U.S. patent application number 13/133908 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-15 for package for tobacco products.
Invention is credited to Andrew Jonathan Bray.
Application Number | 20110303567 13/133908 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40289704 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110303567 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bray; Andrew Jonathan |
December 15, 2011 |
Package for Tobacco Products
Abstract
A package for tobacco products comprises a container (3, 4) and
an enclosure (2) of barrier material (15) for enclosing a charge of
tobacco products. The enclosure of barrier material is located in
the container and defines an access aperture. A moveable cover (7)
extends over the access aperture and has a graspable tab (10). The
container (3, 4) defines a window (14) overlying the tab (10).
Inventors: |
Bray; Andrew Jonathan;
(Southampton, GB) |
Family ID: |
40289704 |
Appl. No.: |
13/133908 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
November 16, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP09/65243 |
371 Date: |
August 29, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/265 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5838 20130101;
B65D 75/5894 20130101; B65D 85/1045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/265 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/10 20060101
B65D085/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 9, 2008 |
GB |
0822405.7 |
Claims
1. A package for tobacco products comprising: a container; an
enclosure of barrier material for enclosing a charge of tobacco
products, wherein the enclosure of barrier material is located in
the container and defines an access aperture; a moveable cover
extending over the access aperture and having a graspable tab;
wherein the container, when closed, defines a window overlying the
graspable tab.
2. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the container comprises a body and a lid, wherein the window is
defined by an edge of the body and a facing edge of the lid.
3. The, package for tobacco products according to claim 2 wherein
the graspable tab is visible through the window when the lid is
closed.
4. The package for tobacco products according to claim 2 wherein
the window is defined by a cut-out in an edge of the body.
5. The package for tobacco products according to claim 4 wherein
the window is further defined by a straight edge of the lid of the
container facing the body.
6. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the container comprises a body and a lid, and the window is defined
by a cut-out in an edge of the lid.
7. The package for tobacco products according to claim 3 wherein an
exterior surface of the graspable tab visible through the window is
continuous with an exterior surface of the movable cover.
8. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the graspable tab is spaced apart from and angled to the underlying
barrier material.
9. The package for tobacco products according to claim 8 wherein
the tab is pre-bent to extend at a predetermined angle to the
underlying barrier material.
10. The package for tobacco products according to claim 8 wherein
at least a part of the tab is spaced apart from the underlying
barrier material by an adhesive.
11. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the window has an area larger than an area of the graspable
tab.
12. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the graspable tab is located at least in part within an area of the
window.
13. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the movable cover is a flap attached to the enclosure of the
barrier material.
14. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the enclosure of barrier material surrounds an inner frame.
15. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the enclosure of barrier material contains a tobacco product.
16. The package for tobacco products according to claim 2 wherein
the lid is hinged to the body.
17. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the window is substantially rectangular, with a long side
orientated along a width of the container.
18. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the window extends over a length less than the width of the
container.
19. A blank for forming the container according to claim 2.
20. (canceled)
21. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the graspable tab is spaced apart from the underlying barrier
material.
22. The package for tobacco products according to claim 21 wherein
at least a part of the tab is spaced apart from the underlying
barrier material by an adhesive.
23. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the graspable tab is angled to the underlying barrier material.
24. The package for tobacco products according to claim 23 wherein
the tab is pre-bent to extend at a predetermined angle to the
underlying barrier material.
25. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the graspable tab is located wholly within an area of the
window.
26. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the movable cover is a flap integrally formed with the enclosure of
the barrier material.
27. The package for tobacco products according to claim 1 wherein
the enclosure of barrier material contains cigarettes.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to packaging for tobacco
products, and in particular, smoking articles such as cigarettes,
cigars, cigarillos and loose tobacco. For convenience, these will
be referred to as "cigarettes" in this specification.
[0002] It is known to provide a barrier layer as an inner wrap of a
cigarette pack. The provision of a barrier layer greatly improves
commercial shelf life in areas having hostile climatic conditions,
especially in high temperature, high humidity areas.
[0003] Document WO 98/22367 discloses a cigarette pack having a
body and a hinged lid. A barrier layer forms a sealed enclosure
inside the body, with an access aperture to the enclosure. A cover
over the access aperture is provided with a tab which can be
grasped and pulled by a user to reveal the access opening. The tab
is forced against the surface of the underlying barrier layer
material by the hinged lid. This can make the tab difficult to
grasp.
[0004] One solution to allow the tab to be more easily grasped is
to fold the tab back on itself with a bend of 180.degree.. This
results in an underside of the tab being presented to a consumer on
opening the hinged lid. The underside of the tab has a different
surface finish to the exterior surface, and does not have a glossy
finished surface which has been provided to the exterior surface of
the tab, cover and barrier material.
[0005] The present invention provides a package for tobacco
products comprising: a container; an enclosure of barrier material
for enclosing a charge of tobacco products, wherein the enclosure
of barrier material is located in the container and defines an
access aperture, a moveable cover extending over the access
aperture and having a graspable tab; wherein the container defines
a window overlying the tab.
