US20090084694A1

US20090084694A1 - Cigarette Packet With Tab

Info

Publication number: US20090084694A1
Application number: US12/239,666
Authority: US
Inventors: Erdinc Agirbas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2007-09-28
Filing date: 2008-09-26
Publication date: 2009-04-02

Abstract

The invention relates to a cigarette packet with a packet body (4) for containing cigarettes and a lid (5) joined to the packet body (4) via a hinge (38), each with a front panel (12, 22), a rear panel (13, 23) and two opposing side panels (11 a , 11 b , 21 a , 21 b), and at least one tab (201 a , 201 b) is provided on the lid (5) and/or on the packet body (4), which extends beyond an imaginary connecting line (37 a , 37 b) on at least one side panel (11 a , 11 b , 21 a , 21 b) of the packet (1) between the hinge (38) and front lid bottom edge (36) when the packet (1) is closed.

Description

The invention relates to a packet for containing articles for smoking, in particular cigarettes.
Cigarette packets are known from the prior art, which are made from paperboard material or similar materials. They are in turn packaged in a cellophane film or transparent film for retail purposes and these films are removed by the user before use.
Such a cigarette packet usually comprises an elongated packet body for containing cigarettes, with a top opening for removing the cigarettes. The packet body also has a front panel, a rear panel, two opposing side panels and a bottom panel. A lid is connected to the packet body via a hinge joint, by means of which the top opening of the packet body can be closed. This lid also has a front panel, a rear panel, two opposing side panels and a top panel. The hinge connecting the packet body and the lid is usually disposed on the rear panel of the packet, and a top edge of the rear panel of the packet body and a bottom edge of the rear panel of the lid are joined to one another. A cigarette packet also usually has a wrapping, which is disposed inside the packet body in the region of the top opening.
In order to prevent the lid from unintentionally opening, the wrapping known from the prior art stands so far upwards that it holds the lid in its position closing the top opening of the packet body by friction.
Due to repeated opening and closing of the cigarette packet, the wrapping top part rapidly becomes worn, however, and the side panels of the lid can lose their stiffness so that the frictional fit for holding the lid in the closed position is no longer guaranteed. If the lid unintentionally opens, cigarettes can then fall out of the packet or flavourings which should be retained in the tobacco material can escape, for example. Furthermore, the “closed” lid often sits slightly open if the packet has been used for a longer period of time, which looks unattractive and also leads to evaporation and causes the cigarettes to become dry.
When the lid is completely open, it is also possible for the cardboard lid to become slightly deformed, so that one or both side panels of the lid stick inside the side walls of the wrapping as the lid is pivoted back, thereby preventing the cigarette packet from being closed. If this sticking inside the side wrapping sides goes unnoticed by the user, the forces applied during re-closing can cause parts of the cigarette packet to be deformed or even totally destroyed, which would mean losing some or all of the functions of the cigarette packet.
The objective of the invention is to propose a cigarette packet which overcomes the problems outlined above known from the prior art.
This objective is achieved by a cigarette packet of the type defined in claim 1. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention.
The cigarette packet proposed by the invention has at least one tab on at least one side panel of the packet body and/or on the lid, which extends beyond an imaginary connecting line between the hinge and front lid bottom edge when the packet is closed. When the cigarette packet is seen from a side view, this connecting line connects the hinge on the rear panel of the cigarette packet to the lid bottom edge and the packet body top edge on the front panel of the cigarette packet.
This connecting line is usually also the lid bottom edge respectively the packet body top edge on the side panels of a cigarette packet known from the prior art. Since the hinge on the rear panel of the cigarette packet is usually disposed higher than the front lid bottom edge, in other words closer to the top panel of the lid, this connecting line extends diagonally across each of the two side panels of the cigarette packet. In the case of cigarette packets known from the prior art, the lid and packet body abut with one another in the region of the front and side lid bottom edges and the packet body top edges.
In the case of the cigarette packet proposed by the invention, one or more tabs may be provided on one or both panels, which extend beyond the connecting line when the packet is closed, and both the lid and the packet body may have one or more tabs on one or both side panels of the packet.
The advantage of this or these tabs is that they afford additional surfaces (preferably two surfaces for each tab) which may serve as friction surfaces over a large surface area. The lid can therefore be held particularly efficiently by the friction fit created by the tabs in a position in which it closes the opening of the packet body. As the lid moves between an open and a closed position, it may also be guided relative to the packet body by one or more tabs, which on the one hand makes it easier to handle the cigarette packet and on the other hand ensures that it will fulfil its function.
A tab will now be described below. It would naturally be conceivable for the cigarette packet proposed by the invention to have several tabs, in which case every tab or individual ones of them may incorporate the specified features.
The tab may be printed during the process of manufacturing the cigarette packet or a specific shape or external appearance may be imparted to it so that it can serve as a source of information for the user. In this respect, the tab may also be merely a part of an information surface that is bigger in size overall.
