Patent Application
20110155594
The present invention relates to cigarette packs, and more specifically to cigarette packs with attached promotional samples particularly arranged for placement in standard cigarette pack cartons.
Cigarette packs fit snuggly within standard cigarette pack cartons with little extra space for additional materials. After packing operations, the cartons are later reopened for tax stamping of the packs using standard tax stamping machines. Tax-stamping capability is economically important due to the expense of tax stamping machines which are used in all states and other venues for applying an appropriate tax stamp to each pack of cigarettes sold.
Promotional samples such as samples of smokeless tobacco, for example, are often separately distributed rather than directly applied to cigarette packs because the increased dimensions of the pack would require somewhat larger cigarette cartons which becomes problematic with standard tax stamping machinery. Hence, there is a real need for other ways of distributing such samples to the consumer. Accordingly, the need exists for applying promotional samples to cigarette packs in a manner that allows such packs to be fitted within standard cigarette cartons. Hence, when such cartons are later reopened for tax stamping purposes, standard tax stamping machines may be utilized.
Among the objects of the present invention is a cigarette pack with a promotional sample attached thereto in a manner that allows such packs to be subsequently fitted within standard cigarette cartons.
Another object of the present invention is a plurality of cigarette packs each having a promotional sample releasably attached thereto with the packs particularly arranged for placement in standard cigarette carton.
In accordance with the present invention, a cigarette carton is provided with ten cigarette packs in the carton arranged in two rows with five cigarette packs in each row. Each pack has a back wall with the back walls of the packs of one row adjacent the back walls of the packs of the second row. A sachet or small bag is removably attached to the back wall of each pack and a small pouch of smokeless tobacco is positioned within each sachet. One pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton has a sachet removably attached to the upper portion of the back wall thereof while the other pack of each adjacent pair of back-to-back cigarette packs in the carton has a sachet removably attached to lower portion of the back wall thereof.
Additionally, the present invention includes a cigarette pack alone having a sachet removably attached thereto. A small pouch of smokeless tobacco is positioned within the removably attached sachet.
The cigarette pack has a back wall and preferably the sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of the cigarette pack. Alternatively this sachet with the pouch of smokeless tobacco therein may be releasably attached to a lower back wall position of the pack.
The present invention further includes a pair of cigarette packs each having a back wall with the packs arranged adjacent to one another in back-to-back relationship. A sachet is releasably attached to the back wall of each pack. One sachet is releasably attached to an upper back wall portion of one pack and another sachet is releasably attached to a lower back wail portion of the other pack of the pair. Each sachet includes a small pouch of smokeless tobacco inside the sachet.
Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:
Referring in more particularity to the drawings, a standard cigarette carton 10 holds ten cigarette packs 12 in two rows of five packs in each row. Each cigarette pack has a container portion 14 that holds a foil bundle of twenty cigarette (not shown), and a hinge lid 16 that articulates along a hinge line 18. The cigarette pack includes front and back walls 20, 22, respectively, as well as a top wall 24, bottom wall 26 and opposite side walls 28.
A promotional sample in the form of a sachet or small bag 30 is releasably secured to the back wall 22 of each cigarette pack 12. Double sided adhesive 32 may be used for this purpose, but any convenient means of releasable securement may be utilized. Each sachet comprises two plies 33 secured together at the outside boundary of the plies.
A small pouch 34 of smokeless tobacco is within each of the sachets 30. The pouches 34 may be randomly positioned within the sachets or such positioning may be predetermined if desired. By way of example, and as partially shown in
As shown best in
As explained above in the Background of the Invention, cigarette cartons holding cigarette pack are subsequently reopened for the application of appropriate tax stamps to each pack within the carton. The tax stamping machinery is constructed and arranged to process standard size cigarette cartons and any dimensional increase of the carton would require special tax stamping machines. In the present invention, the positioning and orientation of the sachets 30 and the pouches 34 therein enable the packs 12 to be positioned within a standard carton 10 and subsequent tax stamping processes are easily accomplished with standard tax stamping machines.
The overwrap material 50 extends around the front and back walls 20, 22 of the pack as well as the opposite side walls 28. The upper and lower boundaries 52, 54 stop short of the top and bottom walls 24, 26 of the pack which leaves those walls uncovered by overwrap material. A pull tab 56 and weakened lines 58 are provided on the overwrap for removal of the overwrap when opening of the pack 12 is desired. The pull tab 56 and weakened lines 58 preferably are positioned adjacent one of the three opposite side wall 28 of the pack.
