Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/07—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles
  • B65D85/08—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular
  • B65D85/10—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular for cigarettes
  • B65D85/1036—Containers formed by erecting a rigid or semi-rigid blank
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/07—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles
  • B65D85/08—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular
  • B65D85/10—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for compressible or flexible articles rod-shaped or tubular for cigarettes
  • B65D85/1036—Containers formed by erecting a rigid or semi-rigid blank
  • B65D85/1045—Containers formed by erecting a rigid or semi-rigid blank having a cap-like lid hinged to an edge

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a re-closable package for consumer goods and a method of cutting and folding a blank to form such a package.
• the package finds particular application as a package for elongate smoking articles, such as cigarettes.
• Cisid articles such as cigarettes and cigars are commonly packaged in rigid hinge-lid containers having a box and a lid connected to the box about a hinge line extending across the rear wall of the container.
• Such hinge-lid containers are typically constructed from one-piece laminar cardboard blanks. In use, the lid is pivoted about the hinge line to open the container and so gain access to a bundle of smoking articles housed in the box.
• the bundle of smoking articles housed in the box is typically wrapped in an inner liner of metallised paper, metal foil or other flexible sheet material.
• an inner liner of metallised paper, metal foil or other flexible sheet material.
• a consumer typically removes and discards a pre-perforated upper portion of the inner liner upon first opening the hinge-lid container.
• US-A-2.194, 168 discloses a cigarette package having several flaps provided at the top of the package, the flaps folding inwardly and overlapping each other to close the package.
• significant waste material is generated when forming the prior art package from a sheet material.
• the package is full it may be difficult for the customer to grasp and remove the first cigarette.
• US-A-2, 109.100 discloses a cigarette container having a top flap which folds down to partially cover an aperture provided in the top wall and the front wall of the container.
• a revenue stamp is attached to the top flap, the stamp having an adhesive for affixing the stamp to the top wall and the front wall so as to maintain the top flap in a closed position.
• the revenue stamp may provide insufficient re-closure of the container.
• the present invention seeks to overcome the above disadvantages associated with the prior art containers.
• the present invention seeks to provide a package for consumer goods that provides improved closure and protection of the consumer goods housed within.
• a package for consumer goods comprising a box portion for consumer goods.
• the box portion comprises a front wall and an opening in the front wall, the opening extending from an edge of the front wall.
• the package further comprises a movable portion depending from a rear wall of the box portion.
• the package further comprises a tab extending from an edge of the movable portion.
• the movable portion is movable between an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the box portion and a closed position in which an edge of the tab abuts an edge of the opening. In the closed position, the movable portion and the box portion cooperate to substantially enclose the consumer goods within the package.
• an edge of the tab abuts an edge of the opening.
• the abutting edges of the tab and the opening are located in substantially the same plane and do not overlap each other.
• the abutting edges of the tab and the opening abut each other along at least part of their length.
• the abutting edges of the tab and the opening may abut each other along their entire length.
• the abutment between the edge of the tab and the edge of the opening provides an improved closure of the package when the movable portion is in the closed position.
• the tab effectively closes the opening so as to substantially enclose the goods within the package. This may advantageously improve the protection of the consumer goods housed within the package. In addition, this may maintain an effective closure even after repeated opening and closing of the package.
• the abutment minimises or eliminates overlap between the tab and the box portion, thus reducing the amount of waste material generated when manufacturing the package due to the nesting of the flap and the cut out within the substrate that the blanks may be cut out from.
• Providing the opening in the front wall also facilitates removal of the consumer goods by the consumer, particularly when removing the first consumer goods from a full package.
• the package may further comprise a retaining means for releasably retaining the movable portion in the closed position. This advantageously minimises the risk of accidental opening of the package.
• the retaining means comprises a sticker secured to the tab and extending beyond a free edge of the tab to define an attachment portion of the sticker.
• a resealable adhesive is provided on the attachment portion to releasably affix the attachment portion to the box portion of the package when the movable portion is in the closed position. This advantageously permits repeated opening and closing of the package by releasing and affixing the attachment portion of the sticker to the box portion of the package.
• the abutment between the edge of the tab and the edge of the opening prevents the attachment portion from adhering to consumer goods within the package.
• Suitable resealable adhesives are known to the skilled person and a wide variety of adhesives are commercially available from a number of suppliers. The selection of a suitable adhesive may depend upon the material forming the package.
• the package is preferably formed from a single laminar blank. Advantageously, this simplifies the manufacture of the package and reduces the production of waste material.
