Carton, Cigarette Package, And Carton Filled With Cigarette Packages

Abstract

Cigarette carton containing packages of cigarettes having a diameter smaller than the standard, but nevertheless adapted to cooperate with conventional tax-stamp-applying apparatus constructed to fit carton and packages of standard diameter cigarettes. The carton is formed from an elongated blank including opposing top and bottom panel-forming flaps, opposing end panels, and opposing side panels. Each side panel has four rectangular spaced flaps, each cut along three sides from the middle of the panel and hinged along the fourth side to the panel. The flaps of each side panel extend toward the opposing side panel. Pairs of flaps are aligned and secured together in completely overlapping relationship to form four partitions. The carton is thus divided into five compartments and a portion of the internal longitudinal dimension between the end panels of the carton is taken up by the four partitions. Two packages of cigarettes may be located within each compartment. Each package is covered with material including embossed areas substantially covering its narrow longitudinal faces and at least about two horizontal margins of its wide longitudinal faces, to increase the external dimensions of the package so that a pair of packages substantially fills one compartment of the carton.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of paper receptacles forming by folding an elongated blank and having a plurality of compartments or cells therein. Specifically, the invention concerns a cigarette carton for containing particular cigarette packages.

In the tobacco industry, generally, the manufacturer conventionally places 10 packages of cigarettes each carton, closes it with a temporary seal, and ships it to a distributor, who subsequently imprints a state and/or city revenue stamp (usually a rubber stamp impression or decal) on each package before finally sealing the carton. The method of imprinting the revenue stamps on the packages is a relatively continuous one which comprises opening the temporarily sealed top or bottom of the cartons and moving the cartons on a conveyor through a machine synchronized with the conveyor to imprint the stamps on the ends of the packages at predetermined spaced intervals. These machines require a relatively large capital investment and are not readily adjustable to accommodate varying sizes of cigarettes cartons or packages. Furthermore, it is often desirable to use one machine for all the cigarettes being handled, without stopping to adjust the machine each time the brand is changed.

It has been customary to produce cigarettes in a standard diameter (7.9--8.6 mm.), and the stamping machines have mostly been built for that diameter. Recently there have been introduced to the public cigarettes of smaller diameter, e.g., 7.0--7.3 mm. in diameter. The cigarette diameter is thereby reduced by about 12 percent, resulting in a corresponding reduction in both diameter of a cigarette package, taken in directions transverse to the cigarettes, so that the packages occupy less space than packages of cigarettes of standard diameter. Consequently, if a standard size cigarette carton is used to contain them, the packages will not neatly fit within the carton. If a smaller carton is employed, the packages will fit properly within the carton but will not be accommodated by the revenue-stamp-imprinting machines. As many tobacco distributors are reluctant to invest in new machines, it has become imperative to provide a standard size cigarette carton in which packages of "thin cigarettes" may be packed, and spaced apart by the standard distance for which the tax stamp printing machines are set.

The commonly used solution to this problem is to provide inserts ta the sides and the ends of a standard cigarette carton to reduce the packing space within the carton. The present invention relates to a solution of this problem involving, among other features, a multiple cell carton. Such cartons have been used in other packaging fields. For example, Ward U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,322 shows an egg carton with plural compartments. The compartments are partially enclosed by partitions formed from corresponding pairs of square-cornered flaps or tongues cut from and hinged to respective sides of the carton (see FIG. 8). The flaps or tongues do not completely overlap to form the partitions and their only intended function is to maintain the separation between the eggs, not to reduce the available packing space within the carton.

