U.S. patent application number 15/546019 was filed with the patent office on 2018-01-04 for pack for tobacco articles provided with a pressurized sealed wrap and relative wrapping method.
The applicant listed for this patent is G.D SOCIETA' PER AZIONI. Invention is credited to Luca Federici, Angelo Li Vigni, Roberto Polloni.
Application Number | 20180002048 15/546019 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52774318 |
Filed Date | 2018-01-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180002048 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Polloni; Roberto ; et
al. |
January 4, 2018 |
PACK FOR TOBACCO ARTICLES PROVIDED WITH A PRESSURIZED SEALED WRAP
AND RELATIVE WRAPPING METHOD
Abstract
A pack provided with: a group of tobacco articles; and a sealed
wrap, which encloses the group of articles, has a pull-out opening
for the articles, is pressurized so as to have an inner pressure
that is higher than the atmospheric pressure, and consists of a
heat-sealable sheet of wrapping material, which is folded around
the group of articles and is stabilized by means of heat-sealing;
in the sealed wrap there is a volatile aromatic substance that is
independent of the group of tobacco articles.
Inventors: |
Polloni; Roberto;
(Modigliana, IT) ; Li Vigni; Angelo; (Bologna,
IT) ; Federici; Luca; (Bologna, IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
G.D SOCIETA' PER AZIONI |
Bologna |
|
IT |
|
|
Family ID: |
52774318 |
Appl. No.: |
15/546019 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
January 29, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2016/050469 |
371 Date: |
July 25, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 19/02 20130101;
B65D 81/2038 20130101; B65D 2203/12 20130101; B65D 85/12 20130101;
B65B 19/26 20130101; B65D 81/2046 20130101; B65B 31/04 20130101;
B65D 85/1045 20130101; B65D 81/2061 20130101; B65D 81/2092
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65B 19/02 20060101
B65B019/02; B65B 31/04 20060101 B65B031/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 29, 2015 |
IT |
BO2015A000035 |
Claims
1. A pack (1) comprising: a group (4) of tobacco articles; and a
sealed wrap (3), which encloses the group (4) of articles, has a
pull-out opening (5) for the articles and consists of a
heat-sealable sheet (14) of wrapping material, which is folded
around the group (4) of articles and is stabilized by means of
heat-sealing; the pack (1) is characterized in that: the sealed
wrap (3) is pressurized and has an inner pressure that is higher
than the atmospheric pressure; and in the sealed wrap (3) there is
a volatile aromatic substance that is independent of the group (4)
of tobacco articles.
2. A pack according to claim 1, wherein the volatile aromatic
substance, due to the inner overpressure of the sealed wrap (3),
comes out of the sealed wrap (3) the first time the sealed wrap (3)
is opened, thus diffusing a significant quantity of volatilized
aromatic substance around the pack (1).
3. A pack according to claim 1, wherein: the tobacco articles are
new-generation tobacco articles and are free from shredded tobacco;
and the volatile aromatic substance contains tobacco aroma.
4. A pack according to claim 1, wherein the volatile aromatic
substance is pumped into the sealed wrap (3) in the gaseous state
when the overpressure is created.
5. A pack according to claim 1, wherein the volatile aromatic
substance is inserted into the sealed wrap (3) in the liquid or
solid state so as to obtain a volatilization of the aromatic
substance on the inside of the sealed wrap (3).
6. A pack according to claim 5, wherein the volatile aromatic
substance is applied to the sheet of wrapping material (14).
7. A pack according to claim 5, wherein: a rigid reinforcement
element (10) is provided, which is arranged on the inside of the
sealed wrap (3) in contact with the group (4) of tobacco articles
and embraces the group (4) of tobacco articles; and the volatile
aromatic substance is applied to the reinforcement element
(10).
8. A pack according to claim 5 and comprising a permeable support
which is arranged in contact with the group (4) of tobacco articles
and contains the volatile aromatic substance.
9. A wrapping method to manufacture a pack (1) of tobacco articles
comprising a sealed wrap (3); the wrapping method comprising the
steps of: folding a heat-sealable sheet (14) of wrapping material
around a group (4) of tobacco articles to obtain the wrap (3); and
heat-sealing overlapping portions of the sheet (14) of wrapping
material to stabilize and seal the wrap (3); the wrapping method is
characterized in that it comprises the further steps of: feeding
into the sealed wrap (3) a volatile aromatic substance that is
independent of the group (4) of tobacco articles; and increasing
the inner pressure of the sealed wrap (3) , in order to cause the
sealed wrap (3) to have an inner pressure that is higher than the
atmospheric pressure.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the volatile aromatic
substance, due to the inner overpressure of the sealed wrap (3),
comes out of the sealed wrap (3) the first time the sealed wrap (3)
is opened, thus diffusing a significant quantity of volatilized
aromatic substance around the pack (1).
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a pack for tobacco articles
provided with a pressurized sealed wrap and a relative wrapping
method.
[0002] The present invention finds advantageous application to a
packet of cigarettes, to which the following description will make
explicit reference without thereby losing generality.
PRIOR ART
[0003] A packet of cigarettes normally comprises an inner wrap,
which consists of a group of cigarettes wrapped in an inner sheet
of wrapping material, and an outer cover, which encloses the inner
wrap and can consist of an outer sheet of wrapping material folded
around the inner cup-shaped wrap (soft type packet of cigarettes),
or can consist of a rigid, hinged-lid box formed by folding a rigid
blank around the inner wrap (rigid type packet of cigarettes).
[0004] In a conventional packet of cigarettes, the group of
cigarettes is internally wrapped in a glue-free rectangular inner
sheet of wrapping material made of metalized paper and is
externally wrapped in a rectangular outer sheet of wrapping
material which is stabilized by means of glueing.
