U.S. patent application number 10/450126 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-12 for pack of rigid hinge-lid type for tobacco products.
Invention is credited to Conti, Igino, Draghetti, Fiorenzo, Li Vigni, Angelo, Persi, Patrizia.
Application Number | 20040026272 10/450126 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11438913 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040026272 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Conti, Igino ; et
al. |
February 12, 2004 |
Pack of rigid hinge-lid type for tobacco products
Abstract
A rigid pack with a hinged lid for tobacco products appears as a
container (3) presenting an open top (4) surrounded by a free edge
(3a), and a lid (5) hinged to the container along a crease line (6)
and presenting a free bottom edge (5a) . When the lid (5) occupies
the closed position, the two free edges (3a, 5a) meet along a
closure line (15) of which at least one portion describes a path
deviating at least in part from a path parallel to the hinge line
(6) and exhibiting a highlighted area (21) along at least part of
its length. The highlighted area (21) serves to accentuate the
closure line (15) and can be printed, if intended simply to make
the line more clearly visible, or alternatively, obtained by
embossing or by applying a layer of material having a high
coefficient of friction with the additional end in view of
providing a roughened surface which besides accentuating the
closure line (15) also facilitates the operation of opening the lid
(5).
Inventors: |
Conti, Igino; (Bologna,
IT) ; Li Vigni, Angelo; (Bologna, IT) ; Persi,
Patrizia; (Monte S. Pietro, IT) ; Draghetti,
Fiorenzo; (Medicina, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
The Law Offices of Timothy J.. Klima
One Massachusetts Avenue N W
Suite 330
Washington
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
11438913 |
Appl. No.: |
10/450126 |
Filed: |
June 11, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
December 6, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB01/02340 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/261 ;
206/242; 206/259 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/10484 20200501;
B65D 85/1056 20200501; B65D 85/1072 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/261 ;
206/259; 206/242 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 12, 2000 |
IT |
B02000A000723 |
Claims
1) A pack of rigid hinge-lid type for tobacco products, exhibiting
a substantially parallelepiped appearance and comprising a
container (3) with an opening (4) that defines a free top edge
(3a), also a lid (5) hinged to the container (3) along a respective
hinge line (6) and presenting a respective bottom edge (5a) which
when occupying a closed position in contact with the free top edge
(3a) of the opening (4) presented by the container (3) defines a
closure line (15) of which at least one part, coinciding at least
with a front face (2a) of the pack (1), describes a path deviating
at least partly from a path parallel to the hinge line (6),
characterized in that it presents a highlighted area (21) located
along at least one part of the closure line (21) and serving to
accentuate the selfsame closure line (15).
2) A pack as in claim 1, wherein the highlighted area (21) extends
along the entire length of the closure line (15).
3) A pack as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the highlighted area (21) is
presented by the lid (5).
4) A pack as in claims 1 to 3, wherein the highlighted area (21) is
printed.
5) A pack as in claims 1 to 4, wherein the highlighted area (21) is
produced by embossing so as to produce a roughened surface.
6) A pack as in claims 1 to 4, wherein the highlighted area (21) is
produced by applying a layer (22) of a substance with a high
coefficient of friction so as to produce a roughened surface.
7) A pack as in claims 1 to 6, presenting bevelled corner edges
(23).
8) A pack as in claims 1 to 6, presenting rounded corner edges
(24).
9) A pack as in claims 1 to 8, embodied as a packet (2) of
cigarettes.
10) A pack as in claims 1 to 8, embodied as a carton (25)
containing a plurality of packets (2) of cigarettes.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a pack of rigid type with a
hinged lid for tobacco products.
[0002] The term "pack" used throughout the following specification
can be taken to mean either a carton serving to contain a plurality
of packets of cigarettes, or a single packet containing a group of
cigarettes or tobacco products in general.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] In general, a rigid pack of the aforementioned type is
fabricated from a precreased flat diecut blank and comprises a
container, a lid hinged to a rear edge of the container and
rotatable thus about a hinge line in such a way as to close an open
end of the selfsame container, and a reinforcing frame disposed
partly inside the container. The frame is anchored to a front face
and to two flank faces of the container, and functions as a
stabilizing element serving to retain the lid in the position
assumed when the pack is closed.
