major surfaces (front and rear), two side surfaces, and two end surfaces (top and bottom). . Thus, the enclosure is contained within a smoking article package outer body known in the art such as a hinged pack. The opening for taking out the cigarette of the closed container thus configured preferably extends into the front main surface at the top end surface of the closed container.

  In another configuration of the present invention, the cover layer may include a separable portion, whereby the main portion of the cover layer is removed from the smoking article package along with the portion of the protective material that forms the extraction opening.

  The separable portion of the cover layer may be separable along a score line or a thinned line. Advantageously, the score line or thinned line of the cover layer extends across the entire width of the cover layer parallel to the laterally extending edge of the smoking article take-off opening.

  Thus, the separable portion of the cover layer becomes separable along a score line or thinned line to provide a removable cover layer portion and a fixed cover layer portion. The fixed portion of the cover layer remains attached to the protective material even when separated from the removable portion of the cover layer. This fixed cover layer is advantageously located on the rear main surface of the previously sealed enclosure.

  The cut line or thinned line of the cover layer is advantageously adjacent to the edge of the closed container between the rear major surface and the top end face of the sealed closed container. Most preferably, the score line or thinned line of the cover layer is at the edge of the seal between the rear major surface and the top end surface of the sealed enclosure. Separately, the score line or thinned line of the cover layer is adjacent to the rear main surface of the sealed enclosure.

  The fixed portion of the cover layer may be attached to the protective material with a permanent adhesive. Alternatively, the fixed portion of the cover layer may be affixed to the protective material with the same permanent adhesive that is provided on the other overlapping surface of the cover layer, but this score line or thinned line is In addition, the degree of adhesion between the fixed layer and the protective layer located thereunder is sufficiently easily cut.

  A permanent bonding means such as a heat-meltable material may be provided in place of the permanent adhesive, and the fixed cover layer portion may be bonded to a protective layer or other means to permanently weld these two materials. .

  The part of the protective material that forms the extraction opening is preferably completely removed from the sealed enclosure. Therefore, the portion of the protective material that forms the extraction opening may be adhered to the cover layer by a permanent adhesive. Accordingly, the part of the protective material forming the take-out opening can be removed from the closed container sealed together with the cover layer.

  Preferably, the cover layer is provided with a pull tab that can be grasped and pulled by the smoker so that the extraction opening is exposed. The pull tab is advantageously not connected to the protective material located below it. Thus, the pull tab does not contain an adhesive and / or contains an inactive agent that neutralizes the tackiness of the adhesive applied to the tab.

  In a preferred embodiment, the opening for removing the smoking article is configured to extend from the top end surface of the sealed enclosure into the front major surface. The cover layer preferably extends from the rear major surface of the sealed enclosure to the top end surface. The cover layer preferably extends on the rear major surface to provide an edge region that overlaps the protective material on the rear major surface.

  It is preferred that the overlapping edge region extends from the edge adjacent to the top end face and the rear main wall of the sealed container with a length in the range of 1 mm to 12 mm to the lower edge of the cover layer. This range is preferably 2 mm to 8 mm, and most preferably 5 mm to 7 mm. In these ranges, the lower limit may be increased by 1 mm, for example, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and the upper limit may be decreased by 1 mm, for example, 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm.

  The part of the protective material forming the opening for taking out the smoking article is provided by cutting the protective material into a closed figure, for example, a rectangle, and attaching the cover layer to the part. Therefore, when the cover layer is peeled off, the portion of the protective material is removed from the opening.

  The part of the protective material that forms the opening for taking out the smoking article is formed by scored lines or thinned lines, which are interrupted by uncut or unthinned tab regions. The Thus, the part of the protective material which forms the opening part for taking out a smoking article is initially connected to the protective material by these tab area | regions.

  These tab regions are configured to be easily torn when the cover layer is peeled away from the protective material layer. Therefore, the tab is easily broken as compared with the degree of adhesion between the outer cover layer of the cut line or the thinned line forming the take-out opening and the protective material located thereunder. It can be removed from the sealed enclosure without damaging the sealed enclosure such as tearing the portion of the protective layer forming the cover layer and the cover layer secured thereto.

  The portion of the protective layer that forms the extraction opening is affixed to the protective web by a plurality of tabs spaced along the score line or thinned line. Of course, the tab region is distinguished from a perforation of a line consisting of a thinned portion. The thinned lines themselves may contain perforations, but these perforations are interrupted by the tab region. There are preferably 2 to 12 tab regions, more preferably 4 to 8 tab regions. However, other aspects may include a different number of regions.