Similarly, Braunstein U.S. Pat. No. 2,784,897 shows an egg container including a plurality of compartments separated by partitions. Each partition is fashioned from partially overlapping square-cornered flaps cut from and hinged to respective sides or panels of the container. As the partitions are employed only to prevent the eggs from contacting one another, the flaps need not and do not completely overlap, and, in fact, are not even secured together, but are deliberately left free so as to yieldably grip the eggs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order for a carton of thin cigarettes to be compatible with a tax stamping machine which is dimensioned to handle cartons of standard size cigarettes, it is essential that the carton have the same outside longitudinal dimension as a standard carton of cigarettes. It is also essential that the centerlines of the packages in the carton be spaced apart, longitudinally of the carton, by the same diameter as the corresponding centerline of the standard cigarette packages in a standard carton.

The lateral dimensions of the carton and the locations of the packages laterally within the carton are less critical than the longitudinal dimension; however, the lateral dimension must be great enough to engage the mechanism which moves the cartons through the tax stamp machine. The cartons travel longitudinally through the tax-stamping machine, and the number of impressions made by the stamping head determines the amount of tax to be paid. Any error in the longitudinal dimension of the carton builds up over a succession of cartons to a point where the count of packages stamped might be inaccurate. That is to say, the location of the stamp would gradually advance along the cigarette packages until it overlapped two packages instead of impressing one package squarely. The end result would be that the count of packages stamped might become inaccurate. On the other hand, a lateral dimensional error only causes a lateral misalignment of the tax stamp with respect to the end of the cigarette package and does not involve any error in the number of packages stamped or in the amount of taxes paid.

Any carton and package arrangement which resulted in an error in the amount of tax paid would not be acceptable to the tax collector and hence would not be acceptable to the distributors of the cigarettes who must operate these tax-stamp-applying machines.

In order to provide a carton whose outside longitudinal dimension is the same as that of a standard carton of cigarettes, and also to have the spacing of the packages correct within the carton, three cooperating techniques are used in accordance with the present invention:

1. the carton is made of thicker stock than the standard carton;

2. the covering material for the packages is embossed so as to make them effectively thicker; and

3. the carton is made with four transverse partitions defining, with the ends of the carton, five cells or compartments. These partitions are formed of material cut and folded inwardly from the sides of the carton. Each partition is formed of two thicknesses of material, one folded from each of the opposite side panels.

The thickness of the carton stock and the thickness of the embossed covering material should be chosen so that the sum of:

a. the dimensions of five cigarette assemblies (i.e., the cigarettes inside the cover of each cigarette package) taken in the longitudinal direction of the carton;

b. a 10 times the thickness of the embossed covering material; and

c. 10 times the thickness of the carton stock (four double-thickness partitions plus two single-thickness end walls), are equal to:

d. the overall longitudinal dimension of the standard carton.

It is also desirable that the embossed covering material and the carton stock be selected so that the sum of:

a. the dimension of two cigarette assemblies, taken in the lateral direction of the carton;

b. four times the thickness of the embossed covering material (or six times if the package has an overlapping flap); and

c. twice the thickness of the carton stock, approximately equals:

d. the overall lateral dimension of the standard carton.

The cigarette carton disclosed herein has opposing side panels, with a plurality of spaced flaps cut from the hinged to each side panel and respectively extending toward the opposing side panel. The flaps are formed by making a plurality of U-shaped cuts in the opposing side panels, the uncut end of each U being scored to serve as a hinge. Pairs of corresponding flaps are aligned and adapted to completely overlap to form double-thickness partitions so as to divide the carton into a plurality of compartments, thereby reducing the available packing space of the carton. Each flap is as wide as an end panel of the carton and is secured to its corresponding flap by an adhesive or the like.