[0005] The tobacco is very sensitive to external environmental
effects, as being in contact with the atmosphere tends to alter its
organoleptic characteristics due to the effect of moisture
variations (tobacco can become too dry or can absorb too much
moisture), both for the evaporation of the volatile substances with
which the tobacco is impregnated (especially in the case of
aromatized cigarettes with particular aromas such as cloves). To
preserve the integrity of the cigarette tobacco, the packets of
cigarettes are cellophane-wrapped, i.e. are covered with an
external heat-sealed overwrap of waterproof plastic material.
However, the external heat-sealed overwrap may not be sufficient to
fully preserve the organoleptic characteristics of the tobacco
contained in a packet of cigarettes, particularly when the packet
of cigarettes is consumed after a certain lapse of time from the
production thereof. Moreover, the outer overwrap is discharged the
first time the packet is opened, and therefore the tobacco of the
cigarettes contained in the pack comes in contact with the external
environment; if the cigarettes contained in the packet are not
quickly used after the first opening of the packet, the
organoleptic characteristics of the remaining cigarettes may become
degraded.
[0006] In the attempt to obviate the above described drawback, in
patent US4300676A1 a rigid packet of cigarettes has been proposed,
wherein the inner wrap is waterproof and consists of a sheet of
wrapping material made of waterproof and heat-sealable material
having a cigarette pull-out opening, which is closed by way of a
reusable closing label.
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a pack for
tobacco articles provided with a pressurized sealed wrap and a
relative wrapping method, which pack and wrapping method allows to
increase consumer satisfaction and, at the same time, is easy and
inexpensive to manufacture.
[0008] According to the present invention, a pack for tobacco
articles provided with a pressurized sealed wrap and a relative
wrapping method are provided, as set forth in the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some non-limiting
examples of embodiments, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view and in a closed
configuration of a packet of cigarettes made according to the
present invention and comprising a sealed wrap provided with a
passage hole controlled by a pneumatic valve;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the packet of
cigarettes of FIG. 1 in a partially open configuration;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the packet of
cigarettes of FIG. 1 in a fully open configuration;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the sealed wrap of the
packet of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a group of cigarettes
contained in the sealed wrap of FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a reinforcement
element contained in the sealed wrap of FIG. 4;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a multilayer sheet of wrapping
material used for producing the sealed wrap of FIG. 4;
[0017] FIGS. 8 and 9 are two different sectional views of a passage
hole and of a corresponding pneumatic valve formed in the
multilayer sheet of wrapping material of FIG. 7 respectively in a
closed position and in an open position of the passage hole;
[0018] FIG. 10 is a sectional and exploded view of the multilayer
sheet of wrapping material of FIG. 7 at the passage hole and of the
corresponding pneumatic valve of FIGS. 8 and 9;
[0019] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the multilayer sheet of wrapping
material of FIG. 7 emphasizing two different types of adhesives
interposed between two layers of the multilayer sheet of the
wrapping material itself;
[0020] FIG. 12 is a plan view of an alternative of the multilayer
sheet of wrapping material of FIG. 7;
[0021] FIGS. 13 and 14 are two different sectional views of a
passage hole and of a corresponding pneumatic valve formed in the
multilayer sheet of wrapping material of FIG. 12 in a closed
position and in an open position of the passage hole, respectively;
and
[0022] FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of the packet of cigarettes of FIG. 1 in a closed
configuration;
[0023] FIG. 16 is a schematic and longitudinal section view of a
detail of the packet of cigarettes of FIG. 15; and
[0024] FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 are schematic and longitudinal section
views of respective alternatives of the detail of FIG. 16.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 number 1 denotes as a whole a rigid
packet of cigarettes. The packet 1 of cigarettes comprises a
cup-shaped outer container 2 made of cardboard or rigid paperboard
and a sealed wrap 3 (better illustrated in FIG. 4) housed inside
the container 2. The sealed wrap 3 encloses a parallelepiped shaped
group 4 of cigarettes (better illustrated in FIG. 5) and has at the
top and in front a cigarette pull-out opening 5; the cigarette
pull-out opening 5 is centrally arranged, being closed by an "open
& close" type sealing panel 6 involving a portion of a front
wall of the sealed wrap 3 and a portion of a top wall of the sealed
wrap 3. The sealing panel 6 adheres normally to the part of the
sealed wrap 3 arranged around the pull-out opening 5 to close
(seal) the pull-out opening 5 and can be temporarily raised to free
the pull-out opening 5, and thus allowing the extraction of a
cigarette through the pull-out opening 5 itself.
[0026] According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the
cigarette pull-out opening 5 involves the entire upper portion of
the sealed wrap 3, the sealing panel 6 is absent, and the sealed
wrap 3 is provided with a tear-off strip that allows removing a top
portion of the sealed wrap 3 to free the pull-out opening 5; in
other words, the first time the packet 1 of cigarettes is opened
the user pulls the tear-off strip to remove an upper portion of the
sealed wrap 3, and therefore free the pull-out opening 5.
[0027] The outer container 2 has an open top end 7 and is provided
with a cup-shaped lid 8 which is hinged to the container 2 along a
hinge 9 to rotate, with respect to the container 2, between an open
position (illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3) and a closed position
(illustrated in FIG. 1) of the open top end 7.
[0028] The lid 8, when in the closed position, gives the outer
container 2 a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a top wall
and a bottom wall parallel and opposite to each other, a front wall
and a rear wall (in which the hinge 9 is formed) parallel and
opposite to each other, and two lateral walls parallel and opposite
to each other. Between the lateral walls and the front and rear
walls four longitudinal edges are defined, while between the top
and bottom walls and the front, rear and lateral walls eight
transverse edges are defined.