  The tab regions are preferably arranged at substantially equal intervals around the closed figure of the extraction opening. Thereby, the said part of a protective material can be affixed more reliably with the remaining part. However, in other embodiments, it may not be arranged at regular intervals so as to fit the overall shape of the package. In one aspect, at least two tabs are located in a transversely extending scored or thinned line that forms the edge of the extraction opening located on the top or rear major surface of the sealed enclosure. I.e. at the rearmost edge of the extraction opening closest to the main rear face of the sealed enclosure.

  Preferably the tab is a bridge having a length of less than 3 mm (preferably less than 1 mm) along the score line or thinned line. The size of the tab along the score line or thinned line is small enough to prevent breakage of the protective material outside the opening when removing the cover layer and the portion of the protective layer that forms the opening. Is. On the other hand, the tab is placed between the protective material outside the extraction opening and the part of the protective material that forms the extraction opening, during the manufacture of the material including the sealed enclosure and around the bundle of smoking articles. During formation, it has sufficient dimensions to provide a connection.

  The combination of the size of the peripheral region of the cover layer extending over the rear major surface of the sealed enclosure and the scored or thinned line with a limited size and number of interruptions allows the smoker to The part of the protective material forming the take-out opening can be easily removed without damaging the remaining part of the protective material.

  Preferred materials for the protective layer are plastic / metal foil laminates or metal-coated plastic materials, which have markedly good protective properties. The protective layer may extend continuously over one smaller end of the pack or bundle of smoking articles, has a seam along both smaller sides of the pack, and opposite It may be formed in an envelope shape or folded on the smaller end portion. The protective layer does not need to be attached as described above, and is continuous so that it is continuous over one smaller side, and is attached so as to be sealed over both ends of the smaller side and one side of the smaller side. It may be attached.

  The seam of the protective layer may be formed using glue or a strip that is sealed by heat applied to the protective layer, for example by printing. This is particularly utilized when the protective layer is a metal / paper laminate or metallized paper. However, one or more outer surfaces of the plastic laminate or foil may be a material that is sealed with heat. The protective material may be a laminate made of paper.

  The flavoring agent may be incorporated into an integer contained within the smoker package inside the protective layer. This complete body may include a porous material such as a pad, paper sheet, or may be a semi-rigid card-like inner frame. Alternatively, the flavoring agent may be encapsulated or contained in a scented bag, which capsule or bag is contained within the package. The flavoring agent may penetrate the cigarette contained in the package, thereby affecting the taste or odor produced when smokers are smoked. A preferred flavoring agent is menthol.

  The flavoring agent may be added to the package in the form of a panel called “scratch-sniff”. That is, the flavoring agent may be coated on the package in some form (such as a microcapsule) that releases the flavoring when rubbed. Such scratch-sniff panels are well known, for example, in perfume magazine advertisements.

  The complete body supporting the flavoring agent can be placed inside the protective layer, for example, as a bag, capsule or porous sheet. Alternatively, the inner frame may be formed of a card coated or incorporated with a flavoring agent such as menthol.

  The smoking article package of the present invention may be a hard pack or a soft pack. Preferably, the smoking article package includes an outer body portion including a front wall, a top wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall and at least two side walls. This outer fuselage may provide a so-called hinge lid pack well known in the smoking goods package industry.

  The wall of the outer body is preferably configured to provide a parallelepiped pack. Most preferably, these walls are each rectangular. The front and rear walls preferably have a height dimension that is greater than their width. The terms front wall, top wall, rear wall and bottom wall do not imply a particular orientation of the pack, but where there are first, second, third and fourth walls, respectively. You may replace each with the term wall. The main surface of the sealed enclosure surrounding the bundle of smoking articles is preferably located adjacent to the front and rear walls of the outer body of the smoking pack.

  The smoking article package of the present invention may include an inner slide part and an outer shell (hereinafter referred to as a slide-shell pack). The slide-shell pack for smoking articles such as cigarettes is that the smoking article is housed in the inner slide part, and when the smoker takes out the smoking article, the slide part slides with respect to the outer shell. Different from the conventional hinge lid pack. Some slide shell packs have a lid opening mechanism that is activated by movement of a slide within the shell.

