U.S. patent application number 12/478535 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-31 for packet for articles of elongated shape.
This patent application is currently assigned to G.D S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Ivanoe BERTUZZI, Roberto POLLONI.
Application Number | 20090321437 12/478535 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40301601 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090321437 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
POLLONI; Roberto ; et
al. |
December 31, 2009 |
PACKET FOR ARTICLES OF ELONGATED SHAPE
Abstract
A packet filled with articles of elongated shape comprises a
substantially parallelepiped outer wrapper presenting a front wall,
a rear wall or back, two flank walls, a top and a base, and scored
or punched with a cutout delimiting a closure flap; the cutout
appears as transverse line occupying a central area of the front
wall, and two lines extending from the ends of the transverse line,
at a predetermined distance from the corner edges of the relative
flank walls, along the front wall and at least across the width of
the top. The area of the wrapper occupied by the cutout is covered
by an adhesive label furnished with a pull tab. The packet
comprises an inner element serving to fill two longitudinal and
substantially parallelepiped spaces within the wrapper, each
coinciding positionally and dimensionally at one end with a
relative portion of the top lying outside the line of the
cutout.
Inventors: |
POLLONI; Roberto;
(Modigliana, IT) ; BERTUZZI; Ivanoe; (Casalecchio
Di Reno, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHUTTLEWORTH & INGERSOLL, P.L.C.
115 3RD STREET SE, SUITE 500, P.O. BOX 2107
CEDAR RAPIDS
IA
52406
US
|
Assignee: |
G.D S.p.A.
Bologna
IT
|
Family ID: |
40301601 |
Appl. No.: |
12/478535 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/23.9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/5035 20130101;
B65D 81/05 20130101; B65D 75/5838 20130101; B65D 85/1081 20130101;
B65D 85/1018 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/23.9 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 27, 2008 |
IT |
BO2008A000411 |
Claims
1) A packet for articles of elongated shape, comprising: an outer
wrapper of substantially parallelepiped appearance containing
articles arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the packet,
presenting a front wall, a rear wall or back, two flank walls, a
top and a base, also a cutout, serving to delimit a closure element
or tongue, composed of a portion lying transversely to the
longitudinal axis of the packet and occupying a central area of the
front wall, and two portions extending from the ends of the
transverse portion, at a predetermined distance from the corner
edges of the relative flank walls, along the front wall and at
least across the width of the top; an adhesive label covering the
area occupied by the cutout, and furnished with a pull tab; an
inner element serving to fill two longitudinal and substantially
parallelepiped spaces within the wrapper, each coinciding
positionally and dimensionally at one end with the relative portion
of the top located externally of the cutout.
2) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 1, wherein
the cutout comprises a portion disposed transversely to the
longitudinal axis of the packet, occupying a central area of the
front wall, also two portions disposed substantially parallel one
with another and extending from the ends of the transverse portion
at a predetermined distance from the corner edges of the relative
flank walls, along the front wall and at least across the top, of
which the respective free ends are located on the back of the
wrapper.
3) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 1, wherein
the inner element is fashioned from stiff or semi-stiff
material.
4) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 3, wherein
the inner element comprises a flat central portion of dimensions
identical to those of the front wall and, associated with each
longitudinal edge of the flat central portion, a rib of depth
substantially equal to the depth of the wrapper, in such a way as
to fill two substantially parallelepiped spaces within the wrapper,
each coinciding positionally and dimensionally at one end with the
relative portion of the top lying between the cutout and the flank
wall.
5) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 4, wherein
the inner element is fashioned from a flat blank of cardboard or
paperboard.
6) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 5, wherein
the flat blank appears symmetrical in relation to a longitudinal
axis, and is divided by longitudinal crease lines into a plurality
of panels consisting in a central panel connected on either side to
a respective second panel, also to a third panel, a fourth panel
and an end flap, of which the second, third and fourth panels on
each side are subjectable to a folding operation resulting in the
formation of a respective rib.
7) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 6, wherein
the flat blank presents a transverse crease line coinciding with
one end of the central panel and delimiting a bottom flap designed
to engage in contact with the base of the wrapper when the packet
is assembled.
8) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 7, wherein
the flat blank comprises a further panel, joined along a further
transverse crease line to the bottom flap on the side opposite from
the central panel, designed to engage in contact with the back of
the wrapper when the packet is assembled.
9) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 5, wherein
the flat blank presents appendages, each serving to enclose one end
of a respective rib.
10) A packet for articles of elongated shape as in claim 8, wherein
the further panel is furnished with two lateral flaps delimited by
respective crease lines and designed to engage in contact with the
flank walls of the wrapper when the packet is assembled.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to Italian Patent
Application No. BO2008A000411, filed Jun. 27, 2008, which
application is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a packet for articles of
elongated shape such as cigarettes, for example, or sticks of
chewing gum, or pouches of smokeless tobacco (snus).
[0003] Packets or wrappers of the type in question are fashioned
from substantially rectangular leaves of pliable packaging
material, generally affording a high degree of impermeability to
air and moisture, and appear substantially parallelepiped in shape,
presenting a rectangular section.
[0004] The packet is delimited by four side walls extending
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the parallelepiped, namely a
front wall, a rear wall or back, and two narrow walls or flanks,
also by two walls disposed transversely to the selfsame axis, the
one upwardly directed, identifiable as a top, the other downwardly
directed, identifiable as a base.
[0005] Certain packets of this type provide the subject matter of
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,676, which discloses and depicts packets
containing cigarettes, inserted into cardboard outer wrappers of
the type appearing as a box with a hinged lid.
[0006] The cigarettes in the packet are disposed alongside one
another, and parallel to the aforementioned longitudinal axis.
[0007] The topmost part of the packet presents a cutout
substantially of letter "U" outline, including an arcuate central
portion occupying the front wall, and two parallel portions
extending from the ends of the arcuate portion along the front
wall, across the top and onto the uppermost part of the back.
[0008] The cutout delimits a closure element on the wrapper,
resembling a flap or tongue, positioned over an opening through
which the user can draw out an article contained in the packet by
taking hold of one end and pulling.
[0009] The closure element and an area around the selfsame element
are covered completely by an adhesive label that extends across an
area including a top portion of the front wall, the top of the
packet, and an adjoining portion of the back.
[0010] The part of the label positioned on the front wall is
furnished with a tab that both facilitates the operation of pulling
back the tongue and allows the user to reclose the packet each time
a cigarette, or other article, is taken from the packet.
[0011] Importantly, in order to ensure that the adhesive label will
cover the entire area occupied by the cutout completely, and
consequently guarantee an airtight closure of the wrapper, the
parallel portions of the cutout are placed at a predetermined
distance from the corner edges along which the front wall, the top
and the back of the packet are joined to the two flanks.
[0012] This means that when the closure element is pulled back, the
top of the packet will not be raised in its entirety to expose the
top ends of all the articles contained in the packet, as would be
the case, conversely, when a conventional hinge-lid packet is
opened.
[0013] As a result, the articles of which the top ends are
positioned at the two ends of the top, lying outside the line of
the cutout, are not exposed to view; moreover, given that the
contents of the packet are generally enveloped by the wrapper in a
tight fit, these same endmost articles can prove difficult to
access and extricate.
[0014] The object of the present invention is to provide a packet
for articles of elongated shape such as will enable all of the
articles contained in the selfsame packet to be removed without the
drawbacks typical of prior art packets as described above, and
which also affords cost advantages compared to conventional
hinge-lid packets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The stated object is realized in a packet for articles of
elongated shape according to the invention, which comprises an
outer wrapper of substantially parallelepiped appearance containing
articles arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the packet,
presenting a front wall, a rear wall or back, two flank walls, a
top and a base, also a cutout, serving to delimit a closure tongue,
composed of a portion lying transversely to the longitudinal axis
of the packet and occupying a central area of the front wall, and
two portions extending from the ends of the transverse portion, at
a predetermined distance from the corner edges of the relative
flank walls, along the front wall and at least across the width of
the top. The area occupied by the cutout is covered by an adhesive
label with a pull tab.