[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sealed wrap 3 comprises a
"U"-shaped reinforcement element 10, which is made of cardboard or
rigid paperboard (quite similar to the cardboard or rigid
paperboard forming the outer container 2) and is arranged on the
inside of the sealed wrap 3 in contact with the group 4 of
cigarettes. The reinforcement element 10 comprises a substantially
rectangular-shaped front wall 11 which is arranged in contact with
a front wall of the group 4 of cigarettes and two lateral walls 12,
which are connected to opposite sides of the front wall 11 and are
arranged in contact with the lateral walls of the group 4 of
cigarettes. The front wall 11 has a "U"-shaped window which is
arranged at the top, is defined by an edge 13 and facilitates the
extraction of the cigarettes from the group 4 of cigarettes as it
exposes a top area of the front wall of the group 4 of
cigarettes.
[0030] The function of the reinforcement element 10 is to give
greater rigidity and greater shape stability to the sealed wrap 3
in order to prevent the wrap 3 from collapsing on itself after
extracting a part of the cigarettes contained in the same sealed
wrap 3 thus complicating the extraction of the remaining cigarettes
and complicating the opening and the subsequent re-closing of the
sealing panel 6. An additional function of reinforcement element 10
is to provide adequate mechanical protection to the cigarettes
during the forming and handling of the sealed wrap 3. Finally,
another function of the reinforcement element 10 is to keep the lid
8 in the closed position, as the lid 8, to shift from the closed
position to the open position (and vice versa), must slightly
deform the top and front part of the reinforcement element 10 in an
elastic manner.
[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the sealed wrap 3 is obtained by
folding a rectangular-shaped heat-sealable sheet 14 of wrapping
material, which is folded about the group 4 of cigarettes enclosed
in the reinforcement element 10 and once folded is stabilized by
means of heat-sealing (i.e. overlapping portions of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material are connected together in a stable manner by
heat-sealing). The sheet 14 of wrapping material has a "U"-shaped
incision 15 which defines the pull-out opening 5. The incision 15
can be a through incision from the beginning, i.e. from the
beginning the incision 15 completely crosses through the thickness
of the sheet 14 of wrapping material from side to side; in this
embodiment, the air-tight seal of the sealed wrap 3 is ensured by
the sealing panel 6 which completely covers the incision 15.
[0032] Alternatively, the incision 15 can be a non-through incision
i.e. initially the incision 15 involves only a part of the
thickness of the sheet 14 of wrapping material leaving totally
integral a remaining part of the thickness of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material; in this embodiment, the incision 15 is initially
a non-through incision with respect to the sheet 14 of wrapping
material and becomes a through incision (by tearing the remaining
initially integral part of the sheet 14 of wrapping material) the
first time the sealed wrap 3 is opened, i.e. only the first opening
of the sealed wrap 3 (that is, the first raising of the sealing
panel 6) causes the complete tearing of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material along the incision 15. This embodiment, in which the
incision 15 is initially a non-through incision, can be used both
in conjunction with the sealing panel 6, and in the absence of the
sealing panel 6, since the air-tight seal of the sealed wrap 3 is
ensured by the fact that the incision 15 is initially a non-through
incision; for example, in the absence of the sealing panel 6 a
gripping tab can be glued to the pull-out opening 5 for raising the
sheet 14 of wrapping material inside the incision 15, or the
pull-out opening 5 can be glued to the inner surface of the front
wall of the lid 8 to obtain an "automatic" opening of the pull-out
opening 5 in combination with the opening of the lid 8.
[0033] Furthermore, the rectangular-shaped sealing panel 6 is glued
to the sheet 14 of wrapping material and completely covers the
incision 15 (i.e. the pull-out opening 5). Between the sealing
panel 6 and the sheet 14 of wrapping material a pressure-sensitive
repositionable adhesive 16 (i.e. that does not dry) is interposed,
that allows to separate the sealing panel 6 from the sheet 14 of
wrapping material also after a long period of time, and then to
reunite the sealing panel 6 to the sheet 14 of wrapping material
for numerous times.
[0034] The presence of the pressure-sensitive repositionable
adhesive (i.e. which does not dry) between the sealing panel 6 and
the sheet 14 of wrapping material causes a temporary glueing (that
is, separated in use) between the portion of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material surrounding the incision 15 (that is, surrounding
the pull-out opening 5) and the sealing panel 6 so as to normally
keep the sealing panel 6 in contact with the sheet 14 of wrapping
material to close (seal) the pull-out opening 5. Moreover, the
presence of the pressure-sensitive repositionable adhesive 16 (i.e.
which does not dry) between the sealing panel 6 and the sheet 14 of
wrapping material causes the functionally permanent glueing (that
is, never separated also in use) of the portion of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material, enclosed by the incision 15 (i.e. at the
pull-out opening 5), to the sealing panel 6; therefore, when the
sealing panel 6 is raised from the sheet 14 of wrapping material
the portion of the sealing panel 6 enclosed by the incision 15
(that is, at the extraction opening 5) is raised together with the
sealing panel 6 freeing the pull-out opening 5. Obviously, it is
also possible to use non-separable permanent adhesive (i.e. that
dries) which is interposed between the sealing panel 6 and the
sheet 14 of wrapping material inside the incision 15 (that is, at
the pull-out opening 5) in order to strengthen the mechanical
connection between these two parts; the presence of non-separable
permanent adhesive between the sealing panel 6 and the sheet 14 of
wrapping material inside the incision 15 (that is, at the pull-out
opening 5) is required when the incision 15 is initially a
non-through incision to overcome the tear-off resistance of the
initially non-through incision 15.