When the cigarette packet is being closed, the tab may advantageously run or be guided into a receiving area specifically adapted to it and the tab is then used to hold the lid in a closed position and thus prevent the cigarette packet from inadvertently opening. Accordingly, one or both side faces of the tab may be designed as friction surfaces which slide or rub along the wrapping and/or side panel of the cigarette packet. Since the friction surfaces of the tab proposed by the invention are essentially bigger than the friction surfaces of the wrappings of cigarette packets known from the prior art, the resultant stronger friction fit prevents the lid from opening of its own accord more effectively than is the case in the prior art. To this end, one or both side faces of the tab may also incorporate friction-enhancing elements, for example roughened surfaces. In particular, in addition to the friction fit described above, it would also be conceivable to provide a positive fit between the tab and receiving area by imparting a specific shape to the tab and imparting a specific shape adapted to it to the receiving area, which likewise prevents the lid from opening of its own accord. For example, at the point where the tab runs into it, the receiving area may be of smaller dimensions than the tab so that the tab can not be moved into this narrower point of the receiving area other than by applying additional force. If it is necessary to apply this increased force across only a short distance along the direction of movement of the tab, the user would advantageously have an indication that the cigarette packet is closed due to a typical “snap-in noise”, thereby also improving the haptic appeal of the cigarette packet.
Not only would it be conceivable to provide such an interaction between one tab and one receiving area but also between several tabs on the lid and packet body, which locate or hook in one another or rub against one another.
If the receiving area is disposed on the packet body, it may be disposed between the packet body and wrapping. If the wrapping is not fully glued across the entire surface by which it sits in contact with the packet body, for example, the regions in which no glue is provided may constitute the receiving areas.
The receiving area may be defined by a region in the blank of the cigarette packet adjoining the tab and accordingly has the negative profile of the tab. Since the region in the blank adjoining the tab is part of a packet surface which is disposed underneath an externally lying (visible) side panel of the cigarette packet once the cigarette packet has been folded and glued, the surfaces of the receiving area against which the side faces of the tab rub are formed by a side panel of the wrapping and an internally lying surface of the visible side panel of the cigarette packet.
However, it would also be conceivable for the receiving area to be disposed on the lid, in which case it may in turn be formed on the lid by the region of the lid blank adjoining the tab.
The tab may be made from the same material as the cigarette packet and can therefore already be defined in the blank of the cigarette packet. This means that it does not have to be attached in a separate work step, for example by subsequently gluing it to an existing cigarette packet. Consequently, the tab may be integrally formed on an edge of a side panel of the packet body or the lid. However, it would also be conceivable for the tab to be integrally formed on an edge of a face disposed under a side panel of the packet body or the lid, which is no longer visible once the cigarette packet has been glued. A combination of the two options would also be conceivable.
The tab may also be formed on an edge of one of the faces of the cigarette packet blank which are disposed or glued one on top of the other on a side panel of the cigarette packet offset from an edge of the other face, in which case the two edges may be of a similar shape or a similar profile in particular.
In principle, the tab may be of any shape as viewed in a side projection of the cigarette packet, in particular of an essentially round or semi-circular shape or alternatively a shape with 3 or more corners. The same naturally applies to the receiving area accommodating the tab.
The bottom and/or top edge of the tab may also extend parallel or essentially parallel with a top edge or bottom edge of a side panel of the packet body.
The bottom and/or top edge of the tab may also be of any shape or profile, in particular a curving waved shape.
Another aspect of the invention relates to one or more tabs disposed on the lid, which prevent the lid from jamming when the cigarette packet is being closed again.
To this end, the invention proposes providing at least one tab on the lid, which overlaps with a side panel of the wrapping disposed inside the packet body in the region of the top opening by up to a specific opening angle of the lid. To this end, a left-hand tab is preferably moved outside along the left-hand side panel of the wrapping, whilst a right-hand tab is moved outside along the right-hand side panel of the wrapping.
This overlap may preferably exist up to a lid opening angle of 150°. However. it would be conceivable for there to be an overlap up to any opening angle, for example to almost the maximum opening angle of 180°, in other words to almost the point at which the rear panel of the lid lies against the rear panel of the packet body. This means that it is no longer possible for a lid to become jammed on the wrapping or on the packet body when the cigarette packet is being closed again. The lid is guided “outside” the wrapping.
In principle, the tabs on the lid described here afford a “longer” overlap with the wrapping when opening and closing the lid. Naturally, the tab or tabs may overlap with the wrapping to a greater degree, the farther they extend below the imaginary line between the hinge and front lid bottom edge.
The overlap can be made more pronounced, in particular due to the fact that at least a part of the tab is disposed in the rear region of the side panel of the lid, in other words is closer to the region of the rear panel of the cigarette packet than to the front panel of the cigarette packet. Jamming can be prevented particularly effectively if the tab or a major part of the tab is disposed in the region of the hinge between the lid and packet body.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings and the features described in them may be used individually or in any practical combination. Of these:

