RS53718B1 - HERMETICALLY SEALED PACKAGING WITH JOINT COVER - Google Patents

Abstract

The packaging (2; 50) for consumer goods comprises: a box (10, 10 ') for storing consumer goods, an inner frame (30) placed in a box (10), the upper part of which extends above the upper edges (18) of the box; hinged lid (20; 20 ') connected to the box (10) along the hinge line (45) and rotatable about the hinge line (45) between the open and closed positions, in which the inner surfaces of the hinge cover (20) are in contact with the outer surfaces of the upper inner frame (30), characterized in that the inner surfaces of the hinge cover (20) and the outer surfaces of the upper part of the inner frame (30) are at least partially covered by a sealing layer of sealing material, so that the sealing layers on the hinge contact surfaces (20) and the inner frame (30) can be joined together to form a hermetic joint before the first opening of the hinge cover (20). The application comprises a further 13 claims.

Description

The present invention relates to a package with a hinged lid having a sealing layer, which ensures that the package is hermetically sealed before the first opening. The packaging of the present invention is particularly applicable as packaging for smoking products, such as filter cigarettes.

There are well-known packages for consumer goods that have a hinged lid and are formed from a multi-layer base. For example, elongated smoking products, such as cigarettes or cigars, are typically sold in hinged lid packages, which have a box containing the smoking products and a lid connected to the box via a hinge line, which extends along the rear wall of the package. Such packages are typically made from a single-piece, multi-layered cardboard base. In use, the lid rotates around the hinge line to open the pack and access the smoking products contained in the box.

Hinged lid packages are commonly used to package cigarettes and other consumer goods that are adversely affected by prolonged exposure to air or moisture. Therefore, prior to first opening, the filled package is typically wrapped in an outer envelope that forms a barrier to the ingress or egress of air, moisture, odor or aroma into and out of the package during storage. Transparent plastic materials, such as polypropylene, are commonly used for this purpose. Providing an outer wrapper ensures that consumer goods remain fresh for a longer period and increases the shelf life of the goods. However, the effectiveness of the overwrap depends on the quality of the seal provided at the ends of the package where the overwrap is folded and sealed.

Conventional cigarette packages consist of a bundle of cigarettes wrapped in a multi-layered paper/metal foil and placed in a box that is usually made of cardboard. The box usually has a hinged lid to allow access to the pack of cigarettes. The box is most often formed from a printed base that is folded and wrapped around a bundle of cigarettes. The package is wrapped in a heat-sealed transparent film, usually polypropylene, which includes a tear strip to facilitate opening.

Of all the listed packaging components, only the outer film significantly contributes to the stability of the shelf life of the cigarette packaging. The plastic film serves as a moisture barrier, but its effectiveness is highly dependent on adequate sealing in the fold and overlap areas of the film. In any case, the low moisture permeability of the plastic film helps to maintain the initial amount of moisture and other volatile components of the cigarettes, when the package is exposed to an environment that has a higher or lower relative humidity than the humidity of the cigarette package. Although polypropylene is commonly used to make the outer jacket, other materials that reduce moisture transmission can be used, such as metallized plastic film, but these materials are also very dependent on adequate sealing in the area where the film is folded and folded when wrapping the package.

It has been proposed, eg in WO-A-2009/083344, to apply a continuous plastic liner over the filled package to provide improved sealing. Further, GB-A-1440934 suggests attaching a detachable, impermeable, foam strip to the top panel of the lid, so that when the lid is closed the strip seals against the top edges of the box.

It is desirable to provide a novel way to prevent air, moisture, odors or flavors from entering or exiting the package during storage.

According to the invention, a container for consumer goods is provided, which contains: a box for storing consumer goods; an inner frame positioned within the box and having an upper portion extending beyond the upper edges of the box; and a hinged lid coupled to the box along a hinge line rotatable about the hinge line between an open and a closed position, wherein the inner surfaces of the hinged lid are in contact with the outer surfaces of the upper part of the inner frame. The inner surfaces of the hinged cover and the outer surfaces of the upper part of the inner frame are at least partially covered with a sealing layer of sealing material. The material can connect with itself, with other parts of the package, which are not covered with a sealing layer, such as, for example, coated cardboard, or both by itself and with other uncovered parts of the package. Before opening the hinged cover for the first time, the sealing layers on the contact surfaces of the hinged cover and the inner frame are joined together to form a hermetic seal.

The "inner surfaces" of the packaging components of the present invention are the surfaces facing the inner side of the packaging and the consumer goods contained in the box. The internal surfaces of the components are usually also the internal surfaces of the package when the lid is in the closed position. The packaging components include the box and lid, as well as the inner frame.

The "external surfaces" of the packaging components of the subject invention are the surfaces facing the exterior of the packaging and opposite the consumer goods contained in the box.

