Claims
- 1. A cigarette carton having a first end, and a second end, and dimensioned to contain a first number of cigarette packs, each said cigarette pack having a pair of opposed long walls joined by a pair of opposed short walls, said carton comprising:
- a first pair of first and second opposed walls; and
- a first side wall; wherein:
- each said first and second opposed walls has a first edge adjacent said first end, and a second edge adjacent said second end, each said first and second edges being at least as long as a second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack to be contained in said carton;
- each said first and second opposed walls has a pair of first and second side edges joining said first and second edges;
- said first wall is positioned substantially parallel to said second wall so that said first side edge of said first wall is juxtaposed to said second side edge of said second wall, and said second side edge of said first wall is juxtaposed to said first side edge of said second wall;
- said first and second walls and said first side wall are formed from a unitary portion of a blank which forms said carton such that each said first and second walls extends from said first side wall, and said second side edge of said first wall and said first side edge of said second wall adjoin said first side wall and form edges of said first side wall;
- said side wall is at least as wide as a third number of time the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack; and
- the product of said second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack and said third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is equal to said first number of cigarette packs which are to be contained in said carton; said cigarette carton further comprising:
- a first interior extension panel extending from said first edge of said first wall and having a distal edge;
- a second exterior extension panel extending from said first edge of said second wall and having a distal edge; and
- a third extension panel extending from said second edge of one of said first and second opposed walls and having a distal edge.
- 2. The cigarette carton of claim 1 further including a fourth extension panel extending from said distal edge of said third extension panel, wherein said third extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said one of said first and second opposed walls and toward the other of said first and second opposed walls, and said fourth extension panel is folded substantially parallel to and adjacent the other of said first and second opposed walls to close said second end of said carton.
- 3. The cigarette carton of claim 2 wherein said first interior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said first wall and toward said second wall, and said second exterior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said second wall and secured over and to said first interior extension panel to close said first end of said carton.
- 4. The cigarette carton of claim 3 wherein said distal edge of said second extension panel lies adjacent said first edge of said first wall when said second extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said second wall and toward said first wall.
- 5. The cigarette carton of claim 3 wherein:
- said first and second extension panels are secured with releasable adhesive to temporarily close said first end of said carton before passing said carton through a tax-stamping machine; and
- said first and second extension panels are secured with permanent adhesive to securely close said first end of said carton after passing said carton through a tax-stamping machine.
- 6. The cigarette carton of claim 1 wherein:
- said distal edge of said second exterior extension panel lies adjacent said first edge of said first wall when said second exterior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said second wall and toward said first wall; and
- said first interior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said first wall and toward said second wall and said second exterior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said second wall and secured over and to said first interior extension panel to close said first end of said carton.
- 7. The cigarette carton of claim 6 further including a fourth extension panel extending from said second edge of the other of said first and second opposed walls and having a distal edge; wherein:
- the dimension of at least one of said third and fourth extension panels is substantially the same as the dimension of said second exterior extension panel; and
- the other of said third and fourth extension panels is folded substantially perpendicular to said first pair of opposed walls and toward said at least one of said third and fourth extension panels, and said at least one of said third and fourth extension panels is folded substantially perpendicular to said first pair of opposed walls and secured over and to said other of said third and fourth extension panels to close said second end of said carton.
- 8. The cigarette carton of claim 6 wherein said distal edge of said first interior extension panel lies between said first and second walls when said first interior extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said first wall and toward said second wall.
- 9. The cigarette carton of claim 1 further including a first side panel extending from one of said first side edge of said first wall and said second side edge of said second wall and extending toward the other of said first side edge of said first wall and said second side edge of said second wall to form a second side wall substantially parallel to said first side wall.
- 10. The cigarette carton of claim 9 further including a second side panel extending from the other of said first side edge of said first wall and said second side edge of said second wall and extending toward said one of said first side edge of said first wall and said second side edge of said second wall and overlapping said first side panel to form a second side wall.
- 11. The cigarette carton of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first and second side panels has a first pair of first and second edges which align with said first and second edges of said first and second walls, and a second pair of first and second side edges which abut said first side edge of said first wall and said second side edge of said second wall, respectively.
- 12. The cigarette carton of claim 11 wherein said at least one of said first and second side panels is positioned adjacent the exterior of said carton over the other of said first and second side panels.