FIG. 1A: is a perspective view onto the left-hand front edge of the cigarette packet;

FIG. 1B: is a perspective view onto the right-hand rear edge of the cigarette packet;

FIG. 2A: shows a side projection of the cigarette packet with the lid closed;

FIG. 2B: shows a side projection of the cigarette packet with the lid half open;

FIG. 2C: shows a side projection of the cigarette packet with the lid fully open;

FIG. 3: shows various blanks of the cigarette packet proposed by the invention;

FIG. 4: shows a blank of a wrapping;

FIG. 5A: is a front view of the cigarette packet with a wrapping disposed in the region of the top opening with the lid open;

FIG. 5B: is a front view of the closed cigarette packet;

FIG. 6A: shows a blank of a cigarette packet with essentially semi-circular tabs formed on the lid;

FIG. 6B: shows a blank of a cigarette packet with essentially semi-circular tabs formed on the packet body;

FIG. 6C: shows a blank of a cigarette packet with multi-cornered tabs formed on the packet body;

FIG. 6: is a side projection of a cigarette packet in which a tab (the tabs) overlap with a (the) side panel of the wrapping at a lid opening angle of up to approximately 150°;

FIG. 8: is a perspective view of the cigarette packet illustrated in FIG. 7 with the lid closed;

FIG. 9: is a perspective view of the cigarette packet illustrated in FIG. 10 with the lid closed;

FIG. 10: is a perspective view of a cigarette packet, in which the bottom edges of the blank faces disposed one above the other at the panels of the lid are offset from one another;

FIG. 11A: shows a cigarette packet with essentially semi-circular tabs formed on the packet body;

FIG. 11B: shows a cigarette packet with essentially semi-circular tabs formed on the lid;