In some cases, the outer surfaces of a component, such as a box, may also represent the outer surfaces of the package when the hinged lid is in the open and closed positions. In other cases, the outer surfaces of the component need not form the outer surfaces of the package in both the open and closed positions, but may be covered by panels or other package components when the hinged lid is in the open or closed position, or both. For example, the outer surfaces of the upper part of the inner frame are covered by the hinged cover when the hinged cover is in the closed position. The remaining outer surfaces of the inner frame are covered by the walls of the box in both positions.

The term "sealant" is used to denote a type of adhesive material that can perform sealing after exposure to specific conditions, such as heat, pressure, ultrasound, or UV light. Before exposure to these specific conditions, the sealing material does not normally adhere to itself or to other packaging surfaces. This means that it can be conventionally applied to a multi-layer base for forming a package according to the present invention during the manufacture of the base, before filling and assembling the package. In a package according to the present invention, the sealing material may be adhered to itself or to other surfaces of the package to secure the hinged lid in the closed position and provide a tight, water vapor-tight seal between the hinged lid and the inner frame until the package is opened for the first time.

"Hermetic sealing" according to the present invention is a type of solid connection that prevents the passage of moisture through the package from the environment to the interior of the package, where the consumer goods are located, as well as the passage from the interior of the package to the environment. This ensures that the moisture content of the package remains the same as long as the package is closed. The advantage of this is the extension of the shelf life of the consumer goods contained in the packaging.

Preferably, the rate of moisture conduction through the hermetically sealed package joint according to the invention is less than 15 g of water per day per m<2>, measured in accordance with ASTM method D3079-94. Even more preferably, the rate of moisture conduction through the hermetically sealed package joint according to the invention is between 0.2 g of water per day per m<2> and 8 g of water per day per m<2> of the surface of the sealed joint.

When the hinged lid of the package is closed, the main way in which gases, such as oxygen or water vapor, can penetrate the package to the consumer goods contained in the box is usually through the gaps between the hinged lid and the box or inner frame. In packaging with a hinged lid according to the present invention, a sealing layer is provided on the contact surface of the hinged lid and the inner frame to form a hermetic sealing joint so that gases can no longer enter the package through such gaps.

The advantage of the hermetic seal achieved by the sealing layer is that it provides an effective barrier so that no additional outer envelope or layer is required to achieve the desired level of freshness of the packaged consumer goods. Thus, the final step of wrapping the package can be eliminated from the wrapping process. Therefore, neither a wrapping machine nor a wrapping material is required. The packaging manufacturing process according to the invention is therefore more efficient than existing processes, in terms of time and cost.

In addition, the hermetically sealed joint formed by joining the sealing layers usefully provides a type of protective seal that allows the user to determine whether the package has been previously opened or otherwise tampered with. The hermetically sealed layer should be intact at the time of sale of the filled package and must be broken by the consumer to allow access to the consumer goods. The presence of an intact sealed joint between the hinged lid and the inner frame is an indicator that the hinged lid was not opened and that no consumer goods were accessed. For the consumer, it is also an indicator that the consumer goods in the package are still fresh, and the hermetically sealed joint is not damaged.

It is useful that the sealing material can be applied to the package surfaces during the production of the multilayer bases, so that the process of assembling and filling the package according to the invention can be carried out using conventional devices and methods. The only necessary process modification is to subject the filled package to the necessary influences such as heat or pressure to form a bond between the sealing layers on the hinged lid and the inner frame. Alternatively, the panels are successively joined to each other in separate sealing steps.

In order to form a water vapor-tight sealing joint between the hinged cover and the inner frame, it is preferable that the sealing layer covers the entire surface of the outer surfaces of the inner shell and the inner surface of the hinged cover, which are brought into contact with each other when the hinged cover is in the closed position. This prevents gases from entering the package through gaps or cracks in the sealing joint.

Complete coverage of the sealing layer can be conventionally achieved by coating the entire surface of the multi-layer base, or bases, used to form the hinged cover and inner frame. For example, the inner surface of the multi-layer base for forming the hinged cover (optionally also the box) package according to the invention can be completely covered with a coating of sealing material. "Inner surface" of a multilayer base refers to the surface on that side of the base which will form the major part of the inner surfaces of the hinged lid and box when the package is formed. Typically, most of the opposite, outer surface is printed with graphics or text to be displayed on the outside of the formed package.

After the seal has been achieved, the sealing material should provide a sufficiently strong seal between the hinged lid and the inner frame so that the joint remains hermetically sealed and the hinged lid remains firmly in place before the package is first opened. However, it must also be possible for the consumer to simply break the seal and detach the hinged cover from the inner frame to access the consumer goods, without damaging the packaging. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing force between the hinge cover and the inner frame is between 2 Newtons and 7 Newtons, and more preferably between 2 Newtons and 4 Newtons.