[0006] Thus, the tab is free from pressure from the container. This
allows the tab to be more easily grasped by the user once the
container is opened.
[0007] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the package according to the
present invention with the lid closed; and
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package according to the
present invention with the lid open.
[0010] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a package 1 for tobacco products
according to the present invention is shown. The package 1 includes
a sealed charge 2 for containing a tobacco product, preferably
cigarettes. The sealed charge 2 is disposed within a container
having a body 3 and a hinged lid 4. The body 3 has an edge 16 on a
front side, which is adjacent to a facing edge 17 on a front side
of the lid 4, when the lid 4 is in a closed position.
[0011] The sealed charge 2 comprises a charge of cigarettes which
are optionally located in an inner frame (not shown). The charge 2
further comprises a layer of barrier material 15, which provides a
sealed enclosure around the cigarettes and, if present, the inner
frame. The layer of barrier material 15 has an access opening
through which cigarettes can be removed. The access opening is
defined by edges 6 on a top side of the charge 2, and edges 12 on a
front side of the charge 2, shown as dotted lines. The access
opening is resealably closed by a moveable cover 7. The cover 7 is
preferably in the form of a flap having a hinge line 5 on a surface
of the barrier material 15. The hinge line 5 is preferably on a
rear surface of the barrier material 15 or adjacent the rear
surface. The cover 7 is attached to the barrier material 15, or
integrally formed with the barrier material 15.
[0012] The cover 7 is provided with a tab 10 on an edge distal to
the hinge line 5. The tab 10 is dimensioned to be grasped by a user
to open the cover 7 and reveal the access opening in order to
remove a cigarette.
[0013] The cover 7 has side edges 8 overlapping with barrier
material on the top side of the charge 2, and side edges 9
overlapping with barrier material on the front side of the charge
2. An undersurface of the cover 7 may be provided with a
permanently tacky material to releasably adhere to the underlying
barrier material adjacent the edges 6, 12. Alternatively, a
permanently tacky material may be present on the barrier material
15 to engage with the cover 7. The tab 10 is at least partly free
of the permanently tacky material, and overlies a front side of the
barrier material 15.
[0014] The barrier material 15 may be made of, for example, a
metallised plastic or a plastics/metal foil laminate. The cover 7
and/or tab 10 may be made of the same material as the barrier layer
15.
[0015] A window 14 is formed in the container. The window 14 is an
aperture in the container, formed between the edge 16 of the body 3
and the adjacent edge 17 of the lid 4. The window 14 is preferably
in the form of a cut-out or recess in the body 3. The edge 16 is
considered to extend along the periphery of the body 3 facing the
lid 4, and so the shape of the edge 16 is determined by the shape
of the cut-out. The cut-out defines the lower and side edges of the
window 14. The lid 4 preferably has a straight edge 17 to define an
upper edge of the window. The edge 16 is a top edge of the body 3,
and the edge 17 is a bottom edge of the lid 4, when the container
is standing upright as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The window 14 is
arranged to coincide with the position of the tab 10, when the
cover 7 lies over the access opening. The tab 10 lies in an open
space formed by the window 14. The tab 10 is visible through the
window 14, even when the lid 4 is closed.
[0016] The window 14 is preferably rectangular, having a long side
orientated across the width of the container, i.e. laterally across
the front of the container. The corners of the window 14 may be
rounded. The tab 10 is also substantially rectangular, preferably
with rounded corners, with a long side extending laterally.
[0017] The window 14 preferably extends laterally a distance which
is less than the width of the outer body 3. The window 14
preferably extends laterally a distance greater than the width of
the tab 10. The vertical extent of the window 14, i.e. in a
longitudinal direction of the package 1, is preferably greater than
the vertical extent of the tab 10. The window 14 preferably has a
width of between 10 mm and 80 mm, and preferably has a width around
20 to 50 mm, preferably around 30 mm. The window 14 preferably has
a vertical extent of at least 3 mm, and preferably between 3 mm and
15 mm.
[0018] The tab 10 is preferably configured to be wholly within the
area of the window 14. Alternatively, only part of the tab 10 may
be located within the window 14. In particular, only a part of the
tab 10 distal from the cover 7 may be located within the window
14.
[0019] The tab 10 is located in a free space when the hinged lid 4
is closed. The tab 10 is therefore not forced against the
underlying barrier material 15, which makes the tab 10 easy for a
consumer to grasp when the lid is open. The window 14 is an
aperture aligned with the tab, such that the tab is not constrained
by the container. The container does not press the tab 10 against
the underlying barrier material. The whole, or at least a part, and
preferably a substantial part, of an exterior surface of the tab 10
is visible through the window 14.