[0035] The sealing panel 6 is provided with two gripping tabs 17,
each of which is free from pressure-sensitive repositionable
adhesive 16 (i.e. that does not dry) on the side facing the sheet
of packing material 14 (that is, on the surface in front of the
sheet 14 of wrapping material) and it is arranged near the pull-out
opening 5 and below the pull-out opening 5 itself. Each gripping
tab 17 is suited to facilitate the grip of the sealing panel 6 when
the sealing panel 6 itself is raised; in other words, to raise the
sealing panel 6, a user can easily grip a gripping tab 17, which is
in no way fixed to the sheet 14 of wrapping material in contrast to
the rest of the sealing panel 6.
[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 4, and according to an embodiment
which is not part of the present invention, the sealed wrap 3
comprises a passage hole 18, which is formed through a front wall
of the sealed wrap 3 to allow suction of part of the air contained
inside the sealed wrap 3 so as to depressurize the sealed wrap 3
itself. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the passage hole
18 is formed through the front wall of sealed wrap 3, but it is
clear that the passage hole 18 can be formed in any other wall
(top, bottom, lateral, rear) of the sealed wrap 3; in any case, it
is preferable that the passage hole 18 is formed at the
reinforcement element 10, i.e. in an area of the sealed wrap 3
resting on the underlying reinforcement element 10. In fact, during
the suction of part of the air contained inside the sealed wrap 3,
a suction device rests with a certain mechanical pressure on the
sealed wrap 3 around the passage hole 18 and therefore the presence
of the underlying reinforcement element 10 at the passage hole
prevents the mechanical pressure exerted by the suction device from
damaging the cigarettes contained inside the sealed wrap 3 (i.e.
the reinforcement element 10 protects the cigarettes contained
inside the sealed wrap 3 from the mechanical pressure exerted by
the suction device).
[0037] Furthermore, the sealed wrap 3 comprises a one-way pneumatic
valve 19 that overlaps the passage hole 18 and has the function of
keeping the passage hole 18 normally isolated from the external
environment in order to not allow any gas passage between the
sealed wrap 3 and the external environment. The pneumatic valve 19
is normally closed (i.e. normally seals air-tight the passage hole
18, isolating the passage hole 18 from the outside environment) and
is temporarily open (i.e. allowing free communication between the
passage hole 18 and the external environment) only and just during
the suction step of the air contained inside the sealed wrap 3 to
depressurize the sealed wrap 3 itself.
[0038] As illustrated in FIGS. 8-11, the pneumatic valve 19
comprises a valve element 20, which is movable between a closed
position (illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10) in which the passage hole
18 is sealed air-tight, isolating the passage hole 18 from the
external environment, and an open position (illustrated in FIG. 9)
wherein it allows free communication between the passage hole 18
and the external environment.
[0039] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the sheet 14 of wrapping
material is of multilayer type and comprises an inner layer 21 of
plastic material (of thermoplastic type to be heat-sealable) and an
outer layer 22 of plastic material (of thermoplastic type to be
heat-sealable) which overlap and are glued to each other and both
extend seamless over the whole surface of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material. Between the two layers 21 and 22 a non-separable
permanent adhesive 23 is interposed, that, as illustrated in FIG.
11, extends over the whole sheet 14 of wrapping material except for
the area in which the valve element 20 is located (i.e. except for
the area where the pneumatic valve 19 is located); the permanent
adhesive 23 is an adhesive that dries and therefore once dried
(i.e. shortly after its application) does not allow any separation
(if not after a final and non reassemblable breakage) between the
two layers 21 and 22. In the area where the valve element 20 is
located (i.e. the area in which the pneumatic valve 19 is located),
between the two layers 21 and 22 a pressure-sensitive
repositionable adhesive 24 (i.e. which does not dry and therefore
of the same type of the repositionable adhesive 16 used for the
sealing panel 6) is interposed that allows even after a long time
to locally separate the two layers 21 and 22 and then to reunite
the two layers 21 and 22 for numerous times.
[0040] As better illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the passage hole
18 is formed only through the inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material; i.e. the passage hole 18 passes through the
inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material and does not
involve in any way the outer layer 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material. Furthermore, the valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve
19 consists of a portion of the outer layer 22 (and only of the
outer layer 22) which is separated from the remaining part of the
outer layer 22 by a "U"-shaped through incision 25 and is connected
to the underlying inner layer 21 by means of the repositionable
adhesive 24. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying
figures the "U"-shaped through incision 25 forms a sharp edge at
the cusp (as illustrated in FIG. 7), but according to alternative
and completely equivalent embodiments the "U"-shaped through
incision 25 can have a rounded shape at the cusp, or can be shaped
as a fractured line formed by the union of several straight
segments angled one with respect to the other.
[0041] Usually, the repositionable adhesive 24 which is located at
the pneumatic valve 19 keeps the valve element 20 of the pneumatic
valve 19 in close contact with the underlying layer 21 of the inner
sheet 14 of wrapping material by sealing air-tight the passage hole
18, i.e. by isolating the passage hole 18 from the external
environment (as illustrated in FIG. 8). When an adequate uplifting
force (typically by suction effect or by means of mechanical
action) is applied to the valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve
19, the valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19 is raised from
the underlying inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material
(and therefore the repositionable adhesive 24 stops its binding
action) allowing free communication between the passage hole 18 and
the external environment (as illustrated in FIG. 9); when the
uplifting force acting on the valve element 20 of the pneumatic
valve 19 stops, the valve element 20 rests again on the underlying
inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material (as illustrated
in FIG. 8 and optionally with the aid of a mechanical presser)
causing a new closing of the pneumatic valve 19 due to the binding
action of the repositionable adhesive 24.