Preferably, the sealing layer on the outer surfaces of the inner frame extends below the level of the free edges of the box, so that the sealing layer can additionally be used to provide a hermetic connection between the inner frame and the inner surfaces of the box. This is particularly convenient in cases where the inner surface of the multi-layer base, or bases, which form the hinged lid and boxes, is completely covered with sealing material. This usefully simplifies the positioning of the inner frame in the box, as the sealing material is present below and above the upper edge of the front wall of the box. The sealing joint between the inner frame and the box ensures that the inner frame stays in place, inside the box, and also improves the sealing of the package before it is first opened.

The sealing layer can be formed from any suitable sealing material, which can achieve sealing under certain conditions that are usually provided during the production of the package, without having a negative effect on the consumer goods contained in the package. Preferred sealing materials are heat sealing materials that become tacky and can perform sealing after exposure to heat. Suitable sealing materials can be non-aqueous materials as well as water-based materials that later become resistant to water or water vapor. For example, suitable sealing materials can be polyolefins, PVDC (Polyvinylidene Chloride), resin and adhesive wax. Preferably, the outer sheath is coated with a sealing polyolefin such as: polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, propylene-butylene copolymer, ethylene-butylene copolymer, ethylene-propylene-butylene terpolymer, as well as combinations thereof.

It is preferable that the sealing layer is applied in the form of a solvent, emulsion or dispersion based on oil or water or at least one of the indicated materials. It is preferable that the weight of the dry layer is between 1 and 100 grams per m<2> (gsm).

Packaging according to the invention is usually assembled in a conventional manner, by folding a single or multi-layered base around the consumer goods and joining the overlapping panels of the multi-layered base together to maintain the formed shape of the package. This can be achieved using conventional glues or adhesives. However, when using standard bonding techniques, the adhesive used to join the overlapping panels of the package is usually not applied to the entire surface of the contact surfaces. Therefore, even though the overlapping panels are successfully bonded together, there may be gaps or channels between the exterior of the package and the interior of the package where the adhesive has been applied. This means that the joint between the overlapping panels is not water vapor tight, so air or moisture can enter the package and adversely affect the consumer goods.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, at least one wall of the package contains an inner panel and an outer panel that overlaps the inner panel, wherein the contact surfaces of the inner and outer panels are covered with a layer of sealing material capable of sealing, and wherein the sealing layers on the contact surfaces of the inner and outer panels are hermetically connected to each other. It is desirable that the surface covered by the sealing layer constitutes approximately 100% of the contact surface. Alternatively, with the appropriate selection of the sample, a lower degree of coverage can be achieved, eg between 30 and 100% of the contact area.

Preferably, the sealing material between the overlapping inner and outer panels is the same material used to make the hermetic connection between the hinged cover and the inner frame, as described above. For example, in a conventional hinged lid package, a sealing material may be used to join the overlapping panels that form the side walls and bottom wall of the box, as well as the side walls and top wall of the hinged lid. In this way, all joints on the package are sealed for water vapor, which further reduces the migration of moisture in the package.

As with the contact surfaces of the hinged cover and the inner frame, it is desirable that the sealing material covers the entire surface of the contact surfaces of the inner panel and overlapping outer panels, so that there are no gaps or cracks in the joint, through which air and moisture could penetrate into the package.

Preferably, the sealing force between the overlapping panels is adjusted so that the joint remains airtight and strong enough for the package to withstand the stresses it may be exposed to in the supply chain or during use. Unlike the joint between the hinged cover and the inner frame, it is generally not desirable for the joint between the overlapping panels of the package to be broken by the user. Moreover, the joints should remain intact when the force necessary to break the joint between the hinged cover and the inner frame is applied. The sealing force between the overlapping panel is therefore at least 4 Newtons and is preferably at least equal to the sealing force between the hinged cover and the inner frame, and preferably greater.

It is preferable that the sealing layer is applied to the unfolding panels of the multi-layer base, or bases, which form the box and the hinged lid, so that the panels are completely covered. In preferred embodiments, the inner surface of the multi-layer base, or base, is completely covered with a sealing layer, as described above. In addition, the outer surfaces of the panels that form the inner panels of the overlapping panel in the hinged cover and box must be completely covered with a sealing layer. If desired, both sides of the multi-layer base, or base, can be completely covered with a sealing layer.

Preferably, the consumer goods in the packaging box according to the invention are wrapped in an inner envelope to ensure that the consumer goods remain fresh during storage. Preferably, the inner envelope has one or more weakened lines defining an opening tab, wherein the tab can be separated from the rest of the inner envelope to provide an access opening in the inner envelope through which the consumer goods can be removed. If desired, a reusable adhesive label can be provided on the tab of the inner jacket so that the tab can be re-glued to the closed position between uses.

