U.S. patent number 3,809,227 [Application Number 05/297,262] was granted by the patent office on 1974-05-07 for cigarette packaging.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Philip Morris Incorporated. Invention is credited to Carl J. Begemann.
United States Patent |
3,809,227 |
Begemann |
May 7, 1974 |
CIGARETTE PACKAGING
Abstract
Cigarette packages are wrapped in an aligned single row or
assembly of five such packages, so that two such wrapped assemblies
can be placed side-by-side in a conventional carton making a unit
sale of five prepackaged packages possible if desired. The
cigarette packages in each assembly are connected in linked
together assembly by means of a component superposed on and secured
to one end surface of each package, the component being provided as
an elongated strip which has frangible segments therein extending
transversely of the strip in regions where the strip overlies the
location of abutment of each package with an adjacent package. If
unit sales of less than five packages are desired, a selected
package or packages can be removed from the assembly by severing
the strip along appropriate frangible segments, with the associated
strip portion remaining secured to the package or packages which
have been removed, the strip portion associated with the removed
packages bearing the tax marking indicia required by most
localities remaining affixed to such packages at the time of retail
sales of the same.
Inventors: |
Begemann; Carl J. (Miami,
FL) |
Assignee: |
Philip Morris Incorporated (New
York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23145554 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/297,262 |
Filed: |
October 13, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/264;
206/459.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
71/0085 (20130101); B65D 75/527 (20130101); B65D
75/38 (20130101); B65D 85/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
71/00 (20060101); B65D 85/10 (20060101); B65D
85/08 (20060101); B65D 75/52 (20060101); B65D
75/38 (20060101); B65d 085/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/48.5,56AB,45.33 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Summer; Leonard
Claims
1. In cigarette packaging,
a plurality of cigarette packages arranged in side-by-side
positioning presenting an aligned row of such packages in which the
surfaces of at least one end of each of the respective packages and
the front and rear package surfaces are disposed in generally
planar alignment,
an envelope enclosing said aligned row of packages and tightly
engaging the outer surfaces of same, said envelope including a main
enclosure portion and an integral panel coextensively superposed
over and secured to the said one end surface of each of said
packages, said superposed panel being provided with transversely
directed frangible segments therein in the regions where said
superposed panel overlies the location of abutment of each package
with an adjacent package whereby the panel portion associated with
each package can be severed along appropriate ones of said
frangible segments from the panel portion associated with an
adjacent package and the respective packages removed from the row,
and
a readily removable tear member fixedly secured to said envelope at
the juncture of said main enclosure portion and said superposed
panel in an encircling course about said row of packages for
readily separating said main enclosure portion from said superposed
panel by digitally applied
2. The packaging component of claim 1 in which said envelope and
the integrated panel thereof is of a material which is
heat-sealable for securement thereof to a heat-sealably compatible
material on the said one
3. The packaging component of claim 2 in which said panel is heat
sealed to the said one end surface of each of said packages in at
least one heat
4. The packaging component of claim 3 in which said panel is heat
sealed to the said one end surface of each of said packages in a
plurality of
5. The packaging component of claim 2 in which said envelope and
the
6. The packaging component of claim 2 in which said envelope and
the
7. The packaging component of claim 2 in which said envelope and
the
8. The packaging component of claim 1 in which the transversely
directed frangible segments in said panel are provided by a line of
perforations through said panel in said regions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cigarette packages commonly are packed in cardboard or paper
cartons in two side-by-side rows of five individual packages each.
In such packaged form, the cigarettes are shipped to a wholesaler
in a given locality and the wholesaler prior to shipping the
cigarettes to a retailer affixes, as may be required by local
authority, tax markings to each cigarette package in the carton
using for this purpose known procedures and tax marking machines.
While it is commonplace for retail sales to be on a whole carton
basis, there has come into existence a growing practice by certain
retailers of selling cigarettes in unit quantity sales of five
packages. For such purpose, many such retailers have instituted the
practice of removing cigarette packages from a conventional carton
as received from the wholesaler and placing five of the packages in
a suitable container, e.g., a bag, or of securing together the five
packages in a stack thereof with an encircling band of tape.
Accordingly, it is desirable that there be provided a more
convenient way of prepackaging cigarettes to facilitate making unit
sales of five packages of cigarettes. However, the provision of a
prepackaged assembly of five packages of cigarettes should be done
in such manner that if a quantity of less than five packages are to
be sold in a unit sale either, i.e., in single package quantity or
in quantities of two, three or four packages, the five package
assembly would embody features which insure that following opening
of the same, the tax marking affixed to each package remains on the
packages when such packages are sold to the retail purchaser.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has for an important purpose an improved form
of prepackaging of cigarette packages in a manner which facilitates
unit retail sales of such packages in quantities of five packages
or less.