• the present invention provides a method of forming a package of consumer goods.
• the method comprises a step of cutting a blank from a substrate, the blank having a cut-out extending from an edge of the blank and a tab extending from an edge of the blank.
• a set of consumer goods are provided and the blank is folded around the set of consumer goods so as to form a package.
• the package includes a box portion housing the consumer goods and comprising a rear wall, a front wall and an opening in the front wall, the opening being formed by the cut-out and extending from an edge of the front wall.
• the package further includes a movable portion depending from the rear wall of the box portion and having the tab extending from an edge of the movable portion.
• the movable portion is movable between an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the box portion and a closed position in which an edge of the tab abuts an edge of the opening. In the closed position, the movable portion and the box portion cooperate to substantially enclose the consumer goods within the package.
• the method according to the present invention therefore provides a package having the advantages discussed above with respect to the first aspect of the invention.
• the method may further include a step of providing a retaining means as discussed above, such as the sticker comprising a resealable adhesive.
• the blank for a package according to the invention is substantially rectangular and comprises first and second side edges spaced apart in a first direction and first and second end edges spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
• the cut-out extends from the first end edge and the tab extends from the second, opposed end edge.
• the folding step comprises a step of folding the blank about a first set of fold lines extending in the first direction to define the front wall, the back wall and a bottom wall of the package.
• the folding step further comprises a step of folding the blank about a second set of fold lines extending in a longitudinal direction to define first and second side walls of the package, wherein the longitudinal directbn is perpendicular to the first and second directions.
• the folding step also includes a step of folding the blank about a third set of fold lines extending in the first direction to form the movable portion, the movable portion defining at least a portion of a top wall of the package.
• the method according to this embodiment therefore simplifies the manufacture of the package by minimising the number of cutting and folding steps required to assemble the package.
• the substantially rectangular blank preferably defines a centreline extending in the first direction and positioned equidistantly from the first and second end edges.
• the first set of fold lines includes a first fold line extending from the first side edge to the second side edge, the first fold line is located between the first end edge and the centreline and is spaced a first distance from the centreline.
• the first set of fold lines also includes a second fold line extending from the first side edge to the second side edge.
• the second fold line is located between the second end edge and the centreline and is spaced a second distance from the centerline. According to the invention, the first distance is g reater than the second distance.
• the asymmetric positioning of the first and second fold lines with respect to the centreline advantageously provides an asymmetric folding of the blank. This may ensure correct and accurate abutment between the tab and the opening once the blank has been fully folded to form the package.
• the blank is cut from a strip of substrate material having a width corresponding to a width of the blank extending from the first side edge to the second side edge.
• the cutting step includes making a first cut extending in the first direction across the entire width of the strip to define the first end edge and the cut-out, and making a second cut extending in the first direction across the entire width of the strip and spaced from the first cut in the second direction.
• the second cut is identical to the first cut and defines the second end edge and the tab.
• this process of cutting the blank may be extended by making at least one further cut in the strip, wherein the at least one further cut is identical to the first and second cuts, and wherein the first and second cuts and the at least one further cut are equally spaced in the second direction, thus forming multiple blanks for forming multiple packages.
• the blanks can be cut from rectangular sheet material. This may result in some waste material being produced.
• the blanks are preferably cut from a substantially continuous strip of substrate material pulled from a roll such that substantially no waste material is generated.
• a drum with a cutter on the surface of the drum is used to continuously cut blanks from the strip of substrate material as it is pulled from the roll.
• a flat stamping tool may be used to cut the blanks from the continuous web of material.
• the blank is substantially rectangular and comprises first and second side edges and first and second end edges, the cut-out and the tab extending from the first side edge.
• the blank defines a longitudinal direction extending between the first and second side edges, a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a second direction extending between the first and second end edges and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the first direction.
• the folding step includes a step of folding the blank around fold lines extending in the longitudinal direction to define a front wall, a rear wall and a first side wall of the package.
• the folding step also includes a step of folding the blank about fold lines extending in the longitudinal direction to define a second side wall of the package and folding the blank about fold lines extending in the first direction to define a bottom wall of the package.
• the folding step further includes a step of folding the blank about fold lines extending in the first direction to form the movable portion, the movable portion defining at least a portion of a top wall of the package.
• the second embodiment therefore provides an alternative method of cutting and folding the blank.
• it provides the same advantages as the first embodiment, namely a simplified process of manufacturing the package comprising a minimised number of cutting and folding steps.