In certain preferred embodiments, the inner casing opening tab is coupled to the inner surface of the hinged cover such that movement of the hinged cover to the open position separates the tab from the rest of the inner casing to form an access opening. The tab may be bonded directly to the inner surface of the hinge cover or may be bonded to the surface by means of an adhesive label.

Preferably, the inner casing is at least partially in contact with the box, and the outer surface of the inner casing and the inner surface of the box are at least partially covered with a sealing layer of sealing material. It is desirable that the sealing layers on the contact surfaces of the inner casing and the box are connected to each other. The connection force between the inner casing and the box is preferably at least 4 Newtons. Preferably, the sealing material used to join the inner shell to the box is the same as the material used to form the hermetic seal between the hinged cover and the inner frame. The sealing material secures the inner shell to the box so that the opening tab can be easily separated from the rest of the inner shell without moving the inner shell or pulling the entire inner shell out of the box.

It is preferable that the inner cover is made of metal foil or metallized paper.

In preferred solutions, the multi-layer base for forming the box is already completely covered with a sealing layer on the inner surface, as described earlier. In order to create a connection between the inner shell and the box, the sealing layer must be applied at least to a part of the outer surface of the inner shell.

Preferably, the package according to the invention further comprises a layer of reusable adhesive applied over the sealing layer at one or more places on the outer surface of the inner frame, the reusable adhesive retaining the hinged lid in the closed position. Once the hermetic seal is broken, the reusable adhesive allows the hinged lid to be hermetically held in a closed position between uses. In this way, the hinged lid cannot be opened by mistake. This ensures that the freshness of the consumer goods is maintained as long as possible after the first opening of the package and also prevents dust or other foreign particles from entering the package and coming into contact with the consumer goods.

Preferably, the reusable adhesive provides a strong enough seal to the hinged lid in the closed position, at least as many times as there are consumer goods in the package, so that it can be used to protect the hinged lid until the package is emptied.

Suitable materials that can be used for a reusable adhesive are known to those skilled in the art. In one example of the present invention, the reusable adhesive comprises an acrylate. It is preferable that the reusable adhesive is applied in the form of a water-based emulsion or dispersion containing an adhesive component. Preferably, the weight of the dry reusable adhesive is between lgrpo m<2> and 50gr per m<2> (gsm).

Preferably, the front wall of the hinge cover includes a pull tab extending from the free edge of the front wall. Preferably, the front wall of the box includes a free edge cutout that matches the hinge cover pull tab in size, shape, and position so that the pull tab can lie within the cutout when the hinge cover is in the closed position. The pull tab makes it easier to open the hinged lid and especially to break the hermetic seal between the hinged lid and the inner frame when opening the package for the first time. If desired, the pull tab may be connected to the front wall along a hinge line, such as a fold line, to further facilitate the user's grip on the pull tab during use. The pull tab can partially extend over the free edge of the front wall of the hinge cover or it can extend over the entire free edge. Where the pull tab extends at least partially over the free edge, it is preferred that the pull tab be provided in the central portion of the free edge of the front wall.

In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the package further comprises an adhesive tear tape over one or more free edges of the hinged lid, prior to the first opening of the hinged lid, to retain the hinged lid in a closed position. The adhesive tear tape provides an additional hermetic seal around at least a portion of the junction of the hinged lid and the inner frame or corresponding free edge of the box when the hinged lid is in the closed position. This further improves the sealing of the hinged cover. The adhesive tear strip must be removed from the package before the hinged lid can be moved to the open position.

It is preferable that the adhesive tear tape extends at least beyond the joint of the front wall edge of the hinged cover and the inner frame or the free edge of the front wall of the box. Optionally, the adhesive tear tape may also extend along the junction of the edge of the side walls of the hinge cover and the inner frame or the corresponding free edges of the side walls of the box, so that the tear tape covers the entire length of the free edge of the hinge cover. Preferably, the free edges of the sidewalls and the front wall of the hinged lid are horizontal when the adhesive tear tape extends along the junction of the package sidewalls. In this way, the junction of the hinged lid and the inner frame or box extends around the package in a straight line. This makes it easier to apply and remove the adhesive tear tape.

Suitable materials for forming the tear strip are known to those skilled in the art. In one solution, an OPP (oriented polypropylene) tear strip is provided.

Alternatively or additionally, in addition to the adhesive tear tape, the package according to the invention may contain an adhesive label over the free edges of the hinged lid, which is placed over the free edges of the hinged lid and joins the hinged lid to the box before the first opening of the package, wherein the label contains a weakened line that coincides with the free edge of the hinged lid, so that the label separates along the weakened line when the hinged lid is opened for the first time. The adhesive label provides another type of control link, as the presence of an intact adhesive label is evidence that the package has not been opened or otherwise tampered with.