[0042] In the embodiment described above, there is only one passage
hole 18 having relatively large sizes and the pneumatic valve 19
has a single valve element 20 which is coupled directly to the
passage hole 18 (i.e. overlaps the passage hole 18). According to
an alternative and perfectly equivalent embodiment, there are
multiple passage holes 18 having smaller sizes and the pneumatic
valve 19 has more valve elements 20, each of which is coupled
directly to a corresponding passage hole 18 (i.e. overlaps the
passage hole 18). According to a further and perfectly equivalent
embodiment, there is only one passage hole 18 having relatively
large sizes and the pneumatic valve 19 has more valve elements 20,
each of which is arranged around the passage hole 18 (i.e. the
valve elements 20 are uniformly distributed around the passage hole
18).
[0043] In the embodiment described above, the adhesive 24 which is
located at the pneumatic valve 19 is a pressure-sensitive
repositionable adhesive (i.e. which does not dry); in this
embodiment, the pneumatic valve 19 is multi-purpose, i.e. can be
used many times as it is possible to switch several times from the
closed position to the open position and vice versa. According to
an alternative embodiment, the adhesive 24 which is located at the
pneumatic valve 19 is an adhesive which is initially inactive and
is activated by heat, i.e. is an adhesive that at the first
application does not cause any type of glueing between the two
layers 21 and 22 of sheet 14 of wrapping material and which can be
activated by heating in order to cause permanent glueing (i.e. no
longer separable if not by non reassemblable breakage) between the
two layers 21 and 22 of sheet 14 of wrapping material; in this
embodiment, the pneumatic valve 19 is disposable, or may be used
only once because once the adhesive 24 is activated by heating it
is no longer possible to re-open the pneumatic valve 19 itself.
[0044] As previously stated, the passage hole 18 is formed through
the front wall of the sealed wrap 3, and then overlaps the front
wall 11 of the reinforcement element 10. The reinforcement element
10 may be free from holes at the passage hole 18, as in any case by
sucking air through the passage hole 18 the air reaches the passage
hole 18 flowing in the space formed between the inner surface of
the sealed wrap 3 and the outer surface of the reinforcement
element 10; however, in this embodiment it is necessary to apply a
larger suction depression to overcome the pressure loss generated
by the "tortuous" path followed by the air inside the sealed wrap
in order to reach the passage hole 18. According to a preferred
embodiment illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 6, the front wall 11
of the reinforcement element 10 has a through hole 26, which is
arranged at the passage hole 18 (i.e. is aligned with the passage
hole 18) and it allows a more direct airflow inside the sealed wrap
3 towards the passage hole 18.
[0045] According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6
and in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, around the through hole 26 of the
reinforcement element 10 a non-separable permanent adhesive 27 is
applied which causes a locally permanent glueing between the sheet
14 of wrapping material and the underlying reinforcement element 10
(i.e. between the bottom face of the inner layer 21 of the sheet 14
of wrapping material and the top face of the front wall 11 of the
reinforcement element 10). The function of permanent adhesive 27 is
to bind the inner layer 21 of the reinforcement element 10 to the
underlying sheet 14 of wrapping material at the pneumatic valve 19
(i.e. around the through hole 26 of the reinforcement element 10)
in such a way that when an uplifting force is applied to the valve
element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19, only the valve element 20 of
the pneumatic valve 19 raises from the underlying layer 21 of the
inner sheet 14 of wrapping material. In other words, in the absence
of the permanent adhesive 27 when an uplifting force is applied to
the valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19 the entire sheet 14
of wrapping material (i.e. both the valve element 20 of the
pneumatic valve 19, and the underlying inner layer 21) could be
raised without therefore causing the desired separation between the
valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19 and the underlying inner
layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material; whereas, the
presence of the permanent adhesive 27 mechanically binds the inner
layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material to the underlying
reinforcement element 10 preventing the inner layer 21 of the sheet
14 of wrapping material from raising up and thus allowing the
pneumatic valve 19 to open properly when an uplifting force is
applied to the valve element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19.
[0046] According to a preferred, but non-limiting, embodiment, the
passage hole 18 is formed through the inner layer 21 of the sheet
14 of wrapping material before uniting together the two layers 21
and 22 of sheet 14 of wrapping material; in the same way, the
through incision 25 which defines the valve element 20 is formed
through the outer layer 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material
before uniting together the two layers 21 and 22 of sheet 14 of
wrapping material. In this way, forming the passage hole 18 and the
through incision 25 is extremely simple and can be performed by
routine mechanical operations. It is important to note that when
the two layers 21 and 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material are
overlapped, a high precision is not required in the relative
positioning between the passage hole 18 and the through incision 25
that defines the valve element 20, as small deviations do not alter
in any way the functionality of the pneumatic valve 19.
Alternatively, the passage hole 18 and the through incision 25 can
be made on the sheet 14 of wrapping material after the two layers
21 and 22 are united together; in this case, it is necessary to use
laser processing that allows the high precision cutting of only
part of the overall thickness of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material.