• the blanks may be cut from discrete portions of sheet material, wherein two opposed edges of the sheet material form the second side edges of two blanks. In this case, a single cut across the sheet can form the first side edges, including the cut-out and the tab. of two blanks. Specifically, the cut-out and the tab of one blank will define the tab and the cut-out respectively of another blank.
• the blanks are preferably cut from a substantially continuous strip of substrate material pulled from a roll.
• a drum with a cutter on the surface of the d rum is used to continuously cut blanks from the strip of substrate material as it is pulled from the roll.
• a flat stamping tool may be used to cut the blanks from the continuous web of material.
• the movable portion may be hinged along a fold line between the back wall and the top wall of the package. This advantageously reduces the number of folds requ ired to form the package by using a single, common fold to form the edge between the back and top walls and to form the hinge line for the movable portion .
• the package can be formed from metallised paper, metal foil , coated paper, uncoated paper, other flexible sheet material or combinations thereof.
• the package can be formed from a laminate of a metallised polyethylene film and a liner material.
• the liner material may be a supercalendered glassine paper.
• the package material may be provided with a print-receptive top coating.
• the consumer goods are smoking articles.
• the container may be suitable for a variety of consu mer goods.
• the terms 'front ' , 'back, upper', 'lower ' , top', 'bottom' and side' refer to the relative positions of portions of packages according to the invention and components thereof when the package is in an upright position with the movable portion of the package in the closed position and depending from the back of the package.
• these terms are used irrespective of the orientation of the package being described.
• the term “longitudinal” refers to a direction from bottom to top or vice versa.
• the term “transverse” refers to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
• hinge line refers to a line about which the movable portion may be pivoted in order to open the package.
• a hinge line may be, for example, a fold line or a score line.
• the present invention also extends to a container for consumer goods, the container comprising an outer housing and an inner package comprising a package in accordance with the first or second aspects of the invention described above.
• the outer housing preferably comprises a lower box portion and an upper lid portion hinged to the box portion along a hinge line extending across a rear wall of the outer housing .
• the container may further comprise an inner frame located between the outer housing and the inner package, such that an upper part of the inner frame protrudes above the upper edge of the front wall of the outer housing.
• such inner frame comprises a cut out on the upper edge thereof.
• such cut-out in the upper edge of the inner frame corresponds to the cut out in the front wall of the inner package.
• such cut-out in the upper edge of the inner frame has a distance of between about 5 to 10 mm from the edge of the cut-out on the front wall of the inner package.
• the sticker where present, is adapted to be at least partially attached to the inner frame.
• the inner frame provides a rigid structu re for the reclosing of the inner package, in particular, where the inner package is no longer completely filled .
• the container is preferably a rectang ular parallelepiped comprising two wider walls spaced apart by two narrower walls.
• the container may be formed from any suitable materials including, but not limited to, cardboard , paperboard, plastic, metal, or combinations thereof.
• the outer housing is formed from one or more folded laminar cardboard blanks and preferably, the cardboard has a weig ht of between about 100 g rams per square metre and about 350 grams per square metre.
• the outer wrapper is a transparent polymeric film of, for example, high or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, cellulose film, or combinations thereof and the outer wrapper is applied in a conventional manner.
• the outer wrapper may include a tear tape. I n addition , the outer wrapper may be printed with images, consumer information or other data.
• containers according to the invention may be in the shape of a rectangu lar parallelepiped , with right-angled longitudinal and right-angled transverse edges.
• the container may comprise one or more rounded longitudinal edges, rounded transverse edges, bevelled longitudinal edges or bevelled transverse edges, or combinations thereof.
• the container according to the invention may comprise, without limitation : - One or two longitudinal rounded or bevelled edges on the front wall, and/or one or two longitudinal rounded or bevelled edges on the back wall.
• the bevelled edge has a width of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm, preferably between about 2 and about 6 mm.
• the container may comprise a double bevel formed by three parallel creasing or scoring lines that are spaced such that two distinct bevels are formed on the edge of the container.
• the container may have a non-rectang ular transversal cross section, for example polygonal such as triangular or hexagonal, semi-oval or semi-circular.
• Packages and containers according to the invention find particular application as packs for elongate smoking articles such as, for example, cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos. It will be appreciated that through appropriate choices of the dimensions, packages and containers according to the invention may be designed for different nu mbers of conventional size, king size, super-king size, slim or super-slim cigarettes. Alternatively, other consumer goods may be housed inside the packages and containers.