  The lid opening mechanism of the conventional slide shell type pack is mostly of the type in which the outer shell and the lid of the inner slide portion are connected, and this causes the lid to move when the inner slide portion moves relative to the shell. Open hinged. This connection may be permanent (in this case including adhesive) or by mechanical engagement of corresponding portions of the outer shell and the inner slide. Here, a lid opening mechanism by mechanical engagement will be described.

  The package for smoking articles of the present invention may include a Laube or a flat box (also known as a shoulder pack). This box is well known in the art and is usually a rigid piece of thick paperboard or similar material, along the major edge of the major surface or the major midline of the smaller surface It is hinged along.

  The smoking article package, sealed enclosure and / or outer body of the smoking article package described herein are typically rectangular with four faces upstanding from the rectangular bottom. The pack may have two major surfaces that stand upright from the bottom and meet at two edges. In some examples, these edges are formed by surfaces that meet at right angles. This is not essential to the present invention, the smoking article package, the sealed enclosure and / or the outer fuselage is at least rounded at the side walls and the edge between the front and rear walls, beveled or It may have an oval shape or other shapes known in the art.

  The cross-sectional shape of the bottom of the pack containing cigarettes or the like may be other quadrilateral shapes such as a square other than a rectangle.

  Of course, the smoking article package described herein may be used to wrap loose tobacco, or other tobacco, or smoking article, which is referred to in the art as a hand-rolled cigarette. The package of the present invention may be used to wrap an oral tobacco-containing product such as snus.

  The smoking article package of the present invention may further include an inner frame. The inner frame may be placed in a sealed enclosure or may be placed around the enclosed enclosure.

  In a preferred configuration, the frame has flap means including a main panel, two elongated side panels, a (bottom) end panel, and two flaps. The longer edges of the side and end panels become the major edge and the shorter edge of the major surface. These flaps are located at the top edges of the side panels. Thus, when folded, the frame forms a cuboid major surface, two longer side surfaces and a bottom end surface, and the flap forms two parts of an incomplete top end surface. The main surface is preferably not a perfect rectangle, but has a recess at the top edge. When this recess is present, it is preferable that two unfolded blank frames are formed so that they are bonded to each other at the end (that is, there is no overlap or gap, and they are positioned next to each other). This minimizes the amount of material required.

  Of course, the inner frame may have one fold between the panels (forming a chamfered edge). Alternatively, the sides of the frame may be rounded so as to be used in so-called “oval” packs.

  The present invention is not limited to a single cigarette bundle. For example, a plurality of bundles may be wrapped with a protective material that can be repeatedly sealed and then inserted directly into one outer shell. Alternatively, a plurality of bundles in the inner frame may be wrapped together from above with a single pack forming sheet to form a semi-rigid pack including the plurality of bundles.

  In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood and easily implemented, it will be more specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is the top view which looked at the well-known protective layer from the top. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a protective layer line in FIG. 1. It is the top view which looked at the protective layer by one aspect of this invention from the top. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a protective layer line in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a protective layer line in FIG. 2. It is the perspective view which looked at the bundle | flux of the sealed smoking goods from the front and upper direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the bundle | flux of the sealed smoking goods from back and the downward direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the bundle | flux of the sealed smoking goods by another structure of this invention from the front and upper direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the smoking article bundle | flux of FIG. 5 which shows another structure of a cover layer from back and the downward direction. FIG. 6 is a front and top perspective view of a smoking article package according to one embodiment of the present invention including the sealed smoking article bundle of FIGS. 3 and 5 on a hinged outer body.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a layer made of a known protective material denoted by reference numeral 1. The protective material 1 is unwound from the spool in the direction of arrow A to form a flat sheet material. The protective material 1 that can be formed in a closed enclosure has a front main surface 2 and a rear main surface 4 that are joined by a top end surface 6 along a common longitudinal axis. . Extending from the edges of the front and rear main surfaces are portions that become the bottom end surface 8. Extending from opposing side edges of the front and rear major surfaces are the side surfaces 10,12. The cover layer 14 is affixed to the protective material 1 in the region 16 of the portion of the protective material that forms the opening for taking out the smoking article. The portion 16 of the protective layer that forms the opening through which the smoking article is taken out is formed in the protective material 1 by a cut line or a thinned line 18. The score line is preferably provided over the entire thickness of the protective material 1. The thinned line may be, for example, a perforation line or a crease line.