In accordance with the present invention a plurality of cigarette
packages, e.g., five such packages arranged in side-by-side
positioning and defining an aligned row of such packages in which
the surfaces of at least one of each of the respective packages and
the front and rear package surfaces are disposed in planar
alignment, are provided with a packaging component in the form of
an elongated strip superposed on and secured to the said one end
surface of each of the packages holding them in linked together
assembly. The strip, preferably provided as a film of a material
which is heat sealable to the said one end surface of each package,
is further provided with transversely directed frangible segments
therein in the regions which the strip overlies the location of
abutment of each package with an adjacent package, such frangible
segments conveniently being provided by a line of perforations
through the strip in said regions. In this manner five packages of
cigarettes are readily available for sale in that unit quantity as
a prepackaged assembly. If a lesser quantity are to be sold the
same is easily removed from the assembly. To effect removal of a
lesser quantity of packages from the assembly, the strip portion
associated with each package or any particular package can be
severed along corresponding or appropriate frangible segments to
remove the package or packages from those remaining in the
assembly. The strip which is heat sealed to the said one end
surface of each package thus can be severed into strip portions
which are associated with each package and upon which the tax
marking required in most jurisdictions remains affixed to the
package at time of the retail sale.
In a particularly advantageous form of the invention, the aligned
row of cigarette packages are enclosed in an envelope of suitable
material which fully enclose the outer surfaces of the row of
packages with the strip that connects the packages in the row in
linked together assembly being comprised of the top panel of such
envelope. Further, the envelope can include a readily removable
tear member fixedly secured thereto in an encircling course about
the row of packages at the point of juncture of the top panel
comprising the connector strip and the remainder portion of the
envelope. When it is desired to remove a lesser number than five
packages from the carton, the removable tear member is removed from
the envelope structure by digitally applied pulling force which
tears the envelope to permit removal or separation of the envelope
remainder portion from the said top panel thereof leaving the strip
panel secured to the said on end of the cigarette package.
Thereafter a given package may be removed by applying a slight
pulling force to the package while holding the remaining packages
in the assembly to tear the strip along the appropriate frangible
segment therein and separate the package from the assembly.
The invention, accordingly, comprises the features of construction,
combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be
exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope
of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
A fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present
invention will be had from the following detailed description taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing by way of
example a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept and in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aligned row of cigarette
packages prepackaged in a five package assembly with a packaging
component in accordance with the principles of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is the same as FIG. 1 except it shows the cigarette packages
after one package has been removed from the linked together
assembly.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on enlarged scale as taken
along the line III--III in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a linked together assembly of
cigarette packages showing a further form of the invention in which
the aligned row of cigarette packages are fully enclosed in an
envelope or transparent outer wrapping.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view on enlarged scale as taken
along the line V--V in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view with portions broken away of a
conventional cigarette carton in which can be received two linked
together assemblies of five cigarette packages each.
Throughout the following description, like reference numerals are
used to denote like parts in the drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is concerned generally with the packaging of
cigarettes. It is particularly concerned with the packaging of five
packages of cigarettes in a linked together assembly so that two
such assemblies can be packed in a conventional carton without
interfering with the normal manner of tax marking the individual
packages while at the same time providing for the convenient and
ready removal of quantities of five or less packages at any given
time in connection with retail sales of the same.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 wherein the packaging provided by the
present invention is depicted in its broader aspects, there is
shown a plurality, i.e., five, packages of cigarettes 10a-10e
arranged in side-by-side positioning defining an aligned row of
such packages in which the surfaces of at least one end (preferably
the end to which the tax marking normally is applied) of each of
the respective packages 10a-10e and the front and rear package
surfaces are disposed in generally planar alignment. In accordance
with the invention, a packaging component in the form of an
elongated strip 12 is superposed on and secured to the said one end
surface of each of the packages 10a-10e, the strip having
corresponding portions 12a-12e associated with each package. The
strip 12 preferably is provided in the form of a material which is
heat sealable to a heat-sealably compatible material on the said
one end of each of the packages, the latter conventionally being
enclosed in a heat-sealable material, viz., cellophane. In this
manner, the strip 12 can be secured to the said one end of each
package by a generally continuously heat seal course extending
longitudinally of the strip in one or more locations therealong as
at 14 and 16. Thus, the strip 12 is secured firmly to the end of
each package with the strip further being provided with a number of
transversely directed frangible segments 18 in the regions where
the strip overlies the location of abutment of one package with an
adjacent package. As an alternative, it is possible to secure the
strip to the end surface of each cigarette package with a suitable
adhesive. The frangible segments 18 are provided preferably by a
line of transversely directed perforations which permit the strip
portion of any given package to be severed along the corresponding
frangible segments from an adjacent package by slight pulling force
applied to the package associated with the particular strip
portion. Other ways of providing a weakened segment also can be
employed, e.g., a segment of reduced thickness and the like.