• Throug h an appropriate choice of the dimensions of the packages and containers according to the present invention, they may be designed to hold different total numbers of smoking articles, or different arrangements of smoking articles. For example, through an appropriate choice of the dimensions thereof, packages and containers according to the invention may be designed to hold a total of between five and thirty smoking articles.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in different collations, depending on the total number of smoking articles.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in a single row of five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in two or more rows.
• the two or more rows may contain the same number of smoking articles.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in: two rows of five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten; three rows of five or seven: or four rows of four, five or six.
• the two or more rows may include at least two rows containing different number of smoking articles to each other.
• the smoking articles may be arranged in: a row of five and a row of six (5- 6) ; a row of six and a row of seven (6-7); a row of seven and a row of eight (7-8); a middle row of five and two outer rows of six (6-5-6); a middle row of five and two outer rows of seven (7-5-
• Packages and containers according to the present invention may hold smoking articles of the same type or brand, or of different types or brands.
• both filterless smoking articles and smoking articles with various filter tips may be contained, as well as smoking articles of differing length (for example, between about 40 mm and about 180 mm), diameter (for example, between about 4 mm and about 9 mm).
• the smoking articles may differ in strength of taste, resistance to draw and total particulate matter delivery.
• the dimensions of the packages and the containers are adapted to the length of the smoking articles, and the collation of the smoking articles.
• the outer dimensions of the container are between about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm larger than the dimensions of the package or packages of smoking articles housed inside the container.
• the length, width and depth of containers according to the invention may be such that, in the closed lid position, the resultant overall dimensions of the container are similar to the dimensions of a typical disposable hinge-lid pack of twenty cigarettes.
• containers according to the invention have a height of between about 60 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a height of between about 70 mm and about 125 mm, wherein the height is measured from the bottom wall to the top wall of the container.
• containers according to the invention have a width of between about 12 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a width of between about 70 mm and about 125 mm, wherein the width is measured from one side wall to the other side wall of the container.
• containers according to the invention have a depth of between about 6 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a depth of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm wherein the depth is measured from the front wall to the back wall of the container (comprising the hinge between box and lid).
• the ratio of the height of the container to the depth of the container is in between about 0.3 to 1 and about 10 to 1 , more preferably between about 2 to 1 and about 8 to 1 , most preferably between about 3 to 1 and 5 to 1
• the ratio of the width of the container to the depth of the container is in between about 0.3 to 1 and about 10 to 1 , more preferably between about 2 to 1 and about 8 to 1 , most preferably between about 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 .
• the ratio of the height of a lid back wall to the height of a box back wall is between about 0 to 1 (lid located at the top edge of the container) to about 1 to 1 , more preferably, between about 1 to 5 and about 1 to 10, most preferably, between about 1 to 6 to about 1 to 8.
• the ratio of the height of a lid front wall to the height of a box front wall is between about 1 to 0 (lid covering the entire front wall) to about 1 to 10, more preferably, between about 1 to 1 and about 1 to 5, most preferably, between about 1 to 2 and about 1 to 3.
• the container may further comprise waste- compartments (for example for ash or butts) or other consumer goods, for example matches, lighters, extinguishing means, breath -fresheners or electronics.
• the other consumer goods may be attached to the outside of the container, contained within the container along with the package of smoking articles, in a separate compartment of the container or combinations thereof.
• the exterior surfaces of containers according to the invention may be printed, embossed , debossed or otherwise embellished with manufacturer or brand logos, trade marks, slogans and other consumer information and indicia.
• containers according to the invention may be shrink wrapped or otherwise over wrapped with a transparent polymeric film of, for example, high or low density
• the over wrapper may include one or more a tear tapes.
• the over wrapper may be printed with images, consumer information or other data.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a container including a package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 2 shows a folding sequence for forming a package in accordance with a first embodiment of the method according to the present invention
• Figure 3 shows a folding sequence for forming a package in accordance with a second embodiment of the method according to the present invention.
• FIGs 4 and 5 show processes for cutting multiple blanks from continuous strips of sheet material in accordance with the embodiments of Figures 2 and 3 respectively.
• Figure 1 shows a package 100 for consumer goods.
• the package 100 is shown as being housed within a traditional hinge-lid outer housing 102 having a lid 103 which is hinged along a hinge line extending across a back wall of the outer housing.
• a traditional hinge-lid outer housing 102 having a lid 103 which is hinged along a hinge line extending across a back wall of the outer housing.
• alternative forms of outer housing may be used with the packages according to the present invention.
• the skilled person will appreciate that the invention extends to packages 100 provided without an outer housing 102.
