U.S. patent application number 10/533240 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-12 for hinge-lid packet for cigarettes.
Invention is credited to Gisbert Engel, Doris Focke, Heinz Focke, Jurgen Focke, Viktor Hein.
Application Number | 20060226208 10/533240 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32103384 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060226208 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Focke; Heinz ; et
al. |
October 12, 2006 |
Hinge-lid packet for cigarettes
Abstract
A hinge-lid pack for cigarettes or other items usually consists
of a box part and lid. In the closed position, the pack exhibits
upright pack edges, namely longitudinal edges (29, 30) and
transverse edges (31, 32, 33, 34). The longitudinal edges (29, 30)
or transverse edges (31 . . . 34) are configured as a projection
(35) or recess (40) having a round cross-section.
Inventors: |
Focke; Heinz; (Verden,
DE) ; Focke; Doris; (Verden, DE) ; Focke;
Jurgen; (Verden, DE) ; Engel; Gisbert;
(Luttum, DE) ; Hein; Viktor; (Luttum, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Family ID: |
32103384 |
Appl. No.: |
10/533240 |
Filed: |
October 24, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
October 24, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP03/11774 |
371 Date: |
November 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/146 ;
206/273; 229/160.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/4266 20130101;
B65D 85/1056 20200501; B65D 5/443 20130101; B65D 85/10484
20200501 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/146 ;
206/273; 229/160.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/16 20060101
B65D043/16; B65D 85/10 20060101 B65D085/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 5, 2002 |
DE |
102 51 743.6 |
Claims
1. A hinge-lid box, made of (thin) cardboard or similar packaging
material, in particular for cigarettes, comprising a box part (10),
lid (11) and collar (12) and having (upright) longitudinal edges
(29, 30) and transverse edges (31, 32) running crosswise thereto,
characterized in that the longitudinal edges (29, 30) and/or
transverse edges (31, 32, 33, 34) are configured by the deformation
or embossing of the packaging material as an outwardly directed
projection (35) having a round cross-section or an inwardly
directed recess (40) having a round cross-section.
2. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
the pack edges configured as a projection (35) have a cross-section
in the shape of a pitch circle, approximately in the shape of a
three-quarter circle.
3. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
the pack edges configured as a recess (40) have a cross-section in
the shape of a pitch circle, correspond approximately to a
quarter-circle.
4. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
all four upright longitudinal edges (29, 30) are uniformly
configured as a projection (35) or as a recess (40).
5. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
upper and lower transverse edges (31 . . . 34) for delimiting an
end wall (18), on one hand, and a base wall (15) on the other hand,
are configured as projections (35) or as recesses (40).
6. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
the collar (12) has collar edges (43, 44) which correspond in shape
to the longitudinal edges (29, 30).
7. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
for the configuration of the transverse edges (31, 32, 33, 34) as a
projection (35) or recess (40), corner tabs, namely base corner
tabs (27) and/or end corner tabs (28) are configured with a smaller
width such that the corner tabs (27, 28) can be positioned
exclusively between the transverse edges (31 . . . 34) configured
as a projection (35) or recess (40).
8. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized in that
the projection (35) and/or recess (40) have a radius of 1.5 mm to 4
mm.
9. The hinge-lid pack according to claim 1, characterized by a
blank which in its non-folded state is provided with embossments
(46) or reinforcing seams (47) formed by deformation and having an
(approximately) semicircular-shaped cross-section in the region of
the longitudinal edges (29, 30) and/or transverse edges (31, 32,
33, 34), with the projections (35) or recesses (40) being formed by
the folding of folding tabs or walls causing deformation of the
embossment (46) or reinforcing seam (47) such that, given a
pre-determined dimension of the embossment (46) or reinforcing seam
(47), a projection (35) has a smaller radius and a recess (40) has
a greater radius than the embossment (46) or reinforcing seam (47).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a hinge-lid box, made of (thin)
cardboard or similar packaging material, in particular for
cigarettes, comprising a box part, lid and collar and having
(upright) longitudinal edges and crosswise transverse edges.
[0002] Hinge-lid boxes are cigarette packs known worldwide. But
hinge-lid boxes also represent a suitable packaging for use with
other products, such as chocolates and candies.
[0003] Hinge-lid packs for cigarettes are known having rounded or
beveled (upright) longitudinal edges of the box part and lid. With
this shape of pack edges, the hinge-lid box is meant to conform to
the outer contour of the pack's contents, i.e. a cigarette
group.
[0004] The invention is based on the object of realizing the
further development and improvement of hinge-lid boxes for
cigarettes and other products in order that the resulting box
design provides increased dimensional stability against mechanical
loads.