- 13. The cigarette carton of claim 1 wherein said second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack is five.
- 14. The cigarette carton of claim 1 wherein said third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is two.
- 15. The cigarette carton of claim 1 wherein said third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is one.
- 16. The cigarette carton of claim 1 further comprising:
- a second cigarette carton unit having a third end and a fourth end, and dimensioned to contain a fourth number of cigarette packs, said second cigarette carton unit comprising:
- a second pair of third and fourth opposed walls; and
- a second side wall; wherein:
- each said third and fourth opposed walls has a third edge adjacent said third end, and a fourth edge adjacent said fourth end, each said third and fourth edges being at least as long as said second number of times the width of the long wall of said cigarette pack;
- each said third and fourth opposed walls has a pair of third and fourth side edges joining said third and fourth edges;
- said third wall is positioned substantially parallel to said fourth wall so that said third side edge of said third wall is juxtaposed to said fourth side edge of said fourth wall, and said fourth side edge of said third wall is juxtaposed to said third side edge of said fourth wall;
- said third and fourth walls and said second side wall are formed from a unitary portion of a blank which forms said carton such that each said third and fourth walls extend from said second side wall, and said fourth side edge of said third wall and said third side edge of said fourth wall adjoin said second side wall and form edges of said second side wall;
- said second side wall is at least as wide as a fifth number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack; and
- the product of said second number of times the width of the long wall of said cigarette pack and said fifth number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is equal to said fourth number of cigarette packs which are to be contained in said second cigarette carton unit; said second cigarette carton unit further comprising:
- a fourth interior extension panel extending from said third edge of said third wall and having a distal edge;
- a fifth exterior extension panel extending from said third edge of said fourth wall and having a distal edge; and
- a sixth extension panel extending from said fourth edge of one of said third and fourth opposed walls and having a distal edge; wherein
- said second cigarette carton unit is positioned with one of said third and fourth walls of said second cigarette carton unit adjacent and coextensive with one of said first and second walls of said cigarette carton to form a dual carton; and
- said first end of said cigarette carton is adjacent said third end of said second cigarette carton unit; said cigarette carton further comprising:
- means for joining said cigarette carton to said second cigarette carton unit to form said dual carton.
- 17. The cigarette carton of claim 16 wherein:
- said first wall of said cigarette carton is positioned adjacent and coextensive with said third wall of said second cigarette carton unit;
- said second exterior extension panel of said cigarette carton is substantially the same length as said third number of times the short wall of a cigarette pack;
- said fifth exterior extension panel of said second cigarette carton unit is substantially the same length as said fifth number of times the width of a cigarette pack; and
- said second exterior extension panel and said fifth exterior extension panel form a substantially continuous top wall extending across said first end of said cigarette carton and said third end of said second cigarette carton unit when said second and fifth exterior extension panels are folded to close said dual carton.
- 18. The cigarette carton of claim 17 wherein said first and fourth interior extension panels are folded substantially parallel to and between said adjacent coextensive walls when said cartons are joined so that the ends of the cigarette packs contained in said cartons may be fully exposed when said second and fifth exterior extension panels of said cartons are folded away from said cartons.
- 19. The cigarette carton of claim 18 wherein said second and fifth exterior extension panels are folded substantially perpendicular to said second and fourth walls and toward said first and third walls to close said cigarette cartons.
- 20. The cigarette carton of claim 19 further including a joining means applied across said second and fifth exterior extension panels to secure said second and fifth exterior extension panels in said folded position.
- 21. The cigarette carton of claim 20 wherein said joining means includes a weakened area positioned substantially adjacent said distal edges of said second and fifth exterior extension panels.
- 22. The cigarette carton of claim 21 wherein said weakened area comprises a portion of said joining means narrower than the remainder of said joining means.
- 23. The cigarette carton of claim 21 wherein said weakened area comprises a line of weakness.
- 24. The cigarette carton of claim 23 wherein said line of weakness comprises a perforated line.
- 25. The cigarette carton of claim 17 wherein said first and fourth interior extension panels are folded substantially perpendicular to said first and third walls and toward said second and fourth walls to at least partially close said first end of said cigarette carton and said third end of said second cigarette carton unit.