Preferably, the package according to the invention further includes a notch extending from opposite ends of the hinged cover across the rear wall to an adjacent side edge of the rear wall of the package. It is desirable that each notch extends no more than 2mm from the side edge. Similarly positioned notches are typically provided in conventional hinged lid packages to facilitate opening and closing of the hinged lid. However, in the packaging according to the present invention, the notches are shorter than in conventional packaging. For example, it is desirable that the notches in the package conform to the finding of approximately half the length of the notches in conventional packages. Shortening the notch length reduces the potential passageways through which oxygen, moisture or other gases can enter the package during storage. Therefore, the shorter notches further improve the sealing of the package according to the invention before the first opening.

As described above, it is preferred that the packages according to the invention are formed from one or more multilayer bases to which a sealing layer is applied on the appropriate surfaces.

In accordance with the invention, a multi-layer base is provided for forming a package according to any requirement, wherein the base comprises a box defining portion and a hinged lid defining portion, wherein the inner surface of the hinged lid defining portion is covered with a sealing layer or sealing material capable of sealing. The multi-layer base of the present invention is used in combination with the multi-layer base to form an inner frame, which is placed in the package box and which is covered with a sealing layer on the outer surface to mate with the sealing layer on the inner surface of the hinge cover.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of hermetically sealing a consumer goods package in accordance with the invention described above, wherein the method consists of: applying a sealing compound to the inner surfaces of the hinged cover and the outer surface of the inner frame; providing a box for consumer goods; closing the hinged cover; and joining the sealing layers of the contact surfaces of the inner frame and the hinge cover to provide a hermetic connection. Preferably, the joining step of the method of the present invention includes exposing the sealing joints to heat, pressure, or both to activate the adhesive properties of the sealing material.

Packages according to the invention may have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with rectangular longitudinal transverse edges. Alternatively, the package may contain one or more rounded longitudinal edges, rounded transverse edges, notched longitudinal edges or notched transverse edges, or a combination thereof. For example, a package according to the invention may contain: - one or two longitudinally rounded or notched edges on the front wall and/or one or two longitudinally rounded or notched edges on the rear wall; - one or two two transverse rounded or notched edges on the front wall and/or one or two transverse rounded or notched edges on the back wall; - one longitudinal rounded edge and one longitudinal notched edge on the front wall and/or one transverse rounded edge and one transverse notched edge on the back wall; - one or two transverse rounded or notched edges on the front wall and one or two longitudinal rounded or notched edges on the front wall; - two longitudinal rounded or notched edges on the first side wall or two transverse rounded or notched edges on the second side wall.

When the package contains one or more rounded edges and is made from one or more laminar bases, it is preferred that the bases contain 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 scored lines or fold lines to form each of the rounded edges of the folded package. Score lines or fold lines can be on either the inside or outside of the package. It is desirable that the distance between the incised lines or the fold lines is between 0.3mm and 4mm.

Preferably, the distance between the cut lines or fold lines is a function of the thickness of the multilayer base. Preferably, the distance between the cut lines or the bending lines is 0.5 to 4 times greater than the thickness of the multi-layer base.

When the package contains one or more notched edges, it is preferable that the notched edge has a width between 1mm and 10mm, and more preferably between 2mm and 6mm. Alternatively, the package may comprise a double scored edge formed by a parallel fold line or scored lines, which are spaced apart to form two distinct bevels at the edge of the package.

When a package containing a cut edge is made of one or more laminar bases, the cut edge may be formed by two parallel fold lines or a cut line of a multi-layer base. The fold lines or cut lines may be placed symmetrically with respect to the edge between the first and second walls. Alternatively, the fold lines or cut lines may be placed asymmetrically with respect to the edge between the first and second walls, such that the bevel extends deeper into the first wall of the package than into the second wall of the package.

Alternatively, the package may have a non-rectangular cross-section, eg polygonal, such as triangular or hexagonal, or oval, semi-oval, circular or semi-circular.

The packages according to the invention are particularly used as packages for elongated smoking products, such as, for example, cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a hermetically sealed package for smoking products comprising a container according to the invention, as described above, where a plurality of smoking products are contained in the box, and the joint between the sealing joints on the inner surface of the hinged lid and the outer surface of the inner frame is intact to provide a hermetic connection.

It is understood that by appropriate choice of package dimensions, the package according to the invention can be intended for a different number of conventional, large, super large, thin or super thin cigarettes.

By appropriate selection of package dimensions, packages according to the invention can accommodate different total numbers of smoking products with their different layouts. For example, by appropriate selection of package dimensions, packages according to the invention can accommodate between 10 and 30 smoking products.