[0005] To solve this object, the hinge-lid box according to the
invention is characterized in that the longitudinal edges and/or
transverse edges are configured by the deformation or embossing of
the packaging material as an outwardly directed projection having a
round cross-section or an inwardly directed recess having a round
cross-section.
[0006] The projections and recesses are preferably configured as
having a circular-shaped cross-section. The projection has
cross-sectional shape of a three-quarter circle. The recess has the
cross-sectional shape of a one-quarter circle.
[0007] This contoured design of the upright (four) longitudinal
edges and/or the upper and lower transverse edges (for delimiting
the end face and base wall) achieves a clear improvement in the
dimensional stability of the pack against pressure loads. This also
applies--depending on the arrangement of the projections or
recesses--to longitudinal and transverse loads.
[0008] When the upright longitudinal edges are configured as a
projection, the collar can be used which is configured with the
conventional right-angled collar edge. Expediently, however, the
collar exhibits a corresponding contouring corresponding to the box
part and lid in the region of the upright collar edges.
[0009] A blank for the hinge-lid box also features a special
configuration in the region of the base wall and end face. This
also applies to the production of the hinge-lid box by folding the
blank. The latter has grooved embossments in the region of the
contoured longitudinal edges and/or transverse edges which can be
applied during the industrial manufacture of the blanks or in the
region of the packaging machine. The procedure is such that the
blank has molded or embossed grooves having a semi-circular
cross-section. Depending on the form of the pack edges to be
produced (projection or recess), the folding tabs are folded in one
direction or the other, thereby producing from the semicircular
reinforcing seam a (circular) projection with reduced radius or a
(quarter-circle) recess with an enlarged radius.
[0010] Further special features of the hinge-lid box and the blank
for producing same are explained below in more detail on the basis
of exemplary embodiments featured in the drawings, which show:
[0011] FIG. 1 perspective view of a hinge-lid pack with formed
upright longitudinal edges in the closed position,
[0012] FIG. 2 the pack pursuant to FIG. 1 with open lid,
[0013] FIG. 3 another exemplary embodiment of a hinge-lid pack in a
view corresponding to FIG. 1,
[0014] FIG. 4 a partial cross-section IV-IV of the hinge-lid pack
according to FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale,
[0015] FIG. 5 a partial cross-section analogous to FIG. 4 for the
exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3,
[0016] FIG. 6 a blank for hinge-lid pack in the embodiment pursuant
to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, in its spread-out view,
[0017] FIG. 7 a region of the blank (dot-dash lines) pursuant to
FIG. 6, on an enlarged scale,
[0018] FIG. 8 a partial cross-section VII-VII in FIG. 6,
[0019] FIG. 9 an intermediate folding position of part of the
blank, namely the detail pursuant to FIG. 8,
[0020] FIG. 10 a view analogous to FIG. 9 for the exemplary
embodiment of FIG. 1, FIG. 2,
[0021] FIG. 11 perspective view of a collar for a hinge-lid pack
pursuant to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 3,
[0022] FIG. 12 perspective view of a hinge-lid pack pursuant to a
further exemplary embodiment with shaped transverse edges,
[0023] FIG. 13 a spread-out view of a blank for a hinge-lid pack
pursuant to FIG. 12,
[0024] FIG. 14 a vertical sectional view through a portion of the
hinge-lid pack pursuant to FIG. 12 in the sectional plane XIV-XIV,
on an enlarged scale,
[0025] FIG. 15 a sectional view through a portion of the blank
pursuant to FIG. 13 in the sectional plane XV-XV.
[0026] Standard hinge-lid packs comprise a (lower) box part 10 and
an (upper) lid 11. In addition, a collar 12 is a constituent part
of the hinge-lid pack. Box part 10 and lid 11 are connected to each
other by pivoting hinge-line 13 on the rear side. Box part 10 and
lid 11 are thus formed from a common blank (e.g. FIG. 6). In the
present case, the pack contents is a cigarette group 48, which is
enclosed by an inner liner 49.
[0027] The blank for the hinge-lid pack is configured in the shown
exemplary embodiments such that the delimited regions for forming a
box front wall 14, base wall 15, box rear wall 16, lid rear wall
17, end wall 18 and lid front wall 19 follow one another in
succession. Attached to the free edge of the lid front wall 19 is a
lid inner tab 20, which in the finished hinge-lid pack is folded
against the inner side of the lid front wall 19.