[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the one-way
pneumatic valve 19 allows only a flow of gas from inside the sealed
wrap 3 towards the external environment to depressurize the sealed
wrap 3 itself, i.e. the one-way pneumatic valve 19 allows only to
suck some of the air contained inside the sealed wrap 3 to
depressurize the sealed wrap 3 itself. Therefore, the one-way
pneumatic valve 19 is used to impart an inner pressure lower than
atmospheric pressure (i.e. environmental pressure) to the sealed
wrap 3; in particular, the one-way pneumatic valve 19 is used to
suck part of the air contained inside the sealed wrap 3 and
therefore depressurize the sealed wrap 3 itself. Preferably the
vacuum inside the sealed wrap 3 (i.e. the pressure variation
between the inside of the sealed wrap 3 and the atmospheric
pressure) is less than 0.05 bar and generally comprised between
0.01 bar and 0.02 bar. It is important to note that the greater the
mechanical protection of the group 4 of cigarettes is, as ensured
by the reinforcement element 10, the greater the vacuum inside the
sealed wrap 3 can be; to increase the mechanical protection of the
group 4 of cigarettes ensured by the reinforcement element 10
(therefore to increase the vacuum inside the sealed wrap 3), the
reinforcement element 10 could also be provided with a rear wall
which gives the reinforcement element 10 a tubular shape having
overall a greater_mechanical strength.
[0048] In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12-14,
which is part of the present invention, the one-way pneumatic valve
19 is "inverted", i.e. allows only a flow of gas from the external
environment towards the inside of the sealed wrap 3 to pressurize
the sealed wrap 3, i.e. the one-way pneumatic valve 19 allows only
to pump a gas (typically inert such as nitrogen) inside the sealed
wrap 3 to pressurize the sealed wrap 3. Therefore, the one-way
pneumatic valve 19 is used to impart an inner pressure higher than
the atmospheric pressure (i.e. environmental pressure) to the
sealed wrap 3. Typically, in the sealed wrap 3 an inert gas is
pumped (for example nitrogen, argon or carbon dioxide) until the
desired overpressure is reached; sterilizing and/or aromatizing
compounds can be added to the inert gas (for example comprising
menthol aroma, tobacco aroma, coffee aroma, anise aroma).
Preferably the pressurization inside the sealed wrap 3 (i.e. the
pressure variation between the inside of the sealed wrap 3 and the
atmospheric pressure) is less than 0.15 bar and generally comprised
between 0.05 bar and 0.10 bar.
[0049] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the passage
hole 18 is formed only through the inner layer 21 of the sheet of
wrapping material; i.e. the passage hole 18 passes through the
inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material and does not
involve in any way the outer layer 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material. Whereas, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the
passage hole 18 is formed only through the outer layer 22 of the
sheet 14 of wrapping material; i.e. the passage hole 18 passes
through the outer layer 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material and
does not involve in any way the inner layer 21 of the sheet 14 of
wrapping material.
[0050] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the valve
element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19 consists of a portion of the
outer layer 22 (and only of the outer layer 22) which is separated
from the remaining part of the outer layer 22 by a "U"-shaped
through incision 25 and is connected to the underlying inner layer
21 by means of the repositionable adhesive 24. Whereas, in the
embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the valve element 20 of the
pneumatic valve 19 consists of a portion of the inner layer 21 (and
only the inner layer 21) which is separated from the remaining part
of the inner layer 21 by the "U"-shaped through incision 25 and is
connected to the overlying outer layer 22 by means of the
repositionable adhesive 24.
[0051] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11, the outer layer
22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material has a thickness lower than
the thickness of the inner layer 22 as, in this way, the valve
element 20 of the pneumatic valve 19 has a lower mechanical inertia
and a greater ease of deformation that make operating thereof more
effective. Similarly, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7-11
the outer layer 22 of the sheet 14 of wrapping material has a
thickness greater than the thickness of the inner layer 21.
[0052] In the embodiments described above, the depressurization or
the pressurization of the sealed wrap 3 are obtained by means of
corresponding pneumatic valves 19 through which a gas passage
(out-coming or incoming) is obtained through the sealed wrap 3.
According to a different embodiment, the sealed wrap 3 is
completely free from pneumatic valves 19 and the depressurization
or the pressurization of the sealed wrap 3 are obtained by means of
an active element that is inserted inside the sealed wrap 3 before
the sealed wrap 3 itself is completely closed and that slowly
absorbs (i.e. in a few seconds, a few minutes or a few hours) a
quantity of the gases contained inside the sealed wrap 3 (to
depressurize the sealed wrap 3) or slowly releases (i.e. in a few
seconds, a few minutes or a few hours) gases in the sealed wrap 3
(to pressurize the sealed wrap 3).
[0053] For example the active element could consists of an inert
gas in the liquid state (liquid nitrogen, liquid argon) or in the
solid state (dry ice i.e. solid carbon dioxide) that is initially
cold (i.e. considerably colder than environmental temperature and
at a below zero temperature) and by warming (due to the
environmental heat), inside the sealed wrap 3, vaporizes thereby
increasing the inner pressure of the sealed wrap 3 itself. In this
case the active element is inserted in the sealed wrap 3
immediately before the final sealing (i.e. immediately upstream
from the welder that performs the final sealing).
[0054] Alternatively, the active element could consist of a
substance which, in contact with oxygen, oxidize (i.e. combines
with oxygen) by means of a chemical reaction which can generate a
greater volume of gas with respect to the initial state (to
pressurize the sealed wrap 3) or can produce a smaller volume of
gas with respect to the initial state (to depressurize the sealed
wrap 3) ; said embodiment allows to repeat
pressurization/depressurization of the sealed wrap 3 at each
opening (and subsequent closing) of the sealed wrap 3: in fact at
every opening (and subsequent closing) of the sealed wrap 3 new
oxygen enters inside the sealed wrap 3 allowing to repeat the
chemical reaction that pressurizes/depressurizes the sealed wrap 3.