- 26. The cigarette carton of claim 25 wherein said second and fifth exterior extension panels are folded substantially perpendicular to said second and fourth walls and toward said first and third walls, respectively, and are secured to said first and fourth interior extension panels, respectively, to close said first end of said cigarette carton and said third end of said second cigarette carton unit.
- 27. The cigarette carton of claim 26 wherein said second and fifth exterior extension panels are secured to said first and fourth interior extension panels, respectively, with adhesive.
- 28. The cigarette carton of claim 27 wherein said adhesive is permanent adhesive.
- 29. The cigarette carton of claim 27 further including a joining means applied across said second and fifth exterior extension panels to secure said cigarette cartons together in said dual carton configuration.
- 30. The cigarette carton of claim 29 wherein said joining means includes a weakened area positioned substantially parallel to said distal edges of said second and fifth exterior extension panels.
- 31. The cigarette carton of claim 30 wherein said weakened area comprises a portion of said joining means narrower than the remainder of said joining means.
- 32. The cigarette carton of claim 30 wherein said weakened area comprises a line of weakness.
- 33. The cigarette carton of claim 32 wherein said line of weakness comprises a perforated line.
- 34. The cigarette carton of claim 25 further including a joining strip applied across said first and fourth interior extension panels to join said cigarette cartons in said dual carton configuration.
- 35. The cigarette carton of claim 34 wherein said second and fifth exterior extension panels are folded substantially perpendicular to said second and fourth walls and toward said first and third walls, respectively, and secured to said joining strip to thereby close said first end of said cigarette carton and said third end of said second cigarette carton unit.
- 36. The cigarette carton of claim 16 wherein:
- said third extension panel of said cigarette carton is folded substantially perpendicular to and toward the other of said first and second walls to thereby form a bottom wall to close said carton; and
- said sixth extension panel of said second cigarette carton unit is folded substantially perpendicular to and toward the other of said third and fourth walls to thereby form a bottom wall to close said carton unit.
- 37. The, cigarette carton of claim 36 further including a joining means applied across said third and sixth extension panels to secure said third and sixth extension panels in said folded position.
- 38. The cigarette carton of claim 37 wherein said joining means includes a weakened area positioned substantially adjacent said distal edges of said third and sixth extension panels.
- 39. The cigarette carton of claim 38 wherein said weakened area comprises a portion of said joining means narrower than the remainder of said joining means.
- 40. The cigarette carton of claim 39 wherein said weakened area comprises a line of weakness.
- 41. The cigarette carton of claim 40 wherein said line of weakness comprises a perforated line.
- 42. The cigarette carton of claim 16 wherein:
- said first wall of said cigarette carton is positioned adjacent and coextensive with said third wall of said second cigarette carton unit; and
- said first and fourth interior extension panels are folded substantially parallel to and between said adjacent coextensive walls when said cartons are joined so that the ends of the cigarette packs contained in said cartons may be fully exposed when said second and fifth exterior extension panels of said cartons are folded away from said cartons.
- 43. The cigarette carton of claim 42 wherein said cartons are pivoted about said joining means positioned across said third and sixth extension panels to access said first and fourth interior extension panels.
- 44. A blank for forming a cigarette carton dimensioned to contain a first number of cigarette packs, each said cigarette pack having a first pair of opposed long walls and a second pair of opposed short walls, said blank comprising:
- a first side panel having a pair of first and second edges and a pair of first and second side edges adjoining said first and second edges;
- a first wall panel extending from and joined to said first side edge of said first side panel and having a pair of first and second edges, and a pair of first and second side edges adjoining said first and second edges
- a second wall panel extending from and joined to said second side edge of said first side panel and having a pair of first and second edges and a pair of first and second side edges joining said first and second edges;
- a first extension panel extending from said first edge of said first wall panel and having a distal edge;
- a second extension panel extending from said first edge of said second wall panel and having a distal edge; and
- a third extension panel extending from said second edge of one of said first and second wall panels and having a distal edge; wherein:
- said blank is a unitary, one-piece blank;
- the length of each of said first and second edges of said first and second wall panels is at least as long as a second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack;
- the length of each of said first and second side edges of said first wall panel, said second wall panel, and said first side panel is at least as long as the height of a cigarette pack in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of cigarettes in said cigarette pack;
- the length of each of said first and second edges of said first side panel is at least as long as a third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack;
- said first side edge of said first side panel and said second side edge of said first wall panel are coextensive;
- said second side edge of said first side panel and said first side edge of said second wall panel are coextensive;
- said first edges of said first wall panel, said first side panel, and said second wall panel are substantially collinear; and
- said second edges of said first wall panel, said first side panel, and said second wall panel are substantially collinear.