[0028] For the formation of box side walls 21 and lid side walls
22, side tabs are attached to the aforementioned walls,
specifically inner box side tabs 23 and outer box side tabs 24.
Corresponding inner lid side tabs 25 and outer lid side tabs 26 are
provided in the region of the lid. The box side tabs 23 and 24
overlap one another to form the box side walls 21. Correspondingly,
the lid side tabs 25, 26 are overlapped and connected to one
another to form the lid side walls 22.
[0029] Additional folding tabs are attached to the inner box side
tabs 23 and to the inner lid side tabs 25, namely base corner tabs
27, on one hand, and end corner tabs 28, on the other.
[0030] In the finished hinge-lid pack these folding tabs lie
against the inner side of the base wall 15 and the inner side of
the end wall 18, respectively.
[0031] The side folding tabs 23, 24, 25, 26 are delimited from the
walls 14, 16, 17, 19 by means of folding lines, namely by
longitudinal folding lines, which in the finished, cuboid-shaped
pack (e. g. FIG. 1) form upright pack edges, specifically
longitudinal edges 29, 30. These extend in the region of the box
part 10 and lid 11.
[0032] The box front wall 14, on one hand, and the box rear wall
16, on the other hand, are delimited from the base wall 15 by
transverse folding lines which in the finished pack form horizontal
transverse edges 31, 32 that in any case run transverse to the
longitudinal edges 29, 30. Correspondingly, transverse edges 33, 34
are formed in the region of the lid 11 for the purpose of
delimiting the end wall 18 from the lid rear wall 17 on one hand,
and the lid front wall 19, on the other.
[0033] The longitudinal edges 29, 30 on one hand, and the
transverse edges 31 . . . 34 on the other are formed in a special
manner by means of material deformation or embossment. According to
the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the upright
longitudinal edges 29, 30 are formed as outwardly directed
projections 35 with a round cross-section. In the special exemplary
embodiment shown, these are projections 35 having a cross-section
in the shape of a pitch circle, namely in the form of a
three-quarter circle. The projection 35 is attached at either side
by means of an intermediate edge 36, 37 to the adjacent walls and
folding tabs. The longitudinal edges 29, 30, configured as a
projection 35 in the shape of a pitch-circle, extend in the region
of the box part 10 and continue uninterrupted in the region of the
lid 11, specifically in the region of all four longitudinal edges
29, 30.
[0034] The blank (FIG. 6) is prepared for the production of a
hinge-lid pack pursuant to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Expediently, a
deformation is made during the production of the blank in the
region of the longitudinal edges 29, 30 which in the present
exemplary embodiment is an embossment 46 in the shape of a
semicircle (FIG. 8). In addition, the blank has a special
configuration in the region of the base corner tabs 27 and end
corner tabs 28 (FIG. 7). The corner tabs 27, 28 concerned are
shortened by a punching 38 which forms a space between the
appropriate corner tab 27, 28 and the adjacent folding tab.
Furthermore, the deformations or embossments 46 for forming the
projections 35 are limited at their ends by a transverse severing
cut 39, which extends beyond the width of the projection, thus
enabling a stress-free deformation of the projection 35 during the
folding process relative to the base wall 15 or end wall 18.
[0035] The folding tabs of the box side walls 21 and lid side walls
are dimensioned such that they overlap in a region between the
associated projections 35, i.e. extend from intermediate edge 36 to
intermediate edge 37.
[0036] In the exemplary embodiment pursuant to FIG. 3, the upright
longitudinal edges 29, 30 of the hinge-lid pack are configured as a
recess 40. Its cross-section also has a curved or circular shape,
specifically with the dimensions of a quarter-circle. Here the
intermediate edges 36, 37 are directed outwards.
[0037] One special feature is that practically identical blanks in
the form pursuant to FIG. 6 can be used for the pack shape pursuant
to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, on one hand, and FIG. 3, on the other hand. In
each case, the molded, fluted embossments 46 are provided in the
region of the projections in 35 or recesses 40 to be formed,
specifically with a bulge on the printed side of the blank for the
production of projections 35 and with a bulge on the unprinted
inner side for the production of recesses 40.
[0038] The projections 35 or recesses 40 are produced in a
particularly simple manner. The embossment 46, having an
(approximately) semicircular cross-sectional shape, is shaped by
the folding of a folding tab, namely in particular by the folding
of the box side tabs 23, 24 and by the lid side tabs 25, 26 into a
position transverse to the adjacent pack walls to form a projection
35 or recess 40. Pursuant to FIG. 9, an embossment 46 of FIG. 8
yields a quarter-circle recess 40, whose dimension (radius) is
somewhat larger than the corresponding dimension of the embossment
46. When said folding tab is folded to form projections 35, the
result is a decrease in the dimensions of the three-quarter circle
thereby created (FIG. 10). With respect to FIG. 8, it hold that the
embossment 46 is directed toward one side of the blank or the
other, depending on the shape of the pack edge to be produced.