FIG. 11C: shows a cigarette packet with an essentially wave-shaped bottom edge on the lid;

FIG. 11D: shows a cigarette packet with tabs formed on the lid, where the bottom edges of the blank faces disposed one above the other are offset from one another at the side panels of the lid;

FIG. 11E: shows a cigarette packet with multi-cornered tabs formed on the packet body;

FIG. 11F: shows a cigarette packet with tabs formed on the lid, the bottom edge of which extends parallel with the bottom edge respectively top edge of the cigarette packet when the cigarette packet is closed;

FIG. 11G: shows a cigarette packet with tabs formed on the lid, in which the blank face lying externally on the side panel of the packet body does not fully cover the internally lying blank face;

FIG. 11H: shows a cigarette packet of the type illustrated in FIG. 11 g, in which the blank faces of the side panel of the packet body disposed one above the other are congruently disposed.

It should be pointed out at this stage that in the embodiments illustrated, two tabs 201 a and 201 b of the same type are always provided on each side of the cigarette packet 1.
FIGS. 1 a and 1 b illustrate a cigarette packet 1 with a packet body 4 and a lid 5. The front panel 12 of the packet body 4 and the front panel 22 of the lid 5 constitute the front panel of the packet 1, and the rear panels 13 of the packet body 4 and 23 of the lid 5 constitute the rear panel of the cigarette packet 1. The hinge 38 is disposed on the rear panel of the cigarette packet 1, whereas the front packet body top edge and the front lid bottom edge are disposed in the region 36. The imaginary connecting lines 37 a and 37 b may be seen on the side panels of the cigarette packet 1, which connect the hinge 38 and the front lid bottom edge and the front packet body top edge 36 when viewed in a side projection of the cigarette packet l onto the side panels of the cigarette packet 1. Consequently, the side panels of the cigarette packet 1 are diagonally split into the side panels 11 a and 11 b of the packet body 4 and the side panels 21 a and 21 b of the lid 5, since the hinge 38 lies closer to the top lid surface 15 than the edges 36.
FIGS. 2 a to 2 c illustrate a cigarette packet proposed by the invention, in which substantially semi-circular tabs 201 a and 201 b are provided on the side panels 21 a and 21 b of the lid 5. As illustrated, when the packet is closed, the tab 201 b extends beyond the line 37 b and sits underneath it. It therefore lies underneath the side panel 11 b of the packet body 4. It is also disposed outside the side panel 111 b of the wrapping 102 and is accommodated between the side panel 111 b of the wrapping 102 and the side panel 11 b of the packet body 4.
As may be seen from FIG. 3, there is no restriction as to the shape of the tab or tabs, Blanks are illustrated in which the tabs 201 a and 201 b are disposed on the lid. In the embodiment illustrated as an example, they are also disposed on the half of the side panels of the lid directed towards the rear panel 13.
FIG. 4 illustrates a wrapping 102 with side panels 111 a and 111 b such as those also used on conventional cigarette packets.
FIGS. 5 a and 5 b each show a front view of a cigarette packet, FIG. 5 a showing the lid 5 open and the wrapping 102 visible. When the packet is closed, the wrapping 102 is covered by the front panel 22 of the lid 5 in FIG. 5 b.
FIGS. 6 a to 6 c illustrate several blanks of cigarette packets proposed by the invention. The front panel 12 of the packet body 4 adjoins the bottom panel 610 and side panels 11 a and 11 b of the packet body 4. When the packet is folded and glued, the edge 36 adjoins the front panel 22 of the lid S. When the packet is folded and glued, the side panels 11 a and 11 b are also disposed above the blank faces 611 a and 611 b and are glued to them. Substantially semi-circular cut-outs are provided in the blank faces 611 a and 611 b in FIG. 6 a, which will later serve as the receiving areas for the tabs 201 a and 201 b. The tabs 201 a and 201 b are formed in the blank at the same time in the blank faces 613 a and 613 b of the lid 5, which thus have the negative profile of the receiving areas. When the packet is folded and glued, the blank faces 613 a and 613 b are disposed underneath the side panels 21 a and 21 b of the lid 5 and are glued to it. The hinge 38 connecting the rear panels 13 and 23 of the packet body 4 of the lid 5 and on which the lid 5 is ultimately hinged on the packet body 4 may be seen.