- 45. The blank of claim 44 wherein at least two panels are joined along a fold line to facilitate folding said blank into a carton.
- 46. The blank of claim 44 further including a second side panel extending from one of said first side edge of said first wall panel and said second side edge of said second wall panel, and having substantially the same dimensions as said first side panel.
- 47. The blank of claim 46 further including a third side panel extending from the other of said first side edge of said first wall panel and said second side edge of said second wall panel wherein when said blank is erected into a carton said second side panel is folded over said third side panel to form a laminated side wall of said carton, said laminated side wall substantially parallel to and the same dimension as said first side panel of said carton.
- 48. The blank of claim 47 wherein at least two panels are joined along a fold line to facilitate folding said blank into a carton.
- 49. The blank of claim 44 wherein:
- said third extension panel has a pair of first and second edges and a pair of first and second side edges joining said first and second edges;
- said first edge of said third extension panel is adjacent and coextensive with said second edge of said one of said first and second wall panels;
- said second edge of said third extension panel is said distal edge and is substantially parallel to and the same length as said first edge of said third extension panel;
- said first and second side edges of said third extension panel are substantially perpendicular to said first and second edges of said third extension panel; and
- the length of each of said first and second side edges of said third extension panel is substantially the same as the length of said first and second edges of said first side panel.
- 50. The blank of claim 49 further including a fourth extension panel extending from said distal edge of said third extension panel; wherein:
- said third and fourth extension panels form a tuck-in flap of a carton formed from said blank;
- said distal edge of said third extension panel lies adjacent said second edge of the other of said first and second wall panels when said blank is erected into a carton and said third extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said one of said first and second wall panels and toward said other of said first and second wall panels; and
- said fourth extension panel lies substantially parallel to said first and second wall panels when said blank is erected into a carton and said tuck-in flap is folded to close said second end of said carton.
- 51. The blank of claim 50 wherein at least two panels are joined along a fold line to facilitate folding said blank into a carton.
- 52. The blank of claim 49 further including a fourth extension panel extending from said second edge of the other of said first and second wall panels, wherein said third and fourth extension panels are overlapped to form a laminated panel for closing said second end of said carton.
- 53. The blank of claim 52 wherein said third extension panel is folded over said fourth extension panel to form said laminated panel.
- 54. The blank of claim 52 wherein at least two panels are joined along a fold line to facilitate folding said blank into a carton.
- 55. The blank of claim 44 wherein said blank is a paperboard blank.
- 56. The blank of claim 44 wherein said second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack is five.
- 57. The blank of claim 44 wherein said third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is one.
- 58. The blank of claim 44 wherein said third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is two.
- 59. A multiple unit cigarette carton for packaging a first number of cigarette packs and of dimensions compatible with commercially available tax-stamping machinery used in the automated processing of cigarette cartons, each said cigarette pack having a pair of opposed long walls and a pair of opposed short walls, said dual cigarette carton comprising:
- first and second cartons each having a first end and a second end, a first pair of first and second opposed walls having a first edge adjacent said first end and a second edge adjacent said second end, a second pair of third and fourth opposed walls having a first edge adjacent said first end and a second edge adjacent said second end, a top wall joining at least said first edges of said first pair of opposed walls, and a bottom wall joining at least said second edges of said first pair of opposed walls; wherein:
- said first pair of first and second walls are at least as wide as a second number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack;
- said second pair of third and fourth walls are at least as wide as a third number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack; and
- said first and second cartons are positioned with said first wall of said first carton adjacent and coextensive with said first wall of said second carton; said dual cigarette carton further comprising:
- a first substantially flat carrier means having a first side and a second side, and an adhesive borne on one side of said carrier means, said first carrier means being positioned across said bottom walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive side in operative contact with said bottom walls to thereby join said first and second cartons to form said dual carton; and
- a second substantially flat carrier means having a first side and a second side, and an adhesive borne on one side of said carrier means, said second carrier means being positioned across said top walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive side in operative contact with said top walls to thereby further join said first and second cartons to form said dual carton; wherein:
- a fourth number of cigarette packs, equal to the product of said second number of times the width of the long wall of said cigarette pack and said third number of times the width of the short wall of said cigarette pack, can be positioned inside each of said first and second cartons with said short walls parallel to said side walls.