  The score line 18 has interrupted or uncut areas 20 that are spaced along its length. In the region of the cut line 18 closest to the rear main surface 4 of the protective material 1, there is a tab region 20a, which makes it difficult for the protective material portion 16 forming the extraction opening to be separated from the remaining protective material portions. Have the following dimensions. The interrupted or uncut region 20 and the tab region 20a are used to form the protective part 16 forming the take-off opening into the remaining protective part when forming a closed enclosure around the cigarette bundle. It connects and thus prevents unintentional opening of the extraction opening before the smoker opens it. If these interruptions 20 and tab regions 20a are not provided, the protective material portion 16 forming the take-off opening will fall off the protective material and / or contain moisture and air in the sealed enclosure. May enter and exit, affecting the quality of the sealed smoking bundle.

  The protective layer 14 further includes a pull tab or flap 22 that is not coated with an adhesive or is coated with an inactive agent to neutralize the effect of the adhesive on the flap 22, thereby smoking. An area is provided for the person to grip the cover layer 14 and peel the cover layer away from the protective layer.

  The cover layer 14 is affixed to the protective layer so that the region 16 of the protective material forming the opening for taking out the smoking article can be easily separated from the protective layer. Usually, the cover layer 14 is a label of a film made of a plastic material, and a permanent adhesive is coated on the lower side thereof, that is, a permanent adhesive material is applied, whereby the cover layer is a protective layer. Can be adhered repeatedly. The cover layer 14 extends over all edges of the take-out opening bordered by the cut line 18 and onto the rear main surface 4 of the protective material. The cover layer 14 overlaps and adheres to the protective material in the region of the cut line 18 and adheres to the protective material portion 16 forming the extraction opening. The adhesive force to the protective material portion 16 forming the take-out opening is sufficient to remove the protective material portion 16 together with the cover layer 14 when the cover layer 14 is peeled off the protective layer.

  The edge portion of the cover layer 14 and the tab portion 20a that overlap the rear main surface 4 both take out the protective material portion 16 and the cover layer 14 that form the opening and hold the protective layer in the same position with respect to the protective material when used. Each time a person removes a smoking article from a closed enclosure, the removal opening can be opened or resealed.

  FIG. 1A is an exploded view of the cut line 18 of the non-cut area 20. In order to remove the part 16 of the protective material forming the extraction opening from the protective material adjacent to it, the uncut area is interrupted by shear forces.

  FIG. 2 illustrates at 100 the layer of protective material according to one embodiment of the present invention. The protector 100 has a front major surface 112 and a rear major surface 114 that are interconnected along a common longitudinal axis by a top end surface 106.

  The cover layer 104 is affixed to the region of the protective material portion 116 that forms an opening for taking out the smoking article. This portion 116 is formed in the protective material by a cut line or a thinned line 118. The score line is preferably provided over the entire thickness of the protective material 100, and a score line 118 forming a closed figure, in this example a rectangle, is provided. The cut line 118 may be a perforation line or a crease line, for example. The score line 18 has interrupted or uncut areas 20 that are spaced along its length. In the region of the score line 118 closest to the rear major surface 114 of the protective material 100 is a tab region 120a that facilitates the separation of the protective material portion 116 forming the extraction opening from the remaining protective material portion. Have the following dimensions. The interrupted or uncut region 120 and the tab region 120a connect the portion of the protective material 116 that forms the extraction opening to the remaining protective material portion when forming a closed enclosure surrounding the cigarette bundle. Therefore, it prevents the unintentional opening of the take-off opening before the smoker opens it. If these interruptions 120 and tab regions 120a are not provided, the protective material portion 116 that forms the take-off opening will fall off the protective material and / or contain moisture and air in the sealed enclosure. May go in and out, affecting the quality of the bundle of sealed smoking articles.

  Also, the tab region 120a assists in the application of the cover layer 104, thereby eliminating the need to remove the protective material portion 116 that forms the extraction opening. This facilitates the on-line manufacturing process and can simplify the application of the cover layer.

  The cover layer 104 is affixed to the protective material portion 116 so as to overlap all the edges of the protective material portion 116 so that the protective material region 116 that forms the opening for taking out smoking articles can be easily separated from the protective layer. ing. Usually, the cover layer 104 is a label of a film made of a plastic material, and a permanent adhesive is coated on the lower side thereof, that is, a permanent adhesive material is applied, so that the cover layer is a protective layer. Can be repeatedly adhered as needed by the smoker. The cover layer 104 extends over all edges of the extraction opening bordered by the score line 118 and onto the rear major surface 114 of the protective material. The protective layer 104 overlaps and adheres to the protective material in the region outside the score line 118, and adheres to the protective material portion 116 that forms the extraction opening for the smoking article. The adhesive force to the portion 116 of the protective material forming the take-out opening is sufficient to remove the protective material portion 116 together with the protective layer 104 when the cover layer 104 is peeled off from the protective layer.