[0004] Conventionally, when packs of the type in question are
closed, the free bottom edge of the lid and the free top edge of
the container meet in mutual contact along a closure line, and in
particular, the portions of the respective edges coinciding with
the front face of the pack are disposed parallel with the hinge
line.
[0005] The prior art also embraces packs wherein the two free
edges, or rather the parts of these same edges coinciding at least
with the portion of the closure line occupying the front face of
the pack, appear skew and are not disposed parallel to the hinge
line.
[0006] It has been found by experiment that this latter solution
assures a more effective closure of the lid, as it affords a larger
area of contact between the inside of the lid and the reinforcing
frame.
[0007] It has also been observed, with this solution, that
consumers accustomed to handling the traditional type of packet
have trouble in locating the edge of the lid at first touch, and
moreover that they experience greater difficulty when opening the
lid, especially when breaking open a new packet, by reason of the
aforementioned larger area of contact between the frame and the
lid, and are liable as a result to damage the packet.
[0008] The object of the present invention is to overcome the above
noted drawbacks.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The stated object is realized according to the present
invention in a pack of rigid hinge-lid type for tobacco products,
exhibiting a substantially parallelepiped appearance and comprising
a container with an opening that defines a free top edge, also a
lid hinged to the container along a respective hinge line and
presenting a respective bottom edge which when occupying a closed
position in contact with the free top edge of the opening presented
by the container defines a closure line of which at least one part,
coinciding at least with a front face of the pack, describes a path
deviating at least partly from a path parallel to the hinge line,
characterized in that it presents a highlighted area located along
at least one part of the closure line and serving to accentuate the
selfsame closure line.
[0010] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of
example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIGS. 1 to 10 illustrate a pack according to the present
invention, viewed schematically and in perspective, in particular a
packet of cigarettes shown in a number of possible embodiments and
pictured in open and closed configurations;
[0012] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate further embodiments of a pack
according to the present invention, viewed schematically and in
perspective;
[0013] FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a pack according to the present
invention, viewed schematically and in perspective, in particular a
carton containing packets of cigarettes shown in two possible
embodiments and pictured in open and closed configurations.
[0014] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 of the drawings, 1 denotes a
pack for tobacco products, in its entirety, embodied in this
particular instance as a rigid packet 2 serving to contain a group
of cigarettes (not illustrated), comprising a cupped container 3
with an open top end 4 surmounted by a lid 5 also of cupped
embodiment, joined to the container 3 along a hinge line 6 and
rotatable thus between an open position, illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4,
6, 8 and 10, and a position in which the open top end 4 is closed,
illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.
[0015] The container 3 presents a bottom end face 7, a front face
8, a rear face 9 and two flank faces 10. The free top edges 8a and
10a of the front face 8 and the flank faces 10 combine to establish
a free top edge 3a of the container 3, coinciding thus with the
aforementioned open top end 4 which is directed toward the lid
5.
[0016] In like manner, the lid 5 presents a front face 11, a rear
face 12, two flank faces 13, and a top end face 14.
[0017] The front face 8 of the container 3 and the front face 11 of
the lid 5 make up the front face 2a of the packet 2, whilst the
flank faces 10 of the container and the flank faces 13 of the lid
make up the flank faces 2b of the packet 2.
[0018] The front face 11 and the flank faces 13 of the lid present
respective free edges 11a and 13a combining to establish the bottom
edge 5a of the lid 5 and coinciding thus with an open bottom end,
which is directed toward the container 3 when the lid 5 occupies
the closed position.
[0019] In the closed position, the meeting edges 3a and 5a of the
container 3 and the lid 5 establish a line of closure 15 on the
packet 2.