FIG. 7 illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention with tabs on the lid 5. The tab 201 b overlaps with the side panel 111 b of the wrapping 102 as far as a specific opening angle, and a significantly bigger opening angle of the lid 5 is possible than with conventional cigarette packets of the prior art. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the lid opening angle is 150°, and, as proposed by the invention, depending on the design of the tabs 201 a and 201 b, an overlap of these tabs with the co-operating side panels 111 a and 111 b can be obtained with any lid opening angle. FIG. 8 illustrates the cigarette packet illustrated in FIG. 7 but with the lid closed.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the cigarette packet proposed by the invention, where the bottom edge of one side panel 21 b is offset from the bottom edge of a surface 613 b disposed under the side panel 21 b. The tab 201 b is formed as a result of this offset arrangement, which ultimately moves between the side panel 11 b of the wrapping 102 and the side panel 11 b of the packet body 4. To this end, the bottom edges of the surfaces 21 b and 613 b and the bottom edge and top edge of the tab 201 b is of a curving wave-type shape.
FIGS. 11 a to 11 h illustrate different embodiments of the cigarette packet proposed by the invention in a side projection, particular attention being drawn to the shape of the tabs 201 a and 201 b. These tabs 201 a and 201 b may be based on various designs, enabling a visually attractive appearance to be obtained for the user.
FIG. 11A illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention in which an essentially semi-circular tab 201 b is formed on the face 611 b lying underneath the panel 11 b, on the top edge thereof. As the lid is closed, it moves inside the side panel 21 b.
FIG. 11B illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention in which an essentially semi-circular tab 201 b is formed on the lid on a bottom edge of the face 613 b lying underneath the panel 21 b. When the lid is closed, this tab moves outside along the side 111 b of the wrapping and locates in a receiving area lying between the faces 111 b and 11 b.
FIG. 11C illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention in which the tab is disposed in the top left-hand region of the lid side panel 21 b, and the bottom edge of the lid side panel 21 b has a waved shape. A receiving area for the tab is not provided in this instance. As the lid is being closed, it slides outside along the side face 111 b.
FIG. 11D illustrates an embodiment of the cigarette packet proposed by the invention similar to that illustrated in FIG. 11C, but in this instance the bottom edges of the lid side panels 21 b and 613 b are offset from one another, thereby forming the tab 201 b. As the lid is closed, it locates in a co-operating receiving area between the faces 11 b and 111 b.
FIG. 11E illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention in which a multi-cornered tab is provided, the function of which is essentially the same as that of the tabs illustrated in FIG. 11A. As illustrated, a plurality of different shapes may be used for the tabs, which fulfil the same function but can be varied in terms of their shape to suit the visual appearance of the cigarette packet. However, it should be pointed out in particular that, in the case of a multi-cornered tab such as that illustrated in FIG. 11E, a positively locating arrangement of the tab can be provided due to the construction.
FIG. 11F illustrates a cigarette packet proposed by the invention with a rectangular side panel 20 b of the lid, and the tab 201 b essentially occupies the triangular surface disposed at the top left-hand part of the side panel 21 b. As illustrated, as a result of this design, the side panel 21 b with the tab 201 b overlaps with the face 111 b even when the lid is almost completely open. This is of particular advantage as regards the second aspect of the invention, the intention of which is to prevent the lid from jamming with the packet body. This design of cigarette packet also results in a visually closed appearance, which makes it visually more attractive.
FIG. 11G illustrates an embodiment in which the side panels 11 b and 611 b do not lie opposite one another in their entire extension. Accordingly, in the top region of the cigarette packet, a region of the face 611 b is shown which is not covered by the face 11 b. This shape is reproduced in a cut-out of the lid side panel 21 b and the tab 201 b is formed in the top left-hand corner of the side panel 21 b.
FIG. 11H illustrates an embodiment similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11G but the faces 11 b and 611 b lie opposite one another in their entire extension.