[0016] The packet further comprises an inner element serving to
fill two longitudinal and substantially parallelepiped spaces
within the wrapper, each coinciding positionally and dimensionally
at one end with a relative portion of the top located externally of
the cutout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of
example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views of a packet according
to the present invention;
[0019] FIGS. 4 and 5 show two possible embodiments of a flat blank
from which to fashion an element forming part of the packet
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the packet illustrated
in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 7 shows a possible embodiment of a flat blank from
which to fashion an element forming part of the packet illustrated
in FIG. 6;
[0022] FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing two further
embodiments of the packet illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 10 shows a possible embodiment of a flat blank from
which to fashion an element forming part of the packet illustrated
in FIG. 8;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment
of the packet illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 12 shows a possible embodiment of a flat blank from
which to fashion an element forming part of the packet illustrated
in FIG. 11;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment
of the packet illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 14 shows a stack of flat blanks, viewed edgeways-on,
used to fashion the aforementioned elements forming part of the
packets according to the present invention;
[0028] FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views, front and rear
respectively, showing one of various elements that could form part
of a packet according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, numeral 1 denotes a
packet, in its entirety, serving to contain a group of articles 2,
arranged side by side and disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis
A of the selfsame packet 1.
[0030] In the example of FIG. 3, the articles 2 are shown as
cigarettes 3 arranged in three layers 4, whereas in the example of
FIG. 6, the packet 1 contains a group of cigarettes 3 arranged in
two layers 4. As will become clear in due course, the articles 2 in
question might also consist, for example, in sticks 5 of chewing
gum (see FIG. 13) or pouches 6 of smokeless tobacco (see FIG.
11).
[0031] The packet 1, which is manufactured on a cigarette packer or
other packaging machine (not illustrated), comprises an outer
wrapper 7 substantially of parallelepiped appearance and
rectangular section, made from a pliable material affording a high
degree of impermeability to air and moisture, and typically
heat-sealable.
[0032] The wrapper 7 is delimited by four side walls, extending
parallel to the longitudinal axis A, comprising a front wall 8, a
rear wall or back 9 and two narrower walls or flanks 10, also by
two walls disposed transversely to the selfsame axis A, one
upwardly directed, identifiable as a top 11, the other downwardly
directed, identifiable as a base 12.
[0033] The top part of the wrapper 7 presents a cutout 13
substantially of letter "U" outline, including a central portion 14
that occupies the front wall 8, and two parallel portions 15
extending from the ends of the central portion 14 across the front
wall 8, the top 11, and the uppermost part of the back 9.
[0034] On the back 9 of the wrapper, the two free ends of the
parallel portions 15, denoted 16, are curled in toward one
another.
[0035] The U-shaped cutout 13 delimits a closure element, or tongue
17, complementary to an opening 18 through which the articles 2 are
taken from the packet 1.
[0036] The part of the wrapper 7 presenting the cutout 13 is
covered by an adhesive label 19, of which the part positioned over
the front wall 8 is furnished with a tab 20 designed to facilitate
the operation of pulling back the tongue 17 when the packet 1 is
opened.
[0037] The packet 1 also comprises an inner element 21 of stiff or
semi-stiff paper material, interposed between the articles 2 and
the outer wrapper 7, presenting a flat central portion 22 breasted
in contact with the front wall 8 and of similar height and width
dimensions (see also FIGS. 15 and 16).
[0038] The inner element 21 presents a rib 23 along each
longitudinal edge, of depth substantially equal to the depth of the
wrapper 7, and more exactly to the transverse dimension presented
by the flanks 10 of the packet 1. Accordingly, the ribs 23 occupy
two substantially parallelepiped spaces internally of the wrapper
7, each coinciding cross-sectionally with a portion of the top 11
lying between the cutout 13 and the flank 10.
[0039] Referring also to FIG. 4, the inner element 21 is fashioned
from a flat blank 24 appearing substantially rectangular in general
outline, configured symmetrically relative to a longitudinal axis,
denoted A', and divided by longitudinal and transverse crease lines
into a plurality of panels.
[0040] More exactly, the blank 24 is divided by four longitudinal
crease lines 25, 26, 27 and 28, on two opposite sides of a central
panel 29, into respective second, third and fourth panels denoted
30, 31 and 32, and respective end flaps denoted 33.