For example, the active element may comprise the so called "oxygen
scavengers", i.e. elements capable of spontaneously oxidizing and
thus capture the molecular oxygen content inside the sealed wrap 3
(for example, oxygen scavengers most used in the food sector are
iron based). In other words, an oxygen scavenging element is
inserted inside the sealed wrap 3 that after the air-tight closing
of the sealed wrap 3 and slowly (i.e. in a time frame of minutes or
tens of minutes), consumes at least part of the molecular oxygen
contained inside the sealed wrap 3 itself thus reducing the inner
pressure of the sealed wrap 3. In this case, the active element can
be contained in a separate insertion which is introduced inside the
sealed wrap 3, or it can be carried by the reinforcement element 10
and/or by the inner surface of the sheet 14 of wrapping material
(in this case, the oxygen scavenging element is applied by means of
surface treatment, also by nano-technology, of the reinforcement
element 10 and or of the inner surface of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material).
[0055] According to the present invention, in the sealed wrap 3 a
volatile aromatic substance (for example tobacco aroma) is inserted
which is independent of the group of cigarettes and is
progressively released inside the sealed wrap 3 and comes out of
the sealed wrap 3 the first time the sealed wrap 3 is opened. The
volatile aromatic substance is inserted in the sealed wrap 3 when
the inner pressure of the sealed wrap 3 is higher than the
atmospheric pressure (i.e. environmental pressure), because in this
way the first time the sealed wrap 3 is opened a significant part
of the gases contained inside the sealed wrap 3 comes out due to
the inner overpressure of the sealed wrap 3 thus diffusing around
the packet 1 of cigarettes a significant quantity of volatilized
aromatic substance; consequently, the first time the sealed wrap 3
is opened the user perceives a very strong out-coming aroma from
the packet 1 of cigarettes, receiving a highly positive sensation.
In other words, the first time the sealed wrap 3 is opened the
inner overpressure of the sealed wrap 3 operates as an efficient
and effective diffuser of the volatilized aromatic substance
contained in the sealed wrap 3. This solution is particularly
advantageous when the sealed wrap 3 receives not a group 4 of
conventional cigarettes but a group of new-generation tobacco
articles which are free from shredded tobacco and thus have a
limited fragrance (if compared with the fragrance of conventional
cigarettes) or totally absent fragrance.
[0056] The volatile aromatic substance can be pumped into the
sealed wrap 3 in a gaseous state when overpressure is obtained or
can be inserted in the sealed wrap 3 in a liquid or solid state to
obtain a volatilization (relatively slow) of the aromatic substance
in the sealed wrap 3. For example, the aromatic substance may be
sprayed in a liquid state on the sheet 14 of wrapping material
immediately before folding the sheet 14 of wrapping material around
the group 4 of cigarettes, it can be impregnated into the
reinforcement element 10 (which, being made of cardboard, is
permeable and particularly appropriate for absorbing the volatile
aromatic substance in the liquid state), or it may be impregnated
into a permeable support that is coupled to the group 4 of
cigarettes before folding the sheet 14 of wrapping material around
group 4 of cigarettes.
[0057] When the sealed wrap 3 is internally provided with a
different pressure than the atmospheric pressure (i.e.
environmental pressure), the sealed wrap 3 itself undergoes a
deformation due to the differential between its inner pressure and
the atmospheric pressure (i.e. the pressure of the external
environment): in particular when the sealed wrap 3 is depressurized
the atmospheric pressure forces the sealed wrap to adhere to its
own content (i.e. to the group 4 of cigarettes) by compressing its
content, whereas when the sealed wrap 3 is pressurized the sealed
wrap 3 itself inflates. Said deformations of the sealed wrap 3 due
to the pressure differential between the inner sealed wrap 3 and
atmospheric pressure could give the sealed wrap 3 itself a
relatively unpleasant look and therefore it may be convenient to
limit said deformations.
[0058] One possibility for limiting the deformations of the sealed
wrap 3 due to the pressure differential is to mechanically bind
(typically by means of glueing but also possibly by heat-sealing)
some parts of the sealed wrap 3 (obviously externally to the
pull-out opening 5) to the reinforcement element 10 and/or to the
outer container 2 (obviously not to the lid 8);
[0059] in this way the effective length of the sealed wrap 3 is
reduced and in this way the possibility of deformation of the
sealed wrap 3 is significantly reduced. For example the front wall
(externally to the pull-out opening 5) and/or the lateral walls of
the sealed wrap 3 may be mechanically bound (glued or heat sealed)
respectively to the front wall 11 and to the lateral walls 12 of
the reinforcement element 10; in addition or alternatively, the
front wall, the lateral walls and/or the rear wall of the sealed
wrap 3 can be mechanically bound (glued or heat sealed) to the
corresponding walls of the outer container 2. In the case in which
the reinforcement element 10 comprises also a top wall, the top
wall of the sealed wrap 3 (externally of the pull-out opening 5)
can be mechanically bound (glued or heat sealed) to the top wall of
the reinforcement element 10.
[0060] A further possibility to limit the deformations of the
sealed wrap 3 due to the pressure differential is to thermo-shrink
the sealed wrap 3 after the construction of the sealed wrap 3 is
completed; in this way the effective length of the sealed wrap 3 is
reduced and therefore the possibility of deformation of the sealed
wrap 3 is reduced. Obviously, the thermo-shrinkage of the sealed
wrap 3 must be limited to not overly compress the group of
cigarettes 4, i.e. to avoid damaging the group 4 of cigarettes; in
this regard it should be noted that the reinforcement element 10
which embraces the group 4 of cigarettes provides a certain
mechanical protection to cigarettes and thus allows to slightly
heat-shrink the sealed wrap 3 without taking the risk of damaging
the group 4 of cigarettes. To increase the mechanical protection of
the group 4 of cigarettes, the reinforcement element 10 could also
have a rear wall which gives the reinforcement element 10 itself a
tubular shape having an overall greater mechanical strength.