Claims

1. A cigarette packet comprising:

a packet body for containing cigarettes,

wherein the packet body includes a front panel, a rear panel, and two opposing side panels;

a lid joined to the packet body via a hinge,

wherein the lid includes a front panel, a rear panel and two opposing side panels; and

an at least one tab provided on at least one of the lid or the packet body on at least one side panel of the packet,

wherein the at least one tab extends beyond an imaginary connecting line between the hinge and front lid bottom edge on a side panel when the packet is closed.

2. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one tab is provided on at least one side panel of at least one packet side.

3. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one tab is provided both on the lid and on the packet body.

4. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one tab is designed as an information carrier specifically due to print or the shape imparted to it.

5. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab moves into a co-operating receiving area as the packet is closed.

6. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 5, in which the at least one receiving area non-positively retains the at least one tab.

7. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 3, in which co-operating tabs on the lid and packet body are non-positively retained on one another.

8. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a wrapping disposed in the packet body,

wherein the at least one receiving area is formed between the wrapping and packet body.

9. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 5 wherein the at least one receiving area is formed on the lid.

10. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 5 wherein the profile of the at least one tab co-operates with the profile of the at least one receiving area.

11. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is made from the same material as the cigarette packet.

12. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is a shaped region at an edge of at least one face disposed under a side panel of the packet body or of the lid.

13. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is a shaped region at an edge of at least one side panel of the packet body or of the lid.

14. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is a shaped region at an edge of both at least one side panel of the packet body or of the lid and at least one face disposed under a side panel of the packet body or of the lid.

15. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 14, in which the edge of the side panel is offset from the edge of the face disposed under the side panel.

16. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is of an essentially round or semi-circular shape as viewed in a side projection.

17. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab is of an essentially 3-cornered or multi-cornered shape as viewed in a side projection.

18. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of the bottom or top edge of the at least one tab extends essentially parallel with a packet top edge and bottom edge as viewed in a side projection.

19. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of the bottom or top edge of the at least one tab has a curving.

20. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one tab formed on the lid overlaps the side panel of a wrapping cooperating with it by a lid opening angle of up to at least 115°, as viewed in a side projection.

21. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 1, in which at least a part of the at least one tab is formed in the region of the half of the side panel facing the rear panel as viewed in a side projection when the packet is closed.

22. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one tab in conjunction with an adjacent side panel forms the information carrier.

23. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least one receiving area non-positively retains the at least one tab by a friction fit.

24. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 6 wherein the at least one receiving area non-positively retains the at least one tab by a form fit.

25. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 7 wherein the co-operating tabs on the lid and packet body are non-positively retained on one another by a friction fit.

26. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 7 wherein the co-operating tabs on the lid and packet body are non-positively retained on one another by a form fit.

27. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 10 wherein the profile of the at least one tab co-operates with the profile of the at least one receiving area and lie adjoining one another in the blank.

28. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 15 wherein the edge of the side panel is offset from the edge of the face disposed under the side panel in the direction of the vertical axis of the cigarette packet.

29. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 19 wherein the curving is a wave-type shape as viewed in a side projection.

30. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 20 wherein the lid opening angle is up to at least 150° as viewed in a side projection.

31. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 20 wherein the lid opening angle is up to at least 175° as viewed in a side projection.

32. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 21 wherein the part of the at least one tab formed in the region of the half of the side panel facing the rear panel is a major part.

33. The cigarette packet as claimed in claim 21 wherein the region is a a region of the side panel adjoining the hinge.