  The tab region 120a has a dimension sufficient to hold the protective material portion 116 that forms the smoking article take-off opening when the cover layer is peeled away from the protective layer. Furthermore, the edge of the cover layer 104 overlying the rear major surface 114 has a smaller dimension compared to the corresponding part of the cover layer 14 shown in FIG. The entire cover layer 104 and the extraction opening are formed from the protective material layer by the length of the edge of the cover layer 104 overlying the rear main surface 114 being as short as about 8 mm as compared with the corresponding portion of the cover layer 14. The protective material portion 116 can be easily removed. If the overlapping edge of the cover layer 104 is the same as the cover layer 14 shown in FIG. 1, the adhesive force that holds the overlapping edge on the rear major surface of the protective material will allow the smoker to remove the cover layer. When this occurs, the force is sufficient to cause visible damage to the protective layer. The tab region 120a minimizes or eliminates the risk of breaking or damaging the protective layer due to the short length of the cover layer 104 overlying the rear major surface 114 as described above. However, it is possible to completely remove the cover layer 104.

  FIG. 2A is an exploded view of the score line 118 of the uncut region 120, where the score line provides a tab or point that holds the portion 116 connected to the front major surface of the protective material. To be configured intermittently. In order to remove the protective material portion 116 forming the extraction opening from the adjacent protective material, the uncut area 120 is cut by a shearing force.

  FIG. 2B is an exploded view of the tab region 120 a of the score line 118. In this illustrated embodiment, the score line 118 is disposed on the rear major surface of the protective material close to the fold line 124. As another configuration, the cut line 118 may be on the same line as the folding line 124. The tab area 120a has a smaller linear dimension along the cut line 118 than the tab area 20a shown in FIG. In order to be able to completely remove the protective material part 116 forming the extraction opening together with the cover layer 104, the tab region 120a can be separated from the rest of the protective layer so as not to damage or tear it. It must be small enough. On the other hand, the region 20a in FIG. 1 is sized so as to prevent the protective material portion 16 forming the extraction opening from being separated from the protective material. Since the overlapping edge part of the back of the protective layer 14 in FIG. 1 is formed in a larger size, the cover layer 14 is more difficult to separate from the protective layer. Separating the cover layer 14 of FIG. 1 from the protective layer results in a forced separation that causes visible damage to the sealed enclosure.

  The sealed bundle of smoking articles designated 300 in FIGS. 3 and 4 optionally includes a set of cigarettes (not shown) surrounded by a frame (not shown) made of paperboard. The cigarette and the frame are wrapped in and enclosed in a closed enclosure 302 formed of a layer made of a sheet-like protective material 303. The sheet-like protective material 303 may be, for example, a metal / plastic laminate or a vacuum metal-coated plastic material. Alternatively, a single non-metalized plastic film having sufficiently high protective properties may be used. Moreover, you may use what laminated the paper which has sufficient protection performance.

  The hermetically closed container 302 is formed from a rectangular blank made of a sheet-like protective material as shown in FIG. This rectangular blank made of sheet-like protective material is wrapped around a set of cigarettes and a frame (if used) around the frame and continuously, i.e. without seams. Extends from the front portion 304 to the rear portion 306 beyond the top portion 305. The seam is formed in the side of cigarette bundle 300 (one of the two sides is indicated by reference numeral 307) and bottom 308 as shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sealed closed container 302 is provided with an opening for taking out the cigarette formed by a part of the protective material 302 and having a boundary formed by the cut line 309. The opening formed by a portion of the protective material 320 extends from the top 305 of the smoking article bundle 300 to the front 304 and is restricted by a scored line or a thinned line 309. Furthermore, a cover layer 310 bonded to the rear, top, and front of the hermetic enclosure 302 overlaps all edges of the opening formed by a part of the protective material 320, and outside these edges. It is provided to extend. The edge of the cover layer 310 overlying the rear of the enclosure 302 is more than the part of the cover layer 310 overlying the protective material 320 on the top and front of the enclosure 302 when the cover layer 310 is removed from the enclosure 302. It is formed in a size that does not cause a large resistance.