The strip 12 in addition to serving as a component for connecting
in linked-together assembly the five packages, provides a surface
on which the tax indicia 20 required in most localities can be
marked on the packages since when a package is removed from the
assembly the indicia will remain thereon as the strip portion
associated with the package is also removed but being heat sealed
thereto remains part of the package.
The strip 12 may be made, as indicated, of any material which is
compatible for heat sealing to the end surface of the cigarette
packages. In one form the strip can be provided as a strip of a
cellulosic material, such as, cellophane, which is compatible for
heat sealing to the cellophane outer wrapping employed on packages
of cigarettes. Additionally, thermoplastic materials, such as,
Mylar, acrylics, polyethylene, etc., also may be employed for this
purpose.
As shown in FIG. 2, if it is desired to remove a package from the
assembly, for example, package 10a, the user or retailer in this
instance need only apply a pulling force to the package 10a while
holding the remaining packages 10b-10e in the assembly firmly with
the other hand to cause the frangible segment 18 overlying the
abutment location of package 10a with package 10b to sever, thereby
separating the strip portion 12a from the remaining length of the
strip and accordingly effecting removal of the package 10a from the
assembly.
The fragmentary depiction in FIG. 3 shows the manner in which the
heat seal courses 14 and 16 extend along the strip 12, the depicted
package 10a having the customary paper 60 and foil coated wrapping
62 for cigarettes 64 and a cellophane outer wrap 66.
FIGS. 4-6 show a further and particularly advantageous form of the
present invention in which the aligned row of cigarette packages
10a-10e are fully enclosed on all outer surfaces thereof in an
envelope 30 of suitable transparent material, such as a cellulosic
material and particularly cellophane. The envelope 30 which is
conformable to the overall contour of the row of cigarettes is
provided with a number of panels, including one 32 on the bottom of
the row, a panel 34 at the top serving as the connector strip and
made integral with the remainder of the envelope, panels 36 at the
ends, the latter being folded over and overlapped members
adhesively secured together as shown at 38, and broad surfaced
front and rear panel parts 40. Further, the envelope 30 which
closely engages all of the said outer surfaces of the aligned row
of cigarette packages is provided with a readily removable tear
member 42 which is fixedly secured to the envelope material at the
juncture of the upper or top panel 34 (the package connector
component) and the remainder portion of the envelope. The readily
removable tear member 42 is similar in type and construction to
that well known in the art for use on individual cigarette packages
to facilitate removal of the upper part of the cellophane outer
wrap on the cigarette package as a preliminary to opening the same.
The top panel 34 of the envelope 30 is secured to the end surfaces
of the individual cigarette packages in a number of heat seal
courses as at 44 and 46 and the same is also provided with
transversely directed frangible segments as at 48. When it is
desired to remove one of the packages from the wrapping, the
removable tear member 42 is grasped between two fingers by the user
or retailer who by applying digital pulling force will break the
seal or connection of the tear member to the envelope 30, and by
pulling the tear member off the envelope in the full encircling
course in which it is applied separates the lower or remainder
portion of the envelope from the upper panel 34 thereof and the
remainder portion can be discarded, leaving the upper panel member
34 secured to the end surfaces of the packages. The individual
packages thereafter are removable in the same manner described in
connection with the FIGS. 1-3 construction. The particular
advantage of the FIGS. 4-6 construction is that the same rigidizes
the row of packages to facilitate handling of the same in the
instance where a retail purchaser, for example, wants to make a
five package unit purchase. The linked together assembly will
remain as an integral package unit until such time as the user
wishes to open the package and remove the individual packages.
FIG. 5 shows in a fragmentary sectional view the details of the
connection of the readily removable tear member 34 to the envelope
30, and FIG. 6 depicts the manner in which two such assemblies can
be received in a conventional carton 100.
It will be seen then that the present invention provides an
important contribution to the cigarette packaging art. In
particular it provides that packages of cigarettes can be connected
together in a linked assembly in a quantity of five packages for
sale in a retail sales unit of that number of packages or less if
desired. It will be apparent that certain modifications can be made
in the packaging construction. For example, the FIG. 1 assembly
could provided further with a like elongated strip connected to the
bottom ends of each package and have weakened or frangible segments
in the manner described in respect of strip 12.
While there is above disclosed but several embodiments of the
cigarette packaging of the present invention, it is possible to
produce still other embodiments without departing from the scope of
the inventive concept herein disclosed and accordingly, it should
be understood that all matter contained in the above description
and the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative
and not in a limited sense.
* * * * *