• the package 100 is shown as housing a plurality of smoking articles 104, although packages in accordance with the invention can be used to house other consumer goods, such as confectionary, dry foodstuff and the like.
• the package 100 comprises a movable portion 106 depending from a box portion 107.
• a tab 108 extends from the movable portion 106.
• An opening 1 10 is provided in the package 100 for access to the consumer goods, the opening 1 10 extending through a portion of a top wall 1 12 and a portion of a front wall 1 14 of the package 100. Providing the opening 1 10 in both the top wall 1 12 and the front wall 1 14 facilitates removal of the goods from the package 100 by allowing the customer to easily grasp the consumer goods, particularly when removing the first consumer goods from the package 100.
• the movable portion 106 is movable between an open position (shown in Figure 1 ) and a closed position in which the tab 108 covers the portion of the opening 110 extending through the front wall 1 14 of the package. In other words, the tab 108 forms the remainder of the front wall 1 14 when the movable portion 106 is in the closed position.
• a lower edge 116 of the tab 108 abuts an edge 1 18 of the opening 1 10 in the front wall 1 14 when the movable portion 106 is in the closed position.
• This abutment is effected by forming the package 100 such that the size and shape of the edge 1 16 of the tab 108 is substantially the same as the edge 1 18 of the opening in the front wall 1 14.
• a sticker 120 is provided on the tab 108.
• the sticker 120 extends beyond the lower edge 116 of the tab 108 to define an attachment portion of the sticker 120.
• a suitable resealable adhesive (for example a low-tack" adhesive) is provided on the attachment portion for releasably affixing the attachment portion to the front wall 1 14 of the package 100 to maintain the movable portion 106 in the closed position.
• a distal area of the attachment portion may be free from adhesive and may be bent outwardly from the front wall 1 14 to assist the consumer in grasping the attachment portion when opening the package 100.
• the portion of the sticker 120 overlapping the tab 108 is secured to the tab 108 using appropriate securing means.
• the sticker 120 may be glued to the tab 108 using a substantially permanent adhesive, for example a "high-tack" adhesive.
• the sticker 120 may be affixed to the tab 108 using the same resealable adhesive provided on the attachment portion.
• the package 100 is preferably formed from a single laminar blank. In this regard, one embodiment of a process for forming a package 100 in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figure 2.
• a substantially rectangular blank 200 is cut from a sheet material substrate (step one in Figure 2).
• Suitable sheet materials for forming the package 100 include metallised papers , metal foils, coated paper, uncoated paper, other flexible sheet material or combinations thereof.
• the blank 200 can be cut or stamped from discrete sheets of substrate material.
• the blanks 200 are cut from a substantially continuous strip of substrate material pulled from a roll.
• the cutter is preferably in the form of a cutting roll.
• the substantially rectangular blank 200 comprises first and second side edges 201 spaced apart in a first direction 151 , and first and second end edges 203 spaced apart in a second direction 153.
• the first and second directions are orthogonal.
• the blank 200 is provided with a cut-out 205 in one of the end edges 203 and a tab 208 extending from the other end edge 203.
• the cut-out 205 will form the portion of the opening 1 10 which extends through the front wall 1 14 of the assembled package 100, and the tab 208 will form the tab 108 which extends from the movable portion 106 of the package 100.
• the shape and size of the cut-out 205 is substantially the same as the shape and size of the tab 208.
• this simplifies the cutting step for forming the blank 200 as a single cut can be used to simultaneously form an end edge 203 and the cut-out 205 of a first blank, and an end edge 203 and the tab 208 of another blank. This method of cutting the blanks 200 can therefore be used to substantially eliminate the production of waste material.
• the consumer goods to be enclosed within the package 100 are positioned adjacent the blank 200.
• the consumer goods comprise a bundle of smoking articles 204, although the skilled person will appreciate that other consumer goods can be enclosed within packages according to the invention.
• the blank 200 is then folded around the consumer goods, firstly by folding the blank about two fold lines 217, 218 extending in the first direction so as to define the front wall 1 14, the back wall and the bottom wall of the package 100 (step two in Figure 2).
• the blank 200 defines a centreline extending in the first directbn, midway along the length of the blank 200 between the first and second end edges 203.
• the fold lines 217, 218 are positioned either side of the centreline such that the distance between the centreline and the fold line 217 is greater than the distance between the centreline and the fold line 218.
• each sidewall 1 17 of the package 100 is folded about two fold lines 209 extending in a longitudinal direction 157, orthogonal to the first and second directions (step three in Figure 2).