Within each compartment may be disposed two packages containing "thin cigarettes." The material covering each package is embossed on the longitudinal faces of the package to increase the overall external dimensions of the package. The embossed portions on the wide longitudinal faces of the package are disposed on at least two horizontal margins thereof so that the embossed portions on the respective packages cooperate with each other on their inner, mutually facing sides and with the interiors of the respective side panels on their outer sides. The embossed portions of the narrow longitudinal faces are disposed substantially over the entire areas of those faces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank form which a cigarette carton according to the present invention may be fabricated;

FIG. 2 is a view of the cigarette carton partially assembled from the blank;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the partially assembled cigarette carton taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled cigarette carton in accordance with the present invention prior to the inclusion of cigarette packages therein;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the cigarette carton taken along the line 5.5 of FIG. 4, but showing a pair of cigarette packages disposed therein;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of the cigarette carton taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4, but showing pairs of cigarette packages disposed therein; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred form of cigarette package for use in the carton of FIGS. 1 to 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a carton blank 10 for constructing a carton according to the present invention. The carton blank 10 is adapted to be folded and secured as shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 in order to produce a complete carton 12 for containing cigarette packages or the like. The carton blank 10 is relatively elongated and may be of any suitable material, e.g., paperboard or other paperlike material.

To prepare the carton blank 10 for assembly, the blank is scored in the direction of its long dimension by score lines 14, 16 and in the direction of its narrow dimension by score lines 18, 20, 22 and 24. The blank 10 is cut along lines 26 and 27, and slotted at 28, to allow the blank 10 to be readily folded into the assembled carton 12.

In order to form a complete carton 12 from the carton blank 10, the blank 10 is initially folded about score lines 18, 20, 22 and 24 which are disposed transverse to the long dimension of the blank. The blank 10 is thus divided into end panels 34 and 38, end flap 42, and side panels 36 and 40. Panel 38 by itself forms one end panel of the carton, and panel 34 and end flap 42 cooperate to form the other end panel, as shown in FIG. 2. A suitable adhesive is applied either to the end flap 42 or panel 34 so that they may be secured together.

A plurality of generally U-shaped cuts 30 are made in the blank 10 and the ends of each cut 30 are joined by a score line 32. Each cut 30 and its associated score line 32 defines a flap 60 which may be folded inwardly of the panel 36 and 40. Each cut 30 is made with rounded corners and terminates at rounded corners 30a so that the ends of the cut 30 extend toward each other at the opposite ends of the score line 32. The rounded corners are desirable to reduce stress concentrations which might be encountered at angular corners. Cigarette cartons are subject to possible rough handling, and it is desirable to avoid any stress concentration points, such as sharp corners where a tear might readily start.

Four flaps 60 are provided in the side panel 36 and four flaps 60 in the opposite side panel 40. The four score lines 32 in each side panel are located substantially opposite, so that four pairs of flaps, when pushed inwardly of the carton, overlap substantially completely, and may be joined by a suitable adhesive so as to form four partitions 58. See FIGS. 3 and 4.

After the carton blank 10 has been folded to form a partially assembled carton as shown in FIG. 2, the carton blank is folded along score line 16 disposed parallel to the long dimension of the blank to form side bottom flaps 46, 50 and end bottom flaps 44, 48. Panel section 46 is preferably larger in size than panel section 50 so that the former will completely cover the bottom of the carton 12. The bottom flaps 44, 48 are first folded inwardly, then side flap 50 is folded inwardly, and finally side flap 46 is folded inwardly over side flap 50 to form a bottom panel 52. A suitable adhesive is applied to flap 46 or flap 50 so that flaps 46 and 50 may be secured together to form the completed bottom panel 52. If the blank 10 is fabricated from a heat-sealable material, no adhesive will be necessary to secure portions of the blank together to form a complete carton 12. It should be noted that the term "bottom panel" as used herein might refer to either the panel 52 or the panel 53. Preferably, however, bottom panel 52 is comprised of the panel sections 46, 50 and end flaps 44, 48 and is permanently sealed by the manufacturer before packages of cigarettes are disposed within the carton 12.