[0061] As previously mentioned, when the sealed wrap 3 has an inner
pressure different from the atmospheric pressure (i.e.
environmental pressure), the sealed wrap 3 itself undergoes a
deformation by effect of the differential between its inner
pressure and the atmospheric pressure; said deformation of the
sealed wrap 3 due to the pressure differential is completely
invisible to the user when the lid 8 is closed (i.e. before opening
the packet 1 of cigarettes). As illustrated in FIG. 15, to make the
deformation of the sealed wrap 3 visible from the outside also when
the lid 8 is closed (i.e. before opening the packet 1 of
cigarettes), it is possible to form a through hole 28 on the outer
container 2 (or possibly on lid 8) displaying a portion of the
underlying sealed wrap 3.
[0062] According to a possible embodiment, when the sealed wrap 3
is depressurized (i.e. when the sealed wrap 3 has an inner pressure
lower than atmospheric pressure), the portion of the reinforcement
element 10 arranged at the through hole 28 may be embossed so as to
have a pattern (alphabet letter, symbol, logo . . . ) in relief
that is emphasized (i.e. is clearly visible from the outside of the
sealed wrap 3) thanks to the fact that the sealed wrap 3 adheres to
the reinforcement element 10 due to the depressurization;
highlighting in this way the fact that the sealed wrap 3 is
depressurized. Alternatively, when the sealed wrap 3 is
depressurized (i.e. when the sealed wrap 3 has an inner pressure
lower than atmospheric pressure), the reinforcement element 10 has
a further through hole, which has the same shape, size and position
of the through hole 28 so as to perfectly overlap the through hole
28; in this way, at the through hole 28, the sealed wrap 3 adheres
to the underlying cigarettes of group 4 of cigarettes, highlighting
the fact that the sealed wrap 3 is depressurized.
[0063] According to a possible embodiment illustrated in FIGS.
16-19, when the sealed wrap 3 is pressurized (i.e. when the sealed
wrap 3 has an inner pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure),
the sealed wrap 3 has a deformable portion 29 that is arranged at
the through hole 28 and is suited to deform (inflate) due to the
inner pressure of the sealed wrap 3 so as to project outwards from
the remaining part of the sealed wrap 3. According to the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16, the deformable portion 29
consists of a part of the sheet 14 of wrapping material that is
locally weakened; for example, the sheet 14 of wrapping material is
locally weakened by means of an inelastic deformation induced by a
mechanical strut before the sheet 14 of wrapping material is folded
around the group 4 of cigarettes. According to the embodiments
illustrated in FIGS. 17, 18 and 19, the deformable portion 29 is
initially separate and independent of the sheet 14 of wrapping
material and is applied (glued or heat sealed) to the sheet 14 of
wrapping material generally before the sheet 14 of wrapping
material is folded around group 4 of cigarettes; at the deformable
portion 29 of the sealed wrap 3 (i.e. the sheet 14 of wrapping
material forming the sealed wrap 3) has a through hole 30 that
connects the deformable portion 29 with the inside of the sealed
wrap 3 to allow the deformable portion 29 to deform as a function
of the pressure inside the sealed wrap 3 (i.e. allows the
deformable portion 29 to share the same inner pressure of the
sealed wrap 3) .
[0064] According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 19, around
the through hole 28 the outer container 2 has a deformation (made
for example by means of embossing) which curves inwards (i.e.
towards the sealed wrap 3) the outer container 2; in other words,
around the through hole 28 the outer container 2 has an inward
recess (i.e. towards the sealed wrap 3). Said recess of the outer
container 2 around the through hole 28 allows to put greater
emphasis on the deformable portion 29 of the sealed wrap 3.
[0065] According to a possible embodiment, the outer part and/or
the inner part of the deformable portion 29 may incorporate a
diffraction grating that modifies the look perceived on the outside
(for example the color) as a function of its geometric conformation
(or as a function of its shape); in this way when the inner
pressure of the sealed wrap 3 is higher than the atmospheric
pressure, the deformable portion 29 is "inflated", and therefore
appears on the outside having a certain aspect (for example a green
colouring to indicate the integrity of the sealed wrap 3), while
when the inner pressure of the sealed wrap 3 is lower than the
atmospheric pressure the deformable portion 29 is "deflated" and
therefore appears on the outside having a different aspect (for
example a red colouring to indicate that the sealed wrap 3 has been
open and therefore pressurization has been lost).
[0066] In the non-limiting embodiment illustrated in the
accompanying figures and described above, the pack of the present
invention contains a group 4 of cigarettes; however, the pack of
the present invention may contain any other type of tobacco
articles such as cigars, electrical or electronic cigarettes (i.e.
cigarettes that generate an aerosol without combustion), cartridges
and refills for electronic cigarettes, new-generation
cigarettes.
[0067] The sealed wrap 3 described above has various
advantages.
[0068] First, the sealed wrap 3 allows to preserve more effectively
the organoleptic characteristics of the tobacco articles contained
within thanks to the fact that the inner pressure of the sealed
wrap 3 is different from the atmospheric pressure (i.e. the
environmental pressure). In fact, when the inner pressure of the
sealed wrap 3 is different from the atmospheric pressure the
tobacco articles contained in the sealed wrap 3 are kept in a low
oxygen content environment (because part of the oxygen was
extracted during the depressurization or because part of the oxygen
has been replaced by an inert gas during pressurization).
[0069] Furthermore, the sealed wrap 3 described above is also
simple and inexpensive to produce, since it is relatively easy to
depressurize/pressurize the sealed wraps also in an existing
packing machine.
* * * * *