[0039] The dimensions of the embossments 46, on one hand, and of
the projections 35 or recesses 40, on the other hand, can be
selected according to the desired design. Advantageous in this
respect are dimensions of the projections 35 or recesses 40 having
a radius r of 1.5 mm to 4 mm.
[0040] The collar 12 can be configured to correspond to one or the
other embodiments of the hinge-lid pack. As usual, the collar 12
comprises collar front wall 41 and lateral, transversely-folded
collar flaps 42. Formed between them are upright collar edges 43,
44, which are associated with the longitudinal edges 29, 30 on the
front side. As shown to the left in FIG. 11, the collar 12 for a
hinge-lid pack pursuant to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 has collar edges 43
which are configured as a projection having a cross-section shape
of a three-quarter circle. The dimensions of the collar edges 43,
or projections, conform to the dimensions of the projections 35 of
the longitudinal edges 29, 30.
[0041] Analogously, the collar 12 pursuant to that shown to the
right in FIG. 11 is configured for a pack embodiment according to
FIG. 3, namely having collar edges 44 which are designed as
quarter-circle recesses. Due to the geometric correlations, a
well-adapted design of the collar edges 44 is important for this
pack (FIG. 3). For the pack pursuant to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it is
possible to use a conventional collar with collar edges having a
right-angle cross-section.
[0042] As an alternative or in addition, individual or even all
transverse edges 31 . . . 34 can be shaped in order to form either
a projection 35 of the described embodiment or a recess 40. FIG. 12
to FIG. 15 show details of a hinge-lid pack in which all four
transverse edges 31 . . . 34 of the box part 10 and lid 11 have
been formed with projections 35 that extend across the full width
of the hinge-lid pack.
[0043] The blank (FIG. 13) is configured such that the transverse
folding lines, or transverse edges 31 . . . 34 are provided with an
(approximately) semicircular-shaped reinforcing seam 47 formed by
shaping or embossment. When the box front wall 14 and box rear wall
16 are folded relative to the base wall 15, and when the lid front
wall 19 and lid rear wall 17 are folded relative to the end wall
18, said reinforcing seam 47 forms round projections 35 having a
cross-section of a three-quarter circle (FIG. 14). As an
alternative, the transverse edges 31 . . . 34 of the hinge-lid pack
can be configured as recesses, analogous to the recesses pursuant
to FIG. 9. However, this embodiment requires that the pack contents
are adjusted to conform to the reduced inner dimensions of the
hinge-lid pack.
[0044] One special feature is the configuration of the base corner
tabs 27 and end corner tabs 28. Due to a punching 45 and because of
their reduced width compared to the adjacent box side tabs 23 and
lid side tabs 26, said corner tabs are configured such that in the
finished pack they lie properly, and in any case centered, between
the formed transverse edges 31 . . . 34. In this exemplary
embodiment (FIG. 13) of the blank, the inner folding tabs 23, 25,
27, 28 are continuously configured with the same width which is
reduced with respect to the folding tabs 24, 26.
LIST OF DESIGNATIONS
[0045] 10 box part [0046] 11 lid [0047] 12 collar [0048] 13 hinge
line [0049] 14 box front wall [0050] 15 base wall [0051] 16 box
rear wall [0052] 17 lid rear wall [0053] 18 end wall [0054] 19 lid
front wall [0055] 20 lid inner tab [0056] 21 box side wall [0057]
22 lid side wall [0058] 23 box side tab, inner [0059] 24 box side
tab, outer [0060] 25 lid side tab, inner [0061] 26 lid side tab,
outer [0062] 27 base corner tab [0063] 28 end corner tab [0064] 29
longitudinal edge [0065] 30 longitudinal edge [0066] 31 transverse
edge [0067] 32 transverse edge [0068] 33 transverse edge [0069] 34
transverse edge [0070] 35 projection [0071] 36 intermediate edge
[0072] 37 intermediate edge [0073] 38 punching [0074] 39 severing
cut [0075] 40 recess [0076] 41 collar front wall [0077] 42 collar
flap [0078] 43 collar edge [0079] 44 collar edge [0080] 45 punching
[0081] 46 embossment [0082] 47 reinforcing seam [0083] 48 cigarette
group [0084] 49 innerliner
* * * * *