[0020] The exterior surface of the tab 10 is continuous with an
exterior surface of the remainder of the cover, and preferably also
the remainder of the barrier material 15. A continuous surface does
not extend through an edge. The exterior surface of the tab 10 may
be different to the interior surface of the tab 10. The exterior
surface may have a glossy finished surface, and the interior
surface may have a dull finish. The cover 7 and barrier material 15
preferably also have a finished glossy exterior surface and a dull
interior surface. The continuity of the outer surfaces of the tab
10, cover 7 and preferably the barrier material 15 means the
finished surface of each faces outwardly and is visible to the
user. The continuity of the exterior surfaces means that the same
side of the tab 10 and cover 7 face outwardly from the charge 2.
The tab 10 is therefore not folded over 180.degree., which would
result in different sides facing outwardly. The exterior surface of
the tab 10 may have a printed logo or writing, which is visible
through the window 14.
[0021] The tab 10 does not need to extend through the window 14 in
order to be visible or lie in free space, and so the tab 10 may be
provided with a defined orientation independent of the window 14
and body 3, and may be spaced apart and/or angled to the underlying
barrier material. The tab 10 may be pre-bent during manufacture to
sit at a slight angle to the underlying barrier material 15. The
angle is preferably equal to or less than 90.degree. to the barrier
material, and more preferably less than 45.degree. to the barrier
material. The window 14 provides free space in which the angle of
the tab 10 can be maintained, even when the hinged lid 4 is closed
and the package 1 distributed to the user.
[0022] Alternatively, or in addition, a quantity of adhesive
material may be applied between the tab 10 and the underlying
barrier material 15. The adhesive is arranged to deflect the tab 10
away from the surface of the charge 2, making the tab 10 easier for
a user to grasp. The tab 10 may be held at an angle to the barrier
material 15 by a dot of adhesive, or spaced apart and parallel to
the barrier material. A suitable adhesive is a hot melt adhesive,
of which a dot or dots could be applied to the barrier material 15.
The tab 10 preferably does not extend beyond the front exterior
surface of the container. Alternatively, the tab 10 may extend
beyond the front exterior surface.
[0023] The container is formed from a blank, preferably made of
card, or of a similar foldable material. The package 1 is formed
such that the tab 10 is not constrained by the surrounding
container. The tab 10 is visible and accessible to a user when the
hinged lid is closed. The container may be overwrapped with a
removable layer, for example cellophane.
[0024] The window 14 allows the tab 10 to be easily grasped, since
the tab 10 is not pressed against the enclosure of barrier
material. In addition, the window 14 allows the tab to be freely
angled or spaced from the barrier material. The window also allows
a user to see the tab 10 before the container is opened
[0025] In order to extract a cigarette, the user first opens the
lid 4. The user then grasps the tab 10 and pulls open the cover 7
to reveal the access opening. The user may then extract the
cigarette through the access opening. The package 1 is closed by
the user pulling the tab 10 towards the barrier layer 15 to close
the cover 7, and then closing the lid 4. Alternatively, the user
may pull the tab 10 to open the lid and cover simultaneously.
[0026] The container may contain two separate enclosures, each
containing a charge of cigarettes. Each enclosure has an
independent cover having a tab. Alternatively, the container may
contain a single enclosure having two separate covers with tabs. A
single wide window in the container may be aligned with both tabs.
Alternatively, the container may define two separate windows, each
aligned with a tab.
[0027] The window is described as defined by a cut-out in the edge
16 of the outer body. Alternatively, the window may be formed by a
cut-out in the bottom edge 17 of the lid, and a straight top edge
16 of the body. Alternatively, the window may be formed by a
cut-out in the top edge of the outer body and by a cut-out in the
bottom edge of the lid.
[0028] The tab has been described as folded over by less than
90.degree., or alternatively may be folded to any required angle.
The tab may be folded by approximately 180.degree.. The fold may be
carried out at the time the label/cover is applied or during the
overwrapping process. For example, the pack may be overwrapped (for
example, as conventionally known with cellophane) with the tab
folded 180.degree., so that when the consumer unwraps the
cellophane the tab 10 will be at an angle to the underlying barrier
material and project from the pack for easy grasping by the
consumer. Further details are specified in EP1102712.
[0029] The window 14 has been described as defined between the lid
4 and body 3. Alternatively, the window may be formed as an
aperture wholly within the lid 4. All sides of the window would be
defined by the lid. The window is then independent of the bottom
edge of the lid 4 and top edge of the body 3. Alternatively, the
window may be formed wholly with the body 3. The lid has been
described as hinged to the body. The lid may be moveable onto the
body in any manner, and in particular, the lid may not be hinged,
and may slide onto the body.
[0030] The tab has been described as having an area smaller than
the window, and having a width less than the width of the window.
Alternatively, the tab may have an area larger than the area of the
window, and/or a lateral width larger than the width of the window,
and/or a height larger than the height of the window.
[0031] The window 14 has been described on a front surface of the
container. Alternatively, the window may be on a side surface of
the container, or on a rear surface of the container.
* * * * *