Smoking products in a package can be grouped differently, depending on the total number of smoking products. For example, smoking products can be placed in one row of 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 products. Alternatively, the smoking products may be placed in two or more rows. Two or more rows may contain the same number of smoking products. For example, smoking products can be placed in: two rows of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10; three rows of 5 or 7; or four rows of 4, 5 or 6 products. Alternatively, two or more rows may contain at least two rows having different numbers of smoking products. For example, smoking products can be placed in: row of 5 and row of 6 (5-6); row of 6 and row of 7 (6-7); row of 7 and row of 8 (7-8); middle row of 5 and two outer rows of 6 (6-5-6); middle row of 5 and two outer rows of 7 (7-5-7); middle row of 6 and two outer rows of 5 (5-6-5); middle row of 6 and two outer rows of 7 (7-6-7); middle row of 7 and two outer rows of 6 (6-7-6); middle row of 9 and two outer rows of 8 (8-9-8); or a middle row of 6, one outer row of 5 and one outer row of 7 (5-6-7) products.

Packages according to the present invention may contain smoking products of the same type or brand or of different types or brands. In addition, they can contain both smoking products without filters and smoking products with different types of filters, as well as smoking products of different lengths (eg between 40mm and 180mm), diameters (eg between 4mm and 9mm). Additionally, smoking products can differ in flavor strength, drag resistance, and total solids. It is desirable that the dimensions of the package are coordinated with the length of the smoking product and the grouping of the smoking product. Typically, the outer dimensions of the package are 0.5mm to 5mm larger than the dimensions of the bundle or bundles of smoking products contained in the package.

The length, width and depth of the package according to the invention can be such that in the closed position the overall dimensions of the package are similar to the dimensions of typical disposable packages with a hinged lid for 20 cigarettes.

It is preferable that the packages according to the invention have a height between 60 mm and 150 mm, and even more preferably between 70 mm and 125 mm, whereby the height is measured from the upper wall to the lower wall of the package.

It is preferable that the package according to the invention has a width between 12 mm and 150 mm, and even more preferably between 70 mm and 125 mm, whereby the width is measured from one side wall to the other side wall of the package.

Preferably, the package according to the invention has a depth of between 6mm and 100mm, and more preferably between 12mm and 25mm, the depth being measured from the front wall to the back wall (which includes the joint between the box and the lid) of the package.

Preferably, the package height to package depth ratio is between 0.3 to 1 and 10 to 1, more preferably between 2 to 1 and 8 to 1, and most preferably between 3 to 1 and 5 to 1.

Preferably, the ratio of package width to package depth is between 0.3 to 1 and 10 to one, more preferably between 2 to 1 and 8 to 1, and most preferably between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1.

Despite being sealed, after being filled, a package according to the invention may be wrapped in a heat-shrinkable material or otherwise wrapped in a transparent polymeric film of, for example, high or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, cellulose, or a combination of said materials, in a conventional manner. When packages according to the invention are wrapped, the wrap may contain one or more tear strips. In addition, images, consumer information or other data may be printed on the wrapper. An additional outer shell can usefully protect the packaging surface from, for example, abrasion during handling.

In addition to containing a bundle of smoking products, the package may also contain other consumer goods, for example, matches, lighters, fire extinguishers, breath fresheners or electronics. Other consumer goods may be attached to the outside of the package, placed in the package itself together with the smoking products, placed in a separate compartment of the package, or a combination of the aforementioned.

The outer surfaces of the packaging in accordance with the provisions may be printed, engraved, embossed or otherwise decorated with the manufacturer's or brand's logo, trademark, slogans or other consumer information and markings.

The invention will be explained below by way of example, with accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a hinged lid package in accordance with the present invention, with the hinged lid open;

Figure 2a is a top view of a multilayer base for forming the box and hinged package lid of Figure 1;

Figure 2b is a top view of the multilayer base for forming the inner package frame of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of another hinged lid package in accordance with the present invention, with the hinged lid closed.

The hinged lid package 2, shown in drawing 1, is a rectangular parallelepiped and contains a box 10 and a lid 20, which is hinged to the box 10 along a hinge line 45 extending horizontally across the back wall of the package 2. A wrapped bundle of cigarettes (not shown) is placed in the box 10 of the package 2. The overall dimensions and construction of the box 10 and the lid 20 of the package 2 are the same as in of a standard pack of cigarettes with a hinged lid.

The box 10 has a front wall 12, a left side wall 14, a right side wall 15, a back wall and a bottom wall. The top of the box 10 is open to provide a top opening through which the cigarettes can be removed. The front wall 12 of the box contains a semi-circular cut-out 16 on the upper free edge 18. The side walls 14, 15 of the box are formed by an inner panel 14a, 15a and an outer, overlapping panel 14b, 15b, whereby the inner and outer panels are joined together, as will be described below.