Side bottom flap 46 is wider than flap 50, and may be provided with weakening slits 46a which cooperate to define a tear strip so that a user of the carton will find it convenient to open the carton from end to end. Many consumers are in the habit of opening cartons at the end. If the carton of the present invention is opened at the end, the consumer only gets access to two packages of cigarettes. The margin 46b of the flap 46 is coated with adhesive, for attachment to flap 50.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that the carton 12 is divided into five compartments 59 by means of the four partitions 58, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These partitions 58 serve the purpose of taking up a portion of the internal longitudinal dimension between the end panels of the carton 12, so that packages of so-called "thin cigarettes" may be disposed within the carton 12 substantially filling the space therein. As efficient use is made of the material of the carton blank 10, no additional material is necessary to form the partitions 58. In fabricating the partitions 58, the areas of the carton blank 10 circumscribed by the U-shaped cuts 30 and their respective score lines 32 are displaced toward the interior of the carton 12, transversely to the respective side panels 36, 40, to form flaps 60. Thus, both side panels 36, 40 have four flaps 60 cut therefrom and hinged thereto along the respective score lines 32. By disposing the flaps 60 inwardly of the side panels 36, 40 plural substantially rectangular spaced openings 61 are formed in each side panel. The rectangular openings 61 caused by displacement of the flaps 60 are slightly offset from the corresponding openings on the opposing side panel 36, 40, so that the flaps 60 are aligned and readily cooperate to form partitions 58. The rectangular openings 61 are disposed eccentrically on the side panels 36, 40, so that if five rectangular openings 61 had been disposed on each panel section, the openings would have been evenly spaced. However, as only four flaps 60 and their corresponding rectangular openings 61 are needed on each side panel 36, 40, to form four partitions 58, a large portion at one end of said panel may remain uncut and may be utilized for printed matter or the like. The carton 12 may be used as a display carton revealing through the openings 61 the cigarette packages contained therein.

Each flap 60 is disposed so that its long dimension is transverse to the long dimension of the carton 12 and is somewhat shorter in its long dimension than the short dimension of the side panels 36, 49, i.e. the "height" of the carton 12. However, the short dimension of each flap 60 is substantially the same as the short dimension of the end panel 34 of the carton, i.e. the "width" of the carton 12. As all the U-shaped cuts 30 made in the blank 10 are oriented in the same direction, when the carton 12 is partially assembled and the flaps 60 displaced inwardly, the flaps 60 will be substantially aligned with corresponding flaps extending from the opposing side panel 36, 40 of the carton 12. The corresponding flaps 60 will completely overlap as each flap extends across the width of the carton. Each flap 60 is adhered to its cooperating aligned flap on the other panel, forming double-thickness partitions 58 therein. Use of a heat-sealable material for the blank 10 will eliminate the necessity for using an adhesive to secure the flaps 60 together. In practice, the flaps 60 may be secured together to form the partitions 58 before either the bottom panel 52 or the top panel 53 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, it must be done before the cigarette packages are placed in the carton, and hence before both the bottom and top panels are assembled. Each compartment 59 is bounded by opposing sections of the side panels 36, 40 and either by two partitions 58, or by one of the end panels 34, 38 and the partition 58 nearest thereto. In neither of the side panels 36, 40 is all the material of the panel removed by displacement of the flaps 60 inwardly.

Within each compartment 69 of the carton 12 are placed two packages of cigarettes 62 in back-to-back relationship, each package of cigarettes 62 including an assembly of twenty of the small-diameter cigarettes enclosed by a wrapper. However, even though the partitions 58 reduce the internal longitudinal dimension of the carton 12 to a significant extent, packages of "thin cigarettes" covered by unembossed wrapping material would still not snugly fill each compartment. The cover of each cigarette package 62 is embossed on its longitudinal faces, the embossing extending outwardly from the faces, to increase the external dimensions of the package, so that the packages substantially fill the compartments.