[0020] The single packet 2 contains an inner wrapper 16 enveloping
a group of cigarettes (not illustrated) and presents a stiffening
frame 17 interposed between the rigid material of the packet 2 and
the inner wrapper 16, which is anchored to the container 3 and
comprises a portion 17a positioned internally of the container 3
and a portion 17b projecting from the container through the open
top end 4.
[0021] More precisely, the frame 17 presents a breast piece 18
secured in part to the front face 8 of the container 3, on the
inside, and two side pieces 19 secured in part to the flank faces
10 of the container 3, on the inside.
[0022] The breast piece 18 of the frame 17 terminates uppermost in
an edge 20 of "U" profile disposed with the concave outline
directed toward the lid 5.
[0023] In the examples of FIGS. 1 to 10 showing the packet 2 in the
closed condition, that is to say with the bottom free edge 5a of
the lid 5 engaging the free top edge 3a of the container 3, the two
meeting edges combine to establish the aforementioned closure line
15, which describes a path deviating from a path parallel to the
aforementioned hinge line 6.
[0024] In the case of FIG. 1, more exactly, the closure line 15
describes an arcuate path across the front face 2a, of which the
concave outline is directed toward the bottom end face 7, and two
arcuate extremities on the flank faces 2b each with the concave
outline directed toward the top end face 14.
[0025] In the case of FIG. 3 the closure line 15 describes an
arcuate path with the concave outline directed toward the top end
face 14, both on the front face 2a and on the flank faces 2b.
[0026] In the examples of 5, 7 and 9, finally, the closure line 15
describes an undulating path that can extend across both the front
face 2a and the flank faces 2b of the packet 2, as illustrated in
FIG. 5, or the front face 2a only as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and
9.
[0027] It will be clear that the closure lines 15 shown in the
accompanying drawings are illustrated by way of example only, and
that in practice the lines 15 might describe any given path
deviating at least in part from a path parallel to the hinge line 6
along which the lid 5 and the container 3 are joined.
[0028] According to the present invention, the single packet 2
presents a highlighted area 21 occupying at least one part of the
closure line 15 and serving to accentuate the selfsame line 15.
[0029] In the examples of FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 the highlighted area
21 extends along the full length of the closure line 15, whilst in
the examples of FIGS. 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the highlighted area 21
extends along only a part of the closure line 15.
[0030] The highlighted area 21 is presented by the lid 5 in all of
the embodiments illustrated, and might be printed, as in the
examples of FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Alternatively, the highlighted
area 21 might be produced by means of a reeding or embossing
operation as in the example of FIGS. 5 and 6. Finally, the
highlighted area 21 might be produced by applying a layer 22 of a
substance having a high coefficient of friction, such as paint,
lacquer or the like, as in the examples of FIGS. 7 to 10.
[0031] To this end, it is important to observe that in the case of
the examples illustrated both in FIGS. 5 and 6 and in FIGS. 7, 8, 9
and 10, the respective highlighted areas 21 afford a roughened
surface intended both to render the closure 15 more readily
identifiable and to facilitate the operation of easing the lid 5
away from the container 3.
[0032] Moreover, it should be specified that the highlighted areas
21 obtained by embossing in the example of FIGS. 5 and 6, or by the
application of material in the examples of FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10,
can be produced in combination with and/or in addition to a
printing operation.
[0033] As illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 11 and 12, all of
the packs 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10 can be fashioned with
bevelled longitudinal corner edges 23 (FIG. 11) or with rounded
longitudinal corner edges 24 (FIG. 12).
[0034] Similarly, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the packs 1
can be embodied as cartons 25 serving to contain a plurality of
packets 2. The carton 25 will exhibit the same characteristics as
described for the packets of FIGS. 1 to 12, including the
possibility of incorporating bevelled or rounded longitudinal
corner edges.
[0035] The packs 1 or 25 might be fashioned adopting any one of the
geometries described in Italian patent applications B099A 000029
filed Jan. 21, 1999, B02000A 000343 filed Jul. 7, 2000, BO2000A
000367 filed Jun. 23, 2000 or BO2000A 000676 filed Nov. 20, 2000,
or any other given geometry.
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