  The outside of the line 309 that forms the outline of the opening formed by a part of the protective material 320 is a continuous area to which a permanent adhesive is applied, and this area is the outermost edge of the cover layer 310, the line 309. The boundary is limited by the upper edge or the fold line of the handle 315 of the cover layer 310.

  Adhesive is used to secure the cover layer 310 to the portion of the protective material 320 that takes out and forms the opening. This adhesive may be a permanent adhesive, which allows the cover layer 310 to be completely removed along with the portion of the protective material 320 that forms the opening. The pull tab 315 is not bonded to the underlying protective material 303 so that it can be easily grasped.

  In opening the closure container for the smoker to remove the sealed cigarette, the smoker grasps the pull tab 315 and pulls it upward and then backwards. The cover layer 310 is peeled off from the protective material 303 by the operation of the smoker. Since the portion of the protective material 320 that forms the opening is adhered to the cover layer 310, the portion of the protective material 320 that forms the opening extends outside the line along the line 309 by this operation of the smoker. At the same time, the protective material 303 is separated.

  The score line 309 includes tab regions (not shown) that maintain the connection of the portion of the protective material 320 that forms the extraction opening with the protective material 303 extending outwardly from the line 309, Since the cover layer 310 is scattered along the cut line with a sufficiently small width so that it breaks when the cover layer 310 is peeled off from the protective layer, the smoker can form a protective layer 320 that forms the cover layer and its associated take-out opening. This part can be completely removed without damaging the remaining protective material 302. Thus, the smoker can choose to re-apply the cover layer 310 to the sealed enclosure 302 or discard the cover layer. Similarly, the edge of the cover layer 310 that overlaps the rear part of the hermetically closed container has such a length that the protective material 303 located under the edge is not damaged when the cover layer 310 is removed.

  5 and 6, the same features as those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 6 shows another configuration of the cover layer in which the cover layer 310 includes a cut line or a line 330 consisting of a thinned portion. The score line 330 extends across the entire width of the cover layer 310 between the lateral edges of the cover layer 310. The score line 330 is preferably parallel to the transverse edge of the cover layer and the top edge of the rear face of the closure container 302.

  When the cover layer 310 is peeled back, the cover layer 310 is divided into two portions 310A and 310B along the cut line 330. Portion 310B is separated from portion 310A and sealed enclosure 302. The cover layer portion 310A remains secured to the rear face of the hermetically closed container after removal of the portion 310B. In this way, the smoker closes the main part of the cover layer 310 and the entire relevant part of the protective material 320 forming the extraction opening, leaving the part 310A of the cover layer associated with the rear face of the closure container 302. It can be removed from the container 302.

  The cigarette bundle 300 can be used as a smoking article package somewhat similar to a conventional soft cup pack, but if an internal frame is provided, the cigarette bundle 300 can be used as a conventional soft cup pack. It becomes much harder.

  As another example of the usage mode of the cigarette bundle 300, for example, there is a cigarette bundle 300 that is used by being fitted into an outer trunk portion that is very similar to a so-called hinge lid pack. Such a smoking article package is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the cigarette bundle 300 is positioned so that the smoker can touch the cover layer 310 of the cigarette bundle including the pull tab 315 by tilting the lid 400 of the outer torso backward in a hinged manner. . In the example of FIG. 7, the lower edge of the cover layer 310 at the rear of the sealed enclosure 302 is located above the hinge line 402 of the outer body so that the cover layer 310 can be completely removed. Alternatively, if the cover layer 310 includes a score line 330, the score line 330 is positioned over the hinge line 402 of the outer body portion so that the cover layer 310 can be completely removed. Therefore, the lower edge of the cover layer at the back of the pack is preferably located coincident with or above the hinge line. Still, in other embodiments, the cover layer may extend to some extent below the hinge line (so that the cover layer can be removed).