The terms "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "side", top", "bottom" and other terms are used to describe the relative positions of the components of the package 2, in accordance with the invention, with the package in an upright position, with the lid 20 at the top and the hinge at the back. The terms "left" and "right" are used in relation to the side walls of the package, when the package 2 is viewed from the front, in an upright position. When the upright package is open, the cigarettes contained in the box 10 can be removed from the upper side of the package 2.

The cover 20 has a front wall 22, a left side wall 24, a right side wall 25, a back wall and a top wall. A semi-circular pull tab 26 extends from the free edge 28 of the front wall 22. The pull tab 26 corresponds, in size, shape and position, to the semi-circular cutout 16 on the front wall 12 of the box. The side walls 24, 25 of the lid are formed by an inner panel 24a, 25a and an outer, overlapping panel 24b, 25b, the inner and outer panels being joined together, as will be described below.

When the package 2 is closed, the free edges of the walls of the lid 20 abut the free edges of the walls of the box 10 along the line of contact, and the pull tab 26 engages with the semicircular cutout 16. Therefore, in the closed position, the walls of the lid 20 form a continuation of the corresponding walls of the box 10, thereby defining the walls of the package 2.

The inner frame 30 is placed in the box 10 of the package 2. The inner frame 30 includes a front wall 32, a left side wall 34, and a right side wall, which are joined to the inner surface of the front wall 12 of the box, the left side wall of the box, and the right side wall 14 of the box, respectively. The front wall 32 of the inner frame includes a rectangular cut-out 36 at the upper free edge of the front wall 32 of the inner frame, to facilitate the removal of cigarettes from the box 10. The front wall 32 of the inner frame is long enough so that it extends below the cut-out 16 on the front wall 12 of the box.

The box 10 and the cover 20 of the package 2 are formed from a single multi-layer base 102, shown in drawing 2a. The dotted lines indicate the fold lines of the warp. The multilayer base 102 includes a box defining portion 110 and a lid defining portion 120, which are connected along a hinge line 45. The inner surface of the multilayer base 102 is completely covered with a sealing layer formed of polyolefin material, which can perform sealing. The inner surface of the multilayer base 102 provides the inner surfaces of the hinged cover 20 and the box 10, and the sealing layer therefore covers the inner surfaces of the assembled package 2. The outer surface of the multilayer base 102, as shown in drawing 2a, is additionally covered with a sealing layer on the panels. which are indicated by hatching in drawing 2a. When the package is assembled, these panels correspond to the inner panels 14a, 15a of the side walls of the box and the inner panels 24a, 25a of the side walls of the lid.

The inner frame 30 of the package 2 is formed from the multi-layer base 130 shown in drawing 2b. The dotted lines indicate the fold lines of the warp. The outer surfaces of the multi-layer base 130, as shown in Figure 2b, are covered with a sealing layer 138 in the areas of the front wall 32 of the frame and the side walls 34, 35 of the frame, which are placed immediately adjacent to the free edges of the box when the package is assembled. The sealing layer also extends on the lower part of the front wall of the frame, to cover the area of the wall that is in contact with the front wall of the box, when the package is assembled. As in drawing 2a, the sealing layer is indicated by hatching in drawing 2b.

When assembling the package from the multi-layer bases 102, 130, the inner frame 30 is placed in the box, so that the sealing layer 138 is in the correct position, immediately adjacent to the free edges of the box 10. The sealing layer on the lower part of the front wall 32 of the frame is brought into contact with the sealing layer on the inner surface of the front wall 12 of the box and the sealing layers are then heated, so that they bond together to provide a sealing joint. between the front wall 32 of the frame and the front wall 12 of the box.

After assembling the package 2 from the multilayer base and filling the package with a bundle of smoking products, the hinged lid 20 is closed so that the sealing layer on the inner surfaces of the hinged lid 20 is brought into contact with the sealing layer on the outer surfaces of the inner frame 30. The sealing layers are then heated so that the layers bond together to provide a hermetic seal between the hinged lid 20 and the inner frame 30.

In order to open the package 2 for the first time, the user should grasp the tab 26 and pull the hinged cover 20 to break the hermetic connection between the hinged cover 20 and the inner frame 30 and then rotate the hinged cover backwards, towards the open position shown in drawing 1.

In an alternative package solution 2, a reusable adhesive is provided at least on the front wall 32 of the frame, so that the hinged lid can be reassembled in the closed position, even if the hermetic seal provided by the sealing layers is broken.

The package 50 shown in drawing 3 is of similar construction to the package 2 shown in drawing 1 and contains a hinged cover 23 connected to the box 10' in which the smoking products are placed. The hinged lid is hermetically sealed to the inner frame as a result of bonding the sealing layers, as explained in connection with package 2. In addition, a tear strip 52 is provided in the package 50 across the line of contact between the free edges of the hinged lid 20' and the free edges of the box 10'. The joint line differs from the joint line in package 2, as it extends as a straight horizontal line across the front wall and both side walls of the package. As a result, the position of the hinge line 45 is above the level at which the free edges of the side walls of the lid contact the back wall of the package, in the closed position of the hinged lid. In order to maintain a straight line of contact, no pull tab or cutout is provided on the front walls of the lid and box.