As shown greatly enlarged in FIGS. 5 and 6, the embossed portions of the cigarette packages 62 need not cover entirely the faces of the packages. In fact, no embossed portions need be employed on the top or bottom ends of the packages, although such embossing may be used if desirable to achieve a decorative effect. On the wide longitudinal faces 64 of the cigarette packages 62 the embossed portions 65 need be disposed only on at least the upper and lower margins of the faces which engage the side panels 36, 40, although the embossed portions 65 may substantially cover the faces if desired. These marginal embossed portions 65 on the wide longitudinal faces 64 of each package 62 cooperate with the respectively facing embossed portions 65 of the other of the pairs of cigarette packages 62 in the compartment and with the interior of the side panels 36, 40 of the carton 12 along the portions of the side panels which bound the rectangular openings 61, i.e. the portions of the side panels which have not been removed by displacement of the flaps 60 inwardly. Thus, the embossed portions 65 on the wide longitudinal faces 64 of the cigarette packages 62 enable a pair of cigarette packages to have substantially the same effective overall width as that of the carton 12.

Embossed portions 67 are also located on the narrow longitudinal faces 66 of the cigarette packages 62 to increase the external dimensions of the cigarette packages so that they are substantially equal in width to the "width" of the individual compartments 59 of the carton 12. These embossed portions 67 may substantially cover the narrow longitudinal faces 66 so that the embossed portions 67 will cooperate with the enclosing partitions 58 or with an end panel 34, 38 and the partition 58 nearest thereto.

AFter the carton 12 has been assembled to the extent shown in fig. 4, ten packages of cigarettes 62 are disposed within the carton, one pair in each compartment 59. After the cigarette packages 62 are located within the carton 12 with the bottom faces of the packages oriented toward the top of the carton 12, panel section 56 is folded inwardly along score line 14 and panel section 54 is folded inwardly along score line 14 over and above panel section 56. Panel sections 54 and 56 are then secured together temporarily with a suitable adhesive such as glue or the like disposed only on the stippled area of panel section 56 (shown in FIG. 2). When the cartons 12 are received by the distributor of the cigarettes, the cartons are opened along the top panel so that the open cartons 12 may be passed through a machine or device for imprinting revenue stamps on the bottom faces of the cigarette packages 62. After the revenue stamps have been imprinted on the cigarette packages 62, a suitable adhesive is placed on the surface of panel section 56 or on a portion of the panel 54. Panels 56 and 54 are then folded inwardly and overlapped and secured together. Employment of a heat-sealable material for construction of the carton 12 may eliminate the need for an adhesive to assemble the carton.

FIG. 7

This figure illustrates at 70 a different form of cigarette package which may be placed within the carton of FIGS. 1 to 6. The package 70 has a paperboard cover having heavy embossing along the narrow longitudinal faces, as indicated at 70a and having embossing along at least the top and bottom margins of the wide longitudinal faces as indicated at 70b. The package 70 is constructed with a top flap 71 which overlaps the cover on the front side of the package as seen in FIG. 7, thereby providing an additional thickness of cover material between the sidewalls of the carton, for each package. This overlap extends for only a short distance, namely between the dotted line 72 representing the top of the front side of the carton cover and the line 71a representing the lower edge of the top flap 71. Nevertheless, it is effective to take up part of the space between the sidewalls of the carton and make a snug fit for the packages.

It should be noted that the carton as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is not limited to use with the package of FIG. 7, but that it may be used alternatively with a paper cover soft pack or with a paperboard covered package similar to that of FIG. 7, except that it does not have the overlapping top flap 71.

The paperboard cover of the package 70 may be approximately 0.007 to 0.009 inch thick (7 to 9 points). It may conveniently be provided with a layer of aluminum foil covering its inner surface, with further increases the thickness of the package. The carton itself is preferably made of paperboard 0.018 inch thick (18 points).