  Accordingly, those skilled in the art will be able to make many possible variations and modifications of the embodiments described so far. For example, although a cigarette package has been described herein, the present invention is applicable to a wide range of smoking articles such as cigars, snus, and the like. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (34)

  A sealed closed container composed of a layer of protective material surrounding a bundle of smoking articles, an opening for taking out a cigarette formed on the protective material, and an edge of the opening so as to cover the opening An outwardly extending cover layer, the cover layer having a permanent adhesive surface overlying the protective material on all openable edges thereof, the cover layer being at least partly completely packaged The opening that is configured to be removed from the smoking article is formed in the protective material by a scored line or a thinned line, the line forming a closed figure, a plurality of notched, or Package for smoking goods, characterized by being interrupted by an unthinned tab region.   The cover layer is engageable with a part of a protective material forming the take-out opening, and is removable from the sealed closed container together with a part of the protective layer forming the take-out opening. The package for smoking articles according to claim 1.   The smoking article package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the entire protective layer is detachable from the sealed closed container.   The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the closed container for sealing the bundle of smoking articles includes two main surfaces, two side surfaces, and two end surfaces.   The package for smoking articles according to claim 4, wherein the closed container is included in an outer body part.   2. The cover layer of claim 1, wherein the cover layer includes a separable portion, and a main portion of the cover layer is removable together with a portion of the protective layer that forms an opening for removing the smoking article from the smoking article package. Package for smoking goods.   The package for smoking articles according to claim 6, wherein the separable portion of the cover layer is separable along a cut line or a thinned line.   8. The package for smoking articles according to claim 7, wherein the cut line or thinned line of the cover layer extends parallel to the edge of the smoking article take-off opening across the entire width of the cover layer.   9. The package for smoking articles according to claim 8, wherein the edge of the smoking article take-out opening is an edge extending in the lateral direction.   The separable portion of the cover layer is separable so as to provide a removable cover layer portion and a fixed cover layer portion. 10. The smoking article according to any one of claims 6 to 9, package.   11. The package for smoking articles according to claim 10, wherein a portion to which the cover layer is fixed remains attached to a closed enclosure when separated from the removable portion.   The package for smoking articles according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the cover layer portion to be fixed is located on a main surface of a rear portion of the sealed enclosure.   13. A cut line or thinned line in the cover layer is proximate to the edge between the rear major surface and the top end surface of the sealed enclosure. Package for smoking article as described.   14. The package for smoking articles according to claim 13, wherein the cut line or thinned line of the cover layer is at the edge between the rear main surface and the top end surface of the sealed enclosure.   The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the fixed portion of the cover layer is attached to a protective material of a closed enclosure by a permanent adhesive.   The fixed portion of the cover layer is affixed to the protective material of the sealed closed container with the same permanent adhesive as that applied to the other overlapping surface of the cover layer, and the cut line or thinned line The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the package is easily broken as compared with the adhesive force between the fixed cover layer and the protective material under the cover layer.   The package for a smoking article according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein a part of the protective material forming the take-out opening is completely removable from a sealed closed container.   The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the cover layer is provided with a tab that is not connected to the protective material of the sealed closed container.   The package for smoking articles according to claim 18, wherein an adhesive is not applied to the tab.   19. The package for smoking articles according to claim 18, wherein the tab includes an inactive agent that neutralizes the tackiness of the adhesive applied thereto.   21. The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 4 to 20, wherein the smoking article take-out opening is configured to extend from a top end surface of the sealed enclosure to a front main surface. .   The package for smoking articles according to claim 21, wherein the cover layer extends from the rear main surface of the sealed enclosure to the front main surface beyond the top end surface.   23. A package for smoking articles according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the cover layer extends to the rear main surface to provide an edge region that overlaps the protective material of the rear main surface.   24. The package for smoking articles according to claim 23, wherein the overlapping edge region extends from an edge adjacent to the top and rear major surfaces of the sealed enclosure to a lower edge of the cover layer.   24. A smoking article as defined in claim 23, wherein the smoking article extends from an edge adjacent to the top and rear major surfaces of the sealed enclosure to a lower edge of the cover layer in a range of 1 mm to 12 mm. For package.   26. The package for smoking articles according to claim 25, wherein the length is in a range of 2 mm to 8 mm.   27. The package for smoking articles according to claim 26, wherein the length is in a range of 5 mm to 7 mm.   28. The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein the tab region has a length of less than 3 mm along a score line or a thinned line.   29. The package for smoking articles according to claim 28, wherein the tab region has a length of less than 1 mm along a score line or a thinned line.   30. The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein the tab regions are arranged at substantially equal intervals around the closed figure.   The package for smoking articles according to any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein there are 2 to 12 tab regions.   32. The package for smoking articles according to claim 31, wherein there are 4 to 8 tab regions.   The package for smoking articles described with reference to 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.   The package for smoking articles described with reference to 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

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