The package 50 is shown in Figure 3 with the tear strip 52 partially removed. In order to open the package 50 for the first time, the tear strip 52 must be completely removed from the package and the hermetic seal between the hinged cover 20' and the inner frame broken, as described above.

Claims (14)

1. Packaging (2; 50) for consumer goods contains: a box (10, 10') for placing consumer goods; an inner frame (30) placed in the box (10), the upper part of which extends above the upper edges (18) of the box; and a hinged lid (20; 20') connected to the box (10) along a hinge line (45) and rotatable about the hinge line (45) between an open and a closed position, in which the inner surfaces of the hinged lid (20) are in contact with the outer surfaces of the upper part of the inner frame (30); characterized in that the inner surface of the hinged cover (20) and the outer surface of the upper part of the inner frame (30) are at least partially covered with a sealing layer of sealing material, so that the sealing layers on the contact surfaces of the hinged cover (20) and the inner frame (30) can be joined together to form a hermetic seal before the first opening of the hinged cover (20). 2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing material is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, PVDC or adhesive wax. 3. Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one wall of the packaging contains an inner panel (14a, 15a; 24a, 25a) and an outer panel (14b, 15b; 24b, 25b) overlapping the inner panel (14a, 15a; 24a, 25a), wherein the contact surfaces of the inner panel (14a, 15a; 24a, 25a) and the outer panel (14b, 15b; 24b, 25b) are covered with a sealing layer of sealing material and that the sealing layers are on the contact surfaces, whereby the contact surfaces of the inner panel (14a, 15a; 24a, 25a) and the outer panel (14b, 15b; 24b, 25b) are connected to each other in order to formed a hermetic joint. 4. Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hinged cover (20) and the box (10; 10') are formed from one or more multilayer bases (102, 130) and that the inner surfaces of one or more multilayer bases (120, 130) are completely covered with a sealing layer. 5. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the consumer products are wrapped in an inner envelope containing one or more weakened lines defining an opening tab, wherein the opening tab is connected to an inner surface of the hinged lid (20; 20') such that movement of the hinged lid (20; 20') to the open position causes the opening tab to separate from the rest of the inner envelope to provide an access opening in the interior envelope. 6. Packaging according to any of the previous requirements, indicated by the fact that the consumer products are wrapped in an inner casing at least partially in contact with the box (10; 10'), whereby the outer surface of the inner casing and the inner surface of the box (10; 10') are at least partially covered with a sealing layer of sealing material, and that the sealing layers on the contact surfaces of the inner casing and the box (10; 10') are mutually connected. 7. The package according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a layer of reusable adhesive applied over the sealing layer at one or more locations on the outer surface of the inner frame, wherein the reusable adhesive reseals the hinged lid (20; 20') in the closed position. 8. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front wall (22) of the hinged cover (20; 20') comprises a pull tab (26) extending from the free edge (28) of the front wall (22). 9. The package according to any of the preceding claims further comprising an adhesive tear strip (52) applied over one or more free edges of the hinged lid (20') prior to the first opening of the hinged lid (20) to seal the hinged lid (20') in the closed position. 10. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bonding force between the sealing layer on the inner surface of the hinged cover (20; 20') and the protective layer on the outer surface of the inner frame (30) is between 4 Newtons and 7 Newtons. 11. The package according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising an adhesive label placed over the free edges of the hinged lid (20; 20') and joining the hinged lid (20; 20') to the box (10; 10') prior to first opening the package (2; 50), wherein the label comprises a weakened line which coincides with the free edge of the hinged lid (20; 20') such that the label separates along the weakened lines when the hinged cover (20; 20') is first moved to the open position. 12. A package according to any of the preceding claims comprising a cutout extending from opposite ends of the hinge line (45) across the back wall to an adjacent side edge of the back wall of the package, each cutout extending no more than 2mm from the side edge. 13. A hermetically sealed smoking product package comprises a package (2; 50) according to any one of the preceding claims with a plurality of smoking products placed in a box (10; 10'), characterized in that the bond between the adhesive layers on the inner surface of the hinged cover (20, 20') and the outer surface of the inner frame (30) is intact to ensure a hermetic seal. 14. A method of hermetically sealing a consumer goods package (2; 50) according to any one of claims 11 to 12 comprising: providing a sealing layer on the inner surfaces of the hinged cover (20; 20') and the outer surfaces of the inner frame (30); securing the box (10; 10') and moving the hinged cover (45) to the closed position; and joining the sealing layers of the contact surfaces of the inner frame (30) and the hinge cover (20; 20') to provide a hermetic connection.