• the bottom portion of each sidewall 1 17 can be formed using a conventional envelope type fold.
• the blank 200 is folded about two fold lines 221 , 222 extending in the first direction to define the top wall 1 12 and the movable portion 106 of the package 100 (steps four to six in Figure 2).
• the fold line 222 defines the hinge line between the movable portion 106 and the back wall of the package 100.
• envelope type folds can be used when forming the movable portion 106.
• the tab 208 of the blank is folded about a fold line 213 extending in the first direction to form the tab 108 of the assembled package.
• a sticker 120 may be applied to the package 100 to maintain the movable portion 106 in the closed position, as discussed above with respect to Figure 1 .
• FIG. 3 a second embodiment of a process for forming a package 100 in accordance with the present invention is shown.
• a substantially rectangular blank 300 is cut from a sheet material substrate (step one in Figure 3).
• Suitable sheet materials for forming the package 100 include metallised papers, metal foils, coated paper, uncoated paper, other flexible sheet material or combinations thereof.
• the blank 300 can be cut or stamped from discrete sheets of substrate material.
• the blanks 300 are cut from a substantially continuous strip of substrate material using a cutting roll.
• the substantially rectangular blank 300 comprises first and second side edges 301 spaced apart in a longitudinal direction 157, and first and second end edges 303 spaced apart in a second direction 153.
• the longitudinal direction and the second direction are orthogonal.
• a first direction 151 is defined as orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the second direction.
• the blank 300 is provided with a cut-out 305 and a tab 308 both extending from one of the side edges 301.
• the cut-out 305 will form the portion of the opening 110 which extends through the front wall 1 14 of the assembled package 100, and the tab 308 will form the tab 108 which extends from the movable portion 106 of the package 100.
• the shape and size of the cut-out 305 is substantially the same as the shape and size of the tab 308.
• this simplifies the cutting step for forming the blank as a single cut can be used to simultaneously form the side edge 301 including the cut-out 305 and the tab 308 of two adjacent blanks.
• This method of cutting the blanks 300 can therefore be used to eliminate the production of waste material. For example, as shown in Figure 5, it is possible to eliminate waste material by utilising a substantially continuous strip 500 of substrate material having a width 132 corresponding to twice the width of a blank 300 between its two side edges 301 .
• each blank 300 it is possible to form multiple blanks 300 by first making a continuous repeating cut 502 in the machine direction to define the side edge 301 of each blank 300 having the cut-out 305 and the tab 308.
• the other side edge of each blank 300 is formed by an edge of the strip 500 of substrate material.
• a plurality of straight cuts 504 are made across the width 132 of the strip 500 to define the end edges 303 of the blanks 300.
• the straight cuts 504 are spaced apart in the machine direction by a distance 142 corresponding to the length of the blanks 300 between the end edges 303.
• the consumer goods to be enclosed within the package 100 are positbned adjacent the blank 300.
• the consumer goods comprise a bundle of smoking articles 304, although the skilled person will appreciate that other consumer goods can be enclosed within packages according to the invention.
• the blank 300 is then folded around the consumer goods, firstly by folding the blank about two fold lines 307 extending in the longitudinal direction so as to define the front wall 114, the back wall and one of the side walls 1 17 of the package 100 (step two in Figure 3).
• the blank 300 is folded about two more fold lines 309 extending in the longitudinal direction 157 (steps four and five in Figure 3).
• the blank 300 is also folded about two fold lines 310 extending in the first direction to form the bottom wall of the package (steps four to six in Figure 3).
• both sidewalls 1 17 are formed without envelope type folding , therefore providing a symmetric and uniform appearance to the package.
• envelope type folds are used to form the bottom wall, as shown in Figure 3.
• the blank 300 is folded about fold lines 321 , 322 extending in the first direction to define the top wall 1 12 and the movable portion 106 of the package 100 (steps five and six in Figure 3).
• the fold line 322 defines the hinge line between the movable portion 106 and the back wall of the package 100.
• envelope type folds can be used when forming the movable portion 106.
• the tab 308 of the blank 300 is folded about a fold line 313 extending in the first direction to form the tab 108 of the assembled package 100.
• a sticker 120 may be applied to the package 100 to maintain the movable portion 106 in the closed position, as discussed above with respect to Figure 1.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=48040167

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (1)

Cited By (2)

Citations (4)

• 2013
  • 2013-03-15 WO PCT/EP2013/055482 patent/WO2013170978A1/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

Similar Documents

Legal Events