[0041] Finally, a single crease line denoted 34 extends
transversely to the axis A' across one end of the central panel 29,
delimiting a bottom flap 35 that will be breasted in contact with
the base 12 of the assembled packet 7.
[0042] The edge 36 of the central panel 29 remote from the bottom
flap 35 might present a U-shaped cutaway 37, designed to facilitate
the removal of the articles 2 from the packet 1, in which case the
two end flaps 33 likewise will present respective complementarily
shaped cutaways 38.
[0043] The process whereby the panels and flaps of the flat blank
24 are bent along the respective crease lines to form the inner
element 21, in a succession of folding steps, will be readily
discernible from the drawings.
[0044] In particular, along each of the two longitudinal edges
delimiting the central panel 29, the adjoining panels 30, 31 and 32
combine with a portion of the selfsame central panel 29 to form the
longitudinal walls of one of the aforementioned ribs 23; more
exactly, the second panel 30 becomes an outer wall breasted in
contact with the relative flank 10 of the wrapper 7, the third
panel 31 becomes a wall breasted in contact with the back 9, and
the fourth panel 32 becomes a wall directed toward the inside of
the packet 1, offered in contact to the articles 2.
[0045] Once bent into shape, the inner element 21 is secured by
affixing the two end flaps 33 to the central panel 29 with an
adhesive, in such a way that the thickness of the aforementioned
flat central portion 22 will be doubled.
[0046] The inner elements 21 are supplied to the packaging machine
aforementioned as flat blanks stacked one on top of another (see
FIG. 14) and, at the moment of their assembly with the wrapper 7,
subjected to a forming operation causing them ultimately to assume
the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16.
[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates a blank 39 differing from the blank 24
described previously in that it comprises a further panel 40,
joined along a further transverse crease line 41 to the bottom flap
35, on the side opposite from the central panel 29.
[0048] One face of the panel 40 in question is designed to engage
in contact with the back 9 of the wrapper 7, and the other face
with the third panels 31 of the two ribs 23.
[0049] Another difference between the blank 39 of FIG. 5 and the
blank 24 of FIG. 4 is that the two third panels 31 are furnished,
at the ends adjacent to the additional panel 40, with respective
appendages 42 substantially of L-shaped outline.
[0050] When bent at right angles to the two respective panels 31,
these same appendages 42 provide closure elements for corresponding
open ends presented by the ribs 23 of the inner element 21.
[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates a packet 1 designed to accommodate two
layers 4 of cigarettes 3, of which the blank 44, shown in FIG. 7,
differs from the blank 39 of FIG. 5 in that the additional panel 40
is furnished with two lateral flaps 45, delimited by respective
crease lines 46, that will be breasted with the flanks 10 of the
outer wrapper 7.
[0052] Furthermore, the free end of the panel 40 presents a cutaway
37 designed to facilitate the removal of artikel 2.
[0053] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a packet 1 containing pouches 6 of
smokeless tobacco (snus) stacked on edge and disposed parallel to
the front and rear walls 8 and 9.
[0054] The relative blank 47 illustrated in FIG. 10 differs
materially from the blank 44 of FIG. 7 only in that the cutaways 37
of the panels 40 and 29 are of dissimilar dimensions, and not
aligned axially one with another.
[0055] FIG. 11 illustrates a further packet 1 containing pouches 6
of tobacco, stacked on edge and disposed transversely to the front
and rear walls 8 and 9.
[0056] The relative blank 48, illustrated in FIG. 12, is
substantially similar to the blank of FIG. 10.
[0057] FIG. 13 illustrates a packet 1 holding sticks 5 of chewing
gum, stacked on edge and disposed transversely to the front and
rear walls 8 and 9.
[0058] Self-evidently, in a packet 1 furnished with the inner
element 21 described and illustrated, the problems connected with
accessing and extracting the articles located nearest to the flank
walls of the wrapper are overcome entirely.
[0059] It will be appreciated also that the quality and strength of
the packet can be determined selectively, on the basis of the type
of blank utilized to fashion the inner element 21.
[0060] The position of the inner element 21 within the wrapper 7
might equally well be rotated through 180.degree. about the
longitudinal axis A' from the position illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, that is to say with the flat central portion
22 offered in contact to the back 9 of the wrapper 7.
* * * * *