- 60. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 59 wherein:
- said top wall of each of said first and second cartons is formed from a first extension panel extending from said first edge of one of said first and second walls and having a distal edge; and
- said first extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said first and second walls with said distal edge adjacent said first edge of the other of said first and second walls.
- 61. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 60 further including a second extension panel extending from said distal edge of said first extension panel of each of said first and second cartons and folded substantially perpendicular to said first extension panel and toward said bottom wall to thereby close said first and second cartons.
- 62. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 61 wherein said second extension panel of each of said first and second cartons is tucked into each of said first and second cartons, respectively.
- 63. The multiple cigarette carbon to claim 61 wherein said second extension panel of each of said first and second cartons is secured to the outside of said first and second cartons, respectively,
- 64. The multiple carton of claim 61 further including:
- a third extension panel extending from said second edge of said first wall of each of said first and second cartons and having a distal edge; and
- a fourth extension panel extending from said second edge of said second wall of each of said first and second cartons and having a distal edge; wherein:
- said third extension panel and said fourth extension panel of each of said first and second cartons are overlapped to form said bottom wall of said first and second cartons.
- 65. The multiple carton of claim 64 wherein:
- said distal edge of at least one of said third and fourth extension panels of each of said first and second cartons lies adjacent said second edge of the wall opposite said wall from which said at least one of said third and fourth extension panels extends; and
- said at least one of said third and fourth extension panels is positioned to lie adjacent the exterior of said carton.
- 66. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 59 further comprising a second extension panel extending from said first edge of the other of said first and second walls of each of said first and second cartons wherein said first and second extension panels of each of said first and second cartons are overlapped with said first extension panel adjacent the exterior of said dual cigarette carton to form said top wall of each of said first and second cartons.
- 67. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 66 wherein said first extension panel of each of said first and second cartons is adhered to said second extension panel to close said first end of said first and second cartons.
- 68. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 66 further including:
- a third extension panel extending from said second edge of said first wall of each of said first and second cartons and having a distal edge; and
- a fourth extension panel extending from said second edge of said second wall of each of said first and second cartons and having a distal edge; wherein:
- said third extension panel and said fourth extension panel of each of said cartons are overlapped to form said bottom wall of said first and second cartons.
- 69. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 59 wherein at least one of said carrier means has a weakened area which can readily be severed to separate said first and second cartons.
- 70. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 69 wherein said at least one of said carrier means includes both said carrier means.
- 71. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 69 wherein said weakened area comprises a portion of said carrier means narrower than the remainder of said carrier means.
- 72. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 69 wherein said weakened area comprises a line of weakness.
- 73. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 72 wherein said line of weakness comprises a perforated line.
- 74. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 72 wherein said line of weakness is positioned along and substantially parallel to the plane of abutment of said first and second cigarette cartons.
- 75. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 59 wherein:
- at least one of said top wall and said bottom wall of each of said first and second carton is formed from an extension panel extending from said first wall overlapping an extension panel extending from said second wall; and
- each said extension panel has an interior surface adjacent the interior of said first and second cartons and an exterior surface adjacent the exterior of said first and second cartons.
- 76. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 75 wherein at least one of said first and second carrier means is positioned with said adhesive bearing side in operative contact with the exterior surface of at least one extension panel of each of said first and second cartons.
- 77. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 76 wherein said extension panels are adhered to one another.
- 78. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 75 wherein at least one of said first and second carrier means is positioned between said overlapped extension panels.
- 79. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 78 wherein at least one of said first and second carrier means is positioned with said adhesive bearing side in operative contact with the interior surface of at least one extension panel of each of said first and second cartons.
- 80. The multiple cigarette carton of claim 79 wherein said overlapped extension panels are adhered to one another.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending, commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/831,348, filed Feb. 5, 1992, which is a continuation-in-part of copending, commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/774,529, filed Oct. 8, 1991, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
US Referenced Citations (37)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
358560 |
Oct 1931 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
831348 |
Feb 1992 |
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Parent |
774529 |
Oct 1991 |
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