Claims

We claim:

1. A carton, comprising:

a. opposing top and bottom panels;

b. opposing end panels; and

c. opposing side panels; wherein the improvement comprises:

d. a plurality of spaced flaps hinged to each said side panel and extending therefrom substantially to said opposing side panel, each said flap substantially completely overlapping and secured to a corresponding aligned flap extending from said opposing side panel and forming therewith a double-thickness partition substantially transverse to said side panels and between and substantially parallel to said end panels, each said flap is defined by a U-shaped cut in one of said opposing side panels, and a score line across the uncut end of said U-shaped cut and serving as a hinge for said flap, each U-shaped cut is defined by two opposed straight cuts parallel to the long dimension of the carton, a third straight cut perpendicular to the long dimension of the carton and offset from one end of the two parallel cuts, two round corner cuts connecting the ends of the third straight cut to said one end of the two parallel cuts, and two additional round corner cuts extending from the other end of the two parallel cuts to the ends of said score line.

2. A carton of packaged cigarettes, said cigarettes having diameters smaller than standard cigarettes, said carton having the longitudinal outside dimension of a standard cigarette carton and containing 10 packages, each package including an assembly of 20 of said smaller diameter cigarettes enclosed by a wrapper, with said packages spaced longitudinally of the carton by distances substantially equal to the spacing of packages of standard diameter cigarettes in a standard carton, so that said packages are adapted to be tax stamped in the carton by a machine set for stamping standard cigarettes in standard cartons, comprising:

a. a carton including top and bottom panels, opposing end panels, and opposing side panels and four partitions extending between said side panels and defining five compartments;

b. two cigarette packages in each compartment; and

c. each said partition is formed from two flaps, respectively hinged to the opposite side panels and extending therefrom substantially to the other side panel, each pair of flaps substantially completely overlapping and secured together to form a partition having twice the thickness of the side panel.

3. A carton of packaged cigarettes as defined in claim 2, wherein:

a. the carton is formed from thicker stock than conventional cigarette cartons;

b. each package of cigarettes is covered by embossed sheet material; and

c. the sum of:

1. the longitudinal dimensions of five packaged cigarette assemblies;

2. 10 times the thickness of the embossed covering material; and

3. 10 times the thickness of the carton stock; is equal to:

d. the longitudinal dimension of a standard cigarette carton.

4. A carton of packaged cigarettes as defined in claim 2, in which:

a. each flap is shorter vertically than one of said compartments and shorter longitudinally of the carton than one of said compartments, so that the side panel around the cut side of the flap defines a partial frame abutting three margins of one side of a cigarette package in the compartment; and

b. the package is covered by sheet material embossed at least in the upper and lower marginal areas abutting the frame.

5. A blank for a carton, comprising an elongated piece of sheet material divided by four transverse score lines into:

a. two elongated side panels;

b. one relatively short end panel; and

c. two end flaps adapted to be attached by adhesive to form a second end panel;

d. longitudinal score lines extending along the top and bottom edges of the side panels and separating the said side panels from cooperating pairs of top and bottom flaps adapted to be secured by adhesive to form top and bottom panels;

wherein the improvement comprises:

e. a plurality of longitudinally spaced flaps in each side panel, each flap being defined by a generally U-shaped cut and a score line extending across the uncut end of the U-shaped cut, the sides of the U-shaped cut being substantially equal in length to the short dimension of the end panel;

f. each said U-shaped cut being defined by two opposed straight cuts of equal length parallel to the long dimension of the carton, a third straight cut perpendicular to the parallel cuts and offset from one end of the two parallel cuts, two round corner cuts connecting the ends of the third straight cut to said one end of the two parallel cuts, and two additional round corner cuts extending from the other end of the two parallel cuts to the ends of said score line.

6. A carton as defined in claim 1, particularly adapted for holding cigarette packages, in which the double-thickness partitions are spaced from each other and from the end panels by a distance substantially equal to the width of a cigarette package, and in which the side panels are spaced from each other by a distance substantially equal to twice the depth of a cigarette package.

7. A blank for a carton as defined in claim 5, in which the carton is particularly adapted to hold cigarette packages, in which said dimension of the end panel is substantially equal to twice the depth of a cigarette package, and in which said score lines extending across the uncut ends of the U-shaped cuts are spaced from each other and from said end panel and from said end flaps by a distance substantially equal